Waterless coffee pouch

Abstract

A waterless coffee pouch is presented. The waterless coffee pouch includes a piece of permeable material that allows fluids to pass through. A quantity of ground coffee beans is placed on the material where the material is folded to form a pouch to contain the ground coffee beans. The pouch is a suitable size for placement in a person's mouth. A means for sealing the pouch is provided such that the ground coffee beans remain contained within the pouch when the pouch is placed in a person's mouth and the coffee flavor is released into the person's mouth through the material so that the person using the pouch may enjoy the flavor and benefits of ground coffee beans without the use of water.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present Utility patent application claims priority benefit of the [U.S. provisional application for patent Ser. No. 60/976,467 filed on Oct. 1, 2007 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The contents of this related provisional application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX

Not applicable.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to food and beverages. More particularly, the invention relates to means for providing waterless coffee in the form of a chewable pouch.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There may be occasions where an individual desires the caffeine boost or flavor of a cup of coffee when water is not available or drinking a cup of coffee is not practical, for example, without limitation, while outdoors, driving, performing physical activities, etc. In these situations the individual who wishes to drink the coffee must interrupt their activity to drink the coffee or forego drinking the coffee. Currently alternate means are available to provide a caffeine boost without drinking coffee, for example, without limitation, caffeine pills. However, these means do not enable the individual to experience the flavor of a cup of coffee.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved techniques for providing the experience of consuming coffee without water.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an exemplary coffee pouch, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a side view, and FIG. 1B is a front view.

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the forgoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, a waterless coffee pouch is presented.

In one embodiment, a waterless coffee pouch is presented. The waterless coffee pouch includes a piece of permeable material that allows fluids to pass through. A quantity of ground coffee beans is placed on the material where the material is folded to form a pouch to contain the ground coffee beans. The pouch is a suitable size for placement in a person's mouth. A means for sealing the pouch is provided such that the ground coffee beans remain contained within the pouch when the pouch is placed in a person's mouth and the coffee flavor is released into the person's mouth through the material so that the person using the pouch may enjoy the flavor and benefits of ground coffee beans without the use of water. In other embodiments chewing is the intended use of the pouch and sucking is the intended use of the pouch. A further embodiment includes a flavoring added to the ground coffee beans in the pouch for enjoyment of the person using the pouch. The flavoring includes sugar, cream, vanilla, or hazelnut. Yet another embodiment further includes a supplement added to the ground coffee beans in the pouch for release into the mouth of the person using the pouch. In another embodiment the supplement includes guarana and the use of the waterless coffee pouch is intended to provide a jolt of caffeine. In still another embodiment the supplement includes ginseng. In other embodiments the permeable material is a coffee filter or a material used in tea bags, cheesecloth or mesh. In another embodiment the ground coffee beans are decaffeinated. In other embodiments the pouch is rectangular in shape or the pouch is round in shape.

In another embodiment a waterless coffee pouch is presented. the waterless coffee pouch includes means for containing a quantity of ground coffee beans within the pouch when the pouch is placed in a person's mouth and the coffee flavor is released into the person's mouth so that the person using the pouch may enjoy the flavor and benefits of ground coffee beans without the use of water. Other embodiments further include means for flavoring the ground coffee beans in the pouch for enjoyment of the person using the pouch and means for supplementing the ground coffee beans in the pouch for release into the mouth of the person using the pouch.

In another embodiment a multi-pack of the waterless coffee pouch packaged for sale is presented.

Other features, advantages, and object of the present invention will become more apparent and be more readily understood from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Embodiments of the present invention provide individuals with means for consuming coffee without water. The preferred embodiment is a chewable coffee pouch.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an exemplary coffee pouch 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a side view, and FIG. 1B is a front view. Coffee pouch 100 is a small, portable, dry coffee pouch that can be chewed for an instant boost of caffeine. Coffee pouch 100 enables individuals to enjoy their coffee without water. In the present embodiment, coffee pouch 100 is a small rectangular pouch measuring three quarters of an inch high, half an inch long, and three-sixteenths of an inch wide. However, alternate embodiments may be various different shapes and sizes, for example, without limitation round pouches. In the present embodiment, coffee pouch 100 is made of the same material found in coffee filters and filled with ground coffee beans. Alternate embodiments may be made of other materials such as, but not limited to, material used in tea bags, cheesecloth, mesh, or other permeable materials. In the present embodiment, folded ends 105 of coffee pouch 100 are sealed in order to retain the ground coffee beans within coffee pouch 100. Folded ends 105 may be sealed by various means including, but not limited to, glue, staples, etc. In some embodiments, coffee pouches may include various flavorings and supplements; for example, without limitation, coffee pouches may be flavored with substances such as, but not limited to, sugar, cream, vanilla, or hazelnut and may be enhanced with supplements such as, but not limited to, guarana or ginseng. Furthermore, coffee pouches may be available in caffeinated and decaffeinated varieties.

Coffee pouch 100 is small, portable, and has all the taste of a cup of coffee without the need for water or a cup. In typical use of the present embodiment, an individual places coffee pouch 100 in their mouth and chews coffee pouch 100. The chewing action releases the flavor and caffeine from the ground coffee beans in coffee pouch 100. Embodiments of the present invention may be sold as single pouches, or in multi-packs, for example, without limitation, packs of twenty-five pouches. Coffee pouches according to embodiments of the present invention may be used by many types of individuals for example, without limitation, astronauts, military personnel, coffee lovers, or anyone that can use a jolt of caffeine in order to stay alert or awake.

Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of providing the experience of consuming coffee without water according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention has been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. For example, the particular implementation of the coffee pouch may vary depending upon the particular type of use intended. The coffee pouches described in the foregoing were directed to chewable implementations; however, similar techniques are to provide smaller coffee pouches that fit between the cheek and gum that are designed to be sucked rather than chewed. Non-chewable implementations of the present invention are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A waterless coffee pouch comprising:

a piece of permeable material that allows fluids to pass through;

a quantity of ground coffee beans placed on the material where the material is folded to form a pouch to contain the ground coffee beans, the pouch being a suitable size for placement in a person's mouth; and

means for sealing the pouch such that the ground coffee beans remain contained within the pouch when the pouch is placed in a person's mouth and the coffee flavor is released into the person's mouth through the material so that the person using the pouch may enjoy the flavor and benefits of ground coffee beans without the use of water.

2. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, wherein chewing is the intended use of the pouch.

3. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, wherein sucking is the intended use of the pouch.

4. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, further comprising a flavoring added to the ground coffee beans in the pouch for enjoyment of the person using the pouch.

5. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 4, wherein the flavoring comprises sugar, cream, vanilla, or hazelnut.

6. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, further comprising a supplement added to the ground coffee beans in the pouch for release into the mouth of the person using the pouch.

7. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 6, wherein the supplement comprises guarana.

8. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 7, wherein the use of the waterless coffee pouch is intended to provide a jolt of caffeine.

9. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 6, wherein the supplement comprises ginseng.

10. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, wherein the permeable material is a coffee filter.

11. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, wherein the permeable material is a material used in tea bags, cheesecloth or mesh.

12. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1 wherein the ground coffee beans are decaffeinated.

13. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, wherein the pouch is rectangular in shape.

14. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, wherein the pouch is round in shape.

15. A waterless coffee pouch comprising means for containing a quantity of ground coffee beans within the pouch when the pouch is placed in a person's mouth and the coffee flavor is released into the person's mouth so that the person using the pouch may enjoy the flavor and benefits of ground coffee beans without the use of water.

16. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 15, further comprising means for flavoring the ground coffee beans in the pouch for enjoyment of the person using the pouch.

17. The waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 15, further comprising means for supplementing the ground coffee beans in the pouch for release into the mouth of the person using the pouch.

18. A multi-pack of the waterless coffee pouch as recited in claim 1, packaged for sale.