Cartridge having sheared thinned areas for promoting opening for beverage extraction

• US 5,948,455 A
• Filed: 03/20/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Yoakim, Alfred, Schaeffer, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): WEINSTEIN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US08/820,875
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 426/77, 426/84, 426/112, 426/115, 426/433, 99/295
• US Class Current: 426/77
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8046 Pods, i.e. closed containers made only of filter paper or similar material

Abstract

A cartridge which contains a substance for preparation of a beverage and for use for preparation of the beverage. The cartridge has a base, a wall, a rim and a cover. The wall extends from the base to form a cup shape which is substantially a frustum shape, the rim extends from the wall and has a diameter greater than the base and the cover is welded to the rim to contain the substance in the cartridge. The base further has sheared areas thinned, with respect to a base remainder, which extend to define arrangements which are spiral, substantially sinusoidal portions, radial segments and concentric arcs of a circle and which, along a line of each sheared area to define thickness, have a thickness which varies along the line, the sheared areas providing, upon extraction of the substance in the cartridge under pressure, openings through the base for filtering and obtaining the beverage.

Claims

1. In a cartridge containing a substance for preparation of a beverage wherein the cartridge comprises a base, a well and a rim, wherein the wall extends laterally from the base to form a cup having a shape which is substantially a frustrum shape and wherein the rim extends from the wall and has a diameter greater than the base, wherein the cartridge comprises a cover welded to the rim to contain the substance within the cartridge and wherein the base has areas thinned with respect to a remainder of the base so that upon extraction of the substance in the cartridge under pressure, the thinned areas provide openings through the base for filtering and obtaining the beverage, the improvements comprising the cup base and wall being comprised of at least 90% aluminum and comprising the thinned areas being sheared areas which define an arrangement selected from the group consisting of a spiral, of substantially sinusoidal portions, of radial segments and of concentric arcs of a circle and wherein each sheared area extends for a distance and comprises a thickness which varies along its extent to provide the opening.

3. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the thickness of each sheared area varies in a range between 40 microns and 60 microns along its extent.

4. A cartridge according to claim 3 wherein the sheared areas comprise a portion which defines a notch.

5. A cartridge according to claim 3 wherein the non-thinned base remainder has a thickness between 50 microns and 150 microns.

6. A cartridge according to claim 3 wherein the non-thinned base remainder has a thickness between 70 microns and 100 microns.

7. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the sheared areas comprise a portion which defines a notch.

8. A cartridge according to claim 7 wherein each sheared area notch has a thickness of 40 microns and wherein a remainder of each sheared area comprises a thickness of 50 microns.

9. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the non-thinned base remainder has a thickness between 50 microns and 150 microns.

10. A cartridge according to claim 9 wherein the non-thinned base remainder has a thickness between 70 microns and 100 microns.

11. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the cup base non-thinned base remainder has a thickness on an order of 85 microns and wherein the thickness of each sheared area varies between 40 microns and 50 microns along its extent and the sheared areas are arranged to define concentric arcs having a same radius.

12. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the cup base and wall are further comprised of a substance selected from the group consisting of iron, manganese, magnesium chrome, copper, zinc and silicon.

13. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the substance is ground roast coffee.

14. A cartridge according to claim 13 wherein the ground roast coffee is in a form which is selected from the group consisting of a compressed form and a compacted form.

15. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the cover has a thickness less than a thickness of the cup base remainder and wall.

16. A cartridge according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the cover has a thickness of from 20 microns to 60 microns.

2. In a cartridge containing a substance for preparation of a beverage wherein the cartridge comprises a base, a wall and a rim, wherein the wall extends laterally from the base to form a cup having a shape which is substantially a frustrum shape and wherein the rim extends from the wall and has a diameter greater than the base, wherein the cartridge comprises a cover welded to the rim to contain the substance within the cartridge and wherein the base has areas thinned with respect to a remainder of the base so that upon extraction of the substance in the cartridge under pressure, the thinned areas provide openings through the base for filtering and obtaining the beverage, the improvements comprising the cup base and wall being comprised of at least 90% aluminum and comprising the thinned areas being formed by shearing the base to provide sheared thinned areas which define an arrangement selected from the group consisting of a spiral, of substantially sinusoidal portions, of radial segments and of concentric arcs of a circle and wherein each sheared area extends for a distance and comprises a thickness which varies along its extent to provide the opening.