Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
  • B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
  • B65D85/804—Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package
  • B65D85/8043—Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents
  • B65D85/8046—Pods, i.e. closed containers made only of filter paper or similar material

Definitions

• the present invention regards an infusion pack for a respective food product.
• Said product is, in particular, shaped as a food product for infusion, such as coffee or the like.
• Infusion packs have been known for a respective product for infusion, in particular as loose powder coffee and which are able to be used in a suitable apparatus for making a respective drink.
• Said known packs have an external wrapping defining a chamber for containing the product and means which are able to define a respective passageway for introducing heated water inside the wrapping and for the going out of the brewed drink from the same wrapping.
• infusion packs which are shaped as a capsule, in rigid plastic material, having a wide housing chamber for the infusion product, which is housed therein in powder in loose condition.
• infusion packs which are defined by opposite film or pellicle sheets that tightly contain and maintain compact the said product for infusion, always in loose condition.
• both the above referred packs do not provide, and anyway they would not be suitable, to enable a waste separation of the various components of the pack.
• an infusion pack for a respective product said product being in particular shaped as a food product for infusion, such as coffee or the like, said pack having a wrapping defining a containment chamber of the product and being able to be provided with means suitable to define a respective passageway for introducing inside the wrapping and for the going out from the same wrapping of an infusion fluid or liquid, characterized in that the pack comprises a compact slab of said product for infusion which is housed inside said wrapping, and in that said wrapping defines a housing chamber which has a volume coinciding or substantially coinciding with the one of said compact slab.
• the pack can be made with the material strictly necessary for containing a product for infusion which occupies the particularly reduced volume defined by such a compact slab of product.
• figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the infusion pack according to the present invention
• figure 2 illustrates a section view, taken according to the l l-l l line in figure 1 , of the first preferred embodiment of pack according to the present invention
• figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the profiled or cup bodies of the first preferred embodiment of pack according to the present invention
• figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of a compact slab of infusion material used in the present pack
• figure 5 illustrates an exploded section view similar to the one of figure 2 which shows the steps for making the pack according to the present invention
• figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a use step of the present pack in an infusion apparatus
• figure 7 illustrates a step of binning in separated way of the components of the present pack
• figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the infusion pack according to the present invention
• figure 9 illustrates a section view, similar to the one in figure 2, relative to the second preferred embodiment of the infusion pack according to the present invention
• figure 10 and 1 1 illustrate an exploded section view of a third and fourth embodiment of the infusion pack according to the invention, respectively.
• FIG. 7 In the attached figures from 1 to 7, is illustrated a first preferred embodiment 10 of infusion pack for a respective product 15, in the figures 8 and 9 is illustrated a second preferred embodiment 100 of infusion pack for a respective product 15, in the figures 10 and 1 1 a third embodiment and a fourth embodiment 200, 300 respectively, for a respective product
• Such a product is in particular a food product for infusion, such as coffee or other product for infusion, for example tea, cacao, chocolate, camomile tea, tisane, barley, preparation for broth, for making a corresponding drink.
• a food product for infusion such as coffee or other product for infusion, for example tea, cacao, chocolate, camomile tea, tisane, barley, preparation for broth, for making a corresponding drink.
• the present infusion pack can be used in a suitable apparatus A, illustrated in figure 6 where the pack 10 is suitably inserted inside a respective profiled housing seat, that is, as illustrated, through a respective profiled split F defining an access to said housing seat.
• an infusion liquid preferably as heated water
• passes through the pack so that the product infuses itself in the same infusion liquid and it is then transported and discharged in a suitable container, or cup, C, in view of the consumption of the drink by the user.
• the respective pack 10, 100, 200, 300 has a respective containment wrapping 1 1 , 1 11 , which defines a respective housing chamber 13 of the product for infusion 15.
• the wrapping 1 1 , 11 1 can have means suitable to define a respective passageway of the body of the wrapping for introducing inside the same wrapping a fluid or liquid for infusion and for the going out from the same wrapping of said fluid or liquid for infusion charged of the infused product, as will be, anyway, better described in the following of the present description.
• said fluid or liquid for infusion is heated water.
• the pack 10 comprises a product for infusion which has the shape of a compact slab 15 of said product for infusion and which is housed inside said wrapping 1 1 ,
• the said wrapping 1 1 , 1 1 1 defines a housing chamber 13 which presents a volume coinciding or substantially coinciding with the one of said compact slab 15.
• the present slab of food product to be infused is defined by a plurality of particles or powders reciprocally aggregated of said food prod uct to define a compact and substantially rigid body, which is suitable to maintain its own shape.
• the predetermined portion of product in the present slab configuration presents a minimal volume and, therefore, lower than the one it would present in loose condition. Thanks to the present slab, packs having particularly reduced dimensions can be obtained.
• the present slab is preferably obtained from a portion of roasted coffee, in powder or in small granules, which is introduced inside a respective mould at which is applied a ultrasonic tool device, which can be of known typology.
• the process provides, advantageously, that an aggregating agent is added, in particular a liquid, specially consisting in water, to said powder or granular product, so as to favour the aggregation of the particles of said product.
• a predetermined portion of product is arranged in said mould. After that, energy is supplied to said predetermined portion of product in such a way as to aggregate, or let adhere, the particles of said product.
• said energy is supplied as mechanical vibrations, in a preferred way as ultrasonic mechanical vibrations.
• a slab is obtained wherein the particles of product remain rather distinct to each other, adhering, however, to each other, so as to define a compact, or aggregated, configuration of said powder or granular product.
• Said agent is, in particular, water and is added in quantity varying from 0, 1 % to 20% in weight of said predetermined portion.
• said agent in particular water, is added in varying quantity from 3% to 10% in weight of said predetermined portion.
• a quantity of energy comprised between 1 00 and 5.000 Joule, preferably a quantity of energy comprised between 700 and 2.000 Joule, and in a particularly preferred way substantially equal to 1.500 Joule.
• the respective wrapping 1 1 , 1 1 1 has respective extreme transverse walls or panels 12a, 14a, or 1 12a, 114a.
• the respective pack 10, 100, 200, 300 comprises a compact slab 15 of said product for infusion which is housed inside said wrapping 1 1 , 1 1 1 , the which wrapping 1 1 , 1 1 1 has the internal face of the opposed extreme transverse walls 12a, 14a or 1 12a, 1 14a, which engages against the respective extreme transverse face 15a, 15b of the said slab 15.
• Said internal face of the transverse wall being marked in the first two embodiments by the references 12', 14', and 1 12', 1 14'.
• transverse walls or faces preferably lie on planes substantially perpendicular to said conventional direction L.
• the respective transverse wall 12a, 14a, 1 12a, 1 14a of the wrapping presents a shape matching the extreme transverse face 15a, 15b of the slab.
• the respective transverse wall of the wrapping contacts the entire extreme transverse face 15a, 15b of the same slab.
• the compact slab 15 comprises respective extreme transverse faces, in particular plan form and circumferential, 15a, 15b and a peripheral face 15c which extends longitudinally between the said extreme faces 15a, 15b and which, in particular presents a cylindrical conformation.
• the longitudinally extreme transverse faces 15a, 15b are preferably parallel to each other and lie on planes perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L according which the lateral cylindrical surface 15c of the same slab of powder or granulate product extends.
• the respective wrapping 1 1 has respective extreme faces 12a, 14a, which are preferably parallel to each other and are suitable to contact the respective preferably plane transverse faces 15a, 15b of the slap of product for infusion 15.
• the respective wrapping 1 1 , 1 1 1 has a lateral peripheral wall
• the said containment wrapping 11 is a rigid, or substantially rigid, cover preferably in plastic material
• the containment wrapping 1 1 1 is a flexible wrapping realized in a corresponding film or pellicle, or other material such as aluminium pellicle, layered plastic film or other.
• Both the said first and second embodiments 10, 100 comprise a first and a second portion 1 2 , 14, respectively, 112, 114, facing each other and containing between them a respective compact slab 15 of said product for infusion.
• the respective compact slab 15 extends beyond the extreme edge of a respective portion 12, 14, 1 12, 1 14 of the pack inside the facing portion 14, 12, 1 14, 1 12 of the respective wrapping.
• the first preferred embodiment 10 has a wrapping comprising a respective body shaped as a cup 12, in particular a first and a second body shaped as a cup 12, 14, preferably in plastic material, and making in the whole a containment cover for said compact slab 15.
• a first and a second body shaped as a cup 12, 14 define respective half- covers facing each other and containing, or wrapping, the said compact slab 15.
• the respective cup-shaped body 12, 14 for defining the containment cover of the present infusion pack is made in plastic material, rigid or semi-rigid, which is obtained through moulding or thermo-moulding, injection or blow moulding of a corresponding material or material film.
• the respective cup-shaped body 12, 14 presents a respective bottom wall 12a, 14a, having a flat conformation, and a peripheral wall longitudinal or perpendicular to the respective bottom wall, marked with the reference 12b, 14b.
• the bottom faces or walls 12a, 14a of the half-covers, or portions, 12, 14 of the wrapping present a circular peripheral profile and the respective longitudinal or lateral peripheral wall 12b, 14b has a cylindrical general conformation.
• the said covers 12, 14 preferably have the same longitudinal height and in particular are totally identical to each other and can therefore be obtained from a same mould, or from identical moulds.
• the covers 212, 214 can by substantially identical, but with a curved bottom, so as to contain a correspondingly shaped compact slab 215.
• the covers 312, 314 can be shaped differently, one being provided with a flat bottom, the other one with a curved one.
• the product slab 315 is in this case shaped accordingly. I n both cases, the quantity of product which can be contained in the wrapping is increased, owing to the curved shape.
• the respective cover 1 1 can be made of a first and a second portion 12, 14, which are preferably extended in a mirror-like way, profiled with respect to the reciprocal union plane.
• the respective cup bodies 12, 14 have a longitudinal axis 'U and are, in the pack, positioned coaxially with respect to this axis.
• the wrapping 1 1 1 of the second preferred embodiment has a respective sheet
• the wrapping 1 1 1 of the second preferred embodiment comprises a first and a second sheet 1 12, 114, in suitable film or pellicle, facing each other and winding about the interposed compact slab 15.
• the wrapping 11 , 11 1 has a transverse peripheral lip 16,
• the said peripheral lip 16 is preferably parallel to the transverse extreme walls 12a, 14a of the respective wrapping and extends perpendicular with respect to the corresponding peripheral wall 12b, 14b of the wrapping.
• the respective portion 12, 14, 1 12, 1 14 of the respective wrapping 1 1 , 1 1 1 has a peripheral lip 12d, 14d, 1 12d, 114d protruding radially towards the outside and suitable to define means for associating with the other portion of the pack.
• the respective lips 12d, 14d, 1 12d, 1 14d of the respective first and second portion 12, 14, 1 12, 1 14 extend peripherally for the entire circumferential extension of the respective portion.
• the respective profiled cover 12, 14 comprises a lateral peripheral wall 12b, 14b, which extends from the bottom peripheral wall 12a, 14a.
• the said external peripheral lip 12d, 14d extends from the end of the lateral wall 12b, 14b which is opposite the one wherein is provided the said bottom wall 12a, 14a.
• the wrapping 1 1 can be opened, after use or infusion, in particular to allow to put advantageously at waste the slab 15 separately with respect to the wrapping 1 1.
• the wrapping 1 1 can be opened to allow the going out of the said slab 15 from the same wrapping.
• first and the second portion 12, 14 of the wrapping can be separated, at least partially, from each other to define an outlet mouth 21 of the slab 15, as can be deduced from the figure 7.
• the respective cup shape body 12, 14 presents, therefore, a respective peripheral lip 12d, 14d protruding radially towards the outside from the extreme longitudinal edge of the lateral peripheral wall 12b, 14b, which is opposed to the one at which extends the bottom wall 12a, 14a of the cup body. Therefore, the first and second portion of the wrapping 12, 14, 1 12, 1 14 have respective peripheral lips 12d, 14d, 1 12d, 1 14d, protruding radially and which, in the pack, are matching each other and between which are provided respective union means.
• union means between the first and the second portion of the wrapping 12, 14, 1 12, 114 are provided between respective peripheral lips 12d, 14d, 1 12d, 1 14d protruding radially and matching said first and second portion.
• union means are provided between the first and the second portion which union means are particularly provided as adhesive means of a corresponding adhesive layer.
• the union means between the first and the second portion are in particular provided as releasable union means, for example mechanical coupling means as matching male and female profiles.
• the slab could be used in the apparatus without the wrapping. Therefore its separation from the wrapping can directly serve for the use of the product in the apparatus A, and not only for its putting at separated waste.
• a union layer which has a traction resistance lower than the resistance of the material which defines the portion of the wrapping.
• the releasable union means are provided between the facing peripheral lips of the first and of the second portion of the wrapping.
• Analogous opening means can be provided also on the wrapping 1 1 1 of the second preferred embodiment, also if they are not particularly illustrated in the corresponding figures.
• the said means for opening the wrapping are provided as grip means, in particular by the fingers of the user, and in particular as first grip means 18a provided on a portion 12 of the wrapping and as second grip means 18b provided on a second portion 14 of the same wrapping.
• the said opening means are disguised as a respective tang 18a, 18b, which is provided on the respective portion 12, 14 of the wrapping.
• the respective grip tangs 18a, 18b of the portions matching each other are at each other, in particular they are longitudinally aligned to each other.
• the means suitable to define a passageway for introducing a liquid for infusion and the going out of an infused liquid are provided as holes already realised on the respective transverse wall 12a, 14a of the wrapping or realised through the insertion in the apparatus A.
• These hole means, or holes, are however not particularly illustrated in the attached drawings.
• the said means suitable to define a passageway for the inlet of the liquid for infusion and for the outlet of the infused liquid from the inside of the wrapping can be provided as a transverse wall 12a, 14a, that is of the entire wrapping, which is in suitably pierceable or lacerable material, through corresponding means, in particular pierceable in the infusion machine, for the direct passage of liquid inside and outside the wrapping and for the passage of means, such as needles for injecting said liquid.
• said first and second portion 12a, 12b are separated portions and united to each other to define the present pack.
• An analogous process could be provided also for making the above referred packs 100, 200, 300.
• the process provides for prearranging a first portion of the wrapping, positioning a compact slab of material in infusion on the said first portion of the wrapping, positioning a second portion of the wrapping at, or above, the first portion of the wrapping, containing between these latter the compact slab of material for infusion 15, and, at last, to unite to each other the said first and second portion of the wrapping housing the compact slab 15 of material in infusion.
• the present body of the slab could be made of any adapted and desired shape and anyway adapted to be housed inside the pack.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

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• 2012
  • 2012-03-30 EP EP12716289.9A patent/EP2834167A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-03-30 WO PCT/EP2012/055916 patent/WO2013143622A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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