A method of fabricating coffee pods at a point of sale location using a coffee pod dispensing device with shell less, expandable coffee pods. The fabrication is initiated by tactile input from a control panel that determines the parameters of the coffee pods to be fabricated and generates the operational signals for the dispensing device. Fabrication there after progresses sequentially through a series of operations that involves the loading of the coffee pods onto a pod advancing means which then takes the coffee pods through the steps of expansion, filling, sealing and delivery. To accomplish this the pods are compressible pods arranged in a linear array that allows for pleated or stacked storage in a pod loading means within the device's enclosure, as well as continuous feed capabilities.

A point of sale coffee pod dispensing device for use with shell less, expandable coffee pods. The compressible pods are arranged in a linear array that allows for pleated or stacked storage in a pod loading means within the device's enclosure, as well as continuous feed capabilities. The pod advancing means moves the pods from a pod loading station to the pod delivery station, there between sequentially passing through stations for pod expanding, coffee filling, and sealing. An operating system allows input of signals for the operation of the device based on tactile input from a control panel on the device's housing that determines the parameters of the coffee pods to be fabricated.

A cleaner assembly for an apparatus for making pouch products includes a cleaner roller and a poker roller. The cleaner roller may counter rotate with a rotatable drum of the apparatus, in contact with an upper surface of a first elastic layer on the rotatable drum, and at a greater tangential speed than at least one surface of an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or an upper surface of the first elastic layer. The poker roller includes projections that are each configured to extend into one or more divots of the rotatable drum. The poker roller may counter rotate with the rotatable drum and at a same tangential speed as the at least one surface such that the projections extend into and out of separate, respective divots of the rotatable drum based on the counter rotation of the poker roller and the rotatable drum.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a pod (100) for preparing a beverage in a beverage production machine, the machine having opening elements for opening the pod (100) under the effect of rising pressure of fluid being injected into the pod (100). In the method, two formable sheet elements (200) are provided, into one of which an opening (210) is cut. A second sheet material (300) is provided and connected with the respective sheet element (200) at a connection area (230) that circumferentially surrounds the opening (210). The so connected sheet material (300) forms a delivery wall (110) of the pod (100), through which during the beverage preparation process the prepared beverage is dispensed from the pod (100). The two sheet elements (200) are formed into the shape of a half-shell (101, 102), respectively, whereby the connection area (230) is pinched from opposite sides of the sheet element (200) when forming the respective half-shell (101, 102). An injection wall (120) for injecting a fluid into the pod (100) is formed. A substance (105) for the beverage is provided and the two half-shells (101, 102) are connected to form a pod body (130) around the substance (105). Therein, the pod body (130) together with the delivery wall (110) and the injection wall (120) delimit a chamber containing the substance (105). The delivery wall (110) is configured to be opened upon interaction with the opening elements of the beverage production machine under the effect of rising pressure of the fluid being injected into the pod (100).

The invention relates to a system (100) for manufacturing a compostable pod (900) for brewing products. Therein, the pod (900) is made from a sheet (600) made of a biodegradable cellulose-based material. The system (100) comprises at least one shaping line (200), which comprises a handling unit (300) for transferring the sheet (600) along a transfer direction (TD) through the system (100). The shaping line (200) further comprises a humidifying unit (400) for moistening at least one side of the sheet (600) with a moistening agent (401), and a forming unit (800) for shaping a part of the moistened sheet (600) into a three-dimensional shape to form a pod element (910), which defines a pod cavity (911). The shaping line (200) comprises further a humidity sensor system (500) for visually sensing a level of humidity of at least a section of the moistened sheet (600). Values related to the level of humidity sensed by the humidity sensor system (500) are received by a control unit (700), which is further configured to control the humidifying unit (400) based on these values. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a compostable pod (900), whereby a level of humidity of at least a section of the moistened sheet (600) is visually sensed and forwarded for controlling the moistening process of the at least one side of the sheet (600) correspondingly.

The present invention concerns a process for producing a container for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage preparation device, comprising the steps of: a. providing a water injection wall (3) of said, b. providing a beverage delivery wall (4) of said container, wherein at least one, preferably both, of said injection and delivery walls (3, 4) has a cup shape, c. placing a beverage ingredient body in said at least one cup shaped wall (4), d. sealing together edge portions (3A, 4A) of said injection and delivery walls (4, 3) in a sealing station, such as to form a chamber (1), wherein said sealing station comprise a housing element having a housing temperature (Th), wherein said body (2) is shaped and dimensioned such as not to completely fill said chamber (1), said process being characterized in that, after the sealing step, the container is cooled to a cooling temperature (Tc) being either: at least 15 C. lower than the temperature of the housing, orcomprised between 10 C. and +25 C.

A system of assembling first and second types of pods includes a first assembly apparatus for packing first type of pods such as low-pressure coffee pods, and a second assembly apparatus for partially packing second types of pods where a second type of filter is packed with a second beverage ingredient without a container. The assembled filter with the second beverage ingredient is passed to the first assembly apparatus where the outer container and the lid may be applied to assemble the second type of pods to brew high-pressure beverages such as espresso. The second type of pods can optionally include a third beverage ingredient separated by a perforated barrier between the second and third beverage ingredients.

An apparatus for making a beverage pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material comprises dosing means arranged for supply of a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to a puck forming device of the apparatus and further comprises a packaging device arranged to package a compacted puck received from the puck forming device between two sheets of filtering material to form the beverage pad. The puck forming device comprises a cylindrical rotating drum with an outer side surface having recesses for receiving in each recess a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product. A bottom wall of each recess is formed by a movable piston arranged to move with respect to the outer side surface of the drum to vary a height of the recess in relation to an angular position of the recess on the circular circumference of the drum. The puck forming device further comprises a compression body adjacent to the rotating drum arranged to provide a counter surface to compress a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product against. The compression body comprises drive means arranged to drive the counter surface moving along a circumferential part of the outer side surface of the rotating drum with a velocity corresponding to a velocity of the outer side surface of the rotating drum.

The present invention concerns a process for producing a container for the preparation of a beverage in a beverage preparation device, wherein, in the final container obtained, at least 70% of the surface of a compacted beverage ingredient body (2) contained therein, is in contact with the container walls (3, 4).

Systems and methods for assembling and introducing cartridges containing remediating component(s) into packaged beverages are provided herein. In particular, an introduction system containing a dropping mechanism actuatable between a retaining position and a releasing position is provided herein. The introduction system comprises a transition guide configured to receive cartridges from a source and the dropping mechanism disposed below the transition guide. The dropping mechanism retains a cartridge in the retaining position and permits the cartridge to be released into a beverage container in the releasing position. A control system actuates the dropping mechanism in synchronization with beverage container movement. The dropping mechanism may include a rotatable member and retaining plate configuration with slots that rotate into alignment with a dropping slot, or a sliding gate and releasing plate configuration where the sliding gate translates to align a dropping slot with an opening to release cartridges into moving beverage containers.