Portion Capsule for Preparing a Beverage with the Aid of a Beverage Production Machine, and use of a Portion Capsule

Abstract

A portion capsule for the preparation of a beverage with the aid of a beverage production machine, the portion capsule having a base element with a cavity for receiving a beverage raw material and having a capsule lid which closes the cavity, the base element includes a capsule bottom, a circumferential flange, and a capsule wall which extends from the capsule bottom to the circumferential flange, the capsule lid being fastened to the flange, the portion capsule having a feature which can be visually detected, in particular, by a detector of the beverage production machine.

Claims

1. A portion capsule for preparing a beverage with a beverage production machine, the portion capsule having a base element with a cavity for receiving a beverage raw material and a capsule lid which closes the cavity, the base element comprising a capsule bottom, a circumferential flange, and a capsule wall, which extends from the capsule bottom to the circumferential flange, the capsule lid being fastened to the flange, wherein the portion capsule comprises a visually detectable feature which can be visually detected by a detector of the beverage production machine, the visually detectable feature being arranged on a side of the capsule lid, which side faces away from the flange, wherein the flange and the capsule lid are of a visually transparent configuration at least in a region of the visually detectable feature.

2. The portion capsule according to claim 1, wherein only an edge region of the capsule lid or an entire capsule lid is of the visually transparent configuration.

3. The portion capsule according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive layer is arranged between an edge region of the capsule lid and the flange to connect the capsule lid and the flange, the adhesive layer being of a visually transparent configuration.

4. The portion capsule according to claim 1, wherein the visually detectable feature is arranged in an edge region of the capsule lid in relation to a main plane of extent of the capsule lid.

5. The portion capsule according to claim 1, wherein the portion capsule has a ring, the visually detectable feature is arranged or printed on the ring, the ring is arranged on a side of the capsule lid, which side faces away from the flange, the ring is adhesively bonded onto the capsule lid, the ring is of a visually transparent configuration.

6. The portion capsule according to claim 1, wherein the base element is of a completely visually transparent configuration.

7. The portion capsule according to claim 1, wherein the base element is constructed in two parts from a base part and a flange part, and only the flange part is of a visually transparent configuration, the base part and the flange are connected to one another.

8. The portion capsule according to claim 1, wherein the visually detectable feature is a machine-readable code, or a one-dimensional or multiple-dimensional bit code or barcode.

9. Use of the portion capsule according to claim 1 for preparing the beverage with the aid of the beverage production machine.

10. A system comprising the beverage production machine and the portion capsule according to claim 1.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the beverage production machine comprises a sensor detector to detect the detectable feature on the portion capsule.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the beverage production machine comprises a pump that is put into operation only upon a detection of the detectable feature and a determination by a controller or processor of the sensor detector or beverage production machine that the portion capsule is suitable for the beverage production machine.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the sensor detector is located above the capsule lid after the portion capsule is inserted into the beverage production machine.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the sensor detector is located below the capsule lid after the portion capsule is inserted into the beverage production machine.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the beverage production machine comprises a sealing means that is configured to contact and/or seal against a sealing region of the capsule lid.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the beverage production machine comprises a piercing means that is configured to perforate or pierce the capsule lid.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the beverage production machine comprises a controller that is configured to receive signals from the sensor detector and send signals to the pump.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the controller comprises a memory and one or more brewing parameters are stored in the controller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] FIG. 1A shows a diagrammatic sectional view of a portion capsule in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] FIG. 1B shows a diagrammatic view “from above” of the portion capsule in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] FIG. 1C shows a diagrammatic view “from below” of the portion capsule in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] FIG. 1 discloses a diagrammatic side view of a portion capsule 10 for preparing a beverage.

[0053] The portion capsule 10 has a base element 12 (also called a body). The body of the base element 12 comprises a side wall 14 (also called a capsule wall). The side wall 12 extends from the bottom region 22 (also called a capsule bottom) as far as a circumferential flange 26 which projects laterally and, in particular, is of circumferential configuration. The base element 12 defines a cavity 20 which is provided for receiving beverage raw material. On the side which faces away from the bottom region 22, the base element has a filling opening, through which the cavity 20 can be filled with the beverage raw material.

[0054] The portion capsule 10 has by way of example a base element 12 of spherical configuration which has the capsule bottom 22 (which can be of curved configuration and in no way has to be of planar configuration) on its closed side and has a circumferential flange 26 on its open side. The capsule wall 14 extends around the cavity 20 between the capsule bottom 22 and the flange 26. The portion capsule 10 is of rotationally symmetrical construction about its central centre longitudinal axis. The flange 26 which is configured to be circular and therefore circumferential in the circumferential direction projects outwards beyond the capsule wall 14 in the radial direction with respect to the central axis of rotational symmetry. The base element 12 and the flange 26 may be made from the same material and be integrally formed. Alternatively, the flange 26 and the base element 12 may be two parts that are subsequently joined together.

[0055] The flange 26 is connected fixedly to a capsule lid 33 (also called a lid or membrane) in the form of a lid film which is, in particular, circular and closes the cavity 20 on the open side of the base element 12. For this purpose, the flange 26 preferably has a sealing plane which faces the capsule lid 33 and extends approximately at a right angle with respect to the axis of rotational symmetry. The capsule lid 33 is sealed, welded or adhesively bonded in its edge region to the flange 26 and, in particular, onto the sealing plane.

[0056] The cavity 20 is configured within the base element 12, which cavity 20 is filled with the beverage raw material, for example roasted coffee granules, instant coffee, chocolate powder, blended tea, milk powder and/or the like (not illustrated for reasons of clarity), and which cavity 20 is closed by way of the capsule lid 33.

[0057] The portion capsule 10 is provided to be introduced into a brewing unit of a beverage production machine, in order to produce a beverage. The brewing unit comprises a first brewing chamber part and a second brewing chamber part, it being possible for the first or the second brewing chamber part to be moved, in particular pivoted or displaced, relative to the other brewing chamber part between an approached position, in which the first and the second brewing chamber part form a closed brewing chamber, and an open position, in which the first and the second brewing chamber part are spaced apart from one another in order to insert or eject the portion capsule 10.

[0058] In the closed position, the capsule lid 33 and/or the capsule bottom 22 are/is perforated, in order to produce a perforation opening for the introduction of brewing liquid (e.g., hot water) or for the discharge of the produced beverage. The lid and/or bottom may be pierced or perforated via a piercing means of the beverage machine such as one or more mandrels, spikes, protuberances, teeth, etc. The beverage machine may have a sealing means to seal against the lid to prevent the hot water and/or the beverage product from leaking or spilling. The brewing liquid is introduced under pressure into the cavity 20. The desired beverage is produced by way of the interaction between the brewing liquid and the beverage raw material, which desired beverage leaves the portion capsule 12 through the perforation openings and is fed to a beverage vessel. Any particles of the beverage raw material can be filtered from the beverage and retained in the portion capsule 10 by way of an optional filter medium. In other words, in some configurations, the portion capsule may include a filter element between the beverage raw material and the lid 33 and/or between the beverage raw material and the bottom 22. The multiply perforated capsule lid 33 may acts as filter element, however.

[0059] The portion capsule 10 then has a feature 34 which can be visually detected, in particular, by a detector of the beverage production machine. This feature 34 preferably serves to identify the portion capsule 10 in the beverage production machine and/or to control brewing parameters. Therefore, for example, it can be verified by the beverage production machine whether the portion capsule 10 which is situated in the brewing chamber is a system-compatible portion capsule 10, and/or a suitable brewing program for the beverage raw material which is situated in the portion capsule 10 can be selected and started automatically. It is also conceivable that brewing parameters which are specifically to be used are embedded into the visually detectable feature 34 and are read out by means of the detector.

[0060] The visually detectable feature 34 is, in particular, a machine-readable code which is applied to the lid film 33 in the form of a one-dimensional or multiple-dimensional bit code or barcode. Here, the bit code or barcode is configured completely or partially circumferentially as a circle or partial circle around the axis of rotational symmetry of the portion capsule 10. The individual adjacent bars, from which the, in particular, two-colour or multiple-colour bit code or barcode is constructed, then preferably extend in the radial direction in relation to the axis of rotational symmetry. Here, the code is applied to an upper side 28 of the lid film 33, which upper side 28 faces the flange 26. Here, in particular, the code is situated in a circumferential edge region 38 of the lid film 33, that part of the lid film 33, in particular, being called the edge region 38 which is fastened to the flange 26 and/or is directly in contact with the flange 26.

[0061] Here, the code is either printed directly in the edge region onto the upper side 28, or is applied to a ring (not shown) which is adhesively bonded onto the upper side 28.

[0062] In order that the code can be read out by a detector of the beverage preparation machine, which detector is directed “from below”, that is to say along a direction from the base element 12 in the direction of the lid film 33, in particular parallel to the axis of rotational symmetry, onto the flange 26 of the portion capsule 10 (illustrated by way of the arrow 50), the lid film 33 is of transparent or translucent configuration at least in the edge region 38, and the capsule body 12 is of transparent or translucent configuration at least in the region of the flange 26. The wording “visually transparent” means that the materials are of light-permeable (also called translucent or partially transparent) configuration at least to such an extent that the detector can visually read out the code. For this purpose, the code can be backlit in the beverage preparation machine. For exampe, the beverage production machine may include a light or means that backlights the capsule so that the sensor detector of the beverage machine can visually or optically read the code.

[0063] One or more sensor detectors may be located above the capsule lid after the capsule is received into a receptacle of the beverage production machine. One or more sensor detectors may be located below the capsule lid after the capsule is received into a receptacle of the beverage production machine. One or more sensor detectors may be located above the lid and one or more sensor detectors may be located below the lid. Such an arrangement may allow for multiple different portion capsules to be loaded and used in the beverage machine. Additionally, or alternatively, such an arrangement may ensure the detectable feature is read by the machine.

[0064] It is conceivable that the entire lid film 33 is of transparent configuration, or only in the edge region, with the result that printing of the lid film with a logo, product designations, labels and the like is possible in a central region which lies in the radial direction within the edge region 38.

[0065] Either the entire base element 12 or only the flange 26 of the base element 12 can likewise be of transparent or translucent configuration.

[0066] In order to achieve an at least partially visually transparent base element 12 and an at least partially visually transparent lid film 33, the base element 12 and the lid film 33 are preferably manufactured from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), poly(p-phenylene oxide) (PPO) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The pot-shaped or spherical configuration of the base element 12 is preferably produced by way of thermoforming, for example deep-drawing by means of negative pressure, positive pressure and/or a movable die. As an alternative, the portion capsule 10 is produced by means of injection moulding methods, in particular in the single-component, multiple-component or in-mould method. As a further alternative, it would be conceivable that the base element 12 is produced completely or partially from a bio-degradable material, in particular from cellulose fibres which can be embedded into a resin matrix.

[0067] FIG. 1B illustrates a diagrammatic view “from above” of the portion capsule 10 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The top view takes place along the arrow 60 which is shown in FIG. 1A. To this extent, the view is of the upper side 28 of the lid film 33, and the code which is applied to the lid film 33 and represents the visually detectable feature 34 can be seen here.

[0068] In order to illustrate the bit code or barcode, a part region 70 of the code is shown enlarged and by way of example. It can be seen that this is by way of example a bit code or barcode with quasi-parallel bars in the radial direction.

[0069] FIG. 1C shows a diagrammatic view “from below” of the portion capsule in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The view from below takes place along the arrow 61 which is shown in FIG. 1A. In this perspective, in particular, the capsule body 12 and the flange 26 can be seen. On account of the fact that at least the flange 26 is of transparent configuration, the view here is of a lower side 30 of the lid film 33, which lower side 30 lies opposite the upper side 28. By virtue of the fact, however, that at least the edge region 38 of the lid film 33 is also of visually transparent configuration, the code can also be recognized, through the lid film 33, “from below” through the flange 26 and the lid film 33 in this perspective, with the result that the detector can also read out the code from this perspective (see arrow 50 in FIG. 1A).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0070] 10 Portion capsule [0071] 12 Base element [0072] 14 Side wall of the base element [0073] 20 Cavity for beverage raw material [0074] 22 Bottom region of the base element [0075] 26 Flange of the base element [0076] 28 Upper side of the lid film [0077] 30 Lower side of the lid film [0078] 33 Capsule lid / lid film [0079] 34 Visually detectable feature [0080] 38 Edge region of the lid film [0081] 50 Detection direction of a detector [0082] 60 View “from above” [0083] 61 View “from below” [0084] 70 Part region of the code