EP2648578A1

EP2648578A1 - Pre-packaged capsule of coffee powder for espresso coffee machine

Info

Publication number: EP2648578A1
Application number: EP11801594.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alessandro Doria
Original assignee: Espressocap SpA
Current assignee: Espressocap SpA
Priority date: 2010-12-10
Filing date: 2011-12-02
Publication date: 2013-10-16
Also published as: WO2012076135A1; JP2013544607A; ITGE20100135A1; CN103415235A; CN103415235B

Abstract

A pre-packaged capsule of coffee powder for espresso coffee machines, comprising a substantially frustoconical - shaped container body (1;5) made of a substantially water-tight material and tapered from the outlet edge towards the bottom wall (301; 305), said container body being provided with both a radially outwardly projecting flange (201;205) at said outlet edge and a closing surface (401) coupled to said flange; the bottom wall of said container body comprises a frustoconical axial relief projecting towards the inside of said container body, to which a outwardly directed axial frustoconical (311;315), corresponds to form an annular groove at the bottom of said container body, the side wall (321; 325) of said groove being provided with a plurality of openings (341; 345) which are preferably formed near the internal side wall of said groove; and a dispensing assembly adapted for cooperating with said pre-packaged capsule.

Description

PRE-PACKAGED CAPSULE OF COFFEE POWDER FOR ESPRESSO COFFEE MACHI NE

TEXT OF TH E DESCRI PTION

The present invention relates to a pre-packaged capsule of coffee powder for use in espresso coffee machines as well as to a dispensing assembly of a machine for preparing espresso coffee, adapted for use with said capsule.

For many years now in the field of espresso coffee machines for use in homes and the like, for example in small companies or offices, there has been an increasing trend towards the use of pre-packaged capsules. This type of product, which has evolved significantly during the last twenty years, is extremely practical to use both in terms of preparation of the coffee and as regards the management of the waste since, from a hygiene point of view, it is much simpler for the user to manage a closed or substantially closed container than the coffee grounds which are produced after an extraction operation . Obviously, with the passing of the years , the pre-packaged capsules available on the market have been developed with extremely positive results also as regards the quality of the extraction which can be obtained, with a consequent increase in terms of their success on the market.

EP512468 describes a closed cartridge which is intended to contain powders for preparation of a beverage, comprising a container body with a base and frustoconical side walls and a circular outer flange with a diameter greater than that of the base and a lid welded to the periphery of the flange; the lid is made of an oxygen-tight flexible material which is selected from the group consisting of aluminium, plastic/aluminium composite, plastic/paper/aluminium composite, pure plastic or multilayered plastic; there is no filter or weakened zone; the lid or the base may be broken solely by means of the pressure of the extraction fluid when the extraction begins.

This type of pre-packaged container is intended to collapse inside the infusion chamber of the machine in which it is used, and its breakage results in undoubted drawbacks from the point of view of the material which accumulates in the dispensing ducts connected to said infusion chamber.

In order to solve this problem, the document US7640802 in the name of the same Applicant describes a pre-packaged serving of coffee powder for machines for preparing an espresso coffee, comprising a cartridge which encloses a given quantity of coffee powder, said cartridge comprising a substantially cylindrical side wall provided at its two ends with a first wall intended to cooperate with the means for supplying the pressurized hot water and a second wall intended to cooperate with the means for dispensing the coffee infusion, said cartridge being made of a material which is substantially air-tight and said second wall being continuous and made of thermoplastic material. Said first wall is provided with pre-weakened zones in order to facilitate cooperation with the means for supplying the pressurized hot water.

The pre-packaged container in question is employed in a suitably designed dispensing assembly for machines for preparing espresso coffee, comprising means for supplying the pressurized hot water, an infusion chamber and means for dispensing the coffee infusion; said dispensing means comprise perforation means which are suitable for forming at least one hole in the wall of the cartridge of said container facing said perforation means, the lips of said hole being sealed against said perforation means until a given pressure is reached.

This type of solution provides excellent results, but still has a certain number of drawbacks. In fact, the distribution of the flow of pressurized hot water within the container and its path out of it appear to be anything but optimal and if, on the one hand, the formation of a single hole, the opening of which is controlled until a given pressure is reached, offers advantages, on the other hand, there is lack of homogeneity in the extraction fluid. This type of product is being increasingly aimed at a higher category of users who are increasingly demanding from the point of view of quality. Moreover, this type of pre-packaged container has internally, near the wall which is perforated, a filter made of paper or similar material to retain the coffee powder; this filter constitutes both a structural and a manufacturing complication which affects the cost of production of the container, and the filtering element also inevitably affects the extraction quality.

Therefore, the above considerations represent the starting point for the research which has lead to the invention in question, the aim of which is to provide a pre-packaged capsule of coffee powder for espresso coffee machines which can provide, at the moment of extraction, a product of a high quality both from the point of view of the homogeneity of extraction and in terms of uniformity of the product obtained. Moreover, this pre-packaged capsule should be manufactured in a 2

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simple manner, minimizing the structure and consequently its production costs. A further aim of the present invention is to provide a dispensing assembly designed to use such a pre-packaged capsule and able to operate in synergy with said capsule.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is a pre-packaged capsule of coffee powder for espresso coffee machines, comprising a substantially frustoconical-shaped container body made of a substantially water-tight material and tapered from the outlet edge towards the bottom wall, said container body being provided with both a radially outwardly projecting flange at said outlet edge and a closing surface coupled to said flange; the bottom wall of said container body comprises an outwardly directed axial frustoconical cavity to which a frustoconical axial relief projecting towards the inside of said container body corresponds, the side wall of said cavity being provided with a plurality of openings communicating with the inside of said container body and having dimensions such as to prevent substantially the passage of the coffee powder and allow the passage of the infusion only.

Preferably, such openings are axial slits which are radially equidistant from each other, and more preferably, they are provided at the top of the notches formed in said cavity and directed towards the inside of said container body. Such reliefs will have a V-shaped configuration.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the openings are formed on the side wall of the said frustoconical axial relief projecting towards the inside of said container body, and have a trapezoidal section, having the smaller base directed inwardly in respect of the said wall.

Advantageously, the said side wall of the said frustoconical axial relief projecting towards the inside of said container body is formed by at least two steps, the said openings being formed in the step portion of the said side wall.

Another object of the present invention is a dispensing assembly for espresso coffee machines, adapted for cooperating with the above described prepackaged capsule, said dispensing assembly comprising filter-holder means provided with a substantially frustoconical infusion chamber whose bottom wall has a frustoconical relief intended to engage the cavity formed on the bottom wall of said capsule, and a duct which is preferably formed axially near said frustoconical relief for discharging the extracted infusion. The bottom of said chamber can be provided with sealing means near the side walls of the chamber itself, while an annular receiving channel communicating with said discharge duct can be provided near said frustoconical relief.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of some embodiments thereof, which is provided by way of illustration, and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a first embodiment of the pre-packaged capsule according to the present invention, without the closing surface;

Figure 2 is a longitudinally sectioned view of the capsule according to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from below of the capsule according to Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view from above of the capsule according to Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a longitudinally sectioned view of the dispensing assembly according to the present invention having inserted a capsule similar to that of Figure 1, provided with the closing surface;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of the pre-packaged capsule according to the present invention, without the closing surface; Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a particular of the embodiment shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a top plane view of the embodiment of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is bottom plane view of the embodiment of

Figure 6.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation view of a first embodiment of the pre-packaged capsule according to the present invention; 1 denotes the container body of the aforementioned capsule, comprising a frustoconical, continuous, side wall 101 tapered from the open end where there is an outwardly projecting radial flange 201 opposite the bottom wall 301. Figure 2 shows a cross- section through the container body shown in Figure 1; identical parts are indicated by the same numbers. As can be noted, the bottom wall 301 has a cavity 311, or a corresponding relief projecting towards the inside of said container body, comprising a frustoconical side wall 321 and a top wall 361. The side wall has formed therealong a plurality of axial notches 331 with a substantially V-shaped cross-section, provided at the top with slits 341 passing through the side wall 321 itself. Inside the container body 1, the relief 311 forms the annular cavity 351. Figures 3 and 4 show constructional details of the container body 1 of the pre-packaged capsule according to the present invention. These figures clearly show the arrangement of the notches 331 on the side wall 321 of the cavity 311, which are angularly equally spaced from each other.

Figure 5 shows the dispensing assembly for espresso coffee machines according to the present invention, having inserted a pre-packaged capsule of the type described above and shown in Figures 1 to 4, provided with the closing surface 401. The closing surface is perforated by the spikes 114 projecting from the peripheral edge of the supply duct 103 arranged axially to the assembly 4 supplying the pressurized hot water. The supply assembly 4 is provided with sealing means 204 which press against the flange 201 of the body 1 of the capsule; this flange rests on the outlet edge 302 of the infusion chamber 2.

The dispensing assembly comprises an infusion chamber 2 which is formed so as to match substantially the container body 1 of the pre-packaged capsule. More specifically, it comprises a frustoconical cavity which has a frustoconical relief 202 projecting axially from its bottom wall 102 and engaging the cavity 311 of the container body 1 of the capsule. In the proximity of the relief 202, the bottom wall 102 is provided with an annular groove 122 communicating with the axial duct 212 which, in turn, communicates with the dispensing duct 3 which discharges the coffee powder infusion through the dispensing mouth 203. Sealing means in the form of a seal 112 are provided near the point of intersection between the bottom wall 102 and the side wall of the infusion chamber.

In the Figure 6 is shown a second embodiment of the capsule accordind to the present invention. The capsule comprise a container body 5, which is provided with a side wall 105, a bottom wall 305 and a radial outwardly projecting flange 205 placed at open end of the said container body 5, and provided at its free end with a thoroidal projecting rib 215. As can be noted, the bottom wall 305 has a cavity 315, or a corresponding relief projecting towards the inside of said container body, comprising a stepped frustoconical side wall 325 and a top wall 375. Inside the container body 5, the relief 311 forms the annular cavity 365. The side wall 325 comprise the step portion 335, through which are formed the openings 345. As it can be noted in Figure 7, the section of the said openings is trapezoidal, having the smaller base 355 directed inwardly in respect of the said wall 325 of the said cavity 315. The Figures 8 and 9 show the capsule according to the embodiment described in Figure 6, respectively in top plane view and in bottom plane view; the same numeral references indicate the same parts. As it can be noted, the openings are angularly equally spaced from each other, and formed on the step portion 335 of the stepped side wall 325.

The operating principle of the pre-packaged capsule of coffee powder and the dispensing assembly designed for operation therewith will become clear from the description below. The pre-packaged capsule according to the invention is inserted inside the infusion chamber 2, and pressurized hot water is then supplied thereto by suitable supply means such as the supply assembly 4 - shown in Figure 5 - which supplies pressurized hot water to the pre-packaged capsule after having perforated the wall of the closing surface 401.

Once the pressurized hot water has filled the container body 1, the pressure at this point will cause the extract to pass through the slits 341 formed in the side wall 321 of the cavity 311. Obviously, the shape of the slits and how they are positioned inside the notches 331 is such that said slits are able to act as a filter for the coffee powder, retaining it inside the body 1. At the same time, the relief 202 inside the cavity 311 creates a suitable obstacle to discharge of the infusion, so as to raise the value of the pressure inside said container body and therefore achieve a better extraction. This action is also assisted by the seal 112 located on the bottom wall 102 of the infusion chamber 2. Upon exiting from the slits 341, the infusion flows into the annular receiving channel 122, and from here to the duct 212 which leads into the dispensing duct 3, and from here to the dispensing mouth 203. The hole in the membrane mainly helps to increase the mixing action between air and infusion, and therefore create the "froth" effect in a manner known per se and already used by the same Applicant in other similar devices.

Advantageously, the slits will be formed so as to allow a maximum control over discharging of the powders; in fact, positioning of the slits 341 on the top of the V-shaped notches 331 limits the capacity of the powders to expand and therefore, on the one hand, it increases the pressure inside the container body and, on the other hand, it retains the powder inside the same.

The relief 202 is formed so as to fit almost perfectly inside the cavity 311 of the body 1 of the prepackaged capsule, thus conveniently controlling the discharging of the infusion which, therefore, has substantially only the annular receiving channel 122 communicating with the duct 212 as a predefined exit path.

I n the second embodiment of the capsu le shown in Figures from 6 to 9, a different kind of openings 345 is provided on the side wall 325 of the cavity 31 5 formed on the bottom wall of the said capsule. This kind of opening achieves in a different way quite the same results of the slits 341 described in the first embod iment of the capsule according to the present invention . I n fact, the shape itself of the said opening 345, with the smaller section 355 directed inwardly, allows a good control of the extracted coffee, substantially preventing the exit of coffee powder.

The openings are conveniently formed on the step portion 335 of the side wall 325 of the cavity 31 5. The choice of providing a stepped side wall is due to the easier formation of the said openings 345 in the said side wall . The container body is realized by molding , and by this way all the operations that could be performed along the axis of the moulding , that is to say in this case the formation of the said opening , are highly preferred .

Moreover, the container body 5 is also provided with a thoroidal rib 215 projecting from the flange 205, the said rib allowing a better tightness of flange 205 in 2

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respect of the infusion chamber and of the supply assemply 4.

The behaviour of the capsule provided with the container body 5 inside an infusion chamber as above described is almost the same as that of the capsule provided with the container body according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In fact, the extracted coffee brew passes through the openings 345 and, via the receiving channel 122 and the duct 212, can reach the dispensing mouth 203.

Therefore, when the pre-packaged capsule is designed in this way, it can produce an infusion of optimum quality as a result of the extraction, which is controlled in terms of the pressure created inside the container body. Moreover, with this type of solution, the presence of filter means located between the infusion exit opening and the coffee powder itself is substantially no longer required. Basically, by forming the bottom wall of the container body of the capsule in the manner described above, both the infusion dispensing openings and the filtering means are provided without any interference between the two functions performed.

Claims

1. Pre-packaged capsule of coffee powder for espresso coffee machines, comprising a substantially frustoconical-shaped container body (1; 5) made of a substantially water-tight material and tapered from the outlet edge towards the bottom wall (301; 305), said container body (1; 5) being provided with both a radially outwardly projecting flange (201; 205) at said outlet edge and a closing surface (401) coupled to said flange (201; 205), characterized in that the bottom wall (301; 305) of said container body comprises an outwardly directed axial frustoconical cavity (311; 315) to which a frustoconical axial relief projecting and tapered towards the inside of said container body (1; 5) corresponds, the side wall (321; 325) of said cavity (311; 315) being provided with a plurality of openings (341; 345) communicating with the inside of said container body and having dimensions such as to prevent substantially the passage of the coffee powder and allow the passage of the infusion.

2. Pre-packaged capsule according to Claim 1, wherein these openings (341; 345) are angularly equally spaced from each other.

3. Pre-packaged capsule according to Claim 2, wherein these openings are are axial slits (341).

4. Pre-packaged capsule according to Claim 3, wherein said slits (341 ) are provided at the top of notches (331 ) formed in said cavity and directed towards the outside of said container body ( 1 ) .

5. Pre-packaged capsule according to Claim 4 , wherein such notches have a V-shaped configu ration.

6. Pre-packaged capsule accord ing to Claim 2 , wherein the said openings (345) have trapezoidal section , the smaller base (355) of the said section being d irected inwardly in respect of the said side wall (325).

7. Pre-packaged capsule according to anyone of the preceding claims 2 to 6, wherein the said side wall (325) is formed at least by two steps, the said openings (345) being formed in the step portion (335) of the said side wall (325).

8. Dispensing assembly for espresso coffee machines, adapted for cooperating with a pre-packaged capsule ( 1 ; 5) of coffee powder according to any one of the preceding Claims 1 to 7, said dispensing assembly comprising filter-holder means provided with a substantially frustoconical infusion chamber (2) whose bottom wall (102) has a frustoconical relief (202) intended to engage the cavity (31 1 ; 315) formed on the bottom wall (301 ; 305) of said capsule ( 1 ; 5) , and a duct (3) which is preferably formed axially near said frustoconical relief (202) for discharging the extracted infusion .

9. Dispensing assembly according to Claim 8, wherein the bottom of said chamber (2) is provided with sealing means ( 1 12) near the side wall of the chamber itself.

10. Dispensing assembly according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein an ann ular receiving channel ( 122) communicating with said discharge duct (3) is provided near said frustoconical relief (202) .