US4168324A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process of extracting stimulants from coffee
Assignee: Hag AG
•
Filing: 1977-02-25
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Granted: 1979-09-18
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Expires: 1997-02-25
Abstract
Abstract A method of producing coffee low in undesired stimulants by removing coffee wax from unroasted coffee by the use of a supercritical fluid and absorbing the coffee wax in an absorbent precharged with pure caffeine.
Inventors
- 👤 Ludwig Roselius
- 👤 Hans-Albert Kurzhals
- 👤 Klaus F. Sylla
- 👤 Peter Hubert
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 21:26
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D11/00; B01D11/02; B01D11/0203; A; A23; A23F; A23F5/00; A23F5/16; A23F5/166
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
Process for the production of coffee low in undesired stimulants normally produced during roasting while retaining the original caffeine content which comprises removing coffee wax from unroasted coffee beans by treating said beans with a solvent harmless to health, said solvent comprising a supercritical fluid, and adsorbing said coffee wax by means of an adsorbent which is precharged with pure caffeine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
61 words
Process for the production of coffee low in undesired stimulants normally produced during roasting while retaining the original caffeine content which comprises removing coffee wax from unroasted coffee beans by treating said beans with a solvent harmless to health, said solvent comprising a supercritical fluid, and adsorbing said coffee wax by means of an adsorbent which is precharged with pure caffeine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the working pressure used is 20 to 800 bar.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the raw coffee is between 2 to 60% by weight.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
Process according to claim 3, wherein the moisture content of the raw coffee is 20 to 35% by weight.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein said solvent is a gas or gas mixture which is harmless to health, and whose critical temperature is below 100° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
Process according to claim 5, wherein said solvent is CO 2 .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
Process according to claim 1, including the step of adding an entrainer to the gas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
Process according to claim 7, wherein the entrainer comprises ingredients of raw and roasted coffee.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
11 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein said adsorbent is active carbon.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said treating with solvent is carried out at a temperature of up to 150° C. above the critical temperature of said solvent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is 40° to 100° C. above said critical temperature.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said adsorbent is precharged by contacting said adsorbent with an aqueous pure caffeine solution at a temperature of 20° to 150° C. and a pressure of 1 to 10 bar.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the water content of the precharged adsorption agent is selected so that the water content of the unroasted coffee beans does not go below a predetermined minimum during said process.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 13 wherein said predetermined minimum is above 15% by weight.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said supercritical fluid is selected from the group consisting of CO 2 , SF 6 , N 2 O, CHF 3 , CHF 2 Cl, CF 3 Cl, CF 2 =CH 2 , C 3 F 8 , C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , C 2 H 4 , C 3 H 6 , and mixtures thereof.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 7 wherein said entrainer is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, ethers, ketones, esters, halocarbons, aromatic compounds, aliphatic compounds, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process of claim 7 wherein said entrainer is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, diethyl ether, acetone, butanone-2, ethyl acetate, ethyl formate, methylene chloride, trichloromonofluoromethane, toluene, N-hexane, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the coffee produced has less than 200 ppm of carboxylic acid-5-hydroxytryptamide (C-5-HT).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1982-09-17 | 1983-03-19 | 1983-09-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1986-09-17 | 1987-03-19 | 1987-09-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1990-09-17 | 1991-03-19 | 1991-09-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |