Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
  • B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
  • B65D85/804—Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package
  • B65D85/8043—Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents
  • B65D85/8064—Sealing means for the interface with the processing machine

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a group for the preparation of beverages, such as for example coffee, comprising a capsule holder device (7) of a dispensing machine and a capsule (1), wherein a powder relating to the beverage to be made is housed.
• the dispensing machines comprise a capsule holder device, wherein the capsule is inserted to be crossed by a flow of water under pressure, which solubilises the powder and then flows out in the form of a beverage.
• the aluminium capsules consist of a cup-shaped body and a lid arranged to close the cup-shaped body.
• the lid is made of an aluminium foil with a circular shape and is peripherally fixed to a free edge of the cup-shaped body through heat sealing.
• the cup shaped body consists of a side wall, generally of a truncated cone shape, and a bottom wall which closes the narrower end of the side wall.
• the dispensing machine includes means for perforating the capsules adapted to allow both the entry of the water under pressure and the exit of the beverage.
• the capsule holder device consists of two parts separated from each other and of movement means adapted to bring the capsule holder device from an open configuration to a closed configuration and vice versa. These two parts are divided into a "housing part”, which has a cavity arranged to house the cup-shaped body of the capsule leaving the lid exposed, and an "abutment part", on which the lid faces in use. When the housing part and the abutment part are spaced apart, the capsule holder device is in an open configuration thereof, while when the housing part and the abutment part are in contact, the capsule holder device is in a closed configuration thereof.
• the water under pressure is generally introduced through special inlet openings made in the bottom wall by means of the means present in the housing part, while the beverage comes out through special outlet openings made in the lid by the action of means present in the abutment part and in use connected to a dispensing channel.
• the inlet openings and the outlet openings are formed once the capsule holder device is arranged in its closed configuration with the housing part and the abutment part arranged one against the other.
• the aluminium capsules as described above comprise an annular locking flange extending outwards from the wider end of the side wall of the cup-shaped body.
• the lid is fixed through heat-sealing to such annular locking flange.
• the technique developed so far achieves the seal discussed above by compressing the annular locking flange between two compression surfaces carried respectively by the housing part and the abutment part.
• the compression surface carried by the housing part and the annular locking flange of the capsule have a shape such as to create a sealing joint when the capsule holder device is in its closed configuration.
• such sealing joint provides that the compression surface carried by the housing part and the annular locking flange comprise at least one respective tooth-depression sequence .
• the object of the present invention is to create a new capsule for the preparation of beverages, the technical features whereof are such as to solve the drawbacks of the prior art set out above improving, at the same time, the seal between the capsule itself and the capsule holder.
• the object of the present invention is a group for the preparation of beverages, comprising a capsule holder device (7) of a dispensing machine and a capsule (1); the essential features of said group being reported in Claim 1.
• FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a capsule according to the present invention.
• FIG. 2 shows a section of the assembly consisting of the capsule of Figure 1 and a capsule holder device in its open configuration
• FIG. 3 shows a section of the assembly consisting of the capsule of Figure 1 and a capsule holder device in its closed configuration.
• the capsule 1 comprises a cup-shaped body 2 and a lid 3 fixed through heat-sealing and arranged to close the cup shaped body 2 itself.
• the cup-shaped body 2 has a symmetry axis X as rotation axis and consists of a truncated cone shape side wall 4 and a bottom wall 5 arranged to close a narrower end of the side wall 4.
• the capsule 1 further comprises an annular locking flange 6 extending outwards from a free end of the side wall 4 of the cup-shaped body 2.
• the locking flange 6 has a "step" conformation and consists, in succession, of an annular inner portion 6a arranged substantially perpendicular to said symmetry axis X, an annular middle portion 6b arranged substantially parallel to said symmetry axis X and extending on the opposite side with respect to said cup-shaped body 2, and an annular outer portion 6c arranged substantially perpendicularly to said symmetry axis X.
• the annular middle portion 6b has a height ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 mm.
• the annular outer portion ends with an annular fold T, which ensures a terminal thickening of the locking flange 6 as a whole.
• the lid 3 is fixed through heat sealing preferably on the entire inner surface 6d of the locking flange 6.
• the step conformation of the flange 6 ensures a high sealing surface and, therefore, the sealing of the lid.
• a greater welding surface and, therefore, sealing surface of the lid ensures greater sealing of the lid both during the storage of the capsules and during the dispensing operations (the water pressure is about 19 bars) .
• the capsule is made of a material selected between aluminium, compostable material and paper.
• Figures 2 and 3 show a group consisting of a capsule holder device 7 and the capsule 1 of Figure 1.
• the capsule holder device 7 is part of a known dispensing machine which is not illustrated for simplicity.
• the capsule holder device 7 comprises a housing portion 8 and a contrast portion 9 arranged to move with respect to each other to bring the capsule holder device from an open configuration thereof to a closed configuration thereof and vice versa.
• the capsule holder device 7 in its open configuration (housing portion 8 and contrast portion 9 spaced apart)
• the capsule holder device 7 in its closed configuration (housing portion 8 and contrast portion 9 in contact with each other) .
• the housing portion 8 comprises means (known and not illustrated for simplicity) for making water inlet openings in the bottom wall 5, while the contrast portion 9 comprises means (known and not illustrated for simplicity) for making beverage outlet openings in the lid 3.
• the housing portion 8 there is a cavity for housing the cup-shaped body 2 of the capsule 1 with the exception of the locking flange 6.
• the housing portion has a free edge 10 defining a compression/deformation surface 11 facing the locking flange 6.
• the compression/deformation surface 11 defines a pair of teeth interspersed with a "V" depression.
• the capsule object of the present invention thanks to its particular annular locking flange, ensures a simpler and, therefore, more cost-effective production step and at the same time achieves a more effective sealing effect, such to ensure that the water that necessarily flows around the capsule does not come out of the capsule holder device of the dispensing machine.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Apparatus For Making Beverages (AREA)
• Medicinal Preparation (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=68582139

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2019
  • 2019-07-10 IT IT102019000011385A patent/IT201900011385A1/it unknown
• 2020
  • 2020-06-23 WO PCT/IB2020/055922 patent/WO2021005437A1/en unknown
  • 2020-06-23 EP EP20744112.2A patent/EP3997011A1/en active Pending

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