System for dispensing short and long coffee beverages

• US 7,798,055 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2005
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Campiche, Francisco, Koch, Peter, Mandralis, Zenon Ioannis
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US11/057,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20050183578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: 992/95, 992/84, 992/99, 426/77, 426/78
• US Class Current: 99/295
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/002 following a specific operational sequence, e.g. for improving the taste of the extraction product
• 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 31/36 with mechanical pressure-producing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3623 Cartridges being employed with tape of cartridges A47J31/3652
• 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 31/4492 Means to read code provided on ingredient pod or cartridge

Abstract

A beverage system for selectively delivering, in a same coffee extraction device, short coffee liquid extracts and long coffee liquid extracts comprising: cartridges containing ground coffee; a receiving device for receiving one cartridge at a time and pumping means or injecting water under pressure in the cartridge; means for opening the cartridge wherein these means comprises retaining means to retain the liquid under pressure in the cartridge and engaging means which engage the retaining means to open the cartridge and deliver the coffee liquid extract; wherein the system comprises at least a first cartridge adapted to deliver a short coffee liquid extract, wherein the system comprises at least a second cartridge which has substantially the same external configuration and shape as the first cartridge so as to be capable of being received in the same receiving device as the first cartridge and which is adapted to deliver a longer coffee liquid extract upon allowing a larger amount of water to flow there trough, wherein the second cartridge for the longer coffee liquid extract is configured so that water flows through it at a higher rate than in the first cartridge during extraction.

Claims

1. A beverage system for selectively delivering, in a same coffee extraction device, short coffee liquid extracts and long coffee liquid extracts comprising:

cartridges containing ground coffee;

a receiving device for receiving one cartridge at a time and pumping means for injecting water under pressure in the cartridge;

means for opening the cartridge comprising retaining means to retain the liquid under pressure in the cartridge and engaging means which engage the retaining means to open the cartridge and deliver the coffee liquid extract;

at least a first cartridge adapted to deliver a short coffee liquid extract,

at least a second cartridge having substantially the same external configuration and shape as the first cartridge so as to be capable of being received in the same receiving device as the first cartridge and adapted to deliver a longer coffee liquid extract upon allowing a larger amount of water to flow there through, wherein the second cartridge has a greater amount of ground coffee than the first cartridge, the coffee in the second cartridge has a higher value of granulometry than the coffee in the first cartridge and a greater mass of coffee per unit volume than in the first cartridge so that water flows through the second cartridge at a greater rate than in the first cartridge during extraction.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the second cartridge contains at least 10% by wt. more ground coffee than the first cartridges.

3. System according to claim 1, wherein the second cartridges contains at least 20% more ground coffee than the first cartridges.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the amount of coffee in the second cartridge is determined so that the flow rate is between 160 and 300 grams/minute whereas the amount in the first cartridge is between 50 and 150 grams/minute.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the amount of coffee in the second cartridge has an extraction yield of between 17 and 30% and total solids between 1.1 and 1.9% wt.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein the second cartridge contains between 6 to 8 grams of ground coffee whereas the first cartridge contains between 5 and 6 grams of ground coffee.

7. System according to claim 1, wherein, the opening means and device for delivering the longer liquid extract are arranged inter-dependently to deliver the coffee extract of the second cartridge at an opening pressure that is lower than the opening pressure retained in the first cartridge.

8. System according to claim 7, wherein the opening pressure retained in the second cartridge before opening by the opening means is at least 20% lower than the opening pressure retained in the first cartridges before opening by the opening means and the internal pressure of the second cartridge is at least 20% lower than the internal pressure of the first cartridge.

9. System according to claim 1, wherein the granulometry of the ground coffee in the second cartridge is of from 300 to 600 microns whereas the granulometry of the first cartridge is of from 200 to 400 microns.

10. System according to claim 1, wherein the tap density in the second cartridge is higher than the tap density in the first cartridge.

11. System according to claim 1, wherein the tap density in the second cartridge is of from 390 to 500 g/l whereas the tap density of the first cartridge is of from 300 to 430 g/l.

12. System according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means is tearable or cuttable against the engaging means under the effect of the pressure in the cartridge.

13. System according to claim 12, wherein the retaining means is a membrane and the engaging means comprises a surface with protruding elements.

14. System according to claim 1, wherein the different flow rates of the first and second cartridges are further achieved by a different configuration of the opening means including:

(a) a membrane of the second cartridge has a lower puncture resistance than a membrane of the first cartridge, and/or

(b) the engaging means is made of a more incisive design for opening the second cartridge than for opening the first cartridge.

15. System according to claim 1, wherein the different flow rates of the first and second cartridges are further achieved by a different configuration of the member for opening comprising a membrane of the second cartridge having a lower puncture resistance than a membrane of the first cartridge.

16. System according to claim 1, wherein the different flow rates of the first and second cartridges are further achieved by a different configuration of the member for opening comprising the engaging means being made of a more incisive design for opening the second cartridge than for opening the first cartridge.

17. A beverage system comprising:

a device for receiving a cartridge and injecting water under pressure in the cartridge;

a member for opening the cartridge and retaining liquid under pressure in the cartridge and deliver a coffee liquid extract;

a first cartridge adapted to deliver a short coffee liquid extract,

a second cartridge which has substantially the same external configuration and shape as the first cartridge and which is adapted to deliver a longer coffee liquid extract allowing a larger amount of water to flow there through, wherein the second cartridge has a greater amount of ground coffee than the first cartridge, the coffee in the second cartridge has a higher value of granulometry than the coffee in the first cartridge and a greater mass of coffee per unit volume than in the first cartridge so that water flows through the second cartridge at a higher rate than in the first cartridge during extraction.