JPH0446566B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method for producing a beverage by blending an aqueous medium such as water with an insoluble material such as ground coffee or tea leaves.

The process for making freshly prepared coffee or tea involves contacting ground coffee or tea leaves with water (usually hot water) and separating the beverage therefrom. ing. Numerous techniques exist for such formulations;
A typical example involves soaking the insoluble material in hot water, followed by filtration (e.g. in a traditional teapot), and applying the insoluble material supported by a filter (e.g. a coffee filter). A technique in which water is passed continuously and the infusion is continuously recirculated (for example, in a coffee brewer with a filter).

The speed and efficiency of extracting material from ground coffee or tea leaves is not necessarily a primary concern in a home environment where the preparation is done manually. For example, if tea is poured from a teapot, it is important to let the tea sit for several minutes before pouring. Most people do this perfectly. However, in other cases, the state of preparation varies greatly from person to person. However, when dispensing is done mechanically (e.g. in a beverage vending machine), improving the speed and/or efficiency of extraction can result in faster dispensing of product and/or dispensing higher value products. (in order to obtain a given level of extracted material a less insoluble material is required).

The inventors presently believe that to improve the speed and/or efficiency of brewed beverage preparation,
It has been discovered that the formulation can be carried out in separate successive portions of fresh aqueous medium and that each successive portion is used to resuspend and re-stir the insoluble material. There is.

This technique is different from traditional teapots. That is, although the leaf tea is resuspended and re-stirred by stirring the teapot from time to time, this is not done with continuous portions of fresh water. These portions are combined to form a beverage.

According to a feature of the invention, there is provided a method for producing an infused beverage by dispensing an aqueous medium with an insoluble material, the method comprising retaining said insoluble material against a filter. and thereby allowing said aqueous medium to contact said insoluble material and pass through said filter leaving said insoluble material behind, and to pass said aqueous medium into a plurality of successive discrete portions. portions are brought into contact with said insoluble material such that each portion is added under conditions that cause a majority of said soluble material to float and agitate, and the next successive portion is brought into contact with said insoluble material. At least a portion of each portion is allowed to be expelled from the insoluble material before the liquid material is resuspended and re-stirred, and the portions are collected to prepare the beverage.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, each portion is substantially completely removed from the insoluble material before the next portion resuspends and re-stirs the insoluble material.

The portion amounts of the aqueous medium may be equal or different. It is desirable that the first portion be smaller or larger than the subsequent portions, and that the first portion primarily serves to wet the insoluble material, thereby allowing the subsequent portions of the aqueous medium to The objective is to enable efficient compounding. This applies particularly to ground coffee, whose oily surface makes the need for a wetting step highly desirable. This wetting is also achieved by rapidly removing a portion of the initial aqueous medium under pressure. This pressure forces the aqueous medium into contact with the insoluble medium.

By using multiple portions of aqueous media,
Extraction efficiency is improved. Removing all or nearly all of the aqueous medium before the next resuspension and re-stirring gives the fresh aqueous medium the greatest opportunity to contact the insoluble materials and extract the desired beverage yield components. can get. Using discrete portions of aqueous media greatly reduces the formation of channels through the wet layer of insoluble material. Channel formation always occurs to some extent during filtration. It is highly desirable in the present invention that the formation of water channels is reduced to a minimum extent, thereby increasing the efficiency of contact between the extract and the insoluble material.

The conditions of the invention are achieved in several ways. The aqueous medium may be fed to the insoluble material in pulses, each pulse being considered as one of the sub-volumes mentioned above. Each pulsating portion may be introduced and used by itself to displace the preceding pulsating portion, or alternatively, a different aqueous medium may be introduced into said pulsating flow between each portion. You may. Such different media may be involved simply to act as a buffer between successive aqueous portions, or to actively displace the aqueous media from the insoluble material through a filter. It may be used as something.

If a portion of the aqueous medium itself displaces the preceding portion, some mixing necessarily occurs between the tail of one portion and the head of the next portion. This can be minimized so that each portion is expelled before the next resuspension and re-stirring takes place anywhere near completely. This involves an attempt to keep the interface between each part quantity as stable as possible. How exactly to achieve this?
Depends on exact formulation conditions and materials. However, generally speaking, this is achieved when the expulsion of each partial quantity takes place as rapidly as possible. As a result, the chances of diffusion occurring at the interfaces of successive partial quantities are reduced.

If a different fluidizing medium is interspersed between each portion, the medium may be a gas, such as hot or cold air, or water vapor. This medium can be introduced at atmospheric pressure, for example, by communicating the formulation vessel with air and then supplying a portion of the aqueous medium. However, preference is given to introducing the medium under pressure in order to actively displace the aqueous medium from the insoluble material before the next aqueous medium reaches it. The use of steam has the advantage of assisting in extracting some of the components from insoluble materials. Steam can also be used to initially wet the insoluble material before the first formulation portion of the aqueous medium is added.

In other embodiments, the aqueous medium is supplied as a continuous stream, eg at low velocity but high pressure. This is because continuous flow can serve to improve agitation and can be removed from contact with the insoluble material in successive discrete portions. From the point of view of the insoluble material, contact with successive separate portions of the aqueous medium is now achieved.

The insoluble material is preferably coffee or tea and the aqueous medium is preferably hot water. In some situations it may be desirable to use an aqueous medium other than fresh water, such as milk or sugar solution.

The filter may be any suitable permeable retention means, the means being of a material having a pore size that retains insoluble material but allows the formulation medium to pass through it for an acceptable period of time. . For example, it may be a sheet material such as filter paper supported within a dispensing container, or something fairly thick such as fibrous mat. the dispensing container is configured to be disposed of after use;
When made of water-tight material, the filter can be formed integrally with the preparation container and can also be constituted by narrow passages passing through regions of the water-tight material.

Preferably, the insoluble material and filter are kept in a closed container which is opened only when making the beverage and is disposed of after use. Preferably, the effective dispensing volume of said container is less than the volume of the required beverage, so that said container is filled or nearly full with at least some of the dispensing portion of the aqueous medium (which, of course, is initially This is not the case if partial amounts were used for small amounts of wetting).

The container may be an integral part of a beverage dispensing machine and be reused for each successive beverage required, or it may be a disposable container such as a cartridge or capsule; It may also be a flexible package such as a bag. to enable mechanical handling of said container (as mechanically arranged at the dispensing point of a beverage dispensing machine) or (as well as) to assist in liquid introduction or extraction (e.g. inlets and/or
The container may be provided with means (or by an outlet nozzle or a peel-off seal).

In one preferred embodiment, the container is constructed in the form of a bag, and the bag is constructed from a substantially airtight and watertight sheet material. This material houses the filter and the insoluble material. The filter may be the sheet material itself containing the insoluble material, or the sheet material may be made substantially airtight and watertight by forming narrow holes through internal seams of the sheet material. It can also be formed from.

A typical method of obtaining a beverage from a flexible package, such as a bag, is to open the top and bottom of the bag,
At its top is to add an aqueous medium, so that (after brewing and passing through the filter) the beverage comes out from the bottom. Preferably, said package is a bag, said bag being provided with means for making it possible to handle it mechanically, and said package being provided with means for making it possible to handle said bag mechanically, and water introduction means arranged positively with respect to said package. It is to prepare. Such means may be a nozzle sealed to the bag, into which, in use, a hollow needle-shaped injection device (for passing the aqueous medium) is inserted.

Means may be provided to control the length of time that each portion of the aqueous medium is in contact with the insoluble material.
Such control is particularly advantageous in beverage dispensing machines where precise control of dispensing time is desired. It also helps to obtain products of more uniform quality. Control of time can be achieved in a number of ways, by controlling upstream and/or downstream of the dispensing vessel, or by manipulating the dispensing vessel itself (particularly if the dispensing vessel is flexible). controlled. For example, valves may be provided upstream and/or downstream of the dispensing vessel.

Control of the formulation cycle is preferably carried out by using a pressurized aqueous formulation medium. The pressure, flow rate, and residence time are adjusted to establish the required blending time for both each portion and the total amount. Pressure control may be effected with compressed air, for example by superatmospheric pressures existing above and between each portion of the aqueous medium.
The control pressure may also be provided as a negative pressure by vacuum means downstream of the filter. It may also be a mechanical pressure, for example by providing a pump that presses the aqueous portion through a filter, or other mechanical force.

If a flexible package type container is used, any number of mechanical devices can be used to apply pressure to the package or control the dispensing time.
For example, movable clamping jaws are used to tighten and release the outlet passageway of the package cage, or means such as rollers running up and down on the package cage are employed, or hydraulic or A pneumatic back is used.

Preferably, said container or package holding the insoluble material is used once during a compounding cycle.
Advantageously, the aqueous medium is vented to the atmosphere more than once, thereby bringing the aqueous medium into contact with the insoluble material.
Venting to atmosphere is accomplished by controlling the timing of the contact time of the aqueous medium with the insoluble material. While the container or package is being evacuated, an aqueous medium is introduced into the container or package at atmospheric pressure, and if any medium attempts to pass through the filter (by gravity alone), It just tries to pass through the same filter very slowly. To remove the beverage, the exhaust to atmosphere is shut off, and the liquid is displaced by another portion of the aqueous medium or by another fluid, such as air, as described above. Another advantage of venting to atmosphere applies particularly to bags, and consists in reducing the time each bag is under pressure, thereby reducing the risk of bag breakage.

Venting to atmosphere can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, a number of fluid passages cooperating with the container or package are used, one for introducing the aqueous medium and others for exhausting to the atmosphere or introducing air. As mentioned above (and as shown in Figure 1 and discussed below), if a bag with a nozzle configuration is used, a hollow needle (injection device) with dual coaxial passages is used for that purpose. used for. Alternatively, a single passage hollow injection device may be periodically removed from a simple nozzle during stages of the brewing cycle to vent to atmosphere. The cooperation between the injection device and the nozzle may be a simple interference fit, or it may include a more complex configuration such as a lance-shaped locking fit. In still other embodiments, the injection device and the nozzle have interconnected passageways that are opened and closed according to relative rotation of the injection device and the nozzle. In this way, a cooperative action between the injection device and the nozzle is obtained.

Preferred features of the present invention will be described below based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Note that components that are not necessary for understanding the device used in the present invention are as follows:
It is omitted from the drawing.

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred sealed beverage bag for use in the present invention comprises a substantially airtight and watertight sheet material 102, which sheet material 102 is made of cured polyester. It is a laminate consisting of a layer of polypropylene and a layer of polypropylene. The cured polyester is sandwiched between two plastic layers, and the polypropylene layer is located on the innermost side of the bag. A filter sheet material 104 is wrapped inside the sheet material 102, and this sheet material 10
4 is a laminate formed of stretch bonded and melt sprayed polypropylene. The sheet materials 102, 104 each have a bottom fold 1
06,108. When the fold line 106 is at a lower position than the fold line 108, the sheet material 1
A room 110 is formed below the lowest level of 04. The opposite side edges of the sheet materials 102, 104 are sealed together to accommodate the ground coffee 112.
It forms a pocket for storing. The upper edge of the bag is also sealed and houses the nozzle 114. The nozzle 114 has a central water delivery passageway 116, an upper flange 118, and side fins 120. The water delivery passage 116 is closed with a drainer 122. The top flange 118 thereby allows the bag to be supported within a beverage dispensing device. When the colander 122 is broken, water is introduced into the bag via the passageway 116. The side fins 120 (when viewed in plan) taper outwardly from the body of the nozzle 114 to each side. These fins 1
20 forms a sizable area for sufficiently sealing the nozzle 114 to the sheet material 102.

In use, the sheet material 102 forms an outlet so that the chamber 110 is closed, as will be explained in more detail below.
The bag is then supported at the aqueous medium introduction site. The aqueous medium is typically hot water,
A hollow water injection device is introduced into the bag through passageway 116. The water injection device is a drainer 12
2 and hits the side wall of the passageway 116, sealing it. The water for brewing the ground coffee is filtered and exits through an outlet formed in the cut base of the bag and is collected in a suitable container.

The apparatus used in the present invention, which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7, is configured to prepare a beverage from a bag as shown in FIG. The apparatus is particularly, but not exclusively, configured to prepare freshly brewed tea or coffee in an environment where full automation of beverage dispensing or the presence of a beverage vending mechanism is not required. A typical example of such an environment is an office. For the purpose of this description, it is mentioned that freshly brewed coffee is dispensed, but other beverages may be dispensed just as well.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the apparatus includes a water storage tank 20
2, the water reservoir 202 is equipped with a heater/thermostat assembly 2 sufficient to maintain the water at approximately 96°C.
04 is included. Water (hot water) outlet 206 is led to an electrically operable three-way valve 208. A second inlet 210 leads from the air pump 212 to the three-way valve 208 and is configured to deliver both air or water downwardly into the distribution pipe 214 . Distribution pipe 214 is Y-shaped joint 216
terminating in one leg of the fitting 216 and the other upper branch of the fitting 216 having an electrically operable air exhaust valve 218.
is guided by. The lower branch of the fitting 216 terminates in an injection device 220 .
has a knife-edge exposed lower end opening to facilitate piercing of the bag through the nozzle. (The bag is shown in dotted line format in Figure 2).

A hinged door 222 is supported to rest in a normally open position (shown in phantom in FIG. 2) and includes a front wall 224. The front wall 224 has a bag support member 226 and a door hook pin 228. A rear wall 230 separated from the front wall 224 is attached to the side wall of the door 222 by a hinge as shown at 231,
It extends upward from the foot of the door 222 and is spaced from the front wall 224 . door 222
has an open base between the front and back walls 224, 230, with the back wall 230 extending only partially to the level of the front wall 224. Door 222 can be easily removed from its hinges, allowing it to be conveniently cleaned. The movement that rear wall 230 makes about its hinge 231 is caused by a pair of hook and pin assemblies 2
33, the assemblies 233 are located one on each side of the rear wall 230.

A pawl support 232 is normally located beneath the injection device 220, but in use is retracted upwardly by the depression of the actuator arm 234. This upwardly retracted claw support 232
and the lowered actuator arm 234.
is hooked by the hooking mechanism 236 at this position. In addition, the hooking mechanism 236 is connected to the hooking pin 22.
8 to inhibit the door 222 when closed. A microswitch 238 is located near actuator arm 234 and is closed by the arm when arm 234 is lowered. The hooking mechanism 236 is a solenoid 240.
The hook is released by operating the same solenoid.

A beverage metering selection knob 242 is coupled to an electromechanical cam-like timer 244 .
4 is a three-way valve 208 and an air pump 212
, air exhaust valve 218 , and solenoid 240 .

A suitable container 246 for receiving the desired beverage is located at the door 2.
22 and directly below the injection device 220 and supported above the draining tray 248 . A large box 250 with a lid for receiving used bags is arranged at the rear of the draining tray 248.

The valve, pump, heater/thermostat, solenoid, and cam timer components are standard and require no further explanation. A detailed description of other components continues with respect to FIGS. 3-7. It should be understood that the casings and support walls of the various components have been omitted from these figures for clarity.

Pawl support 232 is pivotally supported by a pair of pivot arms 252 and is slidable relative to a vertical support shaft 254 depending downwardly from a fixed casing support surface 256. Pivoting arm 252 pivots about horizontal shaft 258, which is supported by a fixed casing sidewall (omitted for clarity).
The end of each pivot arm 252 remote from pawl support 232 is connected by a bar 259 that seats in a recess at the base of actuator arm 234 . A spring 257 biases the actuator arm 234/pawl support 232/swivel arm 252/bar 259 assembly so that the pawl support 232 is normally at its lower or lowest end as shown in FIG. I'm trying to occupy a position.

Referring to the details shown in FIGS. 5-6, the bladder support member 226 is pivotally mounted to a stationary tongue 260, which tongue 260 is attached to the front wall 222.
It stands vertically from 4. A spring 262 urges the support member 226 away from the front wall 224. The support member 226 has a plurality of side walls 264 and a base 266, one side wall 264 having a recess 268 sized to snugly accommodate a bag nozzle. An elongated hole is formed in the support member 262 as indicated by the reference numeral 270, so that when the support member 226 sinks against the biasing force of the spring 262, the support member 226 remains at the same height as the front wall 224. At this point, the tongue 260 enters the elongated hole 270 and into the recess 268.

The hooking and releasing mechanism is shown in FIG. The actuator arm 234 has a stop 272 in which a release trigger 27 is inserted.
The tongue part 4 is inserted. The weight of trigger 274 is placed on pivot shaft 276 such that the tongue normally rests in stop 272 and is released only by an upward force provided by solenoid 240.
properly balanced around. A flange 274 on actuator arm 234 limits upward and downward movement by abutting a component of casing support surface 256 (not shown in FIG. 7) and is pivotable. It supports cam arm 278. A pivotable hook arm 280 has a cam surface for cooperating with cam arm 278 and a stop 284 for cooperating with door hook pin 228 . 7th
As shown, the device is shown with its pawl support 232 in its upper limit position such that the actuator arm 234 is held downward by the release trigger 274 and the door 222 is restrained by a hook arm 280.

The above device operates as follows. The desired amount of beverage (small, medium, or large size cup) is set with selection knob 242. A bag such as that shown in FIG. 1 and containing ground coffee is selected from its source and the bottom edge is removed by cutting. The bag is placed inside the open door 222 in the space between the front and back walls 224, 230, and the nozzle of the bag is housed inside the support member 226. The upper flange 118 of the nozzle rests inside the side wall 264 and abuts the base 266. The used part of the nozzle leading to the bag body is in the recess 268
The bag body rests against the inner surface of the front wall 224. The door 222 is closed, so that the hook pin 228 is connected to the hook arm 280 (seventh
It is hooked by entering and cooperating with the stop portion 284 shown in FIG. When the door 222 is closed, the support member 226 is pressed against the pawl support 232. The function of closing the door 222 is performed by the support member 22.
6 against the front wall 224 of the door. The tongue 260 enters the elongated hole 270 and presses the nozzle of the bag onto the nail of the nail support 232 at a position directly below the injection device 220. To facilitate this function, the pawl support 232 is provided with an elongated hole 286, which complements the shape of the bag nozzle and its upper flange.

Next, the operator uses the actuator arm 234
is lowered, thereby causing the pawl support 232 to move upwardly against the biasing force of the spring 257, causing the knife-edge opening of the injection device 220 to pierce and enter the nozzle of the bag. The arm 234/pawl support 232 assembly is locked in this position by the actuator arm stop 272 cooperating with the tongue of the release trigger 274. When the actuator arm 234 is lowered, it closes the microswitch 238 and activates the cam timer 224.
The cam-like timer 244 operates according to the programmed operating order of each component controlled by the cam-like timer 244. The device is configured to pass hot water through the bag in a series of discrete portions. For this purpose,
The cam-like timer 244 operates periodically a predetermined number of times (cycles) in a predetermined order according to the amount of beverage selected by the selection knob 242. One of the series of individual portions of hot water is set in one complete cycle in a programmed sequence. In this example, each portion is approximately 28 ml in volume. When a "large cup" dosage is selected by knob 242, cam-like timer 244 executes a programmed sequence of operations six times (six cycles), thereby providing approximately 175 ml of beverage (within the consumed bag). (Allowing wastage of the remaining 13 ml of liquid.) As the knob 242 selects other various metering amounts, the cam-like timer 244 will correspondingly cycle through the programmed operating sequence fewer times and Prepare small quantities of drinks.

The programmed operation order is as follows. Initially, the air pump 212 is stopped, the exhaust valve 218 is closed, and the three-way valve 208 is in a state that prevents passage of water from the outlet 206 to the pipe 214. The solenoid 240 is inactive and keeps the hooking mechanism restricted via the release trigger 274. the air exhaust valve 218 opens;
The three-way valve 208 allows hot water to flow through the pipe 214 due to gravity.
It is operated to enter inside. Next, at the same time as the air exhaust valve 218 closes, the three-way valve 208
switches to connect air inlet 210 to piping 214, thus cutting off the hot water supply. At the same time, the air pump 212 is turned on.
Air pumped (at approximately 4 psig)
Applying a force to the hot water in tubing 214 propels the hot water through injection device 220 and into the bag. The operation timings of the valves 208, 218 and pump 212 are determined as follows. That is, the flow rate of hot water (water) entering and passing through the pipe 214 is determined to be used as a volume measurement reference for controlling the supply amount of hot water.

Now, if the hot water were to enter the bag, the air pump 212 would be switched off to provide a rest period during which the hot water would soak into the ground coffee material and, even though the container 246 Even if it were to drip into the water, it would only drip very slowly. The air pump 212 is then switched on again and the resulting pumped air forces the hot coffee out of the bottom of the bag and into the container 246. The air pump 212 is turned off;
One complete cycle of the programmed operating sequence is completed.

The above cycle is repeated 3 to 5 times or more depending on the selected beverage quantity. At the end of the final cycle, the cam timer 244 extends the last blow of air through the bag, thereby propelling substantially all remaining liquid into the container 246. From the perspective of the bag, the sequence of operations is as follows.

1. A pause while hot water enters the pipe 214 from the water storage tank 202 (approximately 1 second); 2. Hot water enters the bag under the pressure of the air pumped into the pipe 214 (approximately 0.8 seconds); 3. A pause period to allow the beverage to brew and collect in the bag (approximately 1.5 seconds), 4. Pressurized air enters the bag and forces the liquid into the container (approximately 0.7 seconds), 5. Above. Repeat steps 1 to 4 3 to 5 times, extending the final step 4 by about 4 seconds. After the last air blowout (step 4), the air pump 212 is finally switched off. Ru. That's all.

The bag is then vented to atmosphere via valve 218 and solenoid 240 is activated. Solenoid 240 actuates release trigger 274 and releases the tongue of release trigger 274 from a stop in actuator arm 234 . Actuator arm 234 rises and pawl support 232 falls under the biasing force of spring 257. This action moves the bag nozzle away from the end of the injection device 220. As actuator arm 234 rises, it simultaneously raises cam arm 278 and cam arm 27
8 cooperates with the cam surface 282 to attach the hook plate 2
0 (clockwise in FIG. 7), thereby releasing the door hook pin 228 from the stop portion 284. Door 222 falls open. The rear wall 230 of the door 222 is connected to the hook and pin assembly 2.
Hold the upright position until 33 is engaged. At this stage, the front and back walls 224, 230 are
Between these are a pair of slightly open jaws for the used bag. Next, the rear wall 2 of the door
30, along with the rest of the door 222, pivots forward and hooks onto the used bag. The used bag is now resting just within the claw support wall 286 by its nozzle. Therefore,
Due to the release operation of the door 222, the used bag is separated from the claw support 232, and the bag falls downward, and also falls diagonally into the lidded bin 250 due to the release operation of the door 222. . Container 246 with dispensed beverage is removed and
Preparations for preparing more beverages are completed if necessary. Providing a hinged back wall and creating a slightly open jaw for the used bag improves the efficiency of disposing of the bag into the lidded bin 250.

Although the device described above is not provided with a vending function, such a device can of course be implemented, for example by connecting the bag with a coin-released mechanism and/or by connecting the hot water dispensing device. It can be provided by connecting with such a mechanism. If desired, the device can be modified in many ways. For example, a cutting mechanism for the base of the bag can be provided. Also,
It is also possible to combine various safety circuits. For example, if the user were to insert an unopened bag, the device would first attempt to force hot water into it. The bag is strong enough to withstand an insertion force of 4 psig without tearing. However, it is advisable to incorporate a pressure sensor that detects this and terminates the dispensing cycle as necessary for safety. The hot water injection device 220 may also have a tapered opening that makes it more effective to enter, cut, and close the nozzle of the bag.

If a cutter is installed in the device before the bag reaches the hot water introduction location, a coupling device is provided between the cutter and the active component at the hot water introduction location. This construction ensures that the cutter is used before the bag reaches the hot water introduction point and also reduces any risk of unopened bags reaching the hot water introduction point.

In other embodiments, not shown, used bags can be removed from used bag disposal site 250 without having to reopen hinged door 222.
Release it inside. In this configuration, the door 22
2 does not have a back wall 230 attached by a hinge, and the used bag is ejected from the support provided by the claw support 232 by means of an ejection mechanism.

The device can also be configured to dispense beverages of different strengths. This objective is achieved by varying the design of the bag and selecting a particular type of insoluble material or its particle size, as well as varying the timing and metering of the injection of decoction and purified air. It can also be achieved by For example, to prepare the strong coffee that is popular in continental Europe, more finely ground coffee is packed into bags. The initially fired brewing water is increased in volume and allowed to sustain contact with the coffee for an extended period of time. This allows the coffee powder to become sufficiently moist. As a result,
Stronger coffee beverages are available.

Other means can also be provided to improve the extraction efficiency of the device. Generally speaking, the more efficient the beverage constituent particles are agitated during the production of the beverage. Preferably, each portion of the aqueous medium suspends and agitates substantially all of the insoluble material. The formation of hard lumps on the filter reduces efficiency by, for example, interfering with overall resuspension. Further agitation can be achieved by vibrating the bag or, for example, by inverting the bag during each cycle while the liquid is at rest in the bag, thereby infusing and releasing the beverage. . Air may be passed through the inverted bag to keep the particles in a constant state of agitation when the liquid is at rest as described above. The bag is then inverted again to its normal position, allowing ejection of the liquid to be expelled.

The following experimental examples also illustrate the invention.

Experimental Examples 1 and 2 Individual cups of coffee were prepared by brewing 6 grams of good quality ground coffee in 170 ml of water at 92°C. In each case, the coffee beverage was manufactured to be ready to drink in 20 seconds.

In the first control example process, the coffee was held in the filter cup of a standard coffee machine. The hot water was run through the vending machine in a cycle lasting 20 seconds. This cycle essentially consisted of three stages: That is, there are three steps: (1) mixing coffee and hot water, (2) brewing, and (3) filtration.

In the process of the second control example, and in Experimental Examples 1 and 2, the coffee is kept surrounded by filter paper, which itself is contained in a bag of substantially airtight and water-based sheet material. was kept inside. A plastic nozzle for introducing hot water (with a 0.3 cm diameter inlet passage closed with a thin plastic colander) was enclosed in the top seam of the bag. The colander was pierced by introducing a hollow needle into the inlet passage of the nozzle. The bottom of the bag was cut below the lowest level of the filter paper (so that ground coffee did not escape out of the bag).

The supply of hot water was controlled by a water pump introduced into one outlet of the three-way valve. A second port of the three-way valve was connected to a source of 2 psig air, and a third port led from the three-way valve to the hollow needle. The three-way valve could therefore be used to control the supply of either pumped hot water or compressed air to the bag.

In the second control process, no air was supplied and 170 ml of hot water was pumped in a continuous stream through the bag for a period of over 20 seconds.

In Example 1 according to the invention, 85 ml of water (hot water) was added to the bag over a period of 8 seconds and then compressed air was applied for 2 seconds. This 10 second cycle was repeated one more time.

In Example 2 according to the invention, 42.5 ml of water (hot water) was added over a period of 4 seconds and then compressed air was applied for 1 second. This 5 second cycle was repeated three more times.

The results were as follows.

Percentage of extracted product * 1st control example 17.5 2nd control example 18 Experimental example 1 20 Experimental example 2 23 *Percentage of extracted product = Weight of poured out melt x 100 %/Weight of Coffee Examples 3-5 In these examples, different quality ground coffees were used. The third control example process, like the second control example process, was performed using a standard coffee vending machine and the alternative structure described in Examples 1 and 2.

In Example 3, 42.5 ml of hot water was pumped into the bag over a period of 2.5 seconds, then compressed air was applied for 2.5 seconds. This 5 second cycle was repeated three more times.

In Experimental Example 4, steam at slightly above atmospheric pressure (approximately 2-5 psig) was supplied instead of compressed air. 42.5 ml of water (hot water) was forced into the bag over a period of 2.5 seconds. Steam was then applied for 2.5 seconds. This 5 second cycle was repeated three more times.

In Experimental Example 5, 45.5ml of water (hot water) is 2.5
It was pumped into the bag for a period of 2.5 seconds, then the pump and water valve were closed for 2.5 seconds. This 5 second cycle was repeated twice. A fourth final 42.5 ml portion of water is added over 2.5 seconds, then compressed air is added.
Expelled from the bag by feeding for 2.5 seconds.
In this example, a small amount of each of the first three aliquots of water (hot water) flowed out of the bag through the filter during the rest period, but the majority was due to the incoming subsequent aliquots. was replaced.

In all these experimental and control examples, the beverage was prepared in 20 seconds.

The results were as follows.

Percentage of extracted product Third control example 16.4 Experimental example 3 24.7 Experimental example 4 24.6 Experimental example 5 23.3 From these experimental examples and control examples, it can be seen that in the experimental examples according to the invention, the amount of product extracted from coffee It is observed that the amount of material was significantly greater than the amount extracted in each control example. It was also noteworthy that the experiment using steam (Example 4) produced a beverage with a significantly different taste compared to its closest comparative example (Example 3).

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a sealed beverage package shaped like a scent pouch for use in the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 7 each illustrate a preferred form of a beverage dispensing device for use in the present invention. It is an explanatory diagram,
FIG. 2 is an overall schematic explanatory diagram, and FIGS. 3 to 7 are detailed explanatory diagrams of specific components, respectively.
The figure is a perspective view showing components near the door of the beverage dispensing device used in the present invention, while FIGS. 4 and 7 are side views of various components. Fifth
The figure and FIG. 6 are views taken along lines X and Y in FIG. 3, respectively. 102,104...Sheet material, 106,10
8... Fold, 110... Room, 112... Ground coffee, 114... Nozzle, 116... Water (hot water) delivery passage, 118... Upper flange, 12
0... Side fin, 122... Drainer, 202...
Water tank, 204...Heater/thermostat assembly, 206...Water (hot water) outlet, 208...Three-way valve, 210...Second inlet, 212...Air pump, 214...Distribution pipe, 216... Y-shaped joint, 218...Air discharge valve, 220...Injection device, 222...Door, 224...Front wall, 2
26...Bag support member, 228...Hook pin, 2
30... Rear wall, 231... Hinge, 232...
Claw support, 233... hook and pin assembly,
234...actuator arm, 236...
...Hook mechanism, 238...Micro switch, 2
40... Solenoid, 242... Quantitative selection knob,
244...Cam-shaped timer, 246...Container, 2
48...Draining tray, 250...Large box with lid,
252...Swivel arm, 254...Support shaft, 256...Fixed casing support surface, 257
... Spring, 258 ... Horizontal shaft, 25
9... Bar, 260... Tongue member, 262... Spring, 264... Side wall, 266... Base, 2
68...Recess, 270...Elongated hole, 272...Stopping portion, 274...Release trigger, 276...Pivot shaft,
278...Cam arm, 280...Hook arm, 282...Cam surface, 284...Stopping portion, 2
86……Long hole.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A method for producing a beverage dispensed into discrete portions that is infused by blending an aqueous medium with an insoluble material, the method comprising: held against a retaining type filter in a dispensing vessel having a dispensing volume significantly smaller than the volume of said beverage, and applying a pulsed flow of aqueous medium under conditions which cause most of said insoluble material to float and agitate. contacting the insoluble material, adding the aqueous medium in a plurality of consecutive discrete portions and withdrawing downstream of the filter to form the beverage dispensed into the discrete portions; a method for producing a beverage comprising: each successive portion being substantially completely displaced from said insoluble material before the next successive portion resuspending and re-stirring said insoluble material; A method for producing a beverage, characterized in that, in addition to the natural displacement force based on gravity, a forcing force is used to exclude all of the aqueous medium from the insoluble material. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the insoluble material is held in contact with the filter. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each portion of the aqueous medium is brought into contact with the insoluble material only for a predetermined period of time. 4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the insoluble material is wetted prior to compounding. 5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the wetting medium is a portion of the aqueous medium or water vapor. 6. characterized in that the aqueous medium is added to the insoluble material under pressure in successive portions which are dispersed by contacting the insoluble material with gas or water vapor. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. Claim 6, characterized in that the gas or water vapor has a pressure above atmospheric pressure.
The method described in section. 8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the gas is air. 9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that mechanical pressure is applied to actively exclude the aqueous medium from the insoluble solids. 10 to a filter in the blending vessel, retaining the insoluble material within an enclosed volume, and communicating the enclosed volume to atmospheric pressure one or more times during the blending period, so that the aqueous medium is free from the insoluble material; 10. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the material is brought into contact with a synthetic material. 11. Any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the insoluble material is held in a closed container that is opened only when preparing the beverage and is discarded after use. The method described in Section 1. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the container is a cartridge, capsule, or flexible package. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the flexible package is a bag of substantially airtight and watertight sheet material surrounding the insoluble material and filter. . 14. Claim 1, characterized in that said closed container is provided with means that allow said closed container to be mechanically handled in a beverage dispensing machine.
The method according to any one of items 1 to 13. 15. Any one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the hermetic container is provided with means for enabling an aqueous medium introducing means to be positively installed in the hermetic container. The method described in section. 16 Claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the water-soluble material is coffee or tea.
The method described in any one of paragraphs. 17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the aqueous medium is hot water. 18. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that each sub-amount of said aqueous medium suspends and agitates substantially all of said insoluble material.