Filter bags for ground coffee

March 19, 1968

Filed Jan. 17, 1967

a. p. petrozzo 3,373,677

FILTER BAGS FOR GROUND COFFEE

Sheets-Sheet 1

FIG. 6.

<img file="US3373677A_D0001.tif" />

ATTORNEY

March 19, 1968

A. P. PETROZZO

3,373,677

FILTER BAGS FOR GROUND COFFEE

Filed Jan. 17, 1967

Sheets-Sheet 3

<img file="US3373677A_D0002.tif" />

ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office

3,373,677

Patented Mar. 19, 1968

3,373,677

FILTER BAGS FOR GROUND COFFEE Anne P. Petrozzo, 8814 Colonial Road, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11209 Filed Jan. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 609,851 3 Claims. (CI. 99—295)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A relatively thin circular two-walled filter bag, prefilled or having an inlet for filling, having a central pierceable opening and preferably a pinked circumference. As a modification, a fillable bag having a radial tab extending from one or both walls of the inlet, of a length somewhat greater than the radius of the bag and having a second piercable opening near its end.

Brief summary of the invention

The bags when sold prefilled have circumferential stitching all around near the outer edge, and when sold empty have such stitching only part way to leave an inlet for filling. In all cases they also have circumferential stitching around the central opening. The bags are supplied in various diameters appropriate to the diameter of the percolator cup or the like in which they are to be used. With, a pinked circumferential edge, when the bag is placed in the cup the outer circumferential seam is very close to the cup wall and the radial elements consequent to the pinking are bent upward against the wall of the cup, thus tending to direct the water issuing from the riser on the bag surface below which are the ground coffee granules, pie central opening registers about the riser and the radial elements of the pierced opening like- ³⁵wise are bent upward against the riser, thus also directing the water over the bag. In the modification mentioned, the tab is doubled back over the bag with the riser passing through the pierced opening therein, and the bent tab thus closes the inlet and also tends to lock the bag in place.

fn the drawing, FIG. 1 is a view showing a filter bag prefilled with coffee granules.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the annular space within the bag divided into two equal parts by a diametrical seam.

-Τ⁷®· 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3__3 of rib. 2.

. FIG. 4 is a view of a filter bag which is empty and is provided with an inlet for filling it.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5—5 of HU 4.

F!G. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of haVnf ^PerC°^{latOr showin}S how any of the ^bags °^f FIGS. F ^{2 and 4 are} mounted therein.

·/j ,_^{1S a} y^iew lowing a modified empty bag provided with an inlet and radial extension tabs extending from both walls which define the inlet. ⁸

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8—8 of riCr. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view of the bag of FIG. 7 showing the radial extension tab folded down upon the bag.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view showing a fragp-icmf zx-P λ _ .........·» . ____ ® mounted therein.

Although the bags disclosed herein are particularly adapted for use in percolators, they may also be used in other coffee makers, such as, for example, drip types, as will become apparent.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numerals 10 and 11, FIGS. 1-6, indicate two mutually identical discs of thin tissue having a high degree of wet strength and capable of fast filter action. Such filter tissue or material is readily available on the market.

The two discs 10 and 11 are mutually superimposed and united by a circumferential seam or the like 12 near their edges as well as by a second concentric seam 13 of greatly reduced diameter. Thus, in the case of the bag 14, FIG. 1, an annular chamber 17 is provided between the two discs, in which ground coffee, shown in the drawing as a multiplicity of dots, is contained.

In the case of the bag 15, FIG. 2, the two discs 10 and 11 are additionally united by two aligned radial seams 18 and 19 extending between the seams 10 and 13, thus dividing the space between the discs into two separate semi-annular chambers 20 and 21. This division of the space into two chambers or compartments assures equal distribution of the coffee granules on both sides of the dividing seams 18, 19.

The bags 14 and 15 are both marketed pre-filled with ground coffee and the seam 12 is applied either in whole after the granules have been positioned between the discs or, the seam may first have been extended part way around the discs to leave an entrance for admitting the granules whence the seam is continued the remainder of its length to seal the bag.

In the case of the bag 16, FIG. 4, the seam 12 extends only part way around the discs to leave an unsealed or open portion 22 which provides an entrance mouth 23, FIG. 5, for entry of the coffee granules. This bag is sold empty so that the buyer may enter into it the desired measure of granules dictated by his taste.

All of. the bags disclosed herein are intended primarily to contain a one-cup quantity of brewed coffee, so that when more than one cup is desired an additional num^beL°^f , ^{gs 1S used} “ ^the manner described below. . The bags 14, 15 and 16 are all shown having pinked circumferential edges, with a consequent plurality of circumferentially equidistantly spaced pointed radial tabs ™ ^al? ^Cl0S? ^{tO but slightl}V ^sP^aced from the seam 10. The bags also have, within the circular seam 13, a plurality of cuts, slits or tear lines 25 radiating from the center of the discs 10 and 11 to points near but spaced slightly from the seam 13.

FIG. 6 illustrates how any of the bags 14 15 16 are positioned in the well or bowl of a coffee percolator of a common type provided with the usual water pipe or ^{dlustration in} FIG· 6 is representative ^{50 1}f’ ¹⁵’ ¹⁶’ ^{the bag shown} therein has been designated by the numeral 50 which therefore represents any one of these bags.

K^iar?^etB^{r Of the seam 12 is} approximately that fiHed \^b°^{W 2}I°^fK^{the percoIator}&gt; ^s0 that upon laying a ⁵⁵ heni¹? ⁸ ”? «l-,^b°^{ttOm Of the bowl} the tabs 24 are bent upward. While the filter material is dry it is relatively stiff but flexible, so that these tabs are urged outward against the wall 28 of the bowl 27. While thus inserting the bag into the bowl, the upper end of the riser 60 .' ^{parts the tabs 29} defined by the slots 25 and thus provides a central opening through the bag. Thus the tabs . -------- _luc 29 are urged outward against the riser.

radial extension tab folded down upon the bag. As the heated water in the percolator rises in the

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view showing a frag- ^p'^pe and percolates out of its upper end and falls ment of a percolator cup with the bag of FIGS. 7 and 65 ^{upon tbe bag so}&gt; the falling water is guided away from °-----the wall 28 on to the surface of the bag below which the coffee granules are contained. The same is true of the ??ter which descends down along the riser, as the tabs 29 likewise guide the water on to the bag surface. As 70 soon as the filter tabs 24 and 29 become wetted they in fact cling, to the surfaces of, respectively, the wall 28 and the pipe 26. As a consequence, little if any of the

3,373 3 percolated water may escape through the perforations or passages 30 in the floor of the bowl 27 without encountering coffee granules. Hence a more efficient utilization of the ground coffee is assured.

All of the bags 14, 15 and 16 are provided with a string 5 or strings 31 for lifting the used bags from the bowl 27. In the case of the bag 16 in which the entrance mouth 23 is provided for home filling, it is to be noted that it is not necessary to close or seal this mouth to prevent granules from leaking out through it. For when the bag is pressed down into the bowl 27, the tabs 24 thereon will all, including those extending from the disc portions which define the mouth, be bent upward against the wall 28 in the manner described so that their mutual overlapping will close the mouth. 15

The modification shown in FIGS. 7-10 is a bag suitable for marketing both as a pre-filled bag or an empty bag for home filling, but again it is intended primarily for a one-cup brewed coffee measure and therefore, when marketed filled, it is relatively thin and flat. This form of 20 bag is a modification of that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and parts identical to those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are identically numbered while wholely modified but equivalent parts bear the same reference numeral followed by the suffix “a”. Both discs 10α and 11α have mutually superimposed elongated radial extensions or strips 32 whose length somewhat exceeds the radius of the discs. The circumferential seam 12 extends part way around the discs to leave an unsealed portion 22α, and it is from the two walls of the entrance mouth 23α that the strips 32 extend. Near the outer ends of the strips, mutually aligned cuts, slits or tear lines 25 are provided in the same manner as those previously described, to provide pointed tabs 29α.

The bag illustrated in FIGS. 7-10 is designated as a whole by the numeral 33, and FIG. 10 illustrates how it is set into the bowl 27 of a percolator. After the ground coffee has been passed into the bag through the mouth 23α in an obvious manner, the circular portion of the bag is mounted on the floor of the bowl in the same manner as previously described. Then the combined strips are doubled back and down against the upper disc 10α with the riser 26 piercing the slitted opening provided by the tabs 29α. As before, the tabs 24 extend upward against the wall 28 of the bowl while the tabs 29α extend upward against the tabs 29 (not shown in FIG. 10) which, as before, extend upward directly against the pipe. The bight 34, FIGS. 9 and 10, securely seals the mouth 23α. Pull strings are not attached to the bag 33, as the bag may be lifted out by grasping the strips 32. It is obvious although not specifically shown, that having but a single strip 32

677

In reference to the home fillable bags provided with an entrance mouth illustrated in the drawing, it is believed that the seam 12 should extend through a distance of approximately five-sixths of a complete circle, leaving onesixth as the width of the mouth.