Method for preparing a beverage or food liquid and system using brewing centrifugal force

• US 8,431,175 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• 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, Perentes, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Becker, Drew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, LUANA ZHANG
• Application Number:
  US12/776,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20100239734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 426 77- 80, 426431-433, 993/02.C, 992/95, 993/23, 99279-280, 422/270
• US Class Current: 426/433
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/22 Centrifuges for producing filtered coffee A47J31/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/407 with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8052 Details of the outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8055 Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8058 Coding means for the contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A capsule, device, system and method for preparing a liquid food or beverage. The capsule comprises an enclosure containing one or more extractable or infusible ingredients and configured and dimensioned to have a perimeter and be radially symmetrical about a central axis to facilitate rotation; and an opening arrangement that allows liquid food to leave the capsule after passing through the ingredient(s), wherein the opening arrangement is configured and positioned near or upon the perimeter of the enclosure to allow the liquid food to leave the capsule radially due to the application of the centrifugal forces. The method and device introduce liquid into the capsule to form the liquid food while applying centrifugal forces to the capsule to urge the liquid to pass through the ingredient(s).

Claims

1. A method for preparing a liquid food from a capsule containing one or more extractable or infusible ingredients, which comprises piercing the capsule with at least one needle, injecting a liquid into the capsule, and passing the liquid through the ingredient(s) in the capsule while applying centrifugal forces to the capsule to urge the liquid to pass through the ingredient(s) in a radial or centrifugal flow path to prepare the liquid food,

wherein the centrifugal forces are applied to the capsule in a device comprising:

means for receiving the capsule;

means for introducing the liquid into the capsule; and

means for centrifugally rotating the capsule about an axis of rotation;

wherein the capsule receiving means positions and references the capsule in a removable manner in the device and in an operational relationship with the liquid introducing means with the central axis of the capsule in alignment with the axis of rotation of the centrifugal rotating means such that upon introduction of the liquid, the centrifugal rotation of the capsule urges the liquid to flow through the ingredients in a radial or centrifugal flow path to prepare the liquid food;

wherein the liquid introducing means comprises at least one needle arranged for introduction through the capsule along its central axis and for injection of liquid into the capsule at or near its central axis; and

wherein the capsule receiving means comprises a capsule holder associated with the centrifugal rotating means for allowing the capsule to be rotated around its central axis at a centrifugal speed of at least 500 rpm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capsule is centrifugally rotated at a centrifugal speed of at least 500 rpm, and the liquid is introduced into the capsule at or near its central axis at substantially no pressure, and which further comprises providing an outlet in the capsule at a peripheral location of the capsule at least after the liquid food is prepared to enable the liquid food to leave the capsule.

3. The method of claim 1 which further comprises restricting flow of the liquid food to provide a pressure drop of at least 0.5 bar of relative pressure during the centrifugal rotation of the capsule to enable the liquid to have a higher residence time in contact with the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) in the capsule prior to collecting the centrifuged liquid food from the capsule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the capsule is sealed in a gas tight manner before preparation and the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) comprises ground coffee powder, soluble coffee, tea, chocolate, whitener, flavours or combinations thereof, with the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) present in an amount for forming one or two servings of the liquid food, and with the capsule being rotated at an axis of rotation that is vertical or inclined relative to vertical at an angle that is less than 90 degrees.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein predetermined parameters for preparing the liquid food are adjusted as a function of volume of the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) contained in the capsule;

including at least one of liquid flow rate, speed of rotational, volume of liquid introduced into the capsule, temperature of injected liquid and combinations thereof

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the capsule comprises identification means for adjusting the liquid food preparation parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the volume of the capsule differs as a function of the volume or type of liquid food to be prepared.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the volume or type of liquid food represents at least two, preferably three or more different coffee beverages.

9. The method of claim 1, which further comprises configuring the capsule to include an enclosure containing the extractable or infusible ingredients which enclosure is configured and dimensioned to have a perimeter that is radially symmetrical about a central axis to facilitate rotation of the capsule, wherein liquid can be introduced into the capsule to form the liquid food;

and opening means or an opening arrangement to facilitate allowing liquid food to leave the capsule after passing through the ingredient(s), wherein the opening means or arrangement is configured and positioned near or upon the perimeter of the enclosure to allow the liquid food to leave the capsule radially due to the application of the centrifugal forces.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the capsule enclosure includes a top, bottom and side wall, and the opening means or arrangement comprises one or more outlet openings located in the top or the side wall near or upon the perimeter of the enclosure, with the opening(s) either being (a) initially present in the enclosure along with a gas-tight covering or (b) formed by centrifugal forces during preparation of the liquid food after injection of the liquid into the capsule by movement of the liquid food to exert a flexure on at least one deflectable portion of the capsule, with the deflectable portion including an elastic lip acting in closure on the side wall of the capsule or inserted in a peripheral cavity of the enclosure.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the capsule enclosure has a flared design with a widening side wall located between top and bottom walls, and an outer surface or structure for engaging external rotational driving means of a centrifugal device with the outer surface or structure configured to offer resistance to torque during rotation of the capsule or for frictionally engaging or receiving a complementary surface or structure of the driving means to enable the driving means to rotate the capsule, and the opening means or arrangement comprises a series of spaced radial outlets positioned or created at or close to the largest perimeter of the flared design of the enclosure.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the capsule enclosure has a flared design with a widening side wall located between top and bottom walls and with the capsule further comprising a collecting cavity for receiving the prepared liquid food with the cavity positioned adjacent to the largest perimeter of the flared design of the enclosure, and a filter part separating the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) and the collecting cavity food.

13. The method of claim 9, which further comprises providing the capsule with an injection tubular portion having a water inlet on a top surface of the capsule and a water outlet communicating internally in the capsule, wherein the water outlet is close to or in contact with the bottom of the capsule.

14. The method of claim 9, which further comprises providing the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) in the form of particles:

providing the opening means or arrangement with or as a porous material or a series of slits, slots or holes distributed substantially evenly around the enclosure, with the porous material, slits, slots or holes having open dimensions that are smaller than the particles of the extractable or infusible ingredient(s); and

providing the capsule with a sealing membrane or foil covering the opening means or arrangement to make the capsule gas-tight before use with the sealing membrane or foil being peelable or puncturable by a piercing member for injecting liquid into the capsule.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the enclosure is further provided with at least one peripheral recess that forms a collector for liquid food passing through the opening means or arrangement, wherein the collecting recess extends around the perimeter of the enclosure at its greatest circumference.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the opening means or arrangement is provided with flow restriction means comprising outlet openings of less than 200 microns for providing a pressure drop of at least 0.5 bar of relative pressure during the centrifugal rotation of the capsule to enable the liquid to have a higher residence time in contact with the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) in the capsule.

17. The method of claim 9, which further comprises thermoforming the enclosure of a food grade plastic;

wherein the enclosure is provided with a top wall or lid that includes at least one inlet port defining a passage for receiving a liquid that is to be introduced into the capsule, with the inlet port aligned with the central axis of the capsule, wherein the liquid to be injected into the capsule is water and wherein the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) 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 any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a control unit adapted to vary the speed of the centrifugal rotation means for rotating the capsule at least two different centrifugal speeds to provide different centrifugal pressures of water in the capsule, wherein the liquid introducing means is operatively associated with a pump and injection tube connected to a reservoir for injection of the liquid into the capsule under the effect of rotational momentum, and the centrifugal rotating means comprises an electrical motor and drive shaft operatively associated with the capsule holder for rotating the capsule holder about the axis of rotation.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a collector for collecting the liquid food, the collector including a by-pass conduit arranged to add water into the collector without passing into the capsule.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises flow restriction means arranged in the flow path of the liquid food for providing a pressure drop of at least 0.5 bar of relative pressure during the centrifugal rotation of the capsule to enable the liquid to have a higher residence time in contact with the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) in the capsule.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the flow restriction means comprises a valve which is arranged in the flow path adjacent an outlet of the capsule, wherein the valve makes, opens or enlarges a passage in response to increasing pressure of centrifuged liquid so that the liquid food can exit the capsule and the device through the passage.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the capsule receiving means comprises a capsule holder having an interior surface or structure for engaging the capsule with the interior surface or structure configured to offer resistance to torque during rotation or for frictionally engaging or receiving a complementary surface or structure of the capsule to enable the driving means to rotate the capsule.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises identification means for identifying different capsules, and control means capable of operating the device in centrifugation for different capsules according to predetermined liquid food preparation parameters including the flow rate and the volume of liquid to be injected into the capsule, with the identification means comprising capsule recognition means which are recognized by sensing means connected to the control means of the device to control the preparation parameters accordingly.

24. A method for preparing a liquid food from a capsule containing one or more extractable or infusible ingredients, which comprises passing a liquid through the ingredient(s) in the capsule while applying centrifugal forces to the capsule to rotate the capsule about a central axis of rotation to urge the liquid to pass through the ingredient(s) in a radial or centrifugal flow path to prepare the liquid food, and piercing the capsule to allow the liquid food to exit the capsule, wherein the capsule is pierced by piercing means radially positioned with respect to the axis of rotation of the capsule and the piercing means comprises a series of needles positioned in a circular pattern and arranged in relation to the capsule to pierce radial holes in the capsule.