Paper-moulded container and method for making same

Abstract

The present invention concerns a one-piece paper-moulded container made of cellulosic fibre and comprising: - a cup body, having an accommodating cavity with an opening at one end, the accommodating cavity being used to hold an edible substance, - an outer edge, arranged around an outer periphery of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body, and - a bend transition portion positioned between the cup body and the outer edge and connecting the two, which further comprises a paper-moulded protruding platform, having a greater thickness than the cup body, the fibre density of the protruding platform being comprised between 650 and 750 kg / m3, and the thickness of said protruding platform being comprised between 900 microns and 1.2 millimetres.

Description

[0001] PAPER-MOULDED CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME

[0002] Daniel ABBEGLEN

[0003] Gilles GERBER

[0004] LIU Linhui

[0005] FENG Yijie

[0006] ZHU Xiaoqing

[0007] Technical Field

[0008] The present application relates to the field of food containers, in particular to a paper-moulded container and a method for making same.

[0009] Background Art

[0010] As people's living standards improve, portable drinks and solid foods are being used with ever increasing frequency, and such drinks or foods need to be held in containers. These containers are mostly single-use products, which are discarded directly when the drink has been consumed. At present, most such containers are made of metal (e.g. aluminium alloy) or plastic; the use of metal to make them will greatly increase the cost of the container, while the use of plastic to make them will produce a large amount of plastic waste, which pollutes the environment.

[0011] This is typically the case for single-use containers such as beverage preparation capsules, used in beverage preparation systems like for example the "Nespresso® Vertuoline" system, or the "Nespresso® Original Line" system. Such Nespresso® beverage systems comprise a beverage preparation machine and a capsule.

[0012] The capsule comprises a single serving of a beverage forming precursor material, e.g. ground coffee or tea or a soluble coffee powder. More generally, the capsule may contain a bulk solid, preferably a flowable bulk solid, preferably a powder, preferably a flowable powder including granules and / or particles. However, the capsule may be configured to house any type of food substance, preferably any food substance suitable to make a beverage with. The beverage preparation machine is arranged to execute a beverage preparation process on the capsule, typically by the exposure of pressurized, heated water to said precursor materialand, in the case of Nespresso® Vertuoline, the rotation of the capsule within the machine around its symmetry axis, at a high speed.

[0013] As part of this preparation process, the capsule is guided through the machine by a series of complex interactions to load, process and eject the capsule, by various mechanisms of the machine and principally an edge (or "flange") portion of the capsule. Processing of the capsule in this manner causes the at least partial extraction of the precursor material from the capsule as the beverage.

[0014] Although applicable to various types of containers, the present invention is more directly adapted to the Nespresso® "Vertuoline" capsules, which are described for instance in Applicant's European patent publications EP 4408769 Al and EP 4440954 Al.

[0015] This configuration of beverage preparation systems has increased popularity due to enhanced user convenience compared to conventional beverage preparation machines (e.g. compared to a manually operated Moka pot / stove-top espresso maker).

[0016] "Nespresso® Vertuoline" capsules typically comprise a cup-shaped capsule body having a rounded profile and accommodating a cavity with an opening at the upper end of said capsule. They further comprise a peripheral circumferential outer edge (or "rim" or "flange") that extends laterally and outwardly from the upper outer periphery of the cup body opening and connected to the cup body by a bend transition portion.

[0017] They also comprise a protruding platform (or "curl" or "bead") arranged at a side of the outer edge that is remote from the cup body, and arranged around an outer periphery of the outer edge. The presence of a protruding platform at the periphery of the capsule outer edge, guarantees a proper flow circulation of the beverage prepared within the capsule, which is then dispensed therefrom. At the time the beverage is expelled from the capsule compartment and flows out from the top of said capsule, the role of the protruding platform is to interact with the beverage and mix said beverage which is in liquid form, with air which is present around the capsule, and create a shear effect that will form a fine foam known as "crema". The crema thus formed is dispensed together with the liquid beverage out of the beverage machine and towards the cup of the user. The presence of crema in the final beverage is particularly appreciated, especially when the beverage is coffee, and is considered an essential quality and sensory attribute of the beverage. As thecrema layer is present at the top of the liquid beverage in the cup, it was found also to have a thermal insulation role, and keeps the temperature of the beverage within the cup at a higher level, for a longer period of time.

[0018] Such capsules are generally made of aluminium. However, in order to bring a solution to plastic environment pollution, attempts have been made to produce such capsules, by applying conventional cellulosic fibre pulp moulding technology.

[0019] Such attempts have not been successful though, for achieving the required tolerances and mechanical resistance of the capsule. This is due to the capsule constructional complexity, and the inadequacy of the pulp-moulding process and manufacturing appliances.

[0020] In particular, by design, the "Nespresso® Vertuoline" capsules have variable wall thicknesses in the specific functional areas such as the protruding platform ("curl" or "bead"), outer edge ("rim" or "flange") and body, and they require specific mechanical characteristics and physical behaviour in each of their various functional areas. To date, no other material than aluminium was found to be appropriate for manufacturing functionally reliable capsules, having regard to the above mentioned constructional complexity.

[0021] This is especially true regarding the formation of the protruding platform. If not properly shaped and formed, the protruding platform does not play its role in the formation of the crema.

[0022] To date, paper-moulded capsules have been produced, which comprise a protruding platform (or "curl" or "bead") positioned at the outermost peripheral portion of the outer edge of the capsule, which has the cross-section shape of a lip, or generally an elongated shape. Such capsules do not function properly, and especially they are not satisfactory to produce a beverage with a good quality crema.

[0023] A main technical problem underlying the present invention is therefore to provide a beverage preparation container, which is moulded with cellulosic fibre pulp (i.e. "paper-moulded container") in a simple and economic manner, and obviates the construction defects known in the art.Summary of the Invention

[0024] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a one-piece paper-moulded container for use with a machine for preparing a beverage and / or foodstuff or a precursor thereof, the container comprising:

[0025] - a cup-shaped body having an accommodating cavity, with an opening at one end, for holding an edible substance;

[0026] -an outeredge arranged around an outer periphery of the opening of the cup body, and

[0027] - a bend transition portion positioned between the adjacent cup body and the adjacent outer edge,

[0028] the container presenting the characteristics of claim 1.

[0029] By "paper-moulded", it is meant a container made from cellulosic fibre that is moulded by depositing fibres from a slurry onto the surface of a mould to obtain a wet container preform, and then pressing said wet container preform into a heating and pressing mould for obtaining a final container. The composition of the cellulosic fibre slurry can vary. Examples and preferred embodiments of such cellulosic compositions, for making a container according to the invention are provided in the present specification and in appended claims. In particular, the present invention may use degradable plant fibres such as wood, bamboo, bagasse, reed, straw, hemp stalks and crop straw.

[0030] According to the invention, the container further comprises a paper-moulded protruding platform, arranged at a side of the paper-moulded outer edge that is remote from the paper-moulded cup body, and arranged around an outer periphery of the paper-moulded outer edge, the protruding platform having a greater thickness than the cup body, the fibre density of the protruding platform being comprised between 650 and 750 kg / m3, and the thickness of said protruding platform being comprised between 900 microns and 1.2 millimetres.

[0031] The protruding platform (or "curl" or "bead") is particularly advantageous in the construction of "Nespresso® Vertuoline" capsules, as it ensures a proper circulation of the beverage produced in the capsule between the capsule and the brewing chamber, when said capsule is functionally introduced for the preparation of a beverage and a beverage is dispensed to a consumer. Forming said protruding platform as an integral part of the container is simple and less expensive than forming a protruding platform separately and assembling it to an already-made container. It also ensures that the same material composition is used with the restof the container, which improves recyclability and ensures a consistent mechanical behaviour of the container as a whole.

[0032] Advantageously, the cross-section of the protruding portion has a polygonal, or non-polygonal geometry having a largest width which is at least half of its largest length (e.g. a disk, half a disk, an ellipse, half an ellipse, any regular or non-regular polygonal shape such as a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a pentagon, etc.), or any hybrid geometry thereof.

[0033] It was found that such a specific geometry allows to achieve an excellent interaction of the liquid beverage that exits the capsule during a beverage preparation, with the profile of said protruding portion, such that the shear effect onto the beverage liquid is optimal for creating a quality crema.

[0034] Furthermore, the particular geometry of the protruding platform, in conjunction with a fibre density comprised between 650 and 750 kg / m3 as described above, was found to provide an optimal rigidity for said protruding platform, such that it does not collapse during the use of the container for a beverage preparation, especially when said container is a Nespresso Vertuoline capsule that rotates within the machine. In this case, the distance between the surface of the container (especially in the zone of the protruding platform) and the beverage preparation machine is maintained substantially constant during the preparation of a beverage, and therefore the shear effect explained above that is necessary for creating a good quality crema, is ensured.

[0035] Preferably, the fibre density in the bend transition portion may be comprised between 750 and 1400 kg / m3, and the thickness in the bend transition portion may be comprised between 150 and 800 microns. Furthermore, the bend transition portion may have a radius of curvature of 0.1 mm as a minimum. Such a geometry of the bend transition portion was found to provide a particularly high mechanical resistance against cracking of the material during processing and usage of the container, when the latter is subject to external mechanical forces.

[0036] With the present invention an optimal and homogeneous repartition of the fiber in the critical areas of the container and the different areas is achieved, in spite of the fact that its construction may comprise highly variable thicknesses between different portions of said container.

[0037] More precisely, the fiber density of the bend transition portion does not differ too much from the fiber densities of the cup-shaped body and that of the outer edge.Advantageously, the particular fiber density in the bend transition portion, in relation to the thickness in the same portion, prevents that too many fibres are accumulated, hence avoiding the phenomenon of "glassification" in this portion of the container (this phenomenon also known as "hornification" of the material, is frequently present in the prior art containers, due to an improper paper-moulding and an undue accumulation of fibres in the transition portion between the flange of the container and the body side walls, such that during the compression step, the overly accumulated fibres are so compressed that it renders the material structure brittle like glass and prone to shatter under localized load). With the invention, the fibre density in the container avoids glassification and, especially when it is of the type of a "Nespresso® Vertuoline" capsule, renders the container particularly resistant to tearing when subject to mechanical stress, for example when it is rotated around its axis during the preparation of a beverage in a "Nespresso® Vertuoline" beverage machine.

[0038] Embodiments of the present application provide a paper-moulded container, the raw materials of which are renewable, and which has a good level of degradability, will not pollute the environment, and has high mechanical strength.

[0039] In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the container comprises at least 60%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably 100% soft wood fibre, by fibre mass fraction. The inventors have found that the higher proportion of soft wood, the higher the mechanical flexibility of the bend transition portion at the junction between the outer edge and the cup body walls of the container. Such flexibility is important, typically when the container is a beverage capsule for use in a beverage machine, to ensure a proper interaction of said container with the beverage machine. More precisely, it allows the container to conform properly to the shape of the brewing chamber of a beverage machine into which said container is placed, especially when the container is a Nespresso Vertuoline capsule and it rotates inside the machine during a beverage preparation, thus ensuring an optimal function of the beverage system, and good beverage quality. The advantage of a container being made of 100% of soft wood fibre is that the soft wood fibre is longer, ensuring a higher value of elongation at break than the elongation at break of a container material that comprises hardwood fibre. A higher elongation at break value is required in the case the container is subject to high mechanical shear stress during its use, which is the case of a container which is rotated at a high speed like the Nespresso ® Vertuoline capsule for instance.The container may comprise 60% soft wood fibre and 40% hard wood fibre. Alternatively, the container may comprise 60% soft wood fiber and 40% bagasse (sugar cane fiber).

[0040] Advantageously, the soft wood fibres may have a fibre length comprised between 2 and 3 mm, and the hard wood fibres, if any, may have a fibre length comprised between 0.5 and 1.2 mm. Also preferably, the soft wood fibres, and the hard wood fibres if any, may have a degree of refining of at least 30° SR (Schopper-Riegler degrees), as measured in standard conditions according to ISO 5267 / 1 (alternatively, the measurement of degree of refining of the fibres can be performed according to Canadian test TAPPI T / 227 which is an equivalent to ISO 5267 / 1). These values of fibre length and degree of refining have been found to provide particular mechanical resistance to the resulting container and good flexibility.

[0041] The fibre density in the cup body may be comprised between 750 and 900 kg / m3, and the thickness of said cup body is comprised between 350 and 800 microns.

[0042] Furthermore, the fibre density in the outer edge (or "rim" or "flange") may be comprised between 1000 and 1400 kg / m3, and the thickness of said outer edge may be comprised between 150 and 250 microns. The thickness of the outer edge is crucial in case the container is a Nespresso® VertuoLine® capsule, because the capsule must fit correctly and functionally inside the brewing chamber of the corresponding Nespresso® VertuoLine® machine. Typically, the most preferred thickness for the outer edge of a Nespresso® VertuoLine capsule is 170 microns, and taking into account acceptable tolerances in the thickness variability, the thickness of the outer edge can therefore be comprised between 150 microns and 250 microns, preferably 150 microns and 200 microns, for a perfect functional adaptation of the capsule inside the beverage preparation machine.

[0043] The thickness of the various container portions mentioned above are optimal to adapt the container to a Nespresso® Vertuoline machine and ensure optimal functioning and a good interaction at the interface between the container and the machine, thus providing optimal beverage quality. More precisely, in the Nespresso® VertuoLine system, the presence of a protruding platform at the periphery of the capsule outer edge, guarantees a proper flow circulation of the beverage prepared within the capsule, and dispensed therefrom: at the time said beverage is expelled from the capsule compartment and flows out from the top of said capsule, the role of the protruding platform is to interact with the beverageand mix said beverage which is in liquid form, with air which is present around the capsule, and create a shear effect that will form a fine foam known as crema. The crema thus formed is dispensed together with the liquid beverage out of the beverage machine and towards the cup of the user. The presence of crema in the final beverage is particularly appreciated, especially when the beverage is coffee, and is considered an essential quality attribute of the beverage.

[0044] In an embodiment, the one-piece paper-moulded container may be more specifically a beverage preparation capsule for use in a beverage preparation machine, and preferably, it may be a beverage capsule for the preparation of coffee by centrifugation of an ingredient contained within the capsule that is mixed with water heated at a temperature comprised between 65°C and 100°C. As indicated hereinbefore, in one particular embodiment of the invention, the beverage preparation system by centrifugation is of the Nespresso® Vertuoline type, comprising a container according to the invention to be functionally inserted into, and used with, a beverage preparation machine described for example in

[0045] Further, when rotated at a rotation speed of 5000 rad / min - 8000 rad / min while holding liquid at 100°C, the paper-moulded container is able to withstand rotation for 60 s - 180 s without cracking or tearing, nor being substantially damaged (i.e. without compromising the functionality of the capsule within the system). This rotation speed is typically used in the Nespresso® Vertuoline system, during the preparation of a Nespresso® beverage.

[0046] In one embodiment of the invention, the difference of fibre density between the bend transition portion, and the adjacent cup body and outer edge, may not exceed 25%, preferably may not exceed 15%. This provides a smooth transition of the variations of density from one portion to the other in the container. With such a construction, glassification of the material is avoided and the mechanical resistance of the container has been found to be optimal, in particular in the conditions of use in a Nespresso® machine.

[0047] Typically, cellulosic pulp and pulp slurry used in the frame of the present invention, may have a composition, and be manufactured according to the principles, described in patent applications EP AN 24209768.1, EP AN 24209773.1, EP AN 24209778.0, or EP AN 24209787.1.

[0048] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a method for making a one-piece paper-moulded container comprising:- a paper-moulded cup body, having an accommodating cavity with an opening at one end, the accommodating cavity being used to hold a target an edible substance; and

[0049] - a paper-moulded outer edge, arranged around an outer periphery of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body, and connected to the paper-moulded cup body in such a way as to form a bend,

[0050] characterized in that said method comprises:

[0051] - providing a slurry suction mould comprising a slurry suction mould body with a recessed mould cavity and a paper-moulding cellulosic fibres slurry, wherein the paper-moulding slurry comprises at least 60%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably 100% soft wood fibre, by fibre mass fraction, and said slurry having a concentration of fibre comprised between 0.5g / l and 6g / l;

[0052] - placing the slurry suction mould recessed cavity in the paper-moulding slurry and performing slurry suction, preferably such that the concavity of the recessed cavity is oriented downwards and such that fibres are preferably sucked upwardly onto the cavity surface, then

[0053] - performing setting to obtain a paper-moulding blank having at least 10% water content; and

[0054] - hot-pressing the paper-moulding blank in a mould cavity, to obtain the paper-moulded container.

[0055] The slurry suction mould is a recessed mould, and has a recessed mould cavity (or so called "female suction mould cavity").

[0056] By "the concavity of the recessed cavity is oriented downwards", it is meant that in the slurry bath, the recessed (i.e. "female") mould cavity of the paper-forming device is positioned at the top, relatively to the direction of gravity such that the concavity of said female recessed mould is turned downwardly and such that when performing slurry suction, the cellulosic fibres that are present in the slurry bath are sucked upwardly onto the female mould cavity surface.

[0057] In order to cope with the uneven fiber repartition, the invention therefore focuses on the usage of a female slurry mold with dedicated vacuum channels.

[0058] The inventors have found that pulp-moulding the container using a female slurry mould that is preferably oriented with its concavity turned downwardly relative to the direction of gravity, allows a precise control of the fiber deposition onto the surface of the slurry mould cavity during the first stage of the manufacturing process, and:In the context of the present invention, the above container manufacturing method allows the formation of a mass of fibres in the outer periphery of the container outer edge, having a volume which, once compressed, forms a protruding platform (or "curl", or "bead") having a geometry that is particularly efficient in the formation of crema, particularly in the beverage preparation with Nespresso® VertuoLine® systems, as explained herein before.

[0059] Generally, and without being bound theory, the inventors consider that sucking fibres from the slurry, onto the surface of a female mould that is damped into the slurry such that the concavity of the recessed cavity is oriented downwards and performing slurry suction such that fibres are sucked upwardly onto the cavity surface, allows to homogenise the repartition of fibres at the surface of the mould concavity. This is due to the fact that the concave shape of the female mould triggers a circulation of the fibres from the slurry, towards the surface of the mould cavity, that prevents uncontrolled accumulation of fibres in certain zones of the mould surface., as the fibres are drawn against the gravity in the slurry bath. The inventors have found that this benefit is even further amplified in the preferred case where the concavity of the recessed cavity is oriented downwards and performs slurry suction such that fibres are sucked upwardly in the slurry bath onto the cavity surface, against the gravity. The fibres do not accumulate in an uncontrolled manner, but on the contrary, they are pulled upwards from the slurry bath and sucked towards the surface of the mould in a very controlled manner, only by the effect of the suction vents which are present at the surface of the mould. In this case, it is possible to precisely control the deposition of fibres onto the surface of the mould, in quantities which are tailored for each zone of the mould cavity, and such that the corresponding zones of the moulded item each comprise a predetermined thickness and fibre density after compression and drying.

[0060] Furthermore, the fact that the water content that is set at least to 10% by weight in the wet container preform, after pulp moulding but before the compression step, was found to be particularly advantageous to guarantee that the fibres are not broken in the subsequent compression and drying steps; humidity of the preform allows to preserve a certain flexibility of the material by allowing a certain movement of the fibres one relative to the others, such that during compression, the mechanical stress applied to the material does not rupture the fibres. After pulp moulding and before compression, the fibre content in the wet preform is at least 10% by weight.The slurry suction mould may advantageously further comprise a first mesh face and a second mesh face, wherein:

[0061] -the first mesh face and the second mesh face are sequentially stacked on a surface of a sidewall enclosing the recessed mould cavity,

[0062] - the slurry suction mould body has multiple first through-holes which are located in the recessed mould cavity,

[0063] - the first mesh face has multiple first mesh holes,

[0064] - the second mesh face has multiple second mesh holes,

[0065] - the first through-holes are larger in diameter than the first mesh holes, and - the first mesh holes are larger in diameter than the second mesh holes.

[0066] Further, the diameter of the first through-holes is in the range of 1.8 mm - 2.5 mm, and the distance between two adjacent said first through-holes is in the range of 2 mm - 4 mm; the mesh number of the first mesh holes is in the range of 30 mesh -50 mesh, and the mesh number of the second mesh holes is in the range of 70 mesh - 90 mesh.

[0067] In one preferred embodiment, the step of hot-pressing the paper-moulding blank to obtain the paper-moulded container may comprise:

[0068] - providing a hot-pressing upper mould and a hot-pressing lower mould which enclose a hot-pressing mould cavity;

[0069] - transferring the paper-moulding blank into the hot-pressing mould cavity, and -performing moulding by hot pressing for a period of time comprised between 8 and 25 seconds to obtain the one-piece paper-moulded container, wherein the temperature of the hot-pressing mould is in the range of 160°C to 220°C, preferably about 175°C to 185°C and the hot-pressing pressure per cavity is in the range of 5 kN to 25 kN.

[0070] The inventors have found that the compression force described above, is the optimal range of values to achieve a good balance between an optimal fibre density in the material of the finished container, and the guarantee that the material is not too compressed, thus avoiding glassification of the material which, as explained above, is detrimental to the mechanical characteristics of the finished container, especially in the bend transition portion of the container. More precisely, on the one hand, too low a compression pressure leads to a fibre density which is too low to guarantee a proper mechanical resistance of the container material, especially in the zones which are subject to mechanical stress during usage. On the other hand, too high a pressure during the compression step leads to glassification of thematerial, such that the glassified portions of the resulting container have a high risk to crack or tear during usage of the container, typically when the container is a capsule used in a Nespresso® Vertuoline beverage system.

[0071] The hot-pressing lower mould may comprise a lower mould body and a third mesh face; the lower mould body is a protruding mould, and the lower mould body comprises a protruding mould part having multiple second through-holes which are spaced apart; the third mesh face is arranged on a surface of the protruding mould part and covers the multiple second through-holes, the diameter of the second through-holes is in the range of 1.8 mm - 2.5 mm, and the distance between two adjacent said second through-holes is in the range of 8 mm - 15 mm.

[0072] The paper-moulded container in embodiments of the present application are designed so that the paper-moulded container produced has high mechanical strength, with high rigidity and stiffness; in addition, the paper-moulded container has more uniform thickness and a smoother surface, and is less likely to have local defects. Furthermore, the paper-moulded container in embodiments of the present application is made from renewable and degradable materials, so has a good level of degradability and will not pollute the environment.

[0073] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0074] To illustrate the technical solution of embodiments of the present application more clearly, the drawings that need to be used in the embodiments are presented briefly below; obviously, the drawings in the description below are merely some embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art could obtain other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0075] Figure 1 is a structural schematic drawing of a paper-moulded container in an embodiment of the present application, viewed from one angle.

[0076] Figure 2 is a structural schematic drawing of a paper-moulded container in an embodiment of the present application, viewed from another angle.

[0077] Figure 3 is a structural schematic drawing of a paper-moulded container in an embodiment of the present application, viewed from above.

[0078] Figure 4 is a structural schematic sectional view, in direction A-A in figure 3, of a paper-moulded container in an embodiment of the present application.

[0079] Figure 5 is a structural schematic sectional view, in direction A-A in figure 3, of a paper-moulded container in another embodiment of the present application.Figure 6 is a structural schematic sectional view, in direction A-A in figure 3, of a paper-moulded container in another embodiment of the present application. Figure 7 is a structural schematic sectional view of a beverage capsule in an embodiment of the present application.

[0080] Figure 8 is a schematic flow chart of a method for making a paper-moulded container in an embodiment of the present application.

[0081] Figure 9 is a structural schematic drawing of a slurry suction mould in an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] Figure 10 is a partially exploded structural schematic drawing of a slurry suction mould in an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] Figure 11 is a structural schematic drawing of a hot-pressing mould in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] Figure 12 is an exploded structural schematic drawing of a hot-pressing mould in an embodiment of the present application.

[0085] Figure 13 is a partially exploded structural schematic drawing of a hot-pressing mould in an embodiment of the present application, viewed from another angle.

[0086] Reference numerals to the drawings:

[0087] 100 - paper-moulded container; 11 - paper-moulded cup body; 111 - cup body part; 112 - expansion part; 12 - paper-moulded outer edge; 13 - paper-moulded protruding platform; 14 - accommodating cavity; 141 - first sub-cavity; 142 -second sub-cavity; 15 - sacrificial part; 20 - barrier layer; 200 - beverage capsule; 210 - sealing cover; 300 - slurry suction mould; 310 - slurry suction mould body; 311 - first through-hole; 312 - recessed mould cavity; 320 - first mesh face; 321 -first mesh hole; 330 - second mesh face; 331 - second mesh hole; 400 - hot-pressing mould; 410- hot-pressing upper mould; 420- hot-pressing lower mould; 421 - lower mould body; 4212 - second through-hole; 422 - third mesh face; 4221 -third mesh hole.

[0088] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0089] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solution in embodiments of the present application is described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings in embodiments of the present application; obviously, the embodiments described are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art on the basis of embodiments inthe present application without inventive effort are included in the scope of protection of the present application.

[0090] The terms "first" and "second", etc. in the description and claims of the present application and in the drawings mentioned above are used to distinguish between different objects, not to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variants thereof are intended to cover nonexclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, and optionally further comprises steps or units that are not listed, or optionally further comprises other steps or units that are intrinsic to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0091] As used herein, the term "system" or "beverage or foodstuff preparation system" may refer to the combination of any two of more of: the beverage or foodstuff preparation machine; the container; the server system, and the peripheral device.

[0092] As used herein, the term "beverage" may refer to any substance capable of being processed to a potable substance, which 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 / flavoured water, and other substance.

[0093] The term "slurry bath" means a suspension which includes a plurality of fibres, preferably pulp fibres. The fibres of the slurry bath are preferably cellulose fibres, having a composition as defined in the rest of the present specification. One or more othertypes of fibres may alternatively or additionally be included in the slurry bath.

[0094] By recessed mould cavity (or "female mold"), it is meant the part of a mould in which a cavity is defined, the cavity configured to receive and / or form a body of the container and / or of the container preform. The body of the container preform and / or the container may extend completely or substantially completely into the cavity of the mold.

[0095] The technical solution in embodiments of the present application is described below with reference to the drawings.It should be explained that to facilitate description, in embodiments of the present application, identical reference numerals indicate identical components, and for conciseness, in different embodiments, detailed descriptions of identical components are omitted.

[0096] As people's living standards improve, portable drinks and solid foods, etc. are being used with ever increasing frequency, and such drinks or foods need to be held in containers. These containers are mostly single-use products, which are discarded directly when the drink has been consumed. At present, most such containers are made of metal (e.g. aluminium alloy) or plastic; the use of metal to make them will greatly increase the cost of the container, while the use of plastic to make them will produce a large amount of plastic waste, which pollutes the environment.

[0097] CONTAINER

[0098] Referring to figure 1, embodiments of the present application provide a paper-moulded container 100, the paper-moulded container 100 comprising at least 60%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably 100% soft wood fibre by mass fraction. Typically, in the embodiment depicted in figure 1, the container may comprise 60% soft wood fibre and 40% hard wood fibre or alternatively 60% soft wood fibre et 40% bagasse (sugar cane fibre). In one alternative which is particularly advantageous, the container material may be composed of 100% soft wood fibre.

[0099] In embodiments of the present application, when a range of values a to b is involved, unless otherwise specified, this means that the value in question may be any value between a and b, including the endpoint value a and the endpoint value b.

[0100] Optionally, the paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application may be made of degradable materials such as wood, bamboo, bagasse, reed, straw, hemp stalks and crop straw.

[0101] Optionally, the target substance may be but is not limited to being a solid food powder such as coffee powder, milk tea powder, tealeaf powder, fruit juice powder and protein powder.It should be explained that the paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application may be used to hold solid food powders such as coffee powder, milk tea powder, tealeaf powder, fruit juice powder and protein powder.

[0102] Optionally, the wood fibre may be at least one of hardwood fibres. Optionally, the hardwood wood fibre may be but is not limited to being at least one of oak wood fibre, mahogany fibre, birch wood fibre, red oak fibre, hard maple fibre, alder fibre, Japanese elm wood fibre and boxwood fibre, etc.

[0103] Specifically, the mass fraction of soft wood fibre in the paper-moulded container 100 may be but is not limited to being 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or 100%. If the content of soft wood pulp fibre is too low, the paper-moulded container 100 produced will be more brittle, thinner points on the paper-moulded container 100 will easily break due to brittleness.

[0104] In a wood pulp fibre moulding process, insufficient uniformity of distribution of fibres in the mould will affect the moulding precision and surface quality of the product. For example, during vacuum suction filtration moulding, wood pulp fibres might cluster or become entangled under the action of suction, causing non-uniform thickness or local defects in the product. Furthermore, fibres will stick to the mould, and this will affect mass production. Wood pulp fibres are relatively long with a good level of toughness, and consequently, a paper-moulded product made therefrom is more flexible. Sugarcane fibres are classed as medium-length-to-short fibres, of a length and toughness lying between those of certain short-fibre and long-fibre raw materials, and have the advantages of moderate strength and moderate toughness, so are a raw material that is relatively suitable for making moulded products, being capable of effectively maintaining the shape and structural stability of such products. A characteristic of bagasse fibres is that they are able to entangle with one another naturally to form a dense mesh-like structure; consequently, a product made therefrom has good integrity, stiffness and hardness, and will not crumble easily, so is able to meet a variety of demands in everyday use, such as carrying foods and sustaining a certain level of pressure, etc.

[0105] The compounding and proportions soft wood fibre and the other types of fibres in the paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application are designed so that the paper-moulded container 100 produced has high mechanicalstrength, with high rigidity and stiffness; in addition, the paper-moulded container 100 has more uniform thickness and a smoother surface, and is less likely to have local defects. Furthermore, the paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application is made from renewable and degradable materials, so has a good level of degradability and will not pollute the environment.

[0106] Referring to figures 1 to 4, a paper-moulded container 100 is depicted and is described in detail in the following, which is a container more specifically adapted to be used as a beverage capsule for use in a Nespresso® VertuoLine beverage preparation system. In this exemplary embodiment, the beverage capsule comprises a paper-moulded cup body 11, a paper-moulded outer edge 12 (also sometimes referred to as "rim" or "flange") and a paper-moulded protruding platform 13 (also sometimes referred to as "curl" or "bead").

[0107] The paper-moulded cup body 11 has an accommodating cavity 14 with an opening at one end, the accommodating cavity 14 being used to hold a target substance; the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is arranged around an outer periphery of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11, and the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is connected to the paper-moulded cup body 11 in such a way as to form a bend; the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is arranged at a side of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 that is remote from the paper-moulded cup body 11, and is arranged around an outer periphery of the paper-moulded outer edge 12; the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 are a one-piece structure, the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded cup body 11, and the paper-moulded cup body 11 has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded outer edge 12.

[0108] It should be explained that the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be integrally formed, as one single integrally formed (i.e. one-piece) item by a pulp moulding process. The paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 are different portions (or regions) of the same item. There are no joining, adhesion, fusion or other bonding interfaces between the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13.

[0109] Optionally, the paper-moulded cup body 11 may be but is not limited to being at least one of a hemispherical structure, a semi-ellipsoidal structure, and a tubularstructure with one end closed and an opening at the other end, etc. The shape of the paper-moulded cup body 11 may be a regular shape or an irregular shape; the present application imposes no restrictions in this respect.

[0110] It will be appreciated that the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is an annular structure, and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is an annular structure. The paper-moulded protruding platform 13 as depicted in figures 1 to 4 (and also in further figures 5 and 6 described in more detail below) has a cross section which is generally elliptical, with the largest width being more than half the size of the greatest length of the ellipse. Such a cross-section provides a mass of material and volume of the protruding platform that is sufficient to allow the production of good quality crema (in terms of quantity, bubbles fineness, colour, and stability over time). Other cross sectional geometries may be used for the protruding portion, as long as they involve cross-sectional shapes that are not linear (rectilinear or elongated curves), and particularly as long as they involve a geometry wherein the largest width of the cross section is at least half of its largest length. The paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 are connected in sequence.

[0111] It should be explained that when the paper-moulded container 100 of the present application is used to hold a food powder such as coffee powder, tea-leaf powder or beverage powder and made into a beverage capsule, the beverage capsule may be used in conjunction with a beverage device such as a coffee machine or tealeaf extraction machine, thus forming a beverage preparation system. For instance, the beverage preparation system is of the type of Nespresso® Classic or Nespresso® VertuoLine system.

[0112] A beverage device comprises a machine body and a cover which are movably, for instance rotatably, connected; the machine body has an accommodating recess for accommodating the beverage capsule, and the cover is used to close the accommodating recess. When the beverage capsule is put in the beverage device, the paper-moulded cup body 11 of the paper-moulded container 100 is received in the accommodating recess of the beverage device, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is fitted to an opening of the accommodating recess, and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 protrudes from the accommodating recess; when the cover is closed, the machine body and the cover cooperate to clamp the paper-moulded outer edge 12, thereby fixing the beverage capsule in place, and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 performs a locating action, preventing the paper-moulded capsule from falling into the accommodating recess.The paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application comprises the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13. The paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 are a one-piece structure, the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded cup body 11, and the paper-moulded cup body 11 has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded outer edge 12.

[0113] Regarding the fact that the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 of the paper-moulded container 100 of the present application are a one-piece structure, and may be integrally formed by pulp moulding: compared with a solution whereby the parts are separately formed and then stuck together, this can greatly simplify the process of making the paper-moulded container 100, lowering the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100, and there are no traces of sticking, so the paper-moulded container 100 has a better appearance.

[0114] In addition, regarding the fact that the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 of the present application has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded cup body 11, and the paper-moulded cup body 11 has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded outer edge 12: designing the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 to have different thicknesses can make the paper-moulded container 100 more aesthetically pleasing overall, with a better appearance. Furthermore, regarding the fact that the paper-moulded cup body 11 has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded outer edge 12: since the paper-moulded cup body 11 has a greater thickness, it can provide better support for the target substance, such that the paper-moulded container 100 has better mechanical strength overall; and the fact that the paper-moulded outer edge 12 has a smaller thickness can reduce the amount of material used in the paper-moulded container 100, thus lowering costs, and can also give the paper-moulded outer edge 12 a better feel. Since the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 has a greater thickness than the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 can have a reinforcing effect on the paper-moulded outer edge 12, preventing deformation of the paper-moulded outer edge 12. In addition, due to the greater thickness of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13, when the paper-moulded container 100 is used to hold food powder such as coffee powder or tealeaf powder, and used in conjunction with a beverage device such as a coffee machine to perform extraction,the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 can perform a locating action, to locate the paper-moulded container 100 on the beverage device more effectively.

[0115] Again referring to figure 4, in some embodiments, the ratio dl / hl of the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 to the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is in the range of 70 < dl / hl < 110.

[0116] Specifically, the ratio dl / hl of the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 to the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 may be but is not limited to being 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110.

[0117] In this embodiment, if the ratio of the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 to the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is too small, corresponding to making a smaller paper-moulded container 100 of greater thickness, the production cost of the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased; if the ratio of the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 to the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is too large, corresponding to making a paper-moulded cup body 11 of greater overall size but with a smaller thickness, this will result in the paper-moulded container 100 having reduced mechanical strength, and being likely to deform, so the service life of the paper-moulded container 100 is reduced.

[0118] In some embodiments, the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is in the range of 48 mm < dl <50 mm. Specifically, the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 may be but is not limited to being 48 mm, 48.3 mm, 48.5 mm, 48.8 mm, 49 mm, 49.3 mm, 49.5 mm, 49.8 mm, 50 mm, etc. If the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is too small, the capacity of the paper-moulded container 100 will be reduced, and in addition, when the paper-moulded container 100 is used to hold coffee and used in a coffee machine, such a design is likely to cause the paper-moulded container 100 to wobble when put on the coffee machine, spoiling the user experience. If the mouth diameter dl of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is too large, the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded container 100 will be reduced, so the paper-moulded container will be likely to deform, and additionally, when the paper-moulded container 100 is used to hold coffee and used in a coffee machine, such a design is likely to result in the paper-moulded container 100 being unable to be fitted to the coffee machine.In some embodiments, the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is in the range of 0.5 mm < hl < 0.6 mm. Specifically, the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 may be but is not limited to being 0.5 mm, 0.52 mm, 0.54 mm, 0.56 mm, 0.58 mm, 0.6 mm, etc. If the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is too small, the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded container 100 will be reduced, so the paper-moulded container 100 is likely to deform, reducing the service life of the paper-moulded container 100 and spoiling the user experience; if the thickness hl of the paper-moulded cup body 11 is too large, the amount of material used in the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased, thus increasing the cost of the paper-moulded container 100, and additionally, when the paper-moulded container 100 is small, the capacity of the paper-moulded container 100 will also be reduced.

[0119] Again referring to figure 4, in some embodiments, the ratio h2 / h3 of the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is in the range of 0.09 < h2 / h3 < 0.15.

[0120] Specifically, the ratio h2 / h3 of the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be but is not limited to being 0.09, 0.1, 0.105, 0.11, 0.115, 0.12, 0.125, 0.13, 0.135, 0.14, 0.145, 0.15, etc.

[0121] In this embodiment, if the ratio h2 / h3 of the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too small, then the paper-moulded outer edge 12 will be too thin, reducing the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and making the paper-moulded outer edge 12 likely to deform, or the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 will be too thick, increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100 and affecting the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100. If the ratio h2 / h3 of the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too large, then the paper-moulded outer edge 12 will be too thick, increasing the cost of the paper-moulded container 100, and the difference in thickness of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 will be too small, impairing the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100; or the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 will be too thin, reducing the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13, and reducing the reinforcing effect of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 on the paper-moulded outer edge 12.In some embodiments, the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is in the range of 0.2 mm < h2 < 0.25 mm. Specifically, the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 may be but is not limited to being 0.2 mm, 0.21 mm, 0.22 mm, 0.23 mm, 0.24 mm, 0.25 mm, etc. If the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is too small, the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 will be reduced, so the paper-moulded outer edge 12 will be likely to deform; if the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is too large, the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased, and the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100 will be affected; in addition, if the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is too large, when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device such as a coffee machine, it will be difficult to fit the paper-moulded container 100 to the beverage device.

[0122] In some embodiments, the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is in the range of 1.8 mm < h3 < 2.2 mm. Specifically, the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be but is not limited to being 1.8 mm, 1.85 mm, 1.9 mm, 1.95 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.05 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.15 mm, 2.2 mm, etc. If the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too small, the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 will be reduced, reducing the reinforcing effect of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 on the paper-moulded outer edge 12, and additionally, when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device such as a coffee machine, the engagement effect of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 will be reduced; if the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too large, the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased, and the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100 will be affected; in addition, if the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too large, when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device such as a coffee machine, the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 will be likely to press against the beverage device from below, affecting the use of the paper-moulded container 100.

[0123] Again referring to figure 4, in some embodiments, the ratio w2 / h2 of the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is in the range of 8 < w2 / h2 < 13.Specifically, the ratio w2 / h2 of the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 may be but is not limited to being 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5, 12, 12.5, 13, etc.

[0124] In this embodiment, if the ratio w2 / h2 of the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is too small, the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100 will be affected, and when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device, the mounting and locating of the paper-moulded container 100 will be affected; if the ratio w2 / h2 of the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 to the thickness h2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is too large, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 will be too wide or the paper-moulded outer edge 12 will be too thin, reducing the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded outer edge 12, making the paper-moulded outer edge 12 likely to deform, and also increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100.

[0125] In some embodiments, the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is in the range of 2.15 mm < w2 < 2.55 mm. Specifically, the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 may be but is not limited to being 2.15 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.25 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.35 mm, 2.4 m, 2.45 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.55 mm, etc. If the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is too small, the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100 will be affected, and when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device, the mounting and locating of the paper-moulded container 100 will be affected; if the line width w2 of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is too large, the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 will be reduced, making the paper-moulded outer edge 12 likely to deform, and additionally, the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased.

[0126] Again referring to figure 4, in some embodiments, the ratio w3 / h3 of the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is in the range of 0.83 < w3 / h3 < 2.

[0127] Specifically, the ratio w3 / h3 of the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be but is not limited to being 0.83, 0.85, 0.9, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, etc.

[0128] In this embodiment, if the ratio w3 / h3 of the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protrudingplatform 13 is too small, the line width of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be too small, so the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is reduced, and when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device, it will be difficult to locate the paper-moulded container 100 in the beverage device; or the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be too thick, increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100, and affecting the fitting of the paper-moulded container 100 to the beverage device. If the ratio w3 / h3 of the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 to the thickness h3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too large, the line width of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be too large, increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100; or the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be too thin, reducing the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13, making the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 likely to deform, and also reducing the locating action of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13, such that when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device, it is difficult to locate and fit the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 on the beverage device.

[0129] In some embodiments, the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is in the range of 1.1 mm < w3 < 1.5 mm. Specifically, the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be but is not limited to being 1.1 mm, 1.15 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.25 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.35 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.45 mm, 1.5 mm, etc. If the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too small, the mechanical strength of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 will be reduced, and when the paper-moulded container 100 is used in conjunction with a beverage device, it will be difficult to locate the paper-moulded container 100 on the beverage device; if the line width w3 of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 is too large, the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased.

[0130] Optionally, an outer periphery of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 has an arc shape. Optionally, the arc shape may be but is not limited to being a circular arc shape, an elliptical arc shape, etc. Optionally, the outer periphery of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 has a radius of curvature of 0.6 mm - 1 mm; specifically, it may be but is not limited to being 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, 1 mm, etc. A circular-arc-shaped design of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 can give the paper-moulded container 100 a better appearance; and a circular-arc-shaped protruding platform makes the paper-moulded container 100 easier to mould, facilitating mould release of the paper-moulded container 100.Again referring to figure 4, in some embodiments, the paper-moulded cup body 11 comprises a cup body part 111 and an expansion part 112 which are connected to each other. The cup body part 111 encloses a first sub-cavity 141, the expansion part 112 is arranged around an outer periphery of the cup body part 111, an end of the expansion part 112 facing away from the cup body part 111 is the opening, the expansion part 112 encloses a second sub-cavity 142, and the first sub-cavity 141 and the second sub-cavity 142 form the accommodating cavity 14. The mouth diameter of the expansion part 112 is greater than the mouth diameter of the cup body part 111, and the end of the expansion part 112 facing away from the cup body part 111 is connected to the paper-moulded outer edge 12.

[0131] It will be appreciated that a dimension of the expansion part 112 is expanded in comparison with a dimension of the cup body.

[0132] Multiple paper-moulded containers 100 are generally stacked, to facilitate storage and transportation. During use, the stacked paper-moulded containers 100 need to be separated. If no expansion part 112 were provided, a greater force would need to be applied when separating a paper-moulded container 100 due to the greater frictional force on it from an adjacent paper-moulded container 100, and this is liable to damage the paper-moulded container 100.

[0133] In this embodiment, the paper-moulded cup body 11 comprises the cup body part 111 and the expansion part 112 which are connected to one another; the mouth diameter of the expansion part 112 is greater than the mouth diameter of the cup body part 111, and the end of the expansion part 112 facing away from the cup body part 111 is connected to the paper-moulded outer edge 12. This facilitates stacking of multiple paper-moulded containers 100, and can make it easier to separate multiple stacked paper-moulded containers 100; when the multiple paper-moulded containers 100 are separated, the paper-moulded containers 100 will not be damaged due to the application of too large a force.

[0134] In some embodiments, a dimension Ad of expansion of the expansion part 112 in comparison with the cup body part 111 is in the range of 1.1 mm < Ad < 1.5 mm. Specifically, the dimension Ad of expansion of the expansion part 112 in comparison with the cup body part 111 may be but is not limited to being 1.1 mm, 1.15 mm, 1.2 mm, 1.25 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.35 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.45 mm, 1.5 mm, etc. If the dimension Ad of expansion of the expansion part 112 in comparison with the cup body part 111 is too small, it will fail to achieve the effect of facilitating theseparation of stacked paper-moulded containers 100; if the dimension Ad of expansion of the expansion part 112 in comparison with the cup body part 111 is too large, it will affect the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100.

[0135] Again referring to figure 4, in some embodiments, the line width wl of the expansion part 112 is in the range of 3.2 mm < wl < 3.6 mm. If the line width wl of the expansion part 112 is too small, it will fail to achieve the effect of facilitating the separation of stacked paper-moulded containers 100; if the line width wl of the expansion part 112 is too large, it will affect the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100.

[0136] Figure 5 is a structural schematic sectional view, in direction A-A in figure 3, of a paper-moulded container 100 in another embodiment of the present application.

[0137] Referring to figure 5, the paper-moulded container 100 is generally of the type described above in reference to figures 1 to 4, but it further comprises a barrier layer 20 in the form of a liner or film, the barrier layer 20 covering a surface of the paper-moulded cup body 11 that faces towards the accommodating cavity 14. The barrier layer 20 can be made as a coating applied to the surface of the paper-moulded cup body, or alternatively it can be a film that is extruded and thermoformed with the cup body, or coextruded as a multilayer liner film.

[0138] By providing the barrier layer 20, it is possible to prevent moisture and oxygen from entering the accommodating cavity 14, thereby preventing spoiling of powder contained in the paper-moulded container 100 by moisture absorption or oxidation. In this way, the storage time and shelf life of the target substance in the paper-moulded container 100 can be increased more effectively.

[0139] Optionally, the barrier layer 20 also covers surfaces of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13.

[0140] Optionally, the barrier layer 20 may be one layer or multiple layers (i.e. a compound film layer).

[0141] Optionally, the material of the barrier layer 20 may be but is not limited to being a polyacrylate. Preferably however, the material of the layer 20 is a multilayer film comprising biodegradable and / or compostable materials. For instance, the multilayer film comprises a multilayer film of the type described in WO 2020 / 017968, and comprises a five layer film with aliphatic polyester externallayers and a core barrier layer comprising preferably a polymer selected within the list of: butenediol vinyl alcohol co-polymer (BVOH), polyvinylalcohol (PVOH), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), G-polymer (BVOH-based copolymer), polyglycolic acid (PGA), polyhydroxyalcanoate (PHA), polylactic acid (PLA), or a combination thereof, a polyolefin and / or an additional moisture barrier layer, comprising for instance a metal or metalloid such as aluminium (Al), aluminium oxide (AIOx), silicon oxide (SiOx), or a combination thereof, that may be deposited by vacuum or plasma deposition.

[0142] Optionally, the thickness of the barrier layer 20 is in the range of 60 pm - 80 pm. Specifically, the thickness of the barrier layer 20 may be but is not limited to being 60 pm, 65 pm, 70 pm, 75 pm, 80 pm, etc. If the barrier layer 20 is too thin, the barrier effect of the barrier layer 20 will be reduced; if the barrier layer 20 is too thick, the cost of the barrier layer 20 will be increased.

[0143] Figure 6 is a structural schematic sectional view, in direction A-A in figure 3, of a paper-moulded container 100 in another embodiment of the present application.

[0144] Referring to figure 6, in some embodiments, the paper-moulded container 100 further comprises a sacrificial part 15 (also called a waste edge), the sacrificial part 15 being connected to an end of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 that faces away from the paper-moulded outer edge 12, and the sacrificial part 15 being arranged around the outer periphery of the paper-moulded protruding platform 13.

[0145] It should be explained that the sacrificial part 15 forms a one-piece structure with the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13. The sacrificial part 15, the paper-moulded cup body 11, the paper-moulded outer edge 12 and the paper-moulded protruding platform 13 may be produced in the same production process by a method of integral forming, using pulp moulding.

[0146] It should be explained that the sacrificial part 15 will be cut off when the paper-moulded container 100 has been used to hold the target substance and made into a beverage capsule; thus, when the paper-moulded container 100 is used as a beverage capsule, the finished beverage capsule product does not have the sacrificial part 15.In this embodiment, the sacrificial part 15 facilitates lamination with the barrier layer 20, and enables the barrier layer 20 to stick more effectively to the surface of the paper-moulded container 100 that has the accommodating cavity 14, avoiding delamination of the paper-moulded container 100 and the barrier layer 20, so that the paper-moulded container 100 is more effective at blocking water and oxygen.

[0147] Optionally, the ratio of the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 to the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 is in the range of 9 < w4 / h4 < 34. Specifically, the ratio of the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 to the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 may be but is not limited to being 9, 12, 15, 18, 20, 23, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34, etc. If the ratio of the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 to the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 is too small, the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 may be too small, making lamination with the barrier layer 20 difficult; or the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 may be too large, increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100. If the ratio of the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 to the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 is too large, the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 may be too large, reducing the mechanical strength of the sacrificial part 15, making the sacrificial part 15 likely to deform, and similarly making lamination with the barrier layer 20 difficult; or the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 may be too small, similarly reducing the mechanical strength of the sacrificial part 15, making the sacrificial part 15 likely to deform, and similarly making lamination with the barrier layer 20 difficult.

[0148] In some embodiments, the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 is in the range of 0.35 mm < h4 < 0.45 mm. Specifically, the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 may be but is not limited to being 0.35 mm, 0.36 mm, 0.38 mm, 0.40 mm, 0.42 mm, 0.44 mm, 0.45 mm, etc. If the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 is too small, the mechanical strength of the sacrificial part 15 will be reduced, making the sacrificial part 15 likely to deform, and similarly making lamination with the barrier layer 20 difficult; if the thickness h4 of the sacrificial part 15 is too large, the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased.

[0149] Optionally, the thickness of the sacrificial part 15 is greater than the thickness of the paper-moulded outer edge 12, and the thickness of the sacrificial part 15 is smaller than the thickness of the paper-moulded cup body 11.

[0150] Optionally, the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 is in the range of 4 mm < w4 < 12 mm. Specifically, the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 may be but is not limited to being 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 11 mm, 12 mm,etc. If the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 is too small, this will make lamination with the barrier layer 20 difficult; if the line width w4 of the sacrificial part 15 is too large, the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100 will be increased.

[0151] Optionally, a surface of the paper-moulded container 100 that faces away from the accommodating cavity 14 has a decorative pattern for giving the paper-moulded container 100 a better appearance.

[0152] Figure 7 is a structural schematic sectional view of a container being a beverage capsule 200 in an embodiment of the present application.

[0153] Referring to figure 7, embodiments of the present application further provide a beverage capsule 200, comprising the paper-moulded container 100 described in embodiments of the present application, a beverage powder, and a sealing cover 210. It should be noted that a sealing cover as described in relation to the embodiment of figure 7, may also be used with other embodiments of the containers according to the present invention, and for instance with the other embodiments described in the present specification. The beverage powder is contained in the accommodating cavity 14 of the paper-moulded container 100; the sealing cover 210 is used to close the accommodating cavity 14, and the sealing cover 210 is stuck to the paper-moulded outer edge 12, for the purpose of preventing moisture from entering the paper-moulded container 100, and preventing beverage powder in the paper-moulded container 100 from leaking.

[0154] The beverage capsule 200 in embodiments of the present application may be but is not limited to being a coffee capsule, a tealeaf capsule, a drink capsule, etc.

[0155] Optionally, the beverage powder may be but is not limited to being at least one of coffee powder, tealeaf powder, drink powder, etc.

[0156] Optionally, the sealing cover 210 may be but is not limited to being paper with an oxygen and moisture barrier layer, having preferably a total content of more than 80% cellulosic fibres.

[0157] Optionally, the thickness of the sealing cover 210 is in the range of 0.08 mm - 0.12 mm. Specifically, the thickness of the sealing cover 210 may be but is not limited to being 0.08 mm, 0.09 mm, 0.10 mm, 0.11 mm, 0.12 mm, etc. If the thickness of the sealing cover 210 is too small, the mechanical strength of the sealing cover 210 willbe reduced, so the sealing cover 210 will be easily damaged; if the thickness of the sealing cover 210 is too large, the cost of the sealing cover 210 will be increased.

[0158] In some embodiments, especially when the container according to the present invention is a beverage capsule for use in a Nespresso® VertuoLine system, said container when be rotated during its use, for example it may be rotated around its symmetry axis, and therefore subject to centrifugal forces; in such case, when rotated at a rotation speed of 5000 rad / min - 8000 rad / min while holding liquid at 100°C, the paper-moulded container 100 can withstand rotation for 60 s - 180 s.

[0159] Specifically, when the paper-moulded container 100 is rotated for 60s - 180 s at a rotation speed of 5000 rad / min - 8000 rad / min while holding water or coffee or drink at 100°C, the paper-moulded container 100 remains intact and free of damage, without any deformation.

[0160] Optionally, when the paper-moulded container 100 is rotated for 60 s- 180 s while holding liquid at 100°C, the rotation rate it is able to withstand may be but is not limited to being 5000 rad / min, 6000 rad / min, 7000 rad / min, 8000 rad / min, etc.

[0161] Optionally, when the paper-moulded container 100 is rotated at a rotation speed of 5000 rad / min - 8000 rad / min while holding liquid at 100°C, the rotation time it is able to withstand may be but is not limited to being 60 s, 70 s, 80 s, 90 s, 100 s, 110 s, 120 s, 130 s, 140 s, 150 s, 160 s, 170 s, 180 s, etc.

[0162] The paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application has high mechanical strength, good heat resistance and water resistance. When high-temperature liquid at 100°C is enclosed therein, it can withstand high-speed rotation at 5000 rad / min - 8000 rad / min, and remains intact and damage-free without any deformation after 60 s - 180 s of rotation.

[0163] MANUFACTURING

[0164] According to the invention, the paper-moulded container 100 is made by sucking slurry onto a recessed mould, setting and hot pressing.

[0165] In the related art, a paper-moulded container is made by sucking slurry onto a protruding mould; when the technique of sucking slurry onto a protruding mould is used to make a product of unequal thickness, especially when there is a thinner region near an edge, the direction in which paper-moulding slurry on theprotruding mould is subjected to compressive pressure is such as to push the paper-moulding slurry downwards, thereby causing thickening of the slurry at a thin-edge flat surface of the product; the slurry is too thick, and in order to enable the required thickness to be achieved at the thin edge, it is necessary to compress with increased pressure, but the high pressure combined with high temperature destroys the fibres, resulting in a light-permeable, brittle thin edge that breaks easily.

[0166] According to the present application, the paper-moulded container 100 is made by sucking slurry onto a recessed mould; when there is a thinner region near an edge of the paper-moulded container 100, for example when the thickness of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is less than the thickness of the paper-moulded cup body 11, when compression and setting are performed, the compressive pressure sustained at a position corresponding to the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is able to enclose and constrain the paper-moulding slurry more effectively; once the slurry has been pressed into the recessed mould, due to the confining action of the recessed mould cavity wall, it is easier for the paper-moulding slurry to spread evenly in all directions; the paper-moulding slurry will not press towards the thin edge, the slurry thickness at the thin edge meets requirements, and the pressure required is not too great.

[0167] The paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application can be made by the method described in the following embodiments of the present application.

[0168] Referring to figure 8, embodiments of the present application provide a method for making a paper-moulded container 100, the method comprising the following steps, in order.

[0169] S201: the method comprises the step of providing a slurry suction mould and a paper-moulding slurry, wherein the paper-moulding slurry comprises at least 60%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably 100% soft wood fibre, by fibre mass fraction, and said slurry having a concentration of fibre comprised between 0.5 g / l and 6 g / l.

[0170] Specifically, the proportion of soft wood fibre in the fibres of the paper-moulding slurry may be, but is not limited to being 60%, 61%, 62%, 63%, 64%, 65%, 66%, 67%, 68%, 69%, 70%, 71%, 72%, 73%, 74%, 75%, 76%, 77%, 78%, 79%, 80%, 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%,98%, 99% or 100%. If the proportion of soft wood fibre in the paper-moulding slurry is too low, then the content of other types of fibre in the paper-moulded container 100 will be too high, so the paper-moulded container 100 produced will be more brittle, and thinner points on the paper-moulded container 100 will easily break due to brittleness.

[0171] S202: the method comprises the step of placing the slurry suction mould recessed cavity in the paper-moulding slurry preferably such that the concavity of the recessed cavity is oriented downwards and performing slurry suction, such that fibres are preferably sucked upwardly onto the cavity surface, then

[0172] - performing setting to obtain a paper-moulding wet blank (or "wet preform") having at least 10% water content.

[0173] In order to cope with the uneven fiber repartition, the invention therefore focuses on the usage of a female slurry mold with dedicated vacuum channels. The inventors have found that pulp-moulding the container using a female slurry mould, allows a precise control of the fiber deposition onto the surface of the slurry mould cavity during the first stage of the manufacturing process, and prevents unwanted agglomeration of fibres in the bend region of the container, between the cup body and the outer edge.

[0174] The inventors have found that this benefit is even further amplified in the preferred case where the concavity of the recessed cavity is oriented downwards and performs slurry suction such that fibres are sucked upwardly in the slurry bath onto the cavity surface, against the gravity. The fibres do not accumulate in an uncontrolled manner, but on the contrary, they are pulled upwards from the slurry bath and sucked towards the surface of the mould in a very controlled manner, only by the effect of the suction vents which are present at the surface of the mould. In other terms, this prevents deposition of fibres at the surface of the mould cavity by the effect of sedimentation, which would result in an uncontrolled deposition of fibres, and therefore provoke increased thickness of fibre material in certain zones. In the case of upward sucking of fibres onto the mould cavity, against gravity effect, it is possible to precisely control the deposition of fibres onto the surface of the mould, in quantities which are tailored for each zone of the mould cavity, and such that the corresponding zones of the moulded item each comprise a predetermined thickness and fibre density after compression and drying.

[0175] Furthermore, the fact that the water content that is set at least to 10% by weight (with a minimal content of 10% fibre by weight), in the wet container preform, afterpulp moulding but before the compression step, was found to be particularly advantageous to guarantee that the fibres are not broken in the subsequent compression and drying steps; humidity of the preform allows to preserve a certain flexibility of the material by allowing a certain movement of the fibres one relative to the others, such that during compression, the mechanical stress applied to the material does not rupture the fibres.

[0176] Optionally but preferably, the paper-moulding production device comprises a slurry suction mould 300 (as shown in figure 9), a vacuum device (not shown), a slurry tank (not shown) and a compression mould (not shown), wherein the vacuum device is connected to the slurry suction mould 300, for the purpose of forming negative pressure in the slurry suction mould 300. The slurry tank is used for holding the paper-moulding slurry, and the compression mould is used for joining with the slurry suction mould 300, so as to set the paper-moulding slurry. To perform slurry suction, the slurry suction mould 300 is put in the papermoulding slurry, and the slurry suction mould 300 is subjected to vacuum pumping, thereby sucking the paper-moulding slurry evenly onto the slurry suction mould 300. When slurry suction has ended, the slurry suction mould 300 is turned over, and the slurry suction mould 300 is joined with the compression mould to set the paper-moulding slurry, thereby obtaining a paper-moulding blank.

[0177] Optionally, the duration of slurry suction may be, but is not limited to being comprised between 2 to 10 seconds, preferably 2.8 seconds and 3.2 seconds. Specifically, the duration of slurry suction may be but is not limited to being 2.8 s, 2.9 s, 3.0 s, 3.1 s, 3.2 s, etc.

[0178] Optionally, when the slurry suction mould 300 undergoes slurry suction, slurry suction may be performed once or multiple times. The specific number of times that slurry suction is performed may be designed according to the thickness of the paper-moulded container 100 than needs to be made. The greater the number of times that slurry suction is performed, the greater the thickness of the paper-moulded container 100 produced.

[0179] S203: the method then comprises the step of hot-pressing the paper-moulding wet blank to obtain the paper-moulded container 100.

[0180] The paper-moulded container 100 made by the method for making the paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application comprises, by mass fraction at least 60% soft wood fibre, preferably at least 80%, more preferably100% of soft wood fibre. The compounding and proportions of soft wood fibre and other types of fibre, in the paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application are designed so that the paper-moulded container 100 produced has high mechanical strength, with high rigidity and stiffness; in addition, the paper-moulded container 100 has more uniform thickness and a smoother surface, and is less likely to have local defects, when the proportion of soft wood fibre in the pulp slurry and therefore also in the final container, is well managed. Furthermore, the paper-moulded container 100 in embodiments of the present application is made from renewable and degradable materials, so has a good level of degradability and will not pollute the environment.

[0181] In the related art, a paper-moulded container 100 is made by sucking slurry onto a protruding mould; when the technique of sucking slurry onto a protruding mould is used to make a product of unequal thickness, especially when there is a thinner region near an edge, the direction in which paper-moulding slurry on the protruding mould is subjected to compressive pressure is such as to push the paper-moulding slurry downwards, thereby causing thickening of the slurry at a thin-edge flat surface of the product; the slurry is too thick, and in order to enable the required thickness to be achieved at the thin edge, it is necessary to compress with increased pressure, but the high pressure combined with high temperature destroys the fibres, resulting in a light-permeable, brittle thin edge that breaks easily.

[0182] According to the present invention, the paper-moulded container 100 is made by sucking slurry onto a recessed mould, which is preferably placed at the top of the slurry bath, with its concavity oriented downwardly relative to the direction of gravity; when there is a thinner region near an edge of the paper-moulded container 100, for example when the thickness of the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is less than the thickness of the paper-moulded cup body 11, when compression and setting are performed, the compressive pressure sustained at a position corresponding to the paper-moulded outer edge 12 is able to enclose and constrain the paper-moulding slurry more effectively; once the slurry has been pressed into the recessed mould, due to the confining action of the recessed mould cavity wall, it is easier for the paper-moulding slurry to spread evenly in all directions; the paper-moulding slurry will not press towards the thin edge, the slurry thickness at the thin edge meets requirements, and the pressure required is not too great.

[0183] Referring to figures 9 and 10, in some embodiments, the slurry suction mould 300 comprises a slurry suction mould body 310, a first mesh face 320 and a secondmesh face 330; the slurry suction mould body 310 has a recessed mould cavity 312, the first mesh face 320 and the second mesh face 330 are sequentially stacked on a surface of a sidewall enclosing the recessed mould cavity 312, the slurry suction mould body 310 has multiple first through-holes 311 which are spaced apart and located in the recessed mould cavity 312, the first mesh face 320 has multiple first mesh holes 321 which are spaced apart, the second mesh face 330 has multiple second mesh holes 331 which are spaced apart, the first through-holes 311 are larger in diameter than the first mesh holes 321, and the first mesh holes 321 are larger in diameter than the second mesh holes 331.

[0184] In some embodiments, the first through-holes 311 on an entire inner wall of the recessed mould cavity 312 are evenly distributed. In other embodiments, the multiple first through-holes 311 on an entire inner wall of the recessed mould cavity 312 comprise multiple sets of first through-holes 311, each set of first through-holes 311 comprising multiple first through-holes 311, the first through-holes 311 having different densities of distribution in different sets, and the first through-holes 311 in the same set having the same density of distribution. The design whereby the first through-holes 311 have different densities of distribution in different regions enables different regions to have different levels of suction force, so the amounts of paper-moulding slurry that can be sucked on are different, thus facilitating the manufacture of a paper-moulded container 100 of unequal thickness.

[0185] It will be understood that each of the first through-holes 311 is connected to the recessed mould cavity 312.

[0186] In this embodiment, the multiple first through-holes 311 are spaced apart on the recessed mould cavity 312 of the slurry suction mould body 310, and negative pressure can be formed via the multiple first through-holes 311, thereby giving rise to a suction force, to suck the paper-moulding slurry onto the recessed mould cavity 312 of the slurry suction mould 300. The first mesh face 320 and the second mesh face 330 are provided on the surface of the recessed mould cavity 312, the first through-holes 311 are designed to be larger in diameter than the first mesh holes 321, and the first mesh holes 321 are designed to be larger in diameter than the second mesh holes 331; this allows the paper-moulding slurry to be sucked onto the second mesh face 330 more effectively, avoiding a situation in which paper-moulding slurry is sucked into the first through-holes 311, blocking the first through-holes 311 so that slurry suction is uneven and the paper-moulded container 100 produced is of uneven thickness.In some embodiments, the diameter of the first through-holes 311 is in the range of 1.8 mm - 2.5 mm. Specifically, the diameter of the first through-holes 311 may be but is not limited to being 1.8 mm, 1.9 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.5 mm, etc. If the size of the first through-holes 311 is too small, the suction force provided for sucking slurry by means of the first through-holes 311 will be small, thus reducing the ability of the slurry suction mould 300 to suck paper-moulding slurry onto itself, and making it difficult to produce a thick paper-moulded container 100; another likely result is that slurry will be sucked unevenly, so the paper-moulded container 100 produced will be of uneven thickness. If the size of the first through-holes 311 is too large, the paper-moulding slurry is likely to be sucked away through the first through-holes 311 by vacuum suction, resulting in loss of paper-moulding slurry, and increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100; in addition, the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100 will also be affected, causing multiple protrusions to form on an inner surface of the paper-moulded container 100.

[0187] Optionally, the distance between two adjacent said first through-holes 311 is in the range of 2 mm - 4 mm. Specifically, the distance between two adjacent said first through-holes 311 may be but is not limited to being 2 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.6 mm, 2.8 mm, 3.0 mm, 3.2 mm, 3.4 mm, 3.6 mm, 3.8 mm, 4 mm, etc. If the distance between two adjacent said first through-holes 311 is too small, then when the slurry suction mould 300 sucks slurry with a large force, the slurry suction mould 300 is likely to deform, thus reducing the service life of the slurry suction mould 300; in addition, deformation of the slurry suction mould 300 will cause deformation of the paper-moulded container 100 produced, thus reducing the manufacturing yield of paper-moulded containers 100. If the distance between two adjacent said first through-holes 311 is too large, this is likely to result in the slurry being sucked unevenly, so the paper-moulded container 100 produced will be of uneven thickness, thus impairing the appearance of the paper-moulded container 100.

[0188] Optionally, the mesh number of the first mesh holes 321 is in the range of 30 mesh - 50 mesh. Specifically, the mesh number of the first mesh holes 321 may be but is not limited to being 30 mesh, 32 mesh, 34 mesh, 36 mesh, 38 mesh, 40 mesh, 42 mesh, 44 mesh, 46 mesh, 48 mesh, 50 mesh, etc. If the mesh number of the first mesh holes 321 is too small, then the diameter of the first mesh holes 321 will be too large, and the paper-moulding slurry is likely to be sucked away through the first mesh holes 321 by vacuum suction, resulting in loss of paper-moulding slurry,and increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100. If the mesh number of the first mesh holes 321 is too large, then the diameter of the first mesh holes 321 will be too small, making it difficult to suck water out of the papermoulding slurry by vacuum suction after suction by the slurry suction mould 300.

[0189] Optionally, the mesh number of the second mesh holes 331 is in the range of 70 mesh - 90 mesh. Specifically, the mesh number of the second mesh holes 331 may be but is not limited to being 70 mesh, 72 mesh, 74 mesh, 76 mesh, 78 mesh, 80 mesh, 82 mesh, 84 mesh, 86 mesh, 88 mesh, 90 mesh, etc. If the mesh number of the second mesh holes 331 is too small, then the diameter of the second mesh holes 331 will be too large, and the paper-moulding slurry is likely to be sucked away through the second mesh holes 331 by vacuum suction, resulting in loss of paper-moulding slurry, and increasing the cost of making the paper-moulded container 100. If the mesh number of the second mesh holes 331 is too large, then the diameter of the second mesh holes 331 will be too small, making it difficult to suck water out of the paper-moulding slurry by vacuum suction after suction by the slurry suction mould 300.

[0190] In some embodiments, in S203, the step of hot-pressing the paper-moulding blank to obtain the paper-moulded container 100 comprises:

[0191] - S2031: providing a hot-pressing upper mould and a hot-pressing lower mould which enclose a hot-pressing mould cavity;

[0192] - optionally, as shown in figure 11, the paper-moulding production device further comprises a hot-pressing mould 400, the hot-pressing mould 400 comprising a hot-pressing upper mould 410 and a hot-pressing lower mould 420, wherein the hot-pressing upper mould 410 and the hot-pressing lower mould 420, once joined together, enclose a hot-pressing mould cavity.

[0193] - S2032: transferring the paper-moulding blank into the hot-pressing mould cavity, and performing moulding by hot pressing to obtain the paper-moulded container 100, wherein the temperature of the hot-pressing upper and lower moulds 410 is in the range of 175°C to 185°C, and the hot-pressing pressure per cavity is in the range of 5 kN to 25 kN.

[0194] Once the paper-moulding blank has set, the paper-moulding wet blank is transferred to the hot-pressing lower mould 420, and the hot-pressing upper mould 410 and hot-pressing lower mould 420 are joined for hot-pressing to obtain the paper-moulded container 100.If the temperature of the hot-pressing upper and lower moulds 410 is too low, then evaporation of water from inside the paper-moulding blank will be incomplete, affecting the moulding of the paper-moulded container 100; in addition, if the temperature of the hot-pressing upper and lower moulds 410 is too low, it is likely that there will be residual oxygen, and thus pores, within the paper-moulded container 100 produced, reducing the ability of the paper-moulded container 100 to block water vapour and oxygen. If the temperature of the hot-pressing upper and lower moulds 410 is too high, the paper-moulded container 100 produced is likely to be scorched, affecting the yield of paper-moulded containers 100.

[0195] If the pressure of moulding by hot pressing is too low, then moulding of the paper-moulded container 100 will be poor, with a reduced yield; if the pressure of moulding by hot pressing is too high, the paper-moulded container 100 is likely to be damaged by the pressure, and this will similarly reduce the yield.

[0196] Optionally, the time for which pressure is maintained during moulding by hot pressing is comprised between 8 and 25 seconds. Specifically, the time for which pressure is maintained during moulding by hot pressing may be but is not limited to being 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 seconds. If the time for which pressure is maintained during moulding by hot pressing is too short, then moulding of the paper-moulded container 100 produced will be poor, with a reduced yield; if the time for which pressure is maintained during moulding by hot pressing is too long, the manufacturing yield of paper-moulded containers 100 will be reduced.

[0197] As shown in figures 11 to 13, in some embodiments, the hot-pressing lower mould 420 comprises a lower mould body 421 and a third mesh face 422; the lower mould body 421 is a protruding mould, and the lower mould body 421 comprises a protruding mould part (not shown), the protruding mould part having multiple second through-holes 4212 which are spaced apart; the third mesh face 422 is arranged on a surface of the protruding mould part and covers the multiple second through-holes 4212, the diameter of the second through-holes 4212 is in the range of 1.8 mm - 2.5 mm, and the distance between two adjacent said second through-holes 4212 is in the range of 8 mm - 15 mm.

[0198] Optionally, the multiple second through-holes 4212 are uniformly distributed on the protruding mould part.Specifically, the diameter of the second through-holes 4212 may be but is not limited to being 1.8 mm, 1.9 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.1 mm, 2.2 mm, 2.3 mm, 2.4 mm, 2.5 mm, etc. Having the second through-holes 4212 arranged on the lower mould body 421 can facilitate the expulsion of water vapour from the paper-moulded container 100 when the hot-pressing upper mould 410 and the hot-pressing lower mould 420 are joined for hot pressing; in addition, the second through-holes 4212 facilitate the formation of positive pressure or negative pressure at the hot-pressing lower mould 420, so as to attach a paper-moulded product by suction or lift the paper-moulded product by blowing. If the diameter of the second through-holes 4212 is too small, gas will not be expelled effectively, making it difficult to attach the paper-moulded product by suction and lift the paper-moulded product by blowing; if the diameter of the second through-holes 4212 is too large, the paper-moulded container 100 will be likely to be damaged by blowing when gas is blown into the second through-holes 4212.

[0199] Specifically, the distance between two adjacent said second through-holes 4212 may be but is not limited to being 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, 11 mm, 12 mm, 13 mm, 14 mm, 15 mm, etc. If the distance between two adjacent said second through-holes 4212 is too small, the density of the second through-holes 4212 will be too concentrated, and the hot-pressing lower mould 420 will be likely to deform when heated, thus reducing the manufacturing yield of paper-moulded containers 100; if the distance between two adjacent said second through-holes 4212 is too large, then the number of second through-holes 4212 will be too small, the time for which pressure is maintained will be increased, and the manufacturing yield of paper-moulded containers 100 will be reduced.

[0200] Optionally, the third mesh face 422 has third mesh holes 4221, the mesh number of the third mesh holes 4221 being 50 mesh - 70 mesh. Specifically, the mesh number of the third mesh holes 4221 may be but is not limited to being 50 mesh, 52 mesh, 54 mesh, 56 mesh, 58 mesh, 60 mesh, 62 mesh, 64 mesh, 66 mesh, 68 mesh, 70 mesh, etc. If the mesh number of the third mesh face 422 is too small, the diameter of the third mesh holes 4221 of the third mesh face 422 will be too large, and a likely result of this is that the mesh print on the surface of the paper-moulded container 100 produced will be too large, and the surface will be too rough; if the mesh number of the third mesh face 422 is too large, the diameter of the third mesh holes 4221 of the third mesh face 422 will be too small, and this is likely to result in a poor vacuum in the hot-pressing lower mould 420.Where "embodiment" is mentioned in the present application, this means that a specific feature, structure or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The occurrence of this expression in various places herein does not necessarily always refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that excludes another embodiment and is excluded by this other embodiment. Those skilled in the art will explicitly and implicitly understand that embodiments described in the present application may be combined with other embodiments. In addition, it should also be understood that features, structures or characteristics described in the embodiments of the present application may be combined in any way, in the absence of contradiction therebetween, to form another embodiment that does not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present application.

[0201] Finally, it should be explained that the embodiments above are merely intended to explain the technical solution of the present application without being limiting. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments above, those skilled in the art should understand that all amendments or equivalent substitutions that can be made to the technical solution of the present application should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present application.

Claims

Claims1. A one-piece paper-moulded container made of cellulosic fibre and comprising:- a cup body, having an accommodating cavity with an opening at one end, the accommodating cavity being used to hold an edible substance,- an outer edge, arranged around an outer periphery of the opening of the paper-moulded cup body, and- a bend transition portion positioned between the cup body and the outer edge and connecting the two,characterized in that it further comprises a paper-moulded protruding platform, arranged at a side of the paper-moulded outer edge that is remote from the paper-moulded cup body, and arranged around an outer periphery of the paper-moulded outer edge, the protruding platform having a greater thickness than the cup body, the fibre density of the protruding platform being comprised between 650 and 750 kg / m3, and the thickness of said protruding platform being comprised between 900 microns and 1.2 millimetres.

2. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the protruding portion has a polygonal, or non-polygonal geometry having a largest width which is at least half of its largest length (e.g. a disk, half a disk, an ellipse, half an ellipse, any regular or non-regular polygonal shape such as a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a pentagon, etc.), or any hybrid geometry thereof.

3. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the fibre density in the bend transition portion is comprised between 750 and 1400 kg / m3, and the thickness in the bend transition portion is comprised between 150 and 800 microns.

4. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cup body has a greater thickness than the outer edge.

5. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any one of the preceding claims, which comprises at least 60%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably 100% soft wood fibre, by fibre mass fraction.

6. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, which comprises 60% soft wood fibre and 40% hard wood fibre.

7. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 5, which comprises 60% soft wood fibre et 40% bagasse (sugar cane fibre).

8. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any one of the preceding claims 5 to 7, wherein the soft wood fibres have a fibre length comprised between 2 and 3 mm, and the hard wood fibres, if any, have a fibre length comprised between 0.5 and 1.2 mm.

9. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any one of the preceding claims 5 to 7, wherein the soft wood fibres, and the hard wood fibres if any, have a degree of refining of at least 30° SR (Schopper-Riegler degrees), as measured in standard conditions according to ISO 5267 / 1 orTAPPI T / 227.

10. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fibre density in the cup body is comprised between 750 and 900 kg / m3, and the thickness of said cup body is comprised between 350 and 800 microns.

11. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fibre density in the outer edge is comprised between 1000 and 1400 kg / m3, and the thickness of said outer edge is comprised between 150 and 250 microns.

12. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any of the preceding claims, which is made by sucking slurry onto a recessed mould, setting and hot pressing.

13. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any of the preceding claims, which is a beverage preparation capsule for use in a beverage preparation machine.

14. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to the preceding claim 13, which is a beverage capsule for the preparation of coffee by centrifugation of aningredient contained within the capsule that is mixed with water heated at a temperature comprised between 65°C and 100°C.

15. A one-piece paper-moulded container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein when rotated at a rotation speed of 5000 rad / min - 8000 rad / min while holding liquid at 100°C, the paper-moulded container is able to withstand rotation for 60 seconds - 180 seconds.

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