Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AN OPTIMIZED COFFEE POD FOR BEVERAGE PREPARATION
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Field of the invention
The present invention concerns a coffee container, in particular
a pod for containing coffee in a compacted form, said container for being
extracted in a beverage preparation machine.
Background of the invention
Most of the coffee preparation systems that function with one-
use ingredient containers, comprise a range of ingredient containers having
only
one fixed predetermined size. The problem with such containers having a fixed
size
is that the quality of the beverage obtained therefrom is almost never
optimal,
despite the large efforts in selecting an appropriate ingredient (coffee
blend, grind
size, roasting type, etc.) depending on the type of beverage that is
eventually
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prepared therefrom (short, medium, long cups, coffee alone or mix with another
ingredient).
More particularly, it was found that short cups such as
"Ristretto" or "Espresso" (typically 10m1 to 25m1 of beverage delivered to the
cup)
may use an oversized amount of ingredient from the container, which leads to
under-extraction of the coffee that can eventually provide bitter taste, low
flavouring, and off-notes. Furthermore, even if the taste profile might be
managed
for short cups by managing appropriately a specific blend of coffee, the
problem
remains that too much coffee is used in relation to the volume of coffee that
is
eventually prepared and delivered to the cup, which is an unreasonable
overcost
in view of the cup volume objective.
On the contrary, long cups like "Lungo" or "Grande" (i.e. in-cup
beverage volume above 130m1) typically use an undersized amount of coffee (the
capsule is too small to contain sufficient ingredient to extract all flavours
in a large
.. quantity of water passing through. This leads to over-extracted notes, and
a
diluted, low-quality, beverage.
In the best case scenario, the container, e.g. the pod, pad or
capsule ¨ which usually has a small volume for reasons of storage convenience
and
low environmental impact, contain a limited coffee weight (5g to 6g);
therefore,
they offer good short cups. But the drawback of over-extraction in the
preparation
of longer cups remains.
In order to meet the above mentioned drawbacks, some systems
were invented that accept ingredient containers of different sizes. The width,
or
more generally the depth (or thickness) of such containers varies, in order to
contain the appropriate amount of coffee relatively to the desired amount of
beverage to deliver to the cup.
However, such systems require a complex construction of the
machine, so that the brewing chamber wherein the ingredient container is
inserted, can adapt functionally to the various sizes and shapes of
containers,
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without any impact on the safety, functionality, or quality of the beverage
production. More precisely, in such cases, the machine brewing chamber
requires
a movable element that allows the brewing chamber to increase or decrease its
size to adapt its shape walls to that of the container. A movable element in
the
brewing chamber necessarily adds complexity to the construction of the
machine,
hence increased costs for its development, its production, and its
maintenance. In
some cases also, the machine does set its brewing chamber size/shape
automatically, and it requires a manual operation by the user, to conform the
brewing chamber appropriately to be able to use one or the other type of
ingredient container properly. This adds a handling step to the user, which is
not
user-friendly.
The purpose of the present invention is therefore to obviate the
above-mentioned drawbacks of existing beverage preparation systems. In
particular, it is an aim of this invention to reduce complexity of the machine
brewing chamber, enabling different coffee quantities to be extracted from
dedicated ingredient containers having adapted sizes and shapes.
Summary of the invention
The present invention generally consists in an ingredient
container, preferably a coffee pod, having a fixed depth and an adjustable
empty
space in its center, so that the general container has a "donut shape". The
size of
the central space is adjusted depending on desired coffee quantity.
More precisely, the invention is directed to a container
containing coffee ingredient for use in a food or beverage preparation
machine,
comprising a chamber delimited by an injection wall able to be punctured or
otherwise opened for circulating water under pressure, and by a coffee
delivery
wall, the chamber being filled with said coffee. According to the principle of
the
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invention, at least a portion of said injection wall has the shape of a half
torus, or a
half toroidal polyhedron, so as to define a ring-shaped chamber portion.
By "half a torus or half a toroidal polyhedron", it is meant a
tubular structure being bent and joined to form a closed tube. The tube can
have
various sections, but is preferably half circular, triangular, or square. But
other
types of cross-sections can be found. The general outer shape of the ring is
preferably circular (as will be further illustrated in detail afterwards in
relation to
the drawing). But it can also correspond to other types of revolution shapes
such
as elliptic, square, triangular, or have any other type of general shape such
as
defined in the term "toroidal polyhedron".
The coffee ingredient contained in the ring-shaped chamber
portion is preferably a roast and ground coffee.
Advantageously, the ring-shaped chamber portion surrounds a
central container portion filled with a second ingredient that differs from
the
coffee ingredient contained in the ring-shaped chamber portion. In that case,
the
second ingredient is preferably a powdered soluble coffee, or a roast and
ground
coffee having different roasting, grinding and/or powder compaction
characteristics, than that of the coffee contained in the ring-shaped chamber
portion.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the
width of the ring-shaped chamber is comprised between 5 to 15mm.
For one range of containers that are designed to work with a
given type of food or beverage preparation machine, different types of
containers
can be proposed to the consumer, each of which in the range has a different
ingredient chamber width.
All containers within the same range adapted to function with
one type of machine, have a fixed height.
This is particularly important to ensure that in case several
container chamber sizes are proposed in a range of containers, such variations
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between the different containers do not require an adaptation of the machine
brewing chamber closing position into which the containers are inserted
functionally.
More precisely, the variations in the volume of the container
chamber are obtained by varying its radial dimensions but not its height, nor
its
outer boundaries (in particular the shape or diameter of the outer edge of the
ring).
In a preferred embodiment, the dispensing wall is planar and has
a square or disc shape.
The dispensing wall is preferably made of a liquid impermeable
material that is pierceable by piercing means of the food or beverage
preparation
machine.
Advantageously, the injection wall is made of a paper-based or
compostable material that is coated or laminated with a liquid-impermeable
material.
In addition, the central empty area of the container is resistant
to tearing, damaging or piercing by the water injection means of the machine's
brewing chamber.
In an optional but advantageous embodiment of the invention,
the coffee contained in the chamber is a compacted coffee powder.
Generally, the injection and dispensing walls are preferably
sealed or otherwise glued or welded one to another to form a closed chamber.
Brief description of the drawings
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are
described in, and will be apparent from, the description of the presently
preferred
embodiments which are set out below with reference to the drawings in which:
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Figure 1 is a perspective top view of one embodiment of a
container according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective cut view of the container of figure 1, in
the brewing chamber of a food or beverage machine.
Detailed description of the invention
Figure 1 depicts a container 3. according to the invention, for
containing coffee ingredient. The container 3. is designed for insertion and
use in
the brewing chamber of a coffee preparation machine of the type using single-
use
disposable pods.
The container 3. comprises a chamber 2 delimited by an injection
wall 3 able to be punctured or otherwise opened for circulating water under
pressure, and by a coffee delivery wall 4. The coffee delivery wall 4 is
pierced (or
generally opened) under the effect of the rise of fluid pressure inside the
container,
onto at least one, preferably a series of opening elements of the machine
which
exert an opening (e.g. a puncturing or tearing force on the material) when the
pressure inside the container increases, due to the injection of water therein
through the injection wall).
The container chamber 2 is filled with coffee which is preferably
a blend of roast and ground coffee. The chamber is preferably entirely filled
(no
headspace is present). According to the principle of the invention, the
injection
wall has the shape of a half torus, so as to define a ring-shaped chamber
portion,
as illustrated in figure 1.
The ring-shaped chamber 2 surrounds a central container
portion 5 that is empty in the embodiment depicted in figure 1, but could be
filled
in an alternative with a second ingredient that differs from the coffee
ingredient
contained in the ring-shaped chamber portion. In the present embodiment shown
in figure 1, the central portion is formed by directly attaching (e.g. sealing
or gluing)
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the injection wall 3 to the dispensing wall 4, like in the outer portions 6 of
the
container that surround the chamber 2. The width "W" of the ring-shaped
chamber is 12 mm. The height "H" of the chamber 2 is 8 mm.
As illustrated in figure 2, the container according to the
invention is designed to be inserted in the brewing chamber 10 of a food or
beverage preparation machine (the machine as a whole is not illustrated).
The brewing chamber 10 is of the type already known in the art
and will not be described in great details hereafter. It generally comprises
two
parts, an injection part 11 and a dispensing part 12 that are movable
relatively to
one another, so as to open and close the brewing chamber. Figure 2 depicts the
brewing chamber 10 in its open state with the coffee container partially
inserted
therein in an insertion socket 13. The square-shaped outer portions 6 of the
container 1 are guided in insertion socket's grooves during insertion. In
another
embodiment, the outer boundaries of the container could have another shape
than square (e.g. circular).
The injection part comprises a series of injection spikes 14 which
are able to pierce and partially protrude through the container chamber 2 when
the container is inserted inside the brewing chamber 10 and the latter is
closed
around the container in order to prepare a beverage. The height of the spikes
is
less than the height H of the chamber so that the spikes can never contact the
dispensing wall of the container. The injection part 11 comprises a water
entry 15
that is linked to the fluidic system of the beverage machine (a water source,
e.g. a
water tank that is linked through pipes to a water pump and preferably a water
heater) that is able to deliver water, preferably heated water at a certain
pressure
towards the brewing chamber for injection inside the coffee container through
spikes 14.
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The dispensing part 12 of the brewing chamber 10 comprises a
series of opening elements 16 as described above, which contact the surface of
the
dispensing wall when the brewing chamber is closed.
When water is injected inside the container, fluid pressure
increases therein, which presses the dispensing wall 4 against the opening
elements 16, until the material of the dispensing wall opens to let the coffee
prepared by mixing water and coffee out. Coffee then flows towards a cup (not
shown) through a collecting chamber 17 and a dispensing outlet 18 of the
dispensing part 12.
For one given type of food or beverage preparation machine,
only one size of coffee container can be proposed to the consumer. However,
according to the principle of the invention, a whole range of containers can
be
proposed, each of which has a different ingredient chamber width W, which
allows
to vary the amount of coffee contained therein, and therefore the volume of
coffee that can be prepared therewith. Importantly, only the width of the ring-
shaped chamber varies from one container type to another, so that different
types
of containers can be used with the same machine, without the need for a
complex
brewing chamber that would need to adapt to all different types of containers.
In
particular, the invention obviates the need for a complex adaptive system for
increasing or decreasing the distance between the injection and dispensing
parts
of the brewing chamber, depending on the height of each different container of
the proposed range.
All containers within the same range adapted to function with
one type of machine, have a fixed height H.
For the preparation of a short cup such as a Ristretto or an
Espresso, (i.e. in-cup volume of 10m1 to 25m1 with high quality crema), a
small
container is used, that contains a roast and ground coffee. In this case, the
volume
of the container ingredient chamber is comprised between 3.5m1 and 15m1,
preferably between 9m1 and 11mI.
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For the preparation of a medium size cup of coffee (80m1 to
130m1), a medium size container is used. In this case, the volume of the
container
ingredient chamber is comprised between 15m1 and 17m1.
For the preparation of a long cup such as an Americano, or a
Lungo (i.e. in-cup beverage volume above 130m1), one can use a large or an
extra-
large container size, containing a roast and ground coffee offering then a
long cup
without over-extracted notes. In this case, the volume of the pod ingredient
chamber is comprised between 17m1 and 115m1, preferably between 17m1 and
20m1.
In all of the above examples, the coffee powder that is contained
in the chamber 2 can be either loose or in a compacted state.
The container according to the invention was found to provide
the best solution to offer the most qualitative and quantitative coffee cup
from 10
ml, up to 500 ml, without adding complexity and cost to the beverage
preparation
machine.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications
to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to
those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without
diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such
changes
and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
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