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US 10,092,130 B2Granted
Opener for making large openings in capsules
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsSandro Zingg, Marc Moal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system comprises a capsule (30) with a wall and a capsule extraction unit (10,10′, 20). The extraction unit has a capsule holder (20) for holding the capsule and an opener (10) with a cutting edge (151) for forming an opening (37,38) in the capsule wall (32,33) by cutting the wall. The opener (10,10′) further comprises a ram (152) that recesses a portion (39) of the capsule wall (32,33) adjacent to the opening (37,38) after formation of the opening by cutting the wall (32,33) by the cutting edge (151).
Claims22
A system comprising:
- a capsule comprising a capsule wall;
- and
- a capsule extraction unit comprising a capsule holder configured to hold the capsule and an opener configured to form an opening in the capsule wall, the capsule holder comprising a first part and a second part that are relatively movable from a capsule loading and/or ejection position to a capsule extraction position, the second part is on an injection side relative to the capsule, and the opener comprises a blade and is fixed to the second part, the opener comprising a cutting edge configured to form the opening in the capsule wall by cutting the capsule wall, the opener further comprises a ram configured to form a recess in the capsule wall adjacent to the opening after formation of the opening by cutting the capsule wall by the cutting edge, the ram comprises a ramming surface that extends in a direction that is angled away from a plane extending from the cutting edge along a cutting direction.
An opener for a unit for extracting a capsule and arranged for forming an opening in a wall of the capsule, the opener comprising:
- a cutting edge configured to form the opening in the wall by cutting the wall;
- and
- a ram configured to form a recess in the wall adjacent to the opening after formation of the opening by cutting the wall by the cutting edge, the ram comprises a ramming surface that extends in a direction that is angled away from a plane extending from the cutting edge along a cutting direction, the ram extending from a bottom part of the cutting edge at an angle in a range of 15 to 165 degrees relative to the bottom part of the cutting edge,
- the opener comprises a blade and is fixed to a second part of a capsule holder, the capsule holder configured to hold the capsule and comprising a first part and the second part that are relatively movable from a capsule loading and/or ejection position to a capsule extraction position, and the second part is on an injection side relative to the capsule.
1 more element
An extraction unit for extracting a capsule that has a wall, the extraction unit comprising:
- a capsule holder for holding the capsule, the capsule holder comprising a first part and a second part that are relatively movable from a capsule loading and/or ejection position to a capsule extraction position, the second part is on an injection side relative to the capsule;
- and
- an opener comprising a cutting edge and a ram, the opener fixed to the second part, so that at least one of the cutting edge and the ram protrudes towards the first part, the cutting edge is configured to form an opening in the wall of the capsule by cutting the wall, and the ram is configured to form a recess in the capsule wall adjacent to the opening, the ram comprises a ramming surface that extends in a direction that is angled away from a plane extending from the cutting edge along a cutting direction.
A method for opening a capsule that has a capsule wall, the method comprising:
- cutting the capsule wall using a cutting edge of an opener for forming an opening;
- and
- forming a recess in the capsule wall adjacent to the opening by a ram of the opener after formation of the opening, the ram comprises a ramming surface that extends in a direction that is angled away from a plane extending from the cutting edge along a cutting direction.
A system comprising:
- a capsule comprising a capsule wall;
- and
- a capsule extraction unit comprising a capsule holder configured to hold the capsule and an opener configured to form an opening in the capsule wall, the capsule holder comprising a first part and a second part that are relatively movable from a capsule loading and/or ejection position to a capsule extraction position, the second part is on an injection side relative to the capsule, and the opener comprises a blade and is fixed to the second part, the opener comprising a cutting edge configured to form the opening in the capsule wall by cutting the capsule wall, the opener further comprises a ram configured to form a recess in the capsule wall adjacent to the opening after formation of the opening by cutting the capsule wall by the cutting edge, wherein the blade comprises a base supporting the ram and the cutting edge, the base defines a first vertical plane, the ram defines a second vertical plane, and the second vertical plane is positioned at an angle of 15 to 165 degrees relative to the first vertical plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.