Single-use capsule for preparing a food liquid by centrifugation

• US 8,409,646 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Yoakim, Alfred, Denisart, Jean-Paul, Ryser, Antoine
• Primary Examiner(s): Becker, Drew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, LUANA ZHANG
• Application Number:
  US12/602,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 426 77- 84, 426431-434, 426/115, 992/95, 993/02.C, 993/23, 993/95
• US Class Current: 426/115
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0642 specially adapted to cooperate with a cartridge, e.g. having grooves or protrusions to separate cartridge from the bottom of the brewing chamber A47J31/0668 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/22 Centrifuges for producing filtered coffee A47J31/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8052 Details of the outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A single-use capsule for preparing a food liquid from a food substance contained in the capsule by introducing water in the capsule and passing water through the substance using centrifugal forces for producing the food liquid which is centrifuged peripherally in the capsule relatively to a central axis (A) of the capsule. The capsule includes an enclosure containing a predetermined amount of food substance, and a plurality of outlet openings for enabling the food liquid to leave the enclosure under the centrifugal forces exerted in the capsule, with the outlet openings being arranged at a substantially peripheral portion of wall of the capsule.

Claims

1. A single-use capsule configured for preparing a food liquid from a food substance contained in the capsule by introducing water in the capsule and passing water through the substance using centrifugal forces for producing the food liquid which is centrifuged peripherally in the capsule relatively to a central axis of the capsule corresponding to an axis of rotation during the centrifuging operation comprising:

an enclosure delimited by a bottom wall, a widening sidewall arranged about the central axis and a lid forming a transversal upper wall, and containing therein a predetermined amount of food substance, wherein the upper wall comprises an inlet port located at the central axis, and

a plurality of outlet openings for enabling the food liquid to leave the enclosure under the centrifugal forces exerted in the capsule during centrifugation, with the outlet openings being present on the upper wall near its periphery and located closer to the sidewall than to the central axis, with the upper wall being substantially devoid of any openings between the outlet openings and the inlet port, and the bottom wall being also devoid of any openings.

2. The capsule of claim 1, which is made of a gas-tight material and which further comprises a sealing foil covering the outlet openings for closing the capsule in a gas-tight manner.

3. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the plurality of outlet openings comprises a series of slots or holes are distributed substantially evenly around the periphery of the upper wall.

4. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the outlet openings have an average diameter or width which is smaller than the average size of the particles forming the food substance.

5. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the outlet openings have an average diameter or width between 1 and 600 microns.

6. The capsule of claim 1, further comprising a filter wall subjacent the upper wall comprising a porous material of paper filter, woven or non-woven fibers, a meshed material, a porous polymer membrane or combination thereof.

7. The capsule of claim 1, which further comprises a circumferential collecting recess, adjacent to and outwardly from the plurality of outlet openings for collecting the liquid which passes through the outlet openings, and a gas-tight sealing foil covering at least the outlet openings and collecting recess of the upper wall.

8. The capsule of claim 7, wherein the sealing foil is permanently sealed onto the sidewall or upper wall and is made of a material that is puncturable by a piercing member for water injection into the capsule.

9. The capsule of claim 7, wherein the sealing foil is removably sealed onto the sidewall or upper wall and is attached thereto by a peelable seal.

10. The capsule of claim 7, wherein the sidewall comprises a peripheral rim onto which is sealed the gas-tight sealing foil, so that the foil covers the collecting recess and the entire outer surface of the upper wall by being sealed onto the peripheral rim.

11. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the substance is ground coffee, soluble coffee, a dairy based powder, a dairy or non-dairy creamer, cocoa, a sweetener, leaf tea, herbal tea, a culinary powder, a soluble or dispersible nutritional composition, a liquid food concentrate or combinations thereof.

12. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is formed of a food grade plastic and further comprises least one gas barrier layer.

13. The capsule of claim 12, wherein the enclosure is a thermoformed plastic laminate comprising at least one layer of polypropylene and the gas barrier layer is formal copolymer of ethylene and vinyl alcohol (EVOH).

14. A system for preparing a liquid food from a food substance contained in a capsule by passing water through the substance in the capsule using centrifugal forces comprising:

a capsule according to claim 1; and

a device for receiving the capsule, with the device comprising means for centrifugally driving the capsule around an axis of rotation that corresponds to the central axis of the capsule.

15. A single-use capsule for preparing a food liquid from a food substance contained in the capsule by introducing water in the capsule and passing water through the substance using centrifugal forces for producing the food liquid which is centrifuged peripherally in the capsule relatively to a central axis of the capsule corresponding to an axis of rotation during the centrifuging operation, comprising:

an enclosure delimited by a bottom wall, a widening sidewall arranged about the central axis and a lid forming a transversal upper wall, and containing therein a predetermined amount of food substance, wherein the upper wall comprises an inlet port located at the central axis, and

a plurality of outlet openings for enabling the food liquid to leave the enclosure under the centrifugal forces exerted in the capsule during centrifugation, with the outlet openings being present on the upper wall near its periphery and located closer to the sidewall than to the central axis, with the upper wall being substantially devoid of any openings between the outlet openings and the inlet port; and

a circumferential collecting recess, adjacent to and outwardly from the plurality of outlet openings for collecting the liquid which passes through the outlet openings.

16. A single-use capsule-for preparing a food liquid from a food substance contained in the capsule by introducing water in the capsule and passing water through the substance using centrifugal forces for producing the food liquid which is centrifuged peripherally in the capsule relatively to a central axis of the capsule corresponding to an axis of rotation during the centrifuging operation comprising:

an enclosure delimited by a bottom wall, a widening sidewall arranged about the central axis and a lid forming a transversal upper wall, and containing therein a predetermined amount of food substance, wherein the upper wall comprises an inlet port located at the central axis, and

a plurality of outlet openings for enabling the food liquid to leave the enclosure under the centrifugal forces exerted in the capsule during centrifugation, with the outlet openings being present on the upper wall near its periphery and located closer to the sidewall than to the central axis, with the upper wall being substantially devoid of any openings between the outlet openings and the inlet port;

wherein the upper wall comprises at least one peripheral recess that forms a collector for liquid food passing through the outlet openings, wherein the collecting recess extends continuously at the periphery of the upper wall.

17. A single-use capsule configured for preparing a food liquid from a food substance contained in the capsule by introducing water in the capsule and passing water through the substance using centrifugal forces for producing the food liquid which is centrifuged peripherally in the capsule relatively to a central axis of the capsule corresponding to an axis of rotation during the centrifuging operation, comprising:

an enclosure delimited by a bottom wall, a widening sidewall arranged about the central axis and a lid forming a transversal upper wall, and containing therein a predetermined amount of food substance, wherein the upper wall comprises at least one open inlet port defining a passage for water to be introduced into the capsule, with the inlet port aligned with the central axis of the capsule, and

a plurality of outlet openings for enabling the food liquid to leave the enclosure under the centrifugal forces exerted in the capsule during centrifugation, with the outlet openings being present on the upper wall near its periphery and located closer to the sidewall than to the central axis, with the upper wall being substantially devoid of any openings between the outlet openings and the inlet port, and the bottom wall being also devoid of any openings.

18. A single-use capsule for preparing a food liquid from a food substance contained in the capsule comprising:

an enclosure delimited by a bottom wall, a widening sidewall arranged about a central axis and a lid forming a transversal upper wall and containing therein a predetermined amount of food substance, wherein the upper wall comprises an open inlet port defining a passage for water to be introduced into the capsule, with the inlet port aligned with the central axis of the capsule, and wherein the upper wall adjacent its periphery comprises at least one peripheral recess that forms a collector for liquid food, and

a plurality of outlet openings distributed near and substantially evenly around the periphery of the upper wall for enabling the food liquid to leave the enclosure, with the outlet openings located closer to the sidewall than to the central axis, with the peripheral recess of the upper wall located adjacent to and outwardly from the plurality of outlet openings for collecting the liquid food which passes through the outlet openings.

19. The capsule of claim 18, further comprising a filter wall subjacent the upper wall comprising a porous material of paper filter, woven or non-woven fibers, a meshed material, a porous polymer membrane or combination thereof, and wherein the sidewall comprises a peripheral rim onto which is sealed the gas-tight sealing foil, with the foil also covering the peripheral recess and the entire upper wall by being sealed onto the peripheral rim.

20. A system for preparing a liquid food from a food substance contained in a capsule by passing water through the substance in the capsule using centrifugal forces comprising:

a capsule according to claim 18; and

a device for receiving the capsule, with the device comprising means for centrifugally driving the capsule around an axis of rotation that corresponds to the central axis of the capsule.