Container and system for preparing drink or food product

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to electrically controlled systems for preparing a beverage or food product, by means of which the beverage or food product is obtained from a portioned capsule. A container for use with a device for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof, includes a storage section containing a cavity with a side wall, a flange portion and a base for accommodating a precursor material, and a closing element for closing the storage section. At least the storage section is made of a wood pulp-based material, and the storage section comprises two or more of: a perforation region located on the base of the storage section, which is processed to ensure a comparatively easier perforation by the punching device than in a section that is not processed; stiffening sections made so that they extend along the base from the periphery to a section adjacent to the perforation region, in order to impart rigidity to the base to resist displacement when the base is punched by the punching device of the device; and a shoulder zone, which extends outward from the flange portion to the rim of the side wall, located proximally to the base, to form a void-forming region of the side wall, which is located between the shoulder zone and the base, in order to increase the rigidity of the base.EFFECT: optimizing the location, perforation, processing and release of the container during the insertion of the container and the extraction of the precursor material comprised in the container.18 cl, 17 dwg

Description

[0001] FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES

[0002] This description relates to electrically controlled systems for preparing a beverage or food product, by means of which a beverage or food product is obtained from a portioned capsule.

[0003] STATE OF THE ART

[0004] Beverage preparation systems comprise a beverage preparation device and a capsule. The capsule contains a single portion of a beverage-forming precursor material, such as ground coffee or tea. The beverage preparation device is configured to perform a beverage preparation process within the capsule, typically by applying heated water under pressure to the precursor material. During this preparation process, the capsule is guided through the device through a series of complex interactions involving loading, processing, and removal of the capsule by various mechanisms of the device, primarily the capsule flange. Thus, capsule processing results in at least partial extraction of the precursor material from the capsule in the form of a beverage.

[0005] This beverage maker configuration has gained great popularity due to its increased user convenience compared to conventional beverage maker devices (such as a manual moka pot / stovetop espresso maker).

[0006] Due to the complex nature of capsule movement through the device and exposure to hot, pressurized water, only an aluminum-based capsule has been implemented with a high degree of reliability to date. Indeed, other materials have been found to be prone to sticking in the device or causing other material-related failures. It would be desirable to be able to implement a capsule with fewer material-related limitations.

[0007] Thus, despite the efforts already put into developing the said capsule, further improvements are desirable.

[0008] DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present description provides a container for use with a device for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof, comprising: a storage section containing a cavity with a side wall, a flange portion and a base for accommodating a precursor material, and a closing element for closing the storage section.

[0010] In embodiments, at least the storage portion is made of a wood pulp-based material, and wherein the storage portion comprises two or more of:

[0011] - a perforation area located at the base of a storage section that is processed to ensure comparatively easier perforation by the punching device of the device than in an area that is not processed;

[0012] - stiffening sections designed to extend along the base from the periphery to a section adjacent to the perforation area to provide rigidity to the base to resist displacement when the base is punched by the punching device of the device; and

[0013] - a shoulder area that extends outward from the flange portion to the rim of the side wall located proximal to the base to form a void-forming region of the side wall that is located between the shoulder area and the base to increase the rigidity of the base.

[0014] The combination of the above elements allows for optimization of container positioning, perforation, processing and release during container insertion and extraction of the precursor material contained in the container.

[0015] The rigidity of the container, especially the base area of ​​the container, is improved compared to a container with only one of these elements.

[0016] By treating wood pulp containers so that they are easier to perforate, the reliability of such containers during use can be improved. For example, the condition in which the wood pulp capsule absorbs water in the perforated area, causing it to be deformed by the punching tool rather than being perforated by the punching tool, can be minimized. Similarly, the condition in which a large amount of force / energy is required, such as due to delamination / delamination of wood pulp fibers, can be minimized.

[0017] The term "perforation area" as used herein may refer to an area that is directly abutted by a punching device, such as a wetted area of ​​a portion in a longitudinal and lateral plane on a punching device before the breakthrough or an area overlapped by it.

[0018] As used herein, the term "comparatively easier" in relation to perforation with a punching tool may refer to one or more of: perforating a perforation area that is characterized by a brittle type fracture with a comparatively lower energy absorption, rather than a ductile type fracture with a comparatively higher energy absorption of the untreated area; less displacement of the punching tool to achieve complete breakthrough (e.g., due to a reduced thickness of the perforation area and / or less movement of the perforation area by the punching tool) and breakthrough with a lower maximum force.

[0019] In embodiments, the perforated region includes one or more of the following material properties compared to an untreated region: reduced water absorption; increased brittleness (e.g., more brittle fracture with low energy absorption); increased rigidity; and reduced thickness.

[0020] As used herein, the term "water absorption" may refer to the amount, such as grams, of water absorbed per unit area, such as m 2 wood pulp-based material for a specified time, such as 60 or 180 seconds. Examples of suitable tests include the Cobb60 or Cobb180 tests. Because the perforated area has reduced water absorption, the perforated area can be designed to be more easily pierced than if it were over-wetted, as an over-wetted area can expand, requiring more displacement to fully pierce, and is more likely to be displaced by the punching tool rather than pierced.

[0021] In embodiments, the perforation area is processed by one or more of the following methods: pressing; heat treatment; coating; and corrugation.

[0022] As used herein, the term "thermal treatment" may refer to the addition or removal of thermal energy during a treatment process. Typically, thermal treatment involves raising the temperature of a wood pulp-based material. In some embodiments, the temperature may be between 100 and 300 degrees Celsius or between 100 and 400 degrees Celsius.

[0023] As used herein, the term "pressing" may refer to the application of a compressive force in the thickness direction of a wood pulp-based material to reduce the thickness. In embodiments, the pressure may be 1 x 10 5 – 1 x 10 7 Pa or 1 x 10 4 – 1 x 10 8 Pa.

[0024] In embodiments, the heat treatment and / or pressing may be applied for 2 to 10 seconds.

[0025] The term "coating" as used herein may refer to the application of a coating to a wood pulp-based material to close the pores / spaces between fibers and / or to provide a barrier. This can result in reduced water absorption, which may be advantageous for the reasons stated above. It can also result in a more brittle fracture, which may be advantageous for the reasons stated above. The coating may contain caramelized sugar or starch, or another suitable coating.

[0026] In embodiments, the perforated area has a thickness reduced by at least 20%, 30%, or 35% compared to the untreated area. For example, the thickness of a 0.5 mm thick material can be reduced to 0.3 mm. In embodiments, the maximum thickness reduction can be from 60 to 70%.

[0027] In embodiments, the perforation region is located at the base of the cavity of the storage section.

[0028] In some embodiments, the perforated area is formed as a circular ring centered around the container's rotational axis. The circular ring can be conveniently formed using a shaping press. Furthermore, it can be ensured that the punching device, consisting of individual punching elements positioned around the container's rotational axis, always has an element aligned with the circular ring section.

[0029] In some embodiments, the circular ring is constructed in segments bounded by unmachined bridges. By using bridges that connect the segments, the overall strength of the foundation can be maintained, as the force acting between the inner parts of the circular ring can be transmitted primarily through the bridges, rather than entirely through the fragile segments.

[0030] In some embodiments, the bridges are designed with a different angular pitch than the angular pitch of the punching elements that form the punching device. By using different angular pitches, even if one punching element aligns with the bridge, the others do not. This ensures that at least one punching element completely pierces the perforation segment, rather than the bridge.

[0031] In embodiments, the perforation area is configured to be perforated by one or more punching elements with a total area of ​​6–15 mm 2 when exposed to at least 2–10 newtons or 0.5–50.

[0032] In embodiments, at least the base and / or side wall (or all) of the storage section are made of a wood pulp-based material. In embodiments, the wood pulp-based material has a thickness of 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm (e.g., for the untreated area).

[0033] In embodiments, at least a portion of the container is made of a wood pulp-based material, wherein the wood pulp-based material includes a processing region. In embodiments, said region is processed to vitrify the wood pulp-based material (e.g., by applying pressure and heat, as described herein). In embodiments, the processing region is located on the bottom surface of the flange portion of the container. The processing region allows for a flange that is narrower than that of an unprocessed wood pulp-based material and comparable in thickness to a flange formed from conventional materials (e.g., aluminum) of a conventional container. This ensures compatibility of the container with devices designed for conventional containers. The processing region also allows for a more uniform (e.g., smooth with reduced non-uniformity) surface for code placement.

[0034] In embodiments, at least a region of the base of the storage portion is formed from a wood pulp-based material, wherein the storage portion includes stiffening regions that are arranged to provide rigidity to the storage portion (e.g., the base or more particularly the perforation region of the base) to resist displacement (e.g., compared to an equivalent container without stiffening regions) when the base is perforated by a punching device of the device.

[0035] By using stiffening zones in combination with a wood pulp-based base material, it is possible to ensure precise penetration of the wood pulp base by the device's punching tool when perforating the container, forming one or more fluid inlets for injecting the conditioned fluid to produce the beverage. It is also possible to ensure that the wood pulp base is not crushed by the punching tool when forming the fluid inlets.

[0036] In this document, the term "displacement" may refer to the depth (or other displacement component) of the base when the punching tool is moved through the base in the depth direction. It should be understood that the base should resist displacement so that it is not displaced or is minimally locally displaced by the punching tool, such that it remains relatively undeformed as the punching tool moves through it. It should also be understood that the perforated area should fracture / crack, not displace.

[0037] As used herein, the term "base" may refer to the portion of the container that forms the lowest surface of the cavity and covers the side wall. The base may have a lateral and longitudinal component (or radial component) that is greater than the depth component.

[0038] The term "sidewall" as used in this document may refer to the portion of the container located between the base and the flange portion. The sidewall may have a main component in the depth direction.

[0039] The term "base region" as used herein may refer to a portion of the container that includes the base and the proximal portion of the sidewall adjacent to the base. The terms "proximal" and "distal" are defined herein relative to the base. Thus, the proximal portion refers to the portion of the sidewall in close proximity to the base. Stiffening portions may be located on the portion of the sidewall that significantly affects the rigidity of the base. The base region may include a portion of the sidewall having a distance d, which is measured from the lowest position of the base in the depth direction, that is less than 50% or 40% of the total depth D, which is measured from the said lowest position of the base to the top of the flange portion.

[0040] As used herein, the term "stiffening section" may refer to a section of wood pulp-based material whose geometric shape is modified from the regular shape of the container in such a way as to provide increased stiffness to the base. The stiffness of the base may be determined based on one or more of: the stiffness (e.g., Young's modulus) of the base region itself, including the stiffness of the base and / or sidewall; or a structural restraint at the junction of the base and sidewall that provides more rigid support for the base. The stiffening section may be made of the same wood pulp-based material as the rest of the base region, including its composition and thickness.

[0041] As used in this document, the term "resist displacement" may imply that the base itself is more rigid, so that it will displace, for example, bend, less when subjected to the impact of a punching device. It may also imply that the sidewall is less likely to buckle (or otherwise displace) and, therefore, the base will resist displacement due to reduced sidewall deflection.

[0042] In some embodiments, the stiffening sections are configured to extend above both the base and the proximal region of the sidewall. By arranging the stiffening sections so that they extend continuously above both the base and sidewall, they can provide significant increased rigidity.

[0043] In embodiments, the stiffening sections extend into the interior of the storage section and may not extend outward from the exterior. By implementing the stiffening sections such that their geometric structures are entirely formed within the container (e.g., no portion of the stiffening section extends beyond the container profile (compared to an equivalent container portion that does not include the stiffening section)), existing devices can be compatible with a capsule of the new and inventive configuration.

[0044] In some embodiments, the stiffening sections are formed as channels that connect the base and the proximal region of the sidewall. By arranging the channels so that they mutually connect the unconnected sections of the sidewall and base, as opposed to an equivalent container portion that does not include a stiffening section, stiffness can be increased.

[0045] In various embodiments, the channel base is linear. A linear channel base can provide improved resistance to deflection / shifting. The channel can have a V-shaped, U-shaped, or other suitable cross-section.

[0046] In embodiments, the channels are radially aligned. By implementing radially aligned channels so that the channel base extends such that the combined lateral and longitudinal components are radially aligned, improved deflection / displacement resistance can be achieved.

[0047] In some embodiments, the stiffening sections have a maximum channel depth X of less than 10 mm and greater than 2 mm, or less than 8 mm and greater than 4 mm. The channel depth X for a section that does not include the stiffening section can be characterized as the perpendicular distance from the base of the channel to the virtual line. With this range, the channels can provide increased stiffness.

[0048] In embodiments, the stiffening sections are arranged so that they extend in the depth direction along the side wall at a distance Y from the junction with the base (e.g., at the virtual junction when measured for an equivalent container section that does not include the stiffening section) to a depth of less than 40% or 30% of the total depth D between the storage section and the base. The distance Y can be at least 5% or 10%. With such a range, the stiffening sections can provide increased rigidity.

[0049] In embodiments, the stiffening sections are arranged so that they extend along the base from the periphery of the base to radii Z exceeding 30% or 40% of the total radius R of the base. Over this range, the stiffening sections can provide increased rigidity.

[0050] In embodiments, the stiffening sections are arranged so that they extend along the base from the periphery to the adjacent perforated area, which is perforated by the device's punching device. By positioning the stiffening sections in close proximity to the perforated area, they can provide a high degree of structural support to the perforated base section.

[0051] As used herein, the term "adjacent" may refer to complete adjacency or being in close proximity (e.g., within 4, 2, or 1 mm). As used herein, the term "perforation area" may refer to the area directly abutted by the punching device, such as the wetted area of ​​the longitudinal and lateral plane of the punching device before piercing or the area overlapping it.

[0052] In embodiments, the stiffening sections are arranged so as to prevent the displacement of the perforation area of ​​the base (for example, the average displacement for the entire perforation area) by more than 0.5-2 mm in the depth direction when a compression force of 1-50 N or 2-10 N applied by a punching device acts on the perforation area in the depth direction.

[0053] In some embodiments, the stiffening sections comprise discrete elements (e.g., separated from one another) arranged in a ring-shaped pattern around the container's circumference. A wave-like arrangement of the stiffening sections at equal distances from one another can provide increased stiffness.

[0054] In embodiments, the stiffening sections are located only on the base or on the side wall.

[0055] In embodiments, the storage portion comprises a cavity with a side wall, a base and a flange portion for interconnecting the storage portion and the closing element, wherein the side wall comprises a shoulder area near the base that projects outward (e.g., from the interior of the cavity) to form a void-forming region of the side wall located between the shoulder area and the base of the shoulder area, and a portion for holding the container.

[0056] By implementing a shoulder zone adjacent to the rigidity areas and locally reducing the diameter of the container, the rigidity of the base is increased.

[0057] The shoulder area may further form centering means during engagement of the container within the container holding portion for accurately positioning it within the container holding portion.

[0058] As used herein, the term "shoulder area" may refer to a portion of a sidewall that projects longitudinally and / or transversely (e.g., outwardly in a radial direction) relative to the rest of the sidewall in the form of a step, chamfer, or otherwise.

[0059] As used herein, the term "proximal" in relation to the position of the shoulder area and the base may refer to the shoulder area located so as to be immediately adjacent to the base or in close proximity to it, such as within 1 or 2 mm in the depth direction.

[0060] As used herein, the term "void region" may refer to a region of the side wall that, in use, is located separate from, i.e., distally, the container holding portion.

[0061] In embodiments, the shoulder region extends from the flange portion to the sidewall rim (e.g., a step, chamfer, curved element, or other non-solid element on the outer surface profile). The entire shoulder region (e.g., depth and / or circumference) between the flange portion and the sidewall rim may be engaged with the container holding portion. Such a design can provide high stability despite the presence of a void.

[0062] In embodiments, the shoulder region has a depth distance S between the flange portion and the rim of the side wall, which is from 50 to 80% of the total depth D of the storage section, which can be measured from the aforementioned lowest position of the base to the top of the flange portion. In embodiments, the shoulder region has a depth distance S between the flange portion and the rim greater than 60%, 65%, or 70% of the total depth D of the storage section. By having the shoulder region within such a depth range, a sufficient level of stability can be ensured despite the presence of a void. In addition, the rigidity of the base section is increased, and thus the base can withstand increased pressure during perforation with the punching device of the device.

[0063] In embodiments, the void-forming region of the sidewall extends in the depth direction and / or circumferential direction from the shoulder area (e.g., including the entire area) to the base of the container. By designing the container (and positioning the shoulder area near the base) so that no portion of the sidewall contacts the container holding area, it is possible to ensure that the container is less likely to stick to the container holding area.

[0064] In embodiments, the void-forming region of the side wall is arranged such that the separation distance N in the radial direction from the container holding portion is at least 0.5 mm and / or less than 1.5 cm. By minimally separating the void-forming region and the side wall by such a value, the container is less likely to stick to the container holding portion.

[0065] In embodiments, the average separation distance N between the void-forming region of the side wall and the container-holding portion is at least 0.5 mm or 1 mm. By ensuring the average separation between the void-forming region and the side wall by this value, the container is less likely to stick to the container-holding portion.

[0066] The container is designed to be partially stacked within a second container of a corresponding shape. The edge of the container, corresponding to the intersection of the side wall and the base of the container, engages with the rim of the shoulder area of ​​the second container. A portion of the void-forming region of the side wall of the container, adjacent to the shoulder area of ​​the second container, is retained. With this arrangement, the containers can be stacked on top of each other before filling with reduced adhesion.

[0067] In embodiments, the stiffening sections according to any of the preceding embodiments or another embodiment described herein are implemented in combination with a shoulder region to stiffen the void-forming region of the sidewall. By implementing the stiffening sections to stiffen the void-forming region of the sidewall, it is possible to compensate for the reduced stability of the sidewall due to the fact that it is not in contact with the container-holding section and, therefore, is not stabilized by said section.

[0068] In some embodiments, the stiffening sections protrude into the interior of the storage portion rather than outward from its exterior. By providing stiffening sections that protrude into the cavity of the storage portion, the void region can be maintained around the stiffening sections to reduce adhesion. In some embodiments, the stiffening sections are formed as channels connecting the base and the void-forming region of the sidewall. By providing a stiffening section for interconnecting the void-forming region of the sidewall and the base, the stability of the void-forming region can be improved.

[0069] By combining two or more perforation areas, stiffening areas and a shoulder area, the rigidity of the base area of ​​the container is increased, thereby improving the handling of the container during extraction in the beverage preparation device.

[0070] The present description provides a system comprising a container according to any of the preceding embodiments or another embodiment described herein, and a device for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof. In embodiments, the device includes: a processing unit for processing a precursor material of the container and an electrical circuit for controlling the processing unit.

[0071] The present description provides the use of a container according to any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein for a device as described herein.

[0072] The present description provides a method for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof. The method can be implemented using any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein. The method comprises: perforating, using a punching device, a perforation area of ​​the device that is processed to provide comparatively easier perforation by the punching device of the device than in an area that is not processed, supplying a conditioned fluid to the precursor material of the container through the perforation, and processing the precursor material.

[0073] In embodiments, processing the precursor material includes one or more of the following methods: injecting conditioned fluid into the container through inlet openings in the perforation region in the base of the container formed by the device; increasing the pressure of the fluid in the container until the rupture section of the container ruptures to produce a beverage, and removing the used container from the container processing unit.

[0074] The present description provides a method for forming a container for use with a device for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof. The method can be implemented using any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein. The method includes: processing a perforated region of the container, which is made of a wood pulp-based material, to ensure comparatively easier perforation by a punching device of the device than in an unprocessed region. In embodiments, the method includes: forming a storage section of the container and subsequently processing the storage section to create a perforated region.

[0075] The present description provides a method for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof. The method can be implemented using any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein. The method comprises: piercing a section of a container made of wood pulp-based material using a piercing device to provide fluid inlets and resisting displacement of the section of wood pulp-based material during said piercing due to stiffness regions, and processing the precursor material.

[0076] In embodiments, processing the precursor material includes one or more of the following methods: injecting conditioned fluid into the container through inlet openings in the perforation region in the base of the container formed by the device; increasing the pressure of the fluid in the container until the rupture section of the container ruptures to obtain a beverage, and removing the used container from the container processing unit.

[0077] The present description provides a method for forming a container. The method can be implemented using any of the preceding embodiments or another embodiment described herein. The method comprises: forming a storage section of the container from a wood pulp-based material, which may include wet forming, which may include hot pressing. The method may include forming stiffening sections after forming the storage section.

[0078] The present description provides a method for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof. The method may be implemented using any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein. The method comprises: arranging a container containing a precursor material in a container holding portion of a processing unit of the device; engaging a shoulder area of ​​the side wall of the container, the profile of which allows maintaining a void between the side wall portion between the base and the shoulder area, piercing a portion of the container made of a wood pulp-based material using a piercing device to provide fluid inlets and resisting displacement of the portion made of a wood pulp-based material during said piercing due to the rigidity areas, feeding a fluid into the container through the fluid inlets and processing the precursor material.

[0079] In embodiments, processing the precursor material includes one or more of the following methods: injecting conditioned fluid into the container through inlet openings in the perforated region of the container base formed by the device; increasing the pressure of the fluid in the container until the rupture section of the container ruptures to produce a beverage; and removing the used container from the container processing unit. During one or all of the mentioned processes, a void may be maintained between the sidewall section between the base and shoulder area and the container holding section.

[0080] The present description provides a method for filling a container with a precursor material. The method can be implemented using any previous embodiment or another embodiment described herein. The method includes: positioning a container in a container holding portion of a filling device; engaging a shoulder region of a sidewall of the container, which has a profile that allows maintaining a void between the sidewall portion between the base and the shoulder region, and filling the container with the precursor material. The method can include removing the filled container from the filling device. During one or all of the mentioned processes, a void can be maintained between the sidewall portion between the base and the shoulder region and the container holding portion.

[0081] The preceding summary of the invention is presented to outline the essence of some embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of aspects of the inventive subject matter described herein. Accordingly, the above-described features are merely examples and should in no way be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the inventive subject matter described herein. Moreover, the embodiments described above and / or below may be combined in any suitable combination to provide additional embodiments. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments, a brief description of the figures, and the claims.

[0082] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0083] Aspects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numbers denote like elements.

[0084] - Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a system showing an embodiment of a system for preparing a beverage or food product, or a precursor thereof.

[0085] - Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the system, which shows an embodiment of the device of the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0086] - Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the fluid conditioning system of the device shown in Fig. 2.

[0087] - Fig. 4A, 4B are illustrative diagrams showing an embodiment of a container processing system of the device shown in Fig. 2.

[0088] - Fig. 5 shows a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electrical control circuit for the device shown in Fig. 2.

[0089] - Fig. 6 is an illustrative diagram showing an embodiment of a container of the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0090] - Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the cooking process that is performed by the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0091] - Fig. 8 is a side view showing an embodiment of the storage section of the container shown in Fig. 6.

[0092] - Fig. 9 is a top view showing the storage section shown in Fig. 8.

[0093] - Fig. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the storage portion shown in Fig. 9 along the section line A-A.

[0094] - Fig. 11 is a perspective view from below showing the storage section shown in Fig. 8.

[0095] - Fig. 12 is a perspective view from above showing the storage section shown in Fig. 8.

[0096] - Fig. 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing the cross-section shown in Fig. 10 with a superimposed cross-section without the stiffening portion shown as a virtual section line.

[0097] - Fig. 14 is a side cross-sectional view showing a cross-section of the storage portion shown in Fig. 10 and a cross-section of the container holding portion of the system shown in Fig. 1.

[0098] - Fig. 15 is a side cross-sectional view showing a portion of the storage area shown in Fig. 10 with a corresponding container stacked.

[0099] - Fig. 16 is a perspective view from above showing the storage section shown in Fig. 8.

[0100] IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

[0101] Before describing several embodiments of the system, it should be understood that the system is not limited to the design characteristics or method steps given in the following description. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the advantage of the present description lies in the fact that the system is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in a variety of ways.

[0102] This description may be better understood in light of the following explanations.

[0103] The term "device" as used herein may refer to an electrically powered device that: can prepare a beverage and / or food product from a precursor material or can prepare a precursor material from a precursor material from which a beverage and / or food product can subsequently be prepared. The device may carry out said preparation by one or more of the following processes: dilution; heating; increasing pressure; cooling; mixing; whisking; dissolving; impregnation; soaking; extraction; conditioning; infusion; attrition and other similar processes. The device may be sized to fit on a kitchen work surface, for example, its length, width and height may be less than 70 cm.As used herein, the term "prepare" in relation to a beverage and / or food product may refer to the preparation of at least a portion of the beverage and / or food product (e.g., the beverage is prepared by the said device in whole or in part so that the end user can manually add additional fluid, including milk and / or water, before consumption).

[0104] The term "container" as used herein may refer to any configuration containing a precursor material, such as a single portion or a portioned quantity. The container may have a maximum capacity such that it can only contain one portion of the precursor material. The container may be disposable, such that it is physically changed after the preparation process, which may include one or more of: perforations for supplying a fluid to the precursor material; perforations for dispensing a beverage / food product from the container; and opening by the user for extraction of the precursor material. The container may be configured to operate with a container processing unit of the device, such as a flange for aligning and guiding the container through it or placing it on said unit.The container may include a rupture section that is configured to rupture when subjected to a specific pressure to release the beverage / food product. The container may have a membrane for closing the container. The container may have various shapes, including one or more of: a truncated cone; a cylinder; a disk; a hemisphere and other similar shapes. The container may be made of various materials, such as metal, plastic, wood pulp-based material or a combination thereof. The requirements for selecting the material are as follows: compatibility with food products; resistance to pressure and / or temperature of the preparation process. The container may be made in the form of a capsule, wherein the capsule may have an internal volume of 20-100 ml. The capsule includes a coffee capsule, such as a Nespresso® capsule (including Classic, Professional, Vertuo, Dolce Gusto or other capsule).

[0105] As used herein, the term "external device" or "external electronic device" or "peripheral device" may include electronic components located outside the device, such as those located in the same location as the device or components remote from the device that communicate with the device over a computer network. An external device may comprise a communication interface for communicating with the device and / or a server system. An external device may comprise devices including: a smartphone; a PDA; a game controller; a tablet; a laptop; or other similar device.

[0106] As used herein, the term "server system" may refer to electronic components located outside the device, such as those located in a location remote from the device, that communicate with the device over a computer network. The server system may include a communication interface for communicating with the device and / or an external device. The server system may include: a network computer (e.g., a remote server); a cloud computer; or any other server system.

[0107] As used herein, the term "system" or "beverage or food preparation system" may refer to a combination of any two or more of: a beverage or food preparation device; a container; a server system; and a peripheral device.

[0108] As used herein, the term "beverage" may refer to any substance that can be processed to produce a drinkable substance that may be chilled or hot. The beverage may be one or more of: a solid; a liquid; a gel; a paste. The beverage may include one or a combination of: tea; coffee; hot chocolate; milk; cordial; vitamin composition; herbal tea / infusion; infused / flavored water and other substance. As used herein, the term "food product" may refer to any substance that can be processed to produce a nutritious substance intended for consumption that may be chilled or hot. The food product may be one or more of: a solid; a liquid; a gel; a paste. The food product may include: yogurt; mousse; parfait; soup; ice cream; sorbet; custard; smoothie; other substance.It should be understood that the definitions of a beverage and a food product may overlap to some extent, for example, a beverage may also be a food product, and therefore when a device is said to be used for preparing a beverage or a food product, this does not exclude the preparation of both.

[0109] As used herein, the term "precursor material" may refer to any material that can be processed to form part or all of a beverage or food product. The precursor material may be one or more of: a powder; a crystal; a liquid; a gel; a solid, etc. Examples of a precursor material that forms a beverage include: ground coffee; dry milk; tea leaves; cocoa powder; a vitamin composition; herbs, such as for producing a herbal infusion / tea; a flavoring additive, and other similar material. Examples of a precursor material that forms a food product include dried vegetables or broth in the form of anhydrous dry soup concentrate; dry milk; flour-based powders, including custard; dry mix for making yogurt or ice cream, and other similar material.A precursor material may also refer to any preliminary precursor material that can be processed to produce a precursor material as defined above, i.e., any precursor material that can subsequently be processed to produce a beverage and / or food product. In one example, a preliminary precursor material includes coffee beans, which can be ground and / or heated (e.g., roasted) to produce a precursor material.

[0110] The term "fluid" as used herein (with respect to a fluid supplied by a fluid conditioning system) may include one or more of: water; milk; other. The term "conditioning" as used herein with respect to a fluid means changing its physical property and may include one or more of the following: heating or cooling; agitation (including foaming by whisking to introduce bubbles and stirring to create turbulent flow); dispensing a single-serving quantity suitable for use with a single-serving container; increasing the pressure, such as to brewing pressure; carbonation; filtration / purification and other conditioning process.

[0111] The term "processing unit" as used herein may refer to a system capable of processing a precursor material to produce a beverage or food product. It may also refer to a system capable of processing a preliminary precursor material to produce a precursor material.

[0112] As used herein, the term "container processing unit" may refer to a system that can process a container to obtain a corresponding beverage or food product from a precursor material. The container processing unit may be configured to process the precursor material by one or more of the following: dilution; heating; cooling; mixing; whipping; dissolving; impregnation; steeping; extraction; conditioning; pressurization; infusion; and: another processing step.Thus, the container processing unit may be implemented as a series of units depending on the processing stage, which may include: an extraction unit (in which a pressure brewing and / or thermal brewing process, such as heating or cooling, may be implemented); a mixing unit (in which a beverage or food product is mixed in a receiving vessel for consumption by the end user); a dispensing and dispersing unit (in which a portion of the precursor material is extracted and processed by dispersion and dispensed into a receiving vessel) and: another similar unit.

[0113] The term "preparation process" as used herein may refer to the process of preparing a beverage or food product from a precursor material or preparing a precursor material from a precursor material. The preparation process may refer to processes performed by an electrical circuit for controlling a container processing unit for processing said precursor or precursor material.

[0114] As used herein, the term "electrical circuit" or "circuit" or "electrical control circuit" may refer to one or more hardware and / or software components, examples of which may include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); electronic / electrical components (which may include combinations of transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.); one or more processors; a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., implemented using one or more memory devices) that may store one or more programs or firmware; a combined logic circuit; connections of the foregoing. The electrical circuit may be located entirely within the device or distributed among one or more of: the device; external devices; a server system.

[0115] As used herein, the term "processor" or "processing resource" may refer to one or more processing units, examples of which include an ASIC, a microcontroller, a field-programmable integrated circuit (FPGA), a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a state machine, or other suitable component. The processor may be configured to execute a computer program, such as one that may take the form of machine-readable instructions that may be stored on a non-transitory storage medium and / or in programmable logic. The processor may have various configurations consistent with those described for the circuit, such as embedded or distributed within the system.In this document, any device-executable instructions or machine-readable media may be configured to initiate the implementation of the described method, such as by a device or system as described herein, and may therefore be used as synonyms for the term "method".

[0116] The term "code" or "code element" as used herein may refer to an information storage medium that encodes preparation information. The code may be an optically readable code, such as a barcode. The code may be formed from multiple blocks, which may be referred to as elements or markers.

[0117] The term "preparation information" as used herein may refer to information related to the preparation process. The information referred to may vary depending on the embodiment of the processing unit. Parameters that may be associated with the processing unit of a container that contains a fluid processing system may include one or more of: fluid pressure; fluid temperature; fluid mass / volume flow rate; fluid volume; fluid filtration / purification parameters; and fluid carbonation parameters. More general parameters may include one or more of: container geometric parameters, such as shape or volume, and; precursor type.

[0118] As used herein, the term "wood pulp-based" may refer to a material or portion of a material forming a container that is one or more of: porous; fibrous; cellulosic; formed from cellulosic material; formed from natural cellulosic material; formed from dissolved or regenerated cellulosic material; non-woven; consisting entirely of or a composition of wood pulp; and wet-process material. The thickness of the wood-based material may be from 0.25 mm to 0.75 mm or about 0.5 mm. The wood-based material may be 200-400 g / m 2 .

[0119] The term "non-woven" as used herein may refer to a fabric-like material that is not woven or knitted. A non-woven material may be made from fibers bonded together. The term "porous" as used herein may refer to a material having spaces through which water (or another liquid) may pass. The term "fibrous" as used herein may refer to a material made from fibers that may be present in one or more components of the material. The term "cellulosic" or "cellulosic material" as used herein may refer to traditional wood and / or non-wood materials, such as manila hemp, sisal, jute, bleached and unbleached softwood and hardwood. Cellulosic material may include regenerated or dissolved cellulose.As used herein, the term "natural cellulosic material" may refer to traditional wood materials that are not regenerated. As used herein, the term "dissolved or regenerated cellulosic material" may refer to a natural cellulosic material that has been subjected to a process that involves dissolution or regeneration; examples include rayon and lyocell. As used herein, the term "wood pulp" may refer to a lignocellulosic fibrous material that may be obtained by mechanically or chemically separating cellulose fibers from one or more materials, such as wood, fiber crops, paper, or rag waste. As used herein, the term "wet-formed" may refer to a process for forming fibers from an aqueous solution.An aqueous solution of fibers can be heated and pressed into a mold to harden the material and remove water from it.

[0120] [General Description of the System]

[0121] As shown in Fig. 1, the system 2 includes a device 4, a container 6, a server system 8 and a peripheral device 10. The server system 8 communicates with the device 4 via a computer network 12. The peripheral device 10 communicates with the device 4 via a computer network 12.

[0122] In embodiments that are not shown: the peripheral device and / or the server system are omitted.

[0123] Although the computer network 12 is shown identically between the device 4, the server system 8, and the peripheral device 10, other configurations are possible, including: a different computer network for interaction between each of the devices: the server system communicates with the device through the peripheral device, rather than directly. In a specific example, the peripheral device communicates with the device via a communication interface, such as the Bluetooth™ protocol, and the server system communicates with the device via a wireless interface, such as the IEE802.11 standard, as well as via the Internet.

[0124] [Device]

[0125] As shown in Fig. 2, the device 4 comprises: a processing unit 14 for processing the precursor material; an electrical circuit 16 and; a code reading system 18.

[0126] The electrical circuit 16 controls the code reading system 18 to read the code (not shown in Fig. 2) from the container 6 and determine the preparation information from it. The electrical circuit 16 uses the preparation information to control the processing unit 14 to perform the preparation process in which the precursor material is processed to obtain a beverage or food product, or a precursor thereof.

[0127] In embodiments that are not shown: the code and code reading system are omitted, and the device performs one or more cooking processes stored in the electronic memory of the electrical circuit.

[0128] [First example of processing block]

[0129] As shown in Fig. 3 and 4, in the first example of the processing unit 14, said unit comprises a container processing unit 20 and a fluid conditioning system 22.

[0130] The container processing unit 20 is configured to process the container 6 to obtain a beverage or food product from a precursor material contained therein (not shown). The fluid conditioning system 22 provides conditioning of the fluid supplied to the container processing unit 20. The electrical circuit 16 uses the preparation information read from the container 6 to control the container processing unit 20 and the fluid conditioning system 22 to perform the preparation process.

[0131] The code reading system 18 of the device may comprise an image capturing unit 46 for detecting and / or reading a code element 44 located on the capsule to process specific formulations and suggest optimized extraction of an ingredient contained in the capsule.

[0132] [Fluid air conditioning system]

[0133] As shown in Fig. 3, the fluid conditioning system 22 includes a tank 24; a pump 26; a heat exchanger 28 and an outlet channel 30 for the conditioned fluid. The tank 24 contains a fluid, as a rule, in an amount sufficient for a variety of cooking processes. The pump 26 displaces the fluid from the tank 24 through the heat exchanger 28 and into the outlet channel 30 (which is connected to the container processing unit 20). The pump 26 can be implemented in the form of any suitable device for pumping the fluid, including: a reciprocating pump; a rotary pump; another suitable system. The heat exchanger 28 is designed to heat the fluid and may include: a linear heater of the thermal block type; a heating element for heating the fluid directly in the tank; another suitable system.

[0134] In embodiments that are not shown: a pump is absent, for example the fluid is fed by gravity to the container processing unit or is under pressure in a water supply network; a tank is absent, for example water is supplied from a water supply network; a heat exchanger is configured to cool the fluid, for example it may include a refrigeration-type heat pump; a heat exchanger is absent, for example water of the required temperature is supplied from a water supply network; the fluid conditioning system includes a filtration / purification system, for example a UV radiation system, the degree of impact of which on the fluid can be controlled; a carbon dioxide saturation system that controls the degree of saturation of the fluid with carbon dioxide.

[0135] [Container Processing Unit]

[0136] The container processing unit 20 can be implemented in various configurations, as shown in Examples 1 to 4 below.

[0137] As shown in Fig. 4A and 4B, the first example of the container processing unit 20 is for processing a container formed in the form of a capsule 6 (a suitable example of a capsule is shown in Fig. 6, which will be described), to prepare a beverage. The container processing unit 20 is designed as an extraction unit 32 for extracting a beverage from the capsule 6. The extraction unit 32 includes a container / capsule holding portion 34 and a closing element 36. The extraction unit 32 is movable to a capsule receiving position (Fig. 4A), in which the capsule holding portion 34 and the closing element 36 are arranged to receive the capsule 6. The extraction unit 32 is movable to a capsule extraction position (Fig. 4B), in which the capsule holding portion 34 and the closing element 36 form a seal around the capsule 6. As shown in Fig.4A, the image capturing unit 46 provided on the closing element is configured to read the code element 44 located on the capsule when the capsule is in the extraction position (Fig. 4B).

[0138] The beverage can then be extracted from the capsule 6. The extraction unit 32 can be driven by a motor or moved manually between the mentioned positions.

[0139] The outlet channel 30 of the fluid conditioning system 22 is designed as an injection head and / or a piercing device 38 for piercing the container to form inlet openings for injecting the conditioned fluid into the capsule 6 in the capsule extraction position, typically under high pressure. The beverage outlet 40 is designed to capture the extracted beverage and supply it from the extraction unit 32.

[0140] The extraction unit 32 is configured to prepare a beverage by supplying a pressurized (for example, 10-20 bar), heated (for example, to 50-98 degrees C) fluid medium to the precursor material inside the capsule 6. The pressure increases over a predetermined period of time until the pressure of the rupture section, which is the closing element of the capsule 6, is exceeded, resulting in the rupture of said element and the dispensing of the beverage into the beverage outlet 40.

[0141] In embodiments that are not shown, although the injection head and the beverage outlet are shown as located on the holding portion and the closing element, respectively, they can be arranged alternatively, including: the injection head and the beverage outlet can be located on the closing element and the holding portion, respectively; or both on the same portion. In addition, the extraction unit can include both parts configured as a capsule holding portion, for example for capsules symmetrical with respect to the flange, including the Nespresso® Professional capsule.

[0142] Examples of suitable extraction units are provided in EP 1472156 A1 and EP 1784344 A1, which are incorporated herein by reference, and propose a hydraulically sealed extraction unit.

[0143] The second example (not shown) of the container processing unit includes an extraction unit similar to the first example, but the extraction unit operates at lower pressure and centrifugation. An example of a suitable capsule is the Nespresso® Vertuo capsule. A suitable example is provided in document EP 2594171 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0144] In the third example (which is not shown), the capsule processing unit operates by dispersing the beverage precursor, which is selected for dissolution, with a fluid under high pressure and high temperature. This configuration is similar to the extraction unit of the first and second examples, but the pressure is lower, and therefore a sealed extraction unit is not required. In particular, the fluid can be supplied to the capsule lid, and the rupture section is located at the base of the capsule storage section. An example of a suitable capsule is the Nespresso® Dolce Gusto capsule. Examples of suitable extraction units are described in EP 1472156 A1 and EP 1784344 A1, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0145] In a fourth example (not shown), the container processing unit is designed as a mixing unit for preparing a beverage or food precursor, which is stored in a container that represents a receiving vessel and is intended for consumption by an end user from the vessel. The mixing unit includes an activator (e.g., a planetary mixer, or a spiral mixer, or a vertical cutting mixer) for mixing and a heat exchanger for heating / cooling the beverage or food precursor in the receiving vessel. A fluid supply system may also supply fluid to the receiving vessel. An example of such a configuration is presented in document WO 2014067987 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0146] [Electric control circuit]

[0147] As shown in Fig. 5, the electrical circuit 16 is implemented as a control electrical circuit 48 for controlling the processing unit 14 to perform the cooking process. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, for illustrative purposes, the processing unit 14 is shown as a first example, which includes a container processing unit 20 and a fluid supply unit 22.

[0148] The electrical circuit 16, 48 at least partially implements (for example, in combination with hardware): an input unit 50 for receiving input data from a user confirming that the device 4 should perform a cooking process; a processor 52 for receiving input data from the input unit 46 and for transmitting control output data to the processing unit 14 and a feedback system 54 for providing feedback from the processing unit 14 during the cooking process, which can be used to control the cooking process.

[0149] The input unit 50 is implemented as a user interface that may include one or more of: buttons, such as a joystick button or a push button; a joystick; LEDs; graphic or character LCD displays; a graphic display with touch input and / or buttons at the edges of the screen; another similar device; a sensor for determining whether a container has been fed into the device by the user.

[0150] The feedback system 54 may implement one or more of the following or other operations based on feedback control:

[0151] - a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate / volume of fluid in the outlet channel 30 (shown in Fig. 3) of the fluid supply system 22, which can be used to dose the correct amount of fluid into the container 6 and thus regulate the power of the pump 26;

[0152] - a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the fluid in the outlet channel 30 of the fluid supply unit 22, which can be used to ensure the correct temperature of the fluid in the container 6 and thus regulate the power of the heat exchanger 28);

[0153] - level sensor for determining that the fluid level in tank 24 is sufficient for the cooking process;

[0154] - a position sensor for detecting the position of the extraction unit 32 (for example, the capsule extraction position or the capsule receiving position).

[0155] It should be understood that the electrical circuit 16, 48 is suitably adapted for other examples of the processing unit 14, for example: for the second example of the container processing system, the feedback system can be used to control the rotation speed of the capsule.

[0156] [Container]

[0157] As shown in Fig. 6, the container 6, which is intended for use with the first example of the processing unit 14, is a container 6 formed in the form of a capsule 6. The capsule 6 includes: a closing member 56; a storage portion 58 and a flange portion 60.

[0158] The coordinate axis of the local container includes a depth direction 100, a longitudinal direction 102 and a transverse direction 104. The rotation axis 106 extends along the depth direction 100 and forms a radial direction 108, which is in a plane defined by the longitudinal direction 102 and the transverse direction 104.

[0159] Capsule 6 has a circular cross-section when viewed in a plane defined by longitudinal direction 102 and transverse direction 104.

[0160] The closing element 56 is located in a plane defined by the longitudinal direction 102 and the transverse direction 104. The closing element 56 closes the storage section 58 and comprises a flexible membrane. The closing element 56 has an outer surface 62 that faces away from the storage section 58 and an inner surface 64 that faces the storage section 58.

[0161] The flange portion 60 is configured to be mutually connected to the storage portion 58 and the closing element 56 for hermetically sealing the precursor material. The flange portion 60 is arranged in the form of a circular ring that extends in the radial direction 108 from the inner edge 66 to the outer edge 68. The flange portion 60 is an upper surface 70 that is located in a plane defined by the longitudinal direction 102 and the transverse direction 104. The upper surface 70 is connected by means of glue to the periphery of the inner surface 64 of the closing element 56. The lower surface 72 of the flange faces the storage portion 58.

[0162] The storage section 58 includes a cavity 74 for storing a precursor material (not shown). The cavity 74 includes a side wall 76 and a base 78. The side wall 76 extends mainly in the depth direction 100 from the proximal edge 80 to the distal edge 82, wherein the proximal and distal are defined relative to the base 78. The side wall 76 narrows with an increase in radial size from the proximal edge 80 to the distal edge 82. The base 78 extends mainly in the radial direction 108, but also has a smaller component in the depth direction 100. The base 78 extends from the axis 106 to the peripheral edge 84, which adjoins the proximal edge 80 of the side wall 76. The distal edge 82 of the side wall 76 adjoins the inner edge 66 of the flange portion 60. The storage section 58 and the flange portion 60 are made in one piece.

[0163] The capsule 6 has a diameter of 2-5 cm and an axial length of 2-4 cm. Details of the design, manufacture and / or extraction (of beverages) of containers and / or closing elements are described, for example, in EP 2155021, EP 2316310, EP 2152608, EP2378932, EP2470053, EP2509473, EP2667757 and EP 2528485.

[0164] In embodiments that are not shown: the capsule may have other cross-sectional shapes, including a square, other polygonal shapes, or an elliptical shape; the closing element may be a rigid or other non-membrane formation; the flange is alternatively connected to the upper surface of the closing element, for example by crimping; the side wall is made alternatively, including with a reverse taper, or aligned in the depth direction, or curved; the base is made alternatively, including it can be both flat and curved; the flange portion is connected to the storage section, and is not made integral with it; the closing element is designed as a storage section, for example, it contains a cavity, and the flange portion is omitted, for example, the closing element is connected directly to the storage section.

[0165] As shown in Figs. 4A and 4B, the base 78 of the storage section 58 is perforated with a piercing device 38 to form inlet holes for injecting the conditioned fluid into the cavity 74, as will be discussed below. The piercing device 38 can be formed in the form of separate blades or a blade in which an injector is built.

[0166] [Cooking process]

[0167] Fig. 7 shows an example of the implementation of a method for preparing a beverage / food product from a precursor material.

[0168] Block 70: The user feeds container 6 into device 4.

[0169] Block 72: The electric circuit 16 (for example, its input block 50) receives a user command to prepare a beverage / food from the predecessor, and the electric circuit 16 (for example, the processor 52) initiates the process.

[0170] Block 74: The electric circuit 16 controls the processing unit 14 to process the container (for example, in the first example of the container processing unit 20, the extraction unit 32 moves from the capsule receiving position (Fig. 4A) to the capsule extraction position (Fig. 4B)).

[0171] Block 76: The electrical circuit 16, based on the cooking information either read from the code on the container or stored in the memory, executes the cooking process by controlling the processing unit 14. In the first example of the processing unit, this includes: controlling the fluid conditioning system 22 to supply the fluid at the temperature, pressure, and duration of time mentioned in the cooking information to the container processing unit 20.

[0172] Then, the electric circuit 16 controls the container processing unit 20 so that it moves from the capsule extraction section however the capsule removal position to remove the container 6 and back to the capsule receiving position.

[0173] In embodiments that are not shown: the above-mentioned blocks may be provided in a different order, for example block 72 before block 70; some blocks may be missing, for example, when the device comprises a capsule cassette, block 70 may be missing.

[0174] During the cooking process, the electrical circuit 16 may receive additional cooking information via the computer network 12 from the server system 8 and / or the peripheral device 10 using a communication interface (not shown) of the device.

[0175] [Container Rigidity Sections]

[0176] As shown in Figs. 8-13, the containers 6 associated with the two possible embodiments of the containers shown in Fig. 6 are described as a single container, to which general references are made. Accordingly, the container 6 includes a storage section 58 made of a wood pulp-based material. In embodiments that are not shown, only a portion of the storage section may be formed from a wood pulp-based material, for example, only the base or the base region, as defined herein.

[0177] The storage section 58 includes stiffening sections 110, which are arranged to provide rigidity to the storage section 58. In particular, the stiffening sections 110 provide rigidity near the perforation region 112 of the storage section 58, which is pierced by the punching device 38 (shown in Figs. 4A and 4B), so that the perforation region 112 can be easily pierced.

[0178] After the breakthrough, one or more fluid inlets (not shown) are formed in the perforation region 112 for injecting conditioned fluid into the cavity 74 of the storage section 58 for processing the precursor material. The conditioned fluid is injected into the container holding section 34 (shown in Figs. 4A and 4B), which is fluidly connected to the said fluid inlets. The perforation region 112 is located on the base 78 of the storage section 58 in the form of a circular ring centered relative to the axis of rotation 106.

[0179] The punching device (not shown) comprises three perforating elements arranged circumferentially at equal angular pitch relative to the circular ring of the perforation region 112. Each of the perforating elements is configured to form a separate entrance. The perforating element has a cross-sectional area of ​​2–5 mm 2The punching device provides for the application of a combined force (i.e., through all perforation elements taken together) of 1-50 N or 2-10 N in the direction 100 in depth into the perforation area 112. Various methods of destruction can be used to perforate the perforation area 112, including cutting and / or brittle fracture, as will be discussed below.

[0180] The stiffening sections 110 prevent the perforation region 112 of the base 78 from shifting by more than 0.5-2 mm in the direction opposite to the depth direction 100, when the perforation region 112 is subjected to a compression force in the said direction opposite to the depth direction 100, 1-50 N or 2-10 N, applied by a punching device.

[0181] The size and dimension of the perforation region 112 may vary depending on the size and / or design of the container and / or the perforating element of the punching device of the beverage preparation device to ensure complete and effective perforation.

[0182] In embodiments that are not shown: the punching device comprises a different number of punching elements, such as 1, 2 or 4; the punching elements have a different cross-sectional area, such as the same total cross-sectional area as in the example can be distributed across the number of punching elements; the punching device applies a different force; the perforation area has a shape other than a circular ring, including in the form of a circle or a square.

[0183] The stiffening sections 110 are arranged in the form of eight discrete elements, which are spaced around the entire circumference of the circle at equal angular increments around the axis 106. The stiffening sections 110 extend continuously along both the base 78 and the proximal portion of the sidewall 76.

[0184] As best seen in Figs. 9-11 and 13, the stiffening sections 110 are formed as channels 114, which have a side wall 116 and a base 118. The base 118 is linear and radially aligned. The side wall 116 curves into the base 118, therefore, the channels 114 have a substantially V-shaped form with a curved periphery.

[0185] The channels 114 extend primarily in the direction 100 in depth with a component of the radial direction 108, so that the base 118 is inclined at an angle α of approximately 50-60 degrees to the plane defined by the longitudinal direction 102 and the transverse direction 104 (as best seen in the cross-section shown in Fig. 10A or 10B, when looking at the right side of the stiffening section).

[0186] As can be best seen in Fig. 10, the proximal end of the side wall 76 has a depth dimension d, which is measured from the lowest position of the base 78 to the distal end of the base 118 of the stiffening portion 110, which is less than about 40% of the total depth D, which is measured from the said lowest position of the base 78 to the upper surface 70 of the flange portion 60.

[0187] As can be best seen in Fig. 10 and 13, the stiffening sections 110 project in a direction opposite to the radial direction 108 into the interior of the cavity 74, and no part of the stiffening section 110 has a larger radial size than the corresponding section of the side wall 76 that does not include the stiffening section 110 (as can be best seen in the cross-section shown in Fig. 13, when comparing the stiffening section 110 with the line V of the virtual section of an equivalent section without the stiffening section). Thus, the container 6 can be used in the case of the section 34 for holding a container that is not specially adapted to hold the container 6 (for example, due to the presence of grooves for accommodating the outwardly protruding part of the stiffening section).

[0188] In embodiments that are not shown: a different number of stiffening sections may be provided, including 3, 4, or 6; the stiffening sections may be directly adjacent to each other; the stiffening sections have other profiles, including a U- or V-shape; the stiffening sections extend outward in the radial direction; the stiffening sections may be alternatively arranged, including with a curved or stepped base and a base that is not aligned in the radial direction; the base may alternatively be arranged at an angle, including an angle α of about 30-70 degrees, and d alternatively has dimensions that are less than about 50% or 30% of D, and / or d may comprise a minimum of at least 10 or 20% of D.

[0189] As shown in Fig. 13, the stiffening sections 110 extend along the base 78 from the virtual peripheral edge 84' of the base 78 (which is present in the section that does not contain the stiffening section, as indicated by the virtual line V) to the proximal portion of the perforation region 112. As can be best seen in Fig. 9, the distance W, limited by the distal end of the base 118 of the channel 114, is within 4 mm in the radial direction 108 from the most proximal edge of the perforation region 112. The distance W can vary depending on the size and magnitude of the perforation region 112.

[0190] As best seen in Fig. 13, the stiffening sections 110 have a maximum channel depth X of approximately 3 mm. The channel depth X is measured from the perpendicular to the base 118 to the intersection of the virtual section line V, which does not include the stiffening section. In the example, the intersection between the perpendicular distance and the virtual section line V occurs at the virtual proximal edge 80' of the side wall 76. In embodiments that are not shown: the depth X can alternatively have a dimension of 5 mm - 2 mm or 10 mm - 2 mm; the greatest depth can be located at a position other than the proximal edge.

[0191] As can be best seen in Fig. 13, the stiffening portions 110 extend along the side wall 76 in a direction opposite to the depth direction 100, by a distance Y, which can be defined as the distance from the virtual proximal edge 80' of the side wall 76 for the virtual section line V to the distal end of the channel 114. The distance Y is less than 40% or 30% of the total depth D. The minimum distance Y may be more than 10% or 20% of the total depth D.

[0192] The stiffening sections 110 extend along the base 78 in the direction opposite to the radial direction 108, from the virtual peripheral edge 84' of the base 78 for the line V of the virtual section to the radius Z. The radius Z is more than 30% or 40% of the total radius R of the base. The maximum radius Z can be 90 or 80% of the radius R.

[0193] As can best be seen in the cross-section in Fig. 13, when comparing the right side of the stiffening section 110 with the virtual line V, the stiffening sections 110 connect the base 78 and the proximal region of the side wall 76, which would otherwise not be connected.

[0194] In embodiments that are not shown: the stiffening sections are alternatively formed, including in the form of sections of material of increased thickness, for example in the form of a rib, as opposed to a channel that extends into the interior of the cavity, and the channel may include areas of material of increased thickness, including a base.

[0195] In block 74, as shown in Fig. 7, the previously described preparation process can be implemented by: placing the container 6 on the container holding section 34 of the processing unit 14 of the device 2. The container 6 can be pierced by the punching device 38 to form entry holes while simultaneously ensuring the rigidity of the container 6 due to the rigidity sections 110 to resist displacement.

[0196] The method for forming a storage section may include wet-molding the storage section and stiffening sections simultaneously, for example, using the same mold / press. Alternatively, the stiffening elements may be subsequently pressed into the storage section.

[0197] [Shoulder area of ​​the container]

[0198] As shown in Fig. 8, 11 and 14, the side wall 76 comprises a shoulder region 120, which is configured to adjoin the stiffening sections 110. The shoulder region 120 extends in the direction 100 in depth from the lower surface 72 of the flange portion 60 to the rim 122. The shoulder region 120 forms a linear outer surface 124 between the flange portion 60 and the rim 122. The outer surface 124 narrows with a decrease in radial extension from the flange portion 60 to the rim 122. The said narrowing can contribute to a more convenient arrangement of the container 6 on the section 34 for holding the container. The rim 122 is curved.

[0199] Due to the location of the shoulder region 120, namely near and adjacent to the stiffening sections 110, the radius Z of the base 78 is reduced compared to a container having a shoulder region located near the flange portion 60 (not shown). This combination of both the shoulder region 120 and the adjacent stiffening sections 110 allows for an increase in the rigidity of the container 6 in the base 78 and the perforation region 112. This helps ensure efficient perforation of the container by the punching device 38 of the beverage preparation device.

[0200] In an embodiment that is not shown: the shoulder area is separated from the flange portion by a gap; the outer surface is alternatively profiled, including curved or aligned in the depth direction, and the rim is alternatively profiled, including made in the form of a stepped or linear slope.

[0201] The outer surface 124 has a greater radial extension than the void-forming region 126 of the side wall 76. The void-forming region 126 of the side wall 76 extends along the remaining portion of the side wall 76 from the shoulder area 120 to the base 78.

[0202] In an embodiment not shown, the upper portion of the side wall includes a second shoulder region that interacts with the container holding portion. This second shoulder region may be located near the flange portion.

[0203] As shown in Fig. 14, the shoulder region 120 is configured to form a void-forming region 126 with the container-holding portion 34 of the processing unit 14 of the device 2 and is located separately in the radial direction 108 from the container-holding portion 34 to form a void 128 therebetween.

[0204] In the proposed embodiment, the shoulder area 120 does not interact with the container holding portion 34, which helps to reduce the adhesion of the container 6 on the container holding portion 34 (after extraction, the container must be removed from the container holding portion).

[0205] The shoulder area 120 has a distance S in depth between the lower surface 72 of the flange portion 60 and the intersection of the rim 122, corresponding to the distance 124 on the outside. The outer surface 124 is from 50 to 80% of the total depth D of the storage section 58 (as previously determined).

[0206] The void region 128 has a separation distance N in the radial direction 108 between the void-forming region 126 of the side wall 76 and the immediately adjacent portion of the container holding portion 34, increasing from about 1 mm or 2 mm to about 1.5 cm.

[0207] As shown in Fig. 15, the container 6 is configured to be partially stacked within a second container 6' of a corresponding shape. The proximal edge 80 (representing the intersection of the side wall 76 and the base 78) of the container 6 interacts with the rim 122' of the shoulder region 120' of the container 6'. A portion of the void-forming region 126 of the side wall 76 of the container 6, which is located adjacent to the shoulder region 120' of the second container 6', forming the remaining void 130', is retained. With this arrangement, the containers can be stacked on top of each other before filling with reduced adhesion.

[0208] In block 74, as shown in Fig. 7, the previously described cooking process can be implemented by: placing the container 6 on the container holding portion 34 of the processing unit 14 of the device 2 and ensuring that the flange portion 60 of the container 6 interacts with the container holding portion 34 so that the void-forming region 126 of the side wall 76 is located at a distance from the container holding portion 34, forming a void region 128.

[0209] The container 6 can be pierced by the piercing device 38 to form inlet holes, and the conditioned fluid is injected into said inlet holes, while the void region 128 is preserved. The container 6 can be removed from the container holding portion 34, while the void region 128 is preserved.

[0210] The method for filling a container 6 with a precursor material (not shown) includes: arranging a storage section 58 of the container 6 on a container holding section (not shown, although it can be considered as similar to the container holding section 34 of the device 2) of a filling device (also not shown). Thus, this step can be implemented as described in relation to the container holding section 34. The storage section 58 can be fed to the filling device with two or more containers stacked in the configuration described above. After filling, the storage section 58 can be closed using the closing element 56.

[0211] The method for forming a storage section may include wet-molding the storage section and shoulder area simultaneously, for example, using the same mold / press. Alternatively, the shoulder area may be subsequently pressed into the storage section.

[0212] [Container perforation area]

[0213] As shown in Figs. 8-11 and 16, the perforation region 112 is processed as described above to ensure that it is comparatively easier to perforate with the punching device 38 (as shown in Figs. 4A and 4B) than in the portion that is not processed, as will be described below.

[0214] As shown in Fig. 16, the circular ring of the perforation region 112 is formed in the form of three segments 132, which are radially limited by four bridges 134. The segments 130 are processed, and the bridges 134 are not processed.

[0215] In the above-described example of the punching device 38, three punching elements are provided, which are arranged with an equal angular pitch of 120 degrees relative to each other around the axis 106. The bridges 134 have different equal angular pitches: since four bridges 134 are provided, the angular pitch is 90 degrees around the axis 106. Thus, if the rotational orientation of the container 6 around the axis 106 is unknown, it can be guaranteed that even if one punching element is aligned with the bridge 134, the others are not, therefore, it can be guaranteed that at least one punching element will completely pierce the perforation region 112, 132, and not the bridge 134.

[0216] In an embodiment that is not shown: the punching device is provided with punching elements in a number other than three, for example 2 or 4; the perforation area consists of segments in a number other than four, for example 3 or 5; it is preferable that the number of segments is different from the number of punching elements, and the bridges are omitted, so that the perforation area is a continuous ring.

[0217] The perforation area 112 is processed under elevated temperature and pressure by pressing to vitrify the wood pulp material. The temperature is 100-300 degrees Celsius. The pressure is 1 x10 5 –1 x 10 7Pa. It should be understood that any suitable combination of temperature and pressure can be selected. For example, vitrification can be achieved through cold pressing, which may involve pressing at room temperature but at a higher pressure than hot pressing. The elevated temperature and pressing force can be applied for 5–60 seconds.

[0218] The processed perforation region 112 has a reduced thickness. For example, a 0.5 mm thick material can be reduced to 0.3 mm. Processing can be continued until the specified thickness reduction is achieved.

[0219] The size and dimension of the processed perforated area 112 may vary depending on the need to optimize the interaction between the container 6 and the beverage preparation device.

[0220] As used herein, the term "vitrification" or "vitrify" may refer to a change in one or more properties of a wood pulp-based material to impart a more glassy structure. This may be characterized by one or more of the following material properties (compared to untreated wood pulp-based material): a glass transition temperature higher than ambient temperature; a harder material; a more brittle material; a material with low energy absorption before rupture; a thinner sectioned material; a material with reduced interfiber spacing; reduced water absorption; increased stiffness and glass transition of the material.

[0221] The embodiments implement alternative processing methods, including: coating and corrugation to reduce the cross-section of the material. The term "coating" as used herein may refer to the application of a coating to a wood pulp-based material to close the pores / spaces between fibers and / or to provide a barrier. This may provide reduced water absorption, which may be advantageous for the reasons stated above. It may also provide a more brittle fracture, which may be advantageous for the reasons stated above. The coating may comprise caramelized sugar or starch, or another suitable coating. The term "corrugation" as used herein may refer to the removal of a portion of the material using a cutting tool or otherwise. The portion of the material that is removed may be up to 50% of the thickness of the material.A portion of the material may be one or more of: a line; the perimeter of the perforation area; or the area of ​​the perforation area.

[0222] Processing the perforation area 112 of the container 6 made of wood pulp-based material using the described processing method allows for easier perforation of this area, in contrast to the area that is not processed, using the punching device 38. This can be characterized by one or more of the following methods: perforating the perforation area, which is characterized by a brittle type of fracture with a comparatively lower energy absorption, rather than a ductile type of fracture with a comparatively higher energy absorption of the unprocessed area; less displacement of the punching device to achieve a complete breakthrough (for example, due to a reduced thickness of the perforation area and / or less movement of the perforation area by the punching device) and a breakthrough with a lower maximum force.

[0223] Perforation may occur at 1-50 N or 2-10 N in the case of the perforation area 112 which has been processed to reduce the thickness to 0.3 mm from 0.5 mm, for punching elements with a total penetration area of ​​6-15 mm 2 .

[0224] The values ​​shown for the perforated area 112 on the container 6 may be defined differently and may vary depending on the characteristics of the beverage preparation device.

[0225] In block 74, as shown in Fig. 7, the previously described preparation process can be implemented by: placing the container 6 on the container holding section 34 of the processing unit 14 of the device 2. The perforation region 112 of the container 6 can be pierced by the punching device 38 to form entry holes.

[0226] By combining the machined perforation area 112, the stiffening sections 110, and the shoulder area 120 (and the rim 122), the rigidity of the base 78 is increased, thereby ensuring improved and effective penetration of the punching device 38 to form entry holes. When the base is perforated by the punching device, the container resists displacement and the base is less prone to crushing.

[0227] The method for forming the storage section may include wet forming the storage section. The perforated region 112 may then be processed using one of the methods described above. The bridges 134 may be formed using a press shaped to process only the segments 132.

[0228] In embodiments that are not shown: other parts of the container 6 may be processed in the ways described herein, together with or instead of the perforation region 112.

[0229] For example, the flange portion 60 can be processed to provide an improved surface for applying a code to the bottom surface 72 of the flange portion 60. In particular, a heating and pressing process can be used to reduce the thickness of the flange portion 60 when it is made of a wood pulp-based material, so that the flange portion 60 has a thickness comparable to the thickness of a container made of conventional materials (e.g., aluminum), to ensure compatibility with existing devices. The heating and pressing process can also provide a more uniform surface that will serve as a substrate for the code, which can improve the reliability of code reading. In such an example, the preparation process can include a code reading step to extract preparation information from it. The code reading step can include rotating the code relative to the code reader.

[0230] It should be understood that any of the described methods (or corresponding devices, programs, storage media, etc.) can be implemented either by the host computer or by the client, depending on the specific implementation (i.e., the described methods / devices represent a form of communication(s) and therefore can be implemented from any "point of view", i.e., in accordance with the types of methods / devices). Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms "receive" and "transmit" encompass "input" and "output" and are not limited to the radio frequency context of transmitting and receiving radio waves.Therefore, for example, a chip or other device or component for implementing embodiments may generate data for output to another chip, device or component or have it as input from another chip, device or component, and such output or input may be denoted by the words "transmit" and "receive" or "transmission" and "reception", also implying "transmission" and "reception" in the radio frequency context.

[0231] When used in this specification, in any phrase in the style of "at least one of A, B or C" and the phrase "at least one of A, B and C", the disjunctive conjunction "or" and the coordinating conjunction "and" are used in such a way that these phrases include any and all, jointly and severally, permutations of the elements A, B, C, that is, only A, only B, only C, A and B in any order, A and C in any order, B and C in any order, and A, B, C in any order. More or less than three elements may be used in such phrases.

[0232] In the claims, any position numbers given in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps other than those listed in the claim. Furthermore, the singular forms used herein are defined as one or more than one. In particular, the use of such introductory phrases as "at least one" and "one or more" in the claims shall not be construed as implying that the introduction of another claim element with grammatical singular forms limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim element to inventions containing only one such element, even if the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and grammatical singular forms.The same applies to the indication of a specific quantity. Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to designate an arbitrary distinction between the elements described by such terms. Therefore, these terms do not necessarily serve to indicate temporal or other priority of such elements. The mere fact that certain indicators are indicated in mutually distinct claims does not indicate that a combination of these indicators cannot be used to achieve an advantage.

[0233] Unless otherwise expressly indicated as incompatible or the embodiments, examples, or claims do not exclude the possibility of such a combination from a physical or other point of view, the features of the above embodiments and examples and the claims presented below may be combined in any suitable configuration, especially in cases where a beneficial effect is achieved. This is not limited to any particular advantage, but, on the contrary, may arise due to an ex post facto advantage. This means that the combination of features is not limited to the described forms, in particular the form (e.g., numbering) of the example(s), embodiment(s), or dependence on the claim(s). Moreover, this also applies to the phrases "in one embodiment," "in accordance with an embodiment," etc., which are merely stylistic variations of the wording and should not be construed as limiting the following features to a particular embodiment with respect to all other instances of the same or similar wording. That is, a reference to "one" or "some" embodiment(s) may be a reference to any one or more, and / or all, or combination(s) of embodiments described herein. Similarly, a reference to a "certain" embodiment may not be limited to the immediately preceding embodiment.

[0234] As used herein, any device-executable instructions or machine-readable media can implement the described method and, therefore, can be used as synonyms for the term "method" or each other.

[0235] The above description of one or more embodiments serves as an illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the present invention to the precise form described herein. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be learned from practice of various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0236] LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0237] 2 - system

[0238] 4 - device

[0239] 14 - Processing Block

[0240] 20 - Container Processing Unit

[0241] 32 - Extraction Block

[0242] 34 - Container holding area

[0243] 36 - closing element

[0244] 38 - Injection head / punching device

[0245] 40 - Drink outlet

[0246] 22 - Fluid conditioning system

[0247] 24 – tank

[0248] 26 — pump

[0249] 28 — heat exchanger

[0250] 30 — output channel

[0251] 16 - Electrical diagram

[0252] 48 - Electrical control circuit

[0253] 50 — Input block

[0254] 52 – processor

[0255] 54 - Feedback system

[0256] 18 - Code Reading System

[0257] 46 - Image Capture Unit

[0258] 6 — container

[0259] 56 - closing element

[0260] 62 - inner surface

[0261] 64 - outer surface

[0262] 58 - Storage area

[0263] 74 - cavity

[0264] 76 - side wall

[0265] 80 - proximal edge

[0266] 82 - distal edge

[0267] 120 - shoulder area

[0268] 122 — rim

[0269] 124 - outer surface

[0270] 126 - void-forming region

[0271] 78 – base

[0272] 84 - peripheral edge

[0273] 112 - Perforation area

[0274] 132 — segments

[0275] 134 — Bridges

[0276] 110 - Rigidity areas

[0277] 114 — channel

[0278] 116 - side wall

[0279] 118 – base

[0280] 60 — flange part

[0281] 66 - inner edge

[0282] 68 - outer edge

[0283] 70 - Upper surface

[0284] 72 - lower surface

[0285] 44 - code element

Claims

1. A container for use with a device for preparing a beverage and / or food product, or their precursor, containing: - a storage section comprising a cavity with a side wall, a flange portion and a base for placing the precursor material, and - a closing element for closing the storage area, wherein at least part of the storage section is made of a material based on wood pulp, and wherein the storage area contains two or more of: - a perforation area located at the base of the storage section that is processed to ensure comparatively easier perforation by the punching device of the device than in an area that is not processed; - stiffening sections designed so that they extend along the base from the periphery to the section adjacent to the perforation area in order to impart rigidity to the base to resist displacement when the base is perforated by the punching device of the device; and - a shoulder area that extends outward from the flange portion to the rim of the side wall located proximal to the base to form a void-forming region of the side wall that is located between the shoulder area and the base to increase the rigidity of the base.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the shoulder area is positioned so that it extends along the periphery of the side wall to the area adjacent to the stiffening areas.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stiffening sections comprise discrete elements that are arranged in a ring along the circumference of the side wall of the container.

4. A container according to any one of paragraphs 1-3, in which the stiffening sections project into the interior of the storage area and not outward from the outer side.

5. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the stiffening portions are formed as channels that connect the base and the proximal region of the side wall.

6. A container according to any one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the stiffening areas have a maximum depth (X) of less than 10 mm and more than 2 mm.

7. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stiffening sections are arranged so that they extend in a depth direction along the side wall from the junction with the base for a distance (Y) less than 40% of the total depth D between the storage section and the base.

8. A container according to any one of paragraphs 1–7, in which the stiffening sections are arranged so that they extend along the base from the periphery to radii Z exceeding 30% of the total radii R of the base.

9. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the shoulder area has a depth distance S between the flange portion and the rim of the side wall that is between 50% and 80% of the total depth D of the storage area.

10. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the perforated area includes one or more of the following material properties compared to an area that is not processed: reduced water absorption; increased fragility; increased rigidity; and reduced thickness.

11. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the perforated area is in the form of a circular ring located centrally about the axis of rotation of the container.

12. The container according to claim 11, wherein the circular ring is made in the form of segments that are limited by unprocessed bridges.

13. The container according to claim 12, in which the bridges are designed so that they have a different angular pitch compared to the angular pitch of the elements forming the punching device of the device.

14. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the perforation area is capable of being perforated by a punching element with a total area of ​​6–15 mm 2 under the influence of at least 1–10 N.

15. A container according to any preceding claim, wherein the stiffening sections are arranged so as to prevent displacement of the perforated area of ​​the base by more than 0.5 to 2 mm in the depth direction when a compressive force of 1 to 50 N is applied to the perforated area in the depth direction by a punching device.

16. A system for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof, comprising a container according to any preceding claim and a device for preparing a beverage and / or a food product, or a precursor thereof, wherein the device comprises: - a processing unit for processing the container precursor material; and - electrical circuit for controlling the processing unit.

17. Use of a container according to any one of paragraphs 1–15 for the system according to paragraph 16 for preparing a beverage and / or food product, or a precursor thereof.

18. A method for preparing a beverage and / or food product, or their precursor, from a container precursor material, comprising: - perforating, using a punching device, the perforation area of ​​the said device, which is processed to ensure comparatively easier perforation by the punching device of the device than in the area that is not processed, - supplying the conditioned fluid to the container precursor material through the perforation, and - processing of the precursor material.

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