Cup for a coffee capsule

A method for making a cup for a coffee capsule,

• wherein the cup includes a containment body extending between a bottom and an upper edge and further comprising, at the upper edge, an annular flange which extends around an axis and which has a rear face directed towards the containment body and a front face adapted to receive a cup sealing lid to form the capsule, wherein the containment body and the annular flange are defined by a multilayer structure having an inner layer made of a plastic material, defining the front face of the annular flange and the inside surface of the containment body, an outer layer made of a soft plastic material, and an intermediate layer between the inner layer and the outer layer, made of a material impermeable to oxygen and aromas, and wherein the annular flange has, on its rear face, an annular ridge and an annular groove which extend around the axis and which are configured to be able to act in conjunction with an end edge of a pressure hood element of a coffee machine, and wherein the method comprises the following steps:
• preparing an extruded, multilayer sheet having an inner layer and an outer layer made of plastic materials, where the outer layer is soft, and an intermediate layer located between the inner and outer layers and made of a material which is impermeable to oxygen and/or to aromas;
• thermoforming the multilayer sheet to give it a three-dimensional shape defining the containment body;
• wherein the thermoforming step is performed by a forming die placed in contact with the outer layer of plastic material, the forming die having an annular protrusion shaped to match the groove to impress the shape of the groove on the sheet.

A machine for making a cup for a coffee capsule, wherein the cup includes a containment body extending between a bottom and an upper edge and further comprising, at the upper edge, an annular flange which extends around an axis and which has a rear face directed towards the containment body and a front face adapted to receive a cup sealing lid to form the capsule, wherein the containment body and the annular flange are defined by a multilayer structure having an inner layer made of a plastic material, define the front face of the annular flange and the inside surface of the containment body, an outer layer made of a soft plastic material, and an intermediate layer between the inner layer and the outer layer, made of a material impermeable to oxygen and aromas, and wherein the annular flange has, on its rear face, an annular ridge and an annular groove which extend around the axis and which are configured to be able to act in conjunction with an end edge of a pressure hood element of a coffee machine, and wherein the machine comprises:

• a feeder for feeding a multilayer sheet;
• a thermoforming device configured to give the sheet a three-dimensional shape comprising the containment body;
• wherein the thermoforming device comprises a forming die having an annular protrusion shaped to match the groove to impress on the sheet the shape of an annular groove on a rear face of an annular flange of the cup.