Apparatus for extracting a substance contained in a sachet

• US 5,826,492 A
• Filed: 02/29/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Schaeffer, Jacques, Fond, Olivier, Yoakim, Alfred, Pleisch, Jean-Pierre, Lavanchy, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Weier, Anthony J.
• Application Number:
  US08/608,662
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 99/295, 99/302 R, 99/307, 99/316
• US Class Current: 99/295
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0673 Means to perforate the cartridge for creating the beverage outlet
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3695 Cartridge perforating means for creating the hot water inlet cartridge perforating means of the filter holder for creating the beverage outlet A47J31/0673
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4464 by means of bayonet-type engagement
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8043 Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents B65D85/808 takes precedence; filters or reusable cartridges for coffee or tea makers, not used as packages A47J31/06

Abstract

An apparatus for extracting a substance contained in a sachet for preparation of a beverage has a first member having raised and hollow portions for forming a flow zone and a second member for cooperating with the first member to form a chamber to contain the sachet for extraction of the substance and to grip the edge of the sachet to ensure fluid-tightness upon being tightened, each member being configured for forming substantially half of the chamber for containing and ensuring a specific sachet shape. In one embodiment, the second member has provision for perforating an upper surface of a sachet for introducing water into the sachet. In another embodiment, the first member has an injector member which projects beyond the raised portions for perforating and introducing water into the sachet. The first and second members may be mounted on a chassis so that the members are mounted about an axis so that upon movement about the axis, the members are brought together so that they form the chamber, and a rim of the first member and an edge of the second member cooperate for gripping an edge of a sachet.

Claims

1. An apparatus for extracting, with water under pressure, a comestible substance contained in a sachet package comprising:

a first member and a second member wherein

the first member comprises a base, a wall surface and a wall rim wherein the wall surface extends laterally from the base to the rim to define a first member cavity and wherein the base contains holes therethrough for flow of an extract from the cavity through the base and comprises a surface and raised portions wherein the raised portions extend from the base surface into the first member cavity for tearing a sachet sheet positioned adjacent and deformed under pressure against the raised portions;

the second member comprises a wall surface and an edge wherein the wall surface defines a second member cavity and extends to the edge; and

the first member and second member are configured so that upon bringing the first member rim and the second member edge together, the first and second member cavities form a chamber confined by the wall surfaces and base and each of the cavities define substantially one-half of the chamber for containing sheets of a sachet which extend to a sachet edge and contain a comestible substance for preparation of a beverage and so that the first member rim and the second member edge are configured to grip the sachet edge and to provide fluid-tightness and so that upon bringing the rim and edge together to grip the sachet edge and to provide fluid-tightness, the rim and edge stretch the sachet;

a chassis and chassis mounting affixed with the first member and second member so that the first and second members are mounted to the chassis about an axis so that movement of one member relative to the other is through a plane transverse to the axis and so that upon movement about the axis one member to the other, the first member rim and the second member edge are brought together to form the chamber, grip the sachet edge, provide fluid-tightness and stretch the sachet;

means which extend from the second member into the second member cavity for, upon the bringing of the first member rim and second member edge together, perforating a sheet of a sachet which contains a comestible substance for preparation of a beverage to obtain a perforated sachet and for introducing water for extracting the substance contained in the perforated sachet; and

fastening means integral with each of the first and second members and comprising a lever which extends from one of the first and second members to the other member for, upon the first and second members being together, rigidly fastening the first and second members together to form the chamber, grip the sachet edge, provide fluid-tightness and stretch the sachet.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of the first member rim and the second member edge has a conical concave form and the other has a conical convex form suitable for mating.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein an angle of conicity of the convex form is different from an angle of conicity of the concave form to limit contact of the conical forms.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second member comprises two pieces wherein a first piece forms a centrally disposed portion of the second member wall surface and wherein the first piece contains a plurality of bores which extend therethrough and open into the second member cavity and wherein the means for perforating a sheet are a plurality of members which extend from the first piece to pointed ends positioned in the second member cavity so that each pointed end member occupies a portion of each bore and so that another portion of each bore is open to passage of water.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 4 wherein the second member edge has an outer wall portion and a portion recessed from the outer wall portion and further comprising a flexible joint member positioned adjacent the outer wall portion and the recessed portion.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the joint member has a shape selected from the group consisting of a toric shape and a cylindrical shape.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second member edge has two portions which form a recess having an obtuse angle.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first member rim and the second member edge each have a corrugated form.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second member wall surface has a centrally disposed convex portion and an adjacent portion which is concave.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the means for perforating a sheet of a sachet for introducing water is an injector member which extends through the centrally disposed convex portion into the second member cavity.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of flow holes are positioned adjacent each raised portion of the base.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the raised portions have a shape selected from the group consisting of cylinders, truncated cones, prisms, pyramids, truncated pyramids and asymmetric pyramids.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the raised portions have a shape of terraced pyramids.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the terraced pyramids extend from a pyramid base to a terrace for a distance of approximately from 0.3 mm to 1.8 mm, the terrace has a width of from 0.2 mm to 1 mm and the pyramid bases are spaced to provide channels having a width of approximately from 0.7 mm to 2.5 mm.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the raised portions have a shape of truncated pyramids which have a height of from 1 mm to 7 mm and sides having a width of from 1 mm to 7 mm to provide surfaces having an angle with respect to a pyramid base of from 10°

to 30°

.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the raised portions have a shape of an asymmetric pyramid.

17. An apparatus for extracting, with water under pressure, a comestible substance and comprising:

a first member comprising a base, a wall surface and a wall rim wherein the wall surface extends laterally from the base to the rim to define a first member cavity and comprising a water injector delivery member which extends laterally from the base and into the cavity and terminates in an end suitable for piercing a sheet of material of a package containing a substance for preparation of a beverage and for delivering water under pressure within the package and wherein the base contains holes therethrough for flow of an extract from the cavity through the base and comprises a surface and raised portions wherein the raised portions extend from the base surface into the cavity to a position at a distance from the base surface which is less than a distance of the injector member end from the base surface for, upon introducing water via the injector member under pressure into an injector member pierced package and placing the sheet under pressure so that the sheet deforms, contacting the sheet so that the sheet under pressure deforms against the raised portions for tearing the sheet;

a second member having a wall surface which defines a second member cavity and which extends to an edge suitable for cooperating with the first member rim to grip a package edge and provide fluid-tightness; and

means for rigidly fastening the first and second members together to grip the package edge and provide fluid-tightness.