JP2022504689A - Manufacturing method of coffee container and coffee container for beverage preparation - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a method for producing a coffee container (1a to 1 g) for preparing a coffee beverage when a liquid is injected into a coffee container, and the present method is a container wall means (2) surrounding a predetermined container. , 2a, 3a-3g) and a certain amount of bulk coffee material, such as roasted and ground coffee particles, in a container volume between the container wall means (2, 2a, 3a-3g). Within, including the step of compressing into a coffee tablet under a predetermined compressive force, the applied compressive force is the specific container volume provided and / or the specific beverage prepared from the provided container. It relates to a method of making a coffee container, which is set based on at least the type and the applied compressive force is set to a value of 0.5 to 15 kN, preferably 1 kN to 10 kN.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

The present invention relates to optimized coffee containers such as capsules or pods containing certain compressed forms of coffee raw material, and the manufacturing process for such containers. The coffee container is designed to be extracted within the beverage preparation device that prepares the coffee beverage.

Coffee containers used in conjunction with beverage preparation devices are well known and widely available on the market. Therefore, such containers are typically designed to inject a heated pressurized liquid to prepare the beverage when the supplied liquid interacts with the beverage ingredients in the container. Such interactions can occur during dissolution and / or extraction of the supplied beverage ingredients under liquid contact. The container usually comprises a predefined amount of raw material for preparing a beverage potion for a single serve.

Coffee containers in known beverage preparation systems typically have a single container size that is compatible with the particular beverage preparation device in the system. However, this is a disadvantage when preparing different beverages such as short cups or long cups, ie espresso type beverages and rungo type beverages, ideally for long cups compared to short cup beverages. Therefore, a larger amount of infused liquid and a larger amount of coffee raw material are required in the container. Therefore, when supplying coffee ingredients to prepare different types of beverages within the same container size, a compromise must be found for the same available volume for each ingredient in the container. In particular, in order to optimize the beverage raw material supplied to prepare the espresso type beverage, a smaller amount of coffee raw material such as 5-6 grams is supplied, but a relatively thin Lungo beverage is obtained. Alternatively, a larger amount of coffee raw material is supplied to optimize the beverage outcome of the Lungo beverage, but the coffee raw material is wasted when preparing an espresso-type beverage using the same container in a given beverage preparation system. Is either.

In addition, different beverage types such as espresso beverages and Lungo beverages have, among other things, the required extraction pressure, liquid contact time, extraction time, extraction yield, and resulting beverage crema with respect to the applied beverage preparation process. It also has different ideal requirements. However, one-size-fits-all known beverage containers do not address these different requirements. This also applies to known vessels for the same beverage preparation system that supply different amounts of beverage ingredients within another integrated container volume.

The present invention attempts to address the above problems. The present invention also aims to solve other problems, in particular other problems as described in the rest of the specification.

In the first aspect, the present invention is a method for manufacturing a coffee container for preparing a coffee beverage when a liquid such as water is injected into the coffee container.
Steps to select and provide container wall means surrounding a predetermined container volume, and
A step of compressing a certain amount of bulk coffee material, such as roasted and ground coffee particles, into a coffee tablet under a predetermined compressive force within the container volume between the container wall means.
The applied compressive force is set and applied at least based on the provided container volume and / or the resulting container type, respectively, the particular type of beverage prepared from the resulting container volume. The compression force applied is set to a value of 0.5 kN to 15 kN, most preferably 1 kN to 10 kN.
Regarding the manufacturing method of coffee containers.

According to the present invention, the compressive force on the coffee material supplied to each container volume is for a beverage intended to be prepared from this particular container with the beverage preparation parameters of a particular container or container type. Each is specifically adapted to a predetermined value for optimization. This is the beverage process when the liquid is injected into the container using a known beverage preparation device or system, where the compressive force on the bulk coffee material, respectively, the resulting compressibility of the coffee material in the manufactured container. Due to the fact that it has a strong influence on the parameters. In particular, the extraction pressure obtained, the flow time obtained, the yield yield, and / or the crema obtained are affected based on the different compressive forces applied. However, these process parameters can be suitably affected by adjusting the compressive force for different containers, so that different beverage types, especially short beverages, such as espresso or wristlet type coffee beverages, as well as long beverages, eg, long beverages, etc. Beverage containers manufactured for Lungo-type coffee beverages can be used to obtain optimized beverage results. For example, for espresso-type beverages housed in smaller container volumes, high-pressure and hard crema can be obtained, but for Lungo-type coffee beverages housed in larger container volumes, overextraction notes can be obtained. It can be avoided.

In a preferred embodiment, the compressive force applied to the bulk coffee material is also set based on the particle size of the bulk coffee material provided and / or the degree of roasting of the bulk coffee material. Therefore, the resulting beverage process parameters can be further optimized during beverage preparation with the container.

The particle size of the bulk coffee material is preferably 150 to 800 μm, more preferably 150 to 600 μm.

The roasting value or degree of roasting of the bulk coffee material is preferably 50 to 120 CTN. Thus, the term "CTN" refers to an experimental unit that characterizes the intensity of monochromatic light reflected by a sample of roasted and ground coffee when measured with a spectrophotometer such as Neuhaus Neotec's Color Test II. For example, a lower CTN value of, for example, about 45 is associated with dark roasted coffee, and a higher CTN value of, for example, about 150 is associated with very bright roasted coffee.

The compressive force applied can be set according to the particular container volume, particle size, degree of roasting, and / or the weight of coffee material provided within the volume. Therefore, the compressive force is preferably set according to predetermined values found to provide optimized beverage parameters using a given beverage preparation device or system.

The applied compressive force is preferably set lower for smaller particle sizes and higher for larger particle sizes.

The applied compressive force can be set relatively lower for a smaller container volume, each with a smaller amount of coffee material enclosed within the container volume, and a larger container volume, each enclosed within the container volume. For larger volumes of coffee material, it can be set relatively higher.

Different selectable container wall means preferably for preparing at least first and second predetermined container types for preparing short and long coffee beverages, as well as medium size coffee beverages. It is designed to form a plurality of substitutable types of containers, such as at least a third predetermined container type of choice.

The weight of the coffee material enclosed within each container volume is preferably composed of 4 to 15 grams, preferably 5.5 to 12 grams.

The coffee material supplied in the container is preferably designed to reconstitute a single serving portion of the beverage when interacting with a liquid such as water supplied to the capsule. The coffee material is preferably roasted and ground coffee particles designed to prepare coffee beverages such as wristlet coffee beverages, espresso coffee beverages, or Lungo coffee beverages.

In a preferred embodiment, the volume of the container intended for preparing the short coffee beverage is 5 mL to 15 mL, more preferably 9 mL to 11 mL. The volume of the container intended to prepare the long coffee beverage is preferably 15 mL to 50 mL, more preferably 16 mL to 20 mL, and the volume of the container intended to prepare the medium size coffee beverage is preferable. Is 13 mL to 16 mL.

For clarity, the volume of coffee beverage prepared from the pods poured into the cup is 15mL-50mL in the cup for "short coffee beverage" and "medium size coffee beverage". In the case of, the volume in the cup is considered to be 51 mL to 150 mL, and in the case of "long coffee beverage", the volume in the cup is considered to be 151 mL to 1 liter.

In a preferred embodiment, the compressive force for a container volume designed to prepare a short coffee beverage is set to a value of 0.5 kN to 10 kN, with 1 kN to 2.5 kN being more preferred. For container volumes designed to prepare long coffee beverages, the compressive force is preferably set to a value of 0.5 kN to 15 kN, more preferably 2 kN to 5 kN. For container volumes designed to prepare medium sized coffee beverages, the compressive force is preferably set to a value of 1 kN to 7 kN.

In certain preferred embodiments, the compressive force for a container volume designed to prepare a short coffee beverage is set to a value of 1-2.5 kN and the particle size of the bulk coffee material is 200-300 μm, more preferably. It is about 250 μm.

In certain preferred embodiments, the compressive force for a container volume designed to prepare long coffee beverages is set to a value of 2.5-3.5 kN, and the particle size of the bulk coffee material is 300-400 μm, more. It is preferably about 350 μm.

In the preferred embodiment described above, a relatively small container volume is intended to prepare a short beverage such as espresso coffee, and a relatively large container volume is intended to prepare a long beverage such as Lungo type coffee. Please note that it will be done. The required compressive force is then set to a suitable value to optimize the intended beverage preparation results from each container.

In alternative embodiments, however, it is also possible to provide a larger vessel volume, which is designed to prepare a very thick espresso, i.e. a short beverage. In this case, according to the invention, the compressive force provided is set based on the intended type of beverage prepared from a particular container, whereby this compressive force is more like preparing a long coffee beverage. Larger vessel volumes are set relatively lower compared to other embodiments intended. In another preferred alternative embodiment, a larger container volume may be provided that aims to extract large quantities of solids with a short extraction to prepare Americano coffee beverages. In the present specification, coffee materials having a relatively fine particle size such as 200 to 300 μm have a relatively low compressive force usually applied in the case of a container for preparing a short beverage, respectively, in the case of a smaller container volume. Provided at.

The container wall means preferably includes first and second enclosing sheets. The first and second enclosing sheets are preferably made of at least partially deformable material. The container wall means is preferably a single layer comprising paper or similar cellulose material, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), starch-based material, polylactic acid (PLA), and / or aluminum. Made from materials included in the list of films or multilayer films. Container wall means preferably include barrier means against oxygen and / or moisture.

At least the first and / or second container wall means, respectively, the first and / or second enclosing sheets are of size or diameter to provide different container volumes enclosed between the respective container walls. Can fluctuate. The container wall means is preferably of an essentially circular shape.

The method preferably comprises first and second container wall means around the enclosed amount of coffee material, respectively, around the enclosed coffee tablet, with the peripheral flange-like rim portion of the container. Further includes a step of sealing and connecting the enclosing sheet.

In a preferred embodiment, the first and second enclosing sheets are selected according to the desired volume of the resulting container type and / or the particular type of beverage prepared from the resulting container. Then, in the next step, the first enclosing sheet is preferably provided in a dedicated recess, matrix, mold, or die of a suitable manufacturing device. In the next step, a predetermined amount of bulk coffee material is supplied to the top surface of the first enclosing sheet. The bulk coffee material is then subjected to at least selected containers under predetermined compression forces against the provided recesses, matrices, dies, or dies of the device using a compression press or other suitable compression means. Compress based on volume to make a compressed coffee tablet. Then, in a further step, for example, a gluing technique or a welding technique is used to hermetically connect the second enclosing sheet to the first enclosing sheet. Preferably, it encloses the compressed coffee tablet so that the entire internal container volume is filled with the coffee tablet. Therefore, preferably, there is no available space in the resulting container that is not filled by the coffee tablet. Further, preferably, by enclosing the compressed coffee tablet in the first and second sheets, the compressibility of the coffee tablet in the container does not change any more.

Instead of one, two or more compressed coffee tablets can be formed according to the compression process described above, fed and enclosed in the same container. Two coffee tablets may be formed under different predetermined compressive forces. Also, in such an embodiment, the coffee tablet preferably completely fills the container volume.

In a further aspect, the invention relates to a container that can be obtained by the method described above. Further features of the container according to the present invention are described below. In particular, the following description of container features is applicable to the manufacturing process described above and vice versa.

The coffee container for preparing a coffee beverage when the liquid is injected into the coffee container according to the present invention is predetermined to be 5 mL to 50 mL filled with a compressed coffee material such as roasted and ground coffee particles. With the container wall means surrounding the volume, the coffee material is present in a compressed form under a compressive force of 0.5-15 kN, preferably 1 kN-10 kN.

The container wall means is made of a sheet material, as described above for the method according to the invention. The vessel wall means is preferably hermetically connected around the enclosed compressed coffee material while forming a peripheral flange-like rim portion. Thereby, the sheet of the first material forms the inlet surface of the container and the sheet of the second material forms the exit surface of the container. The container wall means is preferably designed to be piercable or otherwise openable using a dedicated opening means of the beverage preparation device.

The container is preferably rotationally symmetric about a central axis that is preferably substantially parallel to the intended direction of flow of the liquid through the compressed coffee material.

The height of the container is preferably 5 mm to 30 mm, preferably 10 mm to 22 mm. The diameter of the container is preferably 30 to 70 mm, preferably 35 mm to 55 mm.

In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the container comprises a volume of 5 mL to 15 mL, preferably 9 mL to 11 mL, and the coffee material has a compression ratio of 40 to 65%, preferably 49 to 59% within said volume. exist. Such containers are preferably designed to prepare short cups, i.e., wristlet-type or espresso-type coffee beverages.

The compressibility T of the compressed coffee enclosed in the container, respectively, is defined as the apparent density da ratio (T ₌ (da / dv) ^* 100) to the actual density _dv of the compressed coffee tablet. Will be done. See also the calculations for Example 1 described further below. In particular, the compression ratio depends not only on the compressive force of the enclosed coffee material, but also on additional parameters such as the particle size of the coffee, the degree of roasting, and the density of the coffee particles within the container volume.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the container comprises a volume of 15 mL-50 mL, preferably 16 mL-20 mL, and the coffee material has a compressibility of 35-60%, preferably 39-49%, within said volume. Exists in. Such containers are preferably designed to prepare long cups, ie, Lungo-type coffee beverages.

In a further aspect, the invention is a coffee container kit comprising at least two, preferably three, more preferably at least five containers as obtained using the described manufacturing method. Each container is different in the container volume enclosed by each container wall means and / or in a particular type of beverage prepared from each container, and the coffee material in each container is under different compressive forces. With respect to a kit of coffee containers, each present in a compressed form, each present at a different compression ratio.

Each container of the kit according to the invention preferably has the same outer diameter, although different in container height.

In a preferred embodiment, the kit comprises a first container having a container volume of 5 mL to 15 mL, preferably 9 mL to 11 mL for preparing a short coffee beverage, and 15 mL to 50 mL, preferably 15 mL to 50 mL for preparing a long coffee beverage. Includes a second container with a container volume of 16 mL to 20 mL and optionally a third container with a container volume of 13 mL to 16 mL for preparing medium sized coffee beverages.

Preferably, the compressive force for the coffee material within the container volume designed to prepare the short coffee beverage is 0.5 kN to 10 k, with 1 kN to 2.5 kN being more preferred. The compressive force for the coffee material within the container volume designed to prepare the long coffee beverage is preferably 0.5 kN to 15 kN, more preferably 2.5 kN to 5 kN. The compressive force for coffee materials designed to prepare medium sized coffee beverages is preferably 1 kN to 7 kN.

Different containers of the kit preferably comprise coffee material of different particle sizes, preferably 100-800 μm, more preferably 150-600 μm, and / or different roasting degrees, preferably 50-120 CTN. A relatively smaller particle size, and thus a finer particle size, is preferably provided for bulk coffee material in a container designed to prepare short beverages, whereas a relatively larger particle size, Therefore, coarser particle sizes are provided for bulk coffee materials in containers designed to prepare larger beverages.

The present invention further relates to the use of a coffee container obtained by the method according to the present invention for preparing the above coffee container and / or coffee beverage.

Further features, advantages, and objectives of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Shown is a preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention, which has different volumes and / or is designed to prepare different types of beverages. Demonstrates an alternative embodiment of a container according to the invention, which has different volumes and / or is designed to prepare different types of beverages. The schematic flow chart of the manufacturing process of a container by this invention is shown. With respect to the measurement results for different containers with different applied compressive forces, the resulting flow time upon infusion into such containers is shown to depend on the particle size of the coffee material in the container. With respect to the measurement results for different containers with different applied compressive forces, the resulting yield of the extracted coffee beverage is shown to depend on the particle size of the coffee material in the container.

1 and 2 relate to a preferred embodiment of a container according to the invention, which has different volumes and is preferably designed to prepare different types of beverages. Therefore, FIGS. 1a-1d relate to a first set or kit of containers 1a-1d. The containers 1a to 1d of FIGS. 1a to 1d each include a container wall means 2 and wall means 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d connected to the periphery while forming a flange-shaped rim portion 4, respectively.

The container wall means 2, 3a to 3d are formed of a sheet of at least partially deformable material, preferably of circular shape. The container wall means surrounds a predetermined volume and encloses a predetermined volume of paper or similar cellulose material, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), starch-based material, polylactic acid (PLA), and / or aluminum. Made of sheet material included in the list of single-layer or multilayer films, including.

The container is different in each size and therefore in each volume enclosed therein. Therefore, all of the containers 1a to 1d are preferably in essentially convex form and in essentially convex form with the sheet 2 of the same first material having a uniform height h1 but are different as a result. The heights h1, h2, h3, h4 are formed of sheets 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d of suitable second materials of different sizes resulting in each. The container 1a is preferably symmetrical about the central plane in which the flange-shaped rim 4 is arranged.

The first material sheet 2, respectively, the second material sheets 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d preferably include centrally located essentially flat portions 5, 6. The first material sheet 2 is preferably designed to provide the outlet surface of the container in a dedicated beverage preparation device, and the second material sheets 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d are dedicated beverage preparation devices. Designed to provide the inlet surface of the container in.

The total height of the containers 1a to 1d is preferably 5 mm to 30 mm, more preferably 10 mm to 22 mm. The diameter d2 of each container is preferably 30 to 70 mm, more preferably 35 mm to 55 mm. The inner diameter d1 of each container is preferably 20 to 60 mm, more preferably 30 to 50 mm.

Different containers preferably include compressed coffee tablets within the container volume, compressed with a force of 0.5-15 kN, more preferably 0.1 kN-10 kN during the container manufacturing process.

The compressed coffee tablet preferably completely fills the internal volume of the container. The coffee material within the container volume preferably has a particle size of 150-600 μm. The coffee material enclosed in each container is preferably of a roasting value of 50-120 CTN.

Different containers as shown in FIGS. 1a-1d are preferably at least in the weight of the coffee material enclosed in the provided volume, in the grain size of the enclosed coffee material, and when forming a compressed coffee tablet. It depends on the compressive force applied during the manufacture of the container. Different containers can be similarly different in roasting value of coffee material. Optionally, different coffee ingredients, each different blend of coffee ingredients, may also be present in each container. Preferred examples of the above different parameters for each of the containers of FIGS. 1a-1d are shown in Table 1 below.

Specific by adapting the respective compressive forces applied during the manufacture of the container, at least based on the provided volume of the container for providing the particular beverage type and / or the particle size of the contained raw material. Beverage results in containers can be optimized for the intended purpose.

For example, the container of Example 1A can be used to obtain optimized results for shortcups, i.e., wristlet-type or espresso-type coffee beverages. Therefore, in order to provide a thick cup, fine grinding allows acceleration of solid extraction. In addition, the relatively lower compressive force leads to higher yields during beverage preparation.

The containers of Example 1B and Example 1C provide an optimized medium size beverage. Therefore, an intermediate particle size and moderate compressive force ensure a smooth extraction over the entire extraction time in order to obtain a balanced medium coffee beverage.

The container of Example 1D allows an optimized long cup, i.e., a Lungo-type coffee beverage. Therefore, large particle sizes, when combined with relatively higher compressive forces, avoid overextraction when serving in very large quantities, while avoiding unwanted off-notes.

By adapting the compressive force based on the provided particle size, roasting value, and / or specific coffee blend, and weight, it is possible to further optimize the resulting beverage results.

FIGS. 2a-2c relate to alternative embodiments of kits comprising dedicated containers, different containers 1e, 1f, 1g, each with a different container volume.

In contrast to the embodiment of FIG. 1, each container 1e, 1f, 1g has a first essentially flat material sheet 2a and a different essentially convex material sheet 3e, 3f, 3g. And include. Sheets of essentially convex material are preferably of different sizes so that the resulting container has different heights h5, h6, h7. The inner diameter d3 and the outer diameter d4 of these containers are preferably constant. The inner diameter and the outer diameter preferably correspond to the respective diameters d1 and d2 of the container according to FIGS. 1a to 1d. The height of the container is preferably in the range as described above with respect to FIG.

As described with respect to the containers of FIGS. 1a-1d, the containers of FIGS. 2a-2c differ at least in the applied compressive force of the coffee tablet provided within the container. The container may be further different in the nature and weight of the coffee material enclosed in the provided volume, in the particle size of the enclosed coffee material, and / or in the roasting value of the coffee material.

FIG. 3 relates to a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a manufacturing process for forming a container according to the present invention.

In the manufacturing process, the first step (not shown) is the desired container for the resulting first and second enclosing sheets, for example one of Sheet 2 and Sheets 3a-3d of FIG. With respect to the steps to be selected based on the beverage intended to be prepared with the resulting container, respectively, based on the volume of. This first step preferably further comprises determining and / or selecting the properties and weight of the coffee material surrounded by the provided volume, selecting the particle size of the coffee material, selecting the degree of roasting of the coffee material. In addition, the compressive force applied during the manufacturing process is determined and set based on at least the selected container volume and / or the beverage intended to be prepared with the resulting container. Will be done.

Then, in a subsequent step 7, for example, a first enclosing sheet constituting the bottom foil of the container is formed and provided in a dedicated recess, die or mold of a suitable manufacturing device.

In a subsequent step 8, a predetermined amount of a predetermined amount of roasted and ground coffee bulk material of a predetermined particle size is provided on the surface of the first enclosing sheet.

In the next step 9, the bulk material of coffee is compressed under a set compressive force in order to compress the bulk material into a coffee tablet based on the intended container volume. The coffee tablet is obtained, for example, using a known compression press that is pressed against a recess, die, or die in which the first enclosing sheet and bulk material of coffee are present. The applied compressive force is measured by a force measuring device connected to the compression press.

In an alternative embodiment, the bulk material of coffee is provided in a dedicated compression press to be compressed under a predetermined compressive force, and then the compressed coffee tablet is placed on the surface of the first enclosing sheet. Provided.

Then, in a further step 10, the second enclosing sheet, eg, the upper foil, is hermetically connected to the first enclosing sheet, eg, using gluing or welding techniques. Preferably, it encloses the compressed coffee tablet so that the entire internal container volume is filled with the coffee tablet. Therefore, preferably, there is no available empty, i.e., unfilled space in the resulting container.

Example 1-Container for Shortcup The following describes a preferred example of the container according to the present invention, wherein the container has a volume of 9.42 cm ³ filled with 5.41 to 5.81 g of coffee material and has a volume of 9.42 cm 3. , Wristlet type or espresso type coffee beverages, etc. are designed to prepare short cups. The coffee material is preferably present in a particle size of 250-350 μm [D (4,3)]. The degree of roasting is 70 to 80.

The compressibility of the coffee material in the container is 40% to 65%, preferably 49 to 59%. This corresponds to the applied compressive force of 1 kN to 2.5 kN during the manufacturing process. Since the compression ratio depends not only on the compression force but also on additional parameters such as the coffee particle size, the degree of roasting, and the density of coffee particles in the container volume, the compression ratio of the coffee material in the final container is Note that it does not necessarily correlate with the compressive force applied during the container manufacturing process.

The above compression ratio of the coffee tablet in the container is measured as follows. In particular, a known hydraulic compression press containing a fixed upper punch member or die and a fixed lower punch member or die may be used with the spring loaded rod to compress the coffee tablet.

According to the following method, the actual density value dv of the uncompressed bulk coffee material can be determined using a helium specific gravity bottle, for example, the _{Ultrapycnometer} 1000 of Quantachrome.

The working principle of this measurement is to inject a gas such as helium into the reference chamber at a given pressure and then measure the new gas pressure in this chamber to accommodate this gas in the measurement chamber containing the sample. Is to inflate. This method is particularly suitable for measuring the volume and density of split or porous solids as the gas penetrates into the cavity.

Therefore, in order to obtain the actual density value _dv , the product to be analyzed is weighed in cell units. The cell is then placed in the measurement chamber of the densitometer. Close the measurement chamber and start measurement. When the measurement is completed, the actual density value of the analyzed product is obtained.

The apparent density _da of the compressed coffee tablet can be obtained based on the following formula.

d _a = m / V = m / (S ^* h),
During the ceremony
m is the product mass of a compressed solid coffee tablet in grams.
V is the volume of a compressed solid coffee tablet in cm ³ units.
S is the surface of a solid compressed coffee tablet in cm ² units.
h is the height of the solid compressed coffee tablet in cm.

The compressed coffee tablet was ejected from the press die used for compression and then measured using, for example, a caliper.

Based on the above-mentioned apparent density da and actual density value _{d v} , the compressibility of the coffee tablet in the container can be determined based on the following formula.

T = (d / d _v ) ^* 100

An exemplary measurement result regarding the compressibility of the container according to Example 1 is shown in Table 2 below.

Example 2-Container for long cup This example has a volume of 16.6 cm ³ filled with 7.80 to 8.10 g of coffee material, and prepares a long cup such as a Lungo-type coffee beverage. With respect to another preferred container designed for.

The coffee material is preferably present in a particle size of 300-650 μm [D (4,3)]. The degree of roasting is 80 to 90. The compressibility of this example for this container is 35-60%, preferably 39-49%.

Using, for example, method 1 above, the measured values of the test of this example as shown in the table above were determined.

FIG. 4 shows that with respect to measurement results for different containers with different applied compressive forces, the resulting flow time upon infusion into such containers depends on the particle size of the coffee material in the container.

As can be seen from the graph of FIG. 4, in the case of a high compressive force such as 10 kN to 5 kN (see curves 12a to 12c), a lower compressive force such as 2.5 kN to 1 kN (see curves 12d and 12e). In comparison, the flow time is relatively short and faster with larger particle sizes. Therefore, smaller particle sizes have a greater effect on the increase in flow time at higher compressive forces compared to larger particle sizes. Therefore, the applied compressive force is preferably set relatively lower for smaller particle sizes compared to larger particle sizes.

FIG. 5 shows that with respect to the measurement results for different containers with different applied compressive forces, the resulting yield of the extracted coffee beverage depends on the particle size of the coffee material in the container. Therefore, the yield for extracting coffee beverages from the resulting container should ideally be greater than 24%, preferably less than 26%.

As can be seen from the graph of FIG. 5, the yield of the resulting coffee beverage decreases with increasing particle size of the bulk coffee material used. In addition, yields generally decrease with lower compressive forces (see curve 15a associated with relatively higher compressive forces 10 kN to curves 15a associated with relatively lower compressive forces 1 kN). Therefore, the relative reduction in yield at lower compressive forces appears to be relatively constant over the particle range.

Based on the graphs shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a particular preferred embodiment of the invention provides a container for preparing a short coffee beverage, with a particle size of 200-300 μm, more preferably about 250 μm. At compression forces of 1-2.5 kN, optimized yields (24-26%) are reached with reasonable flow times (less than 40 seconds for 40 mL).

It should be appreciated that various changes and modifications to the current preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its associated advantages.

Claims (15)

A method for producing a coffee container (1a to 1 g) for preparing a coffee beverage when a liquid is injected into the coffee container, wherein the method is:
A step of selecting and providing container wall means (2, 2a, 3a to 3 g) surrounding a predetermined container volume, and
A certain amount of bulk coffee material, such as roasted and ground coffee particles, is placed into a coffee tablet within the container volume between the container wall means (2, 2a, 3a to 3 g) under a predetermined compressive force. And the steps to compress,
Including
The applied compressive force is set at least based on the provided container volume and / or a particular type of beverage prepared from the provided container.
The applied compressive force is set to a value of 0.5 to 15 kN, preferably 1 kN to 10 kN.
How to make a coffee container. The applied compressive force is also set based on the particle size of the provided bulk coffee material and / or the roasting value of the bulk coffee material.
The method according to claim 1. The particle size of the bulk coffee material is 150-600 μm and / or the roasted value of the bulk coffee material is 50-120 CTN.
The method according to claim 1 or 2. The applied compressive force is set lower for the bulk coffee material with a smaller particle size and higher for the bulk coffee material with a larger particle size.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. In the method, the first and second surrounding sheets (2,) constituting the container wall means around the enclosed amount of coffee material while forming the peripheral flange-shaped rim portion (4) of the container. 2a, 3a-3g), including the step of sealing and connecting,
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The different selectable container wall means (2, 2a, 3a-3g) are at least first and second predetermined container types for preparing short coffee beverages and long coffee beverages, and optionally. Designed to form multiple alternative types of containers, such as at least a third predetermined container type for preparing medium sized coffee beverages.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The container type for preparing short coffee beverages has a volume of 5 mL to 15 mL, preferably 9 mL to 11 mL, and the container type for preparing long coffee beverages has a volume of 15 mL to 50 mL, preferably 16 mL to 20 mL. The container type for preparing medium sized coffee beverages has a volume of 13 mL-16 mL.
The method according to claim 6. The compressive force is set to a value of 0.5 kN to 5 kN for a container type designed to prepare a short coffee beverage and for a container type designed to prepare a long coffee beverage. It is set to a value of 0.5 kN to 15 kN and is set to a value of 1 kN to 7 kN for container types designed for preparing medium sized coffee beverages.
The method according to claim 6 or 7. A coffee container (1a-1g) for preparing a coffee beverage when the liquid is poured into the coffee container.
The coffee container comprises container wall means (2, 2a, 3a to 3 g) surrounding a predetermined volume of 5 mL to 50 mL filled with compressed coffee material such as roasted and ground coffee particles. Ori,
The coffee material exists in a compressed form under a compressive force of 0.5 to 15 kN, preferably 1 kN to 10 kN.
Coffee container. The height of the container is 5 mm to 30 mm, preferably 10 mm to 22 mm, and the diameter of the container is 30 to 70 mm, preferably 35 mm to 55 mm.
The coffee container according to claim 9. A kit of coffee containers (1a-1 g) comprising at least two containers, preferably three containers according to claim 9 or 10.
Each of the containers differs in volume enclosed by the container wall means and / or in a particular type of beverage prepared from the respective container, and the coffee material in each of the containers has different compressions. It exists in a compressed form under force,
Coffee container kit. Each of the above-mentioned containers has the same outer diameter, although they differ in the height of the above-mentioned containers.
The kit according to claim 11. The kit comprises a first container having a container volume of 5 mL to 15 mL, preferably 9 mL to 11 mL, for preparing a short coffee beverage, and 15 mL to 50 mL, preferably 16 mL to 20 mL, for preparing a long coffee beverage. It comprises a second container having a container volume and optionally a third container having a container volume of 13 mL to 16 mL for preparing medium sized coffee beverages.
The kit according to claim 11 or 12. The compressive force is 0.5 kN to 10 kN for the coffee material in the container designed to prepare a short coffee beverage and 0 for a container designed to prepare a long coffee beverage. .5 kN to 15 kN, 1 kN to 7 kN for containers designed to prepare medium sized coffee beverages,
The kit according to any one of claims 11 to 13. The different containers of the kit comprise coffee ingredients preferably having different particle sizes of 150-600 μm and / or preferably different roasting values of 50-120 CTN.
The kit according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

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