WO2015145361A1

WO2015145361A1 - Pre-packaged charge for espresso coffee making machines

Info

Publication number: WO2015145361A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/052173
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro Doria; Bruno Bardazzi
Original assignee: Espressocap S.P.A
Priority date: 2014-03-28
Filing date: 2015-03-25
Publication date: 2015-10-01
Also published as: CN106604877A; WO2015145362A1; CN106572763A

Abstract

Pre-packaged charge of coffee powder, particularly for espresso coffee making machines, comprising a cartridge (2; 5) made of a substantially air- tight material in which a pre-established amount of coffee powder is enclosed, said cartridge comprising a substantially cylindrical side wall provided at its ends with a first wall intended to cooperate with pressurized hot water-supply means, and a suitably shaped bottom wall (20; 50) intended to cooperate with a dispensing head (1), said bottom wall (20; 50) comprising a plurality of radial stiffening ribs (22; 52) which radiate from a central disc (21; 51) to the lateral surface of the cartridge (2, 5) and which divide the bottom wall (20; 50) into a plurality of circular sectors (23; 53), wherein each of said circular sectors (23; 53) has at least one outwardly convex surface portion with respect to the lying plane of the bottom wall (20; 50).

Description

Title of the Invention

Pre-packaged charge for espresso coffee making machines

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a pre-packaged charge of coffee powder for use in espresso coffee making machines.

State of the Art of the Invention

Nowadays, the preparation of espresso coffee is witnessing an increasing spread of charges pre-packaged in cartridges as well as of machines with dispensing assemblies specially designed to obtain the best performance from the cartridge employed.

The use of said pre-packaged cartridges greatly simplifies the operation, making the use of the machine highly adjustable to different user requirements; moreover, the use thereof ensures a remarkable practicality, a high degree of hygiene and a good level of quality of the product, i.e. the coffee brew which is produced and then served.

The problems to be solved with this type of application in order to provide a system having satisfactory performance are many and relate to both the productive and the operational aspects.

Indeed, the choice of the material for and the shape to be given to the cartridge are critical steps, as the cartridge should facilitate the flow of hot water through the coffee powder while simultaneously ensuring that said flow occurs at an appropriate time and with such a delay as to allow for an improved extraction of said powder.

Currently, the state of the art mainly provides two approaches: a) a cartridge provided with walls made of a permeable or openwork material which face both the water supply means and the coffee dispensing means; b) a cartridge entirely made of a waterproof material, substantially a plastic material, which is pierced by the hot water-supply means and subsequently crushed against a plurality of reliefs which break the opposite wall in order to allow the brew to flow out.

The cartridge of approach a) is permeable to water and, therefore, it requires an appropriate packaging in order to prevent the coffee powder contained therein from aging and becoming rancid (coffee oxidation), while the cartridge of approach b) contemplates high operating pressures and brew-extraction paths which are tortuous and complex, so that these paths get easily clogged due to the presence of solid particles, oils and fats which are characteristic of coffee brew. On the other hand, with regard to the dispensing assembly and with reference to European patent EP 1723047 in the name of the same assignee of the present invention, it is contemplated to form at least one hole in the bottom wall of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder.

In this case, the pressure value of the incoming water is crucial for obtaining a coffee brew of good quality because the flaps of the bottom wall of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder remain sealed against the piercing means until a given pressure is reached, after which the pressure prevails on the sealing ability of the flaps and the coffee brew flows out; therefore, the quality of coffee brew depends on the pressure value of the hot water-supply, as the brewing time of water with coffee powder depends on such a value.

Object of the Invention Accordingly, an aim of the present invention is to provide a prepackaged coffee charge which works at acceptable operating pressures so as to be able to provide a qualitatively attractive brew while preventing brew- extraction paths from getting clogged by solid particles and oils which are contained in the brew.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is a pre-packaged charge of coffee powder, particularly for espresso coffee making machines, comprising a cartridge made of a substantially air-tight material in which a pre- established amount of coffee powder is enclosed, said cartridge comprising a substantially cylindrical side wall provided at its ends with a first wall intended to cooperate with pressurized hot water-supply means, and a suitably shaped tapered bottom wall intended to cooperate with a dispensing head, said bottom wall comprising a plurality of radial stiffening ribs which radiate from a central disc to the lateral surface of the cartridge and which divide the bottom wall into a plurality of circular sectors, wherein each of said circular sectors has at least one outwardly convex surface portion with respect to the lying plane of said bottom wall. Preferably, such a convex portion has a thickness decreasing towards the apex of its convexity.

Brief Description of the Drawings These and other features of the invention, and the advantages resulting therefrom, will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof which is provided by way of a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 a is a top view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder according to the present invention;

Fig. 1 b is a sectional side view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 1 a; Fig. 1 c is a bottom view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 1 a;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of a dispensing assembly for espresso coffee making machines, cooperating with a pre-packaged charge according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the dispensing head shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4a is a detail of the inner profile of the piercing means of the dispensing head as illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4b is a detail of the outer profile of the piercing means of the dispensing head as illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4c is a sectional view of the piercing member of the head as illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail of the sectional view of the dispensing assembly as illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 6a is a top view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6b is a sectional side view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 6a;

Fig. 6c is a bottom view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 6a;

Fig. 7 is a sectional side view of a dispensing assembly for espresso coffee making machines, which cooperates with the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 6a;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view along line B-B of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 6b; Fig. 9 is a sectional view along line A-A of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 1 b;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a further embodiment of a pre-packaged charge according to the invention; Figure 1 1 is a plan top view of another dispensing assembly; and

Figure 12 is a sectional view of a variant of the dispensing assembly of Figure 1 1 , which cooperates with a pre-packaged charge of the type shown in Figure 10.

Description of Certain Embodiments of the Invention Fig. 1 a is a top view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder according to the present invention.

The figure shows the bottom wall 20 of the pre-packaged charge 2.

Said bottom wall 20 comprises a central disk 21 from which a plurality of stiffening radial ribs 22 radiate to divide the bottom wall 20 into a plurality of circular sectors 23 characterized by being configured as a conical sector with the apex pointing towards the centre of the bottom wall 20.

The conical sector-shaped surface of each of said circular sectors 23, which is thinner than the thickness of the general average cross-section, facilitates the penetration of the piercing means 10, particularly of the penetration points 101 of the dispensing assembly described in Fig. 3, because said conical surface of the circular sectors 23 cooperates with the concave profile of said piercing means 10 in order to obtain an efficient and effective penetration; this will become more apparent from the description of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5. Fig. 1 b is a sectional side view of the pre-packaged charge 2 of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 1 a. Said pre-packaged charge 2 of coffee powder comprises a container body 25 which is substantially cylindrical in shape and adapted to receive the coffee powder as well as to cooperate with the pressurized hot water-supply means, the piercing means and the coffee brew dispensing means. From the figure it can be inferred that the stiffening radial ribs 22 radiate from the central disk 21 to the side surface of the pre-packaged charge 2 of coffee powder and, as they proceed from said central disc 21 towards said side surface, the thickness of said stiffening radial ribs 22 decreases.

Furthermore, the central disk 21 is characterized by a cavity 24 which is substantially hemispherical in shape and adapted to receive the spherical cap 12 of the dispensing head 1 .

The figure also shows the circular sectors 23 which, as previously described, have a conical surface with the apex pointing towards the centre of the bottom wall 20. In a preferred embodiment, said conical sector-shaped surface of each of said circular sectors 23 is thinner than the thickness of the general average cross-section, and this will become more apparent from Fig. 9.

Fig. 1 c is a bottom view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 1 a. The figure shows the circular sectors 23, the central disc 21 , the bottom wall 20 and the stiffening radial ribs 22.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of a dispensing assembly for espresso coffee making machines.

The figure shows the dispensing means 3, the support structure 4, the pre- packaged charge 2 of coffee powder accommodated within said support structure 4 and ready to be used, the dispensing head 1 , and the piercing or engraving means 10. The support structure 4 comprises a cavity 40 adapted to accommodate the pre-packaged charge 2, and the dispensing means 3 which collects the coffee brew from the dispensing head 1 and moves it to the outside through the channel 30. Said dispensing head 1 comprises a ledge 120 adapted to be received into the cavity 41 of the support structure 4 in order to lock the dispensing head 1 .

The support structure 4 includes a coffee brew collection chamber 400 in which the just-produced coffee brew is collected and then moved down to the dispensing means 3 through the opening 401 and then to the outside through the channel 30 of said dispensing means 3.

Furthermore, in the figure, it is possible to infer how the spherical cap 12 of the dispensing head 1 is received into the cavity 24 of the pre-packaged charge 2 of coffee powder.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the dispensing head of the dispensing assembly shown in Fig. 2.

Said dispensing head 1 is substantially circular in shape and comprises a suitably shaped piercing means 10 arranged along the circumference of said dispensing head 1 , a plurality of holes 1 1 which allow the coffee brew to flow and also arranged along the circumference of the dispensing head 1 , and a spherical cap 12.

Said piercing means 10 comprises a plurality of piercing members arranged one after the other along the circumference of the head means 1 , and the profile of said piercing members is such as to ensure that the piercing means 1 penetrate the bottom of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder. On the other hand, the holes 1 1 allow the coffee brew to flow in order to be collected in the collection chamber from which the coffee brew leaves. In a second embodiment, said piercing means 10 is a means for engraving the bottom wall of the charge of coffee powder according to the present invention, and said piercing means has constructive and operational features which are similar to those of said piercing means 10. Fig. 4a is a detail of the inner profile of the piercing means 10 of the dispensing head 1 as illustrated in Fig. 3. Assuming that identical parts are referred to by identical numbers, from Fig. 4a it is inferred how the inner profile of the piercing members incorporated in the piercing means 10 is shaped. The piercing means 10 is substantially a circular ring with a triangular cross-section whose height is directed towards the outside of the dispensing head 1 . The inner profile of said piercing means 10 includes a plurality of grooves 100, each formed in correspondence of each piercing member at the inclined side. Said groove 100 is substantially shaped as an ogive, with the tip pointing towards the base of the piercing means 10. In this way, the piercing means 10 is able to penetrate the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder and, thanks to said groove 100, ensures that coffee brew can flow out from said pre-packaged charge of coffee powder. Furthermore, the piercing profile of said piercing means 10 has a concavity which cooperates with the conical surface of the circular sectors 23 in order to obtain more efficacious penetration points 101 .

Indeed, the profile of the conical surface of the circular sectors 23 is designed to cooperate effectively with the piercing profile of the piercing means 10 so that, when the penetration and piercing steps are performed, the piercing means 10 can easily form the penetration slits through the bottom of the pre- packaged charge of coffee powder. When the piercing means 10 is configured in this way, it allows obtaining a plurality of perforation slits which ensure the appropriate brewing time and allow the coffee brew to flow out.

Fig. 4a is a detail of the outer profile of the piercing means 10 of the dispensing head 1 as illustrated in Fig. 3. The figure shows the external portion of the circular crown of the piercing means 10, which is continuous and free of grooves, and the concave profile of said piercing means 10.

Fig. 4c is a sectional view of the piercing means 10 of the dispensing head 1 as illustrated in Fig. 3. From the figure, the profile of the groove 100 and of the inner side of the piercing means 10 is inferred.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the sectional view of the dispensing assembly as illustrated in Fig. 2. The figure shows the piercing means 10 penetrating the bottom wall 20, more precisely the circular sectors 23, of the pre-packaged charge 2 of coffee powder. Indeed, as previously described in Fig. 3a and in Fig. 3b, the bottom wall 20 of the pre-packaged charge 2 comprises stiffening radial ribs 22 which divide said bottom wall 20 into circular sectors 23 characterized by a concavity adapted to facilitate the penetration of the piercing means 10 into said pre-packaged charge 2 of coffee powder in order to obtain the plurality of perforation slits which ensure the appropriate brew time and which allow the coffee brew to flow out.

The figure shows the piercing means 10 during the penetration step, with the utility and the function of the triangular profile of said piercing means 10 which can be inferred from the figure.

Indeed, the triangular profile facilitates the penetration of said piercing means 10 into the circular sector 23 so as to create a perforation slit, and the two flaps of said perforation slit, which are created while said circular sector 23 is being broken, cooperate with said piercing means 10 in different ways. Since said flaps of the perforation slit are substantially made of a thermoplastic material, they are sealed against said piercing means 10. The flap 230 is lifted upwards as the piercing means 10 penetrates the prepackaged charge 2, and the coffee brew exits said pre-packaged charge 2 through the perforation slit and the groove 100 of the piercing means 10 as it is gradually produced. Indeed, in virtue of the profile of the piercing means 10 as described in Fig. 2a, in Fig. 2b and in Fig. 2c, it is evident that the penetration points 101 , once the perforation slit has been formed and as they continue to penetrate the pre-packaged charge, raise the flap 230 and, due to both the concave profile of the piercing member of the piercing means 10 and the groove 100 formed in the inner side of said piercing means 10, the coffee brew can flow out from the pre-packaged charge 2 through the perforation slit, reach the collection chamber 400 through the holes 1 1 provided in the dispensing head 1 , and reach the dispensing means 3 through the opening 401 . On the other hand, the flap 231 of the circular sector 23 cooperates with the external portion of the piercing means 10 and, as said piercing means penetrates the pre-packaged charge 2, the flap 231 slides along the vertical wall of said piercing means 10.

This sliding allows the flap 231 to be kept adhered to the piercing means 10 and this allows the portions to be sealed to each other, avoiding air leakage or preventing the coffee brew from flowing from the external side of the piercing means 10.

The foregoing is extremely important with regards to the brewing time of water with coffee powder in order to obtain a brew of good quality; if water flows too fast and leaks out through unplanned openings, the brew time is insufficient and the brew obtained is deficient in quality standards, and this is why the seal ensuring the cooperation of the flap 231 with the piercing means 10 is crucial to obtain a satisfactory coffee brew.

Fig. 6a is a top view of the pre-packaged charge 5 of coffee powder according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows the bottom wall 50 of the pre-packaged charge 5 of coffee powder, comprising a central disk 51 from which a plurality of stiffening radial ribs 52 radiate to divide said bottom wall 50 into a plurality of circular sectors 53. Each circular sector 53 comprises a recess 530 adapted to cooperate with the piercing means 10, particularly with the penetration points 101 , because the cooperation of said recess 530 with the concave profile of said piercing means 10 allows for an efficient and effective penetration; this will become more apparent from the description of Fig. 7.

Fig. 6b is a sectional side view of the pre-packaged charge 5 of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 6a. Said pre-packaged charge 5 of coffee powder comprises a container body 55 which is substantially cylindrical in shape and adapted to receive the coffee powder as well as to cooperate with the pressurized hot water-supply means, the piercing means and the coffee brew dispensing means. From the figure it can be inferred that the stiffening radial ribs 52 radiate from the central disk 51 to the side surface of the prepackaged charge 5 of coffee powder and, as they proceed from said central disc 51 towards said side surface, the thickness of said stiffening radial ribs 22 remains constant. Furthermore, the central disk 51 is characterized by a cavity 54 which is substantially hemispherical in shape and adapted to receive the spherical cap 12 of the dispensing head 1 . The figure shows the circular sectors 53 which, as previously described, comprise a recess 530 adapted to cooperate with the piercing means 10. Fig. 6c is a bottom view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 3a. The figure shows the bottom wall 50, the recesses 530 and the central disk 31 .

Fig. 7 is a sectional side view of another dispensing assembly for espresso coffee making machines, which cooperates with the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 6a. The figure shows the dispensing means 3, the support structure 4, the pre-packaged charge 5 of coffee powder accommodated within said support structure 4 and ready to be used, the dispensing head 1 , and the piercing means 10. The support structure 4 comprises a cavity 40 adapted to accommodate the pre-packaged charge 5, and the dispensing means 3 which collects the coffee brew from the dispensing head 1 and moves it to the outside through the channel 30. The figure shows how the recess 530 of the pre-packaged charge 5 of coffee powder cooperates with the piercing means 10, particularly with the penetration points 101 , in order to obtain an efficient and effective penetration.

Furthermore, in this variant, the flaps 531 and 532 obtained while the recesses 530 are being broken perform a sealing function, particularly, the flap 531 remains adhered to the external portion of the piercing means 10 while the coffee brew is flowing out from the pre-packaged charge 5 through the groove 100 of the inner profile of said piercing means 10.

Fig. 8 is a detail of the sectional side view of the pre-packaged charge of coffee powder as illustrated in Fig. 6b. As previously described, each circular sector 53 includes a recess 530 adapted to cooperate with the piercing means 10, particularly with the penetration points 101 . In the embodiment illustrated in the figure, advantageously, said recess 530 has a variable thickness. Indeed, the thickness of the recess 530 is increased at the ends, where said recess 530 is integral to the circular sector 53, and it is gradually reduced until it reaches the minimum thickness at the centre of said recess 530. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a detail of Fig. 1 b. The figure shows the profile of the circular sector 23, particularly, the thickness of the conical sector-shaped surface of each of said circular sectors 23 is clearly visible. The thickness of the circular sector 23 is advantageously increased near the stiffening radial ribs 22 to which it is integral, and it is gradually reduced until it reaches the minimum thickness at the centre of said circular sector 23. In both the cases described above, from one hand, the reduction of thickness of the wall facilitates the penetration of the piercing means 10, thereby allowing an efficient and effective penetration. On the other hand, from the manufacture point of view, the convex wall is much easier to be manufactured, and the wall thus formed poses no problems from the structural point of view. Indeed, the pressure of the brew will be focused on the area having a minimum thickness, and thus a minimum resistance, thereby improving the piercing efficiency. Figure 10 illustrates another embodiment of the pre-packaged charge of the invention. The charge comprises the container body 6, provided with a bottom wall 106 divided into circular sectors by the stiffening ribs 1 16; each sector has positioned therein, near the centre of the wall 106, a recess 136 whose end opposite to that facing the centre of the wall 1 06 is connected to the ridge 126.

Figure 1 1 shows a further dispensing assembly; the dispensing assembly 7 comprises a filter holder 107 in which cavity an annular seal member 1 17 is positioned; the bottom wall is provided with the circular head 207 in which two blades 217 are arranged, the blades being parallel to each other and symmetrical with respect to the centre of said head 207. The head communicates with the dispensing channel 307.

Figure 12 shows a cross-section of the dispensing assembly of Figure 1 1 ; identical parts are referred to by identical numbers. In the figure, the dispensing assembly 7 is shown with the container body 6 of the pre- packaged charge illustrated in Figure 10 which is fitted therein, and also in this case, identical parts are referred to by identical numbers. The container body 6 is fitted in the filter holder 107, and the annular projection 306 rests on the seal ring 1 17 arranged on the bottom of the filter holder 107 near the head 207. The blades 217, which are triangular in section and arranged at a given distance from the centre of said head, are provided with guards 227 made of an elastomeric material and acting as a protection for the user from the blades when the pre-packaged charge is removed from the filter holder 7.

In all the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described above, it is evident that the piercing means used allows for the formation of two or more cuts into the bottom wall of the container body of the pre-packaged charge, and that said piercing means are fitted into these cuts so as to actually control the drink while it is dispensed. Of course, the cooperation is assured when the pre-packaged charge is one provided with a container body able to appropriately interact with the piercing means, i.e. a suitably shaped container whose walls intended to be pierced are decreased in thickness and properly formed so as to be influenced by the pressure change occurring within said container body.

The pre-packaged charge according to the present invention is specifically designed to ensure the best performance in the above-mentioned cooperation. In addition, the implementation doesn't pose particular problems, and the components constituting it are really minimal. All the embodiments of the pre-packaged charge according to the invention may also comprise a layer of a filtering material which is arranged at the bottom wall.

The pre-packaged charge and the dispensing assembly according to the present invention allow the coffee powder to be extracted in a substantially optimal manner and with a high degree of control of the performance from the point of view of the quality of the brew.

Claims

Pre-packaged charge of coffee powder, particularly for espresso coffee making machines, comprising a cartridge (2; 5) made of a substantially air-tight material in which a given dose of coffee powder is enclosed, said cartridge comprising a substantially cylindrical side wall provided at its ends with a first wall intended to cooperate with pressurized hot water- supply means, and a suitably shaped bottom wall (20; 50) intended to cooperate with a dispensing head (1 ), said bottom wall (20; 50) comprising a plurality of radial stiffening ribs (22; 52) which radiate from a central disc (21 ; 51 ) to the lateral surface of the cartridge (2, 5) and which divide the bottom wall (20; 50) into a plurality of circular sectors (23; 53), wherein each of said circular sectors (23; 53) has at least one outwardly convex surface portion (23; 530) with respect to the lying plane of the bottom wall (20; 50).

Pre-packaged charge according to claim 1 , wherein said convex surface portion (23; 530; 136) of said bottom wall (20; 50; 106) has a thickness decreasing towards the apex of its convexity.

Pre-packaged charge of coffee powder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said circular sectors (23) comprises a surface shaped as a conical sector with the apex pointing towards the centre of said bottom wall (20).

Pre-packaged charge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of said circular sectors (53) comprises recesses (530) outwardly protruding from said bottom wall (50).

Pre-packaged charge according to claim 2, wherein said recesses (136) are arranged near the centre of said bottom wall (106).