JPH0310902Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention relates to a disposable filter cartridge for use in food extraction and blending equipment, particularly for handling ground coffee and other particulates for making beverages by pouring water (hot or cold) into it. The present invention relates to a disposable cartridge for storing objects.

PRIOR ART A disposable cartridge of this type is shown, for example, in German Patent Specification No. 1196131. Also,
Another plastic cartridge of this type is shown in European Patent No. 41931.

Known cartridges consist of a flat, circular hollow body having solid side walls and perforated end walls. Each perforated end wall has a number of small holes or a lattice-like structure.

One end wall is an inlet end wall, the peripheral portion of which is adapted to sealingly engage the water supply member of the beverage brewing and dispensing device. Water at a constant pressure from the beverage brewing and dispensing device flows into the inlet end wall and enters the cartridge through the inlet end wall.

The other end wall is an outlet end wall and is adapted to engage a discharge member of the beverage brewing and dispensing device. Beverage flowing from the cartridge through its outlet end wall is dispensed through this discharge member.

Known cartridges have the following drawbacks. That is, as water at a constant pressure rapidly enters the cartridge through a number of apertures or holes formed in the inlet end wall, it becomes a jet stream toward the opposite outlet end wall. This jet water flow will form preferential passages within the particulate matter, such as ground coffee. The jet stream will then pass through this preferential passageway to the opposite outlet endwall without contacting the particulate matter present around the passageway. In this case, there is a problem that the taste of the beverage is too bland.

Another drawback of known cartridges is the following. That is, when the beverage flows through the openings or holes in the outlet end wall, the beverage flowing out from many portions of the outlet end wall will not mix well before being discharged, and the quality of the resulting beverage will therefore be affected. The problem is that it is not constant.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a disposable strainer cartridge adapted to contain ground coffee or other particulate matter for pouring water to make a beverage. The cartridge comprises a hollow body constructed of hard plastic having a flat and rounded shape and having imperforate side walls and opposing end walls. One end wall is an inlet end wall for receiving water and has a smooth outer and inner surface. Many dimples are formed close to each other on this inner surface, and the dimples are arranged in a grid pattern.
Each dimple has a frusto-conical shape that flares out from a pinhole formed in a smooth outer surface. The other end wall is an outlet end wall for discharging the beverage and has smooth inner and outer surfaces. Its outer surface has many dimples close to each other, and these dimples are arranged in a grid. Each dimple has a frustoconical shape emanating from a pinhole formed in a smooth inner surface, and the exit end wall is surrounded by an axially projecting annular rim.

According to the cartridge of the present invention, water can flow uniformly into the substance stored in the cartridge, and the quality of the beverage discharged from the cartridge can be made more uniform.

Embodiments Below, embodiments illustrated in the drawings will be described in detail.

This disposable cartridge has a hollow body of 10,
In other words, it includes a container. This hollow body 10 has a generally cylindrical flat circular shape.
Further, the hollow body 10 is adapted to store granular or powdered material or a single serving of coffee, enough to make a drink by pouring hot or cold water as appropriate. However, the hollow body 10 can also be adapted to contain enough material to simultaneously prepare two or more drinks.

The hollow body 10 includes a cup portion 12 and a lid portion 1.
4. Both parts 12, 14 can be inexpensively made from hard plastic suitable for food applications.

The cup portion 12 includes a generally cylindrical non-porous side wall 16. This side wall 16 constitutes a side wall of the hollow body 10. The cup portion 12 also includes an end or bottom wall 18. As shown in FIG. This bottom wall 18 constitutes the outlet end wall of the hollow body 10. Bottom wall 18
is bordered by an axially projecting annular rim 20. The function of this annular rim 20 will be described later.

The lid 14 has a circular end wall 30. This end wall 30 constitutes an entrance end wall of the hollow body 10. The outer surface of the end wall 30 has a surrounding annular flange 32.
bordered by. The annular flange 32 has a raised annular portion or rib 34. The purpose of this rib 34 will be described later. The lid portion 14 also includes a circumferential skirt portion 36 integrally formed therewith. The skirt portion 36 is adapted to fit within the side wall 16 of the cup portion 12 in a snap-action and sealing manner.

The annular flange 32 of the lid portion 14 is connected to the cup portion 12.
It is adapted to rest on an annular flange 38 integrally formed at the upper edge of the side wall 16 of the holder.

Both the inlet end wall 30 and the outlet end wall 18 are reinforced by integrally formed ribs 40,42. Ribs 40 on the inlet end wall 30 are provided on its inner or lower surface. Additionally, ribs 42 of the outlet end wall 18 are provided on its outer or lower surface.

The entrance end wall 30 has a smooth upper or outer surface 44. In the area between the ribs 40, the lower or inner surface of the inlet end wall 30 is provided with a number of dimples 46 formed closely together. This dimple 46 is formed by injection molding. The dimples 46 are arranged in a grid pattern. Each dimple 46 has a smooth outer surface 4
It has a truncated cone shape that widens toward the end from a pinhole 48 formed at 4. Preferably, as shown in the figures, each dimple 46 is shaped like a frustum of a pyramid having a square base, and the pinhole 48 is square. In this way, the lattice is two-dimensionally formed as a net-like lattice.
In this reticulated lattice, no dead space is formed between adjacent dimples 46.

The structure of the outlet end wall 18 is similar to the structure of the inlet end wall 30. Outlet end wall 18 has a smooth upper or inner surface 50. In the area between the ribs 42, the lower or outer surface of the outlet end wall is provided with a number of closely spaced dimples 52, which are formed by injection molding in the same manner as described above. Further, the dimples 52 are arranged in a grid pattern. Each dimple 5
2 is in the form of a truncated cone that spreads out from a pinhole 54 formed in a smooth inner surface 50. Therefore, as shown in the figure, each dimple 52 is preferably shaped like a truncated pyramid having a square base, and the pinhole 54 is preferably square. In this way, also in this case, the lattice shape becomes a two-dimensional reticular lattice, and in this reticulated lattice, no dead space is formed between adjacent dimples 52.

The smooth outer surface 44 of the entrance end wall 30 provides the following advantages. That is, when a cartridge is packed in the form of a blister package under constant suction, the packaging wrapper fits snugly and flatly against it without any damage.

The smooth inner surface 50 of the outlet end wall 18 provides the following advantages.

That is, if the particulate matter is very finely ground, such as coffee, the disc-shaped filter paper 56 is placed on the flat surface 50 in the cartridge so that the coffee particles are trapped in the pinholes 48. It works to prevent it from falling.

When the filter paper 56 is not used and the stored material is coarsely ground, the smooth flat surface 50 will be filled with solid material under constant water pressure, blocking the exit hole. No recesses are formed.

Each dimple 46 formed in the entrance end wall 30
The flared shape has the following advantages. That is,
Water flowing through pinhole 48 is evenly spread over the material within the cartridge. Therefore, the jet water stream does not provide preferential passage for the particulate matter.

Beverage extraction and
The dispensing device has a lower plate or similar member on which the rim 20 of the cartridge rests.

When the cartridge is secured to this lower plate, the rim 20 acts as a gasket to seal around the cartridge.

The lower plate or similar element has a discharge pipe for dispensing the beverage. This discharge tube is centered with respect to the rim 20 when the cartridge is fixed in the beverage brewing and dispensing device.

Between the outlet end wall 18 and this lower plate, a high pressure space is formed between the pinhole 54 and the discharge tube.

The flared shape of the dimples 52 of the outlet end wall 18 has the following advantages. That is, the beverage flowing out of the pinhole 54 toward the high-pressure space is uniformly dispersed, thereby mixing the beverage before it reaches the discharge pipe. Preferred dimensions of dimples 46, 52, pinholes 48, 54, and inlet and outlet end walls 30 and 18 are as follows.

(1) Wall pressure dimension between the apex of the dimple and the smooth surface...T=1.3mm (2) Width dimension of the rectangular pinhole...L=0.4mm (3) Triangular angle of the pyramid-shaped frustum dimple
…α=72゜(4) Bitch dimension of dimple row …P=2.4mm

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line of FIG. , FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the lid portion as seen in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the cup portion as seen in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part of the outlet end wall of the portion indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. 10...Hollow body, 12...Cup part, 14
... Lid portion, 16 ... Non-porous side wall, 18 ... End wall (bottom wall, outlet end wall), 20 ... Rim, 30 ... End wall (inlet end wall), 32 ... Annular flange, 34 ... …
Rib, 36... skirt portion, 38... annular flange, 40... rib, 42... rib, 44... outer surface, 46... dimple, 48... pinhole,
50...inner surface, 52...dimple, 56...filter paper.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] 1. A disposable strainer cartridge for storing ground coffee and other fine particles for making a beverage by pouring water, which has a hollow body 10 made of hard plastic. The hollow body 10 has a flat and rounded shape and includes a non-porous side wall 16 and a pair of opposing end walls 18, 30, one end wall having an inlet end for receiving water. The wall has a smooth outer surface 44 and an inner surface, and the inner surface has a number of dimples 4 close to each other.
6 are formed, and the dimples 46 are arranged in a grid pattern, each dimple 46 having a truncated conical shape that flares out from a pinhole 48 formed in the smooth outer surface, and the other end wall is formed with an outlet end wall 18 for discharging the fluid having a smooth inner surface 50 and an outer surface having a number of dimples 52 in close proximity to each other;
These dimples 52 are arranged in a grid pattern,
Each dimple 52 has a frusto-conical shape that flares out from a pinhole 54 formed in a smooth inner surface 50, and the exit end wall 18 is surrounded by an axially projecting annular rim 20. Disposable strainer cartridge. 2. The dimple according to item 1, wherein each of the dimples 46, 52 has a truncated pyramid shape having a square base, and the lattice shape is a two-dimensionally expanded reticular lattice shape. Disposable waste cartridge.