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
  • B65D75/00—Packages comprising articles or materials partially or wholly enclosed in strips, sheets, blanks, tubes or webs of flexible sheet material, e.g. in folded wrappers
  • B65D75/52—Details
  • B65D75/58—Opening or contents-removing devices added or incorporated during package manufacture
  • B65D75/5861—Spouts
  • B65D75/5872—Non-integral spouts
  • B65D75/5883—Non-integral spouts connected to the package at the sealed junction of two package walls
• • 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
  • B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
  • B65D77/10—Container closures formed after filling
  • B65D77/20—Container closures formed after filling by applying separate lids or covers, i.e. flexible membrane or foil-like covers
  • B65D77/2024—Container closures formed after filling by applying separate lids or covers, i.e. flexible membrane or foil-like covers the cover being welded or adhered to the container
• • 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 present invention relates to beverage preparation capsules.
• a number of beverage-making systems are known in which a single serving of the beverage is made by inserting a capsule containing a particulate beverage-making ingredient, such as ground coffee, into a beverage-making station of a beverage-making apparatus.
• the apparatus then injects water into the capsule, where the beverage- making ingredient dissolves in, or infuses into, the water to form the beverage.
• the beverage flows out of the capsule through a suitable outlet, which may be simply an opening or perforation in the capsule or it may comprise an outlet tube that pierces an outlet region of the capsule.
• the capsule may incorporate a filter to prevent passage of solid components such as coffee grounds out of the capsule.
• the current FLAVIA-type beverage preparation capsule 100 comprises front and back sheets 1 10, 1 12 of a liquid- and air-impermeable sheet material permanently bonded together around their top and side edges as described in more detail below.
• the front and back sheets are also bonded together along a bottom edge 120 of the capsule, but this bond is releasable under the effect of heat or pressure inside the capsule.
• the bonding of the bottom edge 120 may be by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
• Within the capsule 100 is a folded web of filter material 130 bonded to the inside walls of the front and back sheets.
• the web of filter material that supports a beverage preparation ingredient 150 such as ground coffee or leaf tea.
• the capsule 100 further comprises a nozzle 140 having tubular bore 142.
• the nozzle is inserted into the top edge of the capsule and bonded in an airtight fashion to the front and back sheets, the nozzle being flanged to assist in locating the capsule 100 correctly with a beverage preparation machine.
• the nozzle bore is initially sealed by a suitable airtight freshness barrier.
• the sheet of web material 130 is folded to form a "W"-shape in cross-section supporting the infusible beverage preparation ingredient 150.
• the liquid pressure causes the apex 132 of the W to evert to provide a downwardly convex filter bed as shown in Figure 2b.
• the eversion effect assists in the rupture of the pressure-sensitive seal of the bottom seam 120 to dispense a beverage brewed in the capsule. Further details of the everting filter webs may be found in EP-A-0179641 .
• Beverage-making capsules of the above type have found widespread use. However, they suffer from certain drawbacks. The manufacture of these capsules requires assembly of appropriately shaped components in a precise and secure manner, which increases manufacturing costs. Moreover, the rate of flow of the beverage through the ingredient and filter sheet may not be as fast and/or as uniform as would be desirable for optimum beverage preparation. A difficulty that can arise with the above systems is incomplete dissolution or extraction of the beverage ingredients inside the capsule. For example, channelling of liquid through the compressed bed of beverage preparation ingredient during brewing may occur when preparing beverages using capsule-based systems, especially where relatively high pressures are required such as in the preparation of espresso and espresso-type beverages.
• This channelling directs the liquid through preferred pathways in the compressed bed of beverage preparation ingredient preventing uniform exposure of the beverage preparation ingredient to the liquid. This can result in wasted beverage preparation ingredient and a beverage having reduced concentration of dissolved or infused material. Channelling may also occur if the beverage preparation ingredient is not uniformly distributed.
• Another difficulty that can arise is excessive system back-pressure due to blocking or partial obstruction of water flow in regions where the particulate ingredient is more dense or tightly packed, such as at the bottom regions of the filter.
• WO-A- 2005026018 describes a beverage capsule in which a filter element has a flat base and fluted sides to improve flow of liquid through the filter and the beverage ingredient.
• a need still remains for improved beverage preparation capsules, suitably but not exclusively for use in equipment of the FLAVIA type.
• the surface area of the filter and the liquid contact area of the beverage preparation ingredient resting upon the filter is maximised, without the need for the multiple layers or complicated folding arrangements of filter material used in the prior art.
• the surface area of the filter material is greater than the transverse cross-sectional area of the cavity of the hollow body.
• the sheet of filter material is a single sheet of non-folded material, in that the filter material extending across the inside (cavity) of the hollow body is not folded.
• the edges of the sheet of filter material may be folded to assist in securing of the filter material to the capsule.
• the construction complexity of the capsule is minimised.
• the greater contact area of the beverage preparation ingredient with liquid allows for more complete brewing of the beverage preparation ingredient in a shorter time, with reduced channelling of liquid such that fewer regions of beverage preparation ingredient are left unexposed to liquid and wasted. This provides more consistent and improved vending performance and drink taste.
• the peripheral edges of the sheet of filter material are secured to the side wall or walls of the hollow body. More preferably, the filter material is secured to the side wall or walls of the hollow body continuously around substantially the whole periphery of the sheet, and most preferably continuously around the whole periphery of the sheet.
• the sheet of filter material divides the hollow body into an inlet chamber for receiving liquid and an outlet chamber from which the beverage is dispensed.
• the hollow body may comprise a liquid inlet through which liquid can enter the hollow body.
• the inlet is preferably located in the top end or a top end region side wall of the hollow body.
• the inlet is preferably a nozzle having a bore.
• the bore may be sealed by a frangible freshness barrier before use.
• the freshness barrier may comprise an oxygen-impermeable membrane of metal foil and/or thermoplastic film extending across the bore of the nozzle.
• the top end of the hollow body may be without an inlet, but the hollow body may be cut open or pierced in use, to allow delivery of liquid into the hollow body. This feature is particularly preferred for the pod capsule embodiment of the present invention, which will be discussed in greater detail below.
• the hollow body comprises an outlet through which beverage can exit the hollow body.
• the bottom end or bottom end region side wall of the hollow body comprises an outlet channel.
• the outlet channel may be sealed in any convenient way with a seal that can be broken during beverage preparation to allow escape of the beverage through the outlet channel.
• the seal is formed with a heat- and/or pressure-releasable bond, which may be broken when a fluid medium such as air or water is introduced into the hollow body.
• the hollow body defines an enclosure that encloses the beverage preparation ingredient in substantially air- and liquid-tight fashion until the top end of the hollow body is ruptured in use to inject water into the enclosure through an inlet or piercing to prepare a beverage from the ingredient inside the enclosure, and to allow the thus-prepared beverage to escape from an outlet or piercing created in the bottom end of the hollow body during beverage preparation.
• the filter material is a web material or a nonwoven fabric material.
• the beverage preparation ingredient is an infusion-type beverage intended to be retained in the capsule after infusion (e.g. ground coffee or leaf tea)
• the filter material preferably has a sufficiently fine mesh size to retain the infused solids while allowing free passage of the liquid beverage.
• An exemplary filter material is a laminate of melt blown polypropylene sandwiched between layers of non-woven spun-bonded polypropylene. It can also be desirable to use cellulosic material for reasons of cost and biodegradability.
• the filter material is preferably a relatively coarse mesh material to allow the beverage ingredient to escape. Nonetheless, the filter material should still prevent rapid escape of a large proportion of the dispersible ingredient, to allow sufficient time for mixing with the beverage liquid, so as to leave the pack as a liquid dispersion rather than as undispersed particles. Moreover, before use and during storage, the majority of the dispersible material should remain on the upper side of the coarse filter material, i.e. between the surface of the filter material and the top end of the hollow body.
• the filter material has a variable porosity along at least one dimension of its surface area, preferably the dimension which extends across the inside of the hollow body from one side wall to another.
• the filter material may be less porous closer to the top or inlet of the hollow body and more porous closer to the bottom or outlet of the hollow body.
• Variable porosity regions can be provided by variable thickness, variable pore size and/or variable composition of the filter material.
• the porosity is varied by a distribution of different pore sizes or pore density.
• the pressure drop ( ⁇ - ⁇ ) from the top end to the bottom end of the hollow body can be similar or the same across the whole filter material, in order to encourage consistent flow of liquid through the entire beverage material, and substantially avoid liquid channelling through a passage of least resistance, such that substantially all of the beverage material is contacted with liquid.
• the front and back sheets of the sachet embodiment may be laminate sheets, which are preferably air- and water-impermeable.
• the sheets of the sachet embodiment are permanently bonded together along lateral edge seams and a top seam, with an outlet region being provided in a bottom seam of the sachet, and wherein a liquid injection nozzle is inserted into the top seam or an edge seam of the sachet.
• the construction of the sachet is substantially the same as for a conventional FLAVIA capsule as described above, but with addition of the inclined filter material.
• the inclined filter material of the sachet embodiment extends from a first position on one sheet of the sachet, wherein the first position is relatively closer to the inlet nozzle, to a second position on the opposite sheet, wherein the second position is relatively closer to the outlet region.
• the sheet of filter material is a distinct piece of material from the front and back sheets of flexible film material and the peripheral edges of the sheet of filter material are secured to the front and back sheets.
• the sheet of filter material is formed from either or both of the front or back sheets of flexible film material. In this case, a filter region of the flexible film material is perforated such that the material becomes at least partially porous in the filter region.
• a single sheet of flexible film material may be folded into a "N" or "l l" shape, such that a first terminal portion of the sheet forms the front of the capsule, an intermediate inclined portion of the sheet is perforated and functions as a filter material, and a second terminal portion of the sheet forms the back of the capsule.
• a first sheet of flexible film material may be folded into a "V" or " ⁇ " shape, such that a first portion of the first sheet forms the front of the capsule, and a second portion of the first sheet is perforated and functions as a filter material.
• the back of the capsule is formed from a second sheet of flexible film material connected to the liquid permeable portion of the first sheet.
• the outlet region of the sachet embodiment may be sealed in any convenient way with a seal that can be broken during beverage preparation to allow escape of the beverage through the outlet region.
• the seal is formed by bonding together the front and back sheets with a heat- and/or pressure-releasable bond.
• the hollow body of the sachet embodiment may be formed from a single sheet in the form of a tube having an outlet region at one end thereof.
• the tube may be formed by extrusion, or it may be formed from a single sheet by folding the sheet over and bonding opposed edges thereof along a longitudinal lap or fin seal.
• the materials used to form the hollow body of the sachet embodiment may suitably consist essentially of flexible film materials, for example of the type used to form existing FLAVIA capsules.
• the flexible film material will usually be a laminate sheet comprising two or more of the following layers: a thermoplastic sealant layer for bonding the hollow body to other members of the capsule; a substantially gas-impermeable barrier layer, which may be a metal film such as aluminium film or a gas-barrier polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol (PvOH); adhesion layers to improve adhesion between other layers of the laminate; structural layers, for example to provide puncture resistance; and/or a printing substrate layer.
• a thermoplastic sealant layer for bonding the hollow body to other members of the capsule
• a substantially gas-impermeable barrier layer which may be a metal film such as aluminium film or a gas-barrier polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol (PvOH)
• adhesion layers to improve adhesion between other layers of the laminate
• structural layers for
• the structural layers could be made of polyolefins, polyester, nylons, or other polymers as is well known in the art.
• the laminate material comprises a layer of polypropylene and a layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PvOH).
• the capsule materials may comprise at least a transparent region to provide visibility of the contents of the capsule.
• the sheet material of the hollow body of the sachet embodiment is a laminate comprising a layer of polypropylene and a layer of polyvinyl alcohol.
• the hollow body is in the form of a pod comprising at least one sheet of plastic and/or metal foil material which is semi-rigid, e.g. thermoformed or injection moulded.
• the sheet material may be a laminate comprising at least one of the following layers: a thermoplastic sealant layer for bonding the hollow body to other members of the capsule; a substantially gas-impermeable barrier layer, which suitably is a metal film such as aluminium film; adhesion layers to improve adhesion between other layers of the laminate; structural layers, for example to provide puncture resistance; and/or a printing substrate layer.
• the structural layers could be made of polyolefins, polystyrene, polyester, nylons, or other polymers as is well known in the art.
• the capsule materials may comprise at least a transparent region to provide visibility of the contents of the capsule.
• the pod embodiment may comprise a first sheet that has been formed, e.g. by thermoforming, into a cup or bowl shape with a flanged rim, and a second sheet that is bonded across the flanged rim to form the pod.
• the first sheet may be a relatively stiff thermoplastic sheet that has been thermoformed into a cup or bowl shape with a flanged rim
• the second sheet is a flat sheet, which may be of flexible film material, that is bonded across the flanged rim.
• the pod may have a frustoconical shape, suitably with a pierceable top and base.
• the bottom of the capsule is pierceable or otherwise provided with means for insertion of an outlet tube, for example a hole with a removable cover or a hinged cover, or a septum, or a split septum, or a nozzle with a frangible freshness barrier for example as described in WO- A-0219875.
• an outlet tube for example a hole with a removable cover or a hinged cover, or a septum, or a split septum, or a nozzle with a frangible freshness barrier for example as described in WO- A-0219875.
• the inclined filter material of the pod embodiment may suitably be secured to the inside surface of the pod by an adhesive or by welding to an annulus provided on the inside surface of pod, or in other embodiments it may be held in place by retaining flanges on the inside of the pod, or it may even be retained by a liquid-permeable sheet extending over the filter material and bonded to an internal surface of the pod around the periphery of the filter layer.
• the area of the filter material is suitably from about 1 cm 2 to about 20 cm 2 , for example from about 2 cm 2 to about 10 cm 2 .
• the dimensions of the capsules of the pod embodiment may be similar to those used in the existing systems described above so that the capsules of the invention can be used in existing beverage preparation equipment without modification of the equipment.
• the internal volume of the pod is from about 1 cm 3 to about 100 cm 3 , for example from about 5 cm 3 to about 50 cm 3 .
• the side walls of the base component of the pod and the lid of the pod of the pod embodiment are provided with complementary engagement elements to secure the lid to the base.
• Suitable elements are complementary projections or recesses, for example threads, bayonet fittings or snap-fitting elements.
• the engagement elements are releasable to permit disassembly of the pod into the lid and the base after beverage preparation. Therefore, suitably the pod is not formed by adhesive or melt bonding of the lid to the base.
• the bottom and side walls of the pod embodiment may be formed from air- and moisture-impermeable material as hereinbefore described so as to maintain freshness of the beverage ingredient before use.
• the pod comprises an outlet that is opened before or during beverage preparation to release the beverage formed inside the pod.
• the outlet may be an opening in the pod that is sealed by a cover sheet adhered to the pod by a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The cover sheet is removed and discarded immediately prior to assembling the capsule.
• the sheet material of the pod may be provided with a line of weakness, e.g. a die-cut line of weakness, defining an opening, for example a C-shaped or U- shaped line of weakness.
• the opening is sealed by a flap that is adhered around the opening by an adhesive that is releasable by heat or pressure inside the pod arising from injection of hot water into the pod.
• At least a region of the bottom and/or the side walls of the pod may be made of a liquid-permeable material, which functions as the filter material for the beverage produced by injecting water through the lid of the pod.
• the bottom wall of the pod is inclined relative to the side walls and functions as the inclined filter material previously described.
• the pod is suitably packaged in an air- and moisture-impermeable package to maintain freshness of the beverage ingredient before use.
• the present invention provides a method of preparing a beverage, comprising the step of passing an aqueous liquid through a beverage preparation capsule according to the present invention.
• the aqueous liquid is preferably water, for example at a temperature of 85 e C to 99 e C.
• the method may be performed in the beverage preparation apparatus already known for use with existing capsule formats, for example as described in the patent references listed above, without modification of the apparatus.
• the water may suitably be injected at a pressure of 0.5 to 1 .5 bar gauge for filter-type coffee, and at higher pressures such as 5-20 bar gauge for espresso-type coffee, depending on the system.
• a water injection tube may be inserted into the hollow body through a nozzle located in the top end or top end region side wall of the hollow body, and then liquid may be injecting onto a beverage preparation ingredient inside the hollow body to prepare the beverage or beverage component.
• the bottom end or bottom end region side wall of the hollow body may be provided with a heat- and/or pressure-sensitive seal which ruptures open upon introduction of liquid into the hollow body, to allow beverage to escape from the hollow body through the outlet tube.
• the top end or top end region side wall of the hollow body may be pierced with an inlet tube, such that the opening of the inlet tube resides above the sheet of filter material, and liquid may then be injected onto a beverage preparation ingredient inside the hollow body to prepare the beverage or beverage component.
• the bottom end or bottom end region side wall of the hollow body may also be pierced with an outlet tube, either before or after injecting liquid into the hollow body, such that the opening of the outlet tube resides below the sheet of filter material, and then the beverage can be allowed to escape from the hollow body through the outlet tube.
• filter material herein is used in the sense of a material which can partially or substantially prevent or retard passage of at least a portion of beverage preparation ingredient, but allow passage of beverage liquid.
• the beverage preparation ingredient may be an infusible-type ingredient, such as ground coffee or leaf tea, in which case, the filter material should substantially prevent passage of residual waste solid ingredient, such as coffee grounds and tea leaves, out of the capsule.
• the beverage preparation ingredient may be a dispersible- or dissolvable-type ingredient, such as soup, in which case the filter material should allow passage of dispersed or dissolved ingredient with the beverage liquid, but should prevent passage of undispersed or undissolved ingredient, out of the capsule.
• hollow body is used herein in its usual sense of a three-dimensional shape including an enclosure for retaining the beverage brewing ingredient. It will be appreciated that the hollow body may be of any suitable shape in plan view, including circular, square, other regular polygons, or trapezoidal.
• the hollow body defines an ingredient chamber in which the beverage preparation ingredient may be stored, and in which the beverage may be prepared by infusion or dissolution of the beverage preparation ingredient.
• the ingredient chamber is suitably substantially filled by the ingredient.
• front and back are relative expressions intended to clarify the relative positions of elements of the capsule, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
• a “front” portion of the capsule will typically be located in an opposing arrangement to a “back” portion.
• the “front” portion of the capsule need not necessarily face the user, depending upon orientation of the capsule, in or outside of a beverage preparation machine.
• outlet channel refers to a channel extending from the beverage ingredient chamber, through which the beverage escapes from the chamber during beverage preparation.
• the outlet channel is substantially free of beverage ingredient.
• the outlet channel has a length in the direction of flow of the beverage, and a cross-section perpendicular to that flow.
• frangible freshness barrier herein is used in the sense of a seal or cap over an inlet, outlet or other opening in the capsule, such that the quality of a beverage preparation ingredient inside the capsule does not degrade over time, for example due to atmospheric moisture or bacteria.
• the freshness barrier is frangible in the sense that the seal or cap can be broken or opened to allow the capsule to be used to prepare a beverage.
• variable porosity herein is used in the sense that the porosity of a material, such as the filter material, changes across the extent of the material. Preferably, the porosity is greater at one end of the material than at an opposite end. However, the porosity could also change in other directions or orientations, not limited to a strictly linear or longitudinal progression.
• sachet herein is used in the sense of substantially flexible bag or pouch, in which a beverage preparation ingredient may be stored.
• pod herein is used in the sense of a substantially rigid container, preferably formed from a substantially rigid bowl or cup with a substantially rigid or substantially flexible lid or top thereover, in which a beverage preparation ingredient may be stored.
• Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a beverage preparation capsule according to the prior art
• FIGS 2a and 2b show cross-sectional views of the beverage preparation capsule of Figure 1 before and in use respectively;
• Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a beverage preparation capsule according to the sachet embodiment of the present invention
• Figures 4a and 4b show a cross-sectional view of the beverage preparation capsule of Figure 3 before and in use respectively;
• Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a beverage preparation capsule according to the pod embodiment of the present invention
• Figures 6a and 6b show a cross-sectional view of the beverage preparation capsule of Figure 5 before and in use respectively;
• Figure 7 shows an inclined filter of the present invention in use, having variable porosity regions.

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

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• 2015
  • 2015-03-10 US US15/124,937 patent/US20170081111A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2015-03-10 CN CN201580012952.8A patent/CN106103310B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2015-03-10 CA CA2945686A patent/CA2945686A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2015-03-10 US US15/124,950 patent/US20170101258A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2015-03-10 WO PCT/GB2015/050697 patent/WO2015136268A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-03-10 CA CA2938352A patent/CA2938352C/en active Active
  • 2015-03-10 JP JP2016549581A patent/JP6676532B2/ja active Active
  • 2015-03-10 WO PCT/GB2015/050696 patent/WO2015136267A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-03-10 CN CN201580012953.2A patent/CN106103311B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2015-03-10 EP EP15710562.8A patent/EP3116804B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2015-03-10 JP JP2016549518A patent/JP2017511710A/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2015-03-10 EP EP15710561.0A patent/EP3116803B9/en active Active
  • 2015-03-10 CN CN201811218541.6A patent/CN109625640A/zh active Pending

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