FILLING THE FILTER OF A "MOKA" COFFEE-MAKER

DESCRIPTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention finds its application, in general, in the field of kitchen accessories and, in particular, focuses on a specific accessory, consisting of the container for grinded coffee which is used for the preparation of the coffee drink by means of the so- called “Moka” coffee-maker, an iconic object that is still practically the same today, as it was made for the first time in 1933 by its inventor Bialetti.

It is noted that the name "Moka", initially introduced as the commercial name of a particular brand, has now become a common name that indicates a particular type of coffee-maker.

Prior art

Said "Moka" coffee-maker, or simply "Moka", is a very popular kitchen accessory, known to most people, it is therefore not necessary to dwell on it for long, and we will only summarize very briefly its operation, and how it is composed. Typically, a "Moka" includes a boiler to be filled with the water needed to prepare the coffee. The upper edge of said boiler is threaded to ensure coupling with a jug where the coffee is collected when it comes up from the boiler. The boiler must be heated (for example by putting it in contact with the flame of a stove fire, but also with other heating techniques) so that the water contained in it rises upwards and, through a special conduit, also known as the "chimney", located inside the jug, is poured into the latter.

The passage of water from the boiler to the jug occurs as a result of appropriate pressure adjustments which are ensured in a simple way by means of a valve system. Above said boiler, but inside it, a funnel-shaped filter is housed, which is held in a fixed position between the boiler and the jug when these are screwed together. The grinded coffee is contained inside the filter, so that when the vaporized water passes from the boiler up to the jug, it passes through the filter and absorbs the flavor and aroma of the coffee: when the water contained in the boiler has risen, almost entirely, in the jug, the drink is ready to be consumed.

For decades since its invention, the "Moka" has practically had no alternatives for the preparation at home of a coffee similar to the so-called espresso coffee, that is a coffee obtained by forcing the vaporized water to pass (at high pressure) through a filter containing grinded coffee.

Even when the first coffee machines similar to those used in bars appeared and spread in homes, to prepare the so-called "espresso" at home, the classic "Moka" continued to be a very popular accessory, and the most prestigious brands still propose it even today, often with new collections and new designs. So, although the market today offers valid alternatives for preparing coffee at home, it is clear that the use of "Moka" is still widespread. In fact, the tradition associated with the domestic use of the "Moka", combined with the excellent quality of the result obtained in the preparation of coffee, means that practically every Italian home has at least one "Moka", and often there is more than one. The need to have more than one "Moka" at home also derives from the fact that each "Moka" is designed to prepare a fixed amount of coffee, therefore, depending on the people for whom the coffee must be prepared, it is necessary to use a "Moka" of different sizes.

However, although, as mentioned, the "Moka" coffee-makers are still present in almost all Italian homes, in many cases there is also the presence of espresso coffee machines similar to those used in bars. One of the reasons that may have favored the relative spread of espresso coffee machines, alternatives to the "Moka", despite their cost and their size, is perhaps their ease of use. Since these domestic coffee machines are typically equipped with pre-packaged pods or cartridges, ready to be inserted in small and practical machines, the preparation of coffee is very easy, decidedly convenient and fast.

When using the “Moka” pot, on the other hand, it seems that the most tedious operations are those of filling the funnel filter and the subsequent cleaning and washing. To obtain a good coffee, made with the "Moka", it is necessary to put the coffee in the funnel filter, and press it at the right point, until obtaining a slight convexity and, very importantly for obtaining a state-of-the-art coffee, it is necessary that the grinded coffee doesn’t invade the edge formed by the funnel filter with the threaded part of the boiler, as the gasket installed in the jug, which holds the filter in place, must seal properly in this area.

When assembling the coffee-maker by screwing the jug to the boiler, the base of the jug (consisting of a surface with many small holes, called "plate filter") must touch the pressed coffee, possibly exert a further light pressure on it, but it should never leave any empty volume between the base of the jug and the coffee, as this would reduce the compactness of the grinded coffee, and limit the transfer of aromatic substances into the hot water that passes through it, thus obtaining a non-quality coffee drink; the same happens if the coffee is not sufficiently pressed, having been filled only by gravity.

The most classic way to put the coffee in the funnel filter is to use a normal teaspoon and after having put a certain amount, press it adding further small quantities and press it again, until obtaining a good consistency and a slightly convex surface. This operation, if carried out carefully, allows you to obtain a state-of-the-art coffee, but it requires time and patience, and not everyone has enough.

Someone fills the funnel filter with a teaspoon, circling the top of the boiler with the arc formed by the thumb and forefinger in order to increase the capacity and create a small pile of coffee; subsequently screwing the jug generates the pressing that allows you to obtain a good coffee but it is practically inevitable that some coffee ends up on the edge between the funnel filter and the boiler where the gasket associated with the coupling between the boiler and the jug should guarantee a good sealing. In any case, even making use of the spoon to fill the funnel filter, and pressing the coffee, albeit with the utmost care, it is common for some coffee to go into the edge where the gasket must be sealed.

If there is coffee where the gasket is to be sealed, splashes will almost certainly come out during heating and dirty the coffee-maker and the stove; also, the subsequent washing of the “Moka” itself will be more complex and difficult as it is necessary to remove the coffee that has stuck to the gasket and in the thread of the jug.

Furthermore, the imperfect coupling between the boiler and the jug, in addition to causing the inconvenience of spraying, affects the establishment of those optimal pressures, which give rise to the best preparation of the coffee.

Finally, the coffee on the gasket ends up dirtying the latter so that the subsequent washing becomes difficult and must be energetic, causing faster wear of the seal. Once again, it is observed that a worn gasket no longer guarantees the establishment of optimal pressures during the preparation of coffee.

Therefore, an inadequate filling of the filter involves a series of problems that in the long run can stimulate the need to search for alternatives to the "Moka", renouncing the use of this fascinating accessory, guardian of a consolidated tradition, which, if used well, allows the preparation of an excellent quality coffee in which the aromas are well enhanced. These drawbacks are summarized below. i. If the coffee is not pressed well, a watered-down and therefore not pleasant drink will come out; it should be noted that coffee is a drink that is obtained by percolation, that is, by the slow passage of water through the porous mass of pressed grinded coffee. If the necessary pressing were missing, preferential paths with low resistance would arise and the drink would result in a low concentration of the aromatic substances that give taste to the coffee. ii. If the coffee is too pressed, the water crossing could be severely hindered and the boiler safety valve could activate, however, putting its integrity at risk due to the excessive pressure and temperature that is reached inside; and then, a coffee that encounters too much resistance to pass through the funnel filter could have that taste which, when it happens, may be defined as "scorched". iii. If coffee invades the edge between the funnel filter and the boiler, which happens very frequently, it will be likely that following the increase in the pressure of the water in the boiler, the presence of coffee on that annular portion on which the gasket must be sealed, jeopardizes the seal, favoring the formation of splashes that will dirty the "Moka" and the stove, and also the subsequent washing of it will be more complex and difficult since it is necessary to remove the coffee that has stuck to the gasket and to the jug thread. It should be noted that the presence of grinded coffee on the boiler/jug connection thread leads to the alteration of the clearances (initial tolerances) to the point of making them excessive, and this due to the hot sliding of the "Moka" material, generally made of aluminum.

Many people, aware that they have overflowed the grinded coffee, at least to try to limit the sprays mentioned above, tighten the jug to the boiler extremely tightly and, upon disassembly, encounter great resistance, finding themselves forced to ask for help from someone who has more strength. Furthermore, cleaning and washing a "Moka" where the coffee has overflowed may be difficult due to the removal of traces of coffee in the fillet, especially in the jug.

To solve these drawbacks, at least in part, the market offers a dispenser equipped with a rotary valve for dispensing coffee. However, this solution does not press the coffee into the filter and also leaves a concavity in place of the convexity mentioned above, thus giving rise to a low consistency of the coffee in the funnel filter; therefore, to obtain optimal coffee it is necessary to top up the filter using a teaspoon. Furthermore, dispensers of this type, generally, do not give the possibility to perfectly dose the grinded coffee according to the user's tastes, as they are configured to load preset quantities of grinded coffee into the filter.

It is not considered appropriate to mention other solutions offered by the market, as they are devices to facilitate the laying of grinded coffee rather than dispensers, but they aren’t objects that can overcome all the drawbacks summarized above.

For completeness, and for the sake of example, it is just cited the solution proposed in US 2016/088975 (“Dispenser for particular matter and method of use”, Andrew Trafford KING - March, 31 ^st 2016).

Summary and objective of the invention

The general purpose of the present invention, therefore, is to indicate a new accessory for storing grinded coffee, which also functions as a universal dispenser to optimally load the filter of a generic "Moka" coffee-maker (of any size) for the preparing a coffee. In fact, it is very useful to have an accessory that is comfortable and effective, both for its use when preparing a coffee, and for storing the coffee itself.

More specifically, the purpose of the present invention is to indicate the characteristics of a dispenser for grinded coffee which has the following characteristics: it guarantees, at best, the filling and pressing of the funnel filter of a "Moka"; it ensures that this filling takes place precisely, without a part of the grinded coffee invading the edge of the boiler, in the area where the gasket installed in the jug must ensure optimal sealing; it is a "universal" object, that is, usable with "Mokas" of different sizes; it is a solution that guarantees that the coffee transfer operation from the container where it is stored to the funnel filter does not require intermediate steps, and does not require maneuvers for which there is a risk that part of the grinded coffee ends up outside, on the surface where the operation itself is being performed; in particular, it should not be necessary to use dosers or spoons of an appropriate size or shape to perform the pouring; in general, it is intended to describe the essential characteristics of a container for grinded coffee that integrates a dispenser to fill the filter of a generic "Moka" coffeemaker in a workmanlike manner, and that is as simple as possible to use.

The indicated objectives are achievable by means of a container for grinded coffee comprising a side containment wall, a bottom and an upper opening that can be used for its filling, and said container for grinded coffee is characterized in that: said bottom has at least one through hole for feeding the filter of a "Moka" coffee-maker, in one of the preferred embodiments, said hole is positioned centrally, and has a substantially tubular shape, the length of which is approximately equal to the width, the internal face of said bottom is concave, and shaped so that the upper edge of said hole is flush with the lowest part of the internal concavity, in one of the preferred embodiments, said bottom has a concave shape also in its external face, said container is combined with a pusher tool comprising a stem, suitable for being maneuvered by the user, which ends with a pestle whose dimensions allow it to easily push the grinded coffee inside the filter, until both the filter and said hole are completely filled.

Finally, it should be noted that, in the preferred embodiments, this container is completed by an upper lid and a base on which to position the container itself when it is stored. Said base is useful as it allows you to collect any coffee residues that might come out of the feed hole, and can be made as a sort of saucer on which to simply rest the container after use, or it can be a sort of lower lid to be applied to the base of the container, always after use.

The main advantage of the present invention consists in the fact that a container for grinded coffee made according to the teachings of the present invention, together with the relative method of loading a funnel-shaped filter of a "Moka", satisfies all the main requirements for which the invention itself was conceived.

The following description highlights the surprising simplicity, both of the container and of the filling method, which will be fully illustrated in the following description. This simplicity is an advantage of the invention; in fact, the exercise of inventive activity was carried out mainly in advantageously exploiting the mechanical characteristics of the same grinded coffee itself, in order to achieve the goal of maximum simplicity. Brief Description of the Drawings

This invention also has further advantages, which will become more evident from the following description, from an example of practical embodiment which illustrates further details, from the attached claims which form an integral part of the present description, and from the attached figures in which: Figures 1a and 1 b show a "Moka" coffee-maker of the type suitable for the application of the present invention; Figures 2a and 2b show, in a schematic and simplified way, a container for grinded coffee according to the invention, while it is used; Figure 3 shows a form of implementation of a container for grinded coffee according to the invention while it is stored, complete with pusher tool, lid and basement.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 a shows a "Moka" coffee maker of the type suitable for the application of the present invention, indicated as a whole with the number 200. The view presented in Figure 1a is an exterior view in which two parts of said "Moka" 200 are highlighted: the lower part, indicated with the number 210, is the boiler that must be filled with water for the preparation of the coffee drink, while the upper part, indicated with the number 220, is the jug where the coffee drink is collected during preparation. Said boiler 210 and said jug 220 are coupled together in the intermediate zone indicated with the number 221 , and this coupling takes place by screwing the jug 220 onto the boiler 210, which therefore must be suitably threaded.

Figure 1b, shows the "Moka" 200 of figure 1a in a sectional view, which allows you to appreciate the internal part of said "Moka" 200. It can be seen that the boiler 210 and the jug 220 are essentially two containers which have approximately the same capacity, since the water, first contained in the boiler 210, is heated until it is vaporized, so that due to the effect of the increase in pressure it rises towards the jug 220. In Figure 1b, it can be seen that between the boiler 210 and the jug 220 there is a funnel filter indicated with the number 230. Said funnel filter 230, during the preparation of the coffee drink is filled with appropriately roasted and grinded coffee, so that the water, to rise from the boiler 210 to the jug 220 must pass through the grinded coffee contained in the filter 230, acquiring the aromas, and transforming itself in the coffee drink. As already explained in the first part of this description, the grinded coffee contained in the filter 230 must completely fill the filter and must be pressed correctly, more or less, according to taste.

Finally, in Figure 1b it can be seen how the coffee drink pours into the jug through a condensation duct indicated with the number 222 also known as the "chimney". The function of said duct 222 is multiple, in fact, in addition to favoring the condensation of the vaporized liquid coming from below, thanks to the effect of a constriction in its top, it ensures that a sufficient pressure difference is maintained between the inside of the jug. 220 and the inside of the conduit 222, so that the coffee drink rises completely and pours into the jug 220.

Without going into the detail of the physical phenomenon that allows the preparation of the coffee drink, here, and for the purposes of the description of the present invention, it is worth noting how the pressures inside the "Moka" 200, during preparation of the coffee drink, must be at certain values so that (almost) all the water contained in the boiler 210 rises to the jug 220, at the right speed, so as to transform itself into a tasty drink that has optimally acquired all the aromas of the coffee.

It is therefore important to point out that the coupling between the boiler 210 and the jug 220, which takes place by screwing, is made correctly, and that the interposed gasket (which must be present, even if it has not been highlighted in the figure) is always in good condition. Among the main causes that determine an incorrect coupling between the boiler 210 and the jug 220, there is the presence of grinded coffee in the edge formed by the filter 230 with the threaded part of the boiler 210, near the zone where there is installed the gasket, which also holds the filter 230 in position. This presence of grinded coffee is almost inevitable, in the case of filling the filter 230 as it happens in practice and in real cases, unless you pay great attention to the operation (es rarely happens) or unless you put too little coffee in the filter (as, instead, happens more often).

Figure 2a shows a container for grinded coffee, indicated as a whole with the number 100, which allows you to fill the filter 230 perfectly, easily and in a short time.

Said container 100 is composed of various parts, among which they are highlighted in Figure 2a a lateral containment wall, indicated with the number 120, and a bottom indicated with the number 130. With the number 110 an upper opening is then indicated, which serves, among other things, to fill the container 100 with grinded coffee, indicated with the number 310; but it also serves, as it will be clarified below, to carry out some maneuvers to load the filter, which is always indicated with the number 230.

What makes said container 100 particular is the conformation of the bottom 130.

First of all, said bottom 130 has a hole, highlighted within a dashed line, and indicated with the number 131 ; other particularities of the conformation of said bottom 130 will be illustrated below.

It should be noted that the choice of providing a single hole, positioned centrally, represents an embodiment choice among the preferred ones, but not essential, since it is possible to make containers 100 with an off-center hole, or even with more than one hole; as well as the section of this hole (or holes) can be of any shape (even if the circular shape appears decidedly the preferred).

As shown in Figure 2a, said container 100 is designed to be placed on a boiler, again indicated with the number 210, of a "Moka". Once said container 100 has been positioned above said boiler 210, already filled with water and with the filter 230 positioned, the coffee can be introduced into said filter 230 through said hole 131 .

In Figure 2a, said hole 131 has a tubular shape, and the width and length dimensions are such that the grinded coffee, if well compacted, can form a plug which occludes said hole 131. Therefore, the hole 131 must not be too large, otherwise, given the limited compactness obtainable by compressing the grinded coffee, it would not allow the formation of a plug, while the longer the tube forming the hole 131 , the more the formation of this plug is favored. However, too narrow holes would make the filling of the filter too long and difficult, as well as eventual holes with too elongated side walls, which would make the bottom 130 too thick.

Given that the size and shape of the hole, as already mentioned, are susceptible to many implementation variations, just to provide some examples of realistic implementation, some indications are given below which allow to obtain good compromises for the dimensioning of the hole 130: these are indications based on a series of experimental tests. Good results were obtained with a substantially cylindrical hole with a diameter of the order of one centimeter or a little more (diameters greater than two centimeters are not recommended) and a height similar to the diameter, or greater in the case of fairly large holes. It should be noted that the sizing of the hole 131 can be decided with a certain freedom, however taking care to ensure that the dimensions allow the formation of a plug of grinded coffee that obstructs the hole itself when the container is not placed over the filter that must to be filled. By way of example only, and only to provide an indicative order of magnitude, we report a sizing that has proven to work very well: a prototype that gives excellent results requires a hole with a diameter of 14 mm and a height of 13 mm.

A further peculiarity of said bottom 130 is in the conformation of its two faces.

The upper face, inside the container 100, has a concave funnel shape, so as to facilitate the sliding of the grinded coffee 310 into the hole 131 , since this hole 131 is located in the lowest area of this concavity and its upper edge it is flush with the internal surface of said bottom 130.

In the form of implementation represented in Figure 2a (and also in the other figures), the lower face of said bottom 130, external to the container 100, also has a concave shape, with the concavity, this time, facing downwards. This external concavity is strongly recommended, even if not essential, since said bottom 130 can in theory also have a flat external face, or even with another conformation. However, an external concavity, typically less accentuated than the internal concavity, represents a form of implementation that is very simple to make, and which has at least two functions of considerable benefit.

The first function is to leave some space centrally above the filter 230 so that there can be a little more coffee than is strictly sufficient to fill the filter itself, in this way, following the screwing of the jug on the boiler. 210, the grinded coffee undergoes further pressing.

The second function is instead to make the support of the container 100 above the edge of the boiler 210 more stable.

With regard to the processing of the two, external and internal, surfaces of said bottom 130, it is observed that it is preferable that they are smooth so as to favor the sliding of the grinded coffee 310 on the internal one and decrease the adhesion capacity of the pressed coffee on the external one, which is oriented towards at the funnel filter. In some embodiments, the external face of the bottom 130 is covered with a plastic or rubbery material, or in any case less rigid than the material of which the "Moka" boiler is made: this is to favor the stability of the support of the container over the edge of the boiler. In other forms of implementation, said bottom 130 can be composed of several assembled parts, for example the lower part and the upper part can be two different pieces coupled after their construction, or the hole can be obtained from a pipe stub coupled to the bottom body 130. As can be seen from these few examples, many different forms of implementation for the bottom 130 of the container 100 according to the invention are obviously possible. What matters is that it contains the characteristics of shape that are strictly functional to the use of the container 100 as a tool suitable for the correct filling of a filter 230 of a "Moka" 200 coffee-maker.

Once the container 100 has been described, its operation can also be illustrated which, in essence, also defines a new and particularly effective method for filling a filter 230 of a "Moka" coffee-maker with the right dose of coffee and with the right pressing, so as to make a coffee drink in a workmanlike manner, and without even a small part of grinded coffee invading the edge of the boiler, causing the problems described above.

Therefore, the operations to be carried out to fill a filter 230 of a "Moka" coffee-maker are briefly listed below. Placing the container 100 above the boiler 210 of a "Moka" coffee-maker, after this has already been filled with water and the filter 230 has been correctly positioned inside it. Push the grinded coffee 310 contained in the container 100 into the hole 131 , using a special pusher tool until both the filter 230 and the hole 131 are completely filled with suitably pressed ground coffee, i.e. the volume limited by the base of the funnel filter, in the lowest part, and from the intersection plane of the tubular hole with the external part of the hole, in the highest part; it is observed that, since the hole 131 is designed to form a plug of grinded coffee, it is essential to push the coffee through this hole, initially to remove the existing plugging, and subsequently to speed up the discharge of the grinded coffee and to press the spilled coffee, which is in the filter when it is completely filled. Lift up the container 100, and place it, typically on its own base made for the purpose, but not necessarily, since the container 100 after use can be stored anywhere, even on a normal saucer, since the grinded coffee 310 does not come out of the hole 131 , being a plug of grinded coffee formed, as a result of the pressing.

It is of considerable importance to underline the fact that the ideal compactness that the grinded coffee must have when it is inside the filter 230 for an optimal preparation of the coffee drink, is a compactness which, if it is also obtained in the volume of the hole 131 , significantly smaller than the volume of the filter 230, it is largely sufficient to form a plug capable of obstructing the hole 131 , preventing the escape of the grinded coffee 310 contained in the container 100. And it is precisely the exploitation of this mechanical property of the grinded coffee 310, which constitutes the fundamental intuition for the conception of the present invention.

From the just presented description, which regards the operations required to fill the filter 230 of a "Moka" 200 coffee maker, the importance of the pusher tool, indicated in Figure 2a with the number 140, emerges clearly. In fact, the grinded coffee 310 does not have such a fluid consistency as to spontaneously and quickly slide into the hole 131, and therefore needs to be guided and pushed to take this path. Furthermore, when all the space inside and above the filter 230, and under the container 100, is completely filled, the grinded coffee must also be pressed and compacted.

In order to easily carry out these operations of compacting the grinded coffee 310 in the filter 230, the present invention provides for the use of said pusher tool 140. It is a very simple tool, consisting of a stem which allows it to be maneuvered by holding it from above without the need to enter the container 100 with the hand. At the distal end with respect to the gripping area of this stem, there is an enlargement that forms a sort of pestle, indicated in Figure 2a with the number 141 , and ending with a small flattened surface.

Thanks to this shape, which resembles a very elongated pestle, said pusher element 140 can push the grinded coffee towards the hole until it fills the filter and in this filling phase, consequent to the thrust, compacts it both in the filter and in the hole itself.

With regard to the dimensions of said pusher tool 141 , it is possible to opt for a choice which allows it to easily penetrate into said hole 131 for filter feeding, leaving a small gap between the edge of said pestle 141 and the wall of said feed hole. In this way it is possible to press the coffee to compact it right into the filter, but the risk is that a distracted user (or impractical in the use of the object) will worry about compacting only the coffee inside the filter and not worry also filling hole 131 well, and also sufficiently compacting the grinded coffee that is inside this hole 131.

For this reason, in an alternative embodiment it is possible to opt for dimensions of the pestle 141 which are slightly larger than the feed hole. This last choice makes the compaction of the coffee inside the filter a little more difficult (but not too much), since the pressure of the pestle 141 can only be exerted inside the container 100 and it is not possible to compress the coffee directly inside the filter by passing with the pestle 141 through the feed hole 131. On the other hand, the compacting maneuver must necessarily compress all the coffee that is introduced into the feed hole, including the grinded coffee that remains inside the hole itself; thus avoiding the potential inconvenience of filling the with well- compacted coffee only the filter 230, without a coffee plug forming to obstruct the hole 131. At this point it is useful to observe how the invention lends itself to incorporating further measures with the possibility of making various implementation variations. These variants make it possible to highlight the main intuition underlying the invention, which makes it particularly simple and effective for its practical use: i.e. the formation of a plug made of grinded coffee which obstructs said through hole 131 , and said obstruction occurs precisely in the circumstance in which it is needed, that is, when the filter of the “Moka” 200 is completely filled.

An implementation variant consists in inserting fixed elements inside the through hole 131 that increase the internal surface of the hole 131 (for example thin blades, placed vertically), favoring the compaction of the grinded coffee and its adhesion by friction on these walls. The use of these fixed elements, therefore, allows to guarantee the formation of the plug even with larger sections of the hole.

If the dimensions of the pestle are smaller than the through hole 131 , the presence of these fixed elements inside the hole 131 hinders the maneuvers of the pusher element 140. In this case, obviously, said pusher element 140 could not slide completely through the hole itself; so that it is preferable that these fixed elements do not occupy the entire thickness of the hole, and are positioned in the area of the hole downwards, to allow said pusher element 140 to penetrate sufficiently inside the hole 131.

If the pusher element 140 is instead shaped in such a way that its sliding inside the hole 131 is not foreseen, evidently, the presence of any fixed elements inside the hole 131 does not interfere with the maneuvers of the 'pusher element itself, the latter being designed to compress the ground coffee by exerting pressure only by acting from the outside of the hole 131.

In another form of implementation, similar to the previous one, it is possible to apply a sort of grid to the base of the hole with the function of further supporting the plug of grinded coffee that is formed by compaction.

Further embodiments may concern the conformation of the side walls of the hole 131 , since these are made in such a way that the through section is not constant but is slightly smaller in the lower area of the hole 131. For example, the side walls of the hole 131 can be slightly inclined so that the section of the hole is reduced downwards, preventing the coffee plug, while remaining compact, from sliding downwards due to insufficient friction of the side walls of the hole itself. Yet another expedient, again aimed at preventing the compacted coffee plug from slipping, may consist in the presence of a small edge slightly protruding towards the inside of the base of the hole 131 , even in this case, only the crumbling of the plug can reopen the hole 131 , and not its sliding.

In short, although the use of a single central and cylindrical through hole constitutes a form of implementation that combines simplicity and effectiveness (given that, under the test of facts, the plug is perfectly formed even with a hole of this simplicity, as long as it is of appropriate size), this solution is not the only one, being equally effective solutions with different holes and characterized, or not, by the presence of fixed elements inside them or at their base, as well as by conformations different from the cylindrical.

The only essential fact is that the grinded coffee flows from the container 100 to the filter of the "Moka" coffee-maker through one or more holes 131 , that it can be compacted with the aid of the pusher tool 140, and that this compaction is functional both for the preparation of the coffee drink (as regards the coffee inside the filter) and for the formation of a plug that obstructs said one or more holes 131 , when the container 100 is removed from the "Moka" coffee-maker to be stored away.

In Figure 2b, the same elements shown in Figure 2a are shown, with the only difference that the container 100 is lifted from the boiler 210. From Figure 2b it can be seen that the grinded coffee 310, contained in the container 100, does not come out of the hole 131 , this being blocked by the compacted coffee which acts as a plug.

The container 100 can thus be stored away without the risk of the grinded coffee 310 spilling out onto the work surface, where the filling operations of the filter 230 were carried out.

Figure 3 allows you to appreciate the extreme simplicity of the accessory according to the invention consisting of a container for grinded coffee incorporating a system for filling the filter of a "Moka" coffee-maker.

An important feature of the present invention is the simplicity of the elements that compose it, and, in this, it is inspired by the same essentiality of the "Moka": in fact, the object of this invention is made up of elements that are not subject to wear and therefore long-lasting. It has no constraints that allow the reciprocal movement of its parts, and the only maneuver that requires movement is the actuation of the pusher tool 140, which however is a completely manual and very simple action.

Furthermore, the container 100 according to the invention can be completed with additional elements which, although not essential for the operation of the invention, are extremely useful, not to say indispensable, so that this accessory can be used in a real and widespread way: this is an upper lid, indicated in Figure 3 with the number 151 , and a base, indicated in Figure 3 with the number 152.

Said lid 151 is important because, when the container is put away, it is obviously appropriate that the grinded coffee 310, stored inside the container itself, is protected from the possibility that something enters it accidentally contaminating the coffee: after all, all food containers they are usually equipped with a lid. If, as recommended, you want to leave the pusher 140 inside the container, a radial slot can be obtained on the lid to allow it to close, even if not hermetically.

Said base 152 is instead an element whose utility is specific to the container 100 according to the invention. In fact, although the hole 131 is blocked by pressed coffee, it is always possible that some residues of the underlying part of the coffee "plug" come off, dirtying the support surface, and in any case, for reasons of hygiene, it is advisable that even the coffee which forms this "plug" does not remain in direct contact with the environment while the container is stored. It can be observed how said base 152 can be a sort of saucer, possibly specially shaped to provide a matching support on which to place the container, or it can be conceived just as a lower lid, designed to also close the underlying part of the container by coupling it "in grip” with the base of the container itself.

This last embodiment option allows the container 100 to be moved from one place to another, gripping it centrally like a normal jar, and at the same time carrying the base 152 with it. In the case of the "saucer" option, in which the actual container it is only resting on the base, when this is lifted the base obviously remains where it is, in the point where the container must then eventually be stored again.

Final remarks

Ultimately, the container for grinded coffee incorporating a system for filling the filter of a "Moka" coffee-maker, according to the invention, is presented as an accessory that can replace the containers (generally cans) already normally used today to store the grinded coffee when a new package of coffee is opened; therefore it would not be an additional accessory, which is often not appreciated in contemporary kitchens already too invaded by a large number of accessories and utensils designed for each operation to be carried out in the kitchen.

In addition, compared to current containers, the container for grinded coffee incorporating a system for filling the filter of a "Moka" coffee-maker according to the invention is extremely effective for carrying out a particularly problematic operation, which, today, is often performed in imperfect way: that is the correct filling of the filter of a "Moka" coffee-maker.

In general, then, the present invention lends itself to numerous variations and can be implemented even partially, as well as some of the described details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements; all this, while maintaining the essential prerogatives claimed.

Some of these variants have already been mentioned previously, for example with reference to the bottom 130 of the container 100, or to the hole 131 , or to the base 152. In general, it can be observed how the invention can be developed, as a whole, with enormous flexibility: it can assume different dimensions and various shapes, as well as the use of specific materials does not constitute an essential part of the present invention.

This flexibility in conceiving different embodiments, both in terms of shape and of used materials, means that this accessory can be made with great care and creativity also on the aesthetic side, thus lending itself to be developed as a real object of "design", and therefore, as such, it can also be protected with other forms of protection.