Cartridge and method for the preparation of beverages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415930-B2
Application number	US-201113699165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2011
Priority date	Jun 11, 2010
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A cartridge contains a beverage ingredient which comprises liquid beverage ingredient and elongate particles of beverage ingredient. The cartridge comprises an inlet ( 45 ) for the introduction of an aqueous medium, an outlet ( 44 ) for a beverage produced from the beverage ingredient, and a flow path linking the inlet to the outlet. The cartridge further comprises a filter ( 400 ) located in the flow path and an aperture ( 128 ) located in the flow path downstream of the filter, the aperture arranged, in use, to generate a jet of beverage. The filter has a plurality of openings ( 401 ) sized to retain a substantial portion of the elongate particles on the upstream side of the filter to prevent blockage of the aperture. The maximum area of each opening on the upstream face of the filter is no more than ten times the area of the aperture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a beverage from a cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients, the cartridge comprising a flow path defined by an inner member and an outer member, the inner member comprising a skirt portion, said skirt portion being disposed about a tube such that an annular channel is disposed therebetween, and a filter located in the annular channel, the method comprising the steps of:
introducing an aqueous medium into the cartridge;
mixing the aqueous medium with the one or more beverage ingredients to form a beverage mixture;
passing the beverage mixture through a the filter, the filter having a plurality of elongate slots, each with a maximum area, on an upstream face of the filter;
wherein said one or more beverage ingredients comprise a liquid beverage ingredient and elongate agglomerate particles of beverage ingredient; and
wherein the elongate slots are sized such that a substantial portion of the elongate agglomerate particles are retained on the upstream side of the filter; and
generating a jet of the beverage mixture by passing the beverage mixture through an aperture located downstream of the filter, the maximum area of each elongate slot on the upstream face of the filter being no more than ten times the area of the aperture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge comprises a discharge spout disposed inwardly of the tube.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of discharging beverage from a downstream opening of the discharge spout.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the annular channel has an upstream entrance and a downstream exit, and the filter is disposed closer to the exit than the entrance of the annular channel.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of passing the beverage mixture through the filter further comprises directing the beverage mixture in a generally opposite direction as it flows through the annular channel as compared to the direction of flow of the beverage through the discharge spout.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cartridge further comprises an air inlet downstream of the aperture.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein air inlet is in communication with a space between the discharge spout and the tube.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongate slots of the filter each have a maximum dimension on the upstream side of the filter of no greater than 1.6 mm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongate slots of the filter each have a maximum dimension on the upstream side of the filter of no greater than 1.0 mm.

10. The method of claim 1 , the maximum area of each elongate slot on the upstream face of the filter being no more than seven times the area of the aperture.

11. The method of claim 1 , the maximum area of each elongate slot on the upstream face of the filter being no more than five times the area of the aperture.

Assignees

• York Geoffrey
• Douwe Egberts Bv

Inventors

• York Geoffrey

Classifications

• A47J31/00

  Apparatus for making beverages (household machines or implements for straining foodstuffs A47J19/00; preparation of non-alcoholic beverages, e.g. by adding ingredients to fruit or vegetable juices, A23L2/00; coffee or tea pots A47G19/14; tea infusers A47G19/16; brewing of beer C12C; preparation of wine or other alcoholic beverages C12G) · CPC title

• B65D85/8043 Primary

  Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents (B65D85/808 takes precedence; filters or reusable cartridges for coffee or tea makers, not used as packages A47J31/06) · CPC title

• B65D85/8061 Primary

  Filters · CPC title

• B65D85/816

  into which liquid is added {and the resulting preparation is retained}, e.g. cups preloaded with powder or dehydrated food · CPC title

• B65D85/804

  Disposable containers or packages with contents which are {mixed,} infused or dissolved in situ {, i.e. without having been previously removed from the package (B65D65/46 takes precedence; tea infusers A47G19/16; spoons or stirrers comprising beverage additives A47G21/04)} · CPC title