Beverage preparation capsule

Abstract

A capsule (1) for preparing beverages from a soluble substance in a E.S.E. pod coffee machine; the coffee machine comprises a pressurized hot water dispensing unit (3) with a water dispensing head (4), and a filter-holder with a filter (5), which comprises a flat base (7) with a plurality of beverage dispensing holes (5a) and the filter (5) is coupled to the water dispensing head (4) to define therebetween a brewing chamber; the capsule (1) comprises a cup-shaped body (8) closed by a lid (10) and comprising a cup (11) designed to contain the soluble material and delimited by a bottom wall (13) designed to rest on said flat base (7) of the filter (5) when the capsule (1) is in the brewing chamber and having a plurality of beverage dispensing openings (17); the bottom wall (13) is externally delimited by a flat surface (16), on which one or more grooves (18) are formed and arranged so that two or more of said openings (17) open into one and the same groove (18), whereby, when the bottom wall (13) of the capsule (1) is resting on the flat base (7) of the filter (5), said two or more beverage dispensing openings (17) are fluidly connected by a respective channel (19), which is formed by the groove (18) and the flat base (7), extends in a direction mainly parallel to the bottom wall (13) and communicates with the outside through the beverage dispensing holes (5a) of the filter (5) facing said channel (19).

Description

Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0001] This patent application claims priority to Italian patent application no. 102023000013065 filed on June 23, 2023.Technical Fiel of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a beverage preparation capsule.

[0003] In particular, the present invention has an advantageous application in the field of beverage production by means of an E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) pod coffee machine.State of the Art

[0004] In the single-portion coffee sector, it is known to use E.S.E. pods for the preparation of espresso coffee and, in more recent times, also for the preparation of other types of beverages, such as herbal or fruit beverages obtained by pressurised brewing anhydrous materials in leaves and / or pieces.

[0005] In general, on the other hand, E.S.E. pods are not used for the preparation of beverages from soluble material. There are various reasons for this, which are mainly attributable to the fact that the structure of the E.S.E. pod, in particular the material of which its casing is normally made, is not suitable for allowing the preparation of a beverage by dissolving a soluble material. A further difficulty derives from the fact that, since the consistency and behaviour of a soluble material are completely different from those of a brewing material, for example, ground coffee powder, it has been found that the current manufacturing techniques of E.S.E. pods are not suitable for producing pods containing the soluble material in the quantity and with the degree of compacting necessary to produce a quality beverage.

[0006] In general, known capsules for the preparation of beverages from soluble materials have a casing made from rigid or semi-rigid materials such as to make the capsules suitable for the preparation of beverages by dissolving the soluble material.

[0007] However, the capsules thus produced are not suitable for use in traditional E.S.E. machines. An example of this capsule is described in WO2014163495A2.Object and Summary of the Invention

[0008] Object of the present invention is to provide a beverage preparation capsule usable in an E.S.E. pod coffee machine for preparing beverages from soluble materia comprising the features of claim 1.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] Figures 1 and 2 show a prospective view of a beverage preparation capsule according to preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the capsule of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view of the capsule of Figure 1. Figures 5 to 7 show, in cross-section and with parts removed for clarity, the capsule of the present invention in respective operating phases of the process of preparing a beverage by means of an E.S.E. pod coffee machine. Figure 8 shows a detail of Figure 7 on an enlarged scale. Figure 9 is a bottom prospective view of Figure 7. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

[0010] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended Figures, in order to allow a person skilled in the art to make it and to use it. Various modifications to the embodiments described will be immediately evident to people skilled in the art and the generic principles described can be applied to other embodiments and applications without thus deviating from the scope of protection as defined in the appended claims. The present invention therefore must not be considered as limited to the embodiments described and shown but must be granted the broadest scope of protection in accordance with the principles and with the features described and claimed here.

[0011] In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 references as a whole a beverage preparation capsule according to the present invention.

[0012] The capsule 1 is designed to contain a soluble food substance for the preparation of a beverage, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, milk, ginseng, etc., and to be used in an E.S.E. pod coffee machine.

[0013] As known, E.S.E. pods are manufactured according to a size compliance standard established by a specific protection consortium (ESE Consortium) and are typically used for the preparation of espresso coffee or barley coffee or beverages obtained by brewing anhydrous ingredients in leaves and / or small pieces, such as chamomile, fruit, cinnamon, etc.

[0014] A known E.S.E. pod comprises a casing formed of two sheets of filter paper coupled to each other so as to form a central body generally with a biconvex lenticular shape and designed to contain a dose of the material to be brewed, and an annular flange extending all around the central body and normally having an enlarged portion designed to allow an easy gripping of the pod by a user during insertion and removal of the pod into and out of the coffee machine.

[0015] Generally, an E.S.E. pod has a symmetrical shape with respect to a central plane containing the flange and with respect to an axis perpendicular to the central plane and passing through the centre of the central body.

[0016] In general, an E.S.E. pod coffee machine comprises a brewing unit 2, shown schematically in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 9 and comprising a pressurized hot water dispensing unit 3 with a water dispensing head 4, and a support member or filter-holder (not shown), with a micro-perforated filter 5, generally metallic, and a beverage dispensing spout (not shown).

[0017] The pressurized hot water dispensing unit 3 and the filter-holder are mounted to move one with respect to the other away from and towards a fluid-tight coupling position, in which the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 define therebetween a brewing chamber designed to receive the capsule 1 and pressurized hot water from the pressurized hot water dispensing unit 3. In certain types of manual coffee machines, the filter-holder is separable from the rest of the coffee machine and, for this purpose, is provided with a handle or arm designed to allow a user to manually couple / decouple the filter-holder to / from the pressurized water dispensing unit 3 in order to allow a new capsule to be loaded into the filter 5 or, vice versa, to allow an exhausted capsule to be removed therefrom.

[0018] Conveniently, the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 are shaped so that the brewing chamber resulting from their coupling can accommodate an E.S.E. pod with relative precision. For this purpose, the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 both comprise a flat central base and a curved side portion so as to give the brewing chamber the generically biconvex lenticular shape of the central body of the E.S.E. pod.

[0019] In particular, the flat base of the water dispensing head 4 has a central opening through which it fluidly communicates with a water supply conduit 6, whereas the flat base of the filter 5, referenced in the appended Figures with the reference numeral 7, has a plurality of holes 5a, through which, in use, the beverage produced can flow towards the outside.

[0020] The capsule 1 of the present invention is so sized as to be usable in an E.S.E. pod coffee machine of the type described above but differs from known E.S.E. pods in both its structure and in the material from which it is made, so resulting in it being suitable to be used for the preparation of a beverage also starting from soluble material.

[0021] Aa shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the capsule 1 comprises a cup-shaped body 8 having a longitudinal axis 9 and closed at one end by a lid 10 made of an aluminium film and provided with holes 10a designed to allow, in use, pressurized water to flow into the capsule 1.

[0022] According to various embodiments, the lid 10 may be made of a single-layer or multilayer film of plastic material impermeable to external agents, such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or oriented polypropylene (OPP), or a plastic / metal compound material, for example double, such as PP / ALU or PET / ALU, or triple, such as PP / ALU / PE.

[0023] The cup-shaped body 8 is made in a single piece and comprises a cup 11, which defines a storage chamber for the soluble material, and an outer annular flange 12 coaxial to the longitudinal axis 9.

[0024] Preferably, the cup-shaped body 6 is made of aluminium and is obtained by deep-drawing an aluminium sheet.

[0025] According to different embodiments, the cup-shaped body 6 may be made of a different material to aluminium, for example it may be made of an impermeable plastic material, conveniently by thermoforming or injection-moulding, for example polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or oriented polypropylene (OPP) or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) or their compounds, for example PP-EVOH-PP.

[0026] The cup 11 is delimited by a bottom wall 13 generically transverse to the longitudinal axis 9 and a side wall 14, which is coaxial to the longitudinal axis 9 and preferably, but not necessarily, has a generically flared shape from the bottom wall 13 towards its own free edge 15, to which the lid 10 is welded.

[0027] Conveniently, as shown in Figure 7, the cup 11 is so sized that its height, measured parallel to the longitudinal axis 9, approximates the height of the brewing chamber formed by the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 in the coupled configuration, and its diameter is such that, when the capsule 1 is accommodated in the brewing chamber, the bottom wall 13 substantially covers the entire flat base 7 of the filter 5.

[0028] The annular flange 12 is connected to the free edge 15 of the cup 11 and, starting from the free edge 15, extends radially towards the outside by means of a first annular portion, which is folded downwards so as to extend in front of the side wall 14, and a second annular portion, which lies on a plane generically transverse to the longitudinal axis 9 and is designed to be compressed, in use, between the periphery of the water dispensing head 4 and the periphery of the filter 5, with the interposition of a gasket, so as to water-tightly seal the brewing chamber.

[0029] Preferably, the first annular portion of the flange 12 has a rounded shape, with concavity towards the side wall 14, similar to the shape of the curved side portion of the water dispensing head 4, so as to allow, in use, the capsule 1 and the water dispensing head 4 to couple as precisely as possible.

[0030] Preferably, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second flat annular portion of the flange 12 has a circular shape and its free edge is thickened or turned on itself so as to give the periphery of the annular flange 12 a rounded shape for anti-cutting purposes.

[0031] As shown in the appended Figures, and, in particular, in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the bottom wall 13 of the cup-shaped body 8 is delimited externally by a flat surface 16 so designed that, when the capsule 1 is in the filter 5, to rest on the flat base 7 of the filter 5, and has a plurality of through openings 17, through which, in use, the beverage outflows from the capsule 1.

[0032] The bottom wall 13 also has, on the flat surface 16, a plurality of grooves 18, which are arranged according to a scheme such that at least two or more openings 17 open into one and the same groove 18, whereby, when the capsule 1 is in the filter 5 and the flat surface 16 is resting on the flat base 7, these openings 17 are fluidly connected by a respective channel 19, which is formed by the groove 18 and the flat base 7, extends in a direction mainly parallel to the bottom wall 13 and communicates with the outside through the holes 5a of the filter 5 facing the channel 19, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0033] The grooves 18 hence define, when coupled to the flat base 7, a network of channels 19, which the beverage, outflowing under pressure from the capsule 1 through the openings 17, is forced to travel, before outflowing from the holes 5a of the filter 5, to the advantage of a better mixing and emulsion of the beverage.

[0034] Preferably, the grooves 18 are arranged according to a labyrinth scheme comprising two or more concentric circular grooves 18 connected to each other by radial grooves 18.

[0035] The capsule 1 shown in the appended Figures is exemplarily provided with two concentric circular grooves 18 coaxial to the longitudinal axis 9 and connected to each other by a first set of radial grooves 18 evenly distributed around the longitudinal axis 9. A second set of radial grooves 18 connects the inner circular groove 18 with a central groove 18 that is in the form of a central depressed area.

[0036] Furthermore, in the example shown, the bottom wall 13 comprises a plurality of openings 17 formed at the outer circular groove 18 and evenly distributed around the longitudinal axis 9, and an opening 17 formed at the central groove 18. In the capsule 1 shown, the openings 17 are in the form of holes, but, in other embodiments not shown, they can be in different forms, in particular on the form of notches or slots, linear or other.

[0037] In a variant, furthermore, other openings 17 could be provided at the inner circular groove 18 and / or the radial grooves 18.

[0038] Capsule 1 shown is provided solely as an example and, on other embodiments not shown, the grooves 18 may be in a higher or lower number and be arranged according to different schemes, in which they can all be connected to each other, as in the capsule 1 shown, or be separate, provided that each of them connect to each other a certain number of holes 17 so that, during dispensing of the beverage, the holes 17 are fluidly connected by a channel 19 to be filled and travelled by the beverage before it outflows from the holes 5a facing the channel 19.

[0039] In the capsule 1 of the example shown, the grooves 18 are formed by respective depressions of the bottom wall 13 which create corresponding projections on the inner surface of the bottom wall 13, as visible in Figure 3.

[0040] In other embodiments not shown, the projections 18 may be defined by lowerings of the flat surface 16 which remain inside the thickness of the bottom wall 13, the inner surface of which thus remaining flat.

[0041] In conclusion, with reference to what is shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lid 10 that closes the cup-shaped body 8 is made by a disk welded along its own periphery to the free edge 10 and provided with a tab 20 having the function of facilitating a user in positioning the capsule 1 in the filter 5 and, in particular, extracting the exhausted and hot capsule 1 from the filter 5.

[0042] Conveniently, the tab 20 is sufficiently long to allow its welding on the flange 12 at the first rounded annular portion of the flange 12 and, preferably, also at the second flat annular portion of the flange 12, so as to guarantee sealing of the soluble material inside the cup 11 when the capsule 1 is being handled.

[0043] Furthermore, welding of the tab 20 on the flange 12 has the function of guaranteeing that, when the capsule 1 is positioned in the filter 5, folds do not form on the tab 20 that could cause problems of leaks of pressurized water during dispensing.

[0044] Use of the capsule 1 is schematically shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 and its functioning clearly derives from what is described above.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0010]The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended Figures, in order to allow a person skilled in the art to make it and to use it. Various modifications to the embodiments described will be immediately evident to people skilled in the art and the generic principles described can be applied to other embodiments and applications without thus deviating from the scope of protection as defined in the appended claims. The present invention therefore must not be considered as limited to the embodiments described and shown but must be granted the broadest scope of protection in accordance with the principles and with the features described and claimed here.

[0011]In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 references as a whole a beverage preparation capsule according to the present invention.

[0012]The capsule 1 is designed to contain a soluble food substance for the preparation of a beverage, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, milk, ginseng, etc., and to be used i...

Cross-reference to Related Applications

[0001] This patent application claims priority to Italian patent application no. 102023000013065 filed on June 23, 2023.Technical Fiel of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a beverage preparation capsule.

[0003] In particular, the present invention has an advantageous application in the field of beverage production by means of an E.S.E. (Easy Serving Espresso) pod coffee machine.State of the Art

[0004] In the single-portion coffee sector, it is known to use E.S.E. pods for the preparation of espresso coffee and, in more recent times, also for the preparation of other types of beverages, such as herbal or fruit beverages obtained by pressurised brewing anhydrous materials in leaves and / or pieces.

[0005] In general, on the other hand, E.S.E. pods are not used for the preparation of beverages from soluble material. There are various reasons for this, which are mainly attributable to the fact that the structure of the E.S.E. pod, in particular the material of which its casing is normally made, is not suitable for allowing the preparation of a beverage by dissolving a soluble material. A further difficulty derives from the fact that, since the consistency and behaviour of a soluble material are completely different from those of a brewing material, for example, ground coffee powder, it has been found that the current manufacturing techniques of E.S.E. pods are not suitable for producing pods containing the soluble material in the quantity and with the degree of compacting necessary to produce a quality beverage.

[0006] In general, known capsules for the preparation of beverages from soluble materials have a casing made from rigid or semi-rigid materials such as to make the capsules suitable for the preparation of beverages by dissolving the soluble material.

[0007] However, the capsules thus produced are not suitable for use in traditional E.S.E. machines. An example of this capsule is described in WO2014163495A2.Object and Summary of the Invention

[0008] Object of the present invention is to provide a beverage preparation capsule usable in an E.S.E. pod coffee machine for preparing beverages from soluble materia comprising the features of claim 1.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] Figures 1 and 2 show a prospective view of a beverage preparation capsule according to preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the capsule of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a plan view of the capsule of Figure 1. Figures 5 to 7 show, in cross-section and with parts removed for clarity, the capsule of the present invention in respective operating phases of the process of preparing a beverage by means of an E.S.E. pod coffee machine. Figure 8 shows a detail of Figure 7 on an enlarged scale. Figure 9 is a bottom prospective view of Figure 7. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

[0010] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended Figures, in order to allow a person skilled in the art to make it and to use it. Various modifications to the embodiments described will be immediately evident to people skilled in the art and the generic principles described can be applied to other embodiments and applications without thus deviating from the scope of protection as defined in the appended claims. The present invention therefore must not be considered as limited to the embodiments described and shown but must be granted the broadest scope of protection in accordance with the principles and with the features described and claimed here.

[0011] In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 references as a whole a beverage preparation capsule according to the present invention.

[0012] The capsule 1 is designed to contain a soluble food substance for the preparation of a beverage, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, milk, ginseng, etc., and to be used in an E.S.E. pod coffee machine.

[0013] As known, E.S.E. pods are manufactured according to a size compliance standard established by a specific protection consortium (ESE Consortium) and are typically used for the preparation of espresso coffee or barley coffee or beverages obtained by brewing anhydrous ingredients in leaves and / or small pieces, such as chamomile, fruit, cinnamon, etc.

[0014] A known E.S.E. pod comprises a casing formed of two sheets of filter paper coupled to each other so as to form a central body generally with a biconvex lenticular shape and designed to contain a dose of the material to be brewed, and an annular flange extending all around the central body and normally having an enlarged portion designed to allow an easy gripping of the pod by a user during insertion and removal of the pod into and out of the coffee machine.

[0015] Generally, an E.S.E. pod has a symmetrical shape with respect to a central plane containing the flange and with respect to an axis perpendicular to the central plane and passing through the centre of the central body.

[0016] In general, an E.S.E. pod coffee machine comprises a brewing unit 2, shown schematically in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 9 and comprising a pressurized hot water dispensing unit 3 with a water dispensing head 4, and a support member or filter-holder (not shown), with a micro-perforated filter 5, generally metallic, and a beverage dispensing spout (not shown).

[0017] The pressurized hot water dispensing unit 3 and the filter-holder are mounted to move one with respect to the other away from and towards a fluid-tight coupling position, in which the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 define therebetween a brewing chamber designed to receive the capsule 1 and pressurized hot water from the pressurized hot water dispensing unit 3. In certain types of manual coffee machines, the filter-holder is separable from the rest of the coffee machine and, for this purpose, is provided with a handle or arm designed to allow a user to manually couple / decouple the filter-holder to / from the pressurized water dispensing unit 3 in order to allow a new capsule to be loaded into the filter 5 or, vice versa, to allow an exhausted capsule to be removed therefrom.

[0018] Conveniently, the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 are shaped so that the brewing chamber resulting from their coupling can accommodate an E.S.E. pod with relative precision. For this purpose, the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 both comprise a flat central base and a curved side portion so as to give the brewing chamber the generically biconvex lenticular shape of the central body of the E.S.E. pod.

[0019] In particular, the flat base of the water dispensing head 4 has a central opening through which it fluidly communicates with a water supply conduit 6, whereas the flat base of the filter 5, referenced in the appended Figures with the reference numeral 7, has a plurality of holes 5a, through which, in use, the beverage produced can flow towards the outside.

[0020] The capsule 1 of the present invention is so sized as to be usable in an E.S.E. pod coffee machine of the type described above but differs from known E.S.E. pods in both its structure and in the material from which it is made, so resulting in it being suitable to be used for the preparation of a beverage also starting from soluble material.

[0021] Aa shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the capsule 1 comprises a cup-shaped body 8 having a longitudinal axis 9 and closed at one end by a lid 10 made of an aluminium film and provided with holes 10a designed to allow, in use, pressurized water to flow into the capsule 1.

[0022] According to various embodiments, the lid 10 may be made of a single-layer or multilayer film of plastic material impermeable to external agents, such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or oriented polypropylene (OPP), or a plastic / metal compound material, for example double, such as PP / ALU or PET / ALU, or triple, such as PP / ALU / PE.

[0023] The cup-shaped body 8 is made in a single piece and comprises a cup 11, which defines a storage chamber for the soluble material, and an outer annular flange 12 coaxial to the longitudinal axis 9.

[0024] Preferably, the cup-shaped body 6 is made of aluminium and is obtained by deep-drawing an aluminium sheet.

[0025] According to different embodiments, the cup-shaped body 6 may be made of a different material to aluminium, for example it may be made of an impermeable plastic material, conveniently by thermoforming or injection-moulding, for example polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or oriented polypropylene (OPP) or polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) or their compounds, for example PP-EVOH-PP.

[0026] The cup 11 is delimited by a bottom wall 13 generically transverse to the longitudinal axis 9 and a side wall 14, which is coaxial to the longitudinal axis 9 and preferably, but not necessarily, has a generically flared shape from the bottom wall 13 towards its own free edge 15, to which the lid 10 is welded.

[0027] Conveniently, as shown in Figure 7, the cup 11 is so sized that its height, measured parallel to the longitudinal axis 9, approximates the height of the brewing chamber formed by the water dispensing head 4 and the filter 5 in the coupled configuration, and its diameter is such that, when the capsule 1 is accommodated in the brewing chamber, the bottom wall 13 substantially covers the entire flat base 7 of the filter 5.

[0028] The annular flange 12 is connected to the free edge 15 of the cup 11 and, starting from the free edge 15, extends radially towards the outside by means of a first annular portion, which is folded downwards so as to extend in front of the side wall 14, and a second annular portion, which lies on a plane generically transverse to the longitudinal axis 9 and is designed to be compressed, in use, between the periphery of the water dispensing head 4 and the periphery of the filter 5, with the interposition of a gasket, so as to water-tightly seal the brewing chamber.

[0029] Preferably, the first annular portion of the flange 12 has a rounded shape, with concavity towards the side wall 14, similar to the shape of the curved side portion of the water dispensing head 4, so as to allow, in use, the capsule 1 and the water dispensing head 4 to couple as precisely as possible.

[0030] Preferably, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second flat annular portion of the flange 12 has a circular shape and its free edge is thickened or turned on itself so as to give the periphery of the annular flange 12 a rounded shape for anti-cutting purposes.

[0031] As shown in the appended Figures, and, in particular, in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the bottom wall 13 of the cup-shaped body 8 is delimited externally by a flat surface 16 so designed that, when the capsule 1 is in the filter 5, to rest on the flat base 7 of the filter 5, and has a plurality of through openings 17, through which, in use, the beverage outflows from the capsule 1.

[0032] The bottom wall 13 also has, on the flat surface 16, a plurality of grooves 18, which are arranged according to a scheme such that at least two or more openings 17 open into one and the same groove 18, whereby, when the capsule 1 is in the filter 5 and the flat surface 16 is resting on the flat base 7, these openings 17 are fluidly connected by a respective channel 19, which is formed by the groove 18 and the flat base 7, extends in a direction mainly parallel to the bottom wall 13 and communicates with the outside through the holes 5a of the filter 5 facing the channel 19, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

[0033] The grooves 18 hence define, when coupled to the flat base 7, a network of channels 19, which the beverage, outflowing under pressure from the capsule 1 through the openings 17, is forced to travel, before outflowing from the holes 5a of the filter 5, to the advantage of a better mixing and emulsion of the beverage.

[0034] Preferably, the grooves 18 are arranged according to a labyrinth scheme comprising two or more concentric circular grooves 18 connected to each other by radial grooves 18.

[0035] The capsule 1 shown in the appended Figures is exemplarily provided with two concentric circular grooves 18 coaxial to the longitudinal axis 9 and connected to each other by a first set of radial grooves 18 evenly distributed around the longitudinal axis 9. A second set of radial grooves 18 connects the inner circular groove 18 with a central groove 18 that is in the form of a central depressed area.

[0036] Furthermore, in the example shown, the bottom wall 13 comprises a plurality of openings 17 formed at the outer circular groove 18 and evenly distributed around the longitudinal axis 9, and an opening 17 formed at the central groove 18. In the capsule 1 shown, the openings 17 are in the form of holes, but, in other embodiments not shown, they can be in different forms, in particular on the form of notches or slots, linear or other.

[0037] In a variant, furthermore, other openings 17 could be provided at the inner circular groove 18 and / or the radial grooves 18.

[0038] Capsule 1 shown is provided solely as an example and, on other embodiments not shown, the grooves 18 may be in a higher or lower number and be arranged according to different schemes, in which they can all be connected to each other, as in the capsule 1 shown, or be separate, provided that each of them connect to each other a certain number of holes 17 so that, during dispensing of the beverage, the holes 17 are fluidly connected by a channel 19 to be filled and travelled by the beverage before it outflows from the holes 5a facing the channel 19.

[0039] In the capsule 1 of the example shown, the grooves 18 are formed by respective depressions of the bottom wall 13 which create corresponding projections on the inner surface of the bottom wall 13, as visible in Figure 3.

[0040] In other embodiments not shown, the projections 18 may be defined by lowerings of the flat surface 16 which remain inside the thickness of the bottom wall 13, the inner surface of which thus remaining flat.

[0041] In conclusion, with reference to what is shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lid 10 that closes the cup-shaped body 8 is made by a disk welded along its own periphery to the free edge 10 and provided with a tab 20 having the function of facilitating a user in positioning the capsule 1 in the filter 5 and, in particular, extracting the exhausted and hot capsule 1 from the filter 5.

[0042] Conveniently, the tab 20 is sufficiently long to allow its welding on the flange 12 at the first rounded annular portion of the flange 12 and, preferably, also at the second flat annular portion of the flange 12, so as to guarantee sealing of the soluble material inside the cup 11 when the capsule 1 is being handled.

[0043] Furthermore, welding of the tab 20 on the flange 12 has the function of guaranteeing that, when the capsule 1 is positioned in the filter 5, folds do not form on the tab 20 that could cause problems of leaks of pressurized water during dispensing.

[0044] Use of the capsule 1 is schematically shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 and its functioning clearly derives from what is described above.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0010]The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended Figures, in order to allow a person skilled in the art to make it and to use it. Various modifications to the embodiments described will be immediately evident to people skilled in the art and the generic principles described can be applied to other embodiments and applications without thus deviating from the scope of protection as defined in the appended claims. The present invention therefore must not be considered as limited to the embodiments described and shown but must be granted the broadest scope of protection in accordance with the principles and with the features described and claimed here.

[0011]In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 references as a whole a beverage preparation capsule according to the present invention.

[0012]The capsule 1 is designed to contain a soluble food substance for the preparation of a beverage, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, milk, ginseng, etc., and to be used i...

Claims

1. A capsule (1) for preparing beverages from a soluble substance in a E.S.E. pod coffee machine; the coffee machine comprises a pressurized hot water dispensing unit (3) with a water dispensing head (4), and a filter-holder with a filter (5) and a beverage dispensing spout; the water dispensing head (4) and the filter (5) are mutually coupleable to define therebetween a brewing chamber designed to receive the capsule (1) and pressurized hot water from the pressurized hot water dispensing unit (3); the filter (5) comprises a flat base (7) with a plurality of beverage dispensing holes (5a); the capsule (1) comprises a cup-shaped body (8) closed by a lid (10) and comprising a cup (11), which defines a storage chamber for the soluble material and is delimited by a bottom wall (13) designed to rest on the flat base (7) of the filter (5) when the capsule (1) is in the brewing chamber, and by a side wall (14), to a free edge (15) of which the lid (10) is fixed; the bottom wall (13) of the capsule (1) has a plurality of beverage dispensing openings (17) and is externally delimited by a generally flat surface (16), on which one or more grooves (18) are formed and arranged so that two or more beverage dispensing openings (17) open into one and the same groove (18); whereby, when the bottom wall (13) of the capsule (1) is resting on the flat base (7) of the filter (5), the two or more beverage dispensing openings (17) are fluidly connected by a respective channel (19), which is formed by the groove (18) and the flat base (7), extends in a direction mainly parallel to the bottom wall (13) and communicates with the outside through the beverage dispensing holes (5a) of the filter (5) facing the channel (19).

2. The capsule (1) of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of grooves (18) formed in the bottom wall (13) and mutually connected to result in all the beverage dispensing openings (17) being fluidly connected by a network of said channels (19) when the bottom wall (13) is resting on the flat base (7) of the filter (5).

3. The capsule (1) of claim 2, wherein the bottom wall (13) is generally transverse to a longitudinal axis (9) of the cup-shaped body (8); the grooves (18) comprise two or more circular grooves (18) concentric to the longitudinal axis (9); a central groove (18) in the form of a central depressed area; and one or more radial grooves (18) connecting the circular grooves (18) to one another and to the central groove (18).

4. The capsule (1) of claim 3, wherein a number of beverage dispensing openings (17) are formed at the outer groove (18) and are evenly distributed around the longitudinal axis (9), and at least one beverage dispensing opening (17) is formed at the central groove (18).

5. The capsule (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cup (11) has a height approximating an height of the brewing chamber, and a diameter such that, when the capsule (1) is in the brewing chamber, the bottom wall (13) substantially covers the entire flat base (7) of the filter (5).

6. The capsule (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cup-shaped body (8) comprises an annular flange (12), which is integral with the cup (11), extends radially towards the outside of the cup (11) from the free edge (15) of the cup (11), and comprises a first portion folded downwards and in front of the side wall (14), and a second flat portion, which is substantially parallel to the bottom wall (13) and is designed to be compressed, in use, between a peripheral edge of the water dispensing head (4) and a peripheral edge of the filter (5) so as to water-tightly seal the brewing chamber.

7. The capsule (1) of claim 6, wherein the first portion of the flange (12) has a convex shape complementary to a concave shape of a side wall of the water dispensing head (4).

8. The capsule (1) of claim 6 or 7, wherein the lid (10) has holes (10a) to allow brewing water to flow into the capsule (1) and is made by a disk welded along its own periphery to the free edge (15) of the cup (11) and with a grip tab (20) for easy handling of the capsule (1) by a user; the tab (20) is welded to the flange (12) at least at the first portion of the flange (12) so as to guarantee the sealing of the soluble material inside the cup (11) when the capsule (1) is handled.

9. The capsule (1) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cup-shaped body (8) is made of aluminium.

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