Coffee press

Abstract

An improved coffee press structure is provided wherein the container has transparent side wall portions that are associated with top and bottom caps and an intermediate cage structure. Upper and lower band portions of the cage structure are associated with a handle upper end portion and with a link member, respectively. The link member is pivotable relative to either the handle lower end portion or the lower band portion and is spring biased so that when in a normally closed position, the link member closes the gap between the handle lower end portion and the lower band portion. The press structure also provides two different embodiments of a plunger assembly for association with the container mouth. The plunger assembly embodiments both include a handle, a piston and a rod; and the plunger assembly can remain in place after brewing and during brew dispensing from the container. One of the plunger assembly embodiments includes a spouted lid that is valve equipped, the valve being operated by rotational movement of the handle relative to the lid with the rod being fully extended through the lid.

1 . A container for a coffee press or the like comprising in combination: 
 (a) a vessel having side walls, a bottom wall and an open top;    (b) a top cap removably mounted about said open top;    (c) said vessel having extending perimetrically thereabout an upper band and a longitudinally lower band;    (d) a handle that extends along and adjacent to exterior portions of said side walls and that has an upper end portion and a lower end portion, said upper end portion being connected to said upper band and said lower end portion being open; and    (e) a linking member having opposed terminal portions, said linking member including hinge means for pivotably engaging one said terminal portions with one of either said lower band or said lower end portion for enabling said other terminal portion to pivot to and away from the other of either said lower end portion or said lower band, as the case may be, and    (f) spring means yieldingly biasing said other terminal portion into engaged relationship with said other of either said lower end portion or said lower band.    
   
   
       2 . A container for a coffee press or the like comprising in combination: 
 (a) a vessel having side walls, a bottom wall, and an open top;    (b) a top cap removably mounted about said open top;    (c) a cage structure extending over exterior portions of said side walls, said cage structure including an upper circumferentially extending band, a lower circumferentially extending band, and a plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced straps extending between said upper band and said lower band;    (d) a handle that extends along and adjacent to exterior portions of said side walls and that has an upper end portion and a lower end portion, said upper end portion being connected to said upper band and said lower end portion being open; and    (e) a linking member having opposed terminal portions, said linking member including hinge means for pivotably engaging one said terminal portions with one of either said lower band or said lower end portion for enabling said other terminal portion to pivot to and away from the other of either said lower end portion or said lower band, as the case may be, and    (f) spring means yieldingly biasing said other terminal portion into engaged relationship with said other of either said lower end portion or said lower band.    
   
   
       3 . A container for a coffee press or the like comprising in combination: 
 (a) a vessel having cylindrical side walls, a closed, flattened bottom wall, and an open top with exterior circumferentially extending first thread means defined in said side walls adjacent to said open top;    (b) a bottom cap mounted over said bottom wall and bottom wall adjacent portions of said side walls including means mounting said bottom cap to said vessel;    (c) a top cap demountably mounted over said open top and top adjacent portions of said side walls, said top cap including interior, circumferentially extending second thread means defined adjacent terminal portions of said top cap, said second thread means being threadably engaged with said first thread means whereby said top cap is removably mounted over said open top;    (d) a cage structure extending over exterior portions of said side walls between said bottom cap and said top cap, said cage structure including an upper circumferentially extending band adjacent to said top cap, a lower circumferentially extending band adjacent to said bottom cap, and a plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced straps extending between said upper band and said lower band;    (e) a handle that extends along and adjacent to exterior portions of said side walls and that has an upper end portion and a lower end portion, said upper end portion being integrally associated with said upper band and said lower end portion being open; and    (f) a linking member having opposed terminal portions, said linking member including hinge means for pivotably engaging one of said terminal portions with one of either said lower band or said lower end portion for enabling said other terminal portion to pivot to and away from the other of either said lower end portion or said lower band, as the case may be, and further including spring means yieldingly biasing said other terminal portion into engaged relationship with said other of either said lower end portion or said lower band.    
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 3  wherein said mounting means comprises a plurality of screws extended through said bottom cap into threaded engagement with preformed, downwardly and outwardly projecting stumps preformed in said bottom wall.  
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 3  wherein said bottom cap and said top cap are comprised of stainless steel.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 5  wherein said top cap includes a plastic liner in which said second thread means is defined.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 3  wherein said handle has a molded plastic exterior and an internal metal reinforcement.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 3  wherein said lower band includes a localized thickened, outwardly projecting region that is adapted either to associate with said hinge means or to permit said other terminal portion of said linking member to abut thereagainst, as the case may be.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 8  wherein said other terminal portion of said linking member includes a projecting stud member and either said outwardly projecting region or said lower end portion, as the case may be, includes a depression that matingly receives said stud member when said other terminal portion of said linking member is in said engaged relationship therewith.  
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 7  wherein said projecting stud member has a T-configuration and said depression has a mating configuration.  
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10  wherein said projecting stud member engages said depression in said lower end.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 10  wherein said projecting stud member of said linking member engages said depression in said lower end.  
   
   
       13 . The combination of a container and a handle structure wherein said projecting stud member is in said lower end and engages said depression in said linking member.  
   
   
       14 . The combination of a container and a handle structure wherein the handle structure comprises: 
 an elongated arm having first and second ends, said first end being associated with the container, said second end being downwardly disposed in spaced relationship from said first end and in laterally disposed relationship relative to said container; and    a linking member having opposed terminal portions, said linking member including hinge means for pivotably engaging one of said terminal portions with one of either said second end or said container for enabling said other terminal portion to pivot to and away from the other of either said second end or said container, as the case may be, and further including spring means yieldingly biasing said other terminal portion into engaged relationship with said other of either said second end or said container.    
   
   
       15 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein said container is provided with a projection with which either said one terminal portion is pivotably engaged or with which said other terminal portion yieldingly engages.  
   
   
       16 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein said other terminal portion has defined thereon a projecting stud member and the other of either said second end or said projection, as the case may be, has a defined therein a depression which matingly receives said stud member when said other terminal portion is so pivotably engaged therewith.  
   
   
       17 . The combination of  claim 14  wherein said stud member is generally T-configured and said depression is adapted to matingly receive said stud member.  
   
   
       18 . The combination of a container and a handle structure wherein the handle structure comprises: 
 an elongated arm having first and second ends, said first end being connected to an upper band that circumferentially extends around an upper portion of said container, said second end being downwardly disposed in spaced relationship from said first end and in laterally disposed relationship relative to said container;    a linking member having opposed terminal portions, said linking member including hinge means for pivotably engaging one of said terminal portions with one of either said second end or a lower band that circumferentially extends around a lower portion of said container for enabling said other terminal portion to pivot to and away from the other of either said second end or said lower band, as the case may be, and further including spring means yieldingly biasing said other terminal portion into engaged relationship with said other of either said second end or said lower band.    
   
   
       19 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein said one terminal portion is so pivotably engaged with said lower band and said other terminal portion is yieldingly biased into engagement with said second end.  
   
   
       20 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein said one terminal portion is so pivotably engaged with said second end and said other terminal portion is yieldingly biased into engagement with said lower band.  
   
   
       21 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein said lower band is provided with a projection with which either said one terminal portion is pivotably engaged or with which said other terminal portion yieldingly engages.  
   
   
       22 . The combination of  claim 18  wherein said other terminal portion has defined thereon a projecting stud member and the other of either said second end or said lower band, as the case may be, has a defined therein a depression which matingly receives said stud member when said other terminal portion is so pivotably engaged therewith.  
   
   
       23 . The combination of  claim 22  wherein said stud member is generally T-configured and said depression is adapted to matingly receive said stud member.  
   
   
       24 . A plunger assembly for a coffee press comprising in combination a lid, a rod, a handle and a screened piston, 
 said rod being longitudinally and perpendicularly slidable through a central aperture defined in said lid,    said handle and said piston each being associated with a different opposite end of said rod;    said piston comprising in combination 
 a vertically associatable pair of ring structures, each said ring structure having a circumferentially extending rim portion and a pair of diametrically opposed, diametrically extending cross spoke portions which at their center cross-over location define an aperture that is associatable with said rod including means for holding said pair of ring structures together cooperatively in vertical alignment,  
 a parametrically extending resilient gasket member projecting radially outwards from circumferential side portions of said so aligned pair of ring structures;  
 a screen mesh located between portions of said aligned pair of ring structures and extending across open regions between said spoke portions and said rim portions for filtration, and  
   said lid having a spout defined therein.    
   
   
       25 . The plunger assembly of  claim 24  wherein along said rod in spaced adjacent relationship to said handle a pair of opposed, outwardly extending keys is provided, and said lid aperture includes a pair of opposed, outwardly extending keyways through which said keys are extendable whereby when said handle with associated rod is located adjacent to said lid, said keys extend through said keyways, and, when said handle is rotated with said associated rod, said keys engage undersurface portions of said lid whereby said handle, said rod, and said piston are locked to said lid.  
   
   
       26 . The plunger assembly of  claim 25  wherein a valve plate is located adjacent interior upper surface portions of said lid, and said valve plate has 
 an aperture defined therein that is vertically alignable with said spout;    a central aperture defined therein with an associated opposed pair of outwardly extending second keyways defined therein, and    said valve plate is rotatable relative to said lid by rotating said handle when said rod with said keys is extended through said lid and said handle is adjacent said lid and said keys are associated with said second keyways.    
   
   
       27 . The plunger assembly of  claim 26  wherein retaining means is provided for holding said valve plate adjacent said interior upper surface portions.  
   
   
       28 . A coffee press comprising the container of  claim 1  and the plunger assembly of  claim 24 .  
   
   
       29 . A coffee press comprising the container of  claim 1  and the plunger assembly of  claim 25 .  
   
   
       30 . A coffee press comprising the container of  claim 1  and the plunger assembly of  claim 26 .  
   
   
       31 . A coffee press comprising the container of  claim 1  and the plunger assembly of  claim 27.