Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COFFEE CONTAINER FOR BEVERAGE PREPARATION AND METHOD OF
MANUFACTURING A COFFEE CONTAINER
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to an optimized coffee
container such as a capsule or pod containing coffee
ingredients in a specific compacted form and a manufacturing
process of such container. The coffee container is designed
for being extracted in a beverage preparation device for
preparing a coffee beverage.
Background of the invention
Coffee containers for being used in conjunction with a
beverage preparation device are well known and widely
available on the market. Thereby, such containers are usually
designed for being injected with a heated, pressurized liquid
in order to prepare a beverage upon interaction of beverage
ingredients within the container with the provided liquid.
Such interaction may take place upon dissolution and/or
extraction of the provided beverage ingredients under liquid
contact. The containers usually comprise a pre-defined
amount of ingredients for preparing a single-serve beverage
portion.
The coffee containers of the known beverage preparation
systems usually comprise a single container size compatible
with a particular beverage preparation device of the system.
This leads however to disadvantages when preparing different
beverages such as short or long cups, i.e. an espresso-type
beverage and a lungo-type beverage, the latter ideally
requiring a larger amount of injected liquid and a larger
amount of coffee ingredients within the container compared
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to the first one. A compromise then has to be found when
providing coffee ingredients for preparing different types
of beverages within the same container size respectively the
same available volume for the ingredients in the container.
In particular, either a smaller amount of coffee ingredients
such as 5 to 6 grams is provided in order to optimize the
provided beverage ingredients for the preparation of an
espresso-type beverage, but obtain a comparatively weaker
lungo-beverage, or a larger amount of coffee ingredients is
provided in order to optimize the beverage result for the
lungo-beverage, but waste coffee ingredients when preparing
an espresso-type beverage with the same container in the
given beverage preparation system.
In addition, different beverage types such as espresso and
lungo beverages also have different ideal requirements
regarding the applied beverage preparation process inter
alia with regards to required extraction pressure, the liquid
contact time respectively the extraction time, the
extraction yield and the resulting beverage crema. The known
beverage containers of unitary size do however not address
these different requirements. This also applies for known
containers for the same beverage preparation system which
have different amounts of beverage ingredients provided
within an otherwise unitary container volume.
The present invention seeks to address the above-described
problems. The invention also aims at other objects and
particularly the solution of other problems as will appear
in the rest of the present description.
Object and Summary of the invention
In a first aspect, the invention relates to a method of
manufacturing a coffee container for preparing a coffee
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beverage upon injection of liquid such as water into the
container, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting and providing container wall means for enclosing
a predefined container volume,
- compacting an amount of bulk coffee material such as roast
and ground coffee particles to a coffee tablet under
predefined compaction force in the container volume between
the container wall means, wherein the applied compaction
force is set based on at least the provided container volume
and/or on a particular type of beverage to be prepared from
the resulting container type respectively the resulting
container volume, and wherein the applied compaction force
is set to a value between 0.5kN and 15kN, most preferably
between 1 and 10kN.
According to the invention, the compaction force for the
coffee material provided in the respective container volume
is specifically adapted to a predefined value in order to
optimize the beverage preparation parameters for the
particular container or container type respectively for the
beverage intended to be prepared from this particular
container. This is due to the fact that the compaction force
onto the bulk coffee material respectively a resulting
compaction rate of the coffee material in the manufactured
container strongly influences the beverage process
parameters when injecting liquid into the container by means
of a known beverage preparation device or system. In
particular, the obtained extraction pressure, the obtained
flow time, the extraction yield and/or the obtained crema
are influenced based on the applied different compaction
force. As these process parameters may however be suitably
influenced by the adjustment of the compaction force for
different containers, an optimized beverage result may be
obtained with the produced beverage container for different
beverage types such as in particular short beverages, e.g.
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espresso or ristretto type coffee beverage, and long
beverages, e.g. a lungo type coffee beverage. For example,
a high pressure and a stiff crema may be obtained for an
espresso type beverage contained in a respectively smaller
container volume, whereas for a lungo type coffee beverage
contained in a respectively larger container volume
overextraction notes may be avoided.
In a preferred embodiment, the applied compaction force onto
the bulk coffee material is set also based on the
granulometry of the provided bulk coffee material and/or on
the roasting degree of the bulk coffee material. Accordingly,
the resulting beverage process parameters during beverage
preparation by means of the container can be further
optimized.
The granulometry of the bulk coffee material preferably lies
between 150 to 800 m, more preferably between 150 and 600 m.
The roasting value or degree of the bulk coffee material is
preferably between 50 and 120 CTN. Thereby, the term "CTN"
refers to empirical unit that characterizes the intensity of
monochromatic light that is reflected by a sample of roasted
and grounded coffee when measured with a spectrophotometer
such as Color Test II of Neuhaus Neotec. For example, a lower
CTN value of e.g. about 45 relates to a dark roasted coffee,
while a higher CTN of e.g. about 150 relates to an extremely
light roasted coffee.
The applied compaction force may be set dependent on the
particular container volume, the granulometry, the roasting
degree and/or the weight of coffee material provided in the
volume. Thereby, the compaction force is preferably set
according to predefined values that have been found to
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provide for optimized beverage parameters with a given
beverage preparation device or system.
The applied compaction force is preferably set lower for a
5 small particle size and set higher for a larger particle
size.
The applied compaction force may be set relatively lower for
a smaller container volume respectively a lower amount of
coffee material enclosed in the container volume and set
relatively higher for a larger container volume respectively
a larger amount of coffee material enclosed in the container
volume.
The different selectable container wall means are preferably
designed for forming alternative types of containers such as
at least a first and a second predefined container type for
preparing a short and a long coffee beverage, and optional
at least a third predefined container type for preparing a
medium size coffee beverage.
The weight of the coffee material enclosed in the respective
container volume is preferably comprised between 4 to
15grams, preferably between 5.5 to 12 grams.
The coffee material provided in the container is preferably
designed for reconstituting a single-serve portion of
beverage upon interaction with liquid such as water provided
to the capsule. The coffee material is preferably roast and
ground coffee particles designed for preparing a coffee
beverage such as a ristretto, espresso or lungo coffee
beverage.
In a preferred embodiment, the volume for a container
intended for preparing a short coffee beverage is between
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5m1 and 15m1, more preferably between 9m1 and 11m1. The
volume for a container intended for preparing a long coffee
beverage is preferably between 15m1 and 50m1, more preferably
between 16m1 and 20m1, and wherein the volume for a container
intended for preparing a medium size coffee beverage is
preferably between 13m1 and 16m1.
For the sake of clarity, it shall be considered that the
volume of coffee beverage prepared from a pod, that is
dispensed into the cup is as follows: for "short coffee
beverage", a volume in the cup comprised between 15m1 and
50m1, for "medium size coffee beverage", a volume in the cup
comprised between 51m1 and 150m1, and for "long coffee
beverage", a volume in the cup comprised between 151m1 and
1 liter.
In a preferred embodiment, the compaction force for a
container volume designed for preparing a short coffee
beverage is set to a value between 0.5kN and 10kN, more
preferred between 1kN and 2.5kN. For a container volume
designed for preparing a long coffee beverage the compaction
force is preferably set to a value of between 0.5kN and 15kN,
more preferred between 2kN and 5kN. For a container volume
designed for preparing a medium size coffee beverage the
compaction force is preferably set to a value between 1kN
and 7kN.
In a particular preferred embodiment, the compaction force
for a container volume designed for preparing a short coffee
beverage is set to a value between 1 to 2.5kN with a
granulometry of the bulk coffee material between 200 and
300 m, more preferably of about 250 m.
In a particular preferred embodiment, the compaction force
for a container volume designed for preparing a long coffee
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beverage is set to a value between 2.5 to 3.5kN with a
granulometry of the bulk coffee material between 300 and
400 m, more preferably of about 350 m.
It is noted that in the above-described preferred embodiments
a relatively smaller container volume is intended for
preparing a short beverage such as espresso coffee and that
a relatively larger container volume is intended for
preparing a long beverage such as a lungo type coffee. The
required compaction force is then set to a suitable value in
order to optimize the result of the intended beverage
preparation from the respective container.
In an alternative embodiment, it may however as well be
applicable that a larger container volume is provided and
which is designed for preparing a highly intense espresso
and thus a short beverage. In this case and in line with the
invention, the provided compaction force is set based on the
intended type of beverage to be prepared from the particular
container, whereby the compaction force will be set
relatively lower compared to other embodiments in which the
larger container volume is intended for preparing a long
coffee beverage. In another preferred alternative
embodiment, a larger container volume may be provided for
preparing an Americano coffee beverage, in which it is aimed
at extracting a large quantity of solids in a short
extraction. Hereby, coffee material of relatively fine
granulometry such as between 200 and 300 m is provided at a
relatively low compaction force usually applied for smaller
container volumes respectively for containers for preparing
a short beverage.
The container wall means preferably comprise a first and a
second enclosing sheet. The first and second enclosing sheet
are preferably made from an at least partially deformable
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material. The container wall means are preferably made from
a material comprised within the list of mono- or multi-layer
film comprising paper or similar cellulosic material,
polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene-
terephtalate (PET), a starch-based material, polylactic acid
(PLA), and/or aluminium. The container wall means preferably
comprise barrier means against oxygen and/or moisture.
At least the first and/or second container wall means
respectively the first and/or second enclosing sheet may
vary in its size or diameter in order to provide for
different container volumes to be enclosed between the
respective container walls. The container wall means are
preferably of essentially circular shape.
The method preferably further comprises the step of sealingly
connecting the first and second enclosing sheet constituting
the container wall means about a circumference of the
enclosed amount of coffee material respectively about the
enclosed coffee tablet under formation of a circumferential
flange-like rim portion of the container.
In a preferred embodiment, a first and second enclosing
sheets are selected dependent on a desired volume of the
resulting container type and/or on the particular type of
beverage to be prepared from the resulting container. Then,
in a next step the first enclosing sheet is preferably
provided in a dedicated recess, matrix, mould or die of a
suitable manufacturing device. In a next step, a predefined
amount of bulk coffee material is provided to an upper
surface of the first enclosing sheet. The bulk coffee
material is then compacted to a compacted coffee tablet by
means of a compaction press or other suitably compaction
means under a predefined compaction force against the
provided recess, matrix, mould or die of the device and based
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on at least the selected container volume. In a further step,
the second enclosing sheet is then sealingly connected to
the first enclosing sheet, e.g. by means of a gluing or
welding technique. Thereby, the compacted coffee tablet is
preferably enclosed in such a manner that the complete inner
container volume is filled with the coffee tablet.
Accordingly, preferably no free space, i.e. which is not
filled by the coffee tablet, is available in the resulting
container. Further, the enclosing of the compacted coffee
tablet within the first and second sheets preferably does
not further alter a compaction rate of the coffee tablet in
the container.
Instead of one, two or more compacted coffee tablets may be
formed in accordance with the above described compaction
process and provided and enclosed within the same container.
The two coffee tablets may be formed under different
predefined compaction force. Also, in such embodiment, the
coffee tablet preferably completely fills the container
volume.
In a further aspect, the invention relates to a container
obtainable by the method as described hereabove. Further
features of the container according to the invention are
described hereunder. Notably, the description of the
features of the container below are applicable also to the
manufacturing process as described above and vice versa.
A coffee container for preparing a coffee beverage upon
injection of liquid into the container according to the
invention comprises container wall means enclosing a
predefined volume of between 5m1 to 50m1 filled with
compacted coffee material such as roast and ground coffee
particles, wherein the coffee material is present in a form
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compacted under a compaction force of 0.5 to 15kN, preferably
of lkN to 10kN.
The container wall means are made of a sheet material as
5 described above with regards to the method according to the
invention. The container wall means are preferably sealingly
connected about a circumference of the enclosed compacted
coffee material under formation of a circumferential flange-
like rim portion. Thereby, a first sheet of material forms
10 an inlet face of the container and a second sheet of material
forms an outlet face of the container. The container wall
means are preferably designed for being piercable or
otherwise openable by means of dedicated opening means of a
beverage preparation device.
The container is preferably rotational symmetric about a
central axis that is preferably substantially parallel to an
intended direction of the circulation of liquid through the
compacted coffee material.
The height of the container is preferably comprised between
5 mm and 30 mm, preferably between 10 mm and 22 mm. A diameter
of the container is preferably comprised between 30-70mm,
preferably between 35mm to 55mm.
In a particular preferred embodiment of the invention, the
container comprises a volume of between 5m1 and 15m1,
preferably between 9m1 and 11m1 and the coffee material is
present within said volume at a compaction rate of between
40 to 65%, preferably between 49-59%. Such container is
preferably designed for preparing a short cup, i.e. a
ristretto or espresso type coffee beverage.
The compaction rate T of the compacted coffee respectively
the compacted coffee tablet enclosed in the container is
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defined as the ratio of the apparent density da to the real
density dv of the compacted coffee tablet (T = (da/dv) *
100), see also calculation with respect to Example 1
described further below. Notably, the compaction rate does
not only depend on the compaction force of the enclosed
coffee material, but also on further parameters such as in
particular the coffee particle size, the roasting degree and
the density of the coffee particles in the container volume.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the
container comprises a volume of between 15m1 and 50m1,
preferably between 16m1 and 20m1, and the coffee material is
present within said volume at a compaction rate of between
35-60%, preferably between 39-49%. Such container is
preferably designed for preparing a long cup, i.e. a lungo
type coffee beverage.
In yet a further aspect, the invention relates to a kit of
coffee containers comprising at least two, preferably three
and more preferably at least 5 containers as described above
respectively as obtainable by means of the described
manufacturing method, wherein the respective containers
differ in their container volume enclosed by the respective
container wall means and/or in a particular type of beverage
to be prepared from the respective containers, and wherein
the coffee material in the respective containers is present
in a form compacted under a different compaction force
respectively present in a different compaction rate.
The respective containers of the kit according to the
invention preferably differ in their height but comprise an
equal outer diameter.
In a preferred embodiment, the kit comprises a first
container having a container volume of between 5m1 and 15m1,
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preferably between 9m1 and llml, for preparing a short coffee
beverage, a second container having a container volume of
between 15m1 and 50m1, preferably between 16m1 and 20m1, for
preparing a long coffee beverage, and optionally a third
container having a container volume of between 13m1 and 16m1
for preparing a medium size coffee beverage.
Preferably, the compaction force for the coffee material in
the container volume designed for preparing a short coffee
beverage lies between 0.5kN and 10kN, more preferred between
1 and 2.5kN. The compaction force for the coffee material in
the container volume designed for preparing a long coffee
beverage preferably lies between 0.5kN and 15kN, more
preferred between 2.5kN and 5kN. The compaction force for
the coffee material designed for preparing a medium size
coffee beverage preferably lies between lkN and 7kN.
The different containers of the kit preferably comprise
coffee material of different granulometry, preferably
between 100 to 800 m, more preferred between 150 and 600 m.
and/or of different roasting degree, preferably between 50
and 120CTN. A relatively smaller particle size and thus finer
granulometry is preferably provided for bulk coffee material
in a container designed for preparing a short beverage,
whereas a relatively larger particle size and thus coarser
granulometry is preferably provided for bulk coffee material
in a container designed for preparing a larger beverage.
The invention further relates to the use of a coffee
container as described hereabove and/or as obtainable by the
method according to the invention for preparing a coffee
beverage.
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Brief description of the drawings
Further features, advantages and objects of the present
invention will become apparent for a skilled person when
reading the following detailed description of embodiments of
the present invention and when taken in conjunction with the
figures of the enclosed drawings.
Fig. 1 shows preferred embodiments of containers
with different volumes and/or designed for
preparing different types of beverages according
to the invention.
Fig. 2 shows alternative embodiments of containers
with different volumes and/or designed for
preparing different types of beverages according
to the invention.
Fig. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram for a
manufacturing process of a container in line with
the invention.
Fig. 4 relates to measurement results for different
containers comprising different applied
compaction forces and showing the resulting flow
time during injection into such containers
dependent on the granulometry of the coffee
material in the container.
Fig. 5 relates to measurement results for different
containers comprising different applied
compaction forces and showing the resulting yield
of the extracted coffee beverage dependent on the
granulometry of the coffee material in the
container.
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Detailed description of the figures
Fig. 1 and 2 relate to preferred embodiments of containers
with different volumes according to the invention and which
are preferably designed for preparing different types of
beverages. Thereby, fig. la to id relate to a first set or
kit of containers la-id. The containers la to id in Fig. la
to id each comprise container wall means 2 and wall means
3a,3b,3c,3d respectively, which are connected at their
circumference under formation of a flange-like rim portion
4.
The container wall means 2,3a-3d are preferably formed of an
at least partially deformable material sheet which is
preferably of circular shape. The container wall means
enclose a predefined volume and are made of a sheet material
comprised within the list of mono- or multi-layer film
comprising paper or similar cellulosic material,
polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene-
terephtalate (PET), a starch-based material, polylactic acid
(PLA), and/or aluminium.
The containers differ in their respective sizes and thus in
the respective volume enclosed therein. Thereby, all of the
containers la-id are preferably formed of the same first
material sheet 2 of essentially convex form and uniform
height hl, and a suitable second material sheet 3a,3b,3c,3d
of essentially convex form but of differing size respectively
providing a different resulting height hl,h2,h3,h4. The
container la is preferably symmetric about a central plane
in which the flange-like rim 4 is arranged.
The first and second material sheet 2 respectively
3a,3b,3c,3d preferably comprise a centrally arranged
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essentially planar portion 5,6. The first material sheet 2
is preferably designed for providing an outlet face of the
container in a dedicated beverage preparation device, while
the second material sheet 3a,3b,3c,3d is designed for
5 providing an inlet face of the container in a dedicated
beverage preparation device.
The overall height of the container la-1d is preferably
comprised between 5 mm and 30 mm, more preferably between 10
10 mm and 22 mm. A diameter d2 of the respective container is
preferably comprised between 30-70mm, more preferably
between 35mm to 55mm. An inner diameter d1 of the respective
container is preferably comprised between 20-60mm, more
preferably between 30 to 50mm.
The different containers preferably comprise a compacted
coffee tablet in the container volume, which has been
compacted during a manufacturing process of the container
with a force between 0.5 and 15kN, more preferably between
0.1kN and 10kN.
The compacted coffee tablet is preferably completely filling
the inner volume of the container. The coffee material within
the container volume preferably comprises a granulometry of
between 150 to 600 m. The coffee material enclosed in the
respective container is preferably of a roasting value of
between 50 and 120CTN.
The different containers as shown in fig. la-1d preferably
differ at least in the weight of the coffee material enclosed
in the provided volume, in the granulometry of the enclosed
coffee material and in the applied compaction force during
manufacturing of the container when forming the compacted
coffee tablet. The different containers may as well differ
in the roasting value of the coffee material. Optionally,
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also different coffee material respectively different blends
of coffee material may be present in the respective
containers. A preferred example for the above-indicated
different parameters of the respective containers in fig.
la-1d is shown in table 1 below.
1A 1B 1C 1D
Volume (ml) 10.53 13.55 18.05 20.8
Coffee weight 5.5 7 8.5 10
(g)
Granulometry (D
210 300 350 420
[4,3] - pm)
Compaction force 1500 2500 2500 3000
(N)
Final in-cup
beverage volume 40 110 200 350
(ml)
50% Brazil
WA 40% Brazil UWA
100% Colombia 60%
Colombia WA
Coffee blend 30% Ivory 30% Tanzania WA
WA 40% Mexico WA
Coast R 30% Guatemala WA
20% Papupa
New Guinea
Roasting colour 70 85 80 75
(CTN)
Table 1
By means of adapting the respective compaction force applied
when manufacturing the container based on at least the
provided volume of the container for providing a particular
beverage type and/or the granulometry of the contained
ingredients, the beverage result for a particular container
can be optimized for the intended purpose.
For example, an optimized result for a short cup, i.e. a
ristretto or espresso type coffee beverage may be obtained
with the container of example 1A. Thereby, the fine grind
enables the acceleration of solids extraction in order to
provide an intense cup. Further, a relatively lower
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compaction force leads to an increased yield during beverage
preparation.
An optimized medium size beverage may be obtained by the
containers of example 1B and 1C. Thereby, an intermediate
particle size and moderate compaction force ensure a smooth
extraction over the complete extraction time in order to
obtain a balanced medium coffee beverage.
An optimized long cup, i.e. a lungo type coffee beverage,
may be obtained by the container of example 1D. Thereby, a
large particle size in combination with a relatively higher
compaction force will avoid over-extraction for a very large
serving while avoiding undesired off-notes.
The adaption of the compaction force based on the provided
granulometry, the roasting value and/or the particular
coffee blend and weight enables a further optimization of
the obtained beverage result.
Fig. 2a-2c relate to alternative embodiments of a dedicated
container respectively a kit comprising different containers
1e,1f,1g, which differ in the respective container volume.
By contrast to the embodiment in fig. 1 the respective
containers 1e,1f,1g comprise a first essentially planar
material sheet 2a and different essentially convex shaped
material sheets 3e,3f,3g. The latter are preferably of
different size such that the resulting container comprise
different heights h5,h6,h7. An inner and outer diameter of
these containers d3,d4 is preferably constant. The inner and
outer diameter preferably corresponds to the respective
diameters d1,d2 of the containers according to Fig. la-1d.
The height of the containers is preferably in the ranges as
indicated above with respect to fig. 1.
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As explained with respect to the containers of Fig. la-1d,
the containers of Fig. 2a-2c differ at least in the applied
compaction force of the coffee tablet provided in the
container. The containers may additionally differ in the
nature and weight of the coffee material enclosed in the
provided volume, in the granulometry of the enclosed coffee
material, and/or in the roasting value of the coffee
material.
Fig. 3 relates to a schematic representation of a preferred
embodiment of a manufacturing process for forming the
container according to the invention.
In the manufacturing process, a first step (not shown)
relates to selecting a first and second enclosing sheets
such as e.g. sheets 2 and one of sheets 3a-3d of fig. 1 based
on a desired volume of the resulting container respectively
based on the beverage intended to be prepared by means of
the resulting container. This first step preferably further
comprises a determination and/or selection of the nature and
weight of the coffee material enclosed in the provided
volume, a selection of the granulometry of the coffee
material, a selection of the roasting degree of the coffee
material. Further, the compaction force to be applied during
the manufacturing process is determined and set based on at
least the selected container volume and/or based on the
beverage intended to be prepared by means of the resulting
container.
Then in a following step 7, the first enclosing sheet
constituting e.g. a bottom foil of the container is formed
and provided in a dedicated recess, die or mould of a
suitable manufacturing device.
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In a subsequent step 8, a predefined amount of a particular
roast and ground coffee bulk material of predefined
granulometry is provided on a surface of the first enclosing
sheet.
In the next step 9, compaction of the coffee bulk material
takes place under the set compaction force in order to
compress the bulk material into a coffee tablet based on the
intended container volume. This is obtained e.g. by means of
a known compaction press which is pressed against the recess,
die or mould in which the first enclosing sheet and the
coffee bulk material is present. The applied compaction force
is measured by a force measuring device connected to the
compaction press.
In an alternative embodiment, the coffee bulk material is
provided in a dedicated compaction press for being compacted
under the predefined compaction force and the compacted
coffee tablet is then provided onto the surface of the first
enclosing sheet.
In a further step 10, the second enclosing sheet, e.g. a top
foil, is then sealingly connected to the first enclosed
sheet, for example by means of a gluing or welding technique.
Thereby, the compacted coffee tablet is preferably enclosed
in such a manner that the complete inner container volume is
filled with the coffee tablet. Accordingly, preferably no
free space, i.e. which is not filled by the coffee tablet,
is available in the resulting container.
Example 1 ¨ container for short cup
In the following, a preferred example for a container
according to the invention is described, the container
comprising a volume of 9.42 cm3 filled with coffee material
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of between 5.41 and 5.81g and designed for preparing a short
cup such as a ristretto or espresso type coffee beverage.
The coffee material is preferably present in a granulometry
of between 250 and 350 m [D(4,3)]. The roasting degree lies
5 between 70 and 80.
The compaction rate of the coffee material in the container
lies between 40%-65%, preferably between 49-59%. This
corresponds to an applied compaction force during the
10 manufacturing process of between 1kN and 2.5kN. It is noted
that the compaction rate of the coffee material in the final
container does not necessarily correlate with the compaction
force applied during the manufacturing process of the
container, as the compaction rate not only depends on the
15 compaction force but also on further parameters such as in
particular the coffee particle size, the roasting degree and
the density of the coffee particles in the container volume.
The above indicated compaction rate for the coffee tablet in
20 the container is measured as follows. Notably, for compacting
the coffee tablet a known hydraulic compaction press may be
used which comprises a fixed upper punch member or die and
a fixed lower punch member or die with a spring-loaded rod.
A real density value dv of the uncompressed bulk coffee
material may be obtained by means of a helium pycnometer,
e.g. an Ultrapycnometer 1000 of Quantachrome according to
the following method.
The working principle of this measurement is to inject a gas
such as helium with a given pressure into a reference
chamber, then to expand this gas in the measuring chamber
containing the sample by measuring the new gas pressure in
this chamber. This method is particularly suitable for
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measuring the volumes and densities of divided or porous
solids, as the gas penetrates into the cavities.
Hence, in order to obtain the real density value dv, the
product to be analyzed is weighed in a cell. The cell is
then placed in the measuring chamber of the pycnometer. The
measuring chamber is then closed, and the measurement is
started. At the end of the measurement the real density value
of the analyzed product is obtained.
An apparent density da of the compacted coffee tablet may be
obtained based on the formula:
da = m/V= m/(S*h),
in which:
m is the product mass of the compacted solid coffee tablet
in grams
V is the volume of the compacted solid coffee tablet in cm3,
S is the surface of the solid compacted coffee tablet in cm2
h is the height of the solid compacted coffee tablet in cm
measured e.g. with a caliper after ejecting the compacted
coffee tablet from the press die used for compaction
Based on the above-indicated apparent density value da and
real density value dv, the compaction rate of the coffee
tablet enclose in the container can be determined based on
the following formula:
T = (da/dv) * 100.
Exemplary measurement results for the compaction rate of a
container according to Example 1 are shown in table 2 below.
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Compaction Rate Measurement
R&G coffee ContainerApparent density Real density
Compaction
Trial volume
weight (g) (g.cm3) (Pycnometer)
(g.cm3
(cm3) )
Rate (%)
1 5.81 9.42 0.62 1.09 56.4
2 5.75 9.42 0.61 1.05 58.4
3 5.62 9.42 0.60 1.20 49.6
4 5.41 9.42 0.57 0.99 57.8
Table 2
Example 2 - container for long cups
This example relates to another preferred container
comprising a volume of 16.6 cm3 filled with coffee material
of between 7.80 and 8.10g and designed for preparing a long
cup such as a lungo type coffee beverage.
The coffee material is preferably present in a granulometry
of between 300 and 650 m [D(4,3)]. The roasting degree lies
between 80 and 90. The present compaction rate for this
container lies between 35-60%, preferably between 39-49%.
Compaction Rate Measurement
R&G coffee ContainerApparent density Real density
Compaction
Trial volume
weight (g) (g.cm3) (Pycnometer)
(g.cm3
(cm3) )
Rate (%)
1 8.10 16.6 0.49 1.229
39.70
2 7.80 16.6 0.47 1.071
43.87
3 8.00 16.6 0.48 1.181
40.80
Table 3
The measurements of the trials for this example as indicated
in the table above were obtained by means of the method as
indicated above for example 1.
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Fig. 4 relates to measurement results for different
containers comprising different applied compaction forces
and showing the resulting flow time during injection into
such containers dependent on the granulometry of the coffee
material in the container.
As can be seen from the graph in fig. 4, for higher compaction
forces such as 10kN to 5kN (see curves 12a-12c) the flow
time relatively decreases faster with larger particle size
compared to lower compaction forces such as 2.5kN to 1 kN
(see curves 12d and 12e). Thus, a smaller particle size has
a higher impact on flow time increase at higher compaction
forces compared to a bigger particles size. Therefore, the
applied compaction force is preferably set relatively lower
for a small particle size compared to a larger particle size.
Fig. 5 relates to measurement results for different
containers comprising different applied compaction forces
and showing the resulting yield of the extracted coffee
beverage dependent on the granulometry of the coffee material
in the container. Thereby, the yield for extracting a coffee
beverage from the resulting container should ideally be above
a value of 24% and preferably below 26%.
As can be seen in the graph in fig. 5, the yield of the
resulting coffee beverage decreases with increase in the
granulometry of the used bulk coffee material. Further, the
yield generally decreases with lower compaction forces (see
curve 15a relating to a relatively higher compaction force
of 10kN to curve 15e relating to a relatively lower
compaction force of 1kN). Thereby, the relative decrease in
yield with lower compaction force appears relatively
constant over the whole particle range.
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Based on the graphs described in fig. 5 and 6, a particular
preferred embodiment of the invention provides a container
for preparing a short coffee beverage, wherein an optimized
yield (24-26%) is reached with a reasonable flow time
(<40seconds for 40m1) at a compaction force of between 1 and
2.5kN with a granulometry of between 200 and 300 m, more
preferably of about 250 m.
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.
