Patent attributes
A ground coffee extraction apparatus has a base to which a filter cup loaded with ground coffee is assembled from below. A delivery system pumps cool water from a cool water tank into the extraction apparatus. The cool water exerts a downward force greater than a resilient force of resilient elements of the extraction apparatus to drive a sliding element and a downward pressing element downward. Consequently, an O-ring seals a gap between the downward pressing element and the filter cup while the downward force is evenly applied to the ground coffee in the filter cup, thereby sealing and compacting the ground coffee hydraulically. After coffee is extracted, the cool water is drawn back into the cool water tank so that the sliding element and the downward pressing element are moved upward to unseal the filter cup. Hence, the automatic extraction apparatus enables rapid, uniform, and standardized sealing and compacting.