Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
  • A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
  • A47J31/06—Filters or strainers for coffee or tea makers ; Holders therefor
  • A47J31/0657—Filters or strainers for coffee or tea makers ; Holders therefor for brewing coffee under pressure, e.g. for espresso machines
  • A47J31/0668—Filters or strainers for coffee or tea makers ; Holders therefor for brewing coffee under pressure, e.g. for espresso machines specially adapted for cartridges
  • A47J31/0673—Means to perforate the cartridge for creating the beverage outlet
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D65/00—Wrappers or flexible covers; Packaging materials of special type or form
  • B65D65/38—Packaging materials of special type or form
  • B65D65/46—Applications of disintegrable, dissolvable or edible materials
  • B65D65/466—Bio- or photodegradable packaging materials
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
  • B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
  • B65D85/804—Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package
  • B65D85/8043—Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents
  • B65D85/8052—Details of the outlet

Definitions

• the present invention is in the field of the preparation of drinks, e.g. ex. based on coffee, by extraction of a concentrated dose, e.g. ex. ground coffee, contained in a capsule. It relates more particularly to the doses used for this purpose as well as devices using such doses.
• US Pat. Nos. 2,899,886, US 2,968,560, US 3,403,617 and US 3,607,297 disclose devices in which the capsule is initially perforated in a plurality of locations and then passed through water under pressure.
• the capsule described in patent CH 605 293 or in patent EP 0 242 556 B1 comprises a membrane in its lower part.
• Water under pressure is initially introduced into the upper part of the capsule, after piercing said capsule by means of a cutting element (eg a blade), which causes swelling of the capsule, mainly at the level of the capsule. of the membrane. From a certain pressure, the membrane tears, thus allowing the flow of a water-coffee mixture.
• One of the objectives of the present invention is to improve the water-coffee mixture which occurs inside the capsule.
• Another objective is to improve the drilling of the capsule at its extraction face. Another goal is to simplify the maintenance of capsule devices.
• the reliefs are arranged and designed to perforate during deformation, preferably simultaneously, by a deforming element, e.g. ex. the base of the capsule-holder, on which the capsule is supported.
• the reliefs can be formed by embossing, stamping, thermoforming or any other method adapted to the desired purpose.
• the reliefs are characterized in that they occupy a relatively small area, in all cases much smaller than the total area of the extraction wall of the capsule.
• a solid element such as the base of the capsule-holder, exerts a pressure on the extraction wall, it is at the level of the reliefs that the capsule is pierced, by their deformation which results in a self-perforation .
• Figure 1 illustrates a simplified view of a first example of capsule according to the invention.
• FIG. 2 illustrates the capsule of FIG. 1 inside an extraction device in idle mode.
• Figure 3 shows an enlargement of the lower part of the capsule of Figure 2.
• FIGS 4 and 5 show perspective views of the capsule figures Figure 6 illustrates the capsule of Figure 1 within an extraction mode extraction device.
• FIG. 7 shows an enlargement of the lower part of the capsule of FIG. 6.
• FIGS. 8 and 9 represent perspective views of the capsule of FIGS.
• FIG. 10 represents an embodiment of a relief comprising a point of attachment
• Figure 11 shows different forms of relief that can be used in the context of the present invention.
• Orifice Figures 1 to 5 illustrate a variant among others capsule according to the invention in the rest position.
• the capsule consists of a hollow element 1 formed of a side wall 2, an upper wall 3 and a bottom wall 4.
• the bottom wall 4 is relatively rigid. It is preferably made of a biodegradable material. Any form of material suitable for the intended use can be used. If it is a biodegradable material, we can p. ex. use a mixture comprising starch (> 70%), fibers, proteins, lipids and at least one biodegradable resin.
• the upper wall 3 and / or the side wall 2 may also be made of a biodegradable material.
• the outer face of the lower wall 4 comprises a self-piercing relief 5, in the form of a bump (portion of sphere) in the illustrated example.
• This hump is in fact an extra thickness of the lower wall 4.
• Around the hump is disposed a peripheral zone, said weakening zone 13, of thickness less than the thickness of the remainder of the lower wall 4.
• an optional semi-permeable element 6 e.g. ex. Knitted, which allows the liquid to pass through but retains solid substances such as coffee grounds.
• the relief 5 is extended in the form of tip 9.
• the presence of the latter is optional. It allows in particular to maintain the relief 5 centered once it moves in the direction towards the inside of the capsule.
• the optional annular element 8 is preferably formed of a material, e.g. ex. paper, facilitating the removal of the capsule once it is used. Its presence can be useful when the material that constitutes the capsule, p. ex. biodegradable, tends to adhere to the capsule holder when heated.
• Figures 6 to 9 illustrate the same capsule as that of Figures 1 to 5 but in the extraction position, ie after closing the device around the capsule. In this configuration, the relief 5 abuts against a protuberance 12 disposed on the capsule holder 10, which has the effect of driving the relief 5 into the capsule, thus breaking the weakening zone 13. At this point a passage is formed for the liquid, called passage extraction zone 14, ring-shaped in this case.
• the presence of the semi-permeable element 6 retains the solid matter (marc) inside the capsule.
• the liquid passing through the extraction zone passes the capsule holder 10 through orifices 15 provided for this purpose.
• the liquid (water-coffee mixture) is finally recovered in a cup (not shown) disposed under the capsule-holder 10.
• the invention is not limited to the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 9.
• the base of the capsule holder 10 does not necessarily include a protrusion 12. It may not contain or, conversely, include several, p. ex. of a number equal to that of the reliefs which is on the extraction wall.
• the zone of weakening can be made asymmetrical with respect to the center of the relief, which has the effect of minimizing the risk of accidental clogging of the extraction zone by the relief.
• the extraction face 4 merges advantageously with the bottom wall of the capsule. According to another variant of the invention (not shown), the extraction face merges with the upper wall of the capsule.
• self-piercing reliefs may be disposed on the wall of the capsule which is opposite to the extraction wall.
• the self-piercing reliefs provide entry / injection of water into the capsule.
• the invention is not limited to a specific form of capsule. Any form suitable for use (eg conical, cylindrical or cubic) may be used.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Apparatus For Making Beverages (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=42041852

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (30)

Family Cites Families (26)

• 2009
  • 2009-12-07 US US13/143,143 patent/US20110271844A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2009-12-07 JP JP2011544097A patent/JP2012514485A/ja active Pending
  • 2009-12-07 CN CN2009801504012A patent/CN102245485A/zh active Pending
  • 2009-12-07 EP EP09807458A patent/EP2382143A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2009-12-07 WO PCT/IB2009/055549 patent/WO2010076698A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2009-12-07 BR BRPI0923895-6A patent/BRPI0923895A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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