Capsule for the preparation of a beverage

Abstract

The invention relates to a capsule (1) for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage preparation machine (10), comprising: - a cup-shaped body which is a body of revolution having a bottom wall (2), a side wall (3) and an outer peripheral edge (4) extending outwardly at the top edge of said side wall (3), - a closing membrane (5) attached on the edge (4) for closing the cup-shaped body (1) and forming a closed chamber containing a beverage ingredient, wherein the bottom wall (2) is adapted to be pierced by a water injection piercing member (12) of the beverage preparation machine (10), and wherein said cup-shaped body comprises an outer layer (6) of molded cellulose paper pulp and an inner layer of a polymeric barrier film (7) to oxygen and / or humidity, said barrier film (7) being attached to said molded paper pulp outer layer (6), characterized in that said capsule (1) further comprises a rigid holding insert (8) located inside said closed chamber, the holding insert being positioned immovably relative to the cup-shaped body, said insert (8) comprising an annular portion (9) holding said inner film (7) against said molded paper pulp layer (6) along the circumference of at least a portion of said bottom wall (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to capsules for preparing beverages in a beverage preparation machine and a method for manufacturing said capsules. The capsules comprise a cup-shaped body made at least partially of cellulose pulp. Background Technology

[0002] Containers or capsules made from cellulose pulp are known in the field of beverage preparation machines. Materials made from cellulose pulp are also known to preserve the quality of the beverage substance within the capsule for at least a certain period. Disposable capsules for preparing beverages in beverage preparation machines are also known.

[0003] Compared to capsules made from other materials, these single-use capsules made from cellulose pulp have a smaller potential environmental impact.

[0004] Capsules made from cellulose pulp are known to be used in beverage preparation machines, as shown in Figure 2. These machines include a brewing chamber adapted to encapsulate the capsules during beverage preparation, and an injection element adapted to inject water into the capsules to prepare the beverage. Typically, this injection element includes at least one needle, or, as shown in Figure 2, a set of piercing blades.

[0005] To ensure the freshness of the beverage precursor ingredients contained in the capsule, an oxygen and / or moisture barrier liner film has been developed and attached to the inner surface of the cup-shaped body made of cellulose pulp throughout the entire shelf life of the capsule (which can be up to 12 months, sometimes even 18 months, or longer).

[0006] Unfortunately, in known paper capsules, it has been found that when the injection element pierces a designated portion of the capsule's cup-shaped body and penetrates the wall made of cellulose pulp, the injection element is pushed against the barrier liner film, causing the barrier liner to detach from the cellulose pulp wall, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. This is because the pulp and the liner film are not very rigid materials, so the force applied from the outside of the capsule to the inside causes mechanical deformation of at least a portion of the capsule wall and damages the adhesion between the pulp and the liner film.

[0007] In this situation, the so-called "delamination" of the liner film from the cellulose pulp layer leads to partial punctures in the liner (as shown in Figure 2), or sometimes even no puncture at all. In any case, the discovery of this delamination and poor punctures in the liner leads to blockages in the beverage preparation machine during extraction, and / or blockages in the capsules within the beverage preparation machine, because no water flow occurs from the beverage machine into the capsules and through the ingredients, or only very partially.

[0008] The present invention aims to improve the attachment of oxygen-barrier liners in capsules made at least partially of cellulose pulp for use in beverage preparation machines. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention achieves the above objective by providing a capsule for preparing beverages in a beverage preparation machine, the capsule comprising:

[0010] - A cup-shaped body, which is a rotating body, having a bottom wall, side walls, and an outer peripheral edge extending outward at the top edge of the side walls.

[0011] - A closing membrane attached to the edge, which is used to close the cup-shaped body and form a closed chamber containing the beverage ingredients.

[0012] The bottom wall is adapted to be punctured by a water injection piercing component of a beverage preparation machine, and the cup-shaped body comprises an outer layer made of molded cellulose pulp and an inner layer made of a polymer liner film that has barrier properties against oxygen and / or moisture, the barrier liner film being attached to the outer layer of molded pulp.

[0013] According to the invention, the capsule further includes a rigid retaining insert located within the enclosed cavity, the retaining insert being positioned in a fixed manner relative to the cup-shaped body, the insert including an annular portion that retains the inner liner film against the molded pulp layer along the circumference of at least a portion of the bottom wall.

[0014] Advantageously, the capsule according to the invention includes a circumferential clamping device on the inner surface of the cup-shaped body for clamping the rigid retaining insert.

[0015] The circumferential clamping device can be a circumferential groove, a circumferential protrusion, or even a combination of both.

[0016] In one embodiment of the invention, the rigid retaining insert includes a tapered ring whose cross-sectional profile is identical to the profile of a bottom wall portion to which the tapered ring is fixed, such that the entire outer surface of the tapered ring contacts the inner surface of the bottom wall.

[0017] In another embodiment of the invention, the tapered ring may advantageously (but not necessarily) include a plurality of holes with diameters between 500 μm and 2 mm.

[0018] In any case, the preferred thickness of the conical ring is between 300 μm and 3 mm, and more preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm.

[0019] In another embodiment of the invention, the rigid retaining insert further includes a set of spokes extending inward from the annular portion to a center point, a post extending from the center point toward the center point of the bottom wall, the ends of the post holding the inner lining film against the molded pulp layer.

[0020] In the different embodiments described above, the features of the rigid retaining insert can be considered individually, but some or all of them can also be combined.

[0021] In any of the above embodiments, the rigid retaining insert may be made of compressed cellulose pulp, paperboard, biodegradable polymer, starch, compressed hardwood fiber, polyolefin, polyester, or a combination thereof.

[0022] The present invention also relates to the use of the capsules described above in a beverage preparation machine for preparing beverages. In a preferred but non-limiting example, the beverage is coffee, which is prepared from roasted and ground coffee ingredients contained in the capsule.

[0023] The present invention also relates to a method for producing beverage capsules as described above, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps in sequence:

[0024] - A cup-shaped body is formed by molding a layer of cellulose pulp in a mold. This cup-shaped body is a rotating body having a bottom wall, side walls, and an outer peripheral edge extending outward at the top edge of the side walls.

[0025] - The barrier liner film is thermoformed into the cup-shaped body, such that the barrier liner film is attached to the inner surface of the molded pulp layer.

[0026] - Fill the capsule body with beverage ingredients.

[0027] -The filled capsule is sealed with a closure membrane by sealing it to the edge.

[0028] According to the invention, the method further includes the step of: between the thermoforming step and the filling step, by injection molding a rigid retaining insert into the closed cavity, the rigid retaining insert being positioned relative to the cup-shaped body in a fixed manner, the insert including an annular portion that holds the inner liner film against the molded pulp layer along the circumference of at least a portion of the bottom wall.

[0029] Preferably, the rigid retaining insert in the beverage capsule manufactured according to the method of the present invention is made of a biodegradable polymer, starch, compressed hardwood fiber, polyolefin, polyester, or a combination thereof.

[0030] The bottom wall of the capsule is designed to be punctured by the puncture component of a beverage preparation machine.

[0031] According to the present invention, the sidewalls of the cup-shaped body are made of cellulose pulp.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment, the barrier liner comprises one or more of the following polymers:

[0033] - A biodegradable polymer selected from the following list: polybutylene succinate (PBSA / bioPBS), polybutylene adipate (PBAT), starch, cellulose derivatives, polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), or combinations thereof;

[0034] - Biodegradable modified or functionalized polyolefins;

[0035] - Polymers selected from the following list: butene glycol-vinyl alcohol copolymer (BVOH), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), or combinations thereof;

[0036] - Biodegradable modified or functionalized polyolefins;

[0037] - Biodegradable polymers selected from the following list: polybutylene succinate (PBSA), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), starch, cellulose derivatives, polylactic acid (PLA), and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA).

[0038] Or a combination thereof.

[0039] The oxygen barrier liner preferably comprises a polymer of fossil or non-fossil origin, or a bio-based polymer.

[0040] Preferably, the oxygen barrier liner comprises at least one common polymer.

[0041] Preferred multilayer barrier liners include a core layer with oxygen and / or moisture barrier properties, which is used to seal the barrier liners to a sealing layer surrounding the cellulose pulp material.

[0042] Preferably, the capsule of the present invention is a disposable coffee capsule.

[0043] In the context of this invention, the term "cellulose pulp" refers to pulp comprising 80% to 100% cellulose fibers by weight.

[0044] The term "cellulose fiber" refers to a fiber having a wood and / or no wood source. As a non-limiting example, the fiber includes: hardwood cellulose fiber, softwood cellulose fiber, wheat fiber, corn fiber, bagasse fiber, bamboo fiber, hemp fiber, cotton fiber, other similar vegetable or plant fibers, or combinations thereof.

[0045] The closure membrane is made of a known material, preferably a polymer membrane.

[0046] The closure membrane can be flat, slightly convex (convex relative to the capsule protruding outwards), or concave.

[0047] As is commonly known from capsules of the same type in the prior art, the closure film is sealed to a sealing layer on the opening of the cup-shaped body to close the opening after the filling is completed. The sealing layer is located on the upper surface of the outer peripheral edge of the capsule, which extends outward from the upper edge of the capsule sidewall.

[0048] Preferably, the oxygen barrier provided by both the sealing film and the cup-shaped body is selected to provide a sufficient shelf life depending on the nature of the beverage ingredients. For example, for coffee, the expected shelf life could be 12 months.

[0049] Preferably, the cup-shaped body of the capsule, its oxygen-barrier liner, and / or the closing membrane are made of household compostable material. The capsule according to the invention generally implies recycling in a recycling process organized at an official recycling facility in accordance with national regulations (e.g., in a paper recycling stream, or in a general waste recycling or processing stream).

[0050] However, when the capsule is placed in nature, in household compostable waste, or in a landfill, the capsule is manufactured to be a material that is naturally readily degraded by bacteria under the temperature and humidity conditions naturally present in nature. In this way, it is ensured that such a capsule will not remain in nature and will naturally disappear within a short period of time (in principle, a few weeks) under conditions defined by household compostability standards.

[0051] More precisely, home compostability is now well-defined at the national level, primarily based on the international standard EN 13432; therefore, further elaboration is unnecessary in this specification. Materials or products conforming to these standards can be identified by a qualified marking indicating their home compostability. Some examples of national-level home compostability certifications include, but are not limited to, the following: Certification Bodies. AUSTRIA BELGIUM offers this home compostability certification scheme, and DIN CERTCO offers home compostability certification according to Australian Standard AS 5810. Italy has a national standard for composting at ambient temperature, UNI 11183:2006. In November 2015, the French standard "NFT51-800 Plastics – Specifications for Plastics Suitable for Home Composting" was introduced. This standard is covered in the DIN CERTCO scheme.

[0052] The beverage is prepared by mixing a fluid substance with the ingredients contained in the capsule. Preferably, the ingredients are selected from the following list: roasted and ground coffee, compressed or uncompressed coffee, soluble powdered coffee, or leaf tea. Dairy ingredients (e.g., milk or creamer) may also be provided, as well as chocolate, fruit juice, soup, vegetable juice, broth, smoothies, fruit puree, vegetable sauce, cream, chicory, barley, cooking aids, soup stock, infant formula, or combinations thereof, in powdered soluble form, liquid concentrate of various viscosities, or gel form.

[0053] The most preferred ingredient is roasted and ground coffee.

[0054] The capsule of this invention can generally interact with beverage and / or food preparation machines, such as by introducing a diluent (e.g., hot water, cold water, or ambient water) into a container; mixing such a diluent; or otherwise interacting with the beverage ingredients. By stating "mixing the diluent with the beverage ingredients," all ingredients contained in the capsule are defined as being in a form compatible with general mixing operations (dissolving, extracting, or filling) of the diluent to obtain the beverage product. Machines of this type are, for example, used for extracting naphthalene. Those machines for capsules.

[0055] Preferably, the chamber defined by the capsule body and the capsule's closure membrane is substantially oxygen-free, and the empty space is preferably (but not necessarily) saturated with an inert gas (such as nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and combinations thereof). Preferably, the capsule has an internal gas pressure higher than atmospheric pressure due to gases contained in the coffee and released into the chamber after sealing, such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Attached Figure Description

[0056] Further features and advantages of the invention are described below in the description of the presently preferred embodiments given with reference to the accompanying drawings, and these features and advantages will be apparent from the description, wherein:

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of the capsule of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a prior art capsule in the brewing chamber of a beverage preparation machine;

[0059] Figure 3A and Figure 3B These are, respectively, a perspective view of a first embodiment of the retaining insert according to the present invention and a schematic cross-sectional view of a capsule in which the insert is placed;

[0060] Figure 4A and Figure 4B These are, respectively, a perspective view of a second embodiment of the retaining insert according to the present invention and a schematic cross-sectional view of a capsule in which the insert is placed;

[0061] Figure 5A and Figure 5B These are, respectively, a perspective view of a third embodiment of the retaining insert according to the present invention and a schematic cross-sectional view of a capsule in which the insert is placed;

[0062] Figure 6 This is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of an insert molded in a beverage capsule according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0063] exist Figure 1 The image shows a capsule 1 according to the invention, which includes a cup-shaped body that is a rotating body having a bottom wall 2, a side wall 3, and an outer peripheral edge 4 extending outward at the top edge of the side wall 3.

[0064] The capsule also includes a closure membrane 5 attached to the edge (in Figure 3B (As shown in the image), it is used to close the cup-shaped body and form a closed chamber containing beverage ingredients.

[0065] Similar to capsules in the prior art, the capsule 1 according to the present invention is adapted to be placed in the brewing chamber of a beverage preparation machine, as shown in FIG. 2. The brewing chamber includes a cup-shaped brewing cavity 11 for receiving the capsule 1 and a dispensing piercing plate 13, the surface of which is equipped with a plurality of truncated pyramidal piercing elements. When the water pressure injected into the sealed capsule by the beverage machine reaches a predetermined pressure, the sealed membrane 5 is pierced against the piercing plate. More precisely, when the capsule is placed therein and the brewing chamber is closed in the functional configuration of the beverage machine, the bottom wall 4 of the capsule is pierced by a set of water injection piercing elements 12 of the beverage preparation machine. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the water injection piercing elements of the beverage machine take the form of piercing blades 12. During beverage preparation, the blades 12 inject water under pressure into the sealed chamber, where the water mixes with the beverage ingredients contained therein, thereby preparing the beverage. Simultaneously, the water pressure inside the capsule increases, causing the sealed membrane 5 to deflect outward, thereby contacting the truncated pyramidal perforated elements of the piercing plate 13 until the sealed membrane 5 is pierced. Upon puncturing the closed membrane 5, the beverage prepared inside the capsule can flow into the beverage path of the machine (not described in more detail here) until it reaches the consumer's cup.

[0066] The capsule-shaped body is usually a hollow body of revolution, that is, it is symmetrical about a vertical axis of symmetry (e.g., Figure 1 , Figure 3B and Figure 4B (As shown by the dashed line in the image).

[0067] Bottom wall 2 is as shown in Figure 2 to Figure 6 The concave shape shown.

[0068] As shown in Figure 2, Figure 3B , Figure 4B and Figure 5B As shown, the cup-shaped body of capsule 1 is made of a first outer layer of molded cellulose pulp 6 and a second inner layer of a polymer inner liner film 7 having barrier properties against oxygen and / or moisture. The barrier inner liner film 7 is attached to the molded pulp outer layer by thermoforming it from a flat film using a conventional thermoforming process. Alternatively, the barrier inner liner layer can be applied using a spray coating technique.

[0069] According to the main principles of the invention, capsule 1 further includes a rigid retaining insert 8 within the capsule's sealed interior. The insert includes an annular portion 9 that retains the inner liner film 7 against the molded pulp layer 6 along at least a portion of the circumference of the bottom wall 2.

[0070] like Figure 3B , Figure 4B and Figure 5B As shown, the insert 8 is designed to be positioned in a fixed manner relative to the cup-shaped body.

[0071] If the insert 8 is made of a biodegradable polymer (e.g., a starch-based polymer), then the insert is shown in the figures and described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0072] exist Figure 3A In the first embodiment shown, the annular portion 9 of the rigid insert 8 is a conical ring, the cross-sectional profile of which is identical to the profile of the bottom wall portion to which the conical ring is fixed, such that the entire outer surface of the conical ring contacts the inner surface of the bottom wall, as shown. Figure 3B As shown.

[0073] Similarly, Figure 3B As shown, after the outer pulp layer 6 of the cup-shaped body is formed and the barrier liner 7 is thermoformed therein, but before the capsule is filled with beverage ingredients and sealed, the insert 8 is placed inside the capsule, such that the insert 8 remains stationary therein. More precisely, the cup-shaped body of the capsule 1 is designed to include circumferential clamping devices on its inner surface for clamping the rigid retaining insert 8. Figure 3B As shown, the circumferential clamping device is composed of a circumferential protrusion 14, the minimum diameter of which is smaller than the larger diameter of the annular insert 8. The size difference between the two allows the annular insert to be inserted into the bottom of the cup-shaped capsule body and to hold it in place once clamped.

[0074] In the second embodiment of the invention, such as Figure 4A As shown, the rigid retaining insert 8 includes a set of spokes 16 extending inward from the annular portion 9 to a center point 17. A support 18 extends from the center point 17 toward the central region 19 of the bottom wall 2. Figure 4BAs shown, the end 20 of the support column 18 holds the inner lining film 7 against the molded pulp layer 6 in the central region 19 of the bottom wall 2.

[0075] This second embodiment is advantageous because it allows the liner 7 to be held against the pulp layer 6 in two different areas of the capsule bottom wall 2, such as... Figure 4B As shown: First along the periphery of the annular portion 9, and then in the central region 19 of the bottom wall 2. A space is left between these two regions for arranging the machine's piercing blade when the machine pierces the capsule to prepare the beverage.

[0076] exist Figure 5A and Figure 5B In the third embodiment of the invention shown, the insert 8 includes a conical annular portion 9, similar to that described in the first embodiment above, but also includes a plurality of holes 21 with diameters between 500 μm and 2 mm. These holes allow the water-filled blade of the machine to pierce and retain the insert, and also allow water to circulate between the two sides of the rigid insert 8.

[0077] In the first and third exemplary embodiments described above, the thickness of the tapered ring 9 is approximately 1 mm.

[0078] exist Figure 6 An alternative embodiment of the capsule 1 with a rigid insert 8 according to the invention is shown, which is manufactured by injection molding the rigid annular insert 8 after the cup-shaped pulp layer 6 has been formed and the inner barrier liner 7 has been thermoformed therein. In this case, as described above, the cup-shaped body of the capsule 1 does not require a clamping device for the insert 8 because the insert 8 is "sealed" in a fixed manner on the surface of the barrier liner 7 due to the overmolding process.

[0079] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the currently preferred embodiments of the capsule described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A capsule (1) for preparing a beverage in a beverage preparation machine (10), the capsule comprising: - A cup-shaped body, which is a rotating body, having a bottom wall (2), a side wall (3), and an outer peripheral edge (4) extending outward at the top edge of the side wall (3). - A closing membrane (5) is attached to the edge (4), the closing membrane being used to close the cup-shaped body and form a closed chamber containing beverage ingredients. The bottom wall (2) is adapted to be punctured by the water injection piercing component (12) of the beverage preparation machine (10), and the cup-shaped body comprises a molded pulp outer layer (6) made of molded cellulose pulp and an inner layer made of a polymer inner liner film (7) having barrier properties against oxygen and / or moisture, the polymer inner liner film (7) being attached to the molded pulp outer layer (6). The capsule (1) is characterized in that it further includes a rigid retaining insert (8) located in the closed chamber, the rigid retaining insert being positioned relative to the cup-shaped body in a fixed manner, the rigid retaining insert (8) including an annular portion, the annular portion holding the polymer inner liner film (7) against the molded pulp outer layer (6) along at least a portion of the circumference of the bottom wall (2).

2. The capsule (1) according to claim 1, the capsule further comprising a circumferential clamping device (14) on the inner surface of the cup-shaped body for clamping the rigid retaining insert (8).

3. The capsule (1) according to claim 2, wherein the circumferential clamping device is a circumferential groove or a circumferential protrusion (14).

4. The capsule (1) according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the annular portion is a conical ring (9) having a cross-sectional profile that is identical to the profile of the bottom wall portion to which the conical ring is fixed, such that the entire outer surface of the conical ring (9) contacts the inner surface of the bottom wall (2).

5. The capsule (1) according to claim 4, wherein the conical ring (9) comprises a plurality of holes (21) with diameters between 500µm and 2mm.

6. The capsule (1) according to any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the thickness of the conical ring (9) is between 300µm and 3mm.

7. The capsule (1) according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the rigid retaining insert (8) further comprises a set of spokes (16) extending inwardly from the annular portion to a center point (17), a support (18) extending from the center point toward a central region (19) of the bottom wall (2), the end (20) of the support (18) holding the polymer inner liner film (7) against the molded pulp outer layer (6).

8. The capsule (1) according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the rigid retaining insert (8) is made of a biodegradable polymer, polyolefin, polyester or a combination thereof.

9. The capsule (1) according to claim 8, wherein the biodegradable polymer comprises compressed cellulose pulp or starch.

10. Use of the capsule (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in a beverage preparation machine (10) for preparing a beverage.

11. A method for producing beverage capsules according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps in sequence: - A cup-shaped body is formed by molding a layer of cellulose pulp in a mold. The cup-shaped body is a rotating body having a bottom wall (2), a side wall (3), and an outer peripheral edge (4) extending outward at the top edge of the side wall (3). - The polymer liner film is thermoformed into the cup-shaped body, such that the polymer liner film is attached to the inner surface of the molded pulp outer layer. - Fill the capsule body with beverage ingredients. -The filled capsule is sealed with the closing film (5) to the edge (4). The method further includes the following steps: between the thermoforming step and the filling step, a rigid retaining insert (8) is formed by injection in the closed cavity, the rigid retaining insert being positioned relative to the cup-shaped body in a fixed manner, the rigid retaining insert (8) including an annular portion that holds the polymer inner liner film (7) against the molded pulp outer layer (6) along at least a portion of the circumference of the bottom wall (2).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the capsule further comprises a circumferential clamping device (14) on the inner surface of the cup-shaped body for clamping the rigid retaining insert (8).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the circumferential clamping device is a circumferential groove or a circumferential protrusion (14).

14. The method according to any one of claims 12 or 13, wherein the annular portion is a conical ring (9) having a cross-sectional profile identical to that of the bottom wall portion to which the conical ring is fixed, such that the entire outer surface of the conical ring contacts the inner surface of the bottom wall (2).

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the rigid retaining insert (8) is made of a biodegradable polymer, polyolefin, polyester or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the biodegradable polymer comprises starch or compressed hardwood fiber.

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