Patent Application
20140141128
This specification relates to beverage capsules used in beverage preparing machines and in particular to multi-chamber beverage capsules and a process and system for making same.
The following background discussion is not an admission that anything discussed below is citable as prior art or common general knowledge. The documents listed below are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference to them.
Single serve beverage capsules for use in beverage preparing machines are becoming increasingly popular. Such beverage capsules come in a variety of formats for producing beverages such as espresso coffee, drip coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
Single chamber beverage capsules, such as espresso capsules, have a single chamber defined by a plastic or aluminum body having a foil cover at one end. The chamber is densely packed with ingredients, such as ground coffee, for producing beverages in a high pressure beverage preparing machine. Hot water is injected under pressure by the beverage preparing machine into the single chamber containing the ingredients. As the pressure within the chamber increases the foil cover is forced against raised projections in the capsule holder to the point that the projections penetrate the cover so that the beverage flows through the cover into the user's cup.
One example of a single chamber beverage capsule is the Nespresso Grands Crus™ capsule. This capsule has an aluminum body with a foil cover. The foil cover is pierced by square protrusions in the capsule holder when hot water is injected under pressure by the beverage preparing machine into the capsule.
Multi chamber beverage capsules, such as drip coffee capsules, have a first chamber defined by a filter (typically a paper filter) that is loosely packed with ingredients (such as ground coffee) and a second chamber downstream of the first chamber that defines an empty space for receiving a prepared beverage that flows through the filter prior to dispensing into a cup.
One example of a multi chamber beverage capsule is the Keurig K-Cup™ capsule. This capsule includes a paper filter having a side wall that is sealed to an inside peripheral edge of the capsule. The side wall of the filter is pleated or fluted to define channels extending between the top and bottom of the filter. The channels are intended to improve fluid flow down the side wall of the chamber.
One advantage of single serve beverage capsules is that each serving contains a fresh supply of ingredients. The freshness of the ingredients is preserved through a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) process where the air within the capsule is modified such as by replacing the air with an inert gas prior to sealing.
A problem with multi chamber beverage capsules is that a greater volume of air is contained within the capsule (in the second chamber and within the bed of loosely packed ingredients) which must be evacuated and replaced with an inert gas as part of the MAP process. The location and type of filter, such as the pleated paper filter that is secured to the side wall of the Keurig K-cup™ capsule, can restrict the rate at which air within the second chamber of the capsules may be evacuated and replaced with an inert gas. This significantly impacts the rate of production for conventional dual chamber capsules such as the Keurig K-cup™ capsules.
To address this problem, conventional dual chamber capsules, such as the Keurig K-cup™ capsule, are manufactured within a modified atmosphere environment. Specifically, the filling and sealing operations are conducted within an operation chamber in which the air has been replaced with nitrogen.
This results in manufacturing inefficiencies due to the large volumes of nitrogen required to fill the large space that houses the filling and sealing machinery. Furthermore, the operation requires a longer than desired lead time prior to each manufacturing cycle to replace the air within the operation chamber with nitrogen.
Another problem with conventional multi chamber capsules, such as the Keurig K-cup™ capsule, is that the brewing cycle is prolonged due to delayed balancing of the pressure differential between the upper and lower chambers during use of the beverage capsule in a beverage preparing machine.
There is a need for improvements to the beverage capsule and the process and system for making such beverage capsules to address problems such as noted above.
In one aspect the invention provides a beverage capsule for use in a beverage preparing machine, the beverage capsule comprising:
In another aspect the invention provides a beverage capsule for use in a beverage preparing machine, the beverage capsule comprising:
In another aspect the invention provides a process for making a beverage capsule for use in a beverage preparing machine, the process comprising the steps of:
In another aspect the invention provides a system for making a beverage capsule for use in a beverage preparing machine, the system comprising:
In another aspect, the invention provides a capsule for use in a machine for preparing consumable products from capsules, the capsule comprising:
Other aspects and features of the teachings disclosed herein will become apparent, to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of the specific examples of the specification.
The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples of articles, methods, and apparatuses of the present specification and are not intended to limit the scope of what is taught in any way. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
Various apparatuses or methods will be described below to provide examples of the claimed invention. The claimed invention is not limited to apparatuses or methods having all of the features of any one apparatus or method described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. The claimed invention may reside in a combination or sub-combination of the apparatus elements or method steps described below. It is possible that an apparatus or method described below is not an example of the claimed invention. The applicant(s), inventor(s) and/or owner(s) reserve all rights in any invention disclosed in an apparatus or method described below that is not claimed in this document and do not abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document.
A beverage capsule in accordance with the present invention is shown generally at 10 in the Figures. The term “beverage capsule” is intended to mean a capsule for preparing beverages or other consumable products from desired ingredients as described below.
Beverage capsule 10 includes a body 12, filter 14, ingredients 16 and cover 18. Body 12 and cover 18 are each formed of multilayered materials that include one or more barrier layers providing barriers against one or more environmental factors such as light, oxygen, and moisture.
Body 12 includes a side wall 20 and an end wall 22 together defining an enclosed interior space 24. Interior space 24 preferably has a volume in the range of 30 cc to 100 cc for preparing a single serving of beverage and more preferably a volume in the range of 40 cc to 80 cc.
An opening 26 is defined at one end of body 12. A flange 28 extends around the perimeter of opening 26. End wall 22 includes at least one extraction region 32 adapted for being pierced by at least one extraction needle 34 of a beverage preparing machine 36 for dispensing beverage from the capsule 10 to a user's cup.
Filter 14 is adapted to be disposed within body 12 to define at least one ingredients chamber 46 in an upper region of the interior space 24 for receiving one or more ingredients 16 and at least one extraction chamber 48 exterior to the ingredients chamber 46 in the interior space 24 for receiving beverage from the at least one ingredients chamber 46 prior to extraction using the extraction needle 34.
Ingredients 16 may be coffee grounds, tea leaves, chocolate powder, milk powder, instant coffee or any other ingredients or combinations of ingredients that may be used to prepare a beverage or other consumable product. Ingredients requiring filtration (such as coffee grounds or tea leaves) would be deposited within ingredients chamber 46. Ingredients that do not require filtration may be deposited within extraction chamber 48.
Filter 14 includes a gasket portion 50 and a side wall 52 that extends downwardly from gasket portion 50 to a filter bottom 54. Gasket portion 50 is secured to a top surface 55 of flange 28 preferably by way of a heat seal. Cover 18 is subsequently secured to gasket portion 50 of filter 14 and the top surface 55 of flange 28 of body preferably by way of a heat seal. More details of filter 14 and the manner for securing filter 14 and cover 18 to flange 28 of body 12 are provided in co-pending patent application Ser. No 13/600,582 which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. Alternatively, filter 14 may for example be secured to the interior surface of side wall 20 of body 12 and cover 18 may be secured to the top surface 55 of flange 28 using conventional attachment methods.
Referring to the enlarged view of beverage capsule 10 in
A vent region 60 is defined by the portion of side wall 52 of filter 14 that is available for venting (and thus not sealed to body 12) between top surface T of ingredients 16 and bottom surface B of cover 18. Vent region 60 provides a primary region for the venting of gas (such as air and inert gas) through filter 14 between ingredients chamber 46 and extraction chamber 48. Such venting occurs during the MAP process as well as during use of beverage capsule 10 in a beverage preparing machine as pressure differentials between the ingredients chamber 46 and extraction chamber 48 are changing. For a beverage capsule 10 having an interior space 24 adapted for providing a single serving of beverage, vent region 60 preferably has a surface area in the range of 3 to 20 cm2 and more preferably between 6 to 15 cm2.
Filter 14, and in particular vent region 60 of filter 14, preferably has an air permeability of at least 400 L/s.m 2, more preferably at least 1000 L/s.m 2 and even more preferably at least 1800 L/s.m 2 (all measurements based on ASTM Standard D737-96 “Standard Test Method for Air Permeability of Textile Fabrics”). By comparison, the pleated paper filter for the Keurig K-cup beverage capsule having a basis weight of 40 grams per square meter (gsm) has an air permeability of approximately 250 L/s.m2.
Preferably, filter 14 is formed of a non-woven fabric filtration material such as polyester, polyethylene or nylon non-woven fabric. The basis weight for filter 14 is in the range of 40 to 150 gsm and more preferably between 80 to 120 gsm.
Referring to
Preferably, filter 14 is formed of a moldable non-woven filtration material that includes a plurality of multi-component fibers that are bound or interlocked by non-woven manufacturing techniques (such as spun bond techniques) to form a web having channels 62 extending from one side of filter 14 to the other. The desired diameter for channels 62 after forming is between 20 and 100 μm, more preferably between 40 to 80 μm. More details of a preferred filtration material for filter 14 are provided in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 14/074,024 which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
Filter 14 may alternatively be formed of a polymer sheet, such as polyester or Nylon, which may be perforated or otherwise modified to define channels 62.
Filter 14 may alternatively be formed from an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHWMPE) which is also a filter material due to the cavities/pores formed during polymerization.
In an alternative embodiment as shown in
Air flow channels 64 are adapted to provide improved air flow within the beverage capsule 10 along sidewall 20 of body 12 between ingredients chamber 46 and extraction chamber 48 particularly at vent area 60. Air flow channels 64 are adapted to improve air flow sufficiently along the sidewall 20, particularly adjacent vent region 60, to allow a filter 14 having a lower level of air permeability (including conventional paper filters) to be utilized.
Referring to
System 100 comprises at least one transfer belt 102 having a plurality of capsule holders 103 adapted to cyclically and sequentially transfer capsules 10 from a working station to a following station as described further below. While only a single capsule holder 103 is shown at each station for system 100 it will be understood that transfer belt 102 has multiple capsule holders 103 disposed at each station in order that manufacturing operations may be performed simultaneously on multiple capsules at each station.
System 100 includes a body forming station 104 for engaging a sheet of moldable multilayered body material 106 with a heated mandrel 108 to form body 12. Capsule holder 103 with body 12 formed in body material 106 is then transferred to a filter sealing station 110. A sheet of moldable nonwoven filter material 112 is sealed to body material 106 at filter sealing station 110 such that filter material 112 covers opening 26 of body 12.
Capsule holder 103 with filter material 112 sealed to body material 106 is then transferred to a filter forming station 116 where a heated mandrel 118 engages the portion of filter material 112 that extends over opening 26 of body 12 to form a filter 14 into a desired shape to define an ingredients chamber 46 within thermoformed body 12.
Capsule holder 103 with filter material 112 sealed to body material 106 and filter 14 formed in body 12 is then transferred to a cutting station 120 where a die 122 cuts each individual body 12 with filter 14 from body material 106. Die 122 is adapted to cut body material 106 to define flange 28 around opening of body 12 with a gasket portion 50 of filter 14 sealed to the top surface of flange 28.
Capsule holder 103 with separated body 12 with filter 14 is then transferred to a dosing station 124 having an ingredients supplier 126 for supplying a desired amount of ingredients 16 into ingredients chamber 46. A scale 128 weighs beverage capsule 10 to ensure that the desired amount of ingredients 16 have been dosed into ingredients chamber 46.
Capsule holder 103 then transfers body 12 with filter 14 and ingredients 16 to cleaning station 130 where a vacuum conduit 132 cleans the exposed surface of gasket portion 50 of filter 14 in preparation for sealing with cover 18.
Capsule holder 103 then transfers body 12 with filter 14 and ingredients 16 to a cover pre-sealing station 134 for receiving a supply of a cover material 136 and pre-sealing a portion of cover 18 to gasket portion 50 of filter 14 and to flange 28 of body 12. Cover pre-sealing station 134 leaves openings 188 along edge of cover 18 for allowing air to be evacuated and inert gas to be flushed into capsule during the MAP process as described in more detail below.
Partially sealed beverage capsules 10 are then transferred from capsule holders 103 in transfer plate 102 to corresponding capsule holders 176 disposed within a transfer plate 178 using a pick-and-place device (not shown) or other suitable mechanism. Capsule holders 176 and transfer plate 178 are specially adapted for use during the MAP process as described further below.
Transfer plate 178 with partially sealed beverage capsules 10 disposed in capsule holders 176 is then moved to a MAP station 170 for execution of the MAP process as described below. Once the MAP process is complete, openings 188 in cover 18 are sealed with sealer 192 and the finished beverage capsule 10 is transferred using a pick-and-place device (not shown) or other suitable mechanism to a collection station 138 for subsequent packaging into boxes (not shown).
Referring to
MAP station 170 comprises an upper chamber 180 and a lower chamber 182 that each move between an open position (not shown), where upper chamber 180 and lower chamber 182 are spaced a sufficient distance apart in order that transfer plate 178 containing beverage capsules 10 may be transferred to or from MAP station 170, and a closed position, where upper chamber 180 and lower chamber 182 form an airtight seal against transfer plate 178 in order that the MAP process may be conducted.
Upper chamber 180 includes a first inert gas inlet 184a connected to a source (not shown) of a desired inert gas 174, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, for supplying inert gas 174 under pressure to upper chamber 180. Lower chamber 182 includes a second inert gas inlet 184b connected to a source (not shown) of a desired inert gas 174, such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide, for supplying inert gas 174 under pressure to lower chamber 182.
Lower chamber 182 further includes an outlet 186 connected to a vacuum generator (not shown) for creating a vacuum within MAP station 170 when it is in its closed position for removing air from upper and lower chambers 180 and 182 as well as interior space 24 of beverage capsules 10 contained within MAP station 170.
Referring to
Referring back to
As shown in
MAP station 170 further includes a heat sealer 192 that is adapted to be moved into engagement with the edge portion of cover 18 over flange 28 once the MAP process is complete to close openings 188 and fully seal cover 18 to gasket portion 50 of filter 14 and flange 28 of body 12.
Referring to
Once sufficient air 172 is removed from beverage capsule 10 and replaced with inert gas 174, the openings 188 in cover 18 are sealed with sealer 192 to fully seal the interior space 24 of beverage capsule 10. It is desirable that sufficient air 172 is removed from beverage capsule 10 to provide an oxygen level of less than 2% and more preferably less than 1%.
Referring to Table 1 below, the preferred parameters for the MAP process and beverage capsule 10 in accordance with the present invention are provided. Advantageously, the MAP process may be conducted more efficiently and at a greater rate of production than for conventional beverage capsules such as Keurig K-cup™ beverage capsules.
While the above description provides examples of one or more processes or apparatuses, it will be appreciated that other processes or apparatuses may be within the scope of the accompanying claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61725324 | Nov 2012 | US |
