Method and device for preparing a hot beverage

• US 6,832,542 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Hu, Ruguo, Arrick, Corey, Sheehan, Brita Frangsmyr, Bernardi, John, Chrisman, Randall C., Scoville, Eugene, Overbaugh, William F., Bardin, Ennio
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US10/247,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20030056661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 992/96, 993/02.R, 993/07, 993/231, 993/00
• US Class Current: 99/302.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0668 specially adapted for cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0673 Means to perforate the cartridge for creating the beverage outlet
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0678 Means to separate the cartridge from the bottom of the brewing chamber, e.g. grooves or protrusions
• 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: A47J 31/4496 Means to produce beverage with a layer on top, e.g. of cream, foam or froth
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8055 Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package

Abstract

The invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of a beverage obtained by supplying hot water within the capsule under pressure and releasing the beverage from the capsule; said capsule comprising a food substance therein, a first surface adapted to be traversed by a flow of water entering the capsule, a second surface adapted to be traversed by a flow of beverage exiting the capsule, wherein the second surface is adapted to deform outwardly upon action of the inside water pressure thereon and wherein said surface comprises at least one opening member capable of deforming inwards the capsule upon a mechanical reaction force applied from outside onto the closure member as a result of the deformation of said second surface due to the build-up of the inside pressure.

Claims

1. A system for preparing a liquid food, comprising:

a containment portion configured for containing a food ingredient and for receiving a liquid supplied to flow therethrough in contact with the food ingredient to produce a liquid-food mixture;

a boundary wall having a wall surface extending along a peripheral portion of the containment portion; and

at least one elongated channel extending along the wall surface and disposed downstream of the containment portion for receiving the liquid mixture and directing the liquid mixture along the wall surface to an outlet for providing the mixture as a liquid food, wherein the channel has a cross-section configured and dimensioned to create shear stress in the flow of the liquid mixture sufficient to create foam in the liquid food.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the channel has a width and a depth that is at least 25% of the width thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel has a cross-sectional area normal to the flow of the liquid mixture of more than 0.01 mm² and less than 1 mm².

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a plurality of channels extending from a common area on the boundary wall.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel has a length along that at least about an eighth of the dimension of the containment portion in the direction of the channel length.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel length has a length of at least about 50% of the dimension of the boundary wall in the direction of the channel length.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a food capsule that comprises the containment portion and boundary wall, the food capsule being receivable in an extraction chamber of a food preparation unit configured for feeding water into the capsule and comprising the outlet, and further wherein the channel comprises a slit extending along the boundary wall.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the capsule further comprises a second wall disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to the boundary wall, wherein the slit extends substantially completely through the boundary wall.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising the food ingredient, which comprises a predosed portion of a coffee, tea, cocoa, or milk product, or a combination thereof, in an amount for preparing a single serving of a beverage.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the containment portion comprises an extraction chamber of a food preparation device, the containment portion configured for receiving a capsule that contains the food ingredient, the system further comprising:

a liquid feeder configured for feeding liquid into the capsule in the extraction chamber; and

the outlet, which is connected with the extraction chamber downstream of the channel and configured for delivering the liquid food product.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the boundary wall is configured for supporting a capsule wall of the capsule that is disposed thereagainst when the capsule is pressurized with liquid.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the outlet is configured for filling a drinking cup at a dispensing location.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the extraction chamber comprises an opening member disposed within the contour of the boundary wall and being configured for producing an opening in the capsule when the capsule is pressurized.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the opening member is configured for piercing the capsule wall.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the opening member is configured for displacing a moveable openable portion from a closed configuration in which the openable portion closes the capsule to an open configuration in which the capsule is open to release the mixture.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the extraction chamber further defines a reservoir disposed within the boundary wall and in which the opening member is disposed, the reservoir being disposed fluidly communicated upstream of the channel and configured for receiving the liquid mixture from the capsule and feeding the mixture to the channel and configured and dimensioned for allowing the maintenance of the supportive association between capsule wall and the boundary wall when the capsule is pressurized and the liquid is flowing out of the capsule.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel is open at one longitudinal side, which is closed upon contact of the boundary wall with the wall of a food capsule or an extraction chamber when the capsule is pressurized.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the at least one channel has a width of less than about 0.25 mm.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising the food ingredient in the form of a soluble powder.

20. The device of claim 10, wherein the channel has a cross-sectional area normal to the flow of the liquid mixture of more than 0.01 mm² and less than 1 mm², and the liquid feeder and containment portion are configured to maintain a pressure of the liquid in contact with the food ingredient of at least about 4 bar.

21. A system for preparing a liquid food, comprising:

a containment portion configured for receiving a capsule that contains a food ingredient and for receiving a liquid supplied to flow therethrough in contact with the food ingredient to produce a liquid-food mixture, the containment portion comprising an extraction chamber of a food preparation device;

a boundary wall having a wall surface extending along a peripheral portion of the containment portion, wherein the boundary wall comprises a bulged portion, the bulged portion being configured for deforming a wall of the capsule into the capsule for supporting the wall that is disposed thereagainst to reduce or prevent rupture thereof when the capsule is pressurized with liquid;

at least one elongated channel extending along the wall surface and disposed downstream of the containment portion;

a liquid feeder configured for feeding liquid into the capsule in the extraction chamber; and

an outlet is connected with the extraction chamber downstream of the channel, wherein the channel is configured for receiving the liquid mixture and directing the liquid mixture to the outlet for providing the mixture as a liquid food, the outlet being configured for delivering the liquid food product.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the bulged portion comprises a dome.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the bulged portion is surrounded by a recessed portion and has a lateral width along the boundary wall that is at least of the lateral width of the boundary wall facing a face of the capsule.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the extraction chamber comprises outlet openings downstream of the channel and outside and adjacent the bulged portion for draining the liquid food to the outlet.

25. A system for preparing a liquid food product, comprising:

an extraction chamber comprising the outlet;

a capsule receivable in the extraction chamber, wherein the extraction chamber is configured for feeding a liquid into the capsule, the capsule comprising;

a containment portion configured containing a food ingredient and for receiving the liquid supplied to flow therethrough and in contact with the food ingredient to produce a liquid-food mixture,

an outlet wall closing the containment portion, and

an openable portion disposed in the outlet wall having a weakened portion configured for allowing the openable portion to open to an open configuration when the openable portion is depressed inwardly, the openable portion in the open configuration being configured for releasing the liquid-food mixture from the capsule; and

an opening member protruding towards the extraction chamber and configured and disposed for depressing the openable portion for fluidly communicating the liquid-food mixture with the outlet;

wherein the containment portion and outlet wall are configured and associated for displacing the openable potion against the opening member in response to increased internal fluid pressure for opening the openable portion.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a flexible portion flexibly connecting the openable portion to the outlet wall for allowing the openable portion to hinge to the open configuration when pressed into the capsule chamber by the opening member.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the outlet wall is supportively associated with the openable portion for keeping the openable portion closed in response to internal pressure within the capsule chamber.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the outlet wall defines an opening which is closed by the openable portion and has a first cross-section; and

the openable portion has a second cross-section aligned with and larger than the first cross-section to restrict the openable portion from opening outwardly from the capsule chamber.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the openable portion has a third cross-section aligned with and smaller than the second cross-section and disposed outwardly therefrom with respect to the capsule chamber.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the openable portion defines a normally closed slit that is enlarged to an open configuration by action of the opening member for draining the liquid mixture from the capsule chamber.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the outlet wall comprises first and second layers, the first layer comprising the slit, and the second layer comprising an opening in fluid communication with the slit when the slit is in the open configuration for draining the liquid mixture from the capsule chamber.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the openable portion is configured for shearing a flow of the mixture exiting therethrough for producing foam therein.

33. A device for preparing a liquid food product, comprising:

an extraction chamber configured for receiving a capsule that contains a food ingredient;

a liquid feeder configured for feeding liquid into the capsule in the extraction chamber;

an outlet connected with the extraction chamber and configured for delivering the liquid food product;

a supportive wall associable with a capsule wall of the capsule for supporting the capsule wall during pressurization of the capsule with the liquid;

an opening member disposed within the contour of the supportive wall and being configured for producing an opening in the capsule when the capsule is pressurized; and

at least one elongated channel extending along the supportive wall and disposed downstream of the containment portion for receiving the liquid mixture and directing the liquid mixture to an outlet for providing the mixture as a liquid food;

wherein the channel has a cross section configured to create shear stress in the flow of the liquid mixture sufficient to create foam in the liquid food.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the supportive wall is resiliently moveable when biased by the pressurized capsule wall for extending the opening member therefrom to open the openable member.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the supportive wall has a rounded contour for reducing localized stresses in the capsule wall.

36. The device of claim 33, wherein the supportive wall defines at least one channel extending away from the opening member for directing the flow of the mixture therefrom to the outlet.

37. The device of claim 33, wherein the extraction chamber is configured for positioning the capsule spaced from the opening member by a space sufficient to allow a sufficient pressure build up within the capsule to substantially mix the liquid and food ingredient, wherein the space is sufficiently small such that the pressurized capsule will extend against the opening member for opening the openable member.