Tabbed Seal For Beverage Pod
OwnerJohn J. Brown, Rafael Zamorainventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beverage pod is provided that includes a body and a seal or lid. The seal may include a tab to assist the user in removing the seal or lid from the body. The body may be configured in any suitable shape to be used in a beverage preparation machine. Further, the body may contain a variety of different materials for beverage preparation. For example, the body may contain, powders, particles, liquids, extracts, and the like to be used to prepare a beverage.
Claims21
A tabbed sealing member for sealing to a rim surrounding a beverage pod opening, the tabbed seal comprising:
- a lower laminate having a plurality of layers;
- an upper portion having at least one layer, the upper portion being partially bonded to the lower laminate such that a free portion of the upper portion forms a tab, the upper portion defined wholly within the perimeter of the sealing member;
- a sealant layer forming a lowermost layer of the lower laminate and configured to adhere the tabbed sealing member to the beverage pod;
- a sacrificial layer positioned in the lower laminate above the sealant layer, the sacrificial layer configured to rupture or tear adjacent the perimeter of the sealing member;
- and
- a polymer layer positioned in the upper portion, at least a portion of the polymer layer forming a portion of the tab.
A beverage pod comprising:
- a body having an interior chamber for containing a beverage material, the body including a rim defining an opening to the interior chamber;
- and
- a sealing member, the sealing member including a lower laminate having a plurality of layers, an upper portion having at least one layer, the upper portion being partially bonded to the lower laminate such that a free portion of the upper portion forms a tab, the upper portion defined wholly within the perimeter of the sealing member, a sealant layer forming a lowermost layer of the lower laminate and configured to adhere the tabbed sealing member to the rim, a sacrificial layer positioned in the lower laminate above the sealant layer, the sacrificial layer configured to rupture or tear adjacent the perimeter of the sealing member, and a polymer layer positioned in the upper portion, at least a portion of the polymer layer forming a portion of the tab.
A laminate for forming a tabbed sealing member for sealing to a rim surrounding a beverage pod opening, the laminate comprising:
- a lower laminate having a plurality of layers;
- an upper portion having at least one layer, the upper portion being partially bonded to the lower laminate such that a free portion of the upper portion forms a tab when formed into the sealing member;
- a sealant layer forming a lowermost layer of the lower laminate and configured to adhere the tabbed sealing member to the beverage pod;
- a sacrificial layer positioned in the lower laminate above the sealant layer, the sacrificial layer configured to rupture or tear;
- and
- a polymer layer positioned in the upper portion, at least a portion of the polymer layer forming a portion of the tab when formed into a sealing member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.