EP2159167A1

EP2159167A1 - Capsule, device, and method for preparing infused beverages.

Info

Publication number: EP2159167A1
Application number: EP08163120A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luc Van Belleghem; Quintijn Innikel; Jacco Van Stenis
Original assignee: Cense d'Almez SA; Cense d Almez SA
Current assignee: Cense d'Almez SA; Cense d Almez SA
Priority date: 2008-08-27
Filing date: 2008-08-27
Publication date: 2010-03-03

Abstract

The present invention relates to a capsule 102 containing dry infusible matter 101 for preparing infused beverages, and comprising:
- a front face 103 comprising a filter wall 114;
- a rim 105 surrounding said front face 103 and presenting a tapered outer edge 108;
- a back face 104, substantially opposed to said front face 103, and comprising a frangible region 116 for the injection of infusing liquid; and
- a solid envelope 106 between said rim 105 and said back face 104.

The present invention also relates to a device 120 for preparing infused beverages comprising:
- a receptacle 118 for receiving said capsule 102, with the front face 103 in a substantially vertical position; and
- injecting means 124 for introducing an infusing liquid into said capsule 102 through said frangible region 116 when said capsule 102 is in said receptacle 118; and
- an infusion chamber 123 with a substantially vertical side opening 125 to said receptacle 118, so as to be in fluid connection with said filter wall 114 of the capsule 102 when said capsule 102 is in said receptacle 118, and an openable and closable bottom opening 127 to allow an infused beverage to flow out of the infusion chamber 123.

Finally, the present invention also relates to a method of preparing infused beverages using said capsule 102 and device 120.

Description

The present invention relates to a capsule, device, and method for preparing infused beverages.
In particular, the present invention relates to a capsule containing dry infusible matter for preparing infused beverages, and comprising a front face, comprising a filter wall and a rim; a back face substantially opposed to said front face, and comprising a frangible region for the injection of infusion liquid; and a solid envelope between said front face and said back face.
In the present specification, the term "capsule" is preferentially used, although it should be considered synonymous with the terms "cartridge", "package" or "container" used elsewhere in this particular technical domain.
The present invention also relates to a device for preparing infused beverages comprising a receptacle for receiving the abovementioned capsule, with the front face in a substantially vertical position; and injecting means for introducing an infusing liquid into said capsule through said liquid injection point when said capsule is in said receptacle.
In the present specification, the term "infusing liquid" generally refers to the liquid used to infuse ingredients contained in the dry infusible matter, so as to produce an infused beverage wherein said infusing liquid carries said ingredients in dissolved or suspended form. Usually, but not necessarily, the infusing liquid will be hot water, and the infused beverage a tea, such as black tea, green tea, white tea, flavoured tea, or also a so-called herbal or fruit tea using infusible matter other than the leaves of the tea plant (for instance, rooibos, camomile, peppermint, etc.) .
Similar capsules and devices are known from the state of the art.
Canadian patent application CA 2 448 474 A1 discloses one such capsule. However, this capsule presents several drawbacks. The capsule disclosed in this document is particularly adapted to use for preparing beverages by percolation, in which a hot liquid percolates down continuously through the matter contained in the capsule. For this, the capsule is placed in a horizontal position, with the back face comprising the liquid injection point at the top, and the front face at the bottom. This method, though appropriate for preparing such beverages as coffee, is entirely inappropriate for, for instance, tea, which requires a longer and gentler infusion. With the infusing liquid flowing too rapidly downwards under the influence of gravity, it provokes a chaotic and exceedingly fast breakdown of various tea molecules, ruining the quality and flavour of the infusion.
In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to place such capsules with the front face in a vertical position. However, such a position has the drawback of being considerably more leak-prone than one in which the front face remains in a substantially horizontal position.
This problem has been addressed in a number of similar capsules for preparing coffee by incorporating a sealing ring in the rim around the front face, as disclosed, for instance, in WO 2007/137974 , WO 2007/122208 , or EP 0 468 079 . However, these prior art capsules are adapted to the preparation of espresso coffee by injecting water at high pressure into the capsule and extracting it at the front face, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Since the water injection point 1 and the back face 2 of the capsule 3 are not sealed, the high-pressure water 4 both percolates through the ground coffee in the capsule 3 and flows around the envelope 5 of the capsule 3. In use, the water pressure thus pushes the capsule 3 forward, pressing the front of the rim 6 against an opposite surface 7 of the receptacle receiving the capsule 3. The principal purpose of the sealing rings in these prior art capsules is to prevent leaks of high-pressure water 4 from behind the rim 6.
The capsule of the present invention, however, is adapted to be used in a device for preparing infused beverages comprising an infusion chamber with a substantially vertical side opening to said receptacle, so as to be in fluid connection with said filter wall of the capsule when said capsule is in said receptacle, and an openable and closable bottom opening to allow an infused beverage to flow out of the chamber. When the infusion chamber is full, it is necessary to prevent leaks of infusion liquid from the front of the capsule.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a capsule adapted to prevent such leaks through the front of the rim of the capsule.
The capsule of the present invention is adapted to solve this problem by presenting a rim with a tapered outer edge. This ensures a self-adjusting sealing fit when said tapered outer edge is pressed against the edge of the abovementioned side opening of the infusion chamber. Liquid leaks through the interface between the capsule and the infusion chamber are thus successfully prevented without unduly complicating the production of the capsule.
Although WO 2006/0121520 comprises an embodiment of a tea pod presenting a rim with a similar configuration, it must be noted that this pod, which is adapted to percolation, does not present a liquid injection point. In this pod, the front face is adapted to receive, in a substantially horizontal position, the infusing liquid which will exit through the back face. Liquid flow is thus in the opposite direction as in the capsule of the invention. Moreover, not only is the conical surface around the rim not suggested to improve the seal, a flat rim is even explicitly preferred for this purpose.
It is a further object of the present invention to prevent liquid leaking out from around the liquid injection point.
Advantageously, the capsule of the present invention may thus also present, a tapered outer edge around its back face. Besides ensuring a self-adjusting sealing fit around the liquid injection point when a corresponding edge of a receptacle receiving the capsule presses against it, it transmits to the capsule the force pressing the first sealing surface against the abovementioned side opening of the infusion chamber. The capsule can thus be clamped between the tapered outer edge of the rim and the tapered outer edge of the back face.
A further object of the present invention is to facilitate the correct positioning of the capsule when placing it in the receptacle, and thus ensure the leak-tightness of at least said tapered outer edge of the rim.
Advantageously, the capsule of the present invention may thus also present on its rim, behind its tapered outer edge, a substantially cylindrical centring surface.
A further object of the present invention is to ensure the freshness of the dry infusible matter within the capsule.
Advantageously, the rim of the capsule of the present invention may thus also present a substantially flat front surface, and a freshness seal in the form of a foil fixed to said substantially flat front surface so as to close the capsule in a substantially gas-tight manner.
Even more advantageously, to preserve the freshness of the dry infusible matter, said capsule may contain the dry infusible matter in a substantially inert atmosphere.
Also more advantageously, to provide support for the filter wall, the envelope of the capsule may comprise, behind said rim, an inwards step presenting a substantially flat surface on which said filter wall is fixed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an effective filter wall for said capsule. Advantageously, said filter wall may thus be formed by a plastic mesh.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hygienic, taste-neutral, stable and inexpensive capsule. Advantageously, the capsule may thus be substantially made of a plastic material, which reduces the production costs, while providing a hygienic and taste-neutral container. By "plastic material" should be understood a polymer-based material, such as a thermoplastic polymeric material. Alternatively, any other material suitable for contact with hot drinks for human consumption could also be used.
Particularly advantageously, the capsule may be produced by injection moulding.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved device for preparing infused beverages. The device for preparing infused beverages according to the invention also comprises an infusion chamber with a substantially vertical side opening to said receptacle, so as to be in fluid connection with said filter wall of the capsule when said capsule is in said receptacle, and an openable and closable bottom opening to allow an infused beverage to flow out of the chamber. The infusion chamber provides an enlarged volume with respect to the capsule for carrying out the infusion process, so that a whole serving can be prepared in one go without requiring serving-sized capsules. The substantially vertical opening between the infusion chamber and the capsule allows significant fluid exchange through natural convection during the infusion process, homogenising the infused beverage.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that substantially prevents contamination of subsequent servings of infused beverage. For this purpose, said infusion chamber may preferably be made at least partially of a polyfluoride material, such as, for instance PTFE, FEP, or PFE.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device wherein the temperature of the receptacle remains significantly close to ambient temperature, regardless of prior use of the device. Advantageously, said receptacle may be arranged in a capsule carrier having a significantly open structure, so that the capsule carrier absorbs only a small fraction of the heat of the capsule during the infusion process.
Advantageously, the device may also comprise cleaning means for introducing a rinsing fluid into said infusion chamber. The infusion chamber can thus be cleaned, for instance after preparing each serving, thus preventing contamination of the following servings and ensuring their taste.
The present invention also relates to the combination of a capsule and a device according to the invention.
The present invention also relates to a method for preparing infused beverages, comprising the steps of introducing a capsule according to the invention into the receptacle of a device according to the invention; injecting an infusing liquid into said capsule and the infusion chamber through the liquid injection point of the capsule; infusing the infusing liquid with said infusible matter so as to produce an infused beverage; and discharging said infused beverage through said bottom opening after said infusion step.
Advantageously, the method according to the invention may further comprise a separate second step of injecting infusing liquid into said capsule during said infusion step in order to agitate the infusible matter so as to obtain a more homogeneous infusion. This will facilitate the diffusion of a higher density of infusion molecules from around the infusible matter into the rest of the infusing liquid, and also reactivate the diffusion of infusion molecules from the infusible matter into the infusing liquid.
Advantageously, the method according to the invention may further comprise a cleaning step wherein a rinsing fluid is introduced and discharged from said infusion chamber.
Advantageously, the method according to the invention may further comprise a step of removing said capsule from said receptacle after said infused beverage is discharged from said infusion chamber.
In particular, said cleaning step may follow said capsule removing step, and the device according to the invention may comprise control means, such as, for example, an electronic circuit, for activating the capsule removing and cleaning steps in that order, and/or closing means, such as a lid, to close the abovementioned side opening during said cleaning step.
Several preferred embodiments of the invention will be described illustratively, but not restrictively, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a prior art capsule in a device for preparing coffee;
Fig. 2a is a longitudinal section through a preferred embodiment of a capsule according to the invention, as it is being received in a receptacle in a corresponding device;
Fig. 2b is a detail view of the rim of the capsule of Fig. 2a;
Fig. 2c is a view of the capsule in use in said corresponding device; and
Fig. 3 is a flowchart representing a preferred embodiment of a method of preparing infused beverages according to the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 2a. An infusible dry matter 101, such as tea leaves, is contained within a capsule 102 with a front face 103, and a back face 104. A rim 105 surrounds said front face 103, and a solid envelope 106 extends from the rim 105 to the back face 104, enclosing the contents of the capsule 102. Preferably, the capsule 102 may be rotationally symmetrical around a central axis 107. In the preferred embodiment, the capsule 102 is made of plastic material by injection moulding, conferring it favourable properties of hygiene, taste neutrality, and form stability at a low production price. However, production processes and materials suitable for contact with hot drinks for human consumption could also be used would be considered by the skilled person according to the circumstances. The capsule 102 may also comprise an external indication of its precise content, for instance a machine-readable code, such as a colour code, a bar code or an RFID code, for indicating the nature of the infusible matter or a set of appropriate parameters for its infusion, such as temperature, duration, etc.
The rim 105 of the capsule 102, which is illustrated in greater detail in Fig. 2b, presents a tapered outer edge 108. This tapered outer edge 108 thus forms a surface extending in an outwards and backwards direction front the front face 103 of the capsule. Behind this tapered outer edge 108, the rim 105 further presents a substantially cylindrical centring surface 109, whereas inwardly from the tapered outer edge 108 it presents a substantially flat front surface 110.
Before use, a freshness seal 111 formed by a foil fixed to said substantially flat front surface 110, closes the front face 103 of the capsule 102, so that its contents are isolated from the environment. The foil may be, for example, a metallized plastic foil heat-bonded to the substantially flat surface 110. As the interior of the capsule 102 is thus isolated from the environment in a substantially gas-tight manner, the infusible dry matter 101 within the capsule 102 may be preserved in a substantially inert atmosphere before use.
In the preferred embodiment, behind the rim 105, the solid envelope 105 forms an inwards step 112 presenting another substantially flat surface 113 to which is fixed a filter wall 114. This filter wall 114 may preferably be formed by a plastic mesh heat-bonded to said substantially flat surface 113. The filter wall 114 allows the flow of an infused liquid, while substantially blocking the passage of solid particles beyond a certain particle size.
In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the capsule 102, being injection-moulded, its back face 104 presents a plastic injection point 115 aligned with the central axis 107 of the capsule. Around this plastic injection point 115, an annular frangible region 116 is arranged for the injection of infusion liquid into the capsule. In this preferred embodiment, this frangible region 116 is characterised by a thinner wall than the rest of the capsule 102. However, it could alternatively take other forms such as, for instance, a region made of a weaker material, a precut orifice, eventually covered by a detachable or frangible lid, a non-reinforced area in a capsule presenting strengthening ribs or similar, and other alternatives readily available to the skilled person.
The back face 104 also presents an outer edge 117 oppositely tapered to the outer edge 108 of the front rim 105.
Fig. 2a represents the capsule 102 as it is being introduced in a receptacle 118 in a capsule carrier 119 in a device 120 for preparing infused beverages. The capsule carrier 119 has a substantially open structure with large lateral openings 121 for evacuating heat. The rim 122 of the receptacle 118, together with the substantially cylindrical centring surface 109 of the capsule 102 ensures that the capsule 102 is properly positioned. For this purpose, this rim 122 may also present an inwardly tapered surface (not illustrated).
The device 120 for preparing infused beverages is illustrated in use in Fig. 2c, and comprises, besides said capsule carrier 119, an infusion chamber 123, and infusion liquid injecting means 124 in the form of a hot water nozzle. The capsule carrier 119 is movably mounted in the device 120, so that, once the capsule 102 is in the receptacle 118, it can be displaced so as to place the front face 103 of the capsule 102 against a substantially vertical side opening 125 of said infusion chamber 123, as illustrated in Fig. 2c. The device 120 may also comprise a device for opening the freshness seal 111, for instance by slicing it open during the movement of the capsule carrier 119 towards the position illustrated in Fig. 2c.
Through the substantially vertical side opening 125, the infusion chamber 123 can thus be put in fluid connection with said front face 103 of the capsule 102. The infusion chamber 123 further comprises an openable and closable bottom opening 127 to allow an infused beverage to flow out of the chamber 123. It may also be provided with an upper vent 128 to ensure a smooth discharge of said infused beverage.
In the illustrated position, a rear support 129 of the capsule carrier 119 pushes against the tapered outer edge 117 of the back face 104, so that the tapered outer edge 108 of the rim 105 is pressed against the edge 130 of the substantially vertical side opening 125 of said infusion chamber 123. The opposite tapers on the outer edges 108, 117 of, respectively, the rim 105 and the back face 104 ensure a self adjusting sealing fit on both sides. Since both the freshness seal 111 and the filter wall 114 are fixed to surfaces different from the tapered outer edge 108, they will not interfere with this seal. This tapered outer edge 108 is also less susceptible than a flat surface to surface damage such as bumps or scratches that could affect the leak-tightness of the seal.
To further ensure the leak-tightness of these seals, both said rear support 129 and said edge 130 may be provided with sealing elements, for instance in the form of the illustrated sealing O- rings 131, 132.
The device 120 also comprises cleaning means 133, in this particular embodiment in the form of a rinsing nozzle near the top of the infusion chamber 123, for introducing a rinsing fluid into said infusion chamber 123. This rinsing fluid may be, for instance, water or steam. In a preferred embodiment, in order to ensure that the flavour and taste of the infusion beverage is substantially removed from the infusion chamber 123, so as to prevent contaminating subsequently prepared infusion beverages, the infusion chamber 123 is realised in a material presenting a low surface adherence, such as a polyfluoride, for example PTFE, FEP, or PFE.
The preferred embodiment of the method for preparing infused beverages according to the invention is illustrated by the flowchart of Fig. 3. In a first step 301, the capsule 102 is introduced in the receptacle 118 of the capsule carrier 119 of the device 120 for preparing infused beverages, as illustrated in Fig. 2a. Then, in the following positioning step 302, the capsule carrier 119 is first moved so as to align the front face 103 of the capsule 102 with the substantially vertical side opening 125 of said infusion chamber 123. During this movement, an opening device slices open the freshness seal 111 of the capsule 102. Once the capsule 102 is aligned with the side opening 125 of the infusion chamber 123, it is pushed forward by the rear support 129 until the tapered edges 108, 117 are in liquid-tight engagement with, respectively, said edge 130 of the substantially vertical side opening 125, and said rear support 129. The frangible region 116 is pierced by the infusion liquid injecting means 124.
In the next step 303, a code reader reads an identification code, such as a colour code, on the capsule 102, and selects a corresponding infusion program. This is followed by a first injection step 304 in which infusion liquid is injected into the capsule 102 through the infusion liquid injecting means 124, wherein both the quantity and temperature of the infusion liquid injected in this first injection step are determined by the injection program.
The injection program also determines the duration of the following infusion step 305, as well as, in a parallel step 306, whether a second injection step 307 is to be performed during the infusion 305, the moment in time at which this second injection step 307 will be performed, and the quantity and temperature of the infusion liquid to be injected in this second injection step 307.
At the moment determined by the infusion program, the device 120 will then execute the step 308 of discharging the infused beverage through the bottom opening 127 of the infusion chamber 123.
Once the infused beverage is discharged, the capsule carrier 119 may be moved again to remove the used capsule 102 from the receptacle 118 in a removal step 309. This may be followed by a cleaning step 310 wherein a rinsing fluid is introduced into said infusion chamber 123 through said cleaning means 133 and subsequently discharged.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. For instance, the front surface 110 may receive both the freshness seal 111 and the filter wall 114 in a capsule 102 without an inwards step 112. Also, although the surfaces 110 and 113 are described as "substantially flat", they may present ridges or protrusions to facilitate the adhesion of freshness seal 111 and filter wall 114. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims

Capsule (102) containing dry infusible matter (101) for preparing infused beverages, and comprising:
- a front face (103) comprising a filter wall (114);

- a rim (105) surrounding said front face (103);

- a back face (104), substantially opposed to said front face (103), and comprising a frangible region (116) for the injection of infusing liquid;
and

- a solid envelope (106) between said rim (105) and said back face (104);
and characterised in that said rim (105) presents a tapered outer edge (108).
Capsule (102) according to claim 1, wherein the back face (104) also presents a tapered outer edge (117).
Capsule (102) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said rim (105) further presents, behind its tapered outer edge (117), a substantially cylindrical centring surface (109).
Capsule (102) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said rim (105) further presents a substantially flat front surface (110), said capsule further comprising a freshness seal (111) in the form of a foil fixed to said substantially flat front surface (110) so as to close the capsule (102) in a substantially gas-tight manner, and preferably containing the dry infusible matter in a substantially inert atmosphere..
Capsule (102) according to claim 4, wherein said solid envelope (106) comprises, behind said rim (105), an inwards step (112) presenting another substantially flat surface (113) on which said filter wall (114) is fixed.
Capsule (102) according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said filter wall (114) is formed by a plastic mesh.
Capsule (102) according to any one of the previous claims, substantially made of a plastic material, preferably injection moulded.
A device (120) for preparing infused beverages comprising:
- a receptacle (118) for receiving a capsule (102) according to any one of the previous claims, with the front face (103) in a substantially vertical position; and

- injecting means (124) for introducing an infusing liquid into said capsule (102) through said liquid injection point when said capsule is in said receptacle; and
characterised in that it also comprises an infusion chamber (123) with a substantially vertical side opening (125) to said receptacle (118), so as to be in fluid connection with said filter wall (114) of the capsule (102) when said capsule (102) is in said receptacle (118), and an openable and closable bottom opening (127) to allow an infused beverage to flow out of the infusion chamber (123).
A device (120) according to claim 8, wherein said infusion chamber (123) is at least partially made of a polyfluoride material, such as, for instance PTFE, FEP, or PFE.
A device (120) according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein said receptacle (118) is arranged in a capsule carrier (119) having a significantly open structure.
A device (120) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further comprising cleaning means for introducing a rinsing fluid into said infusion chamber (123).
A device (120) according to any one of claims 8 to 11, with a capsule (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 within said receptacle (118).
A method for preparing infused beverages, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 7 into the receptacle of a device according to any one of claims 8 to 11;

- injecting (301) an infusing liquid into said capsule (102) and the infusion chamber (123) through the frangible region (116) of the capsule (102);

- infusing (305) the infusing liquid with said infusible matter (101) so as to produce an infused beverage; and

- discharging (308) said infused beverage through said bottom opening (127) after said infusion step (305).
A method according to claim 13, further comprising a separate second step (307) of injecting infusing liquid into said capsule (102) during said infusion step (305) in order to agitate the infusible matter (101) so as to obtain a more homogeneous infusion.
A method according to any one of claims 13 or 14, further comprising a cleaning step (310) wherein a rinsing fluid is introduced and discharged from said infusion chamber (123).
A method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising a step (309) of removing said capsule (102) from said receptacle (118) after said infused beverage is discharged from said infusion chamber (123).