Optimizing Coffee Pod Stability for Consistent Brewing

Capsule for brewing machines that prevents leakage and improves beverage quality by preventing misalignment and deformation of the sealing member. The capsule has a flange with a projection that exerts radial force on the brewing machine's contact end when closed. This ensures proper sealing even if the machine's closing member tilts or deforms. The flange also has an elastic support structure attached to the cover that maintains spacing when resting. This prevents the flange from contacting surfaces below. The capsule also has leakage passageways between the flange and brewing machine's closing member.

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Reinforcement ring for biodegradable capsules that make the capsules more sustainable and compostable. The ring has a reduced material design with a groove on one end of the side wall to decrease the amount of material used. The groove allows that end to flex and seal against the container when pressure is applied.

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Capsule design and brew chamber configuration for centering capsules in a brew chamber of a beverage preparation machine without dedicated alignment features. The capsule has a bottom with a slanted wall that slips on the knives during piercing if the capsule is not centered. This forces centering before piercing. The brew chamber has knives concentrically arranged around the central axis. The capsule flange seals between the chamber parts. This assembly allows accurate capsule centering and sealing without dedicated alignment features.

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Thermoforming method for manufacturing brewing capsules like coffee pods that reduces material usage while maintaining structural integrity. The method involves thermoforming a foil into a capsule shape using plug assist and pressure that creates a cavity. Then, forming the capsule bottom by pressing the foil against the forming tool floor. A key step is creating an annular gap at the forming tool floor under pressure, which forms a hollow center in the capsule bottom. This concentrates material at the rim and center, providing strength with less material than uniform thickness. The capsules have a thicker rim and center compared to the thin connecting area.

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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.

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Capsule for preparing beverages like coffee that is structurally reinforced to withstand the high pressures of coffee machines. The capsule is made from a composite material containing bio-polymers like cellulose or aliphatic polyesters, reinforced with natural fibers like coffee silverskin fiber. This gives the capsule better resistance to rupturing under high pressure compared to capsules made from synthetic materials. The composite material can be molded into the capsule shape using injection molding techniques.

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A reinforcement ring for coffee capsules that is lightweight, lower cost, and environmentally friendly. The ring has reduced thickness areas on its side wall to decrease material usage while maintaining stability. The reduced thickness areas increase asymmetry to aid sorting. The ring can be made of biodegradable material.

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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.

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Capsule design for extraction machines like Nespresso that reduces leakage and improves sealing compared to prior art capsules. The capsule has a frusto-conical shape with a thickest section closest to the flange. A single sealing rib protrudes from the flange toward the smaller end. A channel is between the rib and thickest section. This concentrates the sealing force at the rib and channel to prevent leakage.

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Single-serve coffee capsule design with a sealed filter element that improves sealing accuracy and reduces production complexity compared to prior art capsules. The filter element is sealed to the base or carrier element using an annular sealing seam. The outside diameter of the seam is 55-75% of the filter element diameter for nonwoven filters, or 75-85% for felt filters. This location allows easier positioning of the filter during sealing since it's farther from the capsule edge.

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A cup for a coffee capsule that provides a reliable and robust seal between the capsule and the brewing machine while also retaining aroma and being lightweight and inexpensive. The cup has a unique shape with an annular flange extending around the upper edge. This flange allows the machine's pressure hood to seal against it instead of the bottom perforations. The cup is made from a multilayer material with an inner oxygen/aroma barrier layer sandwiched between outer layers of different hardness. This prevents aroma loss and oxidation inside the capsule. The multilayer construction allows a thinner cup overall. The cup can be made using a thermoforming machine with a specific die shape.

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A plastic capsule for brewing beverages like coffee from a sealed extraction material inside. The capsule has a square or rectangular shape with a wider collar at the extraction end. This collar stiffens the capsule and prevents it from deforming too much during brewing. The wider collar helps the capsule retain its shape and prevents it from approximating a spherical shape under high pressure and temperature. The arched cover of the capsule then seals against the brewing unit's surfaces for reliable extraction. This prevents jamming or sealing issues that can occur when the capsule deforms excessively.

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Capsule design and piercing system for coffee machines that allows clean piercing of the capsule base without clogging or tearing issues. The capsule has a base with an annular channel and a frustoconical stiffening zone that prevents sagging during piercing. The piercing system has a base plate with an annular piercing zone and a central elevation that centers the capsule during piercing. This abrupt buildup of tearing stress allows clean piercing of the capsule base.

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System for preparing a beverage using a capsule containing an extractable product. The capsule has a multi-layer filter in the lid that prevents rupture and deformation under pressure. The filter has a first layer with higher tear strength and a second layer with higher stiffness. This provides a stable and consistent fluid pressure in the capsule. The filter prevents tearing and widening of openings under pressure. The filter layers are bonded together.

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