Instant hot water drinks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943091-B2
Application number	US-201715651136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 25, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A product having an internal substance protected by a rugged exterior shell is disclosed. The internal substance is reactive with the exterior shell but is separated therefrom by a coating on an interior surface of the external shell so that the product can be stored for a long period of time without the internal substance reacting with the exterior shell. The coating is meltable so that, when desired, the product may be heated (e.g. immersed in hot water or exposed to heat) in order to melt the coating so that the internal substance can react with the external shell so that the internal substance can excrete out of the exterior shell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A capsule dissolvable in hot water, the capsule comprising:
a food grade exterior shell fabricated from a water dissolvable material;
a food grade protective layer disposed on an interior surface of the food grade exterior shell, the protective layer being inert to a substance disposed within the food grade exterior shell, the food grade protective layer having a melting temperature between about 130° F. and about 200° F.;
a flavor additive disposed between the food grade protective layer and the food grade exterior shell;
a consumable substance disposed within the food grade exterior shell and separated from the food grade exterior shell by the food grade protective layer;
wherein disposing the capsule within water having a temperature at or above the melting temperature of the food grade protective layer dissolves the food grade exterior shell and melts the food grade protective layer to release the consumable substance into the water.

2. The capsule of claim 1 wherein the consumable substance is a solid or liquid.

3. The capsule of claim 1 wherein the consumable substance is a water based substance and mixes homogenously with the water.

4. The capsule of claim 1 wherein a thickness of a wall of the food grade exterior shell is between about 0.2 mm and about 3 mm, and a thickness of the food grade protective layer is between about 0.05 mm and about 2 mm.

5. The capsule of claim 1 wherein the food grade protective layer is an oil based paraffin coating.

6. The capsule of claim 1 wherein food grade exterior shell is sufficiently rugged for transportation of the capsule over trucks, trains and planes.

7. The capsule of claim 1 wherein the consumable substance is coffee extract, tea extract, food flavoring or combinations thereof.

8. A method of producing capsule which is dissolvable in hot water, the method comprising the steps of:
forming first and second ribbons of a material for forming a food grade exterior shell, each of the first and second ribbons defining an interior surface and an exterior surface;
disposing a flavor additive adjacent to the interior surface of the first and second ribbons;
forming a food grade protective layer adjacent to the interior surfaces of the first and second ribbons so that the flavor additive is locked between the food grade protective layer on one side and the first and second ribbons on the other side until capsule is dissolved in hot water;
guiding the first and second ribbons between first and second rollers;
disposing a consumable substance between the first and second ribbons, the consumable substance being separated from the first and second ribbons and the flavor additive with the food grade protective layer;
forming a plurality of capsules with the first and second rollers to encapsulate the consumable substance within the capsules.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the consumable substance is a water based liquid or solid.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of forming a food grade protective layer is accomplished by spraying a food grade paraffin in liquid form on the interior surfaces of the first and second ribbons.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein step of forming the first and second ribbons comprises the step of forming the first and second ribbons to be between about 0.2 mm and about 3 mm.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of disposing the consumable substance includes the step of injecting a material having a viscosity between about 5,000 cP and about 10,000 cP.

Assignees

• Singer Nicholas J

Inventors

• Singer Nicholas J

Classifications

• A23F5/38

  Agglomerating, flaking or tabletting {or granulating} · CPC title

• A23F3/32

  Agglomerating, flaking or tabletting {or granulating} · CPC title

• A23L27/72

  Encapsulation · CPC title

• A23L2/395 Primary

  in a particular shape or form · CPC title

• A23P20/11

  Coating with compositions containing a majority of oils, fats, mono/diglycerides, fatty acids, mineral oils, waxes or paraffins · CPC title