WO2024167994A1

WO2024167994A1 - Beverage cartridge

Info

Publication number: WO2024167994A1
Application number: PCT/US2024/014725
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Foster; Francis James COE
Original assignee: Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
Priority date: 2023-02-10
Filing date: 2024-02-07
Publication date: 2024-08-15

Abstract

A beverage cartridge and method for forming a beverage cartridge. The cartridge may include a cup including struts and a label that define a bottom and side wall of the cup. Struts may extend between bottom and top portions of the sidewall and define windows that are covered by the label. The struts may be substantially thicker and wider than a thickness of the label, which may be a thin film. The struts may provide structural integrity for the cup, and the cup may be compostable or otherwise recyclable.

Description

BEVERAGE CARTRIDGE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/484,392, filed February 10, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to beverage cartridges to be used with a beverage forming system, such a single-serve coffee maker.

2. Related Art

Cartridges for use with beverage forming machines are well known, and may include one or more filters as well as a beverage material, such as ground coffee beans, tea leaves, etc. In some cartridges, the filter is located between two or more portions of an interior space of the cartridge, e.g., one portion in which a beverage material is located, and a second portion into which liquid that has passed through the filter may flow. An example of one such cartridge is disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,840,189 and/or U.S. Patent 6,607,762, which may be used with a beverage making machine like that described in U.S. Patent 7,398,726.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The inventors have appreciated that many beverage cartridges do not allow for recycling and/or composting, and those that do are relatively heavy because compostable materials tend to require substantial thickness or other mass to perform without failing. For example, commonly available beverage cartridges include polymer components that cannot be recycled, e.g., because of the combination of materials in the polymer composite. Beverage cartridges that are recyclable and/or compostable have been proposed, such as cartridges that are permeable and made entirely of a paper material, but these cartridges require the use of thick walls to have the proper strength to withstand the beverage making process. The relatively large mass of recyclable and/or compostable cartridges results in waste of material and/or long composting times. In addition, cartridges that are not compostable and/or recyclable tend to include relatively large amounts of polymer and/or other material. Reducing the use of such materials can reduce overall waste and cost.

In accordance with some inventive features, a cartridge includes a cup having a bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom to a top. The sidewall and bottom define an interior space and may be configured such that the cup is impervious to moisture and gases. The sidewall may include struts that are arranged to define windows at the sidewall and are formed with a label or film that covers or extends across the windows. Thus, the struts and/or label may provide a barrier such that the cup is impervious to moisture and/or gasses. The struts may be elongated and have a thickness and/or a width, e.g., in directions perpendicular to a length of the strut, that is greater than, e.g., substantially greater, than the label, and the struts may provide structural integrity for the cup whereas the label may provide little or no structural integrity. For example, the struts may provide strength for the cup to resist longitudinal pressing or crushing forces (e.g., applied to move the top of the cup toward the bottom) and/or lateral pressing or crushing forces (e.g., applied by pressure inside the cup to move opposed sidewall portions away from each other). Thus, the struts may provide stiffness or other strength for the cup while employing a relatively small mass to do so. While the label may extend across windows defined by the struts, the label may include relatively little mass since it need not be relied on for structural integrity of the cup. The struts and label may be compostable and/or otherwise recyclable and/or may have a relatively low overall mass. Therefore, the strut and label configuration of the cup can employ a reduced mass of material as compared to other comparable cups while also providing a suitable barrier for beverage or other materials contained in the cup and/or structural integrity for the cup. In some cases, the label and/or struts may be impervious to moisture and gasses, e.g., to protect a beverage material in the cup from degradation or other effects of oxygen and/or water vapor in a surrounding environment. A bottom of the cup may be pierceable, e.g., by an outlet needle of a beverage machine, to form an outlet through which beverage formed in the cup can exit. For example, water or other liquid may be introduced into the cup to mix with beverage material to form a beverage, and the formed beverage can exit via an opening in the bottom of the cup formed by a piercing needle of a beverage machine. In some cases, the label may extend across at least a portion of the bottom of the cup and be pierceable by an outlet needle to form an outlet for beverage, e.g., the label may form the entire bottom of the cup. A lid may be attached to the sidewall, e.g., at the top of the sidewall, to close the interior space of the cup. The lid may be impervious to moisture and gases and attached to the cup so as to render the interior space impervious to moisture and gases. A cartridge “impervious” to moisture and gasses may resist the passage of moisture and/or gases through the impervious elements in storage conditions of a typical household so as to allow ground coffee stored within the cartridge to be used in forming a quality coffee beverage or have no noticeable change in beverage-forming characteristics even after 4-6 weeks or more.

In some embodiments, struts may extend between the bottom and top of the cup sidewall, e.g., one or more struts may extend from the bottom to the top of the sidewall or may extend along at least some portion of the side wall between the bottom and top. Struts may extend at a non-perpendicular angle along the sidewall relative to the top or bottom of the sidewall, e.g., relative to horizontal planes that pass through the top and bottom of the sidewall. Such an arrangement may permit the struts to form a truss-type structure that provides improved resistance to crushing or other forces. For example, struts may form triangular or trapezoidal windows with an adjacent strut or struts that are covered by the label. In some cases, at least one strut may extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall at an angle such that an uppermost portion of the at least one strut is offset from a vertical plane that includes a centerline or longitudinal axis of the cup and intersects a lowermost portion of the at least one strut. For example, in the case of a cup in which the bottom and sidewall define a cylindrical shape, one or more struts may extend between the top and bottom of the sidewall at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical shape. Said another way, in a case where a centerline of the cup is oriented along a vertical direction (e.g., a longitudinal axis of a cylindrically shaped cup is oriented vertically), one or more struts may extend along the sidewall at an angle that is transverse to the vertical direction. In some embodiments, at least one of the struts may be configured such that an uppermost portion of the at least one strut is positioned nearer to an adjacent strut than a lowermost portion of the at least one strut. For example, a shortest distance between the uppermost portion of the at least one strut and the adjacent strut may be less than a shortest distance between the lowermost portion of the at least one strut and the adjacent strut. Such configurations may permit struts, e.g., adjacent struts, to define at least partially triangular and/or trapezoidal windows across which the label may extend. In some cases, adjacent struts may intersect or connect with each other at upper or lower ends, e.g., adjacent struts may intersect at the top or bottom of the sidewall. For example, a plurality of struts may extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall, and each of the plurality of struts may have a top end connected to the top end of a first adjacent strut and a bottom end connected to the bottom end of a second adjacent strut. In some embodiments, at least one strut has a top end and a bottom end, the top end of the at least one strut being connected to a top end of a first adjacent strut and the bottom end being connected to a bottom end of a second adjacent strut. In some cases, struts may have the top end at the top of the sidewall and the bottom end at the bottom of the sidewall. In some embodiments, the sidewall may include a band between the bottom and the top of the sidewall, and first struts may extend from the bottom to the band and second struts may extend from the top to the band. In some cases, the first struts may form trapezoidal or triangular windows and the second struts may form trapezoidal or triangular windows.

In some cases, the cup can include a flange extending outwardly from the top of the sidewall and may be formed by material that forms the struts and/or a portion of the label. The lid can be attached to the flange, e.g., to a top surface of the flange by an adhesive, thermal welding, etc. The lid may be attached to the flange or other cup portion so as to be peelable from the cup, e.g., by hand and without damaging the lid and/or cup. Alternately, the lid may be attached to the cup with a more permanent bond, e.g., such that the lid is difficult to remove from the cup by hand without damage to the lid and/or cup. The lid may be arranged to be pierced by an inlet needle of a beverage machine, e.g., to permit water or other liquid to be introduced into the interior space of the cup for mixing with beverage material.

In some embodiments, the cup includes a bottom ring at the bottom of the sidewall and a top ring at a top of the sidewall. In some cases, the top ring can be attached to a cup flange and/or define an opening to the cup, e.g., where a lid is attached to the cup. The struts may extend at least partially between the top and bottom rings. For example, in some cases struts may extend from the bottom ring to the top ring. In some embodiments, at least one strut may have a top end at the top ring and a bottom end at the bottom ring, and the top end of the at least one strut may be connected to a top end of a first adjacent strut and connected at a bottom end to a bottom end of a second adjacent strut. In some cases, the struts may form triangular windows at the sidewall, e.g., to form a triangular truss structure for the cup sidewall. In some cases, the struts may form rectangular or otherwise shaped windows at the sidewall, e.g., with struts extending from the top ring to the bottom ring and being unconnected to any other struts. In some embodiments, the sidewall may include a band between the bottom ring and the top ring, e.g., the band may be parallel to or otherwise spaced from the bottom and/or top ring. In some cases, first struts may extend from the bottom ring to the band and second struts may extend from the top ring to the band. As with other embodiments, the struts may extend between the rings and band in any suitable way and in any suitable orientation, forming windows of any suitable shape and/or size. For example, struts may extend perpendicular to or at any angle to the top and/or bottom ring and the band. In some embodiments, a filter may be located in the interior space, e.g., to filter beverage formed in the cup by mixing liquid with beverage material before the beverage exits the cup. In some cases, the filter may be attached to the sidewall of the cup, e.g., at the top or bottom of the sidewall or at any location between the top and bottom of the sidewall. The filter may have a cup shape, e.g., having a filter bottom and filter sidewall. The filter bottom may be positioned at or above a bottom of the cup and/or the filter side wall may be attached to the cup sidewall. A beverage material may be provided in the interior space, e.g., above and/or below the filter, and arranged to mix with liquid introduced into the cartridge to form a beverage. In some cases, the filter may be attached to the label and the struts. For example, where the struts and label form an inner surface of the cup sidewall, the filter may be attached to both struts and the label. In some cases, the filter may have a direct attachment to the label only, e.g., where the label defines all or a portion of an inner surface of the cup sidewall. The filter may be compostable or otherwise recyclable, e.g., made of a cellulose material. In some cases, the lid may be removable from the cup to permit removal of beverage material from the cup without the filter being removed.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Aspects of the invention are described below with reference to the following drawings in which like numerals reference like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge incorporating inventive features in some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 1 along the line 2-2; and FIG. 3 is a side view of a cartridge including struts that extend from a bottom ring to a top ring in some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a cartridge including struts that extend between a bottom ring to a top ring in some embodiments; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a cartridge including a filter and beverage material in some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood that inventive features are described herein with reference to the figures, which show illustrative embodiments. The illustrative embodiments described herein are not necessarily intended to show all embodiments that incorporate all inventive features, but rather are used to describe a few illustrative embodiments and selected combinations of inventive features. Thus, inventive features are not intended to be construed narrowly in view of the illustrative embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that inventive features may be used alone or in any suitable combination with other inventive features.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exploded perspective view and a side cross-sectional view, respectively, of an illustrative cartridge 1 that incorporates one or more inventive features. The cartridge 1 may be used in a beverage machine to form any suitable beverage such as tea, coffee, other infusion-type beverages, beverages formed from a liquid or powdered concentrate, etc. Thus, the cartridge 1 may contain any suitable beverage material, e.g., ground coffee, tea leaves, dry herbal tea, powdered beverage concentrate, dried fruit extract or powder, powdered or liquid concentrated bouillon or other soup, powdered or liquid medicinal materials (such as powdered vitamins, drugs or other pharmaceuticals, nutriceuticals, etc.), and/or other beverage-making material (such as powdered milk or other creamers, sweeteners, thickeners, flavorings, and so on). In some embodiments, the cartridge 1 may contain a beverage material that is configured for use with a machine that forms coffee and/or tea beverages, however, inventive features are not limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, the cartridge 1 includes a cup 10 that includes a bottom 11 and sidewall 12 that extends upwardly from the bottom to a top and defines an interior space 18. As one example, the cup 10 may have a frustoconical shape with a flat bottom 11 and a sidewall 12 that extends upwardly from the bottom 11 to a top of the sidewall where an opening to the interior space 18 is defined. The cup 10 may have a longitudinal axis or centerline C that defines an axis of symmetry of the cup or otherwise extends through a center of the cup. For example, for a cup 10 that has a frustoconical shape, the centerline C may extend along the longitudinal axis of the frustoconical shape of the sidewall. In some embodiments, the cup 10 includes a rim or flange 13 that extends outwardly from the top of the sidewall 12, but such a rim or flange 13 is optional. The flange 13 may have an annular shape and extend radially outwardly from a top of the sidewall 12. It should be understood that the cup 10 may have other shapes, sizes or other features. For example, the cup 10 may have a conical or cylindrical shape, may be in the form of a square or rectangular cup, a domed cup, a sphere or partial sphere, an irregular shape, or other suitable form, may have a fluted, corrugated, or otherwise shaped sidewall, and so on. The bottom 11 need not be flat, but may be ribbed, corrugated, include one or more recesses (e.g., a central recess that extends into the interior space 18), and so on. Also, the cup 10 need not necessarily be rigid or relatively stiff so as to have a defined shape, but rather may be relatively compliant, at least in some areas. For example, although the cup 10 in some embodiments has a relatively rigid and/or resilient construction so that the cup 10 tends to maintain its shape, the cup 10 could be made to have a more compliant and/or deformable arrangement, e.g., like a sachet container made from a sheet of deformable material.

In some embodiments, the cup 10 is formed of materials, such as paper or other cellulose fibers, certain polymer materials such as PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate), PHBH (Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)), etc., and have a structure configured so the cup 10 may be compostable or otherwise recyclable. In some embodiments, non- compostable or biodegradable materials may be employed, such as polypropylene. Also, the cup may be formed to incorporate a minimal mass of materials while remaining suitably strong to withstand forces experienced during use in forming a beverage. For example, a cup 10 may be subjected to crushing or pressing forces on the cup in a vertical or longitudinal direction, e.g., that urge the top of the cup toward the bottom. As an example, such longitudinally directed forces may be experienced when a cartridge is clamped in a cartridge receiver of a beverage machine and/or during piercing of the cartridge to form inlet and/or outlet openings in the cartridge. As another example, the cartridge may experience laterally directed forces, e.g., that tend to move opposed portions of the sidewall toward or away from each other. As one example, laterally directed forces may be experienced when a cartridge is injected with high pressure water during a beverage formation process such that a pressure inside the cartridge is above ambient, e.g., 1-2 bar or more such as 10 bar. Generally speaking, the cup 10 in some embodiments may be arranged to provide structural support for the cartridge 1 so as to define a shape and size of the cartridge 1 even in the presence of relatively high longitudinal and/or lateral forces. So, while the cup 10 may be somewhat compliant or crushable, the cup 10 may have sufficient stiffness to allow the cartridge 1 to be handled, placed in the cartridge holder of a beverage machine, and pierced by one or more elements, such as an outlet needle, to introduce liquid under pressure into and allow beverage to exit the cartridge 1.

In some embodiments, the cup sidewall may be formed by struts molded or otherwise formed with a label to define windows between the struts that are covered by the label. The struts may provide structural integrity for the cup and resulting cartridge, while the label covers the windows and may have little or no strength, e.g., to resist compressive forces. The struts may be made relatively thick and massive relative to the label, e.g., the struts may have a thickness and/or width of about 0.2mm to 5mm (or more, or less) in directions perpendicular to a length of the strut while the label be a film of significantly lesser thickness of 0.02mm to 0.2mm (or more, or less), for example. In some cases, the label may have a thickness that is at least 10 times less than a minimum thickness or other dimension of the struts. The label, which may be arranged as a relatively thin film polymer or polymer laminate (such as a metallized cellophane, polypropylene film, etc.), may provide little to no structural support for the cup in longitudinal and/or lateral directions, while the struts may provide all or most of the structural stiffness of the cup. As a result, the cup may be made to have a reduced overall mass, while remaining suitably strong to resist longitudinal and lateral forces and/or being compostable or otherwise recyclable. In some cases, the struts may define 50% or less of a total surface area of the sidewall 12, e.g., 40% to 60% or less of the total surface area of the sidewall.

In some embodiments such as that shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, struts 15 may extend at least partially along the sidewall 12 between a top and bottom of the cup and define windows between the struts 15 and/or bottom and top portions of the sidewall 12 that are covered by a label 16. In some cases, the cup 10 can include a bottom ring 17 and a top ring 14 (e.g., annular structures) and struts 15 may extend between the top and bottom rings 14, 17. Windows formed between struts 15 may be covered by the label 16. Thus, the label 16, and possibly the struts 15, may enclose the interior space 18 to resist passage of gasses and/or moisture through the sidewall 12. For example, the label 16 may include a film that is impervious to gasses and/or moisture, and the struts 15 may be formed of a material that is pervious to gasses and/or moisture, e.g., a cellulose material. The label 16 may extend around the interior space 18 so as to render the interior space 18 impervious to gasses and/or moisture although the struts 15 may not be capable of doing so. However, in some cases the struts 15 may be impervious to gasses and/or moisture as well. In some cases, the label 16 may extend across at least a portion of the bottom 11 of the cup 10, e.g., as can be seen in FIG. 2. In some cases, the label 16 may extend across the entire bottom 11 of the cup or otherwise define the bottom 11 of the cup. The label 16 may be pierceable, e.g., by an outlet needle of a beverage machine, to form an outlet through which beverage in the cartridge may exit the interior space 18. In some cases, one or more struts 15 or material used to form struts may extend across at least a portion of the bottom 11, e.g., to define windows covered by the label 16. In some cases, a strut 15 or material used to form a strut at the bottom of the cup 10 may be pierceable as well. In some embodiments, a portion of the label 16 and material used to form the struts 15 may both extend across the bottom 11 and be pierceable to form an outlet for beverage to exit the cartridge.

The label 16 may be attached to the struts 15 so that the label 16 defines the outer surface of the side wall 12 or the inner surface of the sidewall 12 or so that the struts 15 and label 16 cooperate to define the inner and outer surfaces of the sidewall 12, e.g., as shown in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the struts 15 can be molded or otherwise formed with the label 16 so that portions of each strut 15 are located on inner and outer surfaces of the label 16 as shown in FIG. 2. For example, a label 16 can be provided in a mold and material to form the struts provided (e.g., injected) into the mold so that portions of the label 16 are embedded in one or more struts, e.g., captured between inner and outer portions of a strut 15. (Inner and outer are used in this context to refer to portions of the strut that are near or within the interior space 18 and portions that are on an outer surface of the cup.) In some embodiments, the label 16 may be positioned on an outer surface of the struts 15 (so the label 16 forms the outer surface of the sidewall with the struts 15 positioned inside of the label 15) or the label may be positioned on an inner surface of the struts 15 (so the label forms the inner surface of the sidewall). Where a flange 13 is provided, the label 16 may extend into or over portions of the flange 13, e.g., on an upper surface of the flange 13. One process that can be employed to form the cup is an in mold labelling technique where the label (e.g., one or more portions of film) is provided in a mold and strut material introduced into the mold, e.g., by injection, rotary molding, thermoforming, etc., so the struts are formed and bonded to the label. The label 16 may bear suitable printing, artwork, graphics, text, etc. before formation of the cup such that after formation of the cup including struts and label, portions of the label bearing the printing, etc. can be viewed at the interior and/or exterior of the cup.

The struts 15 can be configured to extend along portions of the sidewall 12 in different ways. For example, FIG. 1 shows an example in which struts 15a extend generally along the centerline C of the cup 10, e.g., in a vertical direction. In some embodiments, one or more struts 15 may be configured to extend along a direction that is transverse to the centerline C or other axis of the cup 10. For example, at least one strut 15b may extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall 12 at an angle such that an uppermost portion of the at least one strut 15b is offset from a vertical plane that includes the centerline C of the cup and intersects a lowermost portion of the at least one strut. In some cases, at least one of the struts 15 may be configured such that an uppermost portion of the at least one strut 15 is positioned nearer to an adjacent strut than a lowermost portion of the at least one strut 15. For example, an upper end of a strut 15 may be positioned closer to an upper end of an adjacent strut 15 than a lower end of the strut 15 is positioned to a lower end of the adjacent strut 15. This type of arrangement may permit the struts 15 to form a truss-type structure at the sidewall 12 which can improve the ability of the sidewall 12 to resist crushing forces while employing less mass for the struts 15. In some cases, struts 15 may define a window having at least a partial triangular or trapezoidal shape, e.g., as can be seen in FIG. 1 with respect to struts 15a and 15b. In some cases, at least two of the struts 15 may extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall 12 and intersect with each other at upper or lower ends of the two struts 15. In FIG. 1, a strut 15b intersects at an upper end with a first adjacent strut 15a and at a lower end with a second adjacent strut 15a. Thus, each of a plurality of struts 15 may have a top end connected to the top end of a first adjacent strut and a bottom end connected to the bottom end of a second adjacent strut.

The configuration of struts 15 in FIGs. 1 and 2 is only one illustrative embodiment, and other strut arrangements are possible. For example, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which struts 15 extend from a bottom of the sidewall 12, e.g., from a bottom ring 17, to a top of the sidewall 12, e.g., to a top ring 14 of a cup 10. At least one strut 15 has a top end at the top ring 14 and a bottom end at the bottom ring 17, and the top end of the strut may be connected to a top end of a first adjacent strut (e.g., on a left side) and connected at a bottom end to a bottom end of a second adjacent strut (e.g., on a right side). In some arrangements, the struts 15 may form triangular or trapezoidal windows at the sidewall 12 that are covered by portions of the label 16, and triangular or trapezoidal windows may be formed whether one or more struts are attached to other struts at the top and/or bottom rings 14, 17. Struts in a configuration like that in FIG. 3 may form a truss-type structure between the top and bottom ends of the cup 10, e.g., to provide suitable strength for the cup to resist longitudinal forces while using minimal material to form the struts. In some arrangements, struts 15 may not intersect with each other at top and/or bottom ends of the struts. Instead, the struts 15 may intersect only with the top or bottom ring 14, 17 or other portions at top and/or bottom portions of the sidewall 12. In such a case, the adjacent struts 15 may form trapezoidal windows across which the label 16 may extend.

While struts 15 may extend entirely from a bottom to a top of the cup side wall 12, struts 15 that extend between the top and bottom of the sidewall need not necessarily reach the top and/or bottom of the sidewall. For example, FIG. 4 shows another illustrative embodiment in which struts 15 extend along at least a portion of the cup sidewall 12 between the top and bottom of the sidewall 12. In some embodiments, the sidewall may include one or more bands 19 between the bottom and the top of the sidewall 12, e.g., between top and bottom rings 14, 17. For example, the band 19 may be parallel to the top and/or bottom ring 14, 17 or otherwise spaced from the rings 14, 17. Struts 15 may extend from the bottom ring 17 to the band 19 and struts 15 may extend from the top ring 14 to the band 19. Struts extending between the top and bottom rings 14, 17 and the band 19 may be arranged in any suitable way, e.g., defining triangular and/or trapezoidal windows as shown, or rectangular or any other suitably shaped windows that are covered by the label 16. Thus, struts 15 may extend in a direction perpendicular to or at any other suitable angle relative to the top and/or bottom rings 14, 17 and/or the band 19. As with other embodiments, a single piece of label 16 may be employed to form the cup 10, or multiple pieces of label 16 may be employed, e.g., a piece for the bottom 11 and another piece for the sidewall 12. Although FIGs. 1-4 show embodiments of a cup 10 that includes top and/or bottom rings 14, 17, such rings need not be provided at the bottom and/or top. For example, in FIG. 4, no top ring 14 is provided, but rather only a flange 13 (which may function as a top ring 14). The flange 13 may be formed by a portion of the label 16 and/or material used to form the struts 15.

As noted above, a cartridge 1 may include a filter and/or beverage material, and may be provided in any suitable way. FIG. 5 shows one embodiment in which a filter 3 is located in the interior space 18 of the cup 10 and is attached to the sidewall 12 of the cup 10. A beverage material 2 is also provided in the interior space 18 and may be arranged to mix with liquid introduced into the cartridge to form a beverage. In some cases, the filter 3 may be attached to the label 16 and/or the struts 15, such as where the label 16 and struts 15 define an inner surface of the sidewall. For example, the filter 3 may be heat welded or otherwise attached to the label 16 and/or struts 15. In some cases, the filter 3 may have a direct attachment to the label 16 only, such as where the label 16 defines the inner surface of the sidewall 12. In some embodiments, the filter may have a filter sidewall and a filter bottom, and the filter bottom may be positioned above the bottom of the cup, as shown in FIG. 5. Note, however, that the filter 3 need not be attached to the cup 10, but may be provide loose in the interior space 18 and/or attached to the lid 4, e.g., so the filter depends from the lid 4. In some cases, the filter may be compostable or otherwise recyclable. A lid 4 may be removable from the cup 10 to open the interior space 18 and allow the beverage material 2 to be removed from the interior space without the filter 3. For example, the lid may be made peelable from the cup flange 13 by hand and without damaging the lid and cup so that spent coffee grounds or other used beverage material can be removed from the cartridge 1. Thereafter, the cup 10 and/or lid 4 may be composted or otherwise recycled. To aid in peeling of the lid from the cup, the lid may include a tab or other portion that extends from the cup flange or sidewall and allows a user to grasp the lid separately from the cup and pull the lid from the cup.

The filter 3 may be arranged in a variety of different ways, e.g., to separate first and second chambers or portions of the interior space 18 from each other, at least in a flow-wise sense. That is, the filter 3 may be arranged so that liquid in a first chamber must pass through the filter 3 to enter a second chamber, e.g., to exit the cartridge. In some embodiments, a first chamber is located above the filter 3 and a second chamber is located below the filter 3 so that liquid introduced at a top of the cartridge 1 enters the first chamber, and flows downwardly through the filter 3 to the second chamber. It should be understood, however, that other additional chambers in the interior space 18 and/or sub-portions or areas of the first and second chambers, may be provided in other embodiments. For example, it is possible for the cartridge 1 to have three spaces that are separated by two filters, walls or other structures (e.g., a first perforated wall may separate two portions of a first chamber and a second filter may separate the first and second chambers), and so on. In another embodiment, the first or second chamber may be separated into two portions by a venturi or other feature that introduces air into a beverage. Thus, the first and/or second chambers (or additional chambers) may be divided or otherwise separated into two or more portions or areas by filters, walls, dividers, passageways, and other features.

In some embodiments, the filter 3 may have a substantially frustoconical shape with fluted or pleated sidewall and a generally flat bottom. However, the filter 3 may have any suitable shape, such as a cylindrical shape, a square cup shape, a domed shape, a flat sheet, or other. The filter 3 may be the attached to portions of the cartridge 1 in any suitable way, such as by an adhesive, thermal welding, ultrasonic welding, chemical bonding, crimping or other mechanical bonding, etc. In some embodiments, the filter 3 may include a permeable filter paper made of a combination of polypropylene and/or cellulose materials, though other polymer, metal or other materials can be used.

In some embodiments, the filter 3 is attached to the sidewall 12, e.g., by heat welding. For example, the filter 3 may have a cup-shape with an upper portion of the filter sidewall welded to the sidewall 12 of the cup at a location below the flange 13. In some arrangements, the filter 3 may be attached to the flange 13 or in other locations. Attachment of the filter 3 may be made using a removable, or peelable, bond, or an unremovable bond such that damage to the filter 3 and/or cup 12 or lid 4 would occur upon separating or attempting to separate the two at the attachment. The filter 3 may function to remove materials over a certain size from a liquid, e.g., may remove coffee grounds from liquid in a first chamber, allowing a coffee beverage to pass through the filter 3 to the second chamber. For example, the filter may include a piece of filter paper that is arranged to allow a liquid and dissolved and/or suspended materials of a certain size to pass, yet prevent relatively large particles from flowing through the filter. Of course, the filter 3 may have multiple stages, e.g., a coarse filter portion that filters out relatively large particles, followed by a fine filter portion that filters relatively smaller particles, and so on. In addition, the filter 3 may include one or more portions that function to filter liquid passing through the filter 3, as well as portions that are impermeable or otherwise restrict flow. Thus, the filter 3 may include two or more separate components, if desired. For example, the filter 3 may include a rigid, impermeable plastic sleeve that is attached to the cup sidewall 12 and a porous filter paper may be attached to the sleeve, e.g., at a bottom of the sleeve. Thus, not all portions of the filter need be permeable to liquids. The filter 3 may also have areas with different permeability, e.g., to help direct flow toward one or more areas of the filter 3. For example, upper regions of the filter 3 may have a relatively lower permeability as compared to lower regions. This may help encourage flow through the beverage material 2 toward lower regions of the filter 3, potentially improving the dissolution of materials into the liquid.

The filter 3 may also, or alternately, function to help prevent the movement of beverage materials from a second chamber to a first chamber. For example, the cartridge 1 may include a beverage material 2 in a second chamber below the filter 3 and no beverage material 2 in the first chamber above the filter 3. In this case, the filter 3 may help prevent contact of the beverage material 2 with a needle or other liquid inlet that pierces the cartridge 1 introduce water or other liquid into a top of the cartridge 1. For example, some beverage media 2, such as powdered drink mixes, can clog or otherwise foul an inlet needle if allowed to contact the needle. The filter 3 may help prevent such contact, helping to maintain proper operation of the cartridge and preparation of a beverage. In other embodiments, a filter may be positioned at the bottom of the cup, i.e., lying directly on top of the bottom of the cup. Such a filter may be resistant to puncture by an outlet needle that pierces the bottom of the cup and liner, e.g., the filter may be contacted by the needle and move inwardly with the needle, away from the bottom of the liner, and without being pierced. In other arrangements, a filter guard may be provided between the filter and liner that helps resist damage to the filter by a piercing element. Of course, in yet other embodiments, no filter may be provided at all in the cartridge.

In some embodiments, the interior space 18 of the cup 10 is closed by a lid or cover 4 that is attached to the flange 13 of the cup. The bond between the lid 4 and the flange 13 may be formed in any suitable way, such as by welding, adhesive, etc., and may be peelable or not peelable, i.e., an unpeelable bond may prevent the separation of the lid 4 from the cup without damage to either the lid or cup. The flange 13 may be defined, at least in part, by the label 16, e.g., such that the lid 4 is attached to the label 16. For example, FIG. 5 shows an arrangement in which a portion of the label 16 extends over a top surface of the flange 13 and the lid 4 is attached directly to a portion of the label 16. As noted above, the filter 3 may be attached in a variety of ways in the cartridge 1. In some embodiments, the filter 3may be attached to the lid 4 like that described in U.S. Patent application publication 2012/0058226 and/or U.S. Patent 6,607,762. For example, the filter 3 may be attached to the lid 4 only, and be unattached to any other portion of the cartridge 1. Alternately, the filter 3 may be attached to the flange 13 of the cup 10 and lid 4, e.g., so the filter 3 is sandwiched between the lid 4 and flange 13. In some cases, the lid 4 and filter 3 may be removable together separate from the cup 10, e.g., by peeling the lid 4 from the cup. Alternately, the lid 4 and filter 3 may be removable together separate from the cup 10.

The lid 4 may provide a barrier to moisture and/or gases, such as oxygen. For example, the lid 40 may be made of a polymer laminate, e.g., formed from a sheet including a layer of polystyrene or polypropylene and a layer of EVOH and/or other barrier material, or may be made of a laminate of a metallic foil and a polymer, or may be made of a metal only such as aluminum. Such an arrangement may provide suitable protection for the beverage material 2, if provided, e.g., from unwanted exposure from moisture, oxygen and/or other materials. It should be understood, however, that the lid 4 may be made of other materials or combinations of materials, such as biopolymers, compostable polymers, paper, foils, etc. The lid 4 may be made relatively thin, e.g., at the bond between the lid 4 and the flange 13 as well as at other locations. For example, the lid 4 may be made of a flexible sheet of material and have a thickness of 0.005 to 0.02 inches. Thus, the lid 4 may be relatively flimsy or structurally weak and provide little or no structural strength for the cartridge 1.

When using the cartridge 1 to form a beverage, the lid 4 and/or the cup 1 may be pierced to introduce liquid into the cartridge and receive beverage from the cartridge. (As used herein, “beverage” refers to a liquid substance intended for drinking that is formed when a liquid interacts with a beverage material. Thus, beverage refers to a liquid that is ready for consumption, e.g., is dispensed into a cup and ready for drinking, as well as a liquid that will undergo other processes or treatments, such as filtering or the addition of flavorings, creamer, sweeteners, another beverage, etc., before being consumed.) To introduce liquid into the cartridge, a portion of the lid 4 may be pierced by an inlet piercing element (e.g., a needle) so that water or other liquid may be injected into the cartridge 1. Other inlet piercing arrangements are possible, such as multiple needles, a shower head, a non-hollow needle, a cone, a pyramid, a knife, a blade, etc. A beverage machine that uses the cartridge may include multiple piercing elements of the same type or of different types, as the invention is not limited in this respect. In another arrangement, a beverage machine may include a piercing element (such as a spike) that forms an opening and thereafter a second inlet element (such as a tube) may pass through the formed hole to introduce liquid into (or conduct liquid out of) the container. In other embodiments, the lid 4 may be pierced, or otherwise effectively opened for flow, by introducing pressure at an exterior of the lid 4. For example, a water inlet may be pressed and sealed to the lid 4 exterior and water pressure introduced at the site. The water pressure may cause the lid 4 to be pierced or otherwise opened to allow flow into the cartridge 1. In some arrangements, the lid 4 may include a valve, conduit, port or other structure that opens when exposed to a suitable pressure and/or when mated with a water inlet tube or other structure.

The cartridge 1 may also be penetrated by an outlet piercing element 5 (e.g., a needle) at the bottom 11 of the cup 10, or in some embodiments at a second portion of the lid 4 apart from the inlet opening in a way like that shown in Fig. 3 of U.S. Patent application publication 2012/0058226. As with the inlet piercing arrangement, the outlet piercing arrangement may be arranged in any suitable way, e.g., an inlet may be formed at a bottom of the cup 10, at a sidewall 12, etc., and an outlet may be formed at a sidewall, at the lid 4, or other locations. Like the inlet piercing element, the outlet piercing element 5 may include one or more hollow or solid needles, knives, blades, tubes, and so on. Alternately, the cartridge 1 may include a valve, septum or other element that opens to permit beverage to exit when liquid is introduced into the cartridge, but otherwise remains closed (e.g., to protect the beverage material from external conditions such as oxygen, moisture or others). In such a case, no piercing element for forming the outlet opening is necessarily required although may be used, e.g., to allow the valve or other element to open. Also, in some embodiments the piercing element 5 remains in place to receive beverage as it exits the opening formed in the interior space 18. However, in other embodiments, the piercing element 5 may withdraw after forming an opening, allowing beverage to exit the opening and be received without the piercing element 5 being extended into the cartridge 1.

As also described in U.S. Patent application publication 2012/0058226, the cartridge may include an element, e.g., a flow distributor, that helps to distribute liquid that is introduced into the cartridge to the beverage material and/or that helps resist contact of a fluid inlet with the beverage material. In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIGs. 1-3 of U.S. 2012/0058226, the cartridge includes a flow distributor that is positioned between the inlet and the beverage material. The flow distributor may be formed of a permeable material, such as a filter paper, that is attached to the lid 4 at a location where an inlet opening is formed. Thus, the flow distributor can help prevent the streaming of incoming liquid in a single direction (or two or more specific directions) that might cause the liquid to “tunnel” through the beverage material 2. Such “tunneling” can cause a short circuit where liquid does not sufficiently interact with the beverage material 2, resulting in an unacceptably weak product. The flow distributor may take other forms, however, such as a perforated disc placed on the beverage material 2, a piece of filter paper placed on the beverage material 2, a perforated sheet attached to the liner sidewall above the beverage material 2, and others. Thus, the flow distributor need not be attached to the lid 4 or the filter 3, but instead may be simply placed in the first chamber with the beverage material 2. In addition, or alternately, the inlet needle or other fluid inlet may be arranged to help distribute water or other liquid, e.g., by directing multiple streams in several different directions across the beverage material, and so on. The flow distributor may be arranged to be contacted by the inlet needle, or to avoid contact with the needle. If the flow distributor contacts the needle, it may include materials that are sufficiently tough and/or sufficiently rigid to reduce damage to the flow distributor by the inlet needle. Non-limiting examples of such a material include: a material that is flexible, but tough; a material that is rigid, but brittle; a material that is stretchable or resilient, but tear resistant; a material that is tough and rigid, etc.

The cartridge 1 may be used with a suitable beverage machine, such as any one that is capable of introducing chilled, carbonated and/or heated water into the cartridge and receiving a formed beverage from the cartridge. In one aspect of the invention, a cartridge may be used to form a beverage while the cartridge is positioned with the lid 4 above the cup 10. However, the cartridge 1 could be used with the lid 4 (or a portion of the lid) lying in a vertical plane, or at other angles to the horizontal, including orientations in which the cup 10 is positioned above the lid 4.

Although FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which beverage material 2 is located only in a first chamber of the interior space 18 above a filter 3, beverage material (either the same or different as that in the first chamber) may be provided in a second chamber below the filter 3 or other portions of the cartridge. For example, a cartridge may include roast and ground coffee in a first chamber, and a creamer and sweetener in the second chamber, enabling the cartridge to form a cappuccino- or latte-like beverage. In another embodiment, the first chamber may include coffee grounds and the second chamber may include a hot chocolate material, allowing the cartridge to form a mocha-type beverage. Other combinations will occur to those of skill in the art, such as leaf tea in the first chamber and a dried fruit material in the second chamber, a dried fruit material in the first chamber and creamer/sweetener in the second chamber, and so on. In some embodiments, another filter may be provided, e.g., to separate beverage media in the second chamber from the fluid outlet.

Another aspect of the invention includes a method of manufacturing a cartridge. In step (a), a cup 10 is provided having a bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom to a top. The sidewall and bottom may define an interior space and may be formed, at least in part, of cellulose fiber and/or other compostable or otherwise recyclable material. For example, the cup may be formed in part from recycled corrugated cardboard fibers. The cup may be formed by molding (e.g., using injection molding, thermoforming, rotary molding, etc.) a material used to form the struts, rims, flange or other parts of the cup with a label that covers windows defined by the struts. The struts may be configured in any of the ways discussed herein. In some cases, portions of the cup may be formed by molding any suitable polymer or other material. For example, a label that has one or more parts may be provided to a mold and a material used to form the struts introduced into the mold by injection, etc. The struts and other cup portions may be formed and bonded to the label so the label covers windows defined by the struts. The struts may have a thickness, e.g., in a radial direction, that is greater than a thickness of the label, and the struts may include an elongated structure, e.g., a strut may have a length along the cup sidewall that is greater than a thickness in a radial direction and width of the strut in an arcuate direction. The label may form all or part of the bottom of the cup and may be pierceable. Material used to form struts may form all or part of the bottom of the cup and may be piercable. The cup may or may not include a rim or flange at a top of the sidewall that extends radially outwardly from the sidewall.

In step (b), an optional filter 3 may be provided in the interior space of the cup 10. While a filter 3 is not required, the filter 3 may be attached to the cup 10, such as by welding, adhesive, etc. to the filter to the sidewall at a location below the flange 13. Alternately, the filter 3 may be attached to a lid 4 that is attached to the cup, e.g., a portion of the filter 3 may be sandwiched between the flange 13 and the lid 4, or the filter 3 may be attached to the lid 4 alone and not be directly attached to the cup. The filter 3 may take a variety of forms as discussed above, and in this embodiment has a cup shape with a fluted sidewall and flat bottom. The filter 3 may be positioned in the interior space so that a bottom or other portion of the filter 3 is located to avoid contact with any inlet or outlet piercing element that penetrates the cartridge to form a beverage. Alternately, the filter may make contact with a piercing element, e.g., may take the form of a sponge-like disc that is dropped into the bottom of the cup.

In step (c), a beverage material 2 is provided in the interior space, and a lid 4 is attached to the cup 10 to seal the interior space 18 closed. In some embodiments, the beverage material 2 is provided into a space defined by the filter 3, but may be provided in the interior space 18 below the filter 3, or may be provided alone without any filter 3. The lid 4 may be attached to the flange 13 of the cup 10 to close the interior space so that the lid and cup together render the interior space impervious or impermeable to moisture and gases. In some cases, the lid 4 may be attached to a portion of the label 16, e.g., at the flange 13. This may be particularly useful where struts 15 of the cup 10 provide little or no barrier to moisture or gases, which is instead provided by the label.

It should be understood that steps in the method outlined above may be performed in any suitable order. For example, in some embodiments, the beverage material 2 may be provided in a space defined by the filter 3 before the filter 3 is attached to the lid 4, and then the lid 4, filter 3 and beverage material 2 may be assembled to the cup 10. In some embodiments, the beverage material may be provided into a space defined by the filter after the filter is attached to the lid. For example, the lid may be attached to the lid and the beverage material provided into a space defined by the filter through an opening in the lid. Thereafter, the opening in the lid may be closed.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A beverage cartridge, comprising: a cup having a bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom to a top, the sidewall and bottom defining an interior space, the sidewall being formed by struts molded with a label to define windows between the struts that are covered by the label, the bottom of the cup being pierceable by a beverage machine to form an outlet, the label being impervious to moisture and gases, wherein at least one strut extends between the bottom and the top of the sidewall at an angle such that an uppermost portion of the at least one strut is offset from a vertical plane that includes a centerline of the cup and intersects a lowermost portion of the at least one strut; and a lid attached to the sidewall and closing the interior space, the lid being impervious to moisture and gases and attached to the cup so as to render the interior space impervious to moisture and gases.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein at least two struts extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall at respective angles such that an uppermost portion of each strut is offset from a respective vertical plane that passes through a centerline of the cup and intersects a lowermost portion of the respective strut.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein the at least two struts define a window having at least a partial triangular or trapezoidal shape.

4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein two of the struts extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall and intersect with each other at upper or lower ends of the two struts.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein the two struts define a window having at least a partial triangular or trapezoidal shape.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the struts extend from the bottom to the top of the sidewall.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of struts has a top end at the top of the sidewall and a bottom end at the bottom of the sidewall, the top end of each of the plurality of struts being connected to the top end of a first adjacent strut and the bottom end of each of the plurality of struts being connected to the bottom end of a second adjacent strut.

8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein the plurality of struts form triangular windows at the sidewall.

9. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein the struts form trapezoidal windows at the sidewall.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the sidewall includes a band between the bottom and the top of the sidewall, and wherein first struts extend from the bottom to the band and second struts extend from the top to the band.

11. The cartridge of claim 10, wherein the first struts form trapezoidal or triangular windows and the second struts form trapezoidal or triangular windows.

12. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the uppermost portion of the at least one strut is positioned nearer an adjacent strut than the lowermost portion of the at least one strut.

13. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cup further includes a cup flange extending outwardly from the top of the cup sidewall, and wherein the lid is attached to the cup flange.

14. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the label extends across at least a portion of the bottom of the cup and is pierceable by an outlet needle of a beverage machine to form the outlet.

15. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the cup is formed entirely by the label.

16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cup includes a bottom ring at the bottom of the sidewall and a top ring at a top of the sidewall, and the struts extend at least partially between the top and bottom rings.

17. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a filter located in the interior space and attached to the sidewall of the cup; and a beverage material in the interior space and arranged to mix with liquid introduced into the cartridge to form a beverage.

18. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the label is less than a minimum thickness of the struts.

19. The cartridge of claim 18, wherein the thickness of the label is at least 10 times less than the minimum thickness of the struts.

20. A beverage cartridge, comprising: a cup having a bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom to a top, the sidewall and bottom defining an interior space, the sidewall being formed by struts molded with a label to define windows between the struts that are covered by the label, the label extending across the bottom of the cup and being pierceable by an outlet needle of a beverage machine to form an outlet, the label being impervious to moisture and gases, wherein struts extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall and at least one of the struts is configured such that an uppermost portion of the at least one strut is positioned nearer to an adjacent strut than a lowermost portion of the at least one strut; and a lid attached to the sidewall and closing the interior space, the lid being impervious to moisture and gases and attached to the cup so as to render the interior space impervious to moisture and gases.

21. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the cup includes a bottom ring at the bottom of the sidewall and a top ring at a top of the sidewall, and the struts extend at least partially between the top and bottom rings.

22. The cartridge of claim 21, wherein the struts extend from the bottom ring to the top ring.

23. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the at least one strut has a top end and a bottom end, the top end of the at least one strut being connected to a top end of a first adjacent strut and the bottom end being connected to a bottom end of a second adjacent strut.

24. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the struts form triangular or trapezoidal windows at the sidewall.

25. The cartridge of claim 22, wherein two of the struts extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall and intersect with each other at upper or lower ends of the two struts.

26. The cartridge of claim 25, wherein the two struts define a window having at least a partial triangular or trapezoidal shape.

27. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein a plurality of the struts extend from the bottom to the top of the sidewall.

28. The cartridge of claim 27, wherein each of the plurality of struts has a top end at the top of the sidewall and a bottom end at the bottom of the sidewall, the top end of each of the plurality of struts being connected to the top end of a first adjacent strut and the bottom end of each of the plurality of struts being connected to the bottom end of a second adjacent strut.

29. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the sidewall includes a band between the bottom and the top of the sidewall, and wherein first struts extend from the bottom to the band and second struts extend from the top to the band.

30. The cartridge of claim 29, wherein the first struts form trapezoidal or triangular windows and the second struts form trapezoidal or triangular windows.

31. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the label extends across at least a portion of the bottom of the cup and is pierceable by an outlet needle of a beverage machine to form the outlet.

32. The cartridge of claim 31, wherein the bottom of the cup is formed entirely by the label.

33. A method of forming a beverage cartridge, comprising: forming a cup having a bottom and a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom to a top define an interior space by molding struts with a label to define windows between the struts that are covered by the label, the label extending across the bottom of the cup and being pierceable by an outlet needle of a beverage machine to form an outlet, the label being impervious to moisture and gases, wherein struts extend between the bottom and the top of the sidewall and at least one of the struts is configured such that an uppermost portion of the at least one strut is positioned nearer to an adjacent strut than a lowermost portion of the at least one strut; providing a beverage material in the interior space, the beverage material being arranged to mix with liquid introduced into the cartridge to form a beverage; and attaching a lid to the sidewall and closing the interior space, the lid being impervious to moisture and gases and attached to the cup so as to render the interior space impervious to moisture and gases.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein forming the cup includes molding a bottom ring at the bottom of the sidewall and a top ring at a top of the sidewall with the struts and the label such that the struts extend at least partially between the top and bottom rings.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the struts extend from the bottom ring to the top ring.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein at least one strut has a top end at the top ring and a bottom end at the bottom ring, the top end of the at least one strut being connected to a top end of a first adjacent strut and connected at a bottom end to a bottom end of a second adjacent strut.