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
  • B65D85/8046—Pods, i.e. closed containers made only of filter paper or similar material

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a packaging for a substance to be infused, as well as to a system comprising this packaging and a support.
• the assembly can cooperate with a machine for preparing beverages, in particular coffee (or other substance such as tea) for the production of beverages by an extraction technique, or leaching, by gravity flow of hot water through infusible material, without the implementation of overpressure for forced circulation of water.
• a machine for preparing beverages in particular coffee (or other substance such as tea) for the production of beverages by an extraction technique, or leaching, by gravity flow of hot water through infusible material, without the implementation of overpressure for forced circulation of water.
• the manufacture of beverages, and in particular coffee-based beverages by the so-called "filter coffee” technique implements a machine generally comprising a water tank, a water heating element, a dispensing head hot water in the direction of a support often in the form of a hopper and a filter for example filter paper, placed in the hopper.
• the filter is filled with coffee grounds and the water flows through until the delivery of the drink, at the bottom of the machine.
• the user can thus realize varying amounts of coffee. Nevertheless, this technique involves handling of coffee grounds and manual dosing.
• the invention relates to a packaging for infusion by gravity flow of a fluid through an infusable material, adapted to cooperate with a drink preparation machine support.
• the package includes a pouch containing a dose of infusible material and a peripheral portion around the pouch.
• the peripheral portion may comprise an armature adapted to be applied, under the effect of the weight of the packaging, on a bearing surface of the support and a seal provided with a sealing edge capable of being applied. on a side wall of the support transverse to the bearing surface.
• an effective seal is produced between the periphery of the package and the support.
• the pocket is effectively held by the frame. Therefore, the infusion is made on receipt of a volume of water heated by the top of the packaging, without leaking problem even if the water strongly fills the support. This is favorable for a good infusion, because the flow of water is distributed homogeneously through the milling.
• the seal is formed independently of the pocket containing the substance to be infused. The volume occupied by the latter can therefore be freely chosen according to the quantity of beverage to be produced and the properties of the material to be infused.
• the invention makes it possible to differentiate the dose-maintaining function in the support, for example by suspension via the armature which supports the weight of the entire package and optionally the charged water, and the peripheral sealing function on the side wall of the support.
• the seal is free to deform only according to the constraints imposed by the wall of the support and not, for example, under the effect of the weight of the packaging. This ensures a regular and effective application of the sealing edge on the side wall. This also offers a greater choice for selecting the most efficient materials, shapes and sizes, distinctly for the reinforcement and for the joint.
• the sealing may be supplemented by other means, for example at the support on the bearing surface of the support.
• the present invention relates to a coffee machine having a hot water dispensing head and a system according to the invention.
• the invention also relates to a system for gravity infusion without overpressure, an infusable material comprising a support mountable or integrated in a machine for preparing drinks, and a packaging.
• a method of making beverages by infusing an infusible material comprising the steps of:
• the placement takes place with a sliding insertion of the packaging into the support.
• the invention relates to a use of the packaging in an infusion beverage machine and / or the system of the invention, for preparing a beverage, in particular by gravity flow of heated water.
• the invention relates to a packaging for the gravitational flow infusion of a fluid through an infusible material, comprising a pocket containing a dose of the infusible material and a peripheral portion, this portion comprising a reinforcement and a seal provided with a sealing edge, the border and the armature being non-coplanar.
• FIG. 1 shows a top view of a packaging according to the invention in a first preferred embodiment.
• Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view along lines AA of Figure 1.
• FIG. 4 shows exploded constituent parts of the packaging.
• FIG. 6 is a top view of the packaging in a second embodiment.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view along the lines DD of FIG. 6.
• FIG. 9 shows an exploded component parts of the packaging in this second embodiment.
• FIG. 10 is an example illustrating the cooperation between a support and a packaging.
• Figure 1 1 shows a variant of the invention and Figure 12 is a partial view of detail.
• the reinforcement (1 1) and the seal (20) are formed of distinct pieces
• the reinforcement (1 1) is stiffer than the seal (20); -
• the sealing edge (13) is located at the periphery of an overhanging portion (2) of the seal (20), said projecting portion protruding beyond the armature;
• the projecting portion has a width at least equal to 2 mm, and preferably greater than or equal to 3 mm;
• the overflowing portion (2) is deformable in flexion
• the overflowing portion (2) has a convex shape at rest
• the superimposed portions have freely movable areas relative to each other in the vicinity of the projecting portion (2);
• the width of the freely movable zones is greater than or equal to 3 mm;
• the armature (1 1) is configured to support the weight of the packaging
• the armature (1 1) is formed at least in part from a cardboard-based reinforcing sheet
• the reinforcing sheet has a thickness greater than 0.2 mm;
• the seal (20) is formed at least in part from a paperboard-based seal sheet
• the joint sheet has a thickness of less than 0.15 mm;
• the sealing edge (13) of the seal (20) comprises a winding of the seal (20) on itself;
• the packaging comprises a first ply (10) and a second ply (9), at least one of which is preferably filtering and preferably based on filter paper, defining the pocket (8);
• the reinforcement (1 1) is stiffer than the first and / or the second ply (9, 10);
• a peripheral zone of the first ply (10) is secured to a first face of the armature (1 1), a second face of the armature (1 1) opposite the first face is integral with a first face the seal (20), and the second ply (9) is secured to a second face of the seal opposite the first face of the seal (20).
• a peripheral zone of the first ply (10) is integral with a first face of the armature (1 1), a first face of the second ply (9) is integral with a second face of the armature opposite to the first face, and a second face of the second ply (9) opposite the first face of the second ply (9) is integral with a first face of the seal (20); -
• the pocket (8) extends from the peripheral portion (22) to a first end of the package opposite to a second end of the package at which is located the sealing edge (13).
• the pocket (18) has a recessed wall (12) relative to the frame (1 1);
• the packaging comprises a reinforcement (14) around a side wall of the pocket (8);
• the reinforcement comprises at least one fluid passage hole
• the reinforcement (14) has a cylindrical shape
• a first end (15) of the reinforcement (14) is in contact with a first face of the armature (1 1);
• the invention also relates to a system that can comprise at least one of the following options:
• the conditioning is maintained in an infusion position in the support (2) by gravitational support of the peripheral portion (22) at the level of the reinforcement
• the bearing surface (1) defines a hole through which the pocket (8);
• the side wall (5) of the support (21) is directed transversely, preferably perpendicular to the bearing surface (1);
• the cross-section of the side wall (5) is configured to allow the packaging to move in the interior volume of the support (21) without contact of the peripheral portion (22) on the side wall (5) outside the border of the sealing (13);
• the system comprises an additional packaging similar to the packaging, the additional packaging being in superposition above the packaging;
• the sealing edge (13) and the wall (5) have a circular profile. ;
• the sealing edge (13) and the wall (5) have a rectangular profile
• the support (21) comprises a body defining the walls of the loading space (7).
• an infusion drink principle relies on the gravitational flow of water, which is generally heated beforehand, through a material to be infused, for example ground coffee.
• the quantities of infusible material are various and generally greater than 20 g, and advantageously of the order of 30 g.
• the amounts of milling are often significantly higher and the leaching takes place in a non-forced manner, that is to say without additional pressure for the extraction of aromas.
• the gravity flow is carried out inside a volume defined in part by the wall 5 of a support 21, and in the lower part, by a packaging that is reportable in the support 21.
• This volume forms a loading space 7 for receiving water.
• the packaging is of the disposable type so that the user can easily handle the grind 17 both for the insertion of the packaging in the support 2 and for its evacuation when the packaging is used.
• the direction 18 visible in FIG. 2 advantageously represents the average direction of flow, which is generally vertical in use.
• the packaging, or at least the pocket 8 has an axial symmetry around this direction.
• the term "transverse” or “width” means a direction having at least one component perpendicular to the direction 18.
• the packaging advantageously comprises a grinding receiving volume 17 or other substances to be infused at a pocket 8.
• the pocket 8 is at least partially defined by walls. in the form of two sheets 9, 10 preferably made so as to allow filtration. It is preferably sheets of material or filter paper but this solution is not limiting.
• the filter paper has a basis weight of 15 to 30 g / m 2 and a thickness of between 0.1 and 1 mm.
• the grind 17 is advantageously unpacked, that is to say that it has a freedom of movement in the pocket 8, a pocket whose volume is advantageously greater by at least 20% to the volume of unpacked coffee to condition.
• a certain deformability of the pocket 8 is possible.
• the unpacked nature of the grind 17 is an advantageous condition for producing long-lasting coffee of good quality, the gravity flow having to operate with limited head losses to be effective.
• a consequence of the non-crushing of the grind 17 is that the pocket 8 has, in the presence of only sheet 9, 10 of the filter paper type, a relative deformability.
• the present invention advantageously advantageously implements a reinforcement 1 1 in a more rigid material than that used for the plies 9, 10.
• the frame 1 1 can be made from a sheet of cardboard, for example with a thickness greater than 0.2 mm.
• the sheet of paperboard is coated on at least one of its two faces by a thin layer of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, to allow assembly with the plies 9, 10 and / or the seal 20 described above. after by a thermal welding.
• FIG. 3 shows an example of assembly zones at which the weld can be made between the ply 10 and the armature 11.
• FIG. 8 shows a variant according to which the armature 11 is assembled on an assembly zone with the two plies 9, 10 each by one face of the armature 11. This assembly is advantageously operated all around the pocket 8 so as to close the pocket 8 by establishing a peripheral portion 22 of the package.
• the figures show examples of packaging having an axial symmetry in the direction 18, the profile of the packaging being circular, both at its outer edge, and at the level of the pocket 8.
• An alternative non-limiting is such that the profile is substantially rectangular (for example with rounded corners), just like the pocket 8.
• the direction 18 represents, in the operating position, the vertical direction.
• the periphery of the packaging may be substantially rectangular while the profile of the pocket 8 may be substantially circular. Any form or combination of forms is within the scope of the present invention.
• the armature 11 is advantageously formed from a sheet cut so as to adopt the profile as visible in FIGS. 4 and 9. It may be a ring, possibly of non-circular inner and / or outer section. . The width of the ring may be between 8 mm and 15 mm and advantageously 10 mm.
• the armature is preferably a closed surface so as to offer a continuous contact on the support surface 1 of the support 21. This may participate in sealing and at least distribute the forces due to the recovery of the weight of the packaging and possibly water.
• the heated water is brought to be introduced into the loading space 7.
• the present invention has means for sealing in the zone of cooperation between the support 21 and the packaging.
• the packaging advantageously has a sealing edge 13 located at the periphery of the packaging, on a part called seal 20, and adapted to cooperate with surfaces described hereinafter in more detail of the support 21.
• the seal 20 is preferably formed from a sheet of material advantageously more rigid than those of the sheets 9, 10, for example paperboard coated on at least one of its two faces by a thin layer of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, to allow assembly with the plies 9, 10 and / or the frame 1 1 by a thermal weld.
• the seal 20 and the armature 11 can be made in one and the same piece.
• the seal 20 is less rigid than the armature, for example with a lower thickness.
• the seal 20 may be an extension of the frame with a smaller thickness.
• a preferred embodiment consists in forming distinctly joint 20 and reinforcement 1 1, with different parts so as to select the best geometric properties, mechanical and materials of these two parts of the packaging.
• the seal 20 may be of the same material as the armature 11 but in a lesser thickness, for example the paperboard previously indicated, from a sheet of thickness not exceeding 0.15 mm.
• the armature January 1 and the seal 20 overlap and has an area vis-à-vis one of the other. Another portion of the seal extends beyond the periphery of the package beyond the area where the armature 11 is present.
• This protruding portion 2 may represent from 20 to 50% of the width of the ring forming the seal, for example between 2 and 4 mm for a ring 13 mm wide. Thus, the projecting portion may for example be 3 mm wide.
• the protruding portion 2 has a convex shape directed upwards in the direction of flow 18, so as to promote its deformation with this orientation in contact with the wall 5.
• This convex shape is preferentially curvilinear to promote the flexibility of the protruding part 2 and its elastic deformation during the operating phases.
• the convex shape of the lower face 23 of the portion 2 produces a flared zone at the periphery of the upper face of the package (ie the face facing the load space 7). This gives, in use, a cup shape to the upper face that receives the water.
• the zones of the armature 11 and the joint 20 that overlap are integrally integral, either directly because they are in contact and assembled, or indirectly (for example with an intermediate web 9).
• another embodiment consists in preserving a relative mobility of the zones of the armature 11 and the gasket 20 facing each other.
• the deformation of the seal 20 whose edge 13 bears on the side wall 5 causes a displacement of a portion of the seal 20 located opposite the frame 1 1.
• a free portion 4 of the seal portion on which the seal 20 is not integral with the frame 1 1.
• This solution increases the mobility of the seal 20 to increase its application on the side wall 5.
• the Free portion 4 can represent 30 to 60% of the overlap width of the armature January 1 and the seal 20. For example, for a lap of 10 mm wide, the weld can be 6 mm.
• the seal 20 is located above the armature that is to say more towards the upper face of the packaging. In this way, the deformation of the seal 20 tending to raise it towards the interior of the loading space 7 has little or no influence on the armature 11.
• the stack of layers is as follows: starting from the upper face of the packaging, the sheet 9 covers the pocket 8 of ground coffee and extends over the peripheral portion 22 of so to participate in the assembly of the layers; below, the seal 20 extends between the ply 9 and the armature 1 1. The latter covers the periphery of the lower ply 10. The assembly can be done by welding.
• Figures 6 to 10 show a variant in which the sheet 9 is interposed between the seal 20 and the frame 1 January.
• the ply 10 is located between the frame 1 1 and the bearing surface 1, especially when it is filter paper. Indeed, in case of imperfect sealing of the seal 20, the web 10 thus forms an additional seal, the filter paper is a good barrier to water once a little soaked.
• the sealing edge 13 is formed as a distal end of the seal 20.
• a terminal winding of the seal may be formed so that the edge has a rounded curled shape.
• the shape of a winding is advantageous especially in combination with a cardboard gasket 20. Indeed, this winding is easy to manufacture and allows for a superposition of layers of paperboard which can then be deformed in a simple manner and without hard point without the exercise of too great a force.
• the winding comprises at least one turn and a half on the seal 20.
• the winding is advantageously made so as to be directed towards the lower face of the packaging corresponding to the face at which the pocket 8 is projecting.
• the winding thus formed forms an outer diameter at least equal to 1 millimeter.
• the packaging further comprises a reinforcement 14 ensuring a stiffening of the periphery of the pocket 8, advantageously located at the side wall 25 of the pocket 8, leaving free a bottom portion 24.
• the reinforcement may have a cylindrical shape, of any carrier but preferably circular, and of direction parallel to the direction 18.
• the shape of circular cross-section and directed downwards, opposite the loading space 7 can thus be obtained as in Figure 2
• the reinforcement 14 comprises or consists of a sheet shaped as a cylinder and lining the side wall 25 of the pocket (this wall is substantially parallel to the axis 18 in the illustration, while the bottom 24 is the lower end of the pocket and may be flat or slightly curved, and substantially perpendicular to the direction 18).
• the reinforcement 14 can also be applied to the side wall 25 from outside the volume 17.
• the pocket 8 and the reinforcement 14 are either fitted or assembled, by welding in particular.
• the reinforcement 14 can be made from a sheet of paperboard, for example of thickness less than or equal to 0.15 mm.
• the paperboard sheet is coated on at least one of its two faces by a thin layer of polymeric material, such as polyethylene, to allow assembly by thermal welding.
• the reinforcement 14 does not completely obstruct the passage of water at the side wall 25.
• holes 6 may be formed in the reinforcement 14.
• the diameter of the holes is preferably greater than 1 mm or even much more so as not to offer too much resistance to flow, and / or the holes preferably occupy less than 50% of the surface of the reinforcement 14.
• the flow direction 18 through the bottom 24 is preferred, because without the obstacle of the reinforcement 14, for a flow of drink sufficiently channeled.
• the reinforcement 14 is derived from the manufacturing process of the reinforcement 1 1 or the seal 20. More specifically, during the formation of one of these two parts from a portion of a particular sheet cardboard, a cut into quarters (from the center, so that the cuts are in star) of the part of the sheet located in the center of the armature January 1 or 20 seal allows, after folding inwardly of the pocket 8, to achieve stiffener legs.
• the reinforcement 14 extends at its upper end 15 to bear on the frame 1 1.
• the assembly is all the more rigid to maintain the shape of the pocket 8 without any need for tamping the grind.
• the pocket 8 has a height preferably between 2 and 4 cm, especially 3.5 cm.
• a cup shape is advantageous for the projecting portion 20 of the seal 2, either by a conformation at rest, or by a deformation in contact with the side wall, these two effects can be cumulated.
• This form concentrates the support of the water placed in the loading space 7 in order to increase the sealing force of the border 13.
• the upper face of the packaging advantageously comprises a recess. at the level of the ply 9 so as to form a bowl surrounded by the peripheral portion 22.
• the shrinkage 12 extends for example over a height (in the direction 18) at least equal to the thickness of the armature.
• the shrinkage 12 thus defines an edge 19 relative to the peripheral portion 22, edge 19 preferably wedged by the ply 9.
• the shrinkage 12 promotes the central flow of water and can allow interlocking two superposed conditioners.
• the zone of the packaging at which the sealing edge 13 is located is adapted to come into contact with a bearing surface 1 so as to hold the packaging in position inside the support 21
• the bearing surface 1 is integral with a body portion of the support 21 and can be made with it in a one-piece manner, for example in a single piece, in particular a plastic part, defining the volume of the loading space 7.
• the support surface 1 and the peripheral portion 22 will advantageously be made with corresponding circular profiles.
• the seal 20 is in contact with the side wall in the infusion position as in FIG.
• the bearing surface 1 defines a hole forming a lower opening of the support 21 that the pocket 8 can pass through.
• the low opening is only slightly larger than the section of the pocket 8. The latter is thus in suspension and the weight and pressure of water are mainly taken up by the frame 1 1.
• the support 21 or another part of the machine may have a funnel portion opening through an outlet.
• the shapes and dimensions of the different surfaces are adapted to the shape and the dimension of the sealing edge 13 on which they must be applied.
• the side wall 5 of the support is a cylindrical wall.
• the outer diameter of the package may be between 90 and 120 mm and for example equal to 106 mm.
• the diameter of the volume of powder 18 may be between 70 and 90 mm and for example 80 mm. Its height, in the direction 18 may for example be between 20 and 40 mm, for example 25 mm for 30 grams of ground.
• the loading space 7 in water has a longitudinal direction corresponding to a mean direction of flow 18 as in the case shown in FIG. it is advantageous if the packaging comprises a position perpendicular to this direction 18 when it is in the infusion position, as in the case of FIG. 1.
• the peripheral portion 22 of the packaging is advantageously placed on the surface of the container. support 1 so as to be perpendicular to the direction 18.
• the assembly advantageously forms a symmetrical system axially relative to the direction 18. This promotes the homogeneous flow of water through the grind 17.
• the operator may for example insert the packaging through an opening of the support body 21 located opposite the bearing surface 1.
• a sliding of the packaging causes its peripheral portion 22 in contact with the surface of the support 1.
• the sealing edge 13 is applied to the side wall 5 of the support 21 so that the support 21 and packaging cooperate in two directions of support.
• the coffee machine equipped with the system of the invention typically comprises a cold water tank and means for heating and conveying hot water to a dispensing head above of the system previously described.
• the dispensing head gradually and slowly loads the loading space 7 in the form of a variable frequency drop.
• the heating of the water is faster and a steady flow of hot water is made to the cargo space 7.
• the hot water is brought to quickly fill a large part of the loading space 7 above the packaging.
• Figure 11 illustrates a variant.
• the holes 6 are relatively large in diameter, for example between 8 and 12 mm and / or between 30% and 70% of the height of the pocket 8. At their horizontal diameters, perpendicular at the axis 18, the holes can occupy between 30% and 70% of the circumference of the pocket 8. Moreover, the holes 6 can be located towards the base of the pocket 8, having their center more towards the part of bottom 24 only towards the wall 12.
• the reference 4 in FIG. 11 and the detail of FIG. 12 also shows another variant, in the embodiment of the recessed wall 12 which is of a height h more pronounced than in the previous examples.
• the height of the recess 12 is in this case for example between 5 and 15 mm and in particular equal to 10 mm and / or is between 20% and 40% of the overall height of the packaging. It will be seen that this height can serve, besides constituting a water accumulation zone, to promote a nesting of packaging.
• An advantage of the present invention is that it also makes it possible in an advantageous embodiment to produce beverage products from a plurality of packages.
• it is possible to superimpose packages similar to that previously described so that the water flows through an increased amount of ground 17.
• it is possible to use identical packages and to superimpose them so that their upper and upper faces vis-à-vis respectively.
• a lower package will be placed so that the lower face of the peripheral portion 22 is applied to the bearing surface 1 as in the figures.
• a second conditioning is then reported in superposition so that its lower face bears on the upper face of the first packaging. In the case where the latter has a withdrawal, it may be the place of a nesting, possibly slightly in force, of the two packages.
• the sealing of the paperboard has the advantage of producing a flexible deformation without hardening of the material, which could lead to leakage losses, as could be the case with rigid plastics or aluminum. .
• the present invention does not exclude the use of this type of material.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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ID=50290132

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2014
  • 2014-01-13 FR FR1450220A patent/FR3016355B1/fr active Active
• 2015
  • 2015-01-13 EP EP15700553.9A patent/EP3094574B1/de active Active
  • 2015-01-13 WO PCT/EP2015/050445 patent/WO2015104418A1/fr not_active Ceased

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