JP2013248069A - Dripper - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dripper which facilitates the swelling of an extractive material and thereby enables appropriate extraction thanks to its filter structure of expanding sideways during extraction.SOLUTION: A dripper 10 includes: an annular holder 11 for holding a funnel-shaped filter at the top; a filter support 12 for supporting the filter at the bottom; and a connector 13 vertically connecting the annular holder 11 and the filter support 12. Between the annular holder 11 and the filter support 12, a place except the connector 13 is open in a lateral direction. When the dripper 10 is in use for extraction, the filter spontaneously expands crosswise freely and outwardly between the annular holder 11 and filter support 12, which allows the uniform and smooth swelling of an extractive material put in the filter, while preventing over-extraction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dripper equipped with, for example, a paper filter, and more particularly to a dripper in which a filter spreads in the lateral direction during extraction and facilitates swelling of an extraction object.

  Conventionally, various funnel-type coffee drippers have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2), and some of them have been put to practical use. Such a dripper generally has a conical structure in which the opening opened upward is reduced in diameter toward the lower side, and a paper filter, for example, is placed along the inner periphery thereof. In this dripper, for example, a conical or fan-shaped paper filter that has a funnel shape is set so as to protrude from the opening, coffee powder is put into the paper filter, and hot water is poured to extract coffee. Here, coffee powder is swollen with hot water poured from above to extract coffee components. And the extract is dripped in the container for extract through the hole provided in the lower part of the dripper.

  At the time of such coffee extraction, the paper filter swells outward by the poured hot water. The outer surface of the paper filter comes into contact with and closely contacts the inner periphery of the dripper having the cone structure. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the side surface of the paper filter comes into contact with the rib disposed over the entire circumferential direction of the inner surface of the dripper, and the air permeability can be secured without being in close contact with the entire inner surface. Yes. Further, even in Patent Document 2, the cone-shaped dripper has a structure in which the side surface of the paper filter is in line contact with the inner surface of the dripper instead of surface contact, so that the ventilation to the paper filter is uniform. . Thus, coffee having a good flavor is extracted due to the air permeability of the paper filter.

  However, in the conventional dripper, although the paper filter at the time of coffee extraction can ensure the necessary air permeability, it works to suppress the swelling of the coffee powder on the inner surface in the region contacting the inner periphery of the dripper. This is because, in the paper filter, for example, a drag force (hereinafter also referred to as a regulating force) works from the above-described rib or line contact region, and the swelling of the coffee powder on the inner surface is regulated by this regulating force. Such suppression of the swelling of the coffee powder becomes a hindrance to uniform and smooth extraction of the entire coffee powder. For this reason, it was difficult to draw out the fullness of the coffee.

Registered Utility Model No. 3116219 Japanese Patent No. 4027961

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dripper that facilitates swelling of an extraction object by allowing a filter to bend and spread in the lateral direction during extraction. Then, for example, an extract can be efficiently extracted from an extract such as coffee powder, and a rich extract such as delicious coffee can be easily obtained.

  In order to achieve the above object, a dripper according to the present invention is a dripper that drops an extract from an extract through a filter mounted in a funnel shape, and holds the upper part of the filter mounted in the funnel shape. An annular holding portion, a filter support portion provided below the annular holding portion and provided with a hole for dropping the extraction liquid, and a horizontal length connecting the annular holding portion and the filter support portion up and down. A connecting portion having a long length in the vertical direction, and the annular holding portion and the filter support portion are opened laterally between them except for the connecting portion. The filter is characterized in that it is curved in a lateral direction from the filter support part to the annular holding part.

  With the configuration of the present invention, the filter spreads in the horizontal direction during extraction, and for example, if coffee powder, uniform and smooth swelling of the coffee powder becomes easy. Moreover, excessive extraction of coffee powder can be prevented. Thus, by extracting efficiently from a to-be-extracted thing, the extract liquid like rich delicious coffee comes to be obtained simply.

An example of the dripper concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a top view at the time of seeing from upper direction, (b) is a bottom view at the time of seeing from the downward direction. In the dripper shown in FIG. 1, (a) is a front view when seen from the lateral direction, and (b) is a side view thereof. The 1st modification of the dripper concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a front view at the time of seeing from a horizontal direction, (b) is the side view. The 2nd modification of the dripper concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a front view at the time of seeing from a horizontal direction, (b) is the side view. An example of the dripper concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a top view at the time of seeing from upper direction, (b) is a bottom view at the time of seeing from the downward direction. In the dripper shown in FIG. 5, (a) is a front view when viewed from the front direction, and (b) is a side view thereof. The 1st modification of the dripper concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a front view at the time of seeing from a horizontal direction, (b) is the side view. The 2nd modification of the dripper concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a front view at the time of seeing from a horizontal direction, (b) is the side view.

  Several preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Here, parts that are the same or similar to each other are denoted by common reference numerals, and redundant description is partially omitted. However, the drawings are schematic and ratios of dimensions and the like are different from actual ones.

(First embodiment)
An example of the dripper according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A is a top view when the dripper according to the present embodiment is viewed from above, and FIG. 1B is a bottom view when the dripper shown in FIG. 1A is viewed from below. is there. 2A is a front view when the dripper shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the lateral direction, and FIG. 2B is a side view viewed from the lateral direction orthogonal to the case of FIG. FIG.

  The dripper 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes an annular holding portion 11 that holds a funnel-shaped filter at the top, and a filter support portion 12 that supports the filter at the bottom. The filter support 12 is formed in an oval shape in accordance with the type of filter used, for example, in the case of a trapezoidal paper filter, in accordance with the direction of the seam of the filter bottom. Further, the annular holding part 11 and the filter support part 12 are connected up and down by a connecting part 13 whose length in the vertical direction is longer than the length in the horizontal direction. The space between the annular holding part 11 and the filter support part 12 is opened laterally except at the connecting part 13.

  The annular holding portion 11 has a predetermined thickness and has an annular shape, for example, an annular shape, and holds an upper portion of a funnel-shaped filter attached from above. Here, the inner surface 11 a may have a shape that decreases in diameter toward the lower filter support portion 12. Further, the annular holding portion 11 is provided with a downward projecting portion 11b at a predetermined location (two locations in the figure). The downward protruding portion 11b protrudes to a length that does not reach an intermediate distance from the filter support portion 12. In addition, you may have the structure where this downward protrusion part 11b is not formed.

  The filter support portion 12 has, for example, an oval saucer structure, and supports, for example, a trapezoidal filter from below. In this case, the filter support portion 12 includes a tray side portion 121, a tray bottom portion 122, and a required number (three in the drawing) of holes 123 that penetrate the tray bottom portion 122. Here, the saucer side portion 121 is open upward, and has an inner surface 121 a whose diameter decreases toward the saucer bottom portion 122. And the hole 123 dripped the extract liquid which exuded from the filter below.

  The connecting portions 13 have a predetermined thickness, and extend in a downward direction from predetermined locations other than the downward projecting portion 11b in the annular holding portion 11 so as to be connected to the filter support portion 12 (two at opposite positions in the figure). ). The shape is longer in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, and extends outward in the lateral direction from the filter support portion 12 to the annular holding portion 11 and is curved. Here, the connecting portions 13 may be arranged at regular intervals, for example, in the circumferential direction of the annular holding portion 11 such that the number thereof is about three or four. Further, the region of the predetermined portion connected to the annular holding portion 11 may be a shape that does not curve.

  In such a dripper 10, the annular holding part 11, the filter support part 12, and the connection part 13 are good to be integrally molded from a synthetic resin material such as polypropylene and polyethylene. Alternatively, glass, metal, silicone resin, earthenware, etc. are used as the material. The annular holding part 11, the filter support part 12 and the connecting part 13 formed separately from such a material may be joined and assembled in a structure as shown in FIGS. Here, the annular holding portion 11 and the connecting portion 13 may have the same or different thickness.

  In the dripper 10, the inner surface 11 a of the annular holding portion 11, the inner surface 121 a of the tray side portion 121 in the filter support portion 12, or the inner surface 13 a of the connecting portion 13 may form a rib 14 whose part is raised. Such ribs 14 are preferably arranged in a radial pattern from the saucer bottom portion 122 in the filter support portion 12 toward the upper annular holding portion 11. It should be noted that such a rib 14 may be formed.

  In the use of the dripper 10, a commercially available funnel-shaped trapezoidal paper filter, for example, is placed along the major axis direction of the filter support 12 that is substantially oval and curved at the lower seam line. Is mounted so as to protrude upward from the annular holding portion 11. Then, for example, about 10 g of coffee powder for one person and about 30 g for three persons are put in a paper filter. Hot water is poured into the coffee powder in the paper filter to extract coffee. The paper filter sinks and spreads in the lateral direction due to the weight of hot water and the swelling of the coffee powder when the coffee is extracted.

  At the time of this extraction, the side surface of the paper filter bends and spreads in the lateral direction, and naturally expands outward in the open region between the annular holding portion 11 and the filter support portion 12. In this case, the horizontal direction of the paper filter hardly contacts the dripper 10. The paper filter can swell almost isotropically without receiving a large regulation force from the lateral direction. On the other hand, the paper filter which spreads in the lateral direction at a position corresponding to the connecting portion 13 is inscribed in the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13 and its bending is restricted. The coffee powder receives a lateral regulating force by the inner surface 13 a of the connecting portion 13. Here, such an inscribed is only the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13, and can be configured to be substantially in line contact only in the vertical direction.

  Therefore, in a state where the paper filter bulges in the lateral direction and is inscribed in the connecting portion 13, the area inscribed in the inner surface 13 a of the connecting portion 13 with respect to the side area of the paper filter between the annular holding portion 11 and the filter support portion 12. Is preferably about 5 to 20%. In this way, by reducing the area in contact with the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13, the coffee powder in the paper filter can be easily swollen to the outside, and the coffee powder can be uniformly and smoothly steamed. Here, when the area inscribed in the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13 is less than 5%, it is difficult to stably hold the paper filter that bends and spreads in the lateral direction. If the inscribed area exceeds 20%, the contact area between the paper filter and the inner surface 13a increases too much, resulting in poor air permeability.

  In this extraction, the area of the paper filter that can freely swell in the lateral direction in the released region is 60% of the total area of the paper filter between the annular holding part 11 and the filter support part 12. It is good also as above. That is, the area inscribed in the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13 is less than 40%. Here, when the area inscribed in the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13 exceeds 20% (above 20% to less than 40%), the rib 14 as shown in FIG. 1A is formed on the inner surface 13a. It is good to form. Thereby, the paper filter exhibits substantially line contact on the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13 and can ensure sufficient air permeability.

  Further, as described above, most of the region on the side surface of the paper filter is not in contact with the inner surface of the dripper 10, so that coffee exudes from the side surface and slowly flows downward on the outer surface of the paper filter. Then, it reaches the lower end of the paper filter, passes through the hole 123 in the filter instruction section 12, and is dropped into the extract liquid container. In addition, when the illustrated trapezoidal paper filter is mounted on the dripper 10, when a part of the lower end of the trapezoidal paper filter protrudes from the filter support 12, the trapezoidal paper filter may be dropped directly onto the extract solution container. is there. Thus, the coffee liquid extracted from the poured hot water exudes and drops from a wide area of the paper filter without concentrating on the lower part in the paper filter. For this reason, excessive extraction of coffee powder at the lower part of the paper filter can be greatly reduced.

  In this way, efficient extraction from coffee powder can be performed, and rich and delicious coffee can be easily obtained. In addition, there is sufficient ventilation to the paper filter, ensuring a good coffee flavor.

  At the time of coffee extraction as described above, the paper filter causes a downward sink as well as a lateral bulge. Here, the lower part of the submerged paper filter is supported by the filter support 12 of the dripper 10. Therefore, the height of the tray side portion 121 of the filter support portion 12 is preferably set to about 5 to 15% of the total length of the paper filter, for example.

  Even if the paper filter sinks when hot water is poured, the upper part of the paper filter is preferably supported by the annular holding part 11. Therefore, the height position of the annular holding portion 11 from the filter support portion 12, that is, the height of the dripper 10 is preferably 70 to 90% of the total length of the paper filter. Alternatively, the annular holding part 11 may have, for example, a structure that sandwiches the upper part of a paper filter such as a clip or the like, a hole formed in the upper part of the paper filter, and a protruding structure that engages with the hole.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, two modified examples of the dripper according to the first embodiment will be described. Here, since the shape of these modified examples when viewed from above or below the dripper is similar to that of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, these figures are omitted.

  The dripper 20 as a first modification shown in FIG. 3 has a structure suitable for a case where the filter has a conical shape, for example. Therefore, the filter support portion 15 is, for example, a cone-shaped receiving tray, and supports the conical paper filter from below. And the one hole 123 which penetrates the front-end | tip of this saucer is provided. The hole 123 drops the extraction liquid oozed from the filter downward.

  Other annular holding portions 11 and connecting portions 13 are the same as those described in FIGS. 1 and 2. In other words, the annular holding portion 11 has an annular shape, for example, and holds an upper portion of, for example, a conical filter mounted from above. Moreover, the connection part 13 is a shape where the length of an up-down direction is longer than the length of a horizontal direction, and connects the cyclic | annular holding part 11 and the said cone-shaped filter support part 12 up and down. Moreover, the filter extends from the filter support portion 12 to the annular holding portion 11 in the lateral direction and is curved outward.

  Here, as the outer surface shape of the filter that swells laterally during extraction becomes an inverted bell shape, the connecting portion 13 has a curved structure in which the inner surface 13a circumscribes the outer surface of the inverted bell shape. ing. Also in this case, as described in the first embodiment, the area in contact with the inner surface 13a of the connecting portion 13 is 5 with respect to the side area of the filter swelled between the annular holding portion 11 and the filter support portion 12. About 20% is preferable.

  In the dripper 30 of the second modified example shown in FIG. 4, the connecting portion 13 is provided so as to extend downward from a predetermined location other than the downward projecting portion 11 b in the annular holding portion 11 and to be connected to the filter support portion 12. ing. Also in this case, the shape is curved outwardly extending from the filter support portion 12 to the annular holding portion 11 in the lateral direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, a filter outer circumscribing portion 16 is provided at a position facing the connecting portion 13 with the filter support portion 12 interposed therebetween. The filter circumscribing portion 16 is bent downward from a portion other than the downward projecting portion 11 b of the annular holding portion 11 and extends long to the vicinity of the filter support portion 12 in the same manner as the connecting portion 13. The filter circumscribing portion 16 does not connect to the filter support portion 12 and circumscribes a filter that is mainly expanded in the lateral direction during extraction as described above.

  In such a dripper 30, the other annular holding portions 11 and the filter support portion 12 are the same as described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  In addition, various structures are conceivable as modifications of the dripper of the present embodiment. For example, the annular holding portion 11 may be an elliptical ring or a polygonal ring in addition to an annular shape. Alternatively, drippers having various structures can be formed by selecting and combining any one of the structures as described above from the annular holding part 11, the filter support part 12, or the connecting part 13.

  In the present embodiment, regardless of the structure of the dripper, the annular holding part 11 and the filter support part 12 which are main parts thereof are connected vertically by a connecting part 13 that is long in the vertical direction. The space between the annular holding part 11 and the filter support part 12 is opened laterally except at the connecting part 13. Further, the shape of the connecting portion 13 extends in the lateral direction from the filter support portion 12 to the annular holding portion 11 and is curved. In such a dripper, at the time of extraction, the side surface of the filter bends and spreads in the lateral direction, and naturally expands outward in an open region between the annular holding portion 11 and the filter support portion 12. And the to-be-extracted object in a filter swells substantially isotropic, without receiving the big regulatory force from a horizontal direction. In this way, uniform and smooth swelling with high efficiency can be achieved.

  In addition, most of the region on the side surface of the filter is not in contact with the inner surface of the dripper, and the extraction liquid flows down the outer surface of the filter and drops into the extraction liquid container as it is. In this way, the extract extracted from the poured hot water does not concentrate in the lower part of the filter and oozes out from a wide area of the filter, so that the overextraction of the extractables in the lower part of the filter is greatly reduced. .

  In this way, an efficient extraction can be performed from the extract, and an extract for a tasty beverage that is rich and flavorful can be easily obtained.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an example of the dripper according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is a case where the dripper of the first embodiment is provided with a collar portion and a handle portion. Here, FIG. 5A is a top view when the dripper according to the present embodiment is viewed from above, and FIG. 5B is a view when the dripper shown in FIG. 5A is viewed from below. It is a bottom view. 6A is a front view when the dripper shown in FIG. 5 is viewed from the lateral direction, and FIG. 6B is a side view viewed from the lateral direction in the case of FIG. 6A. FIG.

  The dripper 40 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has the same annular holding portion 11, filter support portion 12, and connecting portion 13 as described in the dripper 10. Also in this case, the annular holding part 11 and the filter support part 12 are vertically connected by a connecting part 13 that is long in the vertical direction. The space between the annular holding part 11 and the filter support part 12 is opened laterally except at the connecting part 13. Further, the flange portion 17 is formed in a donut shape so as to surround the outside of the tray side portion 121 in the filter support portion 12. Further, the handle 18 is attached along the outer surface of the predetermined connecting portion 13.

  For example, when the dripper 40 is attached to the extraction liquid container, the collar part 17 is placed so as to close the upper part of the extraction liquid container. Further, the handle portion 18 is used, for example, when the dripper 40 is attached to or detached from the extract liquid container.

  In such a dripper 40, the annular holding portion 11, the filter support portion 12, the connecting portion 13, the flange portion 17 and the handle portion 18 are made of resin, glass, metal, silicone, as described in the first embodiment. Made of resin, ceramics, etc. Here, it may be integrally formed from such a material, or those formed separately may be joined and assembled. Or you may form by partial shaping | molding and you may form by the composite material of the above materials.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, two modifications will be described as other examples of the dripper according to the second embodiment. Here, the figure about the shape at the time of seeing from the upper direction or the downward direction of the dripper in these modifications is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the dripper 50 according to the first modification shown in FIG. 7, the flange portion 17 is formed in a donut shape so as to surround the outside at the upper portion of the annular holding portion 11. Further, the handle portion 18 is shaped such that a part of the flange portion 17 protrudes and extends in the lateral direction. Here, the annular holding portion 11, the filter support portion 12, and the connecting portion 13 are the same as those described with reference to FIGS.

  And in the dripper 60 which becomes the 2nd modification shown in FIG. 8, the collar part 17 is being fixed to the lower part of the saucer bottom part 122 by the fixing | fixed part 19 in the filter support part 12. FIG. Here, the flange portion 17 is cut out at the center so as to communicate with the hole 123 and has a donut shape. As shown in FIG. 8B, the handle portion 18 is attached so that one end thereof is fixed above a predetermined connecting portion 13 and the other end is fixed to a predetermined portion of the flange portion 17. Yes. Also in the dripper 60 of the second modified example, the annular holding part 11, the filter support part 12, and the connecting part 13 have the same structure as described in FIGS.

  In addition, as a modified example according to the second embodiment, there is a dripper having a structure in which the collar portion 17 or the handle portion 18 as described above is provided in the dripper 20 or the dripper 30 described in the first embodiment. It is done.

  In the second embodiment, the annular holding portion 11 and the filter support portion 12 are vertically connected by the connecting portion 13 that is long in the vertical direction regardless of the dripper having any structure. The space between the annular holding portion 11 and the filter support portion 12 is opened in the lateral direction except for the connection portion 13. For this reason, the same effects as those described in the first embodiment occur.

  Furthermore, since the dripper according to the first embodiment is provided with the flange portion 17 and the handle portion 18, the convenience in attaching and detaching the dripper to the extraction liquid container is extremely high.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments do not limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes in specific embodiments without departing from the technical idea and technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, the dripper of the present embodiment uses black tea leaves or green tea leaves other than coffee powder as an extractable, and is similarly used when black tea or green tea is used as a beverage extract.

  10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 ... dripper, 11 ... annular holding part, 11a, 121a, 13a ... inner surface, 11b ... downward projecting part, 12, 15 ... filter support part, 121 ... saucer side part, 122 ... Saucer bottom, 123 ... hole, 13 ... connecting part, 14 ... rib, 16 ... filter circumscribing part, 17 ... hook, 18 ... grip part, 19 ... fixing part

Claims (4)

A dripper that drops an extract from an extract through a filter mounted in a funnel shape,
An annular holder for holding the upper part of the filter mounted in the funnel shape;
A filter support portion located below the annular holding portion and provided with a hole for dropping the extract;
A connecting portion having a vertical length longer than a horizontal length connecting the annular holding portion and the filter support portion up and down;
The annular holding part and the filter support part are opened in a lateral direction between them except for the connection part, and the connection part is curved in a lateral direction from the filter support part to the annular support part. A dripper characterized by   In extracting the extract, the connection of the filter with respect to a side area of the filter between the annular holding part and the filter support part in a state where the filter bulges in the lateral direction and is inscribed in the connection part. The dripper according to claim 1, wherein an area inscribed in the portion is in a range of 5 to 20%.   3. The dripper according to claim 1, wherein a flange portion to be placed on the extraction liquid container is formed so as to surround either the annular holding portion or the filter support portion.   The dripper according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a handle portion is attached to an outer surface of the connecting portion.

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