BEVERAGE PAD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGE PADS

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A puck forming device for use in an apparatus for making beverage pads, each pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material, which pads are useable in a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage by supplying the pad in the machine with an aqueous fluid under pressure to extract or solubilize the beverage preparation product, the puck forming device arranged to compact a dose of beverage preparation product in the compacted puck and to deliver the compacted puck to a packaging device of the apparatus for enclosing the compacted puck between two sheets of filtering material to form the beverage pad, wherein 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 formed by a respective 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; and a compression body adjacent to the rotating drum arranged to provide a counter surface for a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product in a recess in the rotating drum positioned at an angular position opposite the counter surface to be compressed against, against which counter surface the dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product is compressible by the respective piston of the recess to form the compacted puck, wherein 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.

2. The puck forming device according to claim 1, wherein the compression body comprises a sequence of links, wherein at least one link of the sequence of links provides the counter surface.

3. The puck forming device according to claim 2, wherein links adjacent the at least one link are at least partially in contact with the outer side surface of the rotating drum.

4. The puck forming device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the links in the sequence of links are coupled to each other in a closed loop to form a continuous rotating chain, in particular a caterpillar track.

5. The puck forming device according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein each link has a concave outer surface with a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the convex outer side surface of the rotating drum.

6. The puck forming device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the drive means of the compression body are arranged to move the counter surface with a rotational speed corresponding to a rotational speed of the rotating drum.

7. The puck forming device according to any one of the foregoing claims, wherein the cylindrical rotating drum comprises at least two series of recesses, each series of recesses comprised of recesses equidistantly spaced on the circumference of the rotating drum, wherein the compression body extends with the counter surface over the recesses in each series positioned at an angular position opposite the counter surface.

8. The puck forming device according to claim 7, wherein the compression body comprises a separate sequence of links for each series of recesses, wherein each separate sequence of links has at least one link that provides the counter surface for a respective series of recesses.

9. An apparatus for making beverage pads, each pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material, which pads are useable in a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage by supplying the pad in the machine with an aqueous fluid under pressure to extract or solubilize the beverage preparation product, wherein the apparatus comprises: dosing means arranged for supply of a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to a puck forming device; a puck forming device; and 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, wherein the puck forming device is in accordance with any one of the claims 1-8.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the packaging device comprises a rotating cylindrical body, e.g. a further rotating drum, with an outer side surface having recesses for receiving in each recess a first sheet of filtering material, a bottom wall of each recess formed by a respective movable piston arranged to move with respect to the outer side surface of the cylindrical body to vary a height of the recess in relation to an angular position of the recess on the circular circumference of the cylindrical body.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the packaging device comprises a filtering material feed station for feeding a first continuous sheet of filtering material to the rotating cylindrical body with impressions being provided in the continuous sheet of filtering material in a respective recess of the cylindrical body to receive in each impression a compacted puck of beverage preparation product delivered by the puck forming device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the movable piston of each recess in the cylindrical body is driven to move in dependence of its angular position on the circular circumference of the cylindrical body between a first state defining a first height of the respective recess for receiving the first sheet of filtering material in the respective recess with an impression having a corresponding height dimension which is larger than a thickness of each compacted puck of beverage preparation product delivered by the puck forming device, and a second state defining a second height of the respective recess smaller than the first height for forming the first sheet of filtering material in the respective recess with an impression shaped to approximately match a shape of each compacted puck of beverage preparation product.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the filtering material feed station comprises a continuous running belt provided with protrusions arranged to form an impression in the first sheet of filtering material with a height dimension which is larger than a thickness of each compacted puck of beverage preparation product by pressing the first sheet of filtering material in a respective recess in the cylindrical body when the corresponding movable piston is in the first state.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11-13, wherein the packaging device comprises a further filtering material feed station for feeding a second continuous sheet of filtering material over the first continuous sheet of filtering material enclosing the compacted puck between the continuous sheets and to cut the continuous sheets to form the beverage pads with a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 9-14, wherein the dosing means comprise a container with a product chamber for holding an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product and an outlet opening for dispensing doses of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to the puck forming device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the container comprises a dosing funnel.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the dosing means comprise a feeder in the product chamber of the container arranged to feed a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to the outlet opening of the container for dispensing to the puck forming device. (belt feeder, rotating feeder, roll feeder)

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the feeder comprises a screw feeder.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 15-18, wherein the dosing means comprise a scrambler unit in the product chamber of the container arranged to scramble or stir the extractable or soluble beverage preparation product.

20. The apparatus according to any one of claim 19, wherein the scrambler unit comprises a rotating screw.

21. A packaging device for use in an apparatus for making beverage pads, each pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material, which pads are useable in a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage by supplying the pad in the machine with an aqueous fluid under pressure to extract or solubilize the beverage preparation product, the packaging device arranged to package a compacted puck received from a puck forming device of the apparatus between two sheets of filtering material to form the beverage pad, and the packaging device comprising a rotating cylindrical body with an outer side surface having recesses for receiving in each recess a first sheet of filtering material, wherein a bottom wall of each recess is formed by a respective movable piston arranged to move with respect to the outer side surface of the cylindrical body to vary a height of the recess in relation to an angular position of the recess on the circular circumference of the cylindrical body.

22. The packaging device according to claim 21, comprising a filtering material feed station for feeding a first continuous sheet of filtering material to the rotating cylindrical body with impressions being provided in the continuous sheet of filtering material in a respective recess of the cylindrical body to receive in each impression a compacted puck of beverage preparation product delivered by the puck forming device of the apparatus.

23. The packaging device according to claim 22, wherein the movable piston of each recess in the cylindrical body is driven to move in dependence of its angular position on the circular circumference of the cylindrical body between a first state defining a first height of the respective recess for receiving the first sheet of filtering material in the respective recess with an impression having a corresponding height dimension which is larger than a thickness of each compacted puck of beverage preparation product delivered by the puck forming device, and a second state defining a second height of the respective recess smaller than the first height for forming the first sheet of filtering material in the respective recess with an impression shaped to approximately match a shape of each compacted puck of beverage preparation product.

24. The packaging device according to claim 23, wherein the filtering material feed station comprises a continuous running belt provided with protrusions arranged to form an impression in the first sheet of filtering material with a height dimension which is larger than a thickness of each compacted puck of beverage preparation product by pressing the first sheet of filtering material in a respective recess in the cylindrical body when the corresponding movable piston is in the first state.

25. The packaging device according to any one of claims 21-24, wherein the packaging device comprises a further filtering material feed station for feeding a second continuous sheet of filtering material over the first continuous sheet of filtering material enclosing the compacted puck between the continuous sheets and to cut the continuous sheets to form the beverage pads with a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material.

26. An apparatus for making beverage pads, each pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material, which pads are useable in a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage by supplying the pad in the machine with an aqueous fluid under pressure to extract or solubilize the beverage preparation product, wherein the apparatus comprises: dosing means arranged for supply of a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to a puck forming device; a puck forming device; and 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, wherein the packaging device is in accordance with any one of the claims 21-25.

27. A dosing means for use in an apparatus for making beverage pads, each pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material, which pads are useable in a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage by supplying the pad in the machine with an aqueous fluid under pressure to extract or solubilize the beverage preparation product, the dosing means arranged for supply of a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to a puck forming device of the apparatus, the dosing means comprising a container with a product chamber for holding an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product and an outlet opening for dispensing doses of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to the puck forming device, wherein the dosing means comprise a feeder in the product chamber of the container arranged to feed a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to the outlet opening of the container for dispensing to the puck forming device.

28. The dosing means according to claim 27, wherein the container comprises a dosing funnel.

29. The dosing means according to claim 27 or claim 28, wherein the feeder comprises a screw feeder.

30. The dosing means according to any one of claims 27-29, wherein the dosing means comprise a scrambler unit in the product chamber of the container arranged to scramble or stir the extractable or soluble beverage preparation product.

31. The dosing means according to claim 30, wherein the scrambler unit comprises a rotating screw.

32. An apparatus for making beverage pads, each pad having an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material, which pads are useable in a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage by supplying the pad in the machine with an aqueous fluid under pressure to extract or solubilize the beverage preparation product, wherein the apparatus comprises: dosing means arranged for supply of a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to a puck forming device; a puck forming device; and 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, wherein the dosing means is in accordance with any one of the claims 27-31.

33. A beverage pad for use in a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage by supplying the pad in the machine with an aqueous fluid under pressure, comprising an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product as a compacted puck enclosed tightly between two sheets of filtering material sealed to each other at a periphery edge, a first sheet of the two sheets having a bottom portion, side portion and an edge portion, a second sheet of the two sheets being a substantially flat piece of filtering material having a central portion and an edge portion, the edge portions of the sheets sealed to each other forming the periphery edge of the pad, and the side portion, bottom portion and central portion defining a space holding the compacted puck of extractable or soluble beverage preparation, wherein the compacted puck enclosed between the two sheets has a uniform thickness with the bottom portion and central portion being parallel to each other on opposite sides of the compacted puck, and the side portion extending perpendicular between the bottom portion and central portion around the compacted puck.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0057] These and other aspects of the present invention are hereinafter further elucidated by the appended drawing and the corresponding embodiments, which form part of the present application. The drawing is not in any way meant to reflect a limitation of the scope of the invention, unless this is clearly and explicitly indicated. In the drawing:

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a known apparatus for making beverage pads;

[0059] FIG. 2 shows a detailed cross sectional partial view of an embodiment of a puck forming device according to the first aspect described herein;

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the embodiment of the puck forming device according to FIG. 2.

[0061] FIG. 4a,b,c shows a schematic representation of a beverage pad according to the seventh aspect described herein, with respectively showing a) exploded view of the pad with a first sheet of material and second sheet of material separate from each other, b) side view of the pad with first sheet of material and second sheet of material sealed to each other, c) bottom view of the pad.

[0062] In this application similar or corresponding features are denoted by similar or corresponding reference signs. The description of the embodiments is not limited to the examples shown in the figures and the reference numbers used in the detailed description and the claims are not intended to limit the description of the embodiments, but are included to elucidate the embodiments by referring to the examples shown in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0063] As shown in FIG. 1 a known apparatus 1 for making beverage pads comprises a dosing means 10 having a container with a product chamber for holding an amount of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product and an outlet opening for dispensing doses of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to a puck forming device 20 of the apparatus. The puck forming device 20 is arranged to compact a dose of beverage preparation product received from the dosing means 10 in a compacted puck with a compaction force ranging between 1000-6000N and the compacted puck having a circular disc like shape with diameter between 40-55 mm, preferably approximately 50 mm, and with a uniform thickness between 3-8 mm, preferably approximately 7 mm. The puck forming device 20 is further arranged to deliver the compacted puck to a packaging device 30 of the apparatus for enclosing the compacted puck between two sheets of filtering material to form the beverage pad. To this end the puck forming device 20 comprises a rotating cylindrical drum with an outer side surface having recesses for receiving in each recess a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product. In the drum a bottom wall of each recess is formed by a respective movable piston that is arranged to move with respect to the outer side surface of the drum in order to vary a height of the recess in dependence of an angular position of the recess on the circular circumference of the drum. In the known apparatus a compression wall (not shown), usually formed by a metal plate, may be arranged adjacent to the rotating drum outer side surface to provide a counter surface against which a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product in a recess in the rotating drum may be compressed by movement of the respective piston when in the rotation of the drum the recess is positioned at an angular position opposite the counter surface. Upon further rotation of the drum the dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product is moved past the counter surface and released from the recess in compacted form as a puck to be packaged between two sheets of filtering material in the packaging device 30 of the known apparatus to form the beverage pad. The packaging device 30 comprises a rotating cylindrical body 31, particularly a further rotating drum, with an outer side surface having recesses for receiving in each recess a first sheet of filtering material supplied by a filtering material feed station 32 for feeding a first continuous sheet of filtering material over the outer side surface of the rotating cylindrical body. The packaging device 30 comprises a further filtering material feed station 33 for feeding a second continuous sheet of filtering material over the first continuous sheet of filtering material enclosing the compacted puck between the continuous sheets. In an aspect the packaging device 30 may comprise heating means (not shown) to bond the sheets of filtering material together by heat treatment of the sheets, e.g. heat welding. Other means of boding the two sheets together may also or alternatively be applied, such as glue to adhere the sheets to each other. The packaging device 30 also comprises means 34 to cut the continuous sheets to form individual beverage pads with a compacted puck enclosed between two sheets of filtering material and to supply the beverage pads into suitable packages.

[0064] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show an improved embodiment of a puck forming device 20 which is in accordance with the first aspect described herein together with an embodiment of a dosing means 10. The puck forming device 20 is particularly configured for use in an apparatus for making beverage pads according to the second aspect described herein. The puck forming device 20 comprises a cylindrical rotating drum 21 of which an outer side surface is generally smooth but with recesses 22 for receiving in each recess a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product from the dosing means 10. A bottom wall of each recess 22 is formed by a respective movable piston 23 that is 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. In this embodiment the rotating drum 21 has two series of recesses evenly distributed along the circular circumference of the drum, the series being parallel to each other in an axial direction of the drum.

[0065] As shown the puck forming device 20 further comprises a compression body 40 adjacent to the rotating drum 21, the compression body providing a counter surface against which the dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product in a recess is compressible by moving the respective piston of said recess. The compression body 40 comprises a caterpillar-like continuous rotating chain with interconnected links 41, i.e. metalique slates, forming a closed loop. In use, each link 41 may act with its outer surface as counter surface for a dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product to be compressed against by rotating the chain synchronously with the rotating drum. In this embodiment each link is sized to cover one recess of each of the two series of recesses simultaneously, i.e. a length of the link extending in the axial direction of the drum is sized to simultaneously cover two parallel recesses whereas a width of the link is sized to cover one recess of the recesses in a series of recesses extending along the circular circumference of the drum when acting as counter surface. The links accordingly allow simultaneous compression of two doses of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product.

[0066] The compression body 40 is shaped to have a section of the continuous rotating chain positioned adjacent to the outer side surface of the rotating drum wherein a plurality of links moving in that section follow a curved path such that outer surfaces of the plurality of links in that section define a section outer surface with a concave curvature corresponding to a convex curvature of the outer side surface of the rotating drum. Furthermore each link 41 has a concave outer surface with a curvature corresponding to a curvature of a convex outer side surface of the rotating drum. Because of the corresponding curvatures the compression body and rotating drum can be positioned adjacent each other in close proximity, with an arranged distance, i.e. gap, between their respective surfaces being arranged for a suitable and desired compression of the dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product in each recess of the rotating drum.

[0067] In order to allow for compression of the dose of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product against the counter surface at relative high rotational speeds with minimal friction, the rotating drum 21 and the compression body 40 are both driven by drive means which are arranged, e.g. programmed, to move the continuous rotating chain 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. As such the puck forming device 20 is an improvement for the know apparatus for making beverage pads, in that because of the low friction between the synchronously moving opposing surfaces compacted pucks of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product can be produced with good and consistent quality at high production rates.

[0068] A further improvement of the know apparatus for making pads can be made by using as a packaging device 30 a packaging device in accordance with the third aspect described herein and/or by using as a dosing means 10 a dosing means in accordance with the fifth aspect described herein. Particularly the packaging device in accordance with the third aspect described herein and the apparatus for making pads in accordance with the second, fourth or sixth aspect described herein allow for making an improved beverage pad in accordance with the seventh aspect described herein.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 4a,b,c such beverage pad 100 in accordance with the seventh aspect described herein comprises a first sheet of filtering material 110 shaped to have a bottom portion 111, side portion 112 and an edge portion 113. The beverage pad 100 further comprises a substantially flat piece of a second sheet of filtering material 120 having a central portion 121 and an edge portion 122. The bottom portion 111, side portion 112, and central portion 121 define and delimit a space holding a compacted puck 130 of extractable or soluble beverage preparation product. The compacted puck 130 has a uniform thickness and is tightly enclosed between the two sheets 110,120 which are sealed to each other at the edge portions 113, 122 with the bottom portion 111 and central portion 121 being parallel to each other on opposite sides of the compacted puck 130. The side portion 112 extends perpendicular between the bottom portion 111 and central portion 121 around the compacted puck 130, with an angle between the bottom portion 111 and side portion 112 being straight. The beverage pad 100 when used to prepare a beverage provides a consistent and high beverage quality, as occurrence of bypass through the puck when supplying an aqueous fluid through the pad is minimized or completely prevented.

[0070] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Methods and materials are described herein for use in the present invention. However other suitable methods and materials known in the art can also be used. The materials and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting, unless so indicated. For the purpose of clarity and a concise description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate aspects and preferred embodiments thereof, however, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features described. In the description above, it will be understood that when an element such as layer, region or substrate is referred to as being on or onto another element, the element is either directly on the other element, or intervening elements may also be present. Also, it will be understood that the values given in the description above, are given by way of example and that other values may be possible and/or may be strived for.

[0071] Furthermore, the invention may also be embodied with less components than provided in the embodiments described here, wherein one component carries out multiple functions. Just as well may the invention be embodied using more elements than depicted in the Figures, wherein functions carried out by one component in the embodiment provided are distributed over multiple components.

[0072] It is to be noted that the figures are only schematic representations of embodiments of the invention that are given by way of non-limiting examples.

[0073] For the purpose of clarity and a concise description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, however, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features described.

[0074] The word comprising does not exclude the presence of other features or steps than those listed in a claim. It also does not exclude that nothing else is present, i.e. it may also encompass the meaning of consisting of. Furthermore, the words a and an shall not be construed as limited to only one, but instead are used to mean at least one, and do not exclude a plurality.

[0075] A person skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various parameters and values thereof disclosed in the description may be modified and that various embodiments disclosed and/or claimed may be combined without departing from the scope of the invention.