Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DISPOSABLE CAPSULE FOR MACHINES FOR THE DISPENSING OF
INFUSED BEVERAGES
Technical field of the invention
The present invention generally relates to the preparation of infused
beverages
such as coffee, chocolate, tea, herbal teas and the like starting from
disposable capsules
and in particular to a disposable single-dose or multi-dose capsule to be used
in
machines for infused beverages.
Background
Disposable capsules used in dispensing machines for infused beverages contain
a
food product in a granular or particulate form, for example coffee. It is
known that a
beverage is obtained through an "infusion" process, whereby a capsule
containing the
food product is crossed by an infusion liquid, typically water, which is
supplied under
pressure and at a high temperature. The infusion liquid coming out from the
capsule is
enriched by the aroma of the food product and forms the desired beverage,
which is
suitably channeled within a dispensing machine and served by a dispensing head
thereof
Disposable capsules typically comprise a frustum-shaped hollow body whose
open top has a flange on which a cover generally formed by a gas-tight film is
applied.
The cover serves to seal the cavity of the frustum-shaped body so as to allow
to preserve
of the food product contained therein over time.
In use, a capsule is fitted in a brewing chamber of a dispensing machine for
infused beverages and subsequently perforated by way of special drills on the
top sealed
by the cover. Perforation of the bottom may also be carried out depending on
the type of
capsule. The hole or holes so made allow passage of a flow of liquid through
the
capsule from one of its ends to the opposite end.
It is known that in order to prepare infused beverages such as e.g. cappuccino
that
have more than one ingredient, it is necessary to use a number of capsules
containing
respective basic powder products, for example milk and coffee. These capsules
must be
used in a precise sequence according to the recipe for the preparation of the
specific
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beverage. The preparation of infused beverages comprising more than one
ingredient
from disposable capsules is therefore expensive and uncomfortable for a user.
In order to solve this problem, multiple-compartment capsules have been
conceived allowing to prepare by way of an infusion process beverages and,
more
generally, food products requiring more than one ingredient. Each compartment
contains a single food product in a granular or particulate form and is
provided with a
respective dispensing opening. Injection of an infusion liquid into the
compartments is
carried out in a sequential manner e.g. by employing respective injector
needles, thus
allowing to dispense the infused beverages obtainable from each food product
according
to a predefined sequence, suitable to prepare the desired final beverage.
Examples of multiple compartment capsules of this type are disclosed in patent
publications WO 2014/057094 Al, US 2014/161940 Al, US 2007/196402 Al and WO
2010/137960 Al.
Multiple-compartment capsules can be improved as far as their inner structure,
as
well as the injection sequence of the food products contained in their
compartments are
concerned.
Summary of the invention
The technical problem posed and solved by the present invention is therefore
to
provide a disposable capsule for dispensing machines of infused beverages that
allows
to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the prior art.
This problem is solved by a disposable capsule according to claim 1. Preferred
features of the present invention are set forth in the dependent claims.
An idea of solution underlying the invention is to make a capsule whose body
comprises a main cavity containing a first food product, as well as at least
one inner
cavity or chamber that is separated from the main cavity and contains a second
food
product. The main cavity and the at least one inner cavity or chamber are
provided with
respective openings for the dispensing of an infused beverage obtained by
supplying an
infusion liquid into each of them. The capsule also comprises closing means of
one of
the dispensing openings, which can be selectively activated upon emptying of
the food
product contained in the respective cavity or chamber. The cavities or
chambers are put
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in fluid communication with each other through a plurality of apertures
through which
the infusion liquid is made to flow upon the activation of the closing means.
Thanks to this configuration, the capsule according to the invention allows
the
infusion of the food products contained in its separate cavities or chambers,
as well as
the dispensing of the respective beverages, in a sequential manner without the
need to
pierce the cover of the capsule at multiple locations, nor to employ and
sequentially
manage separate flows of infusion liquid, which results in a considerable
constructional
simplification of the infusion unit of a machine for dispensing infused
beverages that
receives the capsule.
In other words, the capsule according to the invention can manage autonomously
and in a sequential manner the infusion of the food products contained therein
and the
resulting dispensing of the infused beverage, and can therefore be employed in
infusion
units of a traditional type.
The closing means are formed by a shaped body, preferably having a spherical
shape, which is configured to tightly engage the dispensing opening. The
shaped
element is made of a material having a density higher than that of water and
lower than
that of the food product contained in the respective cavity or chamber. This
allows the
shaped element to float in the infused beverage when it is dispensed through
the
dispensing opening of the cavity or chamber and to subsequently close the
dispensing
opening when the cavity or chamber is filled by the infusion liquid.
Further advantages, features and operation modes of the present invention will
become clear from the following detailed description of embodiments thereof,
which are
given for illustrative and not limiting purpose.
Brief description of the drawings
Reference will be made to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:
- figure 1 is a perspective view showing a capsule according to the present
invention for the preparation of infused beverages;
- figure 2 is a perspective, exploded view showing a longitudinal section
of the
capsule of figure 1;
- figure 3 is a perspective, exploded view that schematically shows a
longitudinal
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section of the capsule of figure 1, in whose cavities or chambers respective
food
products in a granular or particulate form are present;
- figure 4 is a perspective, exploded view showing a longitudinal section of a
capsule according to an alternative embodiment of the invention;
- figure 5 is a perspective, exploded view similar to the view of figure 4,
which
shows the cavities of the capsule filled with respective food products in a
granular or
particulate form.
Detailed description of preferred embodiments
With reference initially to figures 1 to 3, a disposable capsule according to
the
invention is generally indicated by reference number 100.
The capsule 100 comprises a substantially frustum-shaped body 110 having an
axis A, in turn comprising a main cavity 111 delimited by a bottom wall 112
and by a
peripheral wall 113. The body 110 also includes a flange 114 formed along a
top edge
of the peripheral wall 113. In a packaged configuration of the capsule 100,
i.e. ready for
use, the main cavity 111 contains a measured dose of a first food product FP1
in a
granular or particulate form, for example milk powder.
The capsule 100 further comprises a cover 120, e.g. made of a polylaminate
material, tightly fixed on the flange 114 so as to allow to preserve over time
the food
product contained in the main cavity 111.
The body 110 also includes a first dispensing opening 115 e.g. formed in the
bottom wall 112 and configured to allow to dispense a first infused beverage
obtained
by making an infusion liquid, typically water, to flow through the main cavity
111 from
an opening formed in the cover 120 towards the bottom wall 112.
The first dispensing opening 115 may advantageously comprise a filter element
115a, for example a mesh filter, configured to prevent particles or granules
of the first
food product FP1 from exiting from the cavity. The filter element 115a may be
advantageously integrally formed with the body 110 of the capsule 100.
At least one inner cavity or chamber 116 is formed in the cavity 111 of the
body
110. A measured dose of a second food product FP2, which is also in a granular
or
particulate form, is contained in the inner cavity or chamber 116 in a ready-
to-use
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configuration of the capsule 100. The second food product FP2, e.g. coffee
powder, is
different from the first food product FP1. The inner cavity or chamber 116
comprises a
second dispensing opening 117. In the embodiment of the capsule shown in
figures 1
and 2 the second dispensing opening 117 is e.g. formed in the bottom wall 112
of the
5 body 110 where the inner chamber 116 is located.
In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2 the inner cavity or chamber 116
extends in the axial direction of the body 110 from the bottom wall 112 to the
flange
114 and a top edge 116a of the inner chamber 116 is tightly fixed to the cover
120. It is
thus possible to ensure a complete separation between the inner cavity or
chamber 116
and the main cavity 111, thus avoiding that the two food products contained in
the
capsule 100 are mixed with each other.
In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, as well as in the embodiment that
will be disclosed by referring to figure 3, a single inner cavity or chamber
is formed in
the capsule 100, for example having a substantially cylindrical shape arranged
coaxially
to the cavity of the body 110. However, it will be appreciated that these
features do not
limit the invention. In fact, the inner cavity or chamber 116 might also be
formed by
exploiting a part of the peripheral wall 113 of the body 110 of the capsule
100 by
providing a partition wall along a secant plane parallel to the axis A.
Additional inner
cavities or chambers separated by respective partition walls might also be
provided.
The configuration of the capsule 100 according to the invention is such that,
by
making an infusion liquid, for example water, to flow into the inner chamber
116 of the
capsule 100 it is possible to obtain a second infused beverage, which is
dispensed
through the second dispensing opening 117 in a completely independent way
relative to
the dispensing of the first infused beverage. This configuration of the
capsule 100 thus
allows to prepare a multiple ingredient beverage, such as e.g. a cappuccino.
The second dispensing opening 117 may advantageously comprise a filter element
118 having a planar shape and arranged in the inner chamber 116 so as to
prevent
escape of particles or granules of the second food product FP2. In addition, a
plurality
of ribs 117a may advantageously be formed in the second dispensing opening
117. The
ribs extend in the direction of the axis A of the capsule 100 and are e.g.
arranged
radially. The ribs 117a allow to divide the flow of an infused beverage
obtained by
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making the infusion liquid to flow through the second food product FP2 into a
plurality
of parallel streams having a reduced pressure. The ribs 117a may
advantageously be
formed integrally with the body 110 of the capsule 100.
The independence of the flows of the two beverages, which are dispensed from
the respective dispensing openings, allows to exploit the body 110 of the
capsule 100 as
a pouring means of a dispensing head of a machine for the preparation of
infused
beverages. This has the advantage to avoid contamination between beverages
having
different nature and organoleptic properties.
The capsule 100 further comprises closing means of one between the first
dispensing opening 115 and the second dispensing opening 117, which can be
selectively activated as a result of the emptying of the first food product
FP1 or of the
second food product FP2 contained in the main cavity 111 and in the inner
cavity or
chamber 116, respectively. The top edge 116a of the inner cavity or chamber
116
comprises a plurality of slits 116b that put the inner cavity or chamber 116a
in fluid
communication with the main cavity 111.
With reference to figure 3, the configuration of the capsule 100 according to
the
invention is such that, upon emptying of the first food product FP1 or of the
second
food product FP2 one between the first dispensing opening 115 and the second
dispensing opening 117 is closed by the closing means and the infusion liquid
progressively fills the main cavity 111 or the inner cavity or chamber 116 up
to the top
edge 116a. Once reached the top edge 116a, which is tightly fixed to the cover
120, the
infusion liquid is forced to pass from one cavity to the other one through the
slits 116b,
thus reaching the food product contained therein and allowing infusion and
dispensing
of the resulting infused beverage through the respective dispensing opening.
Thanks to this configuration, the infusion of the two food products FP1, FP2
and
dispensing of the two resulting beverages takes place in a sequential manner
without the
need to pierce the cover 120 of the capsule 100 at two locations and to employ
two
separate flows of infusion liquid. In other words, the configuration of the
capsule
according to the invention may be used in an infusion unit of a conventional
type as far
as perforation of the capsule cover and the dispensing of the infusion liquid
are
concerned.
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In the following and in the illustrated embodiment reference will be made to
the
case in which the closing means are associated with the main cavity 111, being
it clear
that the closing means may be associated in a completely equivalent manner to
the inner
cavity or chamber 116.
The closing means are made up of a shaped element 130 configured to tightly
engage the first dispensing opening 115. The shaped element 130 is made of a
material
having a density higher than that of water and lower than that of the first
food product
FP1 contained in the cavity 111. This allows the shaped element 130 to float
in the first
infused beverage when it flows out through the first dispensing opening 115
and to
subsequently sink in the infusion liquid thus closing the first dispensing
opening 115.
A tight seal is achieved both thanks to the contour of the shaped element 130
and
to the pressure of the infusion liquid fed into the cavity 111 of the capsule
100.
In the illustrated embodiment, the shaped element 130 is for example a sphere,
which offers the advantage of providing a good seal independently of the
position of the
shaped element 130 relative to the first dispensing opening 115.
Still referring to the illustrated embodiment, the bottom wall 112 of the
cavity 111
is inclined with respect to the axis A of the body 110 of the capsule 100 and
the first
dispensing opening 115 is formed at the farthest portion of the bottom wall
112 relative
to the flange 114, i.e. at the lowest portion of the cavity 111 when the
capsule is in a
vertical position, as it is typically used. This configuration facilitates the
spherical
shaped element 130 to move towards the first dispensing opening 115, because
the force
of gravity is added to the force generated by the pressure of the infusion
liquid.
In the light of the above, it will be appreciated that when the capsule 100
comprises more than one inner cavity or chamber, closing means of the type
described
above may be provided in each inner cavity or chamber, thereby enabling to
replicate
the sequential infusion mechanism from one chamber to the adjacent one, once
infusion
of the respective food product is completed.
Now referring to figures 4 and 5, an alternative embodiment of the capsule
according to the invention will be disclosed. The parts of the capsule
corresponding to
those disclosed in connection with the first embodiment of the invention will
be
identified by the same reference numbers.
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The capsule 100 comprises a body 110 substantially frustum-shaped having an
axis A, in turn comprising a main cavity 111, a bottom wall 112 and a
peripheral wall
113. The body 110 also comprises a flange 114 formed along a top edge of the
peripheral wall 113. In a packaged configuration of the capsule 100, i.e.
ready for use,
the main cavity 111 contains a measured dose of a first food product FP1 in a
granular
or particulate form, for example milk powder.
The capsule 100 further comprises a cover 120, e.g. made of a polylaminate
material, tightly fixed on the flange 114 so as to allow to preserve over time
the food
product contained in the main cavity 111.
The capsule 100 also comprises an inner cavity or chamber 116 arranged
coaxially to the main cavity 111 and separated therefrom by a wall 111a that
forms a
bottom of the main cavity 111. In the bottom wall 111a of the main cavity 111
a first
dispensing opening 115 is formed and a plurality of micro apertures 111b are
formed as
well.
In a packaged or ready-to-use configuration of the capsule 100, a second food
product FP2 in a granular or particulate form, e.g. coffee, is present in the
inner cavity
or chamber 116. A second dispensing opening 117 for the dispensing of an
infused
beverage obtainable by making an infusion liquid to flow through the inner
cavity or
chamber 116 is formed in the bottom wall 112 of the body 110 of the capsule
100, as it
will be described in greater detail in the following. The bottom wall 112 is
sealed by a
gas- impermeable film (not shown). The second dispensing opening 117 is e.g.
arranged
at the axis A of the body 110 of the capsule 100.
The capsule 100 also comprises an insert 200 made up of a stem 210 extending
in
the direction of the axis A of the capsule 100 and a frustum-shaped base 220
that rests
on the bottom wall 112. The stem 210 extends axially from the base 220 beyond
the
flange 114 whereby in a packaged or ready-to-use configuration of the capsule
100 the
cover 120 is deformed outwards and features a conical shape.
The stem 210 comprises a base 210a tightly fitted in the first dispensing
opening
115 and a protruding portion 210b extending axially and contacting the cover
120. The
stem 210 also comprises a sharpened portion 211 that protrudes axially from
the cavity
defined by the frustum-shaped base 220 and thus faces the bottom wall 112 of
the
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capsule 100, which is sealed by a gas-impermeable film F.
Moreover, the base 210a of the stem 210 and the sharpened portion 211 thereof
are hollow and comprise a through cavity 212 configured to allow dispensing
from the
capsule 100 of the first beverage obtainable in the main cavity or chamber
111, as it will
be described in greater detail in the following.
The frustum-shaped base 220 comprises a plurality of micro-apertures 221
having
a size comparable to the food product contained in the capsule 100 and has
protruding
portions 222 having a reduced thickness in the form of circumferential
grooves.
The capsule 100 also comprises closing means of one between the first
dispensing
opening 115 and the second dispensing opening 117, that may selectively be
activated
upon emptying of the first food product FP1 or the second food product FP2
contained
in the main cavity 111 and in the inner cavity or chamber 116, respectively.
Similarly to
the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the closing means are made up of a
shaped
element 130 advantageously having a spherical shape. In the illustrated
embodiment the
shaped element 130 is arranged in the main cavity or chamber 111 and is
intended to
close the first dispensing opening 115.
In order to allow infusion of the food products FP1, FP2 contained in the
capsule
100 according to this embodiment of the invention, the capsule is fitted in an
infusion
unit of a machine for the dispensing of infused beverages. When closing the
infusion
.. unit the cover 120 is compressed thus causing the stem 210 of the insert
200 to move
axially. The frustum-shaped base 220 is consequently flattened onto the bottom
wall
112 of the body 110 of the capsule 100. The movement of the base is
facilitated by the
circumferential grooves 222. The portion 211 of the stem 210 thus penetrates
the film
sealing the bottom wall 112 and tears it while being fitted in the opening 117
formed
.. there. The main cavity or chamber 111 is thus in fluid communication with
the outer
environment through the dispensing opening 115 and the through cavity 212
formed in
the base 210a of the stem 210.
By supplying an infusion liquid from an aperture formed in the cover 120 by a
perforation member of the infusion unit, it is thus possible to obtain from
the first food
product FP1 a first beverage that flows through the first dispensing opening
115 and the
through cavity 212. The density and compaction degree of the first and the
second food
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product FP1, FP2 are such that the flow of the first beverage through the
micro
apertures 111b formed in the wall dividing the main cavity or chamber 111 from
underlying the inner cavity or chamber 116 is substantially negligible.
Once the first food product FP1 has been processed and the first beverage has
5 been dispensed, the shaped element 130 is fitted in the through cavity
212 thereby
closing the first dispensing opening 115. The infusion liquid is thus obliged
to flow
through the micro apertures 111b, thus reaching the second granular food
product FP2
contained in the inner cavity or chamber 116.
Dispensing of the second beverage occurs through the apertures 221 formed in
the
10 base 220 and hence through the second dispensing opening 117.
The present invention has hereto been disclosed with reference to preferred
embodiments. It will be appreciated that there may be other embodiments
relating to the
same inventive idea, as defined by the scope of protection of the claims set
out below.
