Abstract:
A pre-charged ground coffee capsule is described. The capsule has a container body made of a metal foil material combined with a film of thermoplastic material. The container body is open at one end, the end being joined to a closing surface made of the same material. The container body is associated with a structural stiffening member provided with a plurality of through-openings and arranged in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the container body.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to Italian patent application GE2010A000009 filed on Jan. 26, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to devices for preparing alimentary beverages, and particularly to a pre-charged ground coffee capsule. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    For many years now the preparation of coffee, both for domestic use and for professional use, both in machines requiring manual preparation and in automatic and semi-automatic machines, involves the use of pre-charged capsules or pods of varying shape and design which normally have a dual function, the primary function being that of allowing preparation of the coffee infusion without using coffee powder in loose form, so that the working process is “cleaner” and general maintenance is simpler. 
         [0004]    A major problem with regard to the choice of materials and the structure to be given to the pre-charged capsule or pod, consists in achieving a suitable compromise between robustness and efficient use; in other words, if, on the one hand, the water-permeable materials such as filter paper, non-woven fabric and the like ensure an effective use of the capsule or pod, on the other hand they give rise to notable defects both from the point of view of storage and as regards positioning inside the filter holder. 
         [0005]    Document EP1997748, in the name of the same Applicant, describes a pre-charged ground coffee capsule comprising a container body with a polygonal cross-section, and preferably a circular cross-section, which is made of a liquid-impermeable material, open at one end and provided on the bottom wall with a large axial opening, two walls of liquid-permeable material being arranged, respectively, above said open end and along said bottom wall; said impermeable material comprises a support layer made of metallic material and a layer of thermoplastic material facing the inside of said container body, said permeable walls being joined to said container body by means of said layer of thermoplastic material, an outwardly projecting radial flange being provided at said open end of said container body. 
         [0006]    This type of pre-charged capsule solves many of the problems associated with the prior art, but nevertheless has a number of drawbacks. In particular, the structure so designed, although being effectively configured, is somewhat weak and therefore poses problems from the point of view of packaging and use by the end user. Comparing this type of pre-charged capsule with those made entirely of thermoplastic resin, it is entirely clear that the latter have better handling properties and are easier to use both in espresso coffee machines and in traditional “moka” or similar coffee machines, but have the problem that they require further packaging, preferably in an inert atmosphere, in order to preserve the aroma of the coffee powder. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In accordance with several embodiments of the present disclosure, a pre-charged ground coffee capsule is provided which, on the one hand, is able to preserve the quality of the product contained therein and, on the other hand, has a structural strength which allows it to be managed easily both during storage and during use. 
         [0008]    According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a pre-charged ground coffee capsule is provided, comprising a preferably cylindrical or frustoconical container body made of a metal foil material combined with a film of thermoplastic material, said container body comprising a structural stiffening member provided with a plurality of through-openings and arranged in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said container body. Said stiffening member has arranged thereon a water-permeable layer of filter material facing the inside of the container body. 
         [0009]    According to a further aspect, said stiffening member includes a substantially disc-shaped element comprising a peripheral ring and a plurality of radial elements converging toward the center and equally spaced from each other. A recess communicating with the aforementioned openings is preferably formed in the center of said member. 
         [0010]    Alternatively, said stiffening member can be provided with a peripheral wall which is perpendicular to the plane of said stiffening member, said wall being continuous or discontinuous. Furthermore, such a wall can be provided with an outwardly projecting radial flange. 
         [0011]    In a further embodiment, the bottom wall of said stiffening member can be made so as to be deformable and it is provided with means adapted to perforate the wall of said container body at the outwardly-facing side thereof. 
         [0012]    Alternatively, said stiffening member is positioned externally of said container body and it is provided with means adapted to perforate the wall of said container body at the outwardly-facing side of its bottom wall. In a preferred embodiment, said stiffening member is provided with a plurality of channels formed at the internal side-wall thereof and communicating with the bottom wall. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Other advantages and features will be apparent from the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the same which are provided by way of illustration, and not by way of limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a section view of a first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a cut-away perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a section view of a second embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cut-away perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a section view of a third embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a cut-away perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a section view of a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cut-away perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a section view of a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a cut-away perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a cut-away perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a cut-away perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 13 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  is a section view of an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 15 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]      FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of the pre-charged capsule according to the present disclosure;  1  denotes the container body of the pre-charged capsule according to the disclosure. Said container body  1  is provided with a bottom wall  101 , a continuous side wall  111  and a closing surface  201 ; both the container body  1  and the closing surface  201  are made of a metal foil material, such as aluminium or the like, combined with a layer of a thermoplastic resin, such as polyethylene or the like, which allows them to be joined together. The stiffening member  2 , which has a central cavity  102  and on which a layer of filter material  202  is placed, is arranged along the bottom wall  101  of the container body  1 . As can be seen more clearly from  FIG. 2 , which shows a cut-away perspective view of the pre-charged capsule, the member  2  comprises an annular element  302 , which has the same cross-section as the bottom wall  101  of the container body  1 , and a plurality of radial elements  312  converging towards the cavity  102  and forming the openings  322  directed towards the bottom wall  101  of the container body  1 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment of the capsule according to the disclosure; the same parts are indicated by the same numbers. In this case, the stiffening member  3 , in addition to comprising an annular element  303  and the radial elements  313  (see  FIG. 4 ) in a similar manner to that described for the embodiment in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , also has a continuous axial wall  403  which is arranged so as to actually contact with the side wall  111  of the container body  1 . The layer  203  of filter material is placed on the surface of the member  3 . 
         [0032]    Entirely similar in nature is the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , where the axial wall  404  of the stiffening member  4  has an outwardly projecting radial flange  414  onto which the closing surface  201  of the pre-charged capsule is joined. Otherwise, the stiffening member  4  has the annular element  304  and the radial elements  314  converging towards the cavity  104  and forming the openings  324  on which the layer  204  of filtering material is positioned. 
         [0033]    In the variant embodiment shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the stiffening member  5  has axial webs  405  which are joined at one end to the annular element  305 , placed in contact with the bottom wall  101  of the container body  1 , while at the opposite end they are connected to the flange  415  projecting radially outwards. In this case also, the stiffening member  5  has the annular element  305  and the radial elements  315  converging towards the cavity  105  and forming the openings  325  on which the layer  205  of filtering material is positioned. 
         [0034]    The embodiment in  FIGS. 9 and 10  shows the stiffening member  6  arranged in contact with the closing surface  201  instead of with the bottom wall  101 . As can be noted from  FIG. 10 , although the arrangement is shown as being completely overturned with respect to that of the devices of the embodiments previously shown and described, the characteristic features of the member  6  are in fact entirely the same. Said member  6  has the annular element  306  and the radial elements  316  converging towards the cavity  106  and forming the openings  326  on which the layer  206  of filtering material is positioned. As a particular feature, the member  6  has the outwardly projecting radial flange  406  which practically acts as a support for the closing surface  201  on the one hand, and for the outgoing edge of the side walls  111  of the container body  1  on the other hand. 
         [0035]      FIG. 11  shows a further embodiment of the pre-charged capsule according to the disclosure. In this embodiment, the stiffening member  7  is provided with a continuous side wall  107  similar to that of the embodiment according to  FIGS. 5 and 6 ; the bottom wall  207  is formed with a central portion  217  substantially shaped as a dome and in the manner of an undulating membrane. The more rigid axial portion  227  has formed therein the nibs  237  which project axially outwards. The container body  1  encloses the member  7 , and the closing surface  201  is mounted onto the edges of the radial flange  117  projecting from the side wall  107 .  FIG. 12  shows, with reference to the same numbers, the structure of the dome portion  217  and the more rigid central portion  227  of the bottom wall  207 , as well as the series of holes  247  formed in the dome portion  217 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 13  shows a further alternative embodiment of the present disclosure. In this case, the container body  1  is inserted inside the member  8  which in this case imparts rigidity to the container body itself, supporting it externally. The bottom wall  101  of the container body  1  faces the bottom wall  208  of the member  8 , which is provided with a plurality of through-holes  218  and pyramidal reliefs  228 . In  FIG. 14  it is possible to note the arrangement of the bottom wall  101  of the container body  1  very close to the pyramidal reliefs  228 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 15  shows a further embodiment of the present disclosure, and particularly a variant of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . In this case also, the stiffening member  9  is located outside of the container body  1 , and the bottom wall  209  of the stiffening member also has pyramidal reliefs  219  in a similar way to that envisaged in the wall  208  of the stiffening member  8  as shown in the embodiment according to  FIGS. 13 and 14 . In this case, however, the side wall  109  and the flange  119  connected thereto have grooves  129  which connect the bottom wall  209  to the environment outside of the pre-charged capsule. As can be noted from the exploded perspective view in  FIG. 16 , the container body  1  is arranged inside the stiffening member  9  so that its outer walls create, in cooperation with the grooves  129 , channels communicating with the bottom of the member  9 . 
         [0038]    The operating principle of the pre-charged capsule according to the present disclosure will become clear from the description below. As already mentioned, a pre-charged capsule totally made of a metal foil material such as aluminium or the like, internally lined with a plastic material, provides a light and impermeable packaging, but on the other hand is an object which is not very strong from a structural point of view and which may give rise to problems both during storage handling operations and during final use. The insertion of a stiffening member inside the capsule enhances the management thereof as regards these two different aspects; if in the embodiment according to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the stiffening member has a certain prominence in the structure of the pre-charged capsule, in the embodiments according to  FIGS. 3 ,  5  and  7 , the container body  1  and the closing surface constitute in fact the sealing casing of a pre-charged capsule which has a structure made mainly of plastic, but which takes advantage from the fact of being completely lined by a container which isolates it from the external environment. Practically, the container body  1  in the embodiments according to  FIGS. 3 and 5  ceases to be a container body in the full sense, while it is still partly so in the embodiment according to  FIG. 7 , and becomes instead a lining which allows the pre-charged capsules to be configured without the need for further packaging which is normally added in order to preserve the integrity of the coffee aroma. In fact, the container body  1  and the closing surface  201  may be sealed together in a controlled atmosphere, for example an inert-gas atmosphere, so that the contents of the capsule are preserved without further measures. 
         [0039]    The embodiment according to  FIGS. 11 and 12  has, in addition to the features of the embodiments shown in the other figures and described above, also provides a characteristic feature relating to the system for preparing the coffee infusion. In fact, the central portion  217  of the bottom wall  207  is designed so as to be sensitive to variations in pressure caused by the entry of hot water under pressure inside the container body  1  and, therefore, its expansion causes the central rigid portion  227  to come into contact with the bottom wall  101  of the container body  1  and, in particular, openings are formed in the bottom wall itself via the nibs  237 . At this point, once the coffee infusion has passed through the holes  237  in the wall  207  of the stiffening member  7 , it can percolate outside through the opening(s) formed in the container body  1  by the action of the nibs  237  projecting from the portion  217  of the bottom wall  207 . 
         [0040]    The embodiments in  FIGS. 13 ,  14  and  15 ,  16  are based on a functional concept slightly different from that described hitherto. In fact, in both cases, the stiffening member is positioned outside of the container body  1 . As a result of this choice, it has also proved appropriate to design the bottom wall of the said stiffening member with a plurality of holes, and the said stiffening member has been provided with means which allow fluid communication between said bottom wall and the external environment. The aim is to cause the collapse, upon entry of hot water under pressure inside the container body  1 , of the bottom wall  101  of the container body itself against the reliefs on the bottom wall of the stiffening member; then, the infusion may be discharged towards the dispensing and/or collection means via the holes formed in the bottom wall or via channels formed in the side walls.