Designing Coffee Pods for Long Shelf Life

Tool for making coffee capsules that can be reused and refilled with coffee grounds. The tool has a die holder and pressing die to seal the capsule body. A guide piece helps align the sealing film with the capsule opening during pressing. The tool also has an annular gland and hoop to attach after sealing to reinforce the capsule.

Packaging single-use capsules for portioned beverages like coffee that reduces material waste and packaging size compared to conventional methods. The packaging involves wrapping the capsule in a flexible sheet, filling the sheet with inert gas, then removing air from the other end. This compresses the capsule and sheet together into a compact pack. The pack has a single-ply sheet instead of a larger multi-ply tube used in vertical packaging. This avoids excess material waste and allows tightly packed containers with fewer capsules. The compression also eliminates air pockets inside the pack.

Single-use beverage pod with dissolvable packaging to reduce waste. The pod has a barrier around the beverage medium that seals it from the environment to provide oxygen and moisture barriers. However, the barrier has a dissolvable region that dissolves during brewing to create a passage for the beverage to exit the pod. This eliminates the need for separate packaging that must be disposed of each time. The barrier can have multiple layers with the outer layer dissolvable, or a coating on the inner barrier that dissolves. The pod also has a support ring to secure it in brewing machines.

A coffee pod for single-serve coffee machines that resists buckling when pierced. The pod has a container body with a sloped sidewall, bottom wall, and stacking shoulder. The sloped sidewall helps strengthen the body against buckling when the bottom wall is pierced. The sidewall also has an improved sealing surface for the filter inside to minimize unadhered portions and prevent ground coffee from bypassing the filter.

Preserving coffee beans, both green and roasted, for longer shelf life without compromising quality. The green coffee preservation involves storing the beans in low-oxygen containers flushed with nitrogen and containing oxygen absorbers. The roasted coffee preservation uses nitrogen-flushed containers that can withstand CO2 pressure. This reduces oxidation and maintains freshness. By combining these methods, coffee from different harvests can be preserved for months/years.

Coffee capsule design that allows using compatible capsules in existing espresso machines without blocking the injection needles while preserving coffee aroma. The capsule has a frustoconical shape with a tearable membrane on one end and a retaining plate with perforations on the other end. The retaining plate has a contact surface where an aroma-protective foil can be attached to cover the perforations. This prevents plastic melting when hot water enters the capsule. The foil encloses the coffee but allows air exchange for aroma preservation.

Coffee packaging system that allows keeping opened coffee containers fresh for longer. The system uses vented primary containers with a small opening to let out carbon dioxide and other gases. The primary containers are then placed inside a secondary container with a one-way valve. This prevents air from entering the secondary container but allows gases from the primary containers to exit. This preserves the freshness of the coffee inside the primary containers even after opening.

Method and device for preserving packaged beverage capsules to prevent oxidation and maintain freshness. The method involves housing the beverage capsule in a first container that is partially permeable to oxygen. Then, housing the first container in a second, outer container that is less permeable to oxygen. An oxygen absorbing material is placed in the outer container with the first container. This removes oxygen from both containers to preserve the beverage inside the sealed capsule.

Coffee container system with improved oxygen barrier to extend shelf life of coffee. The container has a lift-off lid with a seal mechanism around the lid edge that seals against the container rim when the lid is closed. The seal is modified iteratively to reduce oxygen ingress into the container headspace. The container is also filled with an inert gas like nitrogen before sealing to further reduce oxygen. This prevents oxygen from diffusing into the coffee during storage. The container with the modified seal and nitrogen filling extends the effective pantry life of the coffee by reducing oxidation compared to regular containers.

Container system for roast coffee that significantly reduces the aroma and flavor components absorbed by the coffee during storage. The container has a main body with walls made of a laminate of plastic materials. The inner layer of the laminate is a barrier layer like EVOH that prevents absorption of aroma compounds from the coffee. This inner layer is in contact with the coffee, allowing it to retain more of its aroma and flavor compared to containers with absorbent inner layers.

Packaging freshly roasted coffee in sealed containers to prevent staling without using one-way valves that can collapse under pressure. The method involves adding an absorbent and catalyst to the coffee before sealing. The absorbent traps carbon dioxide released during off-gassing, and the catalyst converts carbon monoxide. This prevents internal pressure buildup and closure failure. The absorbent is a calcium/sodium hydroxide mixture. The ratio of absorbent:catalyst:coffee is optimized to effectively convert and trap off-gasses while minimizing packaging size.

Method to preserve the freshness of just roasted coffee beans by reducing oxygen levels and storing at low temperatures. The method involves evacuating or purging the storage containers with inert gas to below 1% oxygen. It also involves storing the roasted coffee beans at temperatures as low as 10-50 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows long-term storage without oxidation and loss of flavor.