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
  • B65D85/816—Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package into which liquid is added and the resulting preparation is retained, e.g. cups preloaded with powder or dehydrated food
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G19/00—Table service
  • A47G19/22—Drinking vessels or saucers used for table service
  • A47G19/2205—Drinking glasses or vessels
  • A47G19/2227—Drinking glasses or vessels with means for amusing or giving information to the user
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F3/00—Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means; Seals; Postage or like stamps
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G19/00—Table service
  • A47G19/22—Drinking vessels or saucers used for table service
  • A47G19/2205—Drinking glasses or vessels
  • A47G19/2227—Drinking glasses or vessels with means for amusing or giving information to the user
  • A47G2019/225—Drinking glasses or vessels with means for amusing or giving information to the user vessels with thermometers

Definitions

• Two families are generally distinguished in these means of consumption, the machines themselves preparing the drink and delivering it to the consumer after composition, and the machines delivering on the one hand cups pre-dosed with powder of lyophilized products and on the other hand the heated or cooled water necessary to make up the drink in the cup.
• Machines dispensing pre-dosed cups and water are becoming more and more popular because they are very simple to operate and do not require major installation, maintenance and repair work, unlike other machines whose technique is very meticulous and requires constant maintenance and frequent repairs.
• This type of cup is characterized in that it has at its bottom a precise dose of powder of lyophilized product which can be coffee, tea, chocolate or even powder of lemon, orange, etc.
• the powder is retained in the bottom of the cup by an aluminum seal welded or glued, so as to keep the lyophilized product contained away from light and air and thus guarantee excellent storage conditions.
• the user who has selected the drink of his choice on the vending machine therefore receives the corresponding pre-dosed cup.
• IJ removes the aluminum cover generally by pulling on the tab provided for this purpose in the very shape of the cover and releases the powder retained in the bottom. He then presents the cup in a housing of the machine in which a presence detector or a pusher triggers the flow of water at the desired temperature.
• Some machines require the user to use two hands, that is to say that the consumer must present the cup with one hand at a specific location on the machine and must use the other hand to press a contactor.
• Vending machines using pre-dosed cups are difficult for operators to operate, as it is difficult for them to effectively lock out the sale of consumables. Indeed, for the types of machines which hold consumable products inside themselves and compose the drinks themselves before delivering them, it is easy for the operator to control the consumption of product and ensure it restocking. In contrast, for machines dispensing pre-capped cups and water, it is very difficult to prevent the user of the machine from buying cheaper cups elsewhere, or from using empty pre-filled cups by refilling itself from freeze-dried products in jars sold on the market at very low prices.
• the object of the present invention is to provide operators of the automatic distribution sector with a pre-sealed cup which overcomes these drawbacks and which additionally provides certain advantages capable of securing this consumption method which is increasingly appreciated throughout the world.
• the pre-dosed lidded cup has on its outer peripheral wall a precise mark clearly legible and identifiable before filling the cup, but modifiable or erasable after filling the cup, under the effect of sufficient heating to affect the mark without affecting the cup itself or its contents.
• the mark can be standardized such as the bar codes currently used for the identification of many products in industry or commerce, or be produced according to the wish of the manufacturer or operator of the cup. All the brands that we see appearing today on products or their packaging in trade and industry, are designed to be read.
• the mark is preferably worn directly on the cup so as to be read as previously explained.
• the brand of the cup of the invention has the particularity of being able, after reading and identification, to be modified in its shape, its color, its appearance or any other characteristic so as to no longer be able to be read by the reader.
• the mark carried on the cup is characterized in that it is locally, totally or partially erasable after reading and identification and can therefore no longer be identified again by the reader.
• the mark is made directly on the body of the cup using ink, varnish, paint or any other product capable of being read and identified by an opto-eiecironic reader for example.
• the mark can be constituted by an element attached to the cup, such as sticker, label, adhesive tape, etc. or piece of solid material such as for example; plastic, metal etc.
• the mark carried on the body of the cup is modifiable or erasable under the effect of a sufficient rise in temperature, to act on the mark without damaging the cup or its content.
• the mark carried on the cup can be modified or deleted under the effect of a thermal element represented for example by a heating resistor or hot air blower.
• the mark carried on the cup at a chosen location can be modified or erased under the effect of the rise in temperature caused by the hot liquid itself contained in the cup.
• the surrounding temperature of the mark it bears on part of its co ⁇ s is equivalent to the temperature ambient, for example 20 ° C.
• the brand is therefore at this temperature clearly legible and identifiable.
• the temperature of the liquid inside the cup is transmitted by thermal conduction to the external face of the cup and therefore to the mark it bears.
• the temperature transmitted to the mark may for example be between 50 and 55 ° C. At this temperature, the mark deforms or disappears and becomes illegible by the reader. The mark thus acts as a thermal fuse which modifying its characteristics under the effect of heat prohibits or limits an action or an operation.
• the mark is worn on the co ⁇ s of the cup but at the bottom of a housing which is reserved for it and which substantially reduces the thickness of the material at the place of the mark, so as to facilitate heat transfer between the hot liquid contained in the cup and the outside mark of the cup.
• the mark consists of one or more horizontal lines located on the total periphery of the cup at a height best suited for the temperature transfer and the positioning of the cup on the machine.
• the peripheral mark can be modified or erased under the effect of heat in two ways; either entirely by the transfer of the temperature of the hot liquid contained by the cup, or locally by intervention of a thermal element of the machine.
• the cup is designed so as to have a physical arrangement of its shape or its periphery forcing it to always be placed in the same position.
• the mark is made of a solid material and attached to the cup so that part of the mark crosses the wall of the cup and is in direct contact with the hot liquid when the cup is filled.
• the clearly readable and identifiable mark when the cup is at room temperature changes one or other of its characteristics when the cup is filled with hot water and the water temperature is automatically transmitted to the brand. The brand then becomes unidentifiable by the reader.
• the mark is made of a metallic material and attached to the cup, so that it can be read before filling the cup and erased after filling by magnetic or electronic effect.
• the pre-fused lidded cup of the invention making full use of the effects of temperature for its operation, and particularly suitable for very hot drinks such as infusions and herbal teas, is provided at its bottom with a sieve intended to allow the infusion of leaf products.
• infusions and herbal teas involve the infusion of leaf products in very hot water.
• the pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse of the invention therefore has at its bottom and under the cover, a sieve preferably with very fine holes, retained for example by local deformations of the circular wall of the cup.
• the pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse of the invention is provided with a welded or glued cover constituted by two supe ⁇ osed layers and associated with each other; a waterproof upper layer, generally made of aluminum, and a lower layer of a fine-meshed sheet playing the role of sieve to prevent the rising of leaves and residues in the drink.
• a waterproof upper layer generally made of aluminum
• a lower layer of a fine-meshed sheet playing the role of sieve to prevent the rising of leaves and residues in the drink.
• FIG. 1 shows a commercial pre-lidded cup containing the powder of lyophilized product.
• Figure 2 shows the predosed cup of the invention bearing the mark.
• Figures 3a and 3b respectively show the clear and identifiable mark before reading, and the modified mark in its form after reading.
• Figures 4a and 4b respectively show the clear and identifiable mark before reading, and the erased mark after reading.
• Figure 5 shows the mark reported on the cup by positioning an adhesive.
• Figure 6 shows the brand of the cup subjected to temperature rise by means of a heating resistor.
• FIG. 7 shows the mark of the cup subjected to a rise in temperature by means of hot blown air.
• Figures 8a and 8b respectively show an unused cup with its clear and identifiable mark, and a cup filled with its hot drink with its mark erased.
• FIG. 9 shows the arrangement of the mark at the bottom of a housing provided on the cup, to reduce the thickness of the cup at the location of the mark, and to facilitate the transfer of temperature
• Figure 10 shows a horizontal and peripheral mark.
• FIG. 11 shows by way of example a shape arrangement of the cup making it possible to always position it in the same place.
• Figure 12 shows the cup of the invention with the bottom sieve for retaining the sheet products.
• FIG. 13 shows the cover of the cup with the associated fine mesh ply which remains integral with the cup when the cover is removed.
• Figure 14 shows how the solid material mark could be placed on the cup by crossing it so as to be in direct contact with the hot liquid when the cup is filled.
• the pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) is characterized in that it has on one of its external surfaces a mark (5) clearly legible and identifiable, erasable or modifiable in its shapes, colors or other characteristics, under the effect of a rise in temperature, without this rise in temperature could affect the cup (4) itself or its content. (Fig 2).
• the mark (5) may be a standardized mark such as for example a barcode or a mark not standardized defined by the manufacturer or the operator readable by a preferably opto-electronic programmed reader.
• the mark (5) is worn directly on the body of the cup (4) and has the ability to change after reading and identification, in its shapes, colors or other characteristics in order to can no longer be read by the reader. (Fig 3a and 3b).
• the brand thus acts as a single-use fuse which would destroy itself after a single use.
• the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is characterized in that it is locally, totally or partially erasable after reading and identification.
• the mark (5) thus acts as a disposable fuse which would destroy itself after a single use. (Fig4a and 4b).
• the mark (5) is directly produced on the co ⁇ s of the cup (4) by means of a varnish, a printing ink, a paint or any other liquid product capable of being read and identified by a reader, for example optoelectronics.
• the mark can be constituted by an element attached to the cup, such as sticker, label, adhesive tape etc. or piece of solid material such as plastic or metal (Fig 5).
• the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable under the effect of a local rise in your temperature caused by a heating resistor (6). (Fig 6).
• the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable under the effect of a local rise in temperature caused by a hot air blower (7) . (Fig 7).
• the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable under the effect of the rise in temperature caused by the hot liquid contained in the cup. (Fig 8a and 8b). 7
• the cup (4) before filling is at a storage temperature generally of 20 ° C., the mark (5) is then clearly legible and identifiable.
• the wall of the cup (4) heats up and depending on the quality of the material constituting the cup 14) the residual temperature transferred to the mark could for example vary between 50 and 55 ° C.
• Subject to this temperature ia mark (5) of the gobeiei (4) is then modified or deleted.
• the mark (5) produced directly on the gobeiet (4) consists of one or more horizontal and peripheral lines.
• This horizontal mark around the entire periphery of the cup can be modified or deleted according to two specific effects; in its entirety by the transfer of temperature of the hot water contained in the cup or locally by the heating caused by an electrical resistance (6) or hot blown air (7). (Fig 10).
• the cup (4) is provided with any means (9) to force the user to present the cup always in the same position, such as for example an arrangement of its shape or its periphery. (Fig 11).
• the brand (5) is made of a soda material which may for example be a plastic or metallic material, and attached to the cup (4) so that at least part of this reported mark (5) passes through the wall of the cup (4) to be in direct contact with the hot liquid, when the cup (4) is filled.
• the solid mark (5) is clearly legible and identifiable torque the cup (4) is empty, and modified in at least one of its characteristics when the cup (4) is full of hot water. This modification of characteristic leads to the fact that the reported solid mark (5) is no longer identifiable once again by the reader. (Fig 14)
• the mark (5) is made of a metallic material and attached to the cup (4) so that it can be identified, modified or deleted by magnetic or electronic effect.
• the pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) is provided at its bottom and under the cover (2) with a screen (10) in charge of maintaining in the case of infusions or herbal teas, leaves and residue (11).
• a screen (10) in charge of maintaining in the case of infusions or herbal teas, leaves and residue (11).
• the composition of a hot drink involves mixing the powder of lyophilized product with hot water, in the case of herbal teas and various other infusions, the leaves (11) are not integrated into the drink. They should therefore be retained in the bottom of the cup (4). (Fig 12).
• the cup (4) is provided at its bottom, retained by gluing or welding, with a cover (2) characterized in that it is closely associated with a sheet of fine mesh (12), playing the role of the sieve (10) previously described.
• the cover (2) thus composed has in one piece two distinct layers; a layer, for example of aluminum intended for preservation, and a layer of fine mesh ply (12) intended to retain the leaves (11) at the bottom of the cup. Once installed and glued into the cup (4), this double layer cover (2) can be removed without the fine-meshed cloth coming off the cup (4).

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Beverage Vending Machines With Cups, And Gas Or Electricity Vending Machines (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=9531417

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Citations (4)

• 1998
  • 1998-10-09 FR FR9812721A patent/FR2784356B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1999
  • 1999-10-07 CA CA002312878A patent/CA2312878A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-10-07 EP EP99970367A patent/EP1051339A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-10-07 AU AU59903/99A patent/AU5990399A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-10-07 WO PCT/FR1999/002394 patent/WO2000021857A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-10-07 JP JP2000575776A patent/JP2002527309A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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