Capsule for preparing a beverage or food liquid and system using brewing centrifugal force

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9434532-B2
Application number	US-201313833912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Jun 5, 2007
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A capsule, device, system and method for preparing a liquid food or beverage. The capsule comprises an enclosure containing one or more extractable or infusible ingredients and configured and dimensioned to have a perimeter and be radially symmetrical about a central axis to facilitate rotation; and an opening arrangement that allows liquid food to leave the capsule after passing through the ingredient(s), wherein the opening arrangement is configured and positioned near or upon the perimeter of the enclosure to allow the liquid food to leave the capsule radially due to the application of the centrifugal forces. The method and device introduce liquid into the capsule to form the liquid food while applying centrifugal forces to the capsule to urge the liquid to pass through the ingredient(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A capsule for preparing and delivering a liquid food comprising:
a dished body with a main cavity and an outer rim,
a foil membrane attached onto the outer rim,
a porous wall forming with the body an enclosure containing one or more extractable or infusible ingredients and configured and dimensioned to have a perimeter that is radially symmetrical about a central axis to facilitate rotation of the capsule, wherein liquid can be introduced into the capsule to form the liquid food while applying centrifugal forces to the capsule to urge the liquid to pass through the ingredient(s); an opening arrangement comprising openings in the porous wall for allowing liquid food to leave the enclosure after passing through the ingredient(s); and a peripheral annular recess delimited by the outer rim and an inner edge of the dished body; the porous wall being attached to the inner edge and the inner edge being placed below the outer rim to leave a free space between the porous wall and the foil membrane, wherein the opening arrangement is configured and positioned near or upon the perimeter of the enclosure to allow the liquid food to travel to the peripheral recess and to leave the capsule radially due to the application of the centrifugal forces.

2. A capsule according to claim 1 , wherein the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) is ground coffee, soluble coffee, a dairy based powder, a dairy or non-dairy creamer, cocoa, a sweetener, leaf tea, herbal tea, a culinary powder, a soluble or dispersible nutritional composition, a liquid food concentrate or combinations thereof.

3. A capsule according to claim 1 , wherein the porous wall has a peripheral portion of wall with openings and a central portion of wall which is free of openings.

4. A capsule according to claim 1 , wherein the porous wall has openings along its whole surface.

5. A capsule according to claim 1 , wherein the size of the openings is comprised between 1 and 600 microns.

6. A capsule according to claim 1 , wherein the size of the openings is comprised between 10 and 200 microns.

7. A capsule according to claim 1 , wherein the overall surface of the openings is lower than 50% of the total surface area of the wall.

8. A capsule according to claim 1 , wherein the porous wall comprises a central portion which is sealed to the foil membrane and a peripheral portion which is distant from the foil membrane to leave the free space between the porous wall and the foil membrane.

9. A capsule for preparing and delivering a liquid food comprising:
a dished body with a main cavity and an outer rim,
a foil membrane attached onto the outer rim,
a porous wall forming with the body an enclosure containing one or more extractable or infusible ingredients and configured and dimensioned to have a perimeter that is radially symmetrical about a central axis to facilitate rotation of the capsule, wherein liquid can be introduced into the capsule to form the liquid food while applying centrifugal forces to the capsule to urge the liquid to pass through the ingredient(s); an opening arrangement comprising openings in the porous wall for allowing liquid food to leave the enclosure after passing through the ingredient(s); and a peripheral annular recess delimited by the outer rim and an inner edge of the dished body; the porous wall being attached to the inner edge and the inner edge being placed below the outer rim to leave a free space between the porous wall and the foil membrane, wherein the opening arrangement is configured and positioned near or upon the perimeter of the enclosure to allow the liquid food to travel to the peripheral recess and to leave the capsule radially due to the application of the centrifugal forces and wherein the capsule comprises identification means for cooperation with a device for preparing a liquid food from the capsule with the identification means comprising means for adjusting liquid food preparation parameters.

10. A capsule according to claim 9 , wherein the extractable or infusible ingredient(s) is ground coffee, soluble coffee, a dairy based powder, a dairy or non-dairy creamer, cocoa, a sweetener, leaf tea, herbal tea, a culinary powder, a soluble or dispersible nutritional composition, a liquid food concentrate or combinations thereof.

11. A capsule according to claim 9 , wherein the porous wall has a peripheral portion of wall with openings and a central portion of wall which is free of openings.

12. A capsule according to claim 9 , wherein the porous wall has openings along its whole surface.

13. A capsule according to claim 9 wherein the size of the openings is comprised between 1 and 600 microns.

14. A capsule according to claim 9 , wherein the size of the openings is comprised between 10 and 200 microns.

15. A capsule according to claim 9 , wherein the overall surface of the openings is lower than 50% of the total surface area of the wall.

16. A capsule according to claim 9 , wherein the porous wall comprises a central portion which is sealed to the foil membrane and a peripheral portion which is distant from the foil membrane to leave the free space between the porous wall and the foil membrane.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Yoakim Alfred
• Denisart Jean-Paul
• Ryser Antoine
• Perentes Alexandre

Classifications

• 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

• A47J31/22 Primary

  Centrifuges for producing filtered coffee (A47J31/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47J31/407

  with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means · CPC title

• B65D85/8052

  Details of the outlet · CPC title

• B65D85/8055 Primary

  Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package · CPC title