Dispensing of a substance

• US 7,798,054 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MDS Global Holding P.L.C.
• Original Assignee: MDS Global Holding Ltd. (Keurig Dr Pepper, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evers, Lucas Alphonsus Maria, Sterngold, Edouard
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US10/589,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 992/95, 993/233, 993/02.R, 992/89.R, 222/92, 222/94, 222/95, 222/103, 222/107, 222/129.1, 222/541.4, 222/541.2, 222/541.6
• US Class Current: 99/295
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/407 with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4482 Details allowing to adapt the beverage-making apparatus to the size of the brewing vessel or the beverage container, e.g. with adjustable support for the beverage container or adjustable hot water outlet
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/56 having water-level controls; having temperature controls
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/022 Making containers by moulding of a thermoplastic material
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/005 by expelling contents, e.g. by squeezing the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/32 Containers adapted to be temporarily deformed by external pressure to expel contents B65D47/2018, B65D83/0055 take precedence ; containers for pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/20, A61M5/19; containers with disinfecting linings A61L2/00; liquid sprayers B05B; oil cans F16N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2577/2083 in container flange
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/2064 the seal being locally weakened, e.g. by using a sealing inhibitor
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/38 Weakened closure seams
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8058 Coding means for the contents

Abstract

The invention proposes to dispense a substance from a container (1) filled with a single portion of a substance. The container comprises a preformed deformable body, preferably made of sheet material, defining a filling cavity which body has an opening (6) and an integral planar circumferential rim (5) surrounding said opening, which opening is closed by a cover sheet (7) which is sealed to the circumferential rim (5) by means of a circumferential sealing seam (10). The container with the substance is opened by making use of the deformability of the cover sheet (7). A support surface supports the cover sheet (7) except at the position of a recess (10b). The recess (10b) is positioned at least over a part of the circumferential sealing seam. Upon compression of the container body the substance is pressurized and the cover sheet (7) bulges out into the recess (10b) such that the sealing seam (10) is broken at the location where the bulge is formed resulting in the container being open.

Claims

1. A kit, in combination, comprising:

a container filled with a single portion of a substance, comprising a preformed deformable body defining a filling cavity, which preformed body is generally cup-shaped with a bottom, a sidewall extending from said bottom and opposite said bottom an opening, wherein said body has a planar circumferential rim surrounding said opening, which circumferential rim is integral with the side wall and extends outwardly therefrom, and wherein said opening is closed by a cover sheet which is sealed to the circumferential rim by means of a circumferential sealing seam, said circumferential sealing seam comprising a weakened zone at a predetermined location, wherein the container is provided with identification means corresponding to the substance contained in the container so as to allow automatic identification of the container, and

a dispensing apparatus comprising receiving means for receiving the container, the apparatus furthermore comprising compression means for compressing the container body received in the receiving means, whereby, in use, the substance in the container is pressurized and the sealing seam between the cover sheet and the circumferential rim is broken at the location of the weakened zone such that a dispensing passage between the cover sheet and the circumferential rim of the container is provided for dispensing the substance from the container and the apparatus furthermore comprising identification recognition means for automatically identifying the container and the substance therein.

2. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means of the dispensing apparatus have a compression chamber with a variable volume for receiving the container body, a stop face engaging the back side of the circumferential rim and a covering lid with a supporting face for engaging the cover sheet of the container.

3. Kit according to claim 2, wherein the covering lid is provided with a recess arranged such that when the covering lid is closed it is positioned over a part of the sealing seam, so as to allow the cover of the container to bulge out into the recess upon compression of the container body and the sealing seam to break.

4. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means is adapted to receive containers with different body sizes.

5. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means is adapted to hold the circumferential rim of the container during dispensing of the substance.

6. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means are provided with ejection means for ejecting a container from the receiving means.

7. Kit according to claim 5, wherein the ejection means comprise one or more ejection rods, the ejection rods being movable with respect to the stop face towards a position wherein they project with respect to the stop face and engage the circumferential rim of the container.

8. Kit according to claim 7, wherein the ejection rods are stationary and the stop face is movable with respect to the ejection rods between a front position near the covering lid and a rear position distant from the covering lid.

9. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the compression chamber is provided with a piston coupled to drive means, which piston is adapted to engage the container body.

10. Kit according to claim 9, wherein the drive means comprise a screw spindle and an electric motor.

11. Kit according to claim 9, wherein the drive means comprise pneumatic means.

12. Kit according to claim 9, wherein the drive means comprise hydraulic means.

13. Kit according to claim 9, wherein the drive means are adapted to be hand driven.

14. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing apparatus comprises treatment means for treating the substance dispensed from the container.

15. Kit according to claim 14, wherein the treatment means comprise liquid dispensing means for a liquid to be mixed with the substance from the container.

16. Kit according to claim 15, wherein the liquid dispensing means for liquid comprise means for dispensing cooled water and/or hot water and/or water with ambient temperature.

17. Kit according to claim 15, wherein the dispensing means for liquid comprise means for dispensing carbonated water.

18. Kit according to claim 17, wherein the means for dispensing carbonated water comprise in combination a connecting arrangement for connecting a CO₂ bottle to the dispensing apparatus and a CO₂ bottle.

19. Kit according to claim 18, wherein the CO₂ bottle is provided with a closing valve and the connecting arrangement is provided with connecting means for opening the closing valve.

20. Kit according to claim 19, wherein the closing valve has a valve housing with a circumferential flange and the connecting means has engagement means for engaging said flange such that in a connected state a rotation of the valve housing with respect to the connecting means is prevented.

21. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing apparatus has dispensing means for different sorts of water, e.g. hot water, cooled water and carbonated water, which are positioned such that the different sorts of water can be dispensed at one point in a serving container like e.g. a cup or a bottle.

22. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the identification means are applied to the cover sheet of the container.

23. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the identification means are applied to the preformed deformable body.

24. Kit according to claim 23, wherein the identification means are visual identification means, for example a bar code.

25. Kit according to claim 23, wherein the identification means comprise electronic identification means.

26. Kit according to claim 25, wherein the electronic identification means comprise a resonance circuit.

27. Kit according to claim 25, wherein the electronic identification means comprise a transponder.

28. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the identification recognition means comprise optical scanning means which are arranged in the receiving means of the dispensing apparatus such that the bottom surface of a container can be scanned.

29. Kit according to claim 28, wherein the optical scanning means comprise a laser scanner.

30. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the cover sheet is made of foil material.

31. Kit according to claim 1, wherein the cover sheet comprises a multilayer material.

32. A kit, in combination, comprising:

a container filled with a single portion of a substance, comprising a preformed deformable body defining a filling cavity which body has an opening and an integral planar circumferential rim surrounding said opening, which opening is closed by a cover sheet which is sealed to the circumferential rim by means of a circumferential sealing seam, wherein the container is provided with identification means corresponding to the substance contained in the container so as to allow automatic identification of the container, and

a dispensing apparatus comprising receiving means for receiving the container, which apparatus is adapted to open the container and comprises identification recognition means for automatically identifying the container and the substance therein,

wherein the receiving means of the dispensing apparatus have a compression chamber with a variable volume for receiving the container body, a stop face engaging the back side of the circumferential rim and a covering lid with a supporting face for engaging the cover sheet of the container, which covering lid is provided with a recess arranged such that when the covering lid is closed it is positioned over a part of the sealing seam, so as to allow the cover sheet of the container to bulge out locally into the recess in the covering lid upon compression of the container body and the sealing seam to break at the location of the recess in the covering lid whereby a dispensing passage for the substance is provided between the cover sheet and the circumferential rim.

33. A kit, in combination, comprising:

a container filled with a single portion of a beverage preparation concentrate, comprising a preformed deformable body defining a filling cavity, which preformed body is generally cup-shaped with a bottom, a sidewall extending from said bottom and opposite said bottom an opening, wherein said body has a planar circumferential rim surrounding said opening, which circumferential rim is integral with the side wall and extends outwardly therefrom, and wherein said opening is closed by a cover sheet which is sealed to the circumferential rim by means of a circumferential sealing seam, said circumferential sealing seam comprising a weakened zone at a predetermined location, wherein the container is provided with identification means corresponding to the beverage preparation concentrate contained in the container so as to allow automatic identification of the container, and

a beverage dispensing apparatus comprising receiving means for receiving the container, the apparatus furthermore comprising compression means for compressing the container body received in the receiving means, whereby, in use, the beverage preparation concentrate in the container is pressurized and the sealing seam between the cover sheet and the circumferential rim is broken at the location of the weakened zone such that a dispensing passage between the cover sheet and the circumferential rim of the container is provided for dispensing the concentrate from the container into a mixing container, the apparatus furthermore comprising water dispensing means for dispensing water into said mixing container to mix it with the concentrate dispensed from the container and the apparatus furthermore comprising identification recognition means for automatically identifying the container and the substance therein.