Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION
A BEVERAGE PREPARATION MACHINE AND A CAPSULE SUITABLE TO
BE USED IN BEVERAGE PREPARATION MACHINES
The present invention relates to a beverage preparation machine and a capsule
suitable
to be used in beverage preparation machines and wherein the beverage raw
material is
stored.
In beverage preparation machines, the use of the single use capsule wherein
the
beverage raw material is stored is known. During the preparation of the
beverage, for
example Turkish coffee, by mixing the raw material by water, the raw material
stored
in the capsule has to be delivered to the brewing chamber or the cup. In the
state of the
art, beverage preparation machines are known, providing that some portion of
the folio
covering the capsule is torn/cut and as the folio opens like a lid, the
beverage raw
material in the capsule is poured or emptied by turning the capsule upside
down. One
of the problems encountered in the capsules suitable to be used in this type
of machines
is that the beverage raw material cannot be discharged completely from the
capsule.
The powder beverage raw material such as Turkish coffee having thin particles
remains
inside the capsule or on the folio due to reasons like the folio not opening
entirely or
folding.
In the state of the art International Patent Application No. W02011007266, a
beverage
preparation machine and a capsule comprising the blades that cut the folio are
disclosed.
In the state of the art International Patent Application No. W02011154866, a
capsule is
disclosed which is turned upside down by the arm on the beverage preparation
machine
pushing thereon, thus pouring the contents therein.
The aim of the present invention is the realization of a capsule suitable to
be used in
beverage preparation machines, providing that the beverage raw material
therein is
enabled to be poured properly and a beverage preparation machine wherein the
said
capsule is used.
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The capsule realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention and
explicated
in the claims, comprises a skirt, at least some portion of which is seated on
the side
surface of the receptacle wherein the beverage raw material is stored such
that almost
no gap remains therebetween, the skirt surrounding the side surface, whereto
the cover
covering the orifice of the receptacle is attached, and further an opening
that is
arranged on the beverage preparation machine between the side surface of the
receptacle and the skirt, wherein the opening apparatus that provides the
opening of the
cover by cutting is inserted. The capsule of the present invention is placed
in the
beverage preparation machine such that the receptacle orifice faces downward.
The
opening that remains between the skirt and the side surface of the receptacle
is aligned
with the opening apparatus of the beverage preparation machine and the opening
apparatus enables the cover to be partially cut along the orifice of the
receptacle. The
opening apparatus cuts the cover and enters the opening between the skirt and
the side
surface of the receptacle. The opening apparatus enters the opening and
gathers the
uncut portion of the cover into the opening. The beverage raw material inside
the
receptacle enables the cover to open like a lid around the uncut side of the
cover with
the effect of the weight. By means of the skirt, cutting means are not
required on the
capsule for opening the cover and thus user injuries are avoided when the
capsule is
thrown away after being used.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the level of the upper side of
the side
surface that surrounds the orifice of the receptacle is higher than the upper
side of the
skirt. By means this embodiment, when the receptacle is closed by the cover,
the cover
attached to the skirt is enabled to be always kept stretched by the sides of
the
receptacle. Thus, when the capsule is shaken or turned upside down, the
beverage raw
material is prevented from going through the opening.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt partially surrounds
the side
surface of the receptacle. By means of this embodiment, while an opening is
formed
that the opening apparatus may enter for cutting the cover, the volume of the
capsule is
kept as small as possible.
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In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt longitudinally
surrounds the
side surface of the receptacle. As the skirt longitudinally surrounds the side
surface, the
opening apparatus providing the opening of the capsule confines the cover in
the
opening. Thus, by means of the skirt longitudinally surrounding the side
surface, the
cover is not required to open like a lid and the cover is pulled away on the
uncut
portion thereof along the side surface and enters the opening.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt is produced as a
single piece
together with the receptacle. By means of this embodiment, cost advantage is
provided
by decreasing the mold cost used in the production of the capsule.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt is produced
separately from
the receptacle and joined to the side surface of the receptacle by plastic
welding
method. In this embodiment, the molds used in the production of the receptacle
are
used and the skirt is joined to the receptacle afterwards.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the lower sides of the skirt
are
connected to the upper sides of a housing wherein the receptacle is seated. In
this
embodiment, the lower sides of the skirt are connected to the housing
surrounding the
receptacle and the skirt is enabled to be supported more securely.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the capsule furthermore
comprises at
least one recess and protrusion disposed oppositely on the receptacle and the
housing,
such that the housing is prevented from dislodging from the receptacle by
being
inserted into one another when the receptacle is seated into the housing.
Thus, the
receptacle is seated into the housing tightly.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the capsule comprises a
protector that
is connected to the side surface of the receptacle with a weak connection,
that is folded
on the connected side and that partially covers the opening. By providing the
covering
of the opening with the protector, the beverage raw material is prevented from
entering
the opening. When the opening apparatus is seated into the opening, the
protector is
folded into the opening and enables the opening to be opened. The protector
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furthermore surrounds the opening surface intermittently so that the opening
apparatus can
enter the opening more easily.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a frame is disposed at the end
of the skirt,
whereon the cover is fixed by methods like adhesion etc. and that extends to
the side surface
of the receptacle almost in vertical direction. The cover, which is preferably
in folio form,
is attached on the frame. The frame also helps the receptacle not to be
crushed and bent
when force is exerted on the capsule by the beverage preparation machine.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle is placed into
a casing that
surrounds the skirt and enables the beverage raw material inside the
receptacle to be kept
fresh for a longer period of time. The casing is produced from plastic
material that is
preferably thermally formed in an airtight manner.
In the beverage preparation machine of the present invention, an opening
apparatus is
provided that can enter the gap of the above mentioned capsule and enabling
some portion
of the cover to be cut/torn away.
By means of the skirt of the present invention, the required cutters are not
required to be
inside the capsule in order to open the preferably folio form cover and the
design of the
capsule becomes simpler. Thus, the capsule production costs are decreased and
capsules
with smaller volumes can be produced since cutting element inside the
receptacle is not
required. Moreover, the beverage raw material is not spilled on the opening
apparatus since
the opening apparatus providing the opening of the capsule opens the cover
without entering
the receptacle but the opening. Consequently, the beverage preparation machine
stays clean
in the process of emptying the capsule and usage facility is provided for the
user.
In accordance with another aspect, the invention provides a capsule for use in
a beverage
preparation machine having an opening apparatus (A) with a seat for receiving
an upside-
down capsule, the seat being provided with an inside rim delimiting an inlet
for receiving a
beverage raw material, the capsule comprising:
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- a receptacle for containing a beverage raw material, the receptacle having a
bottom wall, at least one side wall and a top orifice delimited by an upper
end of the side
wall and enabling loading/unloading of the beverage raw material into the
receptacle;
- a skirt surrounding the side wall all around in at least an upper portion of
the
side wall, the skirt having a top end in a spaced apart relationship with the
side wall, thereby
defining an opening between the skirt and the side wall; and
- a cover attached on the top end of the skirt to cover the top orifice of the
receptacle;
whereby the cover separates from the receptacle by the rim entering the
opening and cutting
the cover when the capsule is seated upside-down in the seat of the opening
apparatus (A).
The capsule realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is
illustrated in the
attached figures, where:
Figure 1 ¨ is the perspective view of a capsule.
Figure 2 ¨ is the perspective view of a capsule when the cover is open.
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Figure 2 ¨ is the schematic view of the receptacle and the skirt related to an
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 ¨ is the schematic view of the receptacle and the skirt related to
another
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 ¨ is the schematic view of the capsule related to another embodiment
of the
present invention.
Figure 5 ¨ is the perspective view of the receptacle, the skirt and the
protector related
to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 ¨ is the schematic view of the receptacle, the skirt and the
protector related to
another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 ¨ is the schematic view of the receptacle, the skirt and the housing
related to
another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 ¨ is the perspective view of the receptacle, the skirt and the
housing related to
another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 9 ¨ is the perspective view of the receptacle, the skirt and the
housing related to
another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 ¨ is the perspective view of the receptacle, the skirt and the
housing related
to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 11 ¨ is the exploded view of the capsule related to another embodiment
of the
present invention.
Figure 12 ¨ is the exploded view of the capsule related to another embodiment
of the
present invention.
Figure 13 ¨ is the schematic view of the opening apparatus and the capsule
when the
capsule is seated on the opening apparatus relating to another embodiment of
the
present invention.
The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:
1. Capsule
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2. Receptacle
3. Orifice
4. Side surface
5. Skirt
6. Cover
7. Opening
8. Recess
9. Protrusion
10. Protector
11. Frame
12. Casing
13. Housing
A. Opening apparatus
The capsule (1) is suitable to be used in beverage preparation machines and
comprises
a receptacle (2) that has an orifice (3) enabling loading/unloading of the
beverage raw
material therein and at least one side surface (4) that surrounds the orifice
(3).
The capsule (1) of the present invention is suitable to be used in the
beverage
preparation machine having an opening apparatus (A), and comprises a skirt (5)
that
surrounds the side surface (4) all around so that at least some portion
thereof is seated
on the side surface (4) almost without any gaps, a cover (6) attached on the
skirt (5) so
as to cover the orifice (3), and an opening (7) that remains between the side
surface (4)
and the skirt (5) and that enables the cover (6) to separate from the
receptacle (2) by
being seated on at least some portion of the opening apparatus (A). The skirt
(5) is
preferably seated on the side surface (4) from its lower side almost without
any gaps
and widens towards its upper side such that the opening (7) is formed between
the side
surface (4) and the skirt (5), thereby surrounding the side surface (4) that
surrounds the
orifice (3). Thus, when the receptacle (2) is viewed from above, the side
surface (4)
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and the skirt (5) form a double walled structure. The cover (6) provides the
closing of
the receptacle (2) by being attached on the skirt (5) (Figure 1 and Figure 2).
The capsule (1) is preferably placed into the beverage preparation machine
such that
the opening (7) faces downward and the opening apparatus (A) is aligned with
the
opening (7). By means of an actuation mechanism (not shown) of the beverage
preparation machine, the opening apparatus (A) and the capsule (1) arc moved
close to
each other and the opening apparatus (A) enters the opening (7) by
cutting/tearing
some portion of the cover (6). In this case, the skirt (5) and the side
surface (4) help the
opening apparatus (A) to cut the cover (6) effectively by supporting the cover
(6) from
both sides. Due to the capsule (1) standing upside down, the beverage raw
material,
with its weight being on the cover (6), enables the cover (6) to open like a
lid by
folding over the uncut portion of the cover (6) by the gravity effect. Thus,
almost all
the beverage raw material in the receptacle (2) is enabled to be poured into
the brewing
chamber or the cup. By means of the skirt (5) and the opening (7) of the
present
invention, the opening apparatus (A) is not required to enter the receptacle
(2). As the
opening apparatus (A) enters the opening (7), the cover (6) is cut such that
the side
surface (4) surrounding the orifice (3) remains inside and thus the beverage
raw
material is not spilled on the opening apparatus (A). When the cover (6) is
partially cut
along the opening (7), the side surface (4) supports the cover (6), thereby
prevents the
cover (6) from folding over itself and almost all the beverage raw material
inside the
receptacle (2) is enabled to be poured. Furthermore, by means of the skirt
(5), the
opening apparatus (A) providing the cutting/tearing of the cover (6) is not
required to
be on the capsule (1) and improvement in capsule (1) costs is provided.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the upper side of the skirt
(5) is lower
than level of the orifice (3). In other words, preferably the upper side of
the skirt (5) is
at a lower level than the level of the side surface (4) sides that surround
the orifice (3)
in the vertical plane. Thus, the cover (6) attached to the skirt (5) are
stretched by the
sides of the side surface (4) and the beverage raw material is prevented from
spilling
into the opening (7) during the movement of the capsule (1) such as carrying
(Figure
4).
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In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt (5) surrounds at
least some
portion of the side surface (4) in the vertical direction. In this embodiment,
the skirt (5)
surrounds the side surface (4) so as to form a gap that enables the cover (6)
to be cut
and thus cost advantage is provided (Figure 3).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt (5) longitudinally
surrounds
the side surface (4). In this embodiment, the skirt (5) is connected to the
receptacle (2)
preferably from the base and is prevented from breaking and bending when the
capsule
(1) is placed into the beverage preparation machine and the actuation
mechanism
applies force on the capsule (1) from above (Figure 2).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt (5) is connected to
the side
surface (4). For example, the receptacle (2) and the skirt (5) produced
separately are
connected to each other by vibration welding or similar connection methods.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt (5) and the side
surface (4)
are produced in an integrated manner. By means of this embodiment, the number
of
parts used is decreased by producing the receptacle (2) and the skirt (5)
together and
quality perception of the consumer is improved.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the capsule (1) comprises a
housing
(13) wherein the receptacle (2) is seated and the upper side of which is
connected to the
skirt (5). The receptacle (2) is seated into the housing (13) and the skirt
(5) is connected
to the housing (13) from its lower side. When the opening apparatus (A) enters
the
opening (7) by cutting the cover (6), the housing (13) tightly supports the
skirt (5) from
the lower side. The housing (13) and the skirt (5) are produced as a single
piece and
grasp the base of the receptacle (2), enabling the opening apparatus (A) to
open the
capsule (1) without problems by increasing the strength of the skirt (5)
(Figure 7,
Figure 11).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the receptacle (2) is seated
into the
housing (13) snap fittingly. In this embodiment, the housing (13) tightly
surrounding
the receptacle (2) increases the strength of the skirt (5) and the receptacle
(2) is
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prevented from bending/folding when the capsule (1) is placed into the
beverage
preparation machine and opened by the opening apparatus (A).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the capsule (1) comprises a
recess (8)
that is arranged on the receptacle (2) or the housing (13) and a protrusion
(9) that is
disposed on the receptacle (2) or the housing (13) correspondingly and that is
seated
into the recess (8) by aligning with the recess (8) when the receptacle (2) is
seated into
the housing (13), the recess (8) and the protrusion (9) preventing the housing
(13) and
the receptacle (2) from being separated (Figure 9, Figure 10).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the capsule (1) comprises a
protector
(10) that extends from the side surface (4) outwards almost in a direction
perpendicular
to the side surface (4) so as to remain under the cover (6) and that prevents
the
beverage raw material from entering the opening (7). In other words, the
protector (10)
prevents the beverage raw material in the receptacle (2) from entering the
opening (7)
by partially closing the opening (7). The protector (10) is preferably
connected to the
side surface (4) in an easily foldable manner. While the capsule (1) is
carried, the
beverage raw material is prevented from entering the opening (7) from the
sides of the
receptacle (2) by the protector (10). When the capsule (1) is to be placed
into the
beverage preparation machine and opened, the protector (10) is folded towards
the
interior of the opening (7) thanks to the foldable connection when the opening
apparatus (A) contacts the protector (10) in order to enter the opening (7)
(Figure 5).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the protector (10) is in the
form of a
plate having an intermittent configuration with the separate portions being
spaced apart
and surrounds the side surface (4). Thus, when the opening apparatus (A)
enters the
opening (7), the protector (10) easily folds into the opening (7).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the capsule (1) comprises a
frame (11)
that is disposed on the upper side of the skirt (5), that extends in a
direction almost
perpendicular to the skirt (5) and whereon the cover (6) is attached. The
frame (11)
also carries the weight of the capsule (1) when the capsule (1) is placed into
the
beverage preparation machine. The frame (11) enables the cover (6) to be
airtightly
adhered on the receptacle (2) and at the same time prevents the receptacle (2)
from
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being crushed/bent when the capsule (1) is placed into the beverage
preparation
machine (Figure 8).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the capsule (1) comprises a
casing
(12) wherein the receptacle (2) is seated so as to surround the receptacle (2)
and the
skirt (5), and that enables the beverage raw material to stay fresh for a
longer period of
time. The receptacle (2) and the skirt (5) are preferably produced by plastic
injection
method due to their configuration. Plastic that is produced by injection
method is not
entirely airtight and in this case the beverage raw material in the receptacle
(2) cannot
keep its freshness. By means of the casing (12) that is produced by plastic
thermoforming method and has better airtightness in comparison to the
receptacle (2),
the beverage raw material is enabled to stay fresh for a longer period of time
(Figure 6,
Figure 12).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt (5) extends parallel
to the
side surface (4). By means of this embodiment, when the capsule (1) is placed
into the
beverage preparation machine, even if it is not aligned completely, the
opening
apparatus (A) of the beverage preparation machine easily enters the opening
(7).
In another embodiment of the present invention, the skirt (5) extends in an
inclined
manner with respect to the side surface (4). By means of this embodiment, the
strength
of the skirt (5) is increased, thus the skirt (5) is enabled to resist the
force exerted by
the beverage preparation machine when the capsule (1) is placed into the
beverage
preparation machine.
The beverage preparation machine of the present invention is suitable for
using the
above described capsule (1). The beverage preparation machine preferably
comprises
an opening apparatus (A) that provides the emptying of the beverage raw
material in
the capsule (1). The opening apparatus (A) enters the opening (7) by cutting
the cover
(6). The beverage preparation machine is preferably a Turkish coffee machine
that can
make Turkish coffee wherein the capsules (1) containing Turkish coffee are
used.
In the capsule (1) of the present invention, by means of the skirt (5), the
beverage raw
material contained therein can easily be poured into the brewing chamber in
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beverage preparation machine or into a cup without requiring cutting elements
with
complex structures for opening the cover (6) thereon. When the cover (6) is
cut
partially along the opening (7), the skirt (5) and the sides of the receptacle
(2) support
the cover (6) from inside the capsule (1) and help in opening of the cover (6)
unproblematically.
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