WO1999005045A1

WO1999005045A1 - Beverage-producing packages

Info

Publication number: WO1999005045A1
Application number: PCT/GB1998/002262
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kevin Christopher Pope
Original assignee: Mars U.K. Limited
Priority date: 1997-07-28
Filing date: 1998-07-28
Publication date: 1999-02-04
Also published as: GB9715920D0

Abstract

A beverage-producing sachet (2) containing, for example, chocolate powder consists of two laminates (4, 6) bonded together at their edges (8) and having a base seam area (10). At the latter, each laminate includes an outer portion (12), a downwardly-pointing fold (14), an intermediate portion (16), an upwardly-pointing fold (18), an inner portion (20) terminating in a downwardly-pointing edge (22). The inner portions (22) are bonded together, in a central region with a pressure-sensitive adhesive (24). Upon introduction of pressurised hot water into the sachet through a nozzle (26), the base seam area (10) everts and the inner portions (20) peel apart to provide an opening to release a hot chocolate drink. The geometry of the base seam area (10) provides a more predictable opening for the sachet.

Description

BEVERAGE-PRODUCING PACKAGES The present invention relates to beverage dispensing and in particular to packages which provide, from a dispensing machine, a beverage when mixed with water provided from the machine. Prior art beverage dispensing systems which utilise packages of beverage- producing material used in association with a complementary hot water providing machine are well know. In one variation of such known systems, the machine includes a reservoir of hot water communicating with a water injector in the form of a hollow needle. The beverage-producing packages consist of generally planar sachets. The user inserts such a sachet into the machine, and the injector of the latter pierces a plastics nozzle carried in the top seam of the sachet. Hot water under pressure is introduced into the sachet. The beverage is dispensed through the bottom of the sachet. The base seam of the latter is secured by a pressure-sensitive adhesive and is forced open under the pressure of fluid in the sachet. The beverage itself is formed by the hot water mixing with the beverage- producing material held in the sachet. Such a system has been commercially marketed by us under the Registered Trade Mark "Flavia". The sachets are described, for example, in EP-B-0179641 and the machines in GB-B-2122881.

With ground coffee or leaf tea a sheet of filter material is held within the sachet to support such coffee or tea. When the bottom of the sachet opens due to the pressure of hot water, the tea leaves or coffee grains remain in the sachet, supported by the filter material. By arranging the filter material to have an upward fold, this everts as the base seam of the sachet opens. The downward motion upon eversion assists in providing a predictably even and downwardly-directed opening, so that the beverage streams downwardly into the waiting receptacle, such as a cup or mug, and is not directed sideways so as to create a mess.

Problems have arisen with, in some instances, the sachet bottom seam opening too vigorously and explosively. This problem can be alleviated by heating the base seam, e.g. with hot air or steam, when the sachet is being opened: see EP-B-0426478.

The dispensing of beverages such as instant drinks or hot chocolate do not require a filter material in the sachet and have their own problems. Taking hot chocolate as an example, this is simply held in the sachet and is forced out into the receptacle with the hot water. There are three criteria one hopes to achieve: cleanout (where all the chocolate powder is washed out of the sachet), dispersion (where all the powder is successfully dispersed with the hot water in the receptacle), and clean dispensing (all of the powder and liquid dropping cleanly into the receptacle). With the Flavia sachets, one can achieve any two of these three criteria easily, but to achieve all three all of the time is difficult.

The reason for this difficulty is the lack of predictability in the opening of the base seam, particularly in the absence of a filter material - as with hot chocolate. The moment a small section of the base seam opens, chocolate powder is sprayed through the opening with hot water and the pressure within the sachet rapidly falls. Thereafter, the base seam may or may not open to a greater degree and can pucker and twist. This can cause any one of the three above criteria not being achieved.

The present invention is concerned with a solution to this problem.

According to the present invention there is provided a generally-planar sachet as specified in the claims hereinafter.

The invention requires each of the two flexible sheets forming the sachet to be folded in a particular fashion in the base seam region. The sheets are bonded together on the innermost portions with a pressure-sensitive adhesive so as to form, in cross section, the appearance of three V sections joined together. Upon introduction of pressurised water into the sachet, the three N sections evert into one larger, single V section with the base of the V being held together by the pressure-sensitive adhesive. Continuance of pressure causes the latter to peel apart and form an opening for the sachet contents and water to fall into a receptacle therebeneath. The transformation of three joined V sections into one (larger) V section provides extra material in the base seam region and has been found to provide a better predictability and uniformity in the shape of the opening. This enables the three criteria mentioned above to be more regularly and easily achieved.

Although the invention is primarily designed for beverages such as hot chocolate, which does not dictate the need for a filter material in the sachet, the invention contemplates the possibility of its use with sachets containing filter material supporting, say, ground coffee or leaf tea. Preferred features of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sachet according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a cross-section through the base seam area of the sachet of Figure 1, along line A- A; and

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the base seam area of the sachet of Figure 1 along line A-A at the moment the pressure-sensitive seal is about to break.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the sachet 2 is designed to contain chocolate powder so as to provide a hot chocolate beverage. The sachet is generally of the form described in E-B-0179641, but with the filter material omitted. It is formed of two face-to-face laminates 4,6 heat bonded at an edge 8. Typically each laminate has an outer layer of plastics, an intermediate metal foil layer, and an inner plastics layer. The sachet has a base seam area 10 in which each laminate has, in sequence, an outer portion 12 leading to a downwardly-pointing fold 14 leading to an intermediate portion 16 leading to an upwardly-pointing fold 18 leading to an inner portion 20 terminating in a downwardly- pointing edge 22. The inner portions 20 of the two laminates, in a central region are bonded together with a pressure-sensitive adhesive 24. The two outer regions of inner portions 20 are heat bonded together, edge 8. The downwardly-pointing edges 22 extend beyond and below folds 14. In the top edge of the sachet is provided an openable nozzle 26 to receive a hollow needle water injector when a beverage is to be produced.

In operation, the sachet is inserted into a suitable dispensing machine, hot water under pressure is introduced into the sachet, and ultimately the pressurised water causes the base seam area 10 to evert to the position shown in Figure 3. Further increase in pressure ruptures the pressure-sensitive seal 24 and the chocolate powder/hot water mixture drops out of the opening thus made into an appropriate receptacle therebelow. The eversion of the base seam area of the sachet creates a greater amount of material thereat, and with the laminates peeling apart at a larger angle than in the known sachets, this has been shown to provide a greater predictability to the opening cross-section without the twisting and puckering of the known sachets. It is thus easier to achieve reproducibly the three criteria mentioned above.

Claims

Claims:

1. A generally planar sachet having two face-to-face flexible sheets bonded around their edges to define the sachet with an inner volume containing a product which, when mixed with water, produces a beverage, the bonded edge including a base seam region in which each flexible sheet includes an outer portion leading to a downwardly-pointing fold leading to an intermediate portion leading to an upwardly pointing fold leading to an inner portion terminating in a downwardly pointing edge, with the inner portion of each sheet being bonded together with a pressure sensitive adhesive so that, in cross-section, the sheets in the base seam region have the appearance of three V sections joined together, the bonded- together inner portions being adapted to open under pressure when pressurised water is introduced into the sachet and so release the beverage.

2. A sachet according to claim 1 wherein the downwardly-pointing edges of each sheet extend beyond the downwardly-pointing folds of each sheet.

3. A sachet according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each sheet includes a laminate having a plastics outer layer, an intermediate metal foil layer, and a plastics inner layer.

4. A sachet according to any preceding claim including an openable nozzle bonded to the edge of the sachet to enable pressurised water to be introduced into the sachet.