Process and capsule for preparing beverages

• US 20090175986A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tuttoespresso, Srl (Larene SRL)
• Original Assignee: Tuttoespresso, Srl (Larene SRL)
• Inventors: Doglioni Majer, Luca
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/77
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8052 Details of the outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A single serve capsule (1) for the preparation of hot beverages such as coffee, cappuccino, tea or the like from soluble or ground preparations, having an outlet lid portion (1 b) located on a dispensing wall (F) in order to form a dispensing opening (11) after a liquid has been introduced into the capsule, as well as means for changing the area of said dispensing opening during the dispensing step of the beverage.

Claims

1. A process of preparing beverages from beverage preparations, comprising the steps of:

supplying an amount of liquid to a capsule (1) containing a beverage preparation to prepare a beverage,

forming a dispensing opening (11) that has a dispensing area, through which said beverage can flow from inside said capsule to outside said capsule,

dispensing the thus obtained beverage from said capsule through said dispensing opening, and changing an area of said dispensing opening (11) at least twice by increasing and decreasing the area during said step of dispensing the thus obtained beverage from said capsule, before all said beverage has been dispensed.

2. The process according to claim 1, comprising a further step of increasing said area of said dispensing opening (11).

3. The process according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said changing of said area of said dispensing opening (11) are obtained according to the pressure built up within said capsule by the liquid fed to the capsule.

4. The process according to claim 3, wherein said dispensing opening (11) is formed between a puncturing member (9) fitted in one wall (F) of said capsule (1) and an edge (3) of said wall which surrounds said puncturing member, and in that the edge of said wall (F) is substantially adherent to said puncturing member (9) at a beginning of the step of feeding the liquid into the capsule, moves away from said member (9) in order to form said dispensing opening (11) upon pressurization of said capsule and returns to an at least partially closed position after an amount of beverage has been dispensed from the capsule but before all the beverage has been dispensed.

5. The process according to claim 3, wherein said dispensing opening (11) is formed between one wall of said capsule (F), a movable outlet lid portion of said wall (1b) and an opening element (9a) of said movable outlet lid portion (1b) and wherein said outlet lid portion (1b) is in a closed position at the beginning of the step of feeding liquid to the capsule, moves into an open position after said capsule has been pressurized by said liquid, and moves to an at least partially closed position after an amount of beverage is dispensed from the capsule but before all the beverage has been dispensed.

6. A process according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said opening is formed when the pressurized liquid inside said capsule pushes an outlet lid portion (1b, 16) of the capsule bottom wall (F) outwardly of said capsule.

7. A capsule (1) for the preparation of beverages from soluble preparations after a liquid has been fed to said capsule, said capsule having a dispensing wall (F) and a dispensing wall lid portion (1b, 16) which can be open to form a dispensing opening (11) for said beverage, characterized in that said capsule comprises means for varying an area of said dispensing opening (11) during dispensing the beverage from said capsule.

8. The capsule according to claim 7, wherein said means for varying said area of said dispensing opening comprise hinge means (7, 4a, 17).

9. The capsule of claim 8, wherein said hinge means are provided on the dispensing wall (F) of the capsule in which said opening (11) is formed, to impart an oscillating movement to said wall (F) during said dispensing.

10. The capsule according to one of the claims 8 to 9, wherein said hinge means are hinges (17) connecting said outlet lid portion (1b, 16) to said dispensing wall (F), said hinges (17) biasing said lid portion (1b,16) to return to an at least partially closed position after having been stressed into the open position before all the beverage has been dispensed.

11. The capsule according to claim 7, wherein at least part of said dispensing wall (F) has a rigidity within a range of 10 to 55 N/mm measured by compression with a punch (6) and deflection set to 3 mm.

13. The capsule according to any claim 8 to 9, wherein the thickness of said dispensing wall (F) in the area surrounding (8) said outlet lid portion (1b) is greater than the thickness of said bottom wall adjacent (7) side walls (L, 1a) of the capsule.

14. The capsule according to claim 13, wherein said dispensing wall (F) is inclined convergent towards said lid portion (1b) and wherein an angle of inclination (a) of said wall towards said lid portion is within the range of 1 to 15 degrees.

12. A capsule (1) for the preparation of beverages from soluble preparations after a liquid has been fed into said capsule, said capsule having a dispensing wall (F) including a outlet lid portion (1b, 16) to form a dispensing opening (A) for said beverage, characterised in that at least part of said dispensing wall (F) has a rigidity within the range of 10 to 55 N/mm measured by compression with a punch and deflection set to 3 mm.

18. A capsule (C) for preparing a beverage from food products (23) housed within it, according to any claim 7 to 9 or 12, further comprising a filter element (13,14,24).

19. A capsule (C) according to claim 18, wherein said filter element is spaced from a bottom wall (F) of said capsule.

20. A capsule (C) according to claim 18, wherein said outlet lid portion is open outwardly.

15. The use of a capsule with a dispensing group comprising a puncturing member (9) which is housed within said dispensing opening (11) during said dispensing, wherein a size of said puncturing member portion engaging said bottom wall (F) of the capsule (1) is equal to or greater than a size of said openable portion (1b) of the bottom wall (F).

16. The use of a capsule according to claim 15 with the dispensing group comprising an opening member (9a) engaging said outlet lid portion (1b, 16) opening when said capsule is pressurised during said feeding step in order to form a dispensing opening.

17. A device for the preparation of beverages from soluble preparations, comprising capsule receiving means of a capsule and a puncturing member (9) for perforating a dispensing wall (F) of said capsule and forming a dispensing opening (11), characterised in that a size of a portion of said puncturing member (9) that engages said capsule bottom wall (F) is substantially equal to or greater than a size of said lid portion (1b) of the bottom wall (F).