Pressure Beverage Cartridge and Preparation Method

• US 20080264267A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tuttoespresso, Srl (Larene SRL)
• Original Assignee: Tuttoespresso, Srl (Larene SRL)
• Inventors: Doglioni Majer, Luca
• Granted Patent: US 9,248,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/295
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8052 Details of the outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8055 Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package

Abstract

A cartridge for beverage dispensing machine is provided with outlet means (9B, 14) that are opened by the combined action of a mechanical compression and internal pressurization of the cartridge.

Claims

1. :

A cartridge (1) of a beverage dispensing apparatus, said cartridge having water inlet means (4, 5) for feeding water to said cartridge (1) to prepare said beverage as a prepared beverage and build up pressure within said cartridge, and beverage outlet means (9B, 14) for discharging said beverage from said cartridge, characterized in that said outlet means (9B,14) is configured to withstand a mechanical deformation towards an interior of the cartridge (1) and yet cannot withstand combined action of said mechanical deformation and said pressure built up within said cartridge.

2. :

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said beverage outlet means (9B, 14) has a portion (14A) externally projecting from the cartridge.

3. :

The cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said projecting portion (14A) is shaped to concentrate compression stresses in one area of the outlet means to open said beverage outlet means.

4. :

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said beverage outlet means (14) comprise one or more peripherally located openings.

5. :

The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge is made of a material that has a tensile strength within the range of 27 to 31 MPa.

6. :

The cartridge (1) according to any of claim 1, further comprising a passage (P) for said beverage flow located internally to said cartridge (1) and blocking means (10A) for at least partially blocking said passage (P) until a pressure is reached within said cartridge (1) which acts on said blocking means (10A;

10B) whereby said beverage can flow through said passage (P) and reach said beverage outlet means (14).

7. :

The cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said blocking means (10A) is deformable or rupturable under pressure of the prepared beverage.

8. :

The cartridge according to claim 7, wherein said blocking means (10A) is a plastically deformable element integral with said cartridge (1) or a portion thereof.

9. :

The cartridge according to claim 6, wherein said cartridge has a bottom wall (9) and an internal wall (10) and said blocking means (10A) is a wall extending between said bottom and said internal wall.

10. :

A method of preparing a beverage in a beverage dispensing cartridge (1), comprising the steps of feeding water to a beverage preparing chamber (12) to prepare said beverage and build up pressure within said cartridge (1), and dispensing the prepared beverage from beverage outlet means (14, 9B), characterized in comprising the following steps;

a) applying to at least a portion of the cartridge bottom wall (9) including at least part of said outlet means (14, 9B) a force that is directed towards the interior of said cartridge (1), said force being less that the force required to open said outlet means in said cartridge bottom wall;

b) increasing the pressure within said cartridge, including at said cartridge bottom wall (9), while maintaining said force applied in previous step a), until obtaining an outlet opening (14, 9B) for dispensing the said beverage.

11. :

The method according to claim 10, wherein said portion of the cartridge bottom wall (9) consists of said beverage outlet means (14), said outlet means comprising grooves (15).

12. :

The method according to claim 11, wherein said portion of the cartridge bottom wall (9) comprises a portion adjacent to said beverage outlet means (14).

15. :

The method of preparing a beverage in a beverage dispensing cartridge (1), according to claim 10, characterized in feeding said beverage from said beverage preparing chamber (12) to at least one passage (P) located within said cartridge and in temporarily and at least partially blocking said at least one passage by means of a blocking element (10A), until reaching a pressure sufficient to deform or break said blocking element (10A) within said cartridge (1) to form an unblocked passage (p) through which is let to flow the beverage to said beverage outlet means (14), thereby extending the brewing time for preparing said beverage.

16. :

The method according to claim 15, wherein said blocking element for temporarily blocking said passage (P) comprises a deformable wall (10A), said deformable wall being deformed upon reaching sufficient pressure to let said beverage flow to said beverage outlet means (14).

17. :

The method according to claim 16, wherein the deformation of said deformable wall results in a throttling element located internally to said cartridge.

18. :

The method according to claim 10 in combination with discharging said beverage from the beverage outlet means (14), the beverage outlet means (14) being located peripherally to said cartridge (1).

19. :

The method according to claim 15 in combination with discharging said beverage from the beverage outlet means (14), the beverage outlet means (14) being located peripherally to said cartridge (1).

20. :

The method according to claim 16, in combination with discharging said beverage from the beverage outlet means (14), the beverage outlet means (14) being located peripherally to said cartridge (1).

13. :

A beverage dispensing apparatus including a cartridge (1) having beverage outlet means (9B, 14) defined by breakable lines or grooves (15) provided in said cartridge wall, and a beverage collecting unit (17) for dispensing a beverage from said cartridge (1) to a beverage container, characterized in that said beverage collecting unit (17) comprises means (26) to apply a force to a portion of the bottom wall (9) of said cartridge (1) to deform said bottom wall (9) without breaking said breakable lines or grooves (15) when said cartridge is housed within said collecting unit (17).

14. :

The beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said force applying means (26) is provided in correspondence with at least said outlet means (14).