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
  • B65D85/8043—Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents
  • B65D85/8061—Filters

Definitions

• the invention relates to a portion capsule with a liquid-extrac- table powdered substance for producing a beverage, whereby a filter device with a number of openings is arranged between the capsule base and the substance and/or a capsule lid and the sub- tance, whereby the filter device has a filter surface arranged at a distance from the capsule base or lid via an external skirt-shaped frame section.
• a portion capsule of this type is known from FR 2 556 323 A.
• an essentially cylindrically-shaped filter device is incorporated, which on its outer circumferential frame has a type of flange with which the filter device is placed on the base of the capsule device.
• filter devices for forming a hollow space between the capsule base and the coffee powder work correctly; however, there is the risk of the filter surface breaking as a result of the pressure built up in the interior of the capsule during the extaction of the coffee beverage.
• planar filter device is known from WO 2005/066040.
• the planar filter device is held in the con- ically narrowing capsule at a distance from the capsule base.
• a portion capsule is also known from EP 1 101 430 Al in which a filter device is envisaged.
• the filter device is arranged at a distance from the capsule lid or capsule base, for which the shell of the portion capsule is designed to narrow in a step-wise manner.
• the planar filter surface could break or crack due to the in- creased pressure in the portion capsule during the extraction of a beverage.
• a further beverage capsule with a similar filter structure is also known from US 2,788,739.
• Portion capsules with distribution and/or collecting devices are known from EP 1 792 850 B and EP 1 344 722 B. These disclose distribution/collecting devices which have embossings perpendicularly arranged to the plane of the distribution/collecting surface. The embossings are of the same height as or distend more than the outer frame of the distribution/collecting device so these embossings arranged distributed over the distribution/collection surface act as spacers in that they stand on the base of the capsule and liquid channels for distributing or collecting liquid are formed thereby.
• EP 1 864 917 Bl also disclosed a portion capsule with a filter device which in the base area stands on the capsule base with elevations extending perpendicularly to the filter surface.
• a portion capsule is also known in which a filter device has spacer elements on the base side which rest on the capsule base, so that channels are formed between these spacers via which the ready-prepared beverage can flow out.
• the aim of the present invention is therefore to create a portion capsule with a filter device of the type set out in the introduction, whereby by means of the filter device, a hollow space - without the formation of specific liquid channels - is formed between the capsule base/capsule lid and the actual filter surface and at the same time the risk of breakage of the filter device is reduced.
• the filter device has at least one brace which is arranged at a distance from the capsule base or lid beyond the frame, extending from the frame section to an essentially central area of the filter area.
• the filter area is reinforced, in a similar way to a bridge structure, which thereby considerably reduces the risk of breakage and/or cracking of the filter device.
• a free hollow space remains between the frame section of the filter device and the filter surface without creating specific liquid channels by the braces.
• brace exhibits a preferably linearly rising course from the frame section towards the middle area, a particularly stable filter device is achieved.
• braces In order to create a filter device which, if possible, has no weak points with regard to crack formation or a break, it is advantageous if a number of braces are provided, the intersections of which with the frame section being arranged, preferably evenly, distributed around the circumference of the frame section. In the case of a circular filter surface it is of particular advantage for optimising the support function of the braces for the brace to run in an essentially radial direction. In connection with this it is also beneficial if the braces essentially converge at the centre point of the filter area.
• a reliable support function is also assured via the braces if a ring-shaped brace is provided surrounding the centre point of the filter area to which the braces coming from the frame section connect.
• pairs of braces running from the frame section connect to the central, circular brace, at the same point.
• the ring-shaped brace can, for example, be designed to be quadratic, with pairs of braces converging on a corner point of the quadratic brace.
• a tongue is provided extending in the direction of the filter surface, preferably around the entire circumference.
• the preferably sprung tongue can thus be easily locked into position in the portion capsule.
• the inner surface of a shell of the portion capsule has a groove in the area of the capsule base or lid, preferably around its entire circumference, so that a tongue, more particularly provided on the outside of the frame section, or a locking latch in the end section of the tongue, can lock into position in the groove.
• the openings on the side of the filter surface facing the substance have a diameter of between 0.2 and 0.6 mm, more particularly 0.4 mm. It has also proven to be advantageous if the openings have, on the side of the filter surface facing the substance, a cylindrical section to which a conically widening section is attached.
• the braces In order to support the filter surface adequately, but at the same time to keep the material consumption and weight of the filter device low, it is beneficial if the braces have a width of between 0.8 mm and 2 mm, more particularly of essentially 1 mm.
• the filter device is made of a thermoplastic synthetic material, more particularly polypropylene.
• Fig. 1 shows a view from below of a filter device with radially extending braces
• Fig. 2 shows a cross-section in accordance with line II-II in fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 shows a cross-section in accordance with line III-III in fig. 1;
• Fig. 4 shows a top view of the filter device in accordance with figures 1 to 3;
• Fig. 5 shows a cross-section of a portion capsule with a filter device incorporated into the capsule in accordance with figures 1 to 4;
• Fig. 6 shows a view from below of an alternative embodiment of a filter device
• Fig. 7 shows a cross-section in accordance with line VII-VII in fig. 6;
• Fig. 8 shows a cross-section in accordance with line VlII-VIII in fig. 6;
• Fig. 9 shows a view from above of the filter device in accordance with figures 6 to 8.
• Fig. 10 shows a cross-section of a portion capsule incorporating a filter device in accordance with figures 6 to 10.
• Figs. 1 to 4 show a filter device 1 with an essentially planar, circular filter surface 2 having a number of openings 3. Adjoining the filter surface 2 is a skirt-shaped frame section 4 which is intended for holding the filter surface 2 at a distance from the capsule base 5 (cf . fig. 5) .
• braces 6 are provided which extend radially inwards and converge at the centre point 9 of the ring-shaped filter surface 2.
• braces 6 rotationally arranged at 60° with regard to each other.
• the braces 6 rise linearly from the outer frame section 4 to the centre point 9 of the filter surface 2. Accordingly, in the position of the filter device 1 in a portion capsule 1 shown in fig. 5 only the end sections 4 rest on the base of the capsule 5; outside the frame area the braces 6 on the other hand are no longer in contact with the base of the capsule 5 so that the hollow space between the filter area 2 and the capsule base 5 is not divided into number of liquid channels .
• the filter device 1 is arranged in the area of the capsule base 5 of the portion capsule 1 ' , and between the filter device 1 and a capsule lid 14 there is an extractable substance 15 in powder form, more particularly coffee powder.
• an extractable substance 15 in powder form, more particularly coffee powder.
• braces 6 which is quadratic in cross- section.
• the braces 6 extending inwards from the frame section 4 do not converge at the centre point 9 of the filter surface 2 as in the example of embodiment in accordance with figs. 1 to 5, but pairs of braces 6 converge at a corner point of the ring- shaped brace 6'. Accordingly, in this example of embodiment a total of eight inwardly extending braces 6 as well as the ring- shaped central brace 6' are envisaged.
• the ring-shaped brace 6' extends less in a vertical direction than the skirt- shaped frame section 4, so that in this example of embodiment too the braces 6 rise upwards towards the inside, converging at the ring-shaped brace 6'. Accordingly in the portion capsule 1' the freely overhanging end of the ring-shaped brace 6' is also arranged at distance from the capsule base 5 (cf . fig. 10) .
• the braces 6, 6' extending perpendicularly to the plane of the filter surface 2 have a width of approx. 1 mm. On the one hand this guarantees adequate support of the filter surface 2, and on the other hand the weight of the filter device 1 remains low.
• the openings 3 On the side facing the powdered substances 15 the openings 3 have a diameter of 0.4 mm, whereby the openings 3 maintain this constant diameter over a length of approx. 0.4 mm; accordingly the openings 3 have a cylindrical cross-section.
• the openings 3 then widen conically at an angle of approx. 40° so that on the side facing the base of the capsule 5 the openings 3 are larger than on the side facing the powdered substance. This facilitates the flow-through of liquid and reduces the risk of blockage of the openings 3 by particles 15.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Apparatus For Making Beverages (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (30)

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Citations (3)

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• 2009
  • 2009-01-29 AT AT0015509A patent/AT507834B1/de active
  • 2009-08-26 ES ES09775613T patent/ES2400205T3/es active Active
  • 2009-08-26 PT PT97756134T patent/PT2391559E/pt unknown
  • 2009-08-26 EP EP09775613A patent/EP2391559B1/de active Active
  • 2009-08-26 WO PCT/AT2009/000331 patent/WO2010085824A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2009-08-26 DE DE202009017808U patent/DE202009017808U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2010
  • 2010-02-23 AT AT0009710U patent/AT11248U3/de not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (3)

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