US 10,947,035 B2Granted

Coffee pad for use in a coffee machine

AssigneeKoninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V.

InventorsGerbrand Kristiaan de Graaff, Gustaaf Frans Brouwer, Christiaan Johannes Maria Moorman

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Abstract

Pad for use in coffee machine for preparing at least one part of a single beverage serving. In use, in the coffee machine an aqueous fluid such as water is supplied under pressure to the pad so that the fluid is forced through the pad for obtaining a beverage that then exits the pad. The pad includes a covering with an interior space that is filled with a beverage preparation product for preparing the beverage, which beverage preparation product is a product such as ground coffee extractable with a fluid, such as water. The covering is formed by an optionally disc-shaped first sheet and a rigid shell, wherein the first sheet and the shell around their adjacent perimeter edges are connected to each other. The shell is equipped with at least one outlet, wherein on the interior space of the pad in a bottom of shell a fluid collecting structure is provided, advantageously embodied as channels in fluid connected with the at least one outlet. The pad is equipped with a second sheet that is positioned on the bottom of the shell and covering the fluid collecting structure or the channels. The second sheet is located between the beverage preparation product and the shell, wherein the first sheet and the second sheet each form a filter permeable to a fluid such as water and beverage, which can pass and that forms a barrier for the beverage preparation product so that, when in use, a fluid fed under pressure at the first sheet of the pad flows through the first sheet to the beverage preparation product so that the beverage is formed which then flows through the second sheet and via the fluid collecting structure, such as the channels, and leaves the pad through the at least one outlet opening.

Claims47

Dependent claims

A kit of parts for use in a coffee machine for preparing a beverage, the kit of parts comprising:

a pad for use in the coffee machine, the pad is configured to receive an aqueous fluid that is supplied under pressure to the pad so that the fluid is forced through the pad that then exits the pad as the beverage, the pad comprising:
a covering defining an interior space that is filled with a beverage preparation product for preparing the beverage wherein the beverage preparation product includes a product including ground coffee extractable with the aqueous fluid, wherein the covering comprises a flexible first sheet and a rigid shell, wherein the rigid shell includes a sidewall, an annular flange, and a bottom wall, wherein the annular flange includes an outer edge and an inner edge, wherein the sidewall extends between the bottom wall and the inner edge of the annular flange, wherein the flexible first sheet has a circular shape and a perimeter edge, wherein the perimeter edge of the flexible first sheet is welded to the annular flange of the rigid shell, and wherein the bottom wall of the rigid shell includes at least one outlet opening;
a second sheet positioned within the rigid shell and on the bottom wall of the rigid shell, wherein the second sheet is located between the beverage preparation product and an inner side of the rigid shell, wherein the flexible first sheet forms a first filter and the second sheet forms a second filter that allow the aqueous fluid and the beverage to pass and that forms a barrier for the beverage preparation product so that, when in use the aqueous fluid under pressure supplied to the flexible first sheet of the pad flows through the flexible first sheet to the beverage preparation product so that the beverage is formed which beverage then flows through the second sheet and via the at least one outlet opening leaves the pad, and wherein the at least one outlet opening includes a flow restriction for the beverage;
at least one further pad containing a soluble product;
a pad holder separate from the pad and the at least one further pad, the pad holder having a bowl-shaped interior space defined by a bottom of the pad holder, an upstanding side wall of the pad holder, an annular ledge of the pad holder;
wherein the pad on the flow restriction has a largest through-flow area in a direction, in use, perpendicular to a beverage flow through the flow restriction not exceeding 0.54 mm2;
and
wherein the flow restriction has a circular shape with a diameter less than 0.83 mm.

5 more elements

A kit of parts for use in a single serve coffee machine for preparing a beverage, the kit of parts comprising:

a first pad for use in the single serve coffee machine, the first pad is configured to receive an aqueous fluid that is supplied under pressure to the first pad so that the aqueous fluid is forced through the first pad and then exits the first pad as the beverage, the first pad comprising:
a flexible first sheet having a perimeter edge,
a rigid shell having an annular flange, a sidewall, a bottom wall, and at least one outlet opening, wherein the flexible first sheet is bonded to the annular flange of the rigid shell, wherein the flexible first sheet and the rigid shell form a covering that defines an interior space that is filled with a beverage preparation product for preparing the beverage, and
a second sheet positioned on the bottom wall of the rigid shell, wherein the second sheet is located between the beverage preparation product and the bottom wall of the rigid shell and wherein the flexible first sheet forms a first filter and the second sheet forms a second filter that allow the aqueous fluid and the beverage to pass and that forms a barrier for the beverage preparation product so that, wherein when in use the aqueous fluid under pressure is supplied to and flows through the flexible first sheet of the first pad to the beverage preparation product so that the beverage is formed which beverage then flows through the second sheet and leaves the first pad via the at least one outlet opening, and wherein the at least one outlet opening includes a flow restriction for the beverage;
and
a second pad containing a soluble product;
a pad holder separate from the first pad and the second pad, the pad holder having a bowl-shaped interior space defined at least partially by a bottom wall, an upstanding sidewall, and an annular ledge, wherein the annular ledge of the pad holder is configured to support the annular flange of the rigid shell of the first pad, and the bottom wall of the pad holder is configured to support the bottom wall of the rigid shell of the first pad.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/874,217Filed 2 Oct 2015 · continuation
Priority: NL 20105603 Apr 2013
Published: US 2016/0251151 A11 Sep 2016
Granted: 16 Mar 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65D 85/8046
Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents: pods, i.e. closed containers made only of filter paper or similar material
A47J 31/0668
For brewing coffee under pressure, e.g. for espresso machines: specially adapted for cartridges
A47J 31/0678
Specially adapted for cartridges: means to separate the cartridge from the bottom of the brewing chamber, e.g. grooves or protrusions
B65D 85/8052
Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents: details of the outlet