LU508205B1 - Serving scoop for preparing a drink - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a pod comprising a first (1) and a second (2) wall assembled at their peripheries (3) and together delimiting an internal volume in which a substance for the preparation of a beverage is conditioned, the first wall (1) being intended to be traversed by means for injecting an extraction fluid from a beverage preparation machine to inject said fluid under pressure into the internal volume, the second wall (2) being intended to be traversed by means for draining said machine to allow the beverage to drain out of said internal volume, at least one wall (1, 2) being formed of a biodegradable and/or compostable sealing film (4) which comprises a layer based on microfibrillated cellulose MFC.

Description

Serving scoop for preparing a drink

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a pod for preparing a beverage, in particular by means of a machine designed for this purpose.

To prepare drinks, especially hot drinks such as coffee, tea or infusion, we know of capsules with a body which has a side wall bordered on both sides by a bottom and by a rim surrounding an opening of said body, defining an internal compartment in which a substance is loaded for the preparation of such a drink.

The substance packaged in such capsules may include coffee, tea leaves and/or herbal infusions, in crushed, chopped or ground form.

In this type of capsule, the substance is loaded into the inner compartment after the body has been formed, in particular by opening the body, the latter then being covered by a sealing cap which is attached, in particular by gluing, to the rim surrounding the opening.

For the same purpose, there are known single-dose containers comprising a first and second wall, often circular in shape, joined at their peripheries to define an internal volume for packaging the substance. Such containers are generally manufactured by shaping and assembling their walls around a dose of substance.

To enable the preparation of a beverage, such a pod is placed in a housing provided for this purpose in a suitable machine, said housing comprising a first part provided with means for injecting an extraction fluid under pressure, in particular hot water, through a first wall of the pod, and a second part provided with means for opening the second wall of said pod, in order to allow the beverage to flow out of its internal volume, in particular under the effect of gravity.

The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing a sachet for the packaging of a substance which is arranged to have good barrier properties against oxygen and humidity of the air, in order to preserve the organoleptic properties of said substance, but also to be able to be easily pierced by the injection and flow means of a beverage preparation machine, while being advantageously biodegradable and/or compostable.

To this end, the invention proposes a pod comprising a first and a second wall assembled at their peripheries and together delimiting an internal volume in which a substance for the preparation of a beverage is conditioned, the first wall being intended to be traversed by means for injecting an extraction fluid from a beverage preparation machine to inject said fluid under pressure into the internal volume, the second wall being intended to be traversed by means for draining said machine to allow the beverage to drain out of said internal volume, at least one wall being formed of a biodegradable and/or compostable sealing film which includes a layer based on microfibrillated cellulose MFC.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following description, made with reference to the attached figures, in which: - Figure 1 represents in perspective a pod according to an embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2 represents in cutaway perspective the structure of a sealing film forming a wall of the pod of Figure 1, according to an embodiment of the invention.

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In relation to these figures, a measuring pod for preparing a beverage is described below.

The pod comprises a first 1 and a second 2 wall which are joined at their peripheries 3, together delimiting an internal volume in which a substance is conditioned for the preparation of a drink.

The substance is particularly suitable for preparing hot drinks such as coffee, tea or infusions, and may include for this purpose coffee, tea leaves and/or infusion plants, in crushed, chopped or ground form.

In relation to figure 1, the walls 1, 2 each have a domed shape, in particular with a circular base, the respective peripheral edges 3 of which are assembled along a plane P to form the pod, with the conditioned substance between said walls.

In particular, the pod has a symmetrical shape with respect to the assembly plane P of the peripheries 3 of its walls 1, 2.

To prepare a beverage, the pod can be placed in the housing of a machine designed for this purpose, so as to be held there between two parts comprising respectively: - means, in particular in the form of pins, for injecting a beverage extraction fluid, in particular hot water, the first wall 1 of the pod being intended to be traversed by said means to allow the injection of said fluid under pressure into the internal volume; - means for flow, in particular in the form of pins, the second wall 2 of said pod being intended to be traversed by said means to allow the flow of the beverage, formed by mixing the extraction fluid with the substance, out of said internal volume.

In particular, the injection of the fluid induces an increase in pressure in the internal volume to allow the second wall 2 to be pressed against the flow means in order to cause it to break and then, after the breakage of said second wall, the flow of the drink through it, in particular under the effect of gravity, when said second wall is directed downwards.

During the beverage preparation process, the pod is subjected to an injection of water at a temperature between 86°C and 90°C and under a pressure of up to 20 bars, for a duration of approximately 2 minutes. Specifically, to prepare a coffee-type beverage, the amount of water injected into the pod is between 40 mL and 150 mL.

In order to preserve the organoleptic characteristics of the stored substance before its use in preparing a beverage, the sachet must be airtight, in particular by forming a barrier against the circulation of oxygen and moisture, both towards the inside of said sachet, to prevent the alteration of the substance it contains by ambient air and humidity, and towards the outside, in particular to prevent the drying out of a substance packaged in a moist and/or greasy form.

In particular, to ensure optimal preservation of the substance, the dose may have the following characteristics: - an oxygen transmission rate less than or equal to 5 cm*/m? day.atm, and more particularly less than 1 cm*/m? day.atm, measured according to the ASTM D3985 standard; - a water vapor transmission rate less than or equal to 30 g/m°.24h, measured according to the ASTM E96 standard under tropical conditions (38°C and 90% humidity).

In addition, to limit its negative impact on the environment, the pod must be biodegradable and/or compostable to the maximum extent possible, in particular according to the EN 13432 standard, and preferably suitable for home composting.

To achieve this, the pod is made of at least one biodegradable and/or compostable sealing film 4 which includes a layer 4a based on microfibrillated cellulose (MFC, for the English Microfibrillated Cellulose).

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In particular, at least one wall 1, 2 of the pod, and preferably each of its walls 1, 2, are formed of respectively a first and a second biodegradable and/or compostable sealing film 4, said films each comprising a layer 4a based on MFC cellulose.

Such a layer 4a, in addition to being made of a biodegradable and compostable material, has good oxygen barrier properties, and is also relatively brittle, which allows for a clear opening of the wall 1, 2 when it is crossed by means of injection and/or flow, and thus facilitates the injection of extractor fluid and/or the flow of the drink from the pod.

Advantageously, the first and second sealing films 4 are identical, thus providing the same properties on each wall 1, 2 of the pod. This arrangement allows the pod to be placed in a machine housing with its walls 1, 2 facing either part of the housing, these walls being able to be traversed by either the extraction fluid injection means or the beverage dispensing means.

Alternatively, the first and second sealing film 4 may be different, in particular with respect to their layer composition(s), while each presenting an MFC 4a layer.

In particular, the two 4-film movies, although different, may present a layer

identical MFC 4a, in order to benefit from the same properties conferred by such an MFC 4a layer.

Advantageously, the MFC 4a layer is in the form of a paper layer formed with microfibrillated cellulose so as to be highly fibrillated, and in particular translucent, so as to be particularly barrier to oxygen.

For aesthetic, commercial and/or practical reasons, the MFC 4a layer may be provided with an imprint made by ink deposition on one of its faces, said imprint including for example textual information and/or a decorative element, such as for example a logo, a trademark, and/or a description of the substance contained in the capsule.

In particular, where the walls 1, 2 of the pod are made from different sealing films 4, at least one MFC layer 4a of said walls may include information relating to the direction in which the pod should be placed in the housing of a machine, in order to place the most suitable wall 1, 2 in front of the injection or flow means.

Advantageously, since the MFC 4a layer is transparent, the printing ink can be deposited on its inner face for protection.

In addition, to improve the aesthetic qualities of the pod, the printing may have gloss and/or antistatic properties.

Microfibrillated cellulose consists of individual cellulose microfibrils or aggregates. These microfibrils typically have a diameter of 2 to 20 nanometers and a length on the order of a few micrometers. Microfibril aggregates are composed of several cellulose microfibrils agglomerated together.

MFC production is based on the release of the secondary cell wall components of lignocellulosic fibers through mechanical means combined with enzymatic or chemical pretreatments. The fibers used can be raw or bleached chemical pulps, mechanical pulps produced from wood, recycled pulps, etc.

According to implementation examples, the MFC 4a layer has: - a thickness between 30 and 70 µm; and/or

- a surface mass between 40 and 90 g/m°, and in particular of the order of 62 g/m°.

The MFC 4a layer makes it possible to obtain a sealing film 4 with a high surface mass and sufficient oxygen tightness for the barrier function, while being perfectly biodegradable and/or compostable.

According to embodiment examples, the MFC 4a layer has an oxygen transmission rate of at most 5 cm*/m°.day.atm, and in particular less than 1 cm*/m° day.atm, according to the ASTM D3985 standard.

In addition, the MFC 4a layer may have been treated to improve its resistance to moisture, for example by means of a moisture barrier coating.

According to one embodiment, a 4b water vapor barrier layer is applied to the MFC 4a layer, for example in the form of a lacquer or by metallization, so as to give it a water vapor transmission rate which is less than or equal to 30 g/m2.24h, in particular less than 5 g/m2.24h, and more particularly less than 1 g/m2.24h.

Advantageously, layer 4b is biodegradable and/or compostable, in order to improve the overall environmental impact of the pod.

For this purpose, the water vapor barrier layer 4b may include microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), for example derived from food crops, particularly root vegetables such as beets. Such a composition is specifically addressed in document EP-3 145 958.

The water vapor barrier layer 4b may be based on an aqueous dispersion of microfibrillated cellulose MFC, comprising in particular between 0.5% and 20% by weight of microfibrillated cellulose MFC, in particular less than 5% by weight.

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According to one embodiment, the water vapor barrier layer 4b is made from an anionic dispersion of microfibrillated cellulose MFC, and has in particular the following characteristics: - a solid particle content of around 32% by weight; - a pH that is substantially neutral or slightly basic, of around 7 to 8; - a viscosity between 300 and 500 mPa.s; - a density of around 1.02 at 20°C.

Such an anionic dispersion exhibits excellent oxygen and moisture barrier properties, as well as excellent grease and oil sealing, and can be heat-set on its application support, in particular the MFC 4a layer, to form a sealing barrier as desired.

In particular, the 4b vapor barrier layer can be applied by dipping, spraying, or transfer, before potentially being exposed to a heat source at a suitable temperature to form a waterproof coating. Advantageously, the surface mass of the 4b vapor barrier layer is between 2 and 12 g/m².

According to another embodiment, layer 4b forms a metallization layer, for example, aluminum-based. In particular, this layer can be applied by transfer or spraying with a thickness of less than 10 µm, especially less than 1 µm.

Furthermore, the sealing film 4 may include a sealing layer 4c on the peripheral edge 3 of another film 4 arranged opposite it, in order to form together a pod, said layer being able to be adapted for hot and/or cold sealing.

Such a 4c sealing layer is made of a food-grade material to avoid altering the organoleptic properties of the substance packaged in the sachet. To this end, this 4c sealing layer is selected from, among other things:

9 LU508205 - a layer of biodegradable aliphatic polyester, in particular based on poly(butylene succinate), such as BioPBS; or - a layer of non-woven material, in particular with a weight between 20 and 100 grams; or - a layer of sealing lacquer; or - a layer based on a casein film formed by co-extrusion.

At least one sealing film 4 may also have a layer of fibrous material (not shown) which is associated with the MFC layer 4a, these two layers each having a surface mass and an oxygen transmission rate, the surface mass of the fibrous layer being advantageously less than the surface mass of the MFC layer 4a, the oxygen transmission rate of the MFC layer 4a being advantageously less than the oxygen transmission rate of the fibrous layer.

In particular, the fibrous layer may be based on cellulosic fibers, notably in the form of a filter-type paper.

This implementation of the sealing film 4 makes it possible to combine an MFC 4a layer with a high surface mass and sufficient oxygen impermeability for the barrier function, with a fibrous layer of lower surface mass and without a specific barrier function, in which the fragility of a layer

MFC 4a of limited thickness can be compensated by the thickness of the fibrous layer, which can for this purpose be greater than that of said MFC layer, in particular by being between 60 and 100 um.

This fibrous layer can also be provided for filtering purposes, to prevent residues of the substance from flowing with the beverage through the second open wall 2. For this purpose, such a fibrous layer can be provided only on the film 4 of the wall 2 intended to be opened by the means of beverage dispensing or, advantageously, on each film 4 constituting the pod, so that it can be positioned in any orientation within the housing of a machine during beverage preparation.

Furthermore, this combination of layers improves the rupture of wall 1, 2 for the purpose of injecting the extraction fluid and/or distributing the beverage, in particular by increasing the stretching of the MFC 4a layer.

According to examples of implementation, the fibrous layer is porous, exhibiting an air permeability greater than 500 L/m².s, according to ISO 9237.

The surface mass of the fibrous layer can be between 10 and 40 g/m², that of the sealing film 4 can be between 100 and 120 g/m².

The different layers 4a, 4b, 4c constituting the sealing film(s) can be joined together by an adhesive film 4d. Depending on the embodiment, a biodegradable adhesive, for example based on corn starch, can be used to facilitate the disposal by composting of waste generated by the pod.

In the embodiment shown, the sealing layer 4c is bonded to the inner face of the MFC layer 4a by an adhesive layer 4d as described previously, the water vapor barrier layer 4b being applied by coating, without the interposition of adhesive, to an outer face of the layer

MFC 4a.

In an alternative not shown, particularly in the case of a sealing layer 4c formed of a lacquer or a coextruded casein film, said sealing layer can also be associated with the MFC layer 4c without the interposition of an adhesive layer 4d, just like the outer layer 4b of water vapor barrier.

In particular, two 4e bonding underlayers can be interposed each between respectively one face of the MFC layer 4a and the corresponding functional layer (sealing 4c or water vapor barrier 4b), in order to reinforce the association of said functional layer on the MFC layer 4a.

In relation to figure 2, an example of the realization of a sealing film according to the invention is described below.

Example: - 4b layer of water vapor barrier lacquer: surface mass of approximately 9 g/m² (+/- 10%); - 4e bonding undercoat: surface mass of approximately 1.8 g/m² (+/- 10%); - 4a MFC layer: surface mass of approximately 62 g/m²; - 4e bonding undercoat: surface mass of approximately 1.8 g/m² (+/- 10%); - 4d layer of biodegradable and/or compostable adhesive; - 4c heat-sealable BioPBS sealing layer: thickness of approximately 20 microns.

The sealing film following this example can be home compostable, and has in particular the following characteristics: - a nominal thickness of 90 µm; - a surface mass of the order of 102 g/m² (+/- 10%); - an oxygen permeability of less than 5 cm³/m² day; - a water vapor transmission rate of less than 30 g/m².24h.

Claims (10)

DEMANDS 1. A sachet comprising a first (1) and a second (2) wall assembled at their peripheries (3) and together delimiting an internal volume in which a substance for the preparation of a beverage is conditioned, the first wall (1) being intended to be traversed by means for injecting an extraction fluid from a beverage preparation machine to inject said fluid under pressure into the internal volume, the second wall (2) being intended to be traversed by means for draining said machine to allow the beverage to drain out of said internal volume, said sachet being characterized in that at least one wall (1, 2) is formed of a biodegradable and/or compostable sealing film (4) which includes a layer (4a) based on microfibrillated cellulose MFC. 2. Pod according to claim 1, characterized in that the two walls (1, 2) are each formed of respectively a first and a second sealing film (4) biodegradable and/or compostable, said films each comprising a layer (4a) based on microfibrillated cellulose MFC. 3. Pod according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the oxygen transmission rate of the MFC layer (4a) is at most 5 cm3m?Z.day.atm, and in particular less than 1 cm®mZday.atm, according to ASTM D3985 to form a sealing layer. 4. Pod according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the MFC layer (4a) has a water vapor transmission rate which is less than 30 g/m2.24h, measured according to ASTM E96. 5. Pod according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the MFC layer (4a) has been treated to improve its resistance to moisture. 6. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the surface mass of the MFC layer (4a) is between 40 and 90 g/m². 7. Pod according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the thickness of the MFC layer (4a) is between 30 and 70 um. 8. Pod according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the sealing film (4) comprises a sealing layer (4c). 9. A single-dose sachet according to claim 8, characterized in that the sealing layer (4c) is selected from: - a biodegradable aliphatic polyester layer, in particular based on poly(butylene succinate); or - a non-woven layer, in particular with a basis weight between 100 and 100 grams; or - a sealing lacquer layer; or - a layer based on a casein film formed by co-extrusion. 20 10. Pod according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it has a symmetrical shape with respect to the plane (P) of junction of the peripheries (3) of the first (1) and second (2) walls.