Patent Publication Number: US-2022227574-A1

Title: Draining the Beverage From a Single-Serve Beverage Pod With or Without an Outlet Piercing Element

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to a U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/968117, filed Jan. 30, 2020, entitled SINGLE-SERVE BEVERAGE POD DRAINING THE BEVERAGE WITH OR WITHOUT AN OUTLET PIERCING ELEMENT, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     A single-serve beverage pod is configured to brew a beverage and drain the beverage therein via multiple outlets. In particular, the pod may be orientated to drain the beverage about the bottom side, sidewall, and/or the top side of the pod with or without an outlet piercing element piercing through the pod. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     The following background discussion is not an admission that the matters discussed below are citable as prior art or common general knowledge. Brewing a hot beverage through single-serve pods are popular for their convenience and a variety of flavors of beverage which are offered. For instance, single-serve pods may be packed with premeasured coffee ground which can be inserted into a brewing mechanism to inject hot water into the pod to brew a cup of beverage. As of 2018, the market leader of single-serve pods in North America is Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.® that sells its single-serve platform under the Keurig® brand name, collectively referred to as Keurig®. Keurig® offers over 400 different variety of single-serve pods, also known as K-Cup® pods (hereinafter referred to as “K-Cup(s)” or “K-Cup pod(s)”). For instance, US. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0051478 entitled BEVERAGE FILTER POD by Karanikos et al. (the “&#39;51478 application”), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, generally describes the K-Cup pods offered in the market today. The &#39;514778 application discloses a beverage filter cartridge having a cup like container where the interior is divided into two chambers by a cup-shaped filter element: a first chamber is located inside the filter and a second chamber is a space between the bottom of filter and the base of the container. The upper rim of the filter is joined at the upper opening of the container sidewall. The rim of the container is bonded with a lid to contain the coffee ground packed within the filter. The bottom of the filter is position above the bottom of the container such that the second chamber has enough space so that the tip of the bottom outlet needle does not pierce the bottom of the paper filter in order to prevent the paper filter from tearing open so that coffee ground do not escape from the filter during the brewing process. 
     In order to brew a beverage, a K-Cup pod is placed inside a brewer designed to work with the K-Cup pod. U.S. Pat. No. 7,347,138 (the &#39;138 Patent”), which is hereby incorporated in its entirety, generally describes a brewer, offered by Keurig®, designed to work with K-Cup pods. The brewer includes a holder configured and dimensioned to receive a K-Cup pod generally in an upright position. The brewer has a cover that opens and closes, and underneath the cover is an inlet needle designed to pierce the lid of the K-Cup pod as the cover closes; and during the brewing process, heated water is injected into the first chamber via the inlet needle in order to brew a beverage as the water interact with the coffee ground packed within the filter. The beverage then flow pass the filter and into the second chamber but the coffee ground remain within the filter, The holder also has an outlet needle at the bottom to pierce the bottom of the container when the pod is pressed down into the holder. This allows the beverage within the second chamber to drain via the outlet needle. 
     Despite the popularity of the K-Cup pods, there are a number of disadvantages to brewing a cup of coffee with the K-Cup pod. First, while some K-Cup pods are recyclable, it is not easy to do so. For instance, after the K-Cup pod has been used to brew a beverage, the coffee ground within the spent pod hinders the container from being recycled. In this disclosure, a single-serve beverage pod that has been used to brew a beverage may be generally referred to as a “spent pod”. With the spent pod, a user may need to first remove the lid and discard the coffee ground within the filter in order to recycle the outer container with the filter still bonded to the container. In practice, many users may find that following these steps, in other words, removing the lid and then discarding the coffee ground to be cumbersome and messy. Accordingly, many users may not actually follow these steps to recycle the pods. Second, the K-Cup pods need to be pierced at the bottom of the container by an outlet needle in order to drain the beverage via the outlet needle. In some instances, the outlet needles can get clogged such that the beverage cannot be drained, which can cause the brewing mechanism to malfunction. Third, the same outlet needle is used to brew a variety of different flavor beverages, such as coffee, tea, and hot cocoa, but using the same outlet needle can contaminate the flavors among different flavored beverages. This can lead to unsatisfactory taste of the beverages. Accordingly, there still is a need for a K-Cup pod that can be recycled more conveniently, reduce the chances of the outlet needle getting clogged, and/or minimize the contamination of flavors due to using the same outlet needle for brewing different flavored pods. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One of the aspects of the invention is to provide a single-serve pod with a container having a base that extends upwardly to form a sidewall and extends outwardly to form a rim to define an opening, the rim having a line of weakness defining an outer section and an inner section of the rim where the inner section is juxtaposed to the sidewall; a filter having a filter base that extends upwardly to form a filter sidewall and extends outwardly to form an extension to define an opening adapted to receive beverage ingredient, where the opening of the container is adapted to receive the filter such that the extension is juxtaposed to the rim of the container; and an energy director between the rim of the container and the extension of the filter. 
     Another aspect of the invention is to provide a single-serve beverage pod that can be brewed in different orientations such as in a substantially upright position and a substantially horizontal position. When the pod is brewed in the substantially upright position, the formation of the beverage may be drained through a pierced hole formed within the base of the container but when the pod is brewed in the substantially horizontal position, the beverage can be drained through a gap formed between the rim and sidewall of the container and may pour directly into a mug to avoid contaminating the beverage. The container may be formed from a unitary part having a rim extending outwardly from a sidewall, and the rim may be separated from the sidewall via a line of weakness. The container may be also formed from separate parts peelably bonded together such that the rim part can be peeled away from the sidewall part to form a gap between the two parts to allow the beverage to drain via the gap. 
     In this regard, one of the aspects of the invention is directed to a beverage pod, comprising: a container having a first part peelably bonded to a second part along a bond area, the first part having a first sidewall that bends at a corner to form a first section and defining an opening around the first section, the second part having a base and a second sidewall that is outside and juxtaposed to the first sidewall to form a pathway between the first and second sidewalls and to have the first section extends outwardly from the second sidewall where the opening defines a top side of the container and the base defines a bottom side of the container, and the bond area is located near the top side of the container; a filter coupled to the first part such that the filter forms a pocket within the opening to receive a beverage substance within the pocket; and a lid coupled to the first section of the first part to enclose the opening and to hermetically seal the beverage substance within the container such when the beverage pod is brewed in a first orientation the base is pierced by an outlet piercing element to drain the beverage via the outlet piercing element, and when the beverage pod is brewed in a second orientation at least a portion of the bond area is separated to form a gap between the first and second parts by a separating element to allow beverage to flow along the pathway and drain via the gap. 
     Another aspect of the invention is directed to a beverage pod comprising: a container having: a first part having a first sidewall that bends at a corner to form a first section defining a first opening; a second part having a base that bends at a corner to form a second sidewall defining a second opening adapted to receive the first sidewall of the first part, the first part peelably bonded to the second part, and when the beverage pod is brewed in a first orientation the base is pierced by an outlet piercing element to form a pierced hole and when the beverage pod is brewed in a second orientation a portion of the first part is peeled away from the second part to form a gap; a filter bonded to the first part defining a first chamber and a second camber within the container, the first chamber defining a pocket adapted to pack a beverage substance such that formation of beverage within the first chamber passes through the filter and into the second chamber; and a lid enclosing the first chamber such that the lid and the container hermitically seal the beverage substance within the container, and during a brewing process, the beverage within the second chamber drains either through the pierced hole in the base or the gap formed between the first and second parts. 
     Yet another aspect of the invention is directed to a beverage pod beverage pod comprising: a container having: a first part having a first sidewall that bends at a corner to form a first section surrounding a first opening; a second part having a base and a second sidewall defining a second opening adapted to receive the first sidewall juxtaposed to the second sidewall, the first part peelably bonded to the second part, the second part formed from a pierceable material so that the base is pierceable when the beverage pod is brewed in a first orientation to form a pierced hole through the base, and a portion of the first part peeled away from the second part when the beverage pod is brewed in a second orientation to form a gap between the first and second parts; a filter bonded to the first part adjacent to the first opening defining a first chamber and a second camber within the container, the first chamber defining a pocket adapted to pack a beverage substance such that formation of beverage within the first chamber passes through the filter and into the second chamber; and a lid enclosing the first chamber such that the lid and the container hermitically seal the beverage substance within the container, wherein when the beverage pod is brewed in the first orientation, the pierced hole is first formed through the base during the brewing process and a gravitational force draws the beverage toward the base to drain the beverage through the pierced hole; and wherein when the beverage pod is brewed in the second orientation, the gap is first formed between the first and second part and the gravitational force draws the beverage toward the lid to drain the beverage through the gap. 
     Still another aspect of the invention is directed to a beverage pod a method of brewing a beverage with a pod including a filter within a container with a sidewall extending upwardly from a base and extending outwardly forming a rim, the filter having a pocket to receive beverage substance and bonding the filter between the rim and a lid to enclose the beverage substance within the pocket, the method comprising: injecting heated liquid through the lid of the pod to mix with beverage substance within the pocket to brew a beverage; draining the beverage formed within the pod through the base of the pod when the pod is in a first orientation such that the gravitational force directs the beverage to exit through the base; and draining the beverage formed within the pod through a gap formed between the rim and the sidewall when the pod is in a second orientation such that the gravitational force directs the beverage to exit via the gap. 
     Another aspect of the invention is directed to a beverage pod a beverage pod, comprising: a container having a sidewall extending upwardly from a base and extending outwardly from a bend location forming a rim having a first extension and a second extension that is slanted downward relative to the first extension, and the rim having a line of weakness around the rim and away from the bend location defining a proximal extension of the rim and a distal extension of the rim; a filter having a pocket with a ledge defining an opening to receive a beverage substance, and the ledge of the filter coupled to the first and second extensions of the rim; and a lid coupled to the ledge of the filter to enclose the opening and to seal the beverage substance within the container, wherein when a sufficient force is applied to a portion of the distal extension of the rim, the portion of the distal extension of the rim and the ledge of the filter separate from the proximal portion of the rim along a portion of the line of weakness to form a gap between the distal and proximal extensions. 
     Yet another aspect of the invention is directed to a beverage pod, comprising: a container having a first part peelabley coupled to a second part along a bond area, the first part having a first sidewall extending upwardly from a base, the second part having a second sidewall that bends at a corner to form a first section and defining an opening around the first section, the second sidewall juxtaposed to the first sidewall to form a pathway between the first and second sidewalls and to have the first section extend outwardly from the first sidewall such that an application of sufficient force upon the first section causes at least a portion of the second part to separate from the first part along a portion of the bond area to form a gap to allow formation of beverage to flow along the pathway and drain via the gap; a filter coupled to the second part such that the filter forms a pocket within the opening to receive a beverage substance within the pocket; and a lid coupled to the first section of the first part to enclose the opening and to hermetically seal the beverage substance within the container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of a single-serve beverage pod. 
         FIG. 1B  shows a cross-sectional view of the pod of  FIG. 1A  along the line  1 B- 1 B. 
         FIG. 1C  shows an enlarged view of the rim area of the pod as indicated by the encircled area marked  1 C. 
         FIGS. 2A through 2L  show enlarged cross-sectional views of various alternative embodiments of the rim. 
         FIG. 3A  show a cross-sectional view of the pod in a first orientation in reference to the gravitational force as indicated by a direction arrow g. 
         FIG. 3B  show a cross-sectional view of the pod brewing a beverage in the first orientation and draining the beverage via an outlet needle. 
         FIG. 4  show a flow chart illustrating the steps that may be utilized to pre-weaken a line of weakness of the pod. 
         FIG. 5A  shows a perspective view of a pod in a second orientation in reference to the gravitational force as indicated by a direction arrow g. 
         FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional view of the pod of  FIG. 5A  along the line  5 B- 5 B illustrating flow of brewed beverage in the second orientation and draining the beverage without an outlet needle. 
         FIG. 6A  shows a cross-sectional view of a pod placed within a brewing chamber orientated to brew and drain the beverage in a second orientation. 
         FIG. 6B  shows a cross-sectional view of the pod of  FIG. 6A  in an intermediate stage prior to piercing the lid with an inlet needle. 
         FIG. 6C  shows a cross-sectional view of the pod in a second orientation for brewing and draining the beverage within the pod without an outlet needle. 
         FIG. 6D  shows a cross-sectional view of the spent pod after the brewing process. 
         FIG. 7A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a pod in a second orientation ready to form a gap to drain the beverage. 
         FIG. 7B  illustrates the pod in a second orientation having a gap to drain the beverage with minimal spattering of the beverage. 
         FIG. 8A  illustrates a pod that supports the filter to enlarge a gap for draining the beverage. 
         FIG. 8B  shows the pod of  FIG. 8A  where a gap is formed to drain the beverage. 
         FIG. 9A  illustrates another embodiment of a pod in a second orientation with a liner to isolate the inlet needle. 
         FIG. 9B  shows the pod of  FIG. 9A  with the liner isolating the inlet needle and a gap to drain the beverage. 
         FIG. 9C  shows an expanded view of the pod of  FIG. 9A . 
         FIG. 9D  shows another embodiment of a liner for the pod of  FIG. 9A . 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates a pod having a liner incorporating a one-way valve. 
         FIG. 10B  illustrates a pod without a filter. 
         FIG. 10C  illustrate a pod having solid substances for brewing soup. 
         FIG. 11A  shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a pod having an irregular shape sidewall. 
         FIG. 11B  shows the pod of  FIG. 11A  within a brewing chamber. 
         FIG. 11C  shows the pod of  FIG. 11A  with the sidewall that has been reshaped during the brewing process. 
         FIG. 12A  shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pod having a shield to protect the filter. 
         FIG. 12B  shows a perspective view of the shield. 
         FIG. 12C  shows a pod having a shield with the filter attached to the shield. 
         FIG. 12D  shows an alternative detail view of the shield attached to the container. 
         FIG. 12E  shows another alternative view of the shield attached to the container. 
         FIG. 13A  shows an alternative low-pressure pod in an upright expanded perspective view. 
         FIG. 13B  shows an inverted perspective view of  FIG. 13A . 
         FIG. 13C  shows an enlarge view of the holes in the base of the filter. 
         FIG. 14A  shows an alternative high-pressure pod in an upright expanded perspective view. 
         FIG. 14B  shows an inverted perspective view of  FIG. 14A . 
         FIG. 14C  shows an enlarge view of the holes in the base of the high-pressure filter. 
         FIG. 15A  shows enlarge view of extension of the filter and rim of the container. 
         FIG. 15B  shows enlarge view of an energy director. 
         FIG. 15C  shows enlarge view of an energy director in a different location. 
         FIG. 15D  shows enlarge view of an energy director underneath the extension. 
         FIG. 16A  shows an assembled pod of  FIG. 13A . 
         FIG. 16B  shows an alternative pod from the pod illustrated in  FIG. 13A . 
         FIGS. 17A  through  FIG. 17D  illustrate various stages of separating the extension from the rim to drain a beverage. 
         FIGS. 18A  through  FIG. 18B  illustrate alternative means of separating the extension from the rim to drain a beverage. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The various aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the drawings and descriptions described below. The components in the figures, however, are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the various aspects of the invention. The claimed invention is not limited to apparatuses or methods having all of the features of any one apparatus or method described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. The claimed invention may reside in a combination or sub-combination of the apparatus elements or method steps described below. It is possible that an apparatus or method described below is not an example of the claimed invention. In general, when the terms “may”, “is”, and “are” are used as a verb in the description corresponding to a particular subject matter, these terms are generally used in this disclosure as an expression of a possibility of such subject matter rather than as a limiting sense such as when the terms “shall” and “must” are used. For example, when the description states that the subject matter “may be” or “is” circular, this is one of many possibilities, such that the subject matter can also include an oval, square, regular, irregular, and any other shapes known to a person of ordinarily skilled in the art rather than being limited to the “circular” shape as described and/or illustrated in the corresponding referenced figure. In addition, when the term “may”, “is”, and “are” are used describe a relationship and/or an action, these terms are generally used in this disclosure as an expression of a possibility. For example, when the description states that a subject matter A “may be” or “is” adjacent to a subject matter B, this can be one of many possibilities including the possibility that the subject matter A is not adjacent to the subject matter B as it would be understood by a person of ordinarily skilled in the art. 
     Moreover, it is within the scope of the invention to combine the various embodiments disclosed relating to one or more particular drawing and their corresponding descriptions with one or more of other drawings and their corresponding descriptions disclosed herein and/or other references incorporated herein by reference where such a combination may be combined and practiced by one of ordinary skilled in the art. The phrase “single-serve beverage pod” in this disclosure generally refers to a single brewing process where a desired volume of beverage is brewed to serve one cup of beverage, however, it is within the scope of the invention to have a pod that packs sufficient beverage substance to brew multiple cups of beverage from a single brewing process or from multiple brewing processes. Also, the term “beverage substance” generally refers to the underline article when mixed with liquid such as water formulates a beverage such as coffee, tea, fruit drink, surgery drink such as punch, soda, cocoa, milk, soup, energy drink, liquid medicine, and the like. For instance, for coffee, the beverage substance may be coffee ground, instant powder coffee, and/or concentrated coffee in liquid form that can be diluted with water for consumption. For tea, the beverage substance may be tea ground, instant powder tea, and/or concentrated tea in liquid form that can be diluted with water for consumption. For baby milk, the beverage substance may be milk powder or concentrated milk liquid. For medicine such as for flu or cold, the beverage substance may be in the powder or liquid form which can be dissolved with predetermined portion of the heated water to brew a proper portion of the liquid medicine. In addition, the beverage substance may be provided in the form of pellets that are infused with desired flavors; and once the pellets are exposed to liquid such as water, the trapped flavors may be released by the pellets, which is then absorbed by the mixing liquid to formulate a beverage with the desired flavor. As such, the beverage substance may be in the form of ground, powder, liquid, pellets, and the like; and the beverage substance may be formulated from single or multiple ingredients. The same referenced numerals referred to in the drawings and descriptions generally correspond to same or similar parts throughout the disclosure. 
       FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of a single-serve beverage pod  10  including a container  12  and a lid  14  sized to enclose the container  12 . In reference to the gravitational force as indicated by the direction arrow g, the container  12  may have a base  16  and extending upwardly therefrom may be a sidewall  18 , which may then extend laterally at a bend location  20  to form a rim  22 . The base  16  and the sidewall  18  may be circular such that the bend location  20  and the rim  22  may be correspondingly circular as well. The outer dimensions and configuration of the pod  10  may vary depending on the application. The outer dimensions and configuration of the pod  10 , however, may include dimensions and configuration same or similar to that of K-Cup® pod found in the market today. Moreover, as discussed in more details below, a different pod having different size and configuration may be used along with the pod  10 , such as a second pod having a different height that is greater or smaller than the height of the pod  10 . 
       FIG. 1B  shows a cross-sectional view of the pod  10  along the line  1 B- 1 B shown in  FIG. 1A ; and  FIG. 1C  shows an enlarged portion of the pod  10  as indicated by the encircled area marked  1 C where the rim  22  may have a slanted configuration that faces downwards toward the base  16 . The pod  10  may include a filter  24  forming a pocket generally defining a first chamber  28  within the container  12  configured to receive and hold the beverage substance  26 . The filter  24  may have a bottom  30  with a sidewall  32  extending upwardly therefrom and extending outwardly from a corner  34  to form a ledge  36  configured to nest over the rim  22  and seal to at least a portion of the rim  22 . The ledge  36  of the filter may be sealed to the rim  22  through a variety of methods known to one skilled in the art, such as being permanently or peelably bonded such that the ledge  36  of the filter  24  can be peeled away from the rim  22 , if desired. Depending on the application, the ledge  36  may be bonded to the rim  22  through a variety of peelable bond known to one skilled in the art. The peelable bond may have sufficient strength to allow both bonded materials to remain bonded together during normal conditions of manufacturing, shipping, use, and brewing process while being sufficiently weak enough to allow one material to be peeled away from the opposite material by the application of sufficient force to separate the two materials. The sufficient force may be applied through the use of hand and/or via mechanical means within the brewing mechanism. 
     The filter  24  may also define a second chamber  38  between the filter  24  and the sidewall  18  and the base  16  of the container  12 . Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have the second chamber  38  be minimized such that the bottom  30  of the filter  24  may contact the base  16  of the container  12 . The filter may be formed within the container  12  such that a pathway  40  may be formed between the sidewall  18  of the container  12  and the sidewall  32  of the filer  24 . Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have a portion of the filter  24  be in contact with the sidewall  18  and/or the base  16 . The filter  24  may be formed from a variety of materials known to one skilled in the art such as paper filter, synthetic filtration material, moldable non-woven filtration material, biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable material. As an example, the non-woven filtration material may include a plurality of multi-component filaments that are bound or interlocked by non-woven manufacturing techniques (such as spunbond techniques) to form the ledge  36  extending outwardly around the circumference of the corner  34  of the filter  24 . The basis weight for filter  24  adapted for filtering ingredients for preparing a single-serve beverage may be in the range from about 8 to about 400 grams per square meter (gsm), also from about 40 to about 150 gsm, and from about 60 to about 120 gsm. Depending on the brewing application, the filter  24  may be incorporated into the pod  10  such as for brewing ground coffee and tea, however, there may be other brewing applications where the filter may not be needed such as when brewing instant coffee, power drinks like chocolate powder, milk powder, or any other soluble or insoluble ingredients, and etc. 
     The pod  10  may be enclosed by the lid  14  to seal the first chamber  28  of the filter  24  and/or the rim  22  of the container  12 . In general, in reference to the orientation of the pod  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1A , the lid  14  may represent the top side of the pod  10 , and the base  16  may represent the bottom side of the pod  10 . The outer extension portion and/or intermediate portion of the lid  14  may be coupled to the ledge  36  of the filter and/or extend over the ledge  36  and bond directly to the rim  22  as discussed in more detail below. Accordingly, depending the application, the diameter of the lid  14  may be less, equal, or greater than the outer diameter of the rim  22  such that the lid  14  may or may not overlap the entire outer circumference of the rim  22 . The lid  14  may be formed from a variety of materials known to one skilled in the art such as aluminum, plastic liner, biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable material. In particular, the lid  14  may be formed of a material that is resistant to tearing upon the application of a peel force. For instance, the lid may be formed from a multi-layered material that includes at least one layer that is resistant to tearing upon the application of a peel force. For example, the lid  14  may have a minimum tensile strength of 3000 psi and a minimum elongation of 50%. Examples of materials that may be used to resistant tearing include polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide PA 6 . A lid made of multi-la.yered material may include at least one layer formed of a continuous film of tear resistant material (laminated or extrusion coated) or a non-continuous film such as a non-woven polymer, mesh or perforated film. Examples of a multi-layered material for lid  14  include (from outside layer to inside layer): PET/aluminum foil/PE, PET/EVOH/PE, PET/metalized PET/PE or PET/PE. The lid  14  may be formed from a flexible material such that if the lid  14  is sized to overlap the rim  22 , the lid may return to its original shape once the lid is free from the exterior restraints such as when a plurality of pods are packed within a box close to each other to minimize the size of the box. Alternatively, the pods may be made from biodegradable materials. For example, the pods may be made from biodegradable and/or compostable materials as disclosed in US Published Application No. 2014/0335236, entitled BIODEGRADABLE AND COMPOSTABLE SINGLE-SERVE BEVERAGE INGREDIENT PACKAGE, published Nov. 13, 2014; and also US Published Application No. 2013/0045308, entitled DISPOSABLE BIODEGRADABLE BEVERAGE PACKAGE, published Feb. 21, 2013, which are both hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, and referred hereto as “biodegradable disclosures” below. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1C , the rim  22  may have a line of weakness  42  around the circumference of the rim  22  such that the rim  22  may be separated from the sidewall  18  when a sufficient force is applied to the rim  22  in a manner described below. The ledge  36  of filter  24  and the lid  14  may be coupled to the rim  22  such that when a sufficient force is applied over and/or underneath the rim  22 , the rim  22 , the ledge  36 , and the lid  14  may separate from the sidewall  18  along the line of weakness  42  in a manner described below. The rim  22  may be slanted downward by an angle yr relative to a horizontal plane HP and the extension of the rim  22  from the line of weakness  42  may be ER. The angle ψ may vary from about 0° to about 90°, and from about 15° to about 60°, and in particular from about 30° to about 45°. The angle ψ may also be adjusted to allow the pod  10  to work with cup holders in traditional brewing mechanisms that brews K-Cup pods where the bottom  16  of the pod is pierced by an outlet needle or the like to drain the beverage via the outlet needle when the pod is generally brewed in an upright orientation. The length of the ER may vary from about 2.0 mm to about 10.0 mm, and from about 3.0 mm to about 8.0 mm, and in particular from about 4.0 mm to about 6.0 mm. The ledge  36  of the filter  24  may be bonded to a portion of the rim  22  via a first bond  50 , and the ledge  36  may be bonded to the lid  14  via a second bond  52  such that the ledge  36  may be between the first and second bonds  50  and  52  in this embodiment, as discussed in more detail below. 
     The first and second bonds  50  and  52  may be bonded through a variety of methods known to one skilled in the art depending on the application. For instance, the first and second bonds  50  and  52  may have similar bonding strength or the first bond  50  may be stronger than the second bond  52 , and vice versa. That is, the first and second bonds  50  and  52  may be individually and/or in combination permanent or peelable bond depending on the application. In reference to the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1C , the first and second bonds may be permanent bonds such that they are not intended to be peeled off from their respective adhered members. The term “permanent” bond in this disclosure generally refers to relative strength of the bonds such that the permanent bond has stronger adherence characteristics than the peelable bond. The areas of the first and second bonds  50  and  52  may vary depending on the application and the desired strength of the bond. Also, the permanent and peelable bonding material may be a separate material from the filter  24  and the container  12  or it may be an integral part of the material (either a monolayer material or a layer of a multi-layered material) for one or both of the filter  24  and container  12 . One example of a first bond  50  may be a heat sealable polymer such as polyethylene (PE) including low density PE, linear low density PE and high density PE. The first bond  50  may be provided as an inner sealing layer for the container  12  formed from a multi-layered material as discussed above or it may be provided as a separate first bond  50 . Other suitable first bond  50  may include heat sealable materials such as polypropylene, lacquer, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene acrylates, polystyrene or combinations of the above. Adhesive materials (having comparable adhesion properties as described above to form a peelable bond) may be utilized for applications where a heat sealer is not desired or feasible. Suitable first bond  50  materials that may be integral with the filter  24  include homocomponent materials (such as polyolefin, polyester, and polyamide) and multicomponent materials (such as polyester-polyolefin, polyamide-polyolefin and polyester-polyamide). Moreover, other bonding methods such as ultrasonic bonding method may be used. 
       FIGS. 2A through 2L  show enlarged cross-sectional views of various alternative embodiments of the rim  22  of the pod  10  and the manner in which the ledge  36  of the filter  24  and the lid  14  may be bonded together to their respective adjacent layers and the locations of the line of weakness  42 .  FIG. 2A  illustrates that the container  12  may have a first line of weakness  42  at the bend location  20  on the exterior side of the container  12 , and a second line of weakness  44  near the bend location  20  on the corner where the sidewall  18  bends to form the rim  22 . In this embodiment, the first and second bonds  50  and  52  may be permanent bonds. That is, the bonding strengths between the two bonds  50  and  52  may be similar and resistant to separation from their respective bonding area under normal intended us. Moreover, the pathway  40  may be formed between the two sidewalls  18  and  32 . 
       FIG. 2B  illustrates that the container  12  may have a first line of weakness  42  at the bend location  20  on the exterior side of the container  12 , and a second line of weakness  44  near the bend location  20  but on the inner side  12 B of the container  12 .  FIG. 2C  illustrates that the rim  22  may include a first extension  22 B and a second extension  22 C with a line of weakness  42  at the bend location  20  on the exterior side of the container  12 . The first extension  22 B may extend outwardly in a lateral or horizontal manner; and this may provide more surface area  46  on the rim  22 , which in turn provides greater bonding area for a more secure bonding between ledge  36  and the rim  22 . The second extension  22 C may extend in an oblique or slanted manner relative from the first extension  22 B such that the second extension  22 C face towards the base  16  of the container  12 . Alternately, the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C may extend in a curve like manner where the edge  48  of the rim  22  face downwards toward the base  16  of the container  12 . Moreover, a portion of the sidewall  32  of the filter  24  may contact the sidewall  18  of the container thereby minimizing the pathway  40  relative to the pathway  40  shown in  FIG. 2A . 
       FIG. 2D  illustrate that the line of weakness  42  may be on the inner side  12 C of the container  12  adjacent to the bend location  20 .  FIG. 2E  illustrates that the rim  22  may have an extension  54  adapted to more securely engage with a separating element  216 , as discussed in more detail below, to allow the rim  22  to separate from the sidewall  18  of the container  12  along the line of weakness  42 . In addition, the ledge  36  of the filter  24  and the lid  14  may adhere to the taper portion of the rim  22  to increase the bonding surface area between the ledge  36  and the rim  22 .  FIG. 2F  illustrates that the line of weakness  42  may be located at the inner side  12 C of the container  12  adjacent to the bend location  20  with the extension  54 . Note that it is within the scope of the invention where the container  12  may have more than one line of weaknesses  42 . For example, the container  12  have two lines of weaknesses  42  on its exterior and interior sides as illustrated in  FIGS. 2E and 2F , respectively. 
       FIG. 2G  illustrates that the ledge  36  of the filter  24  and the lid  14  may be extended to encompass the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C of the rim  22 . The ledge  36  of the filter  24  may be comprised of a first extension  36 B and a second extension  36 C which may be bonded to the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C, respectively. The line of weakness  42  may be formed on the outer surface  12 B of the rim  22  about an extension distance R 1  from the bend location  20 , which may be adjacent to the oblique location  56  where the second extension  22 C bends from the first extension  22 B at the angle ψ as discussed above. With the line of weakness  42  located outside of the boding area  46 , the bonding area  46  of the first and second bonds  50  and  52  may be sufficiently large to prevent the outside oxygen from entering the first and second chambers  28  and  32  of the pod. That is, even if the line of weakness  42  is unintentionally cut too deeply into the rim  22  such that outside oxygen may pass through the line of weakness  42 , the sufficiently large bonding area  46  prevents oxygen to entering the pod. 
       FIG. 2H  illustrates that the line of weakness  42  may be formed at the extension distance R 1  from the bend location as discussed above in reference to  FIG. 2G , but on the outer side  12 C of the rim  22  adjacent to the oblique location  56  where the second extension  22 C bends from the first extension  22 B.  FIG. 2I  illustrates that the first and second extensions  36 B and  36 C of the ledge  36  may be bonded to the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C, respectively. However, the lid  14  may be bonded to the first extension  36 B of the ledge  36  but not the second extension  36 C of the ledge  36 . The line of weakness  42  may be formed on the outer surface  12 B of the rim  22  adjacent to the bend location  20 . In this example, the first bond  50  between the ledge  36  and the first extension  22 B may be a peelable bond; and the second bond  52  between the ledge  36  and the lid  14  may be a permanent bond but a peelable bond may be suitable as well. 
       FIG. 2J  illustrates that the line of weakness  42  may be formed on the inner side  12 C of the rim  22  adjacent to the bend location  20 .  FIG. 2K  illustrates that the ledge  36  of the filter may adhered to the first extension  22 B of the rim  22  while the lid  14  may be extended to encompass the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C of the rim  22 . The line of weakness  42  may be formed at an extension distance R 1  from the bend location  20 .  FIG. 2L  illustrates that the line of weakness  42  may be formed at the bend location  20  on the exterior side  12 B of the rim  22 . Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have a pod with the first extension  22 B but not the second extension  22 C such that the entire rim  22  may be substantially horizontal. Moreover, as disclosed above, the line of weakness  42  may be located on the inner and/or outer sides of the container  12  and at different locations. In this regard, the die cuts and the bonds discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,293 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Moreover, a variety of combinations of line of weakness formed on the interior and/or exterior side of the container  12  may be utilized to ensure that the pod  10  is properly sealed so that the beverage substance with in the pod  10  may remain fresh as long as possible. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a cross-sectional view of the pod  10  with the rim  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2G  positioned within a brewing chamber  60  in a first orientation in reference to the gravitational direction arrow g. The brewing chamber  60  includes a cover  62  having an inlet piercing element  64  such that the cover may close and open relative to a holder  66  having an outlet piercing element  68  protruding from a bottom  70  of the holder. The holder  66  has a sidewall  72  with a lip  74  defining an opening  76  sized to receive the pod  10  when the cover  62  is fully open. 
       FIG. 3A  shows the cover  62  in a partially closed position relative to the holder  66  such that the inlet piercing element  64  has partially pierced through the lid  14  but the tip  68 B of the outlet piercing element  68  abuts against the base  16  of the pod  10  without piercing through the base  16  until the cover  62  fully closes. When the cover  62  is in the partially closed position, the rim  22  may be between the cover  62  and the lip  74  such that the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C, respectively, maintain their original shape as illustrated in  FIG. 2G . In reference to  FIG. 2G , the location of the line of weakness  42  and the second extension  22 C extending obliquely therefrom may be configured such that once the pod  10  is within the brewing chamber  60 , the lip  74  may be aligned with at least a portion of the second extension  22 C; and the second extension  22 C does not interfere with the operation of the cover  62 . 
       FIG. 3B  shows that as the cover  62  fully closes relative to the holder  66 , the lip  74  of the holder  66  may abut against the second extension  22 C that causes the second extension  22 C to move upwards to be aligned laterally relative to the first extension  22 B. The upward movement of the second extension  22 C weakens the line of weakness  42  such that the line of weakness  42  may be pre-weakened once the cover  62  fully closes relative to the holder  66 . Thereafter, the beverage may be brewed by injecting liquid into the pod  10  through the inlet piercing element  64  and the beverage may drain via the outlet piercing element  68  as indicted by the direction arrows  78 . The first bond  50  between the ledge  36  of the filter and the rim  22  may be a peelable bond. Once the spent pod  10  is removed from the holder  66 , the line of weakness  42  has been pre-weakened by the brewing chamber  60  such that the second extension  22 C may be separated from the first extension  22 B along the line of weakness  42  more readily by the user. That is, the spent pod  10  may be removed from the brewing mechanism  40  by the user; and if the user desires to recycle the pod  10 , the user may grab and pull away any portion of the second extension  22 C to cause the second extension  22 C to separate from the first extension  22 B along the pre-weakened line of weakness  42 , and cause the ledge  36  of the filter to peel away from the first extension  22 B due to the peelable bond used between the ledge  36  and the rim  22 . And as the user continues to pull on the second extension  22 C, the rest of the second extension  22 C, the filter  24 , and the lid  14  may separate from the rest of the first extension  22 B along the pre-weakened line of weakness  42 . Even with the second extension  22 C separated from the container  12 , the bulk of the container  12 , which includes the first extension  22 B, may be recycled. 
     Placing the pod  10  in a brewing position may also be referred to as a first orientation where the pod  10  is positioned relative to the gravitational direction arrow g such that the direction arrow  78  of the beverage generally flows towards the base  16  of the container  12  to allow the beverage to drain via the outlet piercing element  68 . That is, the first orientation of the pod  10  may include positioning the pod  10  in a slanted position relative to the gravitational direction arrow g, as long as the beverage is able to flow towards the base  16  to be drained through a variety of methods known to one skilled in the art. Moreover, while the above description generally relates to the embodiment disclosed in reference to  FIG. 2G  working with the brewing chamber  60 , other embodiments of the pod disclosed in references to  FIGS. 2A through 2L  may work with the brewing chamber  60  as well. 
       FIG. 4  show a flow chart  90  illustrating the steps that may be utilized to pre-weaken the line of weakness  42  of the pod  10 . In step  92 , a pod  10  may be provided for brewing a beverage having a rim  22  that has a line of weakness  42  around the circumference of the rim  22  where at least a portion of the rim  22  extends obliquely  22 C from the line of weakness  42  and towards the base  16  of the container  12 . Note that the line of weakness  42  need not go around the entire circumference of the rim  22 . In step  94 , the holder  66  may receive the pod  10  when the cover  62  is in an open position. In step  96 , the line of weakness  42  may be weakened as the cover  62  closes relative to the holder  66  as the lip  74  of the holder  66  abuts against the second extension  22 C portion of the rim  22 , which causes the second extension  22 C to move upwards to be aligned laterally relative to the first extension  22 B. The upward movement of the second extension  22 C weakens the line of weakness  42  such that the line of weakness  42  may be pre-weakened once the cover  62  fully closes relative to the holder  66 . Accordingly, once the line of weakness  42  has been pre-weakened, it may be easier for a user to peel away the second extension portion  22 C, lid  14 , and filter  24  from the rest of the container  12  for recycling purpose. 
       FIG. 5A  shows a perspective view of the pod  10  illustrating that the pod  10  may brew a beverage in a second orientation that may be in a substantially horizontal position relative to the gravitational direction arrow g. In this example, the rim  22  of the pod  10  may be the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2C  with the second extension  22 C extending out from underneath the lid  14 . In the second orientation, an inlet piercing element  100  may pierce the lid  14  at a vertical distance from the center  102  of the lid  14  to allow the portion of the beverage substance that is above the center of axis of the pod  10  to be wetted first. However, it is within the scope of the invention to have the inlet piercing element  100  pierce at or near the center  102  of the lid  14 . As discussed in more details below, a peelable portion  104  of the rim  22  that is below the inlet piercing element  100  or at about six O&#39;clock position may be separated from the sidewall  18  along the line of weakness  42 . Note that the peelable portion  104  may be anywhere around the rim  22  depending on the orientation of the pod  10  relative to the inlet piercing element  100 . As the peelable portion  104  of the rim  22  is separated, the corresponding portion of the lid  14  and the filter  24  may be separated from the sidewall  18  as well leaving a gap  106  between the filter  24  and the sidewall  18  of the container  12 . The circumference around the sidewall  18  in which the peelable portion  104  is separated or the arc of the peelable portion may be defined as an arc angle β in reference to the center  102  of the lid  14 . The arc angle β may be from about 15° to about 180°, and from about 30° to about 120°, and also from about 45° to about 90°. 
       FIG. 5B  is a cross-sectional view of the pod  10  along the line  5 B- 5 B of  FIG. 5A  to illustrate the gap  106  formed between the filter  24  and the sidewall  18  as the portion  104  is separated along the line of weakness  42 . In particular, with reference to  FIG. 1B  discussed above, the filter  24  may be molded such the filter  24  may substantially maintain its shape during the brewing process so that the pathway  40  between the sidewall  18  of the container and the sidewall  32  of the filter may be substantially maintained to allow the beverage to flow along the pathway  40  and drain from the gap  106 . During the brewing process, heated water  108  may be provided to the inlet piercing element  100  to inject the heater water  108  into the pod  10 , which interact with the beverage substance  26  within the filter  24  such that the heated water washes away the beverage  112  from the beverage substance  26  as indicated by the direction arrows  112 . The formation of the gap  106  between the peelable portion  104  of the rim  22 , which is attached to the ledge  36  of the filter, and the sidewall  18  in the second orientation of the pod  10  allows the beverage  110  within the container  12  to drain via the gap  106  as illustrated by the direction arrows  112 . The container  12  may be formed from a malleable material when exposed to elevated temperature such that during the brewing process, the separated portion of the sidewall  18  may expand thereby enlarging the gap  106  due to the rise in the temperature and pressure within the pod  10  from the heated water injected into the pod  10  under pressure. In this regard, the pod  10  and in particular the container  12  may be more conducive to being formed from biodegradable materials. In general, biodegradable materials are made from plant-base materials like corn such that biodegradable material may be more malleable than the conventional multilayered material discussed above to form the container  12  due to the elevated heat and pressure within the container  12  during the brewing process. 
     The beverage may flow along the path within the pod  10  as generally indicated by the direction arrows  112 . In general, the inlet piercing element  100  may pierce the lid  14  at a vertical distance from the center  102  of the lid  14  to allow the portion of the beverage substance that is above the center of axis of the pod  10  to be wetted first. That is, the inlet piercing element  100  may be position to inject heated water into the pod  10  to take account of the capillary action of the beverage substance and gravitational force when the pod  10  is used in the second orientation so that the heated water may be distributed within the filter  24  to washes away the flavor from the beverage substance evenly. Such even distribution of heated water  108  within the filter  24  may allow the beverage substance to be washed more evenly which may result in a smoother tasting beverage. As the beverage exit the filter  24 , the gravitational force directs the beverage downwards toward the separated portion of the sidewall  18  to allow the beverage to flow along the pathway  40  and exit along the gap  106 . 
     As the beverage drains through the gap  106 , the second extension  22 C of the rim  22  may extend in a downwardly direction to act, in part, as a funnel to direct the beverage into a mug (not shown) as indicated by the direction arrows  112 . The second extension  22 C may minimize the beverage from spattering to drain the beverage in a clean manner. In addition, the pod  10  may drain the beverage without the need for an outlet piercing member thereby eliminating the possibility of contamination due to using the same outlet piercing member for subsequent pods with different flavored beverages, such as coffee and tea. Moreover, in some instances, some particles of the beverage substance  26  may escape from the filter and clog the outlet piercing element, which can cause the brewing mechanism to malfunction. And once the pod  10  has been brewed, the portion  104  of the rim  22  is pre-peeled from the sidewall  18  such that it may be easier for the user to completely separate the lid and the filter from the rest of the container  12  by grabbing onto the peelable portion  104  to fully peel away the container  12  from the lid and filter to recycle the container. That is, many recycling facilities in the U.S. may not be able to recycle the container unless the container has been separated from the lid and filter due to the beverage substance contained therein. The container  12  may be separated from the lid and filter after the spent pod  10  has been removed from the brewing mechanism or while the spent pod  10  is still held within the brewing mechanism. Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have the beverage within the container drain via the gap  106  and/or an opening formed with an outlet piercing member along the base  16  or on the sidewall  18  to allow the beverage to drain when the pod  10  is in the second orientation. In addition, the beverage may exist the gap  106  and pour into a funnel (not shown) which then directs the beverage to pour into a mug. 
       FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C  show a cross-sectional view of a brewing chamber  200  capable of peeling the portion  104  of the pod  10  having the rim embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2C  to form the gap  106 . The brewing chamber  200  may include a first potion  202  and a second portion  204 . The first portion  202  may include a cap  206  with the inlet piercing element  100 . The second portion  204  may include a holder  208  with a sidewall  210  to form an opening  212  with a depression  214  therein such that the pod  10  may be placed into the opening  212  and into the depression  214 . The holder  208  may also have a separating element  216  configured to support and abut the underside of the rim  22  associated with the peelable portion  104  of the pod  10  such that the pod  10  may not fully insert into the depression  214  when a user places the pod  10  into the holder  208 . That is, as the pod  10  is placed into the opening  212  of the holder  208 , the underside of the second extension  22 C may engage with the separating element  216  and guide the pod  10  into a proper position relative to the separating element  216  such that the separating element  216  may abut against the underside of the first extension  22 B adjacent to the line of weakness  42 . In particular, the underside of the second extension  22 C may have a concave like surface such that as the user places the pod  10  into the opening  212  of the holder, the concave surface of the second extension  22 C may assist the user in placing the pod  10  in a consistent manner to ensure that the separating element  216  is properly aligned adjacent to the line of weakness  42  to separate the peelable portion  104  from the sidewall  18  of the container  12 . 
     The first and second portions  202  and  204  may be mechanically engaged such that the opening  212  of the holder  208  is accessible to the user to allow the user to place the pod  10  into the opening  212  as illustrated in  FIG. 6A . In addition, although not necessary, the holder  208  may be orientated at an angle θ relative to a horizontal plan  218  so that the opening  212  may face a user to allow the user easier access to the opening  212  to place the pod  10  into the holder  208 . However, it is within the scope of the invention to have the holder  208  be movable or non-movable and at a variety of orientations as long as the angle θ is such that the gravitation force, as indicated by the direction arrow g, and the pressure within the pod allows the beverage formed within the pod  10  to drain in a manner described above in reference to  FIG. 5B . Moreover, while  FIG. 6A  shows the holder  208  orientated to have an angle θ, it is within the scope of the invention to have the angle θ be zero or even tilted in a negative orientation. Furthermore, some cross-sectional views of the pods may not show the beverage substance within the first chamber or filter in order to better indicate certain reference numerals in the drawings; however, such cross-sectional views of the pods should be viewed as including a beverage substance within the filter or within the container  12  in those applications when the filter may not needed such as when concentrated powder is used to brew coffee, tea, and hot chocolate cocoa. 
       FIG. 6B  illustrates the first portion  202  partially engaged with the second portion  204 . The first and second portions  202  and  204  may be mechanically engaged with an actuator (not shown) such as a handle (not shown) so that when the actuator is activated by a user, for example, the first and second portions  202  and  204  may move in a predetermined manner relative to each other so that the inlet piercing member  100  may pierce the lid  14 , and the second portion  204  may move to a more horizontal position, as indicated by the direction arrow  220 , such that the angle θ may be from about −20° to about +20°, and preferably from about −5° to about +5°. In this regard, the handle mechanism, brewing mechanism, and its corresponding pod disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,549,636 entitled BEVERAGE FORMING DEVICE WITH BEVERAGE OUTLET CONTROL, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, may be utilized to brew a beverage in a more horizontal position. Again, the angle θ may vary as long as the gravitation force and the pressure within the pod allows the beverage formed within the pod  10  to drain in a manner described above in reference to  FIG. 5B . Although not necessary, the first portion  202  may orient the cap  206  so that the inlet piercing element  100  penetrates the lid  14  in a substantially perpendicular manner, as indicated by the direction arrow  222 , to minimize the pierced opening area  226  (see  FIG. 6C ) on the lid  14  to minimize the chance that beverage within the pod  10  may leak out from the opening formed by the inlet piercing element  100 . 
       FIG. 6C  illustrates the first portion  202  moving towards the second portion  204 , as indicated by the direction arrow  226 , to fully engage with the second portion  204  as the actuator is further activated relative to the  FIG. 6B , but prior to the brewing process. Alternatively, the second portion  204  may move towards the first portion  201  as indicated by the direction arrow  228 , or in some combination where both of the first and section portions  202  and  204  are moved toward each other simultaneously. As the first portion  202  further engages with the second portion  204 , the angle θ may further reduce relative to the position illustrated in  FIG. 6B  or the angle θ may remain the same. Moreover, as the first portion  202  moves towards the second portion  204 , the inlet piercing element  100  pierces through the lid  14 , and the cap  206  pushes on the upper portion  132  of the lid  14  and the rim  22  to further push the pod  10  into the holder  208 . The separating element  216 , however, substantially prevents the peelable portion  104  along with the corresponding rim  22  from being inserted into the holder  208  such that the peelable portion  104  detaches from the sidewall  18  along the corresponding portion of the line of weakness  42 , thereby forming the gap  106  between the rim  22  (which may be attached to the filter  24 ) and the sidewall  18  to allow the beverage to drain along the gap  106 . By way of analogy, if the lid  14  is viewed as a face on a clock, then the cap  206  may be configured so that the peelable portion  104  of the rim  22  may be from about 3 O&#39;clock to about 9 O&#39;clock, alternatively from about 4 O&#39;clock to about 8 O&#39;clock, and also from about 5 O&#39;clock to about 7 O&#39;clock. Note the portion of the rim  22  that is peeled from the sidewall  18  is not limited to any particular circumference as long as there is a sufficient gap  106  to allow the beverage to pass along the gap. During the brewing process, a desired beverage may be brewed by injecting heated liquid into the inlet piercing member  100  and draining the beverage in a manner described in reference to  FIG. 5B . 
       FIG. 6D  shows the first and second portions  202  and  204  in their respective positions as illustrated in  FIG. 6A  with the spent the pod  10 . In other words, once the pod  10  is in a brewing position as described in reference to  FIG. 6C , heated water may be injected into the pod  10  in a manner described above in reference to  FIG. 5B . The spent pod  10  has an opening  212  formed by the inlet piercing element  100  with the peelable portion  104  already separated from the sidewall  18 . During the brewing process, the sidewall  18  that has been separated from the peelable portion  104  may expand, due to the heat and pressure within the pod  10  such that the lip  230  of the sidewall  18  may have a spout like configuration to allow the beverage to drain more smoothly from the gap  106 . To remove the spent pod  10 , a user may grab the pre-peelable portion  104  along with the rim  22 , and lift the pre-peelable portion  104  attached to the filter  24 . As the pre-peelable portion  104  is lifted, the expanded lip  230  may abut against the tip  232  of the separating element  216  thereby preventing the container  12  from egressing the depression  214  of the holder  208 . And as the user continues to lift the pre-peelable portion  104 , the rest of lid  14  and the filter  24  holding the beverage substance  26  may be peeled away from the container  12  along the line of weakness  42  while the container  12  remains held within the holder  208 . Thereafter, the user may remove the container  12  from the holder  208  to be discarded or recycled. 
       FIG. 7A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pod  10  with the detail view of the rim  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2G  placed into the second portion  204 . As the pod  10  is placed into the opening  212  of the holder  208 , the underside of the second extension  22 C with its concave like inner surface may engage with the separating element  216 B and guide the pod  10  into a proper position so that the separating element  216 B is properly aligned against the underside of the second extension  22 C and adjacent to the line of weakness  42 . In addition, the sidewall  210  of the holder  208  may have a lip  234  configured to be aligned with the second extension  22 C such that the line of weakness  42  may be pre-weakened in a manner discussed above in reference to  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
       FIG. 7B  illustrates that as the first portion  202  and the second portion  204  engage relative to each other, the separating element  216 B separates the second extension  22 C from the first extension  22 B along the line of weakness  42  such that the second extension  22 C of the rim  22  may be utilized to direct the flow of beverage draining from the gap  106 . That is, the second extension  22 C of the rim  22  may be substantially vertical or generally along the direction of the gravitational force g or along any other orientation to facilitate smooth flow of beverage exiting from the pod  10 . The first extension  22 B may remain attached to the sidewall  18  such that the first extension  22 B may act as a spout to facilitate draining the beverage smoothly along the first extension  22 B. This may allow the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C to work together to act as a spout and funnel, respectively, to direct the flow of beverage draining from the gap  106  to minimize splattering of the beverage. Note that the shape of the first extension  22 B and the underside of the second extension  22 C and the angle ψ (see  FIG. 7A ) may be varied to control the manner in which the beverage within the pod  10  drains from the gap  106  and pours downward towards the mug below the brewing chamber  200 . In addition, as discussed in reference to  FIG. 3B , as the first portion  202  fully closes relative to the second portion  204 , the lip  234  of the holder  208  abuts against the second extension  22 C, which may cause the second extension  22 C to move upwards to pre-weaken the line of weakness  42 . 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  illustrate that the pod  10  with the rim  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2G  is capable of brewing in the first and second orientations along with other embodiments of the pod  10  illustrated in  FIG. 2A through 2L . Moreover, other embodiments disclosed herein may be combined with any one or more alternative embodiments of the rim  22  to brew in the first and second orientations as well. For example, the rim  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2G  may have the ledge  36  of the filter  24  extend to the first extension  22 B but not to the second extension  22 C as illustrated in  FIG. 2L . Also, the rim  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2G  may have the ledge  36  of the filter  24  not bonded to the first extension  22 B of the rim  22  but the ledge  36  may be bonded to the second extension  22 C. As another example, the rim  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2G  may have the ledge  36  of the filter  24  bonded along the first and second extensions  22 B and  22 C except near the oblique location  56  where the line of weakness  42  may be formed such that there are two distinct peelable bonded areas between the ledge  36  of the filter and the rim  22 , a first bonded area between the ledge  36  and the first extension  22 B, and a second bonded area between the ledge  36  and the second extension  22 C. Still further, the rim  22  illustrated in  FIG. 2L  may have the ledge  36  of the filter  24  not bonded to the first extension  22 B but have the lid  14  bonded to the ledge  20  and the second extension  22 C. As such, it is within the scope of the invention to combine various disclosed embodiments, such as the line of weaknesses, bonding between two substrates, containers, rims, lids, ledges, and/or filters disclosed in the specification with one or more of other embodiments. 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  illustrate another embodiment of a separating element  216 C that may move as indicated by the double direction arrows  236  between a retracted position  236 A as shown in  FIG. 8A  and an extended position  236 B as shown in  FIG. 8B  relative to the holder  208 .  FIG. 8A  shows that in the retracted positon  236 A, the separating element  216 C may be flush with the opening  212  formed by the sidewall  210  to allow the pod  10  to fully insert into the depression  214  of the holder  208 . The base  16  of the container  12  may have a cavity  120  at about its center. The bottom  30  of the filter  24  may be sealed to the tip  122  of the cavity  120  to support the filter  24  when the pod  10  is used in the second orientation so that the pathway  40  between the sidewall  32  of the filter  24  and the sidewall  18  of the container  12  may be substantially maintained. Note that the pod  10  with the cavity  120  formed on the center of the base  16  may be operable with the brewing chamber  60  described in reference to  FIGS. 3A and 3B  since the outlet piercing member  46  pierces the base  16  near the edge where the sidewall  18  extends upwards rather than at the center of the base  16 . The cavity  120  formed within the base  16  may have a variety of configurations such as semi-spherical, pyramid, rectangular, and etc. 
       FIG. 8B  shows that as the first portion  202  slides towards the second portion  204 , as indicated by the direction arrow  226 , the separating element  216 C may also slide out relative to the holder  208  towards the extended position  236 B. The combined motion of the first portion  202  and the separating element  216 C separates the peelable portion  104  from sidewall  18  to form the gap  106 . In addition, the tip  122  of the cavity  120  supports the bottom  30  of the filter  24  such that as the peelable portion  104  begins to separate from the sidewall  18  of the container, the sidewall  32  of the filter  24  adjacent to the gap  106  extends and away from the sidewall  18  to substantially maintain the pathway  40  and the gap  106  to provide a path for the beverage  110  within the pod  10  to drain. The first and second portions  202  and  204  and the separating element  216 C may be mechanically interlinked such that actuation of an actuator may cause the first and second portions  202  and  204  and the separating element  216 C to move in a manner described above. Conversely, once the brewing process is finish, the separating element  216 C may move back to the retracted position  236 A shown in  FIG. 8A  such that it may be easier for a user to remove the pod  10 . Alternatively, the bottom  30  of the filter  24  may be deep enough to reach the base  16  of the container  12  having a flat bottom and a portion of the bottom  30  of the deep filter  24  may be sealed to the base  16 . 
     Another alternative mechanical or motorized arrangement may have the movement of the actuator causes the first and second portions to fully enclose relative to each other and have the separating element  216 C move from the retracted position  236 A to the extended position  236 B to peel the peelable portion  104  and then return to the retracted position  236 A so that the separating element  216 C does not interfere with the flow of beverage from the gap  106 . Moreover, with the separating element  216 C in the retracted position during the brewing process, the beverage draining from the gap  106  may not be contaminated by the separating element  216 C since the separating element  216 C remains substantially clean and does not come into contact with the beverage. Other separating elements  216 A and  216 B may also be mechanically linked or motorized to isolate the separating element away from the path of the beverage draining from the gap  106  and into the mug to substantially prevent the separating element from contaminating the beverage during the brewing process. 
       FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D  illustrate another aspect of a modified pod  10  capable of peeling the portion  104  of the lid  14  to form a gap  106  that is larger than the gap  106  illustrated in  FIG. 6C . In this embodiment, the pod  10  may include a liner  134  placed between the lid  14  and the ledge  36  of the filter  24 , which is supported by the rim  22  of the container  12 . The liner  134  may be formed from a material that is permeable to air and water but substantially impermeable to beverage substance. Moreover, as illustrated in  FIG. 9B , the liner  134  may be substantially resistant to being punctured by the tip  114  of the inlet piercing element  100  such that the liner may have sufficient tensile strength so that the inlet piercing element  100  may pierce through the lid  14 , but the tip  114  may push the liner  134  out without tearing through the liner  134 . As such, the liner  134  may substantially isolate the inlet piercing element  100  to minimize contamination of the inlet piercing element  100  such that the same inlet piercing element  100  may be used to inject water into different flavored of pods such as coffee, tea, soup and milk, without the flavor from the spent pod contaminating the flavor of the subsequent pods having a different flavor. In addition, the liner  134  may also prevent the inlet piercing element  100  from getting clogged by the small particles of the beverage substance  26  to ensure proper performance of the brewing mechanism. The liner  134  may be also formed from water filtering material so that the water injected into the pod by the inlet piercing element  100  may be purified to improve the quality of the beverage. 
       FIG. 9A  also shows that the separating element  216  may move between a retracted position  244  and an extended position  246  about a hinge  248  as indicated by the direction arrow  255 . For instance, the hinge  248  may be spring loaded to be biased towards the retracted position  244 . However, when sufficient force is applied to the separating element  216 , the separating element  216  may move in a counter-clockwise direction towards the extended position  246 . For example, as the spent pod  10  is removed from the second portion  204 , the separating element  216  may move towards the extended position  246  so that the lip  230  of the sidewall  18  may not interfere with the tip of the separating element  216 . 
       FIG. 9B  shows that as the first portion  202  slides towards the second portion  204 , as indicated by the direction arrow  226 , and as discussed above in reference to  FIG. 6C , the inlet piercing element  100  may pierce through the lid  14 , but the liner  134  may resist being pierced and stretched by the inlet piercing element  100  such that the liner  134  separates from the lid  14  thereby forming a third chamber  136  between the lid  14  and the liner  134 . The third chamber  136  may have a cone like configuration extending across the diameter of the rim  22 , for example, with the apex area  138  being the area where the tip  114  of the inlet piercing element  100  pushes on the liner  134 . In addition, as the separating element  216  detaches the peelable portion  104  of the lid  14  from the sidewall  18 , the tensile strength of the liner  134  may substantially prevent the liner  134  from stretching such that the radius R may be substantially maintained between the apex area  138  and the separation location  140  along the line of weakness  42 . And as the separation location  140  moves in a clock-wise direction, the separation location  140  may also move in an upwardly direction towards the inlet piercing element  100  such that the size of the gap  106  between the sidewall  32  of the filter  24  and the sidewall  18  of the container  12  may be greater than the gap  106  illustrated in  FIG. 6C . For example, the enlarged gap  106  may be illustrated in  FIG. 9B  by the separation location  140  being farther away from the tip of the separating element  216  and closer to the tip  114  of the inlet piercing element  100  compared to the location of the separation location illustrated in  FIG. 6C . The enlarged gap  106  may allow the beverage within the container  12  to flow at a slower rate to allow the beverage to flow more smoothly. 
       FIG. 9C  shows an expanded view of the pod  10  including the liner  134  located between the lid  14  and the ledge  36  of the filter  24 , which is supported by the rim  22 . The outer edges of the lid  14  and the liner  134 , and the outer edges of the liner  134  and the ledge  36  of the filter may be sealed together through a variety of methods known to one skilled in the art. For instance, the lid  14  and the liner  134  may be sealed together via peelable or more permanent bond; and the liner  134  and the ledge  36  may be sealed together via peelable or more permanent bond. The liner  134  may also have an enforcement patch  142  having a circular configuration with an opening  144  at the center. The patch  142  may further strengthen the liner  134  to prevent the liner  134  from stretching and tearing. In addition, the circular configuration of the patch  142  may allow the pod  10  to be placed into the second portion  204  in any orientation and still have the patch  142  abut the tip  114  of the inlet piercing element  100  when the piercing element  100  is configured to pierce the lid  14  off centered as illustrated in  FIG. 5A . 
       FIG. 9D  shows a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the liner  134 A which may be formed from impermeable material that resists being pierced and stretched by the inlet piercing element  100 . The liner  134 A may also have a center patch  142 A with a one-way valve  146  that allows the water injected into the third chamber  136  by the inlet piercing element  100  to exit the third chamber  136  via the one-way valve  146  and into the first chamber  28  but prevents the beverage formed within the first chamber  28  from entering the third chamber  136 . That is, the liner  134 A may be formed from an impermeable material to liquid such that the liquid and/or beverage may not pass through the liner  134 A other than via the one-way valve  146  from the third chamber  136  to the first and second chambers  28  and  32  but prevents the liquid beverage from passing through the liner  134 A and the one-way valve  146  from the first and/or second chambers  28  and  32  to the third chamber  136 . This allows the inlet piercing element  100  to be isolated from the beverage formation within the first chamber  28  to prevent the inlet piercing element  100  from getting contaminated; and when the pod  10  is brewed in the second orientation as discussed above, the beverage within the pod  10  may be drained without the need for an outlet piercing element so that cross-contamination from brewing different flavor beverages from different pods may be eliminated or at least minimized. Alternatively, when the inlet piercing element  100  is configured to pierce the lid  14  about its center, the patch  142  that is permeable to liquid may be adhered to the liner  134  about its center to abut the piercing element  100  to further protect the permeable liner from piercing by the inlet piercing element. 
       FIG. 10A  illustrates the pod  10  having the liner  134 A with the patch  142  incorporating the one-way valve  146  directing the flow of liquid  108  as indicated by the direction arrow  148 . The pod  10  may be also packed with the beverage substance in the form of a predetermined portion of pellets  150  infused with desired flavors and or ingredients within the first chamber  28  or the filter  24 . As the inlet piercing element  100  injects water into the third chamber  136 , the liquid may exit through the one-way valve  146  as indicated by the direction arrow  148  from the third chamber  136  to the first chamber  28  and mix with the pellets  150  within the first chamber  28  to formulate a beverage. The beverage may then pass through the filter  24  and gather in the second chamber  38  and drain via the gap  106  as indicated by the direction arrows  148 . The pellets  150  may be contained within the filter  24  during the brewing process and the beverage may be prevented from entering the third chamber  136 . The pellets  150  may be infused with a variety of flavors such as sweet, fruity, and acidic flavors. The pellets  150  may also be infused with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to carbonate the beverage. In such instances, the liquid may be provided at a cooler temperature from about 5° C. to about 20° C., which allows the beverage to retain the carbon dioxide infusion for a longer period of time. 
       FIG. 10B  illustrates that the pod  10  may not incorporate a filter  24 . In this embodiment, the beverage substance  26  may be contained within a pouch  152  that may be formed from an edible film that dissolves when the film comes into contact with water. As an example, the pouch  152  may be made from an edible film as disclosed in the US Published Application No. 2014/0199460, entitled EDIBLE WATER-SOLUBLE FILM, published Jul. 17, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Note that other edible films or pouches known to one skilled in the art may be utilized. The beverage substance  26  contained within the pouch  152  may be in the form of powder or liquid. As illustrated in  FIG. 10B , the beverage substance  26  may be wrapped within the pouch  152  to prevent the beverage substance  26  from draining or pouring out of the gap  106  until the inlet piercing element  100  injects water into the third chamber  136  and then into the second chamber  38 , which in this embodiment in the absence of the filter  24  is the space between the liner  134 A and the container  12 . Once liquid passes into the second chamber  38  via the one-way valve  146 , the pouch  152  may come into contact with the water and may begin to dissolve such that most, if not all, of the beverage substance  26  may remain within the pod  10  to be mixed with the liquid injected into the second chamber  38 . This may allow the entire beverage substance  26  more time to mix with the liquid within the second chamber  38  to dissolve more completely with the liquid to improve the quality of the beverage formation. In addition, the pouch  152  may be encased within the pod  10  so that the pouch  152  may be protected from the outside elements to prevent premature release of the beverage substance  26  contained within the pouch  152 . That is, the lid  14  and the container  12  may be made from multiple layers including a barrier layer to protect the contents inside the pod  10  from the outside elements such as oxygen and moisture, as discussed above, and the container  12  may also act as a protective shell to protect the pouch  152  from being punctured by a foreign object. This allows the pouch  152  to be protected by the pod  10  during the packaging process, shipping, handling, and storing until the brewing process where the pouch  152  releases its beverage substance after getting wet with liquid. 
     The pod  10  may also include a support member  154  configured in a circular disk like shape with a plurality of holes  126  therein to allow the beverage to pass therethrough. The support member  154  may be provided between the pouch  152  and the base  16  of the container  12 . When the pod  10  is utilized in a first orientation, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  above, the support member  154  may protect the pouch  152  from tearing by the outlet piercing element  68 . That is, as the pod  10  is fully inserted into the cup holder  66  in the first orientation, the outlet piercing element  68  may pierce through the base  16  of the container  12  and then abut against the support member  154 . This may prevent the tip of the outlet piercing element  68  from coming into contact with the pouch  152 , thereby preventing the film  152  from potentially tearing and prematurely releasing its beverage substance  26  content therein and draining via the outlet piercing element  68  before the heated water is injected into the third chamber  136  by the inlet piercing element  100 . Accordingly, the pod  10  incorporating the pouch  152  may be brewed in the first and second orientations, or may orientation therebetween the first and second orientation such that the beverage substance  26  may be retained within the container  12  to mix properly with liquid such as heated or cool water prior to draining via the gap  106  or the outlet piercing element  68 . Note that when the pod  10  is brewed in the second orientation, however, the beverage formed within the pod  10  may be drained via the gap  106  so that the cross-contamination between different flavored pods may be eliminated or at least minimized since the beverage does not come into contact with an outlet piercing element. 
     The film  152  of the pouch  152  may be edible to consumers, which allows the pouch  152  to pack a variety of different beverages such as concentrated medicines for cold, flue, pain relief, sleeping aid, vitamin supplement, herbal, dietary supplement, and the like. The concentrated beverage substance  26  packed within the pouch  152  may also include baby milk, soup broth, energy drinks, coffee, cold brew coffee, concentrated tea, cocoa, fruit, punch, flavored water, and the like. The beverage substance  26  may be provided in different form such as powder, liquid, and a mixture of powder and larger ingredients as discussed below. The brewing mechanism may adjust the temperature of the water depending on the type of beverage substance  26  packed within the pouch  152 . For instance, for coffee, the water temperature injected by the inlet piercing element  100  may be from about 80° C. to about 95° C.; and for brewing tea, the water temperature may be less such as from about 70° C. to about 85° C. In order to brew baby milk formula, the patch  142  may be formed from a filtering material to purify the water injected into the third chamber  136  before passing onto the second chamber  38  by the one-way valve  146 . The patch  142  formed from a water filtering material may remove bacteria and microbial hazards from the water injected by the inlet piercing element  100 . The one-way valve  146  may isolate the inlet piercing element  100  from the pouch  152  so that the baby milk formula  50  is not contaminated by the inlet piercing element and vice versa. And for brewing baby formula, the water temperature injected by the inlet piercing element  100  may be from room temperature to about 60° C., and in particular from about 40° C. to about 50° C. 
       FIG. 10C  illustrates that the pod  10  may be packed with the beverage substance  26  within the second chamber  38  of the container  12 . In this embodiment, the beverage substance  26  may be a mixture of powder  156  and larger solid ingredients  158 . Without the filter incorporated into the pod  10 , the size of the gap  106  between the rim  22  and the sidewall  18  may be larger than the gap  106  illustrated in  FIG. 10A  where the filter  24  is utilized. This may allow the larger solid ingredients  158  to pass through the gap  106  once the peelable portion  104  has been separated from the sidewall  18  in a manner discussed above. For example, the beverage substance  26  may brew a cup of soup with the powder  156  that dissolve with heated water to form the broth, and the solid ingredients  158  forming the vegetables. This allows the pod  10  to brew a cup of beverage with a mixture of different size ingredients within the beverage substance  26  utilizing one pod  10  rather than needing to utilize two separate packages: one pod to brew the powder base broth, as an example; and a separate pouch to pack the solid ingredients to be mixed into the broth. 
       FIG. 11A  shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a second portion  204 A configured to work with the pod  10  having an irregular sidewall  18 A, where the second portion  204 A may be orientated to receive the pod  10  such that the angle θ may be between 0° and 90°, and in particular, the angle θ may be greater than about 15°. The irregular sidewall  18 A may form a larger pathway  40  between the sidewall  18 A and the sidewall  32  of the filter  24 . On the outer side of the sidewall  18 A, a number of channels  290  may be formed. The second portion  204 A may include a holder  208 A having an inner sidewall  250  configured to conform to the shape of the outer configuration of the sidewall  18 A of the pod  10  such as the channels  290 . In this example, the inner sidewall  250  may have a corresponding corrugated configuration  252  sized to receive the pod  10 . The holder  208 A may have a first slot  254  and a second slot  256  adapted to receive a first bumper  258  and a second bumper  260 , respectively. In particular, other than the area between the two slots  254  and  256 , the inner sidewall  250  of the holder  208 A may have corrugated configuration sized to conform to the outer corrugated configuration of the sidewall  18 A. The holder  208 A may also have a mold  262  between the two slots  254  and  256  such that when the pod  10  is inserted into the holder  208 A, a space  264  may be formed between the sidewall  18 A and the mold  262 . The space  264  may be greater than the rest of the space  266  formed between the sidewall  18 A and the rest of the inner sidewall  250 . The mold  262  may have a cavity  268  adapted to reshape the sidewall  18 A as discussed in more detail below. The first and second bumpers  258  and  260  may have first and second proximal ends  270  and  272 , respectively, adapted to pivot about a hinge  274  such that the distal ends  276  and  278  of the respective bumpers  258  and  260  may move in and out of their corresponding slots  254  and  256  as indicated by their respective direction arrows  280  and  282 . The hinge  274  may be spring loaded such that the first and second bumpers  258  and  260  may be biased toward a retracted position as illustrated in  FIG. 11A . The brewing mechanism may also include stoppers  284  and  286  positioned to engage with their respective bumpers  258  and  260  as the first portion  202  fully engages the second portion  204 A as discussed above in reference to  FIG. 6C . Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have the mold  262  be detached from the holder  208 A and be associated with the bumpers  258  and  260 . In this embodiment, the holder may have an elongated slot between the two slots  254  and  256 . Moreover, the holder  208 A may not have the mold  262  to allow the sidewall  108 A to expand into the enlarge space  264  created by the absence of the mold. 
       FIG. 11B  shows the first portion  202  fully engaged with the second portion  204 A but prior to the brewing process as illustrated in  FIG. 6C . As the second portion  204 A moves from the position shown in  FIG. 6A  towards  6 C, the angle  0  reduces such that the first and second bumpers  258  and  260  engages with their respective stoppers  284  and  286 , which cause the distal ends  276  and  278  of the bumpers  258  and  260 , respectively, to engage with the outer channels  290  of the pod  10  juxtaposed to the two distal ends. Note that the distal ends  276  and  278  may engage with the outer channels  290  more securely compared to a smooth surface since the channels formed a cavity that conforms to the shape of the distal ends. However, it is within the scope of the invention to have the second portion  204 A work with the pod  10  with the smooth exterior sidewall or any other outer configuration of the sidewall  18 A. The two distal ends  276  and  278  may pivot about the hinge  274  such that the two distal ends  276  and  278  may pinch their corresponding outer cavities form by the channels  290  together such that the size of the gap  106  formed between the two outer channels  290  being pinched may be enlarged to improve the flow of beverage draining out of the pod  10 . 
       FIG. 11C  illustrates the sidewall  18 A of the pod  10  being reshaped during the brewing process within the second portion  204 A. As heated water is injected into the pod  10  during the brewing process, the temperature and the pressure within the pod  10  may increase such that the sidewall  18 A adjacent to the mold  262  may be reshaped. Other than the area between the two slots  254  and  256 , the inner sidewall  250  of the holder  208 A may have corrugated configuration sized to support and retain the shape of the sidewall  18 A such that the expansion of the sidewall  18 A where it is supported by the inner sidewall  250  may be minimized. The enlarged space  264  (see  FIG. 11A ) between the mold  262  and the juxtaposed portion of the sidewall  18 A, however, allows the outer channels  290  pinched by the two distal ends  276  and  278  to stretch and expand into the cavity  268  formed within the mold  262 , thereby further enlarging the gap  106  compared to the gap  106  shown in  FIG. 11B , prior to the brewing process, to reduce the flow rate of the beverage draining from the pod  10 . The reduced or slower flow rate of the beverage through the gap  106  may minimize the turbulence in order to minimize splattering of the beverage as the beverage drains from the gap  106 . 
       FIG. 12A  shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a pod  10 A incorporating a shield  302  between the filter  24  and the container  12 . The shield  302  may have a sidewall  304  that extends upwardly from a bottom edge  306  and then extends outwardly from a corner  308  to form a first extension  310 A and a second extension  310 B. The first extension  310 A may extend outwardly in a lateral manner and the second extension  310 B may extend in an oblique or slanted manner relative from the first extension  310 A such that the second extension  310 B may face towards the base  16  of the container  12 . The shield  302  may have a plurality of ribs  312  protruding out from the sidewall  304  and extending between the bottom edge  306  and the corner  308 . The ribs  312  may maintain a pathway  314  between the two sidewalls  18  and  304  to allow the beverage within the pod  10 A to flow along the pathway  314 . The sidewall  304  may also have a plurality of holes  320  to allow the beverage to pass through the sidewall  32  of the filter  24  and pass through holes  320  and flow along the pathway  314 . The shield  302  may have a line of weakness  316  between the first and second extensions  310 A and  310 B to allow the second extension  310 B to move upwards to be aligned laterally relative to the first extension  310 A as the cover  62  fully closes relative to the holder  66  in a manner described above in reference to  FIGS. 3A and 3B . 
     The pod  10 A may have the first extension  310 A of the shield  302  between the rim  22  and the ledge  36  of the filter  24 ; and the ledge  36  between the first extension  310 A and the lid  14 . The first extension  310 A may be hermetically bonded to the rim  22  via the first bond  50 ; the ledge  36  may be hermetically bonded to the first extension  310 A via the second bond  52 ; and the lid  14  may be hermetically bonded to the ledge  36  via the third bond  354  such that once the pod  10 A is assembled, the pod  10 A may be airtight to substantially prevent air, oxygen, gases, and moisture from entering and escaping from the pod during manufacturing, handling, shipping, storing, and normal brewing process. That is, the pod  10 A may hermitically seal the beverage substance within the container  12  to substantially maintain the freshness of the beverage substance therein within an acceptable tolerance level for a desired period of time. In this embodiment, the first bond  50  may be a peelable bond, and the second and third bonds may be either peelable or more permanent bond. The rim  22  may have a line of weakness  42  such that when the pod  10 A is used in the second orientation in the manner described above in reference to  FIGS. 6-11 , a portion of the rim  22  may separate from the sidewall  18 , along with the adjacent portion of the shield  302 , as discussed below, to form a gap between the sidewall  18  and the shield  302 . 
     Alternatively, the shield  302  may be formed from a polymer material such as polypropylene and polyethylene such that the first extension  310 A may be ultrasonically welded to the rim  22  with sufficient bonding, as discussed in more details below, to hermitically seal the beverage substance within the container  12  yet allow the first extension  310 A to peel away from the rim  22  upon an application of sufficient force upon the second extension  310 B. In the event that the weld between the first second  310 A and the rim  22  may be stronger than the force applied upon the second extension  310 B such that the first second  310 A does not peel away from the rim  22 , a portion of the rim  22  may separate from the sidewall  18 , along with the adjacent portion of the shield  302  to form a gap between the sidewall  18  and the shield  302 , as discussed in more detail below. 
       FIG. 12B  shows a perspective view of the shield  302  having the sidewall  304  with plurality of ribs  312  extending between the corner  308  and the bottom edge  306  along a longitudinal axis  318 . The sidewall  304  may have a plurality of holes  320  between the ribs  312 . Alternatively, the sidewall  304  may not have the holes  320 . Instead, the sidewall  304  may be formed from a web of ribs  312  with space between the ribs  312 . This may allow the sidewall  304  to be more flexible to allow the sidewall  304  to conform to the filter  24  during the brewing process when the pod  10 A is brewed in the second orientation. The first extension  310 A may extend outwardly from the corner  308  with the second extension  310 B further extending in a downward sloping manner relative to the first extension  310 A. The sidewall  304  of the shield  302  may form an opening  322  defined by the corner  308 . The opening  322  may receive the filter  24 , and the ledge  36  may be bonded to the first extension  310 A. 
     When the pod  10 A is used in the second orientation, the shield  302  may support and protect the filter  24  from the separating element  216  utilized to separate the rim  22  from the sidewall  18  as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 through 11 , for example. That is, the shield  302  may support and protect the filter  24  from unintentionally tearing along the ledge  36  or the corner  34  of the filter by the separating element  216  as the first portion  202  moves towards the second portion  204 , or vice versa, and in combination thereof. This may allow flexibility in terms of the type of filter materials that may be utilized to form the filter  24  of the pod  10 A. For instance, the filter  24  may be formed from commercially available permeable materials such as paper or polymer materials but each material has its own attributes, which may be suitable as a filter depending on the application and the type of beverage being brewed. In general, paper materials are commonly used to form the filter within the single-serve pods, such as in K-Cup pods, for the following attributes: (1) paper filter is generally biodegradable; (2) paper filter generally allows the beverage to pass without altering the taste of the beverage; (3) paper generally bonds well to the interior sealing layer of the container such that the pods can be produced at a high rate; (4) once the paper material has been formed into its intended cup like shape, it generally maintains its desired shape such as when the filter sidewall has been corrugated to increase the surface area of the sidewall to allow the beverage to flow more freely; and (5) paper filters generally cost less than the polymer materials like nylon. 
     While there are a number of positive attributes to utilizing paper filter for the application of single-serve pods, the paper filter, however, is more prone to tearing and puncturing, especially when it is wet and under increase internal pressure during the brewing process, compared to a nylon filter, for example. Moreover, the filter  24  may be more susceptible to tearing when the pod is brewed in the second orientation versus the first orientation as discussed above. A thicker, denser, and/or stronger paper filter may be utilized to reduce the risk of tearing and puncturing but such thicker paper filter may restrict the flow of beverage therethrough, which can alter the taste of the beverage. With the shield  302  protecting the filter  24  from tearing and puncturing, however, a traditional paper filter material may be utilized to form the filter  24  within the pod  10 A to take advantage of the positive attributes of the paper filter as noted above. It is however, within the scope of the invention to utilize polymer material, thicker paper filter, and paper filter in a single layer or in multiple layers where different materials may be combined to form a unitary layer with the variety of pod embodiments disclosed in this application. Moreover, when the pod  10 A is brewed in the second orientation, the ribs  312  extending along the longitudinal axis  318  and protruding outwardly from the sidewall  304  may maintain the pathway  314  between the two sidewalls  304  and  18  to ensure that the beverage may flow along the pathway  314  to drain the beverage near the top side of the pod  10 A. 
       FIG. 12C  shows yet another embodiment of a pod  10 B incorporating a shield  302 A where the sidewall  304  in this embodiment may be shorter than the sidewall illustrated in  FIG. 12A . Moreover, the filter  24 A in this embodiment may have its sidewall  32  extending upwardly from the bottom  30  and terminate at a distal end  80 . The sidewall  32  of the filter  24 A may be bonded to the sidewall  304  of the shield  302  at a fourth bond area  324 , which may be near the distal end  80 . The filter  24  may be bonded to the sidewall  304  in a variety of methods known to one skilled in the art. For instance, the first bond area  324  between the sidewall  304  and the side wall  32  may be formed utilizing similar heat sealed or ultrasonic weld method utilize to bond traditional paper filter to the interior sealing layer of the container  12  adjacent to the distal end  80 . The first extension  310 A of the shield  302 A may be sandwiched between the rim  22  and the lid  14 . The first extension  310 A may be bonded to the rim  22  via the first bond  50 ; and the lid  14  may be bonded to the first extension  310 A via the second bond  52 . In this embodiment, the first bond  50  may be a peelable bond, and the second bond may be either peelable or more permanent bond. The second extension  310 B may extend outwardly in an oblique manner relative to the first extension  310 A. The shield  302  may have a plurality of ribs  312  protruding from the sidewall  304  to maintain the pathway  314  between the two sidewalls  304  and  18  in a manner discussed above. When the pod  10 B is brewed in the second orientation, the separating element  216  or the hook  288  may abut against underside of the second extension  310 B near the oblique location  56  to peel away the first extension  310 A from the rim  22  to allow the beverage within the pod  10 B to drain along the pathway  314  formed between the two sidewalls  304  and  18 . Note that the first extension  310 A and the rim  22  may have sufficient structural rigidity to peel the first extension  310 A away from the rim  22  more readily along the peelable first bond  50  than other areas of the container  12 . That is, the outer diameter of the rim  22  may be less than the diameter of the oblique location  56  formed on the shield  302  to allow the separating element  216  to abut against the oblique location  56  such that the force applied by the separating element  216  near the oblique location  56  may transfer to the first extension  310 A and the rigidity of the rim  22  may aid in the first extension  310 A peeling away along the first bond  50  in a consistent manner. As such, in this embodiment, the shield  302  may be separated or peeled away from the rim  22  to allow the beverage to drain via a newly formed gap between the first extension  310 A and the rim  22  without the need for a line of weakness on the rim  22 . Moreover, with the pod  10 B having the filter  24 A bonded to the sidewall  304  along the fourth bond area  324 , the overall thickness of the rim area including the lid  14 , first extension  301 A, and the rim  22  may be less than the thickness of the rim area including the thickness of the filter disclosed in pod  10 A as disclosed above in reference to  FIG. 12A . The reduced thickness of the rim area of the pod  10 B may be similar to the thickness of the rim area of K-Cup pod such that the pod  10 B may work readily with the brewers in the market that work with K-Cup pods. 
       FIG. 12D  shows an alternative embodiment of the pod  10 B illustrated in  FIG. 12C . In this embodiment, the container  12  may be viewed as divided into at least two parts: a first part  82  and a second part  84 . The first part  82  may be the shield  302 A, and the second part  84  may be a revised container  12 A with a sidewall  18 B that terminates at the bend location or its distal end  20 B without extending outwardly to form the rim  22 . The first extension  310 A of the shield  302  may nest over the distal end  20 B of container  12 , and the exterior side of the sidewall  304  may be bonded to the inner side of the sidewall  18 B via a fifth bond  326 , and the lid  14  may be bonded to the first extension  310 A via the second bond  52 . The first part  82  and second part  84  may be bonded together via the fifth bond  326  so that both parts may be hermitically bonded together in a manner described above such that air, oxygen, gases, and moisture do not pass through the bonded area during the normal manufacture, shipping, inventory, and use of the pod  10 B. In particular, the fifth bond  326  may be a peelable bond and the second bond  52  may be either peelable or permanent bond. As such, the first extension  310 A of the shield  302  may form the rim  22  of the container  12 A. When the pod  10 B is brewed in the second orientation, the separating element  216  or the hook  288  may abut against underside of the first extension  310 A to peel away the shield  302  from the distal end  20 B of the container  12 A along the fifth bond  326  to allow the beverage within the pod  10 B to drain along the pathway  314  formed by the ribs  312  or near the top side of the pod  10 B. 
       FIG. 12E  shows that the fifth bond  326  may cover the area around the sidewall  304  and the first extension  310 A near the distal end  20 B to provide a larger bonding area between the shield  302  and the container  12 A to improve the integrity of the bond between the two parts. Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have the interior sealing layer of the sidewall  18 B be a peelable bond layer which is then heat sealed to the exterior layer of the shield  302  at the distal end  20 B rather than utilizing the fifth bond  326 . Alternatively, the exterior layer of the shield may be a peelable bond layer that is heat sealed to the interior layer of the sidewall  18 B rather than utilizing the fifth bond  326 . In addition, the second extension  310 B may be shorter than the same extension illustrated in  FIG. 12D . A shorter second extension  310 B may provide a stiffer extension so that a force applied to the shorter second extension  310 B by the hook  288 , for example, may be transferred more efficiently to the first extension  310 A to peel the first extension  310 A away from the sidewall  18 B. 
       FIG. 13A  shows an alternative pod  400  in an upright expanded perspective view along a longitudinal axis  402  configured to brew beverages such as coffee and espresso;  FIG. 13B  shows an inverted expanded perspective view of the pod  400  along the axis  402  to show the top and bottom views, respectively, of the various components of the pod  400 ; and  FIG. 13C  shows a plurality of holes formed within the base of the filter for brewing low pressure coffee, as discussed in more detail below. The pod  400  may include a container  404 , a filter  406  adapted to receive beverage ingredient (not shown), a distributor  412 , and a lid  414 . The container  404  may have a base  416  that extends upwardly to form a sidewall  418  and then extends outwardly to form a rim  420  defining an opening  460 . The container  404  may be formed from a variety of materials and from single or multilayered sheets sandwiched together to form a hermetically sealed barrier to protect the beverage ingredients contained therein from atmospheric oxygen entering the container. The container may be formed from a variety of materials known to one skilled in the art. In this regard, the container  404  may be formed in a manner described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,336,498 issued Jul. 2, 2019, entitled “CONTAINER WITH IMPROVED PUNCTUREABILITY”, by Foster et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In particular, the container  404  may be formed by a variety of molding process such as injection molding and thermoforming process of thermoplastic material, which may be substantially impermeable and imperforate. For example, the thermoplastic materials may include polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene, polystyrene, nylon, and other polymers; and in particular, thermoplastic material may be a bio-based resin, readily recyclable, and/or comprise of at least a portion of recycled material such as a recycled polypropylene base resin. 
     The filter  406  may have a base  422  that extends upwardly to form a sidewall  424  and then extends outwardly to form an extension  426 , which may be defined by one or more extensions including a first extension  428  and a second extension  430 . The first extension  428  may define an opening  454  adapted to receive the beverage ingredient (not shown). The first extension may extend outwardly to a predetermined distance as indicated by a reference numeral  431 , and the second extension  430  may extend farther therefrom outwardly in a beveled manner or downward sloping manner relative to the first extension  428  towards the base  422 . The first extension  428  may extend outwardly at a distance, as indicated by the reference numeral  431 , such that the first extension  428  may extend farther out laterally than the rim  420  to allow the first extension  428  to lay upon or overlap the rim  420  when the filter  406  is placed within the container  404 . The base  422  of the filter  406  may have a plurality of holes  436  where the size and number of the holes  436  may be predetermined to control the flow of the beverage through the holes  436  to provide a desired pressure within the filter  406 , as discussed in more detail below. The base  422  may also have at least one retainer wall  432  with a plurality of slits  434 , as discussed in more detail below. 
     The container  404  may be adapted to receive the filter  406  and the first extension  428  of the extension  426  may be releasably sealed or adhered to the rim  420  of the container  404  where upon a force applied to the underside of the second extension  430 , the first extension  428  may peel, separate, and/or snap off from the rim  420 . In this regard, the releasable bond(s) may be utilized such as the embodiments disclosed in US Published Application No. 2014/0161936, published Jun. 12, 2014, entitled CONTAINER WITH REMOVALE PORTION by Trombetta et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Alternatively, the first extension  428  of the filter  104  may be ultrasonically sealed to the rim  420  of the container  404  such as with the linear or torsional ultrasonic welding as known to one of skilled in the art. For instance, torsional welding method may apply high-frequency vibrational energy tangentially as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.: (1) U.S. Pat. No. 10,554,004 entitled “Sonotrode, device and method for producing a join” issued Feb. 4, 2020; and (2) U.S. Pat. No. 10,532,424 entitled “Device for welding components by means of ultrasound” issued Jan. 14, 2020, both Assigned to Telsonic Holding AG, which are hereby both incorporated by references in their entirety. Alternatively, liner ultrasonic welding method may be utilized to weld the first extension  428  to the rim  420 . 
       FIG. 13A  shows that the rim  420  of the container  404  may have an energy director  437  protruding upwardly to engage with the underside of the first extension  428  of the filter  406  to absorb the energy from an ultrasonic welding method or apparatus in a more predetermined manner. A variety of welding methods known to one skilled in the art may be utilized such as a linear ultrasonic and torsional ultrasonic welding methods such that the energy director  437  protruding from the rim  420  may melt and infuse with the first extension  428  of the filter. And  FIG. 13B  shows that the underside of the rim  420  may have a line of weakness  442  similar to the line of weakness  42  discussed above in reference to  FIG. 12A  such that when the pod  400  is used in the second orientation in the manner described below, a portion of the rim  420  may separate from the sidewall  424 , along with the adjacent portion of the first extension  428 , as discussed below, to form a gap between the attached portion of the rim  420  and the extension  426 . 
     The first extension  428  may have a step  403  formed in the inner side of the first extension  428 . The distributor  412  may have a flange  413  that extends outwardly to rest within the step  403  of the filter  406 . The distributor  412  may also have a skirt  446  adapted to engage with the inner side  440  of the sidewall  424  juxtaposed to the first extension  428  such that a portion of the flange  413  that extends out from the skirt  446  may rest within the step  403  and flush with the first extension  428 .  FIG. 13C  shows a plurality of holes  436  in the base  422  of the filter  406  where the size and number of the holes  436  may be predetermined to control the flow of the beverage through the holes  436  to provide a desired low-pressure within the filter  406  to brew coffee for example. 
     The distributor  412  may have a base  442  with an outer skirt  446  adapted to engage with the inner side  440  of the sidewall  424  juxtaposed to the first extension  428  such that the base  442  may be adjacent to the first extension  428  of the extension  426  when assembled together. The skirt  446  may extend upwardly and/or downwardly to engage with the inner side  440  of the sidewall. The base  442  may have a protrusion  444  extending towards the inner space within the filter  406 . The protrusion  444  may form a cavity  462  sized to receive an inlet liquid injection member, as discussed in more detail below, such as an inlet needle to inject heated water into the filter  406 . The base  442  may have a plurality of holes  448  to allow the heated water to pass therethrough to substantially distribute the water over the opening  454  of the filter  406 . The size of the holes  448  may be less than the average size of the beverage ingredient. This may substantially prevent the beverage ingredient from entering the protrusion area  444  thereby substantially preventing the beverage ingredient from clogging the inlet injection member, which can cause the brewing mechanism to malfunction. 
     The sidewall  424  may have one or more ribs  425  extending outwardly. The extending ribs  425  may be formed on the exterior side  427  of the sidewall  424  adjacent to the extension  426 . As the filter  406  is inserted into the container  404 , the extending ribs  425  may engage with the sidewall  418  of the container  404  to center the filter  406  relative to the container  404  such that the filter  406  may be substantially aligned with the filter  406  along the axis  402  of the pod  400 . The distributor  412  may be placed over the beverage ingredient packed within the filter  406 . The protrusion  444  may have an inverted bell like shape to enlarge the area of the cavity  462  adapted to receive the inlet member of the brewing mechanism. The enlarged cavity  462  may also allow the outer area of the distributor  412  to flex and bend more readily. 
     The manner in which the beverage ingredient is packed within the filter  406  may be predetermined to control the density of the beverage ingredient  410  therein to substantially prevent air pockets, gaps, and channels from forming within the ingredient  410  during manufacturing, shipping, handling, and during the brewing process. As a general rule, beverage ingredient  410  with greater density may require greater pressure to push the heated liquid through the beverage ingredient  410 , which can extract more intense flavor from the beverage ingredient  410  in less time. Once the first extension  428  of the filter  406  is separated from the rim  420 , as discussed in more detail below, the distributor  412  may flex to substantially contain the ingredient  410  within the filter  406  to avoid forming air pockets therein. The lid  414  may be placed over the filter  406  and the outer edge  450  of the lid  414  may be sealed and/or bonded to the first extension  428  of the filter  406  and a portion of the base  442  of the distributor  412 . In particular, the lid  414  may be formed from a flexible liner with sufficient tensile strength to resist tearing due to the high-pressure during the brewing process. 
     The pressure developed within the beverage ingredient  410  can determine the type of beverage brewed such as coffee under lower pressure and espresso under higher pressure. A number of other factors can determine the pressure developed within the beverage ingredient  410  such as the pressure and temperature of the heated water injected into the beverage ingredient, the grind size and density of the beverage ingredient, the size and number of holes  436  in the base  422  of the filter  406 , the depth of the beverage ingredient, and etc.  FIG. 13C  shows an enlarge view of the base  422  having a predetermined number of holes  436  sized to brew low pressure coffee by allowing the beverage to pass therethrough but substantially prevent the beverage ingredient packed within the filter  406  from passing through the holes due to pressure within the filter during the brewing process. For instance, the sidewall  424  may be substantially solid to direct most of the beverage, if not all, to pass through the holes  436  on the base  422 . Moreover, the extending ribs  425  extending from the sidewall  424  may substantially maintain its shape under the desired brewing pressure conditions. The number and/or size of the holes  436  formed in the base  422  may be predetermined to provide sufficient resistance to flow of beverage to develop the desired brewing pressure within the beverage ingredient to brew a desired beverage. For example, to brew espresso under high-pressure from about 6 to 15 bars, the coffee beans may be finely grounded where the average grind size may be from about 40 to about 450 microns, and to brew coffee under low-pressure from about 1 to 4 bars, the coffee may be grounded more coarsely where the average grind size may be from about 500 to about 1,000 microns; and to substantially prevent the grinds from passing through the holes, the size of the holes  436  may be less than the average grind size of the coffee grounds. The holes may have a variety of shapes such as circular, square, rectangular, regular and irregular configuration. 
     Along with the size of the holes  436 , the number of holes  436  provided in the base  422  may be predetermined to develop the desired pressure within the filter  406  to brew the intended beverage such as espresso or coffee. That is, the brewing mechanism may inject heated water into the pod  400  at a pressure up to about  19  bars but some of the pressure may be released through the coffee ground and through the filter  406  such that the espresso flavor beverage may be extracted from the finer coffee ground at about  8  bars, for example, with the difference of  11  bars of pressure being released, in this example. That is, the pressure within the filter may largely depend upon the size of the beverage ingredient and the size and number of holes  436 . For instance, for low-pressure coffee, coarser ground coffee may be packed within the filter  406  and the size and number of holes  436  may be greater than that of the holes  436  to brew espresso, and substantial pressure may be released through the coffee ground and through the filter  406  such that coffee may be extracted from the coarser coffee ground at about 3 bars, for example, with the difference of  16  bars of pressure being released. 
     In general, for low-pressure coffee, the size of the holes  436  may be less than an average grind size or less than the lower end of the distribution of the grind sizes to brew coffee where the average grind size may be from about 450 to about 1,000 microns; and in particular from 500 to about 700 microns. Note that some soluble may have an average grind size of about 1,000 to 2,500 microns. For instance, coffee ground may have grind size distribution from 500 to 700 microns with an average or mean grind size of about 600 microns. With such grind size distribution and average, the size of the holes  436  to brew coffee may be less than about 600 microns or less than 500 microns to substantially prevent coffee ground from passing through the holes and to release the pressure within the coffee grounds to brew coffee. Alternatively, the pod  400  may include a paper filter between the holes  436  and the coffee ground, although not necessary, to allow the beverage to pass while preventing the smaller coffee sediments from passing therethrough during brewing process. Moreover, it is within the scope of the invention to have the size and number of holes  436  in the base  422  to be independent of the grind size of the beverage ingredient  410  where the size of the holes  436  may be sized to substantially prevent the ingredient sediment from passing through the holes  436 . 
       FIG. 13B  shows at least one retainer wall  432  extending from the base  422 . In particular, the base  422  may have a plurality of retainer walls  432  extending therefrom with layers of retainer walls  432  forming a pathway between two adjacent retainer walls  432 , and with a plurality of slits  434  on each of the retainer wall  432 . The retainer walls  432  may have distal ends that contour the shape of the inner side of the base  416  of the container  404 . The width of the slits  434  may be sized to serve as a second filtering step such that beverage ingredients that may have pass through the holes  436  may be substantially prevented from passing through the slits  434  while allowing a predetermine fine beverage ingredients to pass therethrough. 
       FIG. 14A  shows an expanded perspective view of an alternative pod  400 A along its longitudinal axis configured to brew high-pressure beverages such as espresso; and  FIG. 14B  shows an inverted expanded perspective view of the pod  400 A to show the top and bottom views, respectively, of the various components of the pod  400 A. The pod  400 A may include the same container  404 , the distributor  412 , and the lid  414  as discussed above in reference to  FIG. 13A . The pod  400 A includes a second filter  406 A adapted to receive beverage ingredient (not shown) to brew high pressure beverages such as espresso. The filter  406 A may have ribs  425 A formed on the exterior side  427 A of the sidewall  424 A, and the ribs  425 A may extend from the extension  426 A to the base  422 A or some portion thereof. The ribs  425 A may provide structural support to the sidewall  424 A of the filter  406 A to substantially prevent the sidewall  424 A from expanding, and maintaining a pathway open between the sidewalls  424 A and  418  during a high-pressure brewing process. The filter  406 A may have a step  403 A in the first extension  428 A adapted to receive the same distributor  412  in a manner discussed above.  FIG. 14C  shows a plurality of holes  436 A in the base  422 A of the filter  406 A where the size and number of the holes  436 A may be predetermined to control the flow of the beverage through the holes  436 A to provide a desired high-pressure within the filter  406 A to brew espresso for example. In this regard, the size of the holes  436 A for the high-pressure brewing applications may be smaller than the holes  436 A for the low-pressure brewing applications; and the number of holes  436 A provided in the base  422 A may be fewer than the holes  436  provided in the base  422 . 
       FIG. 15A  shows enlarge views of the extension  426  of the filter  406  and the rim  420  of the container  404  of the pod  400  in reference to  FIG. 13A . The first extension  428  may have the step  403  formed in the inner side of the first extension  428 . The distributor  412  may have a flange  413  that extends outwardly to rest within the step  403  of the filter  406  such that the top surfaces of the flange  413  and the base  442  of the distributor  412  may be substantially flush with the first extension  428 A. The energy director  437  may protrude upwards from the top side  421  of the rim  420 , and the line of weakness  442  may be formed on the underside  423  of the rim  420 . In this embodiment, the energy director  437  may be located at about the midpoint between the distal end  429  of the rim and the sidewall  418  of the container  404 . And the line of weakness  442  may be between the energy director  437  and the sidewall  418  of the container  406  such that the line of weakness  442  divides the rim  420  into an outer section  425  and an inner section  427 . The energy director  427  may have a variety of configuration such as a semi-circular, square, rectangular, triangular shape and the like. For instance,  FIG. 15B  illustrates that the energy director may have a triangular shape with a base width “B” from 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, a height “H” from 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm, and a tip width “T” form 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm; and in particular, the triangular energy director may a base width from 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, a height from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm, and a tip width form 0.05 mm to 0.10 mm. In particular, the energy director may be sized and the ultrasonic energy applied to the energy director  437  may be such that the sealing force around the circumference of the rim  420  may be within a predetermined sealing force range such as: from 10N to 40N force (Newton Force); and in particular, from 15N to 35N force; and further in the range from 20N to 30N force. These sealing force ranges may allow the pod  400  to hermitically seal the ingredients within the pod while substantially preventing the rim  420  of the container from unintentionally separating from the first extension  428  of the filter prior to brewing the pod such as during handling and shipping. The container  404  and the filter  406  may be made of similar material such as polypropylene or polyethylene where ultrasonically welding two similar materials together may result in more consistent seal between the energy director  437  and the first extension  428  around the rim  420  of the container; and both parts may be made through an injection molding process to form the energy director  437  and the line of weakness  442  in the container  404  in a more consistent manner. Note that it is within the scope of the invention to form the container through blow molding and thermoforming methods. In addition, providing the energy director  437  on the rim  420  of the container  404  may provide a more consistent sealing force between the low pressure filter  406  and the high pressure filter  406 A since the same container  404  with the same energy director  437  is utilized for both filters  406  and  406 A such that the variances in the dimensions of the energy director  437  may be minimized. 
     In general, the line of weakness  442  may be formed such that the force required to separate the outer section  425  from the inner section  427  of the rim  420  may be in the upper range of the force required to separate the energy director  437 . For example, if the energy director  427  is designed to separate between 20N to 30N based on predetermined ultrasonic energy delivered by the welding machine, then the line of weakness  442  may be designed to separate at about 30N. This way, if energy director  437  does not separate upon an application of about 30N due to variances in the size of the energy director  437  and/or the amount of energy applied to the energy director  437 , then the line of weakness  442  may separate such that the outer section  425  of the rim  420  may peel away with first extension  428 , as discussed in more detail below, thereby forming a gap between the inner section  427  and the first extension  428  to allow the beverage to drain via the gap. That is, the energy director  437  and the line of weakness  442  may provide two independent means of separating the first extension  428  from the rim  420  where the line of weakness  442  may serve as an alternative separation area in the event the energy director  437  does not separate as intended, or vice versa. 
       FIG. 15C  shows an alternative embodiment of the container  404  where the energy director  437  and the line of weakness  442  may be located closer to the distal end  429  of the rim  420  relative to the locations of the two respective elements illustrated in  FIG. 15A . This may allow the force applied to the underside  430 A of the second extension  430  to be in closer proximity to the energy director  437  such that the applied force may be more directly applied to the energy director  437  for more consistent separation of the energy director  437 . Moreover, the width of the inner section  427  may be wider relative to the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 15A  such that in the event that the line of weakness  442  separates rather than the energy director  437 , the inner section  427  may serve as a funnel to drain the beverage more smoothly. 
       FIG. 15D  illustrates another alternative embodiment where the energy director  437  may protrude downwards from the underside  428 A of the first extension  428 , and the line of weakness  442  formed on the underside  420 A of the rim  420 . Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have the line of weakness  442  on the top side  420 B of the rim  420 . 
       FIG. 16A  shows the pod  400  of  FIG. 13A  assembled such that the retainer walls  432  extending from the base  422  of the filter  406  may be adjacent to the base  416  of the container  404 . Note that a pathway  455  may be formed between the two sidewalls  418  and  424 . During the assembly process, the container  404  may be placed inside an opening formed within a platform and the filter  406  may be placed inside such that the first extension  428  may rest upon the energy director  437  protruding from the rim  420 , in a manner discussed above. Ultrasonic welding may apply energy over the first extension  428  or on the underside  423  of the rim  420  to infuse the energy director  437  to the first extension  428 . Note that with the base  422  of the filter  406  being adjacent to the base  416  of the container  404 , the pod  400  may be utilized in the second orientation but may not be utilized in the first orientation since there is no room for the outlet piercing element to pierce through the base  416  of the container and enter the container  404  due to the base  422  of the filter. 
       FIG. 16B  shows an alternative embodiment of the pod  400 B where the base  422  of the filter  406  may be apart from the base  416  of the container  404  such that a chamber  470  may be formed between the two bases  416  and  422  to allow the tip of the outlet piercing element to pierce through the base  416  and enter the chamber  470 . This may allow the pod  400 B to brew in the first and second orientations. 
       FIGS. 17A through 17D  show cross-sectional views of the pod  400  in different stages to illustrate a manner and method of brewing a beverage with the pod  400 . In this example,  FIG. 17A  shows the pod  400  in a substantially horizontal position or second orientation as discussed above, packed with beverage ingredient  410  within the filter  406 . In the second orientation, the pod  400  may be juxtaposed to an inlet member  500  having an inlet end  502  and a tip  504  with a gasket  506  therebetween. The member  500  may be adapted to slide relative to the pod  400  as indicated by the double ended direction arrow  508 , or the pod may be adapted to slide relative to the member  500 , or both elements  500  and  400  may be adapted to slide or move relative to each other simultaneously or sequentially. The member  500  may be positioned relative to the pod  400  such that the tip  504  may be juxtaposed to the lid  414  in order to penetrate the cavity  462  of the distributor  412 . The pod  400  may also be juxtaposed to a detaching member  510  position behind the second extension  430  at about the six O&#39;clock position. The detaching member  510  and the pod  400  may be adapted to slide relative to each other as indicated by the double ended direction arrow  512  where one or both elements  400  and  510  may move relative to each other simultaneously or sequentially. 
       FIG. 17B  shows that to begin the brewing process, the inlet member  500  may pierce, puncture, or cut through the lid  414 , or use any other apparatus or method known to one skilled in the art, and the tip  504  may rest within the cavity  462 , and the gasket  506  may engage with the lid  414  surrounding the member  500  to substantially prevent the water from leaking out of the opening between the member  500  the lid  414  formed by the punctured hole within the lid. The detaching mechanism  510  may move towards an extended position as indicated by the direction arrow  512  to engage with the second extension  430  to separate the first extension  428  from the rim  420  sealed by the energy director  437  near the six O&#39;clock position thereby forming a gap  484  between the extension  426  and the rim  420  that may extend from about four O&#39;clock to about eight O&#39;clock positions; and in particular from about five O&#39;clock to about seven O&#39;clock positions. Note that in this example, the force applied by the detaching mechanism  510  may be greater than the sealed force provided by the energy director  437  such that the first extension  428  may separate from the rim  420 . 
     The second section  430  may taper towards the base  416  of the container  404  such that the underside of the second section  430  may form a concave shape or hook to allow the detaching member  510  to engage with the underside of the second section  430  to separate the first extension  428  from the rim  420  more consistently. The newly formed gap  484  may form a part of the second pathway  455  between the two sidewalls  418  and  424  and also between the adjacent extending ribs  425  to allow the beverage formed within the pod  400  to flow along the second pathway  455  and drain through the gap  484 , as discussed in more detail below. 
       FIG. 17C  illustrates that as the detaching member  510  moves further towards the inlet member  500  as indicated by the direction arrow  512 , the second extension  430  may flex to allow the detaching member  510  to pass and rest on the opposite side of the extension such that the detaching member  510  may not interfere with the beverage draining out of the gap  484 . Once the gap  484  is formed, a combination of the rim  420  and the concave shape of second extension  430  that extends downwardly may act as a spout to allow the beverage to pour from the gap  484  in a smooth manner to minimize spattering of the beverage. This may provide a clear path for the beverage to drain from the pod  400  without coming to contact with the brewing mechanism to avoid contaminating the beverage, as discussed in more detail below. 
       FIG. 17D  shows the inlet member  500  injecting heated water  514  into the cavity  462 , and the heated water  514  may flow along the path as indicated by the direction arrows  572  and  574 , and the beverage  596  extracted from the beverage ingredient  410  may flow along the path as indicated by the direction arrows  576 ,  578 , and  580 , and drain out of the gap  484  as indicted by the direction arrow  590  and pour the beverage  596  into a mug  594 . Accordingly, once the beverage  596  passes through the holes  436 , the beverage  596  may flow along the pathway  455  and drain out of the gap  484 , and pour into the mug  594  unobstructed by the brewing mechanism to substantially avoid contaminating the beverage and the brewing mechanism. 
       FIGS. 18A and 18B  illustrates the application of the line of weakness  442  where the force applied by the detaching mechanism  510  may be less than the sealing force of the energy director  437  such that the first extension  428  may not separate from the rim  420  along the energy director  437  but the force applied by the detaching mechanism  510  may be greater than the strength of the line of weakness  442 . Under such circumstances, as illustrated in  FIG. 18B , force applied by the detaching mechanism  510  may separate the outer section  423  from the rim  420  along the line of weakness  442  such that the outer section  423  may remain attached to the first extension  428  and forming the gap  484  between the inner section  427  of the rim  420  and the first extension  428  to allow the beverage  596  to drain therethrough. As such, the energy director  437  and the line of weakness  442  may provide two independent means of separating the first extension  428  from the rim  420  where the line of weakness  442  may serve as an alternative separation area in the event the energy director  437  does not separate as intended, or vice versa. 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Moreover, various features and functionalities described in this application and Figures may be combined individually and/or plurality of features and functionalities with others. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.