Capsule for the preparation of a beverage

• US 7,981,451 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Ozanne, Matthieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dye; Rena L
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, CHAIM A
• Application Number:
  US12/089,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20090220650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 426/79, 426/78, 992/95
• US Class Current: 426/79
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8055 Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

Capsule for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage machine comprising an enclosure (20) containing one or more beverage ingredients, a filtering wall (22) delimiting at least one filtering side of the enclosure, wherein the capsule further comprises an overflow wall (3B) that is positioned in the path of the brewed liquid after the filtering wall and which comprises at least one overflow aperture or is associated with at least one puncture means (8A, 8B) or, respectively, puncture indication means capable of producing or, respectively, indicating at least one overflow aperture. The capsule of the invention is designed for delivering a brewed liquid at relatively low pressure and is more particularly suited for tea beverages.

Claims

1. Capsule for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage machine comprising:

an enclosure containing one or more beverage ingredients;

a filtering wall defining at least one filtering side of an interior of the enclosure,

an overflow wall that is located in a path of a brewed liquid after a filtering wall and at least one component selected from the group consisting of means for puncturing an aperture in the overflow wall or for indicating a puncture location in the overflow wall.

2. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the filtering wall extends from below a median horizontal plane passing through the enclosure when the capsule is oriented so that at least one overflow aperture is located.

3. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the filtering wall extends substantially from a bottom of the enclosure to a top of the enclosure.

4. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the overflow wall is placed separately from a front of the filtering wall with an interstitial space there between.

5. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the overflow wall and the filtering wall are substantially parallel to each other.

6. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the overflow wall is a puncturable membrane.

7. Capsule according to claim 6, comprising

a shell and the puncturable membrane closes the shell in a gas tight manner.

8. Capsule according to claim 7, comprising

a cover that is attached to the shell and faces the puncturable membrane.

9. Capsule according to claim 8, wherein

the means for puncturing is located on the cover.

10. Capsule according to claim 8, wherein the cover comprises a means for guiding the beverage flow to a beverage outlet of the capsule.

11. Capsule according to claim 10, wherein

the beverage outlet is located in a region of the cover that is substantially opposite to the puncture means or puncture indicating means.

12. Capsule according to claim 10, comprising at least two means for puncturing placed at substantially opposite regions of the cover relative to a centreline of the cover.

13. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the capsule has an elongated shape with an axial distance and a shorter transversal distance and the means for puncturing is aligned along the axial distance.

14. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the at least one ingredient is tea.

15. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the enclosure is substantially oxygen free and impermeable to light.

16. Capsule according to claim 1 comprising at least one premade overflow aperture.

17. Capsule according to claim 16, wherein the overflow aperture is located at a position at least above three quarters of the height of the enclosure.

18. Capsule according to claim 16, wherein the overflow wall is separate from the filtering wall with an interstitial space there between.

19. Capsule according to claim 16, wherein the overflow wall and the filtering wall are adjacent while forming an interstitial space.

20. Capsule according to claim 16, wherein the overflow wall and the filtering wall are made of an integral piece.

21. Capsule according to claim 16, wherein the overflow wall is internal to the capsule and protected by an outer closing membrane.

22. Capsule according to claim 16 comprising an airtight closed cover with a sealed outlet that is unsealed just before brewing or by the use of an airtight overwrap package that encloses the capsule.

23. A capsule for the preparation of a beverage comprising:

an enclosure containing a beverage ingredient;

a filtering wall defining at least one filtering side of an interior of the enclosure; and

an overflow wall that is located in a path of a brewed liquid after a filtering wall and which comprises at least one overflow aperture.

24. Capsule according to claim 23 comprising at least one premade overflow aperture.

25. Capsule according to claim 24, wherein the overflow aperture is located at a position at least above three quarters of the height of the enclosure.

26. Capsule according to claim 24, wherein the overflow wall is separate from the filtering wall with an interstitial space there between.

27. Capsule according to claim 24, wherein the overflow wall and the filtering wall are adjacent while forming an interstitial space.

28. Capsule according to claim 24, wherein the overflow wall and the filtering wall are made of an integral piece.

29. Capsule according to claim 24, wherein the overflow wall is internal to the capsule and protected by an outer closing membrane.

30. Capsule according to claim 24 comprising an airtight closed cover with a sealed outlet that is unsealed just before brewing or by the use of an airtight overwrap package that encloses the capsule.