GB2503697A

GB2503697A - Coffee machine capsule

Info

Publication number: GB2503697A
Application number: GB1211878.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alex Gort-Barten
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-07-04
Filing date: 2012-07-04
Publication date: 2014-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2032-07-04
Also published as: GB2503697B; GB201307699D0; GB201211878D0; GB2503774B; GB2503774A

Abstract

A capsule 1 for use in a coffee machine has a generally frusto-conical form with an upper surface and a lower surface 3. The upper surface is provided with a plurality of perforations 2, which perforations 2 are disposed in a first ring and a second ring concentric with but spatially separated from the first ring. The perforations are substantially blind holes to reduce or eliminate air circulation between the interior and exterior of the capsule. The capsule is further provided with a shoulder 4 around its outer circumference at the lower end of the capsule adjacent to a flange located at the lower end of the capsule. A film may be provided on the interior surface of the capsule to reduce or eliminate air circulation through the perforations 1. Water or steam pressure could burst through the capsules bas to mix with the coffee. The shoulder could have a greater diameter than the rest of the capsule wall.

Description

Coffee Capsule The invention relates to a capsule for making espresso coffee using an espresso machine.

Powered espresso macFines are well known. The conventional espresso machine comprises a water chamber, a heating element adapted to boil the water to produce steam, which is then pumped to a filter holder. The filter holder typically comprises a handle portion and a holder portion provided with two or three logs that are adapted to engage in the installed position with the machine brewhead to 4iere the steam is pumped. The holder portion is adapted to receive a filter, which is usually a metal bowl with a number of perforations through its bottom. in use, the filter is filled with finely ground coffee and the steam is forced through the co lIce at the high pressure generated by the pump to produce the espresso coffee which is collected in a cup placed under the filter holder.

The classic coffee machine suffers from two potential drawbacks. The fir st drawback is that ground coffee starts to lose its freshness and flavour after a few days and so for the optimum espresso, the user will also need to have a coffee grinder. The other drawback is that the used espresso coffee has to be removed from the filter, which can lead to mess as the grounds are fine.

This lead to the development of LSE coffee pods, which can be used in many espresso machines. Coffee pods are generally individually wrapped to maintain freshness and consist of a small pod made of a perforated filter paper which contains the coffee. Ihe pod is placed in the filter holder and then disposed of after use.

Coffee pods are convenient but have to fit the filter holder and be placed correctly otherwise water can leak around the edge.

This in turn lead to the development of capsule machines, The coffee capsules for these machines are completely sealed. The capsule machines do not use the conventional filter holder. A capsule machine has a two part mechanism. The lower part receives the capsule and is provided with an extraction sLirface upon which the capsule rests. The upper part is provided with a. locking lever which. is used to make

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the upper and lower parks integral. In use, the upper part cuts th.e upper surface of the capsule to allow steam to euLer the capsule and percolate down through the capsule.

where it exits through the lower surface of the capsule at multiple locations detennined by the geometry of the extraction surface. An example of such a machine is disclosed in HP 0870457 or W02005!004683. Capsules in the known capsule coffee machines are, in use, inserted into a tubular member of the machine which holds the capsule in position so that it may be cut by a cutting member.

(iIe machines have proved to be commercially vcry successful as they arc very convenient to use arid produce a consistent product However, each manufacturers coffee machines and capsules are designed to work with the manufacturers own brand. The most popular brand of capsule is Nespresso ®, which uses a sealed capsule. In use, the capsule is clamped into position in the machine with a tubular part hoLding the capsule so that it can be cut to enable water under pressure to enter the coffee capsue. [he main alternative to this type of capsule is perkrated with 6 to 9 holes to enable the water to enter the capsule. The perforations have one significant design drawback in tha:t air can enter the capsule. Consequently, the capsules are packaged in small quantities in nitrogen filled bags to enable the shelf life of the coffee to match that of a sealed capsule. This results in significantly increased transport and packaging costs, Thcre are flirthcnnore no capsules on the market which can be used in the classic espresso machine.

Such machines suffer from the twin disadvantages that they need a cutting tool to opening the capsule and also the capsule tends to become stuck in the t-ubular member.

The present invention seeks to provide a coffee capsule which can he used in both a conventional powered. espresso machines as well as in a sealed capsule maehine According to the invention there is provided, a capsule for use in a. coffee machine having a generally frusto-eonical form with an upper surface and a lower surface, Wherein the upper surface is provided with a plurality of perforations, which perforations are disposed in a first rir.ig and a second ring concentric with but spatially separated from the first ring, the perforations being substantially blind holes to reduce

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or eliminate air circi.dation between the interior arid exterior of the capsule, wherein the capsule is further provided with a shoulder around its outer circumference at the Lower end of the capsule adjacent to a flange located at the lower end of the capsule.

Preferably the peribrations do not pierce the capsule and wherein, in use, water or steam pressure bursts the base wail section and creates the path for the water to ingress the top of the capsule and into the coffee in the capsule.

Alternatively, a film is provided on the interior surface of the capsule to reduce or eliminate air cireuhition through the perforations.

Preferably, the shoulder has an increased outer diameter with respect to the remaining exterior wail of the capsule An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig.1 shows a perspective view of the capsule Fig. 2 shows a side view of the capsule Figure 1 shows a perspective side section of capsule i having a generally frustoconical form. The upper end of the cone frustum has a smaller diameter than the lower end. The surface of the upper end of the cone is provided with a plurality of perforations 2 that in combination form a zone of weakness, 24 perforations are disposed around the outer circumference of the upper surface of the capsule. Two concentric patterns of perforations arranged in a substantially octagonal pattern arc located at around 1/3 of the radius from the cente of the upper end. The perforations do not pierce the capsule so that in use the steam pressure bursts the thin wafi section at the bottom of the perforations and creates the path fix the water to ingress the top of the capsule and into the coffee. The perforations are thus in effect formed as blind holes.

Alternatively to this design of pertbrations, a film can be provided on the interior surface of the upper end of the capsule. The film prevents dust or dirt ingress into the capsule and also substantially reduces air movement between the inside and the outside of the capsule thereby greatly extending the time that the coffee in the capsule retains ts aromas, The perforations in this embodiment are thus effectively blind holes.

The lower end of the capsule is provided with a foil seal 3, which foil seal, iii use, is pressed against a filter element typically comprisaig a plurality of the upstanding truncated pyramids and adapted to assist in the tearing of the foil in use so that the coffee extracted from the coffee granules can percolate out of the capsule through holes in the filter.

The interior of the capsule is provided with several strengthening ribs to reduce the likelihood of the capsule collapsing under the pressures to which it is subjected in use.

The capsule is provided with a flange 4 at its lower end, which flange 4 is adapted to co-operated with a retaining mechanism of a coffee machine in use so that the capsule can he held in the correct position when in use in the coffee machine. The flange is provided with a small groove 5, which aids the centring of the retaining mechanism.

The capsule does not have a regular conical outer diameter over its entire length. The outer diameter of the upper part of the capsule is initially vertical and increases at a first rate until it reaches shoulder 6 when the outer diameter increases by a small amount to provide a shoulder to the rim of the capsule.

Alternatively, it would be possible to have the outer diameter of the capsule increase at a second. rate greater than the first rate until the rim of the capsule.

The provision of the shoulder 6 has been found to solve the problem of the capsules becoming stuck in the tubular retaining member of capsule machines such as that disclosed in W0200500R543. lii use the capsule can he inserted in a conventional machine and the arrangement of substantially coneentri.c perforations enables the upper surface of the capsule to be torn by water pressure from the espresso machine without the need for a cutting device. The capsule is therefore suitable for use in conventional espresso machines as well as capsuk machines as the pressure of the watcr will force the foil against the filter plate of the espresso machine to enable the extracted coffee to percolate out of the capsule.

Claims

Claims I. A capsule for use in a coffee machine having a generally fi-usto-conical form with an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface is provided with a plurality of perforations, which perfirations are disposed in a first ring and a second ring concentric with hut spatially separated from the first ring, the perforations being substantially blind holes to reduce or eliminate air circulation between the inlerior and exterior of the capsule, wherein the capsule is further provided with a. shoulder around its outer circumference at the lower end of the capsule adjacent to a flange located at the lower end of the capsule.
2. A capsule according to Claim 1, wherein the perforations do not pierce the capsule and wherein, in use, water or steam pressure bursts the base wail section and creates the path for the water to ingress the top of the capsule and into the coffee in the capsuLe.
3. A capsule according to Claim 1., wherein a film is provided on the interior surface of the capsule to reduce or eliminate air circulation through the perforations.
4. A capsule according to any one of Claims I to 3, wherein the shoulder has an increased outer diameter with respect to the remaining exterior wall of the capsule.
5. A capsule substantially as described, herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.