Packaging and method for single serve beverage product

Abstract

A packaging method and packaging material are disclosed. In accordance with one aspect, a method for forming, filling, sealing and flash freezing a liquid extract or concentrate in a continuous ribbon format is described. The packaging material uses a continuous ribbon of a cold-formed foil base with multiple pockets arrayed in a pattern and a heat-sealed foil cover. Following sealing, the continuously formed strip of product is passed through a freezing medium, optionally perforated alongside the pockets to facilitate separation of individual pockets from a sheet, and then cut to size for convenient and space efficient final packaging, storage and transportation.

Claims

1. A package for delivering frozen liquid content comprising: a foil base comprising one or more pockets within a planar surface; a solid frozen liquid content disposed in each pocket; and a foil cover attached to the planar surface of the foil base, wherein the pockets and the foil cover define one or more sealed cavities for containing the solid frozen liquid content, wherein there is a headspace disposed between the solid frozen content and the foil cover, wherein the headspace comprises at least one of an inert gas and a reduced reactivity gas in place of atmospheric air.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein the package comprises a gas impermeable material configured to preserve freshness and aroma of the solid frozen liquid content.

3. The package of claim 1, wherein the solid frozen liquid content is selected from the group consisting of: a frozen coffee extract; a frozen tea extract; a frozen lemonade concentrate; a frozen vegetable concentrate; a frozen broth; a frozen liquid dairy product; a frozen alcohol product; a frozen concentrated soup; a frozen syrup; a frozen fruit concentrate, and any combination thereof.

4. The package of claim 1, wherein the package is filterless.

5. The package of claim 1, wherein the solid frozen liquid content of each pocket is provided in a controlled portion arrangement.

6. The package of claim 5, wherein the controlled portion arrangement comprises a single-serving sized format.

7. The package of claim 1, wherein the package, including the foil base and the foil cover form a gas impermeable package.

8. The package of claim 1, wherein the foil base and the foil cover are joined via heat sealing.

9. The package of claim 1, wherein the foil base and the foil cover are joined via ultrasonic welding.

10. The package of claim 1, wherein the foil base and the foil cover are joined via adhesive.

11. The package of claim 1, further comprising a coating on at least a portion of the pocket, wherein the coating reduces adhesion of the solid frozen liquid content to the package relative to uncoated surfaces.

12. The package of claim 1, wherein the solid frozen liquid content comprises at least one of a frozen liquid extract and a frozen liquid concentrate.

13. The package of claim 1, wherein the pocket further comprises tapered planar sidewalls and a planar bottom.

14. The package of claim 1, wherein the pocket further comprises a generally concave shape.

15. The package of claim 2, wherein the gas impermeable material comprises aluminum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Various objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed techniques can be more fully appreciated with reference to the following detailed description of the disclosed subject matter when considered in connection with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements.

(2) FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a 3×4 section of packaged product in accordance with one embodiment.

(3) FIG. 2 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 1, but without a foil cover.

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of a packaged product in accordance with one embodiment.

(5) FIG. 4 is a side cross-section view of a packaged product in accordance with one embodiment.

(6) FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-section view of a single pocket of a packaged product in accordance with one embodiment.

(7) FIG. 6 is an isometric illustration of a packaging line for creating a finished product in accordance with one embodiment.

(8) FIG. 7 is a top view of a packaged product without the foil cover in accordance with one embodiment.

(9) FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth regarding the systems and methods of the disclosed subject matter and the environment in which such systems and methods may operate to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed subject matter. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without such specific details, and that certain features, which are well known in the art, are not described in detail to avoid complication of the disclosed subject matter. In addition, it will be understood that the embodiments described below are exemplary, and that it is contemplated that there are other systems and methods that are within the scope of the disclosed subject matter.

(11) According to an embodiment, a liquid food or beverage product may be dispensed into a pocket formed in a cold-formed foil base, covered and sealed using a layer of foil, and flash frozen to create a frozen liquid contents to preserve its taste and aroma. This format, using a cold-formed foil base, which in some embodiments is formed, filled, sealed and frozen in a continuous strip, reduces the cost of working with individual containers or capsules (e.g., a K-cup compatible container) and packages the product more densely with clear cost advantages for frozen storage and transportation. In some embodiments of this invention, the liquid food or beverage product may be a frozen coffee extract, a frozen tea extract, a frozen lemonade concentrate, a frozen vegetable concentrate, a frozen broth, a frozen liquid dairy product, a frozen alcohol product; a frozen concentrated soup, a frozen syrup, and a frozen fruit concentrate, or any combination thereof.

(12) In some embodiments of this invention, the user separates one pocket from the remainder and removes or punctures the lid and thereafter transfers the contents (frozen or thawed) into a cup of hot water, cold/iced water, milk, etc. to enjoy the benefits of the premium taste and aroma that can be captured by flash freezing the product immediately after brewing or concentration. In some embodiments of this invention, the surfaces of the formed foil base and cover are perforated after forming/filling to simplify the separation process. In some embodiments of this invention, the surfaces between formed foil base and cover in a small area around the edge or corner of an individual pocket are not welded/heat sealed together to make it easier to grasp the cover and peel it away from the formed foil base.

(13) In some embodiments of this invention, a special dispensing machine is adapted to take either continuous coils of formed-foil packets or sheets, for example a 3×4 pocket sheet, of material and automatically add water for melting and diluting the liquid frozen contents. Such machines could function similarly to machines for individual pod products, optimized for melting and diluting rather than brewing as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,516,970 and 10,264,912 (the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference), but have the additional feature of a user being able to load multiple (potentially hundreds) of servings at one time and thereafter have the machine automatically advance to the next available pocket.

(14) To better explain some of these features, refer to the figures noted below.

(15) FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of this invention wherein a 3×4 packet sheet 100 of product, consists of a series of formed foil pockets 20 and a sealed cover 11. In some embodiments of this invention, the pockets are created at regular intervals, both transversely and longitudinally, while leaving a planar space 21 between pocket edges to which a foil cover 11 can be heat sealed, glued or otherwise joined to the formed foil base.

(16) FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of this invention wherein the sealed cover of FIG. 1 has been removed to display pockets filled with liquid content, e.g., coffee 30.

(17) FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate one embodiment of this invention wherein the formed pockets 20 can be relatively shallow, have only a small gap between pockets for high packing density, and incorporate minimal headspace 40 since no penetration of needles is envisioned as is typical of single-serve pod products. FIG. 5 is an enlargement of a single pocket, better illustrating the placement of product 30 and the minimal headspace 40. In some embodiments of this invention, the side walls 22 of the pocket are flat, tapered surfaces. In some embodiments of this invention, the corner radii 23 of the pockets are sized to ease manufacturing and reduce tearing of the foil. In some embodiments of this invention, the bottom surface 24 of the pocket is a flat surface. In some embodiments of this invention, side walls 22 and bottom surface 24 are replaced by a complex, generally concave surface that has no distinct corners.

(18) FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of this invention wherein a continuous coil of formable foil 21 can be formed into pockets 20, filled with product 30, a continuous cover material 10 can be added to the line and sealed 11 to create a fully encapsulated product. In some embodiments of this invention, the headspace 40 above the product 30 is filled with an inert gas or a reduced reactivity gas (e.g., nitrogen) prior to sealing. As will be appreciated by one knowledgeable in the art, a wide variety of equipment is available for doing the forming, filling and sealing, so it is not shown. In some embodiments of this invention, the next step in the process, beyond what is shown in FIG. 6, would be a dip through a liquid nitrogen bath or transit through a tunnel freezer to rapidly chill and freeze the pocket contents. Being able to conduct the freezing step in the same line, without breaking the strip until after freezing, imparts significant economic benefit to manufacturing as it eliminates the need for transfer equipment and other sorting and handling associated with manufacturing a single served capsule or pod.

(19) FIG. 7 illustrates how the product might be perforated along certain lines 50 to make it easier to tear on packet from a larger sheet.

(20) FIG. 8 illustrates how certain zones 60 might be created wherein the sealing of cover to formed foil base is omitted to allow easier separation of the cover by the user once an individual packet has been separated from a sheet.

(21) In accordance with certain embodiments, a coating may be applied on at least a portion of the pocket to improve performance or provide other benefits. For example, in some cases the coating reduces adhesion of the solid frozen liquid content to the package relative to uncoated surfaces. Examples of such coatings include, but are not limited to, polypropylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene

(22) As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of this disclosure, the present disclosure can be embodied in forms other than those specifically disclosed above. The particular embodiments described above are, therefore, to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain, using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein.