Capsules containing a substance in powder form from which a beverage, preferably espresso coffee, is to be extracted

• US 7,815,953 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illycaffe SPA
• Original Assignee: Illycaffe SPA
• Inventors: Vozza, Luigi, Bolzicco, Claudio, Dellapietra, Bruno, Mastropasqua, Luca, Liverani, Furio Suggi, Van Eeden, Frans
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeil; Jennifer C
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, HONG THI
• Application Number:
  US11/640,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20080026121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 426/77
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A capsule for extracting a beverage from a substance in powder form, preferably ground coffee, by means of pressurized water, comprising a box-like body which contains the substance in powder form and has a base provided with an output port for the outflow of the extracted beverage, the output port being closed by an elastic crema forming septum which can open under the pressure of the water, the capsule further comprising a safety lid which is mounted on the box-like body at the base so as to increase the axial size of the box-like body, the lid comprising a shoulder which is engaged on the septum and is adapted to retain the septum within the capsule.

Claims

1. A capsule for extracting a beverage from a substance in powder form by means of pressurized water, comprising a containment body which contains said substance in powder form, the containment body having a cup-shaped portion, said cup-shaped portion comprising an external peripheral wall and a base provided with an internal output port for the outflow of the extracted beverage, said output port being closed by an elastic crema forming septum which can open under pressure, the capsule further comprising a safety lid which is mounted on said containment body at the base so as to increase the axial size of the containment body at said external peripheral wall of said cup-shaped portion, said lid comprising an internal shoulder which is engaged on the septum and is adapted to retain the septum within the capsule.

2. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein said safety lid is fixed to a peripheral rim of said base by snap engagement.

3. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein said safety lid comprises at least one output opening.

4. The capsule according to claim 3, wherein said at least one output opening is arranged on said lid in a position which is displaced laterally with respect to a central axis of the output port.

5. The capsule according to claim 3, wherein said at least one opening is annular and coaxial to said output port.

6. The capsule according to claim 5, wherein said annular opening is defined in a through hole of said safety lid between an ogive-shaped element arranged in said through hole and the rim of said through hole, said ogive-shaped element being supported by said lid by means of supporting arms.

7. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the elastic septum which can open under pressure comprises an elastic membrane which has a through orifice provided beforehand in the membrane or a weaker region which is adapted to be broken under pressure during beverage extraction.

8. The capsule according to claim 7, wherein said weaker region comprises a region which is a blind orifice thinner than said membrane.

9. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein said containment body is made of plastic material, and the elastic septum comprises a thermoplastic elastomer which is co-molded with said containment body at the rim of said output port.

10. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein said output port comprises a cylindrical rim which protrudes axially from said base toward the outside of the containment body, the elastic septum being fixed mechanically to the internal surface of said cylindrical rim.

11. The capsule according to claim 1, further comprising a plastic flat filter which is arranged inside said containment body, between the substance in powder form and the output port, said filter being adapted to prevent the passage of solid fractions of the beverage through the output port.

12. The capsule according to claim 11, wherein the plastic filter comprises a plurality of passages whose diameter is at most 0.6 mm.

13. The capsule according to claim 12, wherein the diameter of each of the passages is at least 0.1 mm.

14. The capsule according to claim 12, wherein the passages are arranged on said-filter with a spacing of at least 1.2 mm.

15. The capsule according to claim 11, wherein said filter has a thickness from 0.5 to 2.5 mm.

16. A crema forming septum, adapted to be installed downstream of a chamber which contains a substance in powder form for extracting a beverage by means of pressurized water, the septum comprising an elastic membrane which has a weaker region adapted to be broken by the pressurized beverage during extraction, said weaker region being a prefracture blind orifice having a thickness that is thinner than regions of said membrane adjacent said prefracture blind orifice.

17. The septum according to claim 16, wherein said membrane is made of thermoplastic elastomer.