Pad and assembly of a holder and such a pad

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714136-B2
Application number	US-201213597003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2012
Priority date	Apr 28, 2004
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A pad of the optionally flexible, disc-shaped/flat type filled with a product to be extracted and/or a product to be dissolved, provided with an optionally flexible bottom sheet and an optionally flexible top sheet manufactured from, the top sheet and the bottom sheet being interconnected at their longitudinal edges so that a covering with a circumferential sealing seam is formed, with the product situated between the top sheet and the bottom sheet, the bottom sheet and the top sheet each forming a filter which is at least virtually impermeable to the product and which is at least permeable to water, while an area of the covering is designed to be at least virtually impermeable to water, the area comprising, preferably, at least one annular sub-area covering at least a part of the sealing seam, and that the area extends outside the sealing seam at predetermined positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pad containing a coffee product to be extracted for preparing a beverage, the pad comprising:
a substantially flexible bottom sheet manufactured from filtering paper and having a circumferential edge, and
a substantially flexible top sheet manufactured from filtering paper and having a circumferential edge,
wherein the top sheet and the bottom sheet are interconnected at their circumferential edges to form a covering with a circumferential sealing seam with the coffee product situated between the top sheet and the bottom sheet,
wherein the bottom sheet and the top sheet each form a filter which is substantially impermeable to the product and which is permeable to water,
wherein the covering outside the sealing seam is substantially flexible, wherein the covering includes an impermeable area that is substantially impermeable to water, the impermeable area is disposed along an annular portion of the sealing seam and extends from the annular portion of the sealing seam over only a limited portion of the bottom sheet, limited to ensure that the bottom sheet remains permeable to water,
wherein the annular impermeable area comprises, at the bottom sheet, an annular bottom sheet sub-area which extends radially inside the sealing seam,
wherein part of the impermeable sub-area that extends radially inside the sealing seam is adjacent to the coffee product at the bottom sheet, and
wherein the annular impermeable area extends only adjacent to the coffee product at the bottom sheet,
wherein the annular impermeable area is further provided with at least one of a fixing opening and an indentation, so that in use the pad can be accurately positioned in a holder having at least one co-operating projection to ensure that in use, the area that extends inwardly of the sealing seam is configured to cover at least one pressure limit opening of the holder and to allow water to flow under the annular impermeable area to the at least one pressure limit openings to discharge water and have the pressure in the holder rise no further only when the pressure in the holder will increase to a threshold pressure, which causes the pressure drop across the pad to be very small, and the pad and annular impermeable area are no longer firmly pressed against the bottom.

2. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the annular bottom sheet sub-area is part of the sealing seam.

3. The pad according to claim 2 , wherein the annular bottom sheet sub-area provides a first annular seam part of the sealing seam.

4. The pad according to claim 3 , wherein the sealing seam comprises a second annular seam part which embraces the first annular seam part and outside of the at least substantially water impermeable area of the bottom sheet.

5. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the annular bottom sheet sub-area forms the entire sealing seam.

6. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the annular bottom sheet sub-area extends along the sealing seam and provides at least a part of the sealing seam, wherein the area further comprises, at the bottom sheet, parts forming the annular impermeable portion at an inside edge of the bottom sheet sub-area inwardly of the sealing seam.

7. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the area comprises, at the bottom sheet, an elongate first strip-shaped bottom area sub-area, which extends diametrically of the bottom sheet.

8. The pad according to claim 7 , wherein the ends of the first strip-shaped bottom sheet sub-area are located in or are adjacent to a part of the sealing seam.

9. The pad according to claim 8 , wherein the area of the bottom sheet comprises an elongate second strip-shaped bottom sheet sub-area, which extends diametrically of the bottom sheet.

10. The pad according to claim 9 , wherein the ends of the second strip-shaped bottom sheet sub-area are located in or are adjacent to a part of the sealing seam.

11. The pad according to claim 10 , wherein the first strip-shaped bottom sheet sub-area and the second strip-shaped bottom sheet sub-area include an angle different from zero.

12. The pad according to claim 11 , wherein said angle is substantially equal to 90 degrees.

13. The pad according to claim 9 , wherein the first strip-shaped bottom sheet sub-area and the second strip-shaped bottom sheet sub-area intersect.

14. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom sheet comprises a non-woven material which has undergone a heat treatment in the area.

15. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom sheet comprises a coating which has undergone a heat treatment in the area of the bottom sheet.

16. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the area of the bottom sheet comprises a coating which is at least substantially impermeable to water.

17. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the area of the bottom sheet comprises an additional film which is applied to the bottom sheet consisting of filtering paper at one of the inside and the outside of the pad and which is at least substantially impermeable to water.

18. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom sheet is manufactured from a material that is at least substantially impermeable to water, which is perforated for obtaining a filter.

19. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom sheet is substantially cup-shaped.

20. The pad according to claim 19 , wherein the pad is substantially symmetrical across a flat plane extending through the sealing seam.

21. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the top sheet is substantially flat.

22. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the covering is flexible.

23. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the pad is flexible.

24. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the predetermined positions where the area extends outside the sealing seam is relatively small with regard to the surface of the covering outside the sealing seam and outside the area.

25. The pad according to claim 1 , wherein the top sheet outside the sealing seam rests, at least substantially, on the product.

26. A pad and holder assembly for making a beverage, the assembly comprising:
a pad filled with at least one of a coffee product to be extracted and a creamer product to be dissolved by hot water during use for preparing a beverage, the pad having a bottom sheet manufactured from filtering paper and a top sheet manufactured from filtering paper, the top sheet and the bottom sheet interconnected at their circumferential edges to form a covering with a circumferential sealing seam with the product situated between the top sheet and the bottom sheet such that the bottom sheet and the top sheet each form a filter which is at least substantially impermeable to the product and which is at least permeable to water, the pad comprises at least one annular bottom sheet sub-area which is impermeable to water, wherein the least one annular bottom sheet sub-area is disposed along an annular portion of the sealing seam and extends radially inside the sealing seam over only a limited portion of the bottom sheet
a holder having a bottom and an upstanding sidewall, the bottom having at least one outflow opening, the pad resting on the bottom,
wherein the bottom of the holder includes at least one pressure limit opening and positioned to cooperate with the at least one annular bottom sheet sub-area of the pad,
wherein the at least one annular bottom sheet sub-area of the pad seam covers the at least on

Assignees

• Koeling Hendrik Cornelis
• Brouwer Gustaaf Frans
• Douwe Egberts Bv

Inventors

• Koeling Hendrik Cornelis
• Brouwer Gustaaf Frans

Classifications

• B65D85/8043

  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

• B65D85/8046 Primary

  Pods, i.e. closed containers made only of filter paper or similar material · CPC title