Methods and apparatus for brewing beverages

• Main Authors: JON WILLIAM SHAW, KEVIN CHRISTOPHER POPE, MARTIN ERIC COLSTON, VICTOR R. FEY, ADRIAN BARCLAY CAROEN, EVGENY I. RIVIN, JOHN CHARLES COOKE, CHRISTOPHER JOHN GEE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.03.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES; COFFEE MILLS; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; FURNITURE; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SPICE MILLS; STORING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING

An apparatus for the brewing of a beverage by transmission of an aqueous fluid through a sachet containing a beverage brewing ingredient. The apparatus includes one or more injectors to inject the aqueous fluid into the sachet during the brewing and a clamp for the sachet. The clamp has one or more members that are movable to open and close the clamp, the members having inner surfaces which in a closed position of the clamp define a cavity adapted to substantially enclose and support the sachet during the brewing. The members further define a beverage exit pathway in a lower part of the cavity wherein the inner surface of at least one clamp member includes at least one deformable region mounted on a support that is movable while the clamp is in the closed position. The shape of the cavity or of the exit pathway can be changed while the clamp is in the closed position to provide a desired brewing configuration of the sachet. The invention also provides methods of brewing beverages in such an apparatus and systems made up of the apparatus in combination with beverage sachets for use in methods of the invention.