WO2006057022A1

WO2006057022A1 - Pod for espresso machines

Info

Publication number: WO2006057022A1
Application number: PCT/IT2005/000683
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefano Palombini
Original assignee: Espressaroma S.P.A.
Priority date: 2004-11-25
Filing date: 2005-11-22
Publication date: 2006-06-01
Also published as: EP1824762A1; ITRM20040186U1

Abstract

This invention relates to improvements of the pods used the machines for making express drinks, such as coffee, teas and like and more specifically the invention relates to the shape of the pod, namely the surface (6) of the pod in contact with the filter being flat and the realization in the pod of a seat (8) that, matching a corresponding seat located in the pod holder, allows a quick and error free positioning of the pod.

Description

POD FOR ESPRESSO MACHINES

State of the art

It is a number of year since machines that serve hot drinks by means of pods have been placed on the market The machines on the market use either single serve device consisting of small rigid cylinders that are perforated by machine when needed or tablets for one or two cups wrapped in most cases in filter paper that have a diameter and shape that varies depending on the machine being used. The wrapping of the tablets features a convex upper and lower surface and inner space is filled with the substance to be served , for in stance coffee. The drawback of this shape is that , when the machine is working, the hot water pressure coming out of the filter in contact with the head distributes and penetrates into the wrapping in a non homogeneous manner, as it tends to "slide" along the convexity jeopardizing in such a way the quality of the resulting drink. A further drawback is determined by the fact that , in order to brew the best possible product, the tablets need to be preferably positioned with a given side facing the distributor and with a given orientation with respect to the filter holder. In the tablets on the market , these preferential positions are generally shown on the wrapping surface with small colored signs that , in most cases , consumers find it hard to see and understand. Description of the invention

The subject matter of this invention is a tablet that does away with aforementioned drawbacks.

According to this invention, the upper side of the tablet that faces the filter is flat, to ensure a homogeneous diffusion of the water supply. Furthermore ,in a preferred realization , the pod features an indentation having the shaper deemed most suitable, that matches a corresponding projection in the pod holder , so that the proper positioning of the pod in the pod holder may be determined at once, thanks also to the flat side of the tablet referred to above. Short description of the drawings

A preferred realizzation of this invention is described below with reference to the attached drawings, where: Figure 1 shows a bird's eye view of the lower pod face Figure 2 shows a bird's eye view of the upper pod face Figure 3 shows a side view of the pod

Figure from 5 to 7 show a bird's eye view of the lower face of the pod with the notches , ranging from one to three in number, positioned just on the edge of the pod. Description of a preferred realization

With reference to the said figures , the pod is made up by a container in filter paper or other suitable materials , shaped like a tabled, with product , for instance coffee, placed in the central part (3) and the perimeter or edge (4) used to weld together the two faces of container with the products inside ; the edge (4) features in the preferred realization of the invention , a small tongue (5) that makes is easier to remove the pod from the pod holder after having made the hot-drink. The upper face (8) of the pod has a perfectly flat surface that , after the pod has been placed on the pod holder and the pod holder has been placed in the special housing of the machine, is in close contact with the filter that is integral with the head fed with hot water under pressure by means of a pump and through which the water, passing into the pod, allows the realization of the beverage. The face of the filter in contact with the pod has a flat surface that matches to perfection the flat surface of the pod and the filter allows the passage and the homogeneous distribution of the water from the face (6) of the pod to its interior and , therefore , to the products it contains ; the beverage filters through the concave lower face (7) , collects in the filter -holder and comes out of the special nozzle of the machine.

As it may be appreciated in figures 1 and 2 , in preferred realization solution the pod with the flat upper face (6) is associated to the presence of a notch (8) that may have any preferred shape and size; the notch (8) matches a projections having the same shape and size present in the pod -holder , creating a male and female junction that makes the proper positioning of the pod in the pod holder both immediate and instinctive. Even though in the solution being shown the notch involves in addition to the edge (4) even a small portion of the pod containing the product, the notch may be limited merely to the edge , as shown in figures 4,5,6 and 7. As previously pointed out , it is evident that the notch may have any preferred shape and size. It is also evident that the proposed solutions may be adopted independently one of the other pod with just the notch.

Tests , that have been carried out have shown that a the pod with a flat face (6) and a diameter of 50mm offers a better ratio of the quantity of product present within the pod to the quality of the extract in a section of the circumference outside a notch.

Claims

1. Improvements of the pods used to feed machines for express drinks where a tablet -shaped pod made with a filter paper or similar casing is characterized by the fact that its face facing the pressure water supplying filter is flat.

2. Improvements of the pods used to feed machines for express drinks according to claims 1 , characterized by the fact that , in a section of its outer circumference, the tablet presents a notch that matches a projections, having the same shape and size present in the filter holder.

3. Improvements of the pods used to feed machines for express drinks according to claims 1 , characterized by the fact that the notch only involves the outer edge.

4. Improvements of the pods used to feed machines for express drinks according to claims 1 , characterized by the fact that the pod in 50mm in diameter.