CAPSULE FOR THE PREPARATION OF A BEVERAGE

• US 20090220650A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Ozanne, Matthieu
• Granted Patent: US 7,981,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/78
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8055 Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

Capsule for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage machine comprising an enclosure (20) containing one or more beverage ingredients, a filtering wall (22) delimiting at least one filtering side of the enclosure, wherein the capsule further comprises an overflow wall (3B) that is positioned in the path of the brewed liquid after the filtering wall and which comprises at least one overflow aperture or is associated with at least one puncture means (8A, 8B) or, respectively, puncture indication means capable of producing or, respectively, indicating at least one overflow aperture. The capsule of the invention is designed for delivering a brewed liquid at relatively low pressure and is more particularly suited for tea beverages.

Claims

1. Capsule for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage machine comprising:

an enclosure containing one or more beverage ingredients;

a filtering wall defining at least one filtering side of the enclosure,

an overflow wall that is located in a path of a brewed liquid after a filtering wall and comprises or is associated with at least one component selected from the group consisting of an overflow aperture puncture means and puncture indication means capable of producing or, respectively, indicating at least one overflow apertures.

2. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the filtering wall extends from below a median horizontal plane passing through the enclosure when the capsule is oriented so that at least one overflow aperture or puncture means or, the puncture indicating means is placed above the plane.

3. Capsule according to claim 1 wherein

the filtering wall extends substantially from a bottom of the enclosure to a top of the enclosure.

4. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the overflow wall is placed separately from a front of the filtering wall with an interstitial space there between.

5. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the overflow wall and the filtering wall are substantially parallel to each other.

6. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein the overflow wall is a puncturable membrane.

7. Capsule according to claim 6, comprising

a shell and the puncturable membrane closes the shell in a gas tight manner.

8. Capsule according to claim 7, comprising

a cover that is attached to the shell and faces the puncturable membrane.

9. Capsule according to claim 8, wherein

the at least one puncture means or puncture indicating means is located on the cover.

10. Capsule according to claim 8, wherein

the cover comprises a beverage flow guiding means configured to guide the beverage flow to a beverage outlet of the capsule.

11. Capsule according to claim 10, wherein

the beverage outlet is located in a region of the cover that is substantially opposite to the puncture means or puncture indicating means.

12. Capsule according to claim 10, comprising

at least two puncture means or puncture indicating means placed at substantially opposite regions of the cover relative to a centreline of the cover and two outlet means placed at each end of the guiding means.

13. Capsule according to claim 8 wherein

the puncture indicating means consists of at least one hole through the cover for the introduction of a perforator that is foreign to the capsule.

14. Capsule according to claim 8 wherein

the puncture means comprises at least one flexural blade that comprises a perforator.

15. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the capsule has an elongated shape with an axial distance and a shorter transversal distance and the at least one puncture means or puncture indicating means is aligned along the axial distance.

16. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one ingredient is tea.

17. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the enclosure is substantially oxygen free and impermeable to light.

18. A capsule for the preparation of a beverage comprising:

an enclosure containing a beverage ingredient;

a filtering wall defining at least one filtering side of the enclosure; and

an overflow wall that is located in a path of a brewed liquid after a filtering wall and which comprises at least one overflow aperture.