The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 27, 1990
Filed:
Aug. 05, 1988
Saul N Katz, Monsey, NY (US);
Jean E Spence, Bogota, NJ (US);
Michael J O'Brien, Port Monmouth, NJ (US);
Ronald H Skiff, Edison, NJ (US);
Gerald J Vogel, Carrollton, TX (US);
Ravi Prasad, Midlothian, VA (US);
General Foods Corporation, White Plains, NY (US);
Abstract
A method of continuously decaffeinating moistened, green coffee solids with supercritical carbon dioxide. Moistened, green coffee beans are moved periodically through an extraction vessel and contacted with continuously flowing supercritical carbon dioxide which extracts caffeine from the moist, green coffee beans. Caffeine is removed from the supercritical carbon dioxide by counter-current contact with wash water in an open vessel. The caffeine-depleted supercritical carbon dioxide is recirculated back to the extraction vessel and the caffeine-bearing wash water is subjected to concentration by reverse osmosis. Acidic, substantially caffeine-free permeate is directed back to the extraction system as wash water, or to moisturize the green coffee beans prior to extraction, or both.