Coffee pod

• US 10,450,131 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (The Kraft Heinz Company)
• Original Assignee: Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC (The Kraft Heinz Company)
• Inventors: Norton, Mark Richard Thomas, De Cleir, Piaras Valdis
• Primary Examiner(s): Thakur, Viren A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Chaim A
• Application Number:
  US15/513,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/34 with hot water under liquid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/368 Permeable cartridges being employed
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8046 Pods, i.e. closed containers made only of filter paper or similar material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A coffee pod is described with an improved sealing surface for a filter disposed within the pod. The improved sealing surface provides better adherence between the filter and a sidewall of the pod so that unadhered portions are minimized and operation is improved. A coffee pod is also described with an improved foot structure having a configuration and thickness designed to minimize buckling while also utilizing a cost-efficient amount of material.

Claims

1. A coffee pod comprising:

a container body having an interior and an open top;

a filter adhered to the container body within the interior thereof;

a cover sealed to the container over the open top thereof;

wherein the container body includes;

a top neck portion having a vertical plane passing therethrough;

a bottom wall portion having an outer edge; and

a side wall portion including;

a foot portion,

a stacking shoulder, and

an upper portion;

the stacking shoulder located above the foot portion and closer to the bottom wall portion than to the top neck portion,

the foot portion including a plurality of projections spaced around the bottom wall portion and extending between the bottom wall portion outer edge and the stacking shoulder;

the upper portion extending upwardly from the stacking shoulder, the stacking shoulder being between the foot portion and the upper portion,

a bottom of the top neck portion and a top of the upper portion of the side wall portion being interconnected by an inwardly sloped wall portion extending from the bottom of the top neck portion in an inwardly direction toward the top of the upper portion of the side wall portion such that an exterior surface of the inwardly sloped wall portion is at an angle of about 40-50 degrees relative to a portion of the vertical plane extending downwardly from the top neck portion,

the inwardly sloped wall portion having the filter adhered thereto,

wherein a lower portion of the side wall portion adjacent to the stacking shoulder has an average thickness greater than an average thickness of the bottom wall portion within a piercing area thereof to resist buckling as a result of the bottom wall being pierced.

2. The coffee pod of claim 1 wherein a ratio of a thickness of the side wall lower portion adjacent to the stacking shoulder and the bottom wall portion within the piercing area has an average value of between about 1.01 and 1.03.

3. The coffee pod of claim 1 wherein the side wall lower portion extends inwardly between 0 and 10 degrees from vertical.

4. The coffee pod of claim 1 wherein the side wall lower portion has a height of about 15% of a total height of the container body.

5. The coffee pod of claim 1 wherein the bottom wall portion includes a raised interior portion and an outer annular portion.

6. The coffee pod of claim 5 wherein the raised interior portion is configured to be pierced by an inlet needle in an off-center location thereof.

7. A method of forming the container body of the coffee pod of claim 1, the method comprising:

forming a container body out of a plastic material, wherein forming the container body comprises;

forming the side wall portion to include the inwardly sloped wall portion adjacent a top edge thereof and the stacking shoulder adjacent a bottom edge thereof;

forming the bottom wall portion having a raised interior region and outer annular portion.

8. A method of brewing a beverage using the coffee pod of claim 1, the method comprising:

piercing the cover with a device configured to dispense a liquid into the container body interior;

piercing the bottom wall portion with an instrument to create a dispensing opening therein, the container body being configured to resist buckling due to the piercing of the bottom wall portion.

9. A coffee pod comprising:

a container body having an interior and an open top;

a filter adhered to the container body within the interior thereof;

a cover sealed to the container over the open top thereof;

wherein the container body includes;

a top neck portion having a vertical plane passing therethrough;

a bottom wall portion having an outer edge;

a side wall portion including;

a foot portion,

a stacking shoulder, and

an upper portion;

the stacking shoulder located above the foot portion and closer to the bottom wall portion than to the top neck portion,

the foot portion including a plurality of projections spaced around the bottom wall portion and extending between the bottom wall portion outer edge and the stacking shoulder;

the upper portion extending upwardly from the stacking shoulder, the stacking shoulder being between the foot portion and the upper portion;

an inwardly sloped wall portion of the side wall upper portion having the filter adhered thereto, wherein the inwardly sloped wall of the side wall upper portion interconnects the top neck portion and the side wall upper portion and extends from the top neck portion in a direction toward the side wall upper portion such that an exterior surface of the inwardly sloped wall portion is at an angle of about 40-50 degrees relative to the vertical plane extending downwardly from the top neck portion.

10. The coffee pod of claim 9 wherein the inwardly sloped wall portion extends at about 45 degrees relative to the vertical plane.

11. The coffee pod of claim 9, wherein the sidewall lower portion adjacent to the stacking shoulder has an average thickness greater than an average thickness of the bottom wall portion within a piercing area thereof to resist buckling as a result of the bottom wall being pierced.

12. The coffee pod of claim 11 wherein a ratio of a thickness of the side wall lower portion and the bottom wall portion has an average value of between about 1.01 and 1.03.