Capsule and process for making the same

Abstract

A capsule (1) for producing beverages including at least one container (2) of paper material exhibiting: a base (3), a lateral wall (4) transversally emerging from the base (3) to define a holding cavity (5) exhibiting, oppositely to the base (3), an opening of the container (2), an edge portion (6) placed at the container (2) opening and transversally emerging from the lateral wall (4) away from the holding cavity (5). The container (2) is made from a paper sheet extending between a first and second prevalent development surfaces (2a, 2b) adapted to define respectively at least partially the inner and outer surfaces of the container (2). The lateral wall (4) includes pleats (27) defining overlapping areas of paper material, and wherein said first and second prevalent development surfaces (2a, 2b) exhibit overlapping areas wherein portions of the same surface are in contact with each other, a plurality of portions of the same first and / or second prevalent development surfaces being stably constrained to each other.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention is a capsule for producing a beverage, particularly coffee, and a process for making the same.BACKGROUND[0002]As it is known, to date, technical solutions are marketed and largely spread for preparing beverages, particularly coffee from small containers holding a typical single-dose quantity of powdered concentrates, which are placed inside suitable machines destined to dispense the beverage; particularly hot water at a suitable temperature is caused to flow through said containers, in order to prepare the beverage for the consumption.[0003]Presently, are for example commercially available the so-called coffee capsules typically formed by a base container defining a holding cavity adapted to receive coffee through an opening which is then closed by a covering element, for example a sealing film.[0004]Under a condition of use, a coffee capsule is generally placed inside a suitable (at least partially) countershaped seat of a dispensin...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The invention may include providing a capsule which is adapted to dispense a beverage and which is, in terms of performances, comparable with the common aluminum and / or plastic capsules. Specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a capsule which, although it is made of paper, exhibits an excellent tightness against pressurized fluids.

[0013]Further, the invention may be configured to provide a capsule exhibiting a simple and robust structure which, at the same time, is economical to be manufactured.

[0101]In an 81st aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, further the capsule comprises a filter, for example as a sponge element, placed at the base (3) inside the holding cavity (5) for preventing coffee particulate from escaping from the base also during the steps of supplying a beverage.

[0102]In an 82nd aspect according to anyone of the preceding aspects, the base (3) comprises one or more portions weakened by pre-cuts, or thinning by crushing, for example, for making easier opening the holes when dispensing coffee.

Problems solved by technology

This type of containers has the problem of being difficult to recycle.

Therefore, the recycle operations of such products seem hardly implementable because are borne by the final user, which should, at each consumption of the beverage, separate the moisture fraction from aluminum, so that each product will follow its own disposal path.

Considering the high consumption and that the recycling operations are de facto assigned to the final users, the recovery operations of such materials are not actually performed.

However, the different capsules partially or completely of paper material have never been widely accepted due to a certain difficulty in obtaining the same cost and / or the same dispensing capacity and quality level as the products obtained by plastic / aluminum capsules.

However, among the different proposals which do not appear to be commercially successful, can be cited the containers for example described in the patent application EP0524464A1.

However, also these paper material containers, known to date, exhibit some serious shortcomings and / or limitations.

De facto, even though the cost of the stock material (paper or paperboard) used for the paper containers is less than the one of the plastic and aluminum containers, the process for manufacturing the paper implementations is complex due to difficulties in processing the paper and is particularly expensive: the advantage obtained in terms of cost of the material is offset by the complex and expensive manufacturing process.

In addition, it is noted that the paper containers devised to date, exhibit a structure having a low rigidity and are not very suitable to be used by the dispensing machines on the market.

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