US 5,197,374 · Granted 1993-03-30

The 1993 Patent Behind Single-Serve Coffee Pod Extraction

Imagine a machine that grabs a small coffee cartridge, clamps it down tight, and shoots hot water through it at just the right angle to extract all the flavor. This patent describes the mechanical design that makes that squeeze-and-spray system work — the sealing rings, the angled water jets, and the locking mechanism that hold everything in place so no coffee leaks out.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a coffee extraction device made up of four key parts working together: a sealing surface that sits on top of a cartridge, a water injector that sprays at an upward angle through that seal, a cartridge holder that grips the sides of the pod and creates an airtight fit, and a tightening ring with lugs and ramps that lock everything down. What's protected here is this specific combination of components and how they mechanically interact to seal, inject, and extract without leaks.

Why it matters

This patent represents the engineering foundation for single-serve pod coffee systems — a category that became hugely profitable for Nestec (the parent company of Nespresso). Rather than inventing a new flavor or roasting method, this patent locks down the hardware that makes it convenient to brew one cup at a time. That convenience factor, paired with proprietary cartridges, created a durable business model that competitors would have to design around.

Real-world use

Every time you load a Nespresso capsule into the machine, close the handle, and hear it click into place, you're using the exact clamping and sealing geometry this patent describes.

Original USPTO abstract

A device for extraction of coffee contained in a cartridge has a sealing member, an injector member, a cartridge holder member and a tightening ring member. The sealing member has a surface which has a size sufficient to overlay and cover a surface of a cartridge containing coffee to be extracted. The injector member extends through the sealing member and sealing member surface and has outlets disposed for directing water ejected from the injector at an ascending angle with respect to the sealing member surface. The holder member has a first portion for enveloping and containing sides of a cartridge for supporting a cartridge, for enabling positioning a cartridge surface adjacent the sealing member surface and for enabling fluid-tight sealing of an edge of the cartridge surface to the sealing member surface. The holder also has a base having openings for enabling extracted coffee to flow out of the holder. Lugs extend from the holder to engage with ramps of the tightening ring to support the holder and to effect a fluid-tight seal between the cartridge and the sealing member surface.

Patent details

Publication number: US 5,197,374
Filing date: 1991-07-02
Grant date: 1993-03-30
Assignee: Nestec S.A.
Inventor(s): FOND; OLIVIER
CPC class: A47J31/3695

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