Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02361449 2001-11-08
FILTER PAPER INSERT FOR PRODUCING FILTERED COFFEE AND METHOD FOR
PRODUCTION OF SUCH A FILTER PAPER INSERT
The present invention relates to a filter paper insert for producing filtered
coffee, the filter paper
insert being furnished with a flavor carrier for changing the taste of the
coffee.
The invention further relates to a method for production of such a filter
paper insert. Filter paper
inserts of the general class are known in themselves.
The adding of flavor carriers for changing the taste of the coffee has until
now occurred mainly by
providing an appropriate filter paper insert with an additional holding
chamber and filling into this
chamber a powder-form flavoring, the flavoring substance of which is dissolved
in the filtering
process.
Also known is the method of producing filter paper inserts from a filter paper
that is soaked on all
surfaces with a liquid flavoring carrier. Filter paper inserts produced in
this manner require a
special packaging and are difficult to handle.
In addition, DE 40 28 492 A1 shows flavor filter-inserts for coffee filters,
which inserts are
arranged inside the coffee filter.
Described in DE 18 32 952 U is a filter paper that is impregnated with
vitamins, trace elements, or
similar supplements.
The objective upon which the present invention is based is to show a filter
paper insert of the
general class that makes possible a changing of the taste of the coffee, but
does not require for
this purpose the creation of special holding chambers and the filling of the
latter with flavor
carriers.
According to the invention, this objective is accomplished through the fact
that the flavor carrier is
integrated into a coating that is applied to the filter paper insert and
consists of a flavoring
material constituting the flavor carrier, a carrier material, and a solvent.
This measure according to the invention makes it possible in a simple manner
to prepare a filter
paper insert such that a desired changing of the taste of the coffee is
possible without requiring a
change to the filter paper insert itself in terms of construction.
CA 02361449 2001-11-08
2
Also, the use of the filter paper insert according to the invention is no
different from the use of
filter paper inserts by which a changing of the taste of the filtered coffee
is not possible.
The coating applied to the filter paper insert, which coating obviously
consists only of foodstuff-
safe components, can be applied to a filter paper in a liquid state and then
quickly dried, so that,
without loss of the active material of the flavor carrier itself, the filter
paper insert can be used and
handled just as an untreated filter paper insert.
According to a further concept of the invention the carrier material consists
of starch, preferably
modified starch.
This brings with it the advantage that the filtration characteristics of the
filter paper insert remain
virtually unchanged, since the aforementioned carrier material of starch,
preferably modified
starch, is again dissolved in the filtering process by the brewing water, so
that the flow-through
speed of the brewing water and thus the filtration characteristics of the
filter paper inserts remain
virtually unchanged in comparison to an untreated filter paper insert.
The coating can be applied to the filter paper of the filter paper insert over
the entire surface of
the latter; it is likewise possible to carry out a coating only regionally.
The coating can be sprayed onto the filter paper in its liquid state, or
pressed onto it, or applied to
the filter paper in other appropriate ways, so that the production of a filter
paper insert according
to the invention with the desired added uses is, in the end, possible at the
same rate as the
production of an untreated filter paper insert.
In particular in the case of a bag-like filter paper insert with two
superimposed filter paper layers,
which are joined to each other by embossed seams, it is advantageous to apply
the coating to a
finished filter paper insert.
The advantages of this lie particularly in the fact that the strength of the
embossed seams
corresponds to that of untreated filter paper inserts and, in addition, only
so much coating
material is ever used as is necessary for the coating of a finished filter
paper insert.
A method for production of a filter paper insert according to the invention is
characterized through
the fact that an emulsion is first produced from starch, preferably modified
starch, a solvent, and
CA 02361449 2001-11-08
3
flavoring materials, and that this emulsion is subsequently applied to filter
paper used for
producing a filter paper insert or to a finished filter paper insert.
In this, the use of an emulsion comprising the following components is
preferred:
- organic, artificial, or natural flavoring materials or a mixture of
flavoring materials of these
categories
- 1,2-propandiol
- demineralized water
- modified starch with emulsifying and encapsulating characteristics, e.g.
E1450
Preferably, the emulsion is sprayed or pressed onto the finished filter paper
insert.
Additional features of the invention are the object of further dependent
claims.
Embodiment examples of the invention are represented in the accompanying
drawings and are
described in detail in the following.
The drawings show:
Fig. 1: a view of a frustum-like filter paper insert according to the present
invention, the shape of
which is known
Fig. 2: a plan view of a filter paper insert according to the present
invention after the manner of a
round filter sheet
Fig. 3: a schematically represented cross-sectional region of a filter paper
for a filter paper insert
according to Figs. 1 or 2
Fig.4: a frustum-like filter paper insert according to a further embodiment
example of the
invention, with partially cut-away side wall
Represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, in an exemplary manner, filter paper inserts
1 in a geometrical
shape known in itself.
CA 02361449 2001-11-08
4
The filter paper inserts 1 according to Figs. 1 and 4 are designed in each
case in a double-
layered manner and display an essentially frustum-like outline.
Such bag-like filter paper inserts are the most commonly known and used filter
paper inserts;
however, filter paper inserts 1 according to Fig. 2 in the form of a round
filter sheet are also
frequently used.
Irrespective of the geometric shape of the filter paper insert 1, its special
characteristic according
to the present invention is to be seen in the fact that the filter paper 2
used for its production is
provided with a coating 3 (see Fig. 3), which consists in essence of a
flavoring material
constituting a flavor carrier, a carrier material, and a solvent.
This coating 3 can be applied to the filter paper 2 over its entire surface
or, as Fig. 4 clearly
shows, applied only regionally to the filter paper 3. The coating 3 dries
after its application to the
filter paper 2 in a relatively short time, so that the finished filter paper
insert 1 can be handled and
used just as an untreated filter paper insert. Nevertheless, the flavoring
materials are integrated
into the coating 3 and these flavoring materials are dissolved during the
production of filtered
coffee by the heated brewing water passing through and contribute then to a
changing of the
flavor of the coffee.
Advantageously, used as the carrier material for the coating 3 is a starch,
preferably a modified
starch.
Used as the solvent is water, preferably demineralized water, alcohol, or a
mixture of water and
alcohol.
As the flavoring material, application can be made of natural, artificial, or
organic flavoring
materials, or a mixture of flavoring materials of these categories.
The coating 3 can be applied over the entire surface or regionally to the
filter paper insert 1.
It is equally possible to apply the coating 3 to the top side, considered in
the flow-through
direction of the brewing water, of the filter paper insert 1 as to its
underside, considered in the
same manner.
CA 02361449 2001-11-08
The application of the coating 3 is possible both by a pressing process and by
a spraying-on
process, the latter method being especially sensible when the coating is to be
applied to a
finished filter paper insert 1.
In this, the coating can be applied either over the entire surface or only
regionally, in which case
the possibility exists of providing for a flavoring-material gradation. In the
case of a flavoring-
material gradation, the flavoring concentration should increase towards the
bottom of the filter
paper insert 1.
As the flavoring carrier, the coating 3 can contain both a liquid flavoring
and a powder-form
flavoring.
According to the method, the production of a filter paper insert according to
the present invention
takes place as follows: First of all, an emulsion is produced from starch,
preferably modified
starch, a solvent, and flavoring materials, and this emulsion is subsequently
applied to the filter
paper used to produce a filter paper insert 1 or applied to a finished filter
paper insert 1.
In this, an emulsion is preferred which contains in essence the following
components:
- organic, artificial, or natural flavoring materials or a mixture of
flavoring materials of these
categories
1,2-propandiol
demineralized water
- modified starch with emulsifying and encapsulating characteristics, e.g.
E1450
It is especially economical to spray or press the emulsion onto a finished
fitter paper insert 1.
The filter paper insert 1 can be optimally finished in a conventional manner
before the spraying or
pressing on of the emulsion, and in the subsequent application of the coating
to the finished filter
paper insert 1 only so much emulsion is consumed as is necessary for the whole-
surface or
partial coating of the filter paper insert 1.
CA 02361449 2001-11-08
6
If the filter paper insert is provided with a coating only regionally, then it
is advantageous to
moisten with water, during the application of the coating the regions that are
not coated, in order
to avoid the formation of waves or folds in the filter paper
In connection with the handling of a filter paper insert, it is perhaps
sensible to leave the upper
edge region, which during handling of the filter paper insert 1 is usually
grasped, free of coating.
