WO2015140670A1

WO2015140670A1 - Series of prepackaged charges for edible products

Info

Publication number: WO2015140670A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/051756
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro Doria
Original assignee: Espressocap S.P.A.
Priority date: 2014-03-19
Filing date: 2015-03-11
Publication date: 2015-09-24

Abstract

Set of pre-packaged charges containing a powdery edible product to be brewed or dissolved, said pre-packaged charges each comprising a container body (1, 2) which is open at one end (101, 102) and provided with continuous side walls (201, 202) and a bottom wall (301, 302), said charges being formed in such a way as to be introduced into a common brewing chamber of a beverage making machine, said series of charges comprising at least one first charge having an internal volume of the body container (1) substantially corresponding to the maximum allowable volume for the given brewing chamber, and at least one second charge having an internal volume of its container body (2) which is considerably smaller than that of said first charge, said first and second charges having identical external dimensions, wherein the lateral walls (201, 202) of said container body (1, 2) of said first and said second charges have a polylobate curve-shaped cross-section, the lobes (211) of the side walls (201) of the container body (1) of said first charge being larger than the lobes (212) of the side walls (202) of the container body (2) of said second charge.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Series of prepackaged charges for edible products FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the pre-packaged charges of edible products in powder form, and in particular relates to prepackaged charges intended for use in machines for the preparation of beverages, such as coffee, cappuccino, chocolate, tea, or the like; even more particularly, the present invention relates to a series of prepackaged charges for machines for preparing beverages. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At the state of the art are known several solutions relating to the prepackaged charges used in machines for the preparation of beverages; However there is a particular problem that up to now is only recognized by the same applicant, in the document WO2012123003, in which is described a series of prepackaged charges for coffee powder in which the prepackaged charges each comprise a container body open at one end, and provided with a bottom wall, the said charges being formed to be introduced in the same infusion chamber of a machine for the preparation of beverages; the said series of charges comprises at least a first charge having an internal volume of its container body substantially corresponding to the maximum allowable volume for the given infusion chamber, and at least a second charge having an internal volume of its container body which is considerably lower than that of said first charge, said first and second charge having the same overall dimensions. In the embodiment illustrated in the document cited above, the lower internal volume of the second series of prepackaged charges is compensated by using the radial fins protruding from the container body that mimic the structure of the charge having the maximum size of the container body. However this type of embodiment is not suitable for all types of materials used for the construction of containers intended for the production of charges prepackaged, and related operation processes. A charge of the type illustrated and described in the cited document does not fit for example to a process of realization by thermoforming and is thus cannot be manufactured with the materials that are used in these processes, which further in many cases ensure airtightness, with obvious positive effects on the ability to preserve the product intended to be content therein.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a series of prepackaged charges for use in machines for the preparation of beverages, which solves the above problems while offering the same possibilities of utilization.

Object of the present invention is therefore a series of charges of prepackaged edible product in powder, for infusion or dissolution, the said prepackaged charges each comprising a container body open at one end, and provided with a bottom wall, the said charges being formed to be introduced in the same infusion chamber of a machine for the preparation of beverages, the said series of charges comprising at least a first charge having an internal volume of the container body substantially corresponding to the maximum allowable for the given infusion chamber, and at least a second charge having an internal volume of its container body which is considerably lower than that of said first charge, said first and second charge having the same overall dimensions, wherein said first and said second charge have the container body formed with polylobate cross section curve, the lobes of the cross section of said first charge being broader than the lobes of the cross section of said second charge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further advantages and features of the charge pre-packaged according to the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, taken, by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the container body of a first charge of the series of prepackaged charges according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the container body shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the container body of a second charge of the series of prepackaged charges according to the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the container body shown in Figure 3. DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In Figure 1 , the numeral 1 denotes a container body of a first prepackaged charge of the series according to the present invention. The container body 1 comprises an open end 101 provided with a projecting radial flange 1 1 1 , the side walls 201 and a continuous bottom wall 301 . The side walls are formed with the cross section shaped as a polylobate curve, and in particular the lobes 21 1 are formed according to a rosette conchoid, in the illustrated embodiment the said curve comprising six lobes 21 1 equal to each other. The side walls 201 are also tapered from the open end 101 to the bottom wall 301 .

Figure 2 further clarifies the structure of the container body 1 ; to same parts correspond same numbers; it should be noted as the top 221 of the lobes 21 1 is substantially tangent to the edge of the open end 101 , while the base 231 of said lobes 21 1 is placed on a circumference of radius slightly less than the above mentioned edge.

In Figure 3 is shown the container body, designated with 2, of a second charge of the series according to the present invention. The container body 2 is provided with continuous side walls 202, 102 of an open end, provided with the projecting radial flange 1 12 and a bottom wall 302. The side walls 202 are formed in the lobes 212, in a similar way to the side walls 201 of the container body 1 described above. The lobes 212 of the rosette conchoid section of the container body 2 are of lower amplitude than the lobes 21 1 of the container body 1 .

From Figure 4 it is evident that, while the top 222 of the lobes 212 are also substantially tangent to the edge of the open end 102, the bases 232 of the lobes 212 are at a distance D from the edge of the end 102 much greater than that d highlighted in Figure 3 for the lobes 21 1 of the container body 1 . Accordingly, even if the internal volume of the container body 2 will be considerably lower than that of the container body 1 , the two bodies containers will continue, by virtue of placing almost analogous of the top 221 , 222 of the respective lobes 21 1 , 212, to maintain the same overall dimensions. The operation of the series of prepackaged charges according to the present invention will be apparent from the following. As has already been said in the analysis of the state of the art, the solution proposed in the prior document mentioned above enables to realize charges with different internal volume of the container body and with the same overall dimensions, so as to enable users to the use of different products for the preparation in different ways, in the case described the espresso coffee and the American "regular coffee", using the same coffee machine, and then inserting in the same infusion chamber the two types of charges indifferently. However, the realization of elements projecting relative to the side wall of the container body, in the form of fins, protrusions or the like, strongly influences the type of manufacturing technology, which will generally be by injection molding, which leads to the creation of containers equipped with a consistent thickness, resulting in an average weight of prepackaged charges of both series rather high; on the other hand, the use of the techniques of injection molding precludes the use of at least directly, multilayer materials able to ensure a high reduction of the permeability of the container with them typically formed by the coupling between LDPE, PS or PVC with EVOH. These couplings are used when the container is made by thermoforming; Moreover, the thermoforming allows to work with very low thicknesses definitely, that make the container thus made lighter and more easily manipulated, and therefore allow for substantial savings both from the point of view of energy and of the amount of material used. Since the thermoforming technique is not suitable for making structures of the type shown in the aforementioned prior document, the research that led to the present invention is directed to forms of the container body which could easily be applied to the techniques of thermoforming and which are attaining at the same time the same results compared to the state of the art.

As can be seen easily from Figures 2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, the top of the lobes 21 1 and 212 formed on the side walls 201 , 202 of the container bodies 1 and 2 is in both cases substantially tangent to the edge of the open end respective 101 , 102 . Then, the overall dimensions of the container bodies 1 and 2 are substantially the same, and thus their housing inside the infusion chamber intended to accommodate both the charges of the series according to the invention shows no differentiation both from the point of view of the functional effectiveness and efficiency of the machine in the production of the drink selected by the user. On the other hand, the considerable displacement of the base 232 of the lobes 212, for a distance D greater than the distance d from the base 231 of the lobes 21 1 from the edge of the respective open end, causes a significant reduction of the internal volume of the container body 2. Consequently, the series of prepackaged charges according to the present invention obtains the same result as that known to the state of the art, while allowing to diversify the type of processing, and thus greatly improve the conditions for the realization of the container bodies of the pre-packaged charges included in the same series. In particular, the shape of the selected polylobate curve, in addition to having aesthetic interesting remarks, it is preferable to others because the structure of the lobes is able to distribute well in the container body the pressure loads, and supplies some natural flow guides towards the bottom wall of the container body, from which the beverage will then flow out. The shape of the curve polylobate used in the illustrated embodiment is merely an example, and of course may be provided curves of a similar nature; However, the convexity of the lobes, their number and the amplitude difference of the lobes of the two different bodies of container must be evaluated in relation to different structural factors that affect the implementation of the series of charges prepackaged according to the invention, such as the differentiation of the different container bodies of the series, the realization of the respective molds, and the functional reliability of the pre-packaged charges of the series in the machine for the preparation of beverages intended for use.

Claims

1 . Set of pre-packaged charges containing a powdery edible product to be brewed or dissolved, said pre-packaged charges each comprising a container body (1 , 2) which is open at one end (101 , 102) and provided with continuous side walls (201 , 202) and a bottom wall (301 , 302), said charges being formed in such a way as to be introduced into a common brewing chamber of a beverage making machine, said series of charges comprising at least one first charge having an internal volume of the body container (1 ) substantially corresponding to the maximum allowable volume for the given brewing chamber, and at least one second charge having an internal volume of its container body (2) which is considerably smaller than that of said first charge, said first and second charges having identical external dimensions, wherein the lateral walls (201 , 202) of said container body (1 , 2) of said first and said second charges have a polylobate curve-shaped cross-section, the lobes (21 1 ) of the side walls (201 ) of the container body (1 ) of said first charge being larger than the lobes (212) of the side walls (202) of the container body (2) of said second charge.

2. Set of pre-packaged charges according to claim 1 , wherein said lobes (21 1 , 212) are convex.

3. Set of pre-packaged charges according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said polylobate curve is a rosette conchoid.

4. Set of charges according to claim 3, wherein the apex (221 , 222) of said lobes (21 1 , 212) is substantially tangent to the edge of the open end (101 , 201 ) for all the container bodies (1 , 2) of the charges in said series, while the base (232) of the lobes (212) of the container body (2) of said second charge is located at a radial distance (D) which is much greater than the distance (d) of the base (231 ) of the lobes (21 1 ) of the container body (1 ) of said first charge (1 ).

5. Set of pre-packaged charges according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein the container body (1 ) of said first charge and of said second charge (2) is tapered from the open end (101 , 102) towards the bottom wall (301 , 302).