Capsule, system and method for preparing a beverage
AssigneeKoninklijke Douwe Egberts B.V.
InventorGlen Andrew OLIVER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a capsule containing a substance constituted by a mass of loose, solid particles, for the preparation of a potable beverage by extracting and/or dissolving the substance by means of supplying a fluid under pressure into the capsule, a screen, permeable to water and impermeable to a predominant portion of particles of the substance is positioned between the substance and the bottom. The screen is attached to the capsule body in such a manner that the screen releases from the capsule body during brewing. A beverage brewing system comprising such a capsule and a method of use of such a capsule are described as well.
Claims40
A capsule comprising:
- a capsule body having a bottom, a side wall, an end opposite of the bottom and a flange extending outwardly from the side wall and around the open end;
- and
- a cover attached to the outwardly extending flange, the cover closing off the end of the capsule body opposite of the bottom;
- the capsule body and the cover bouncing a capsule chamber, the capsule chamber containing:
- a substance constituted by a mass of loose, solid particles, for the preparation of a potable beverage by extracting and/or dissolving the substance by means of supplying a fluid under pressure into the capsule, and
- a screen, of a material impermeable to a predominant portion of said particles, said screen being positioned between said substance and said bottom and attached to said capsule body;
- characterized in that said screen is attached to said capsule body in such a manner that the screen releases from the capsule body during brewing.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment is formed by a heat sensitive adhesive having a constituent having a glass transition temperature lower than at 92° C. and preferably lower than 85° C.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment is formed by an adhesive including a water soluble constituent.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said screen is attached to said capsule body in such a manner that the screen releases completely from the capsule body during brewing.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is provided with a plurality of passages dimensioned so that at least a fraction of the substance can pass through the passages in solid form.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said screen is attached to said capsule body along attachment zones spaced from the centre and circumferentially spaced from each other.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the capsule body has an internal cross-sectional area along a plane parallel to the cover, which is larger at the cover than at the bottom.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is of water permeable material.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein all of the attachment zones where the screen is attached to the capsule are spaced from the centre and circumferentially spaced from each other.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is not attached to a centre area of the bottom.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is arranged to move away from the centre area of the bottom under influence of piercing elements by means of which, in use, openings are pierced in the bottom of the capsule for injecting fluid into the capsule and/or under influence of fluid injected via openings in the bottom which openings are created by means of a coffee machine wherein the capsule is positioned for brewing coffee.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen is of circular shape having a diameter of 20-40 mm.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen covers substantially the entire internal surface area of the bottom of the capsule body.
A capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the screen material has a weight of 20-200 g/cm2.
A system comprising a capsule according to any of the preceding claims and a coffee machine, the coffee machine having:
- a housing in which a major portion of capsule body can be received;
- a closing member with passages for allowing a prepared beverage to flow away from the capsule, the housing and/or the closing member being movable relative to the other between an operating position in which the flange of the capsule is clamped between the housing and the closing member and a transfer position leaving an opening through which a used capsule can be removed from the housing and a fresh capsule can be positioned in the housing;
- piercing elements which are arranged for, in use, piercing a bottom portion of the capsule body inside the housing in at least one piercing location;
- and
- a water supply for supplying water to said piercing location and causing the water to enter said capsule via said pierced bottom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.