Coffee Pod Sealing Techniques for Optimal Freshness
12 patents in this list
Updated:
Ensuring your coffee stays fresh and flavorful starts with a well-sealed pod. As coffee interacts with air, it loses its rich aroma and taste, making effective sealing crucial. The challenge lies in maintaining this freshness from packaging to brewing, as each step can impact the final cup's quality.
Professionals in the field face hurdles like achieving airtight seals, preventing leaks, and ensuring compatibility with various brewing machines. These barriers must be overcome to deliver a consistently satisfying coffee experience without compromising convenience or sustainability.
This page explores a variety of engineered solutions, including biodegradable capsules with enhanced barriers, innovative sealing lid designs, and durable metal pods. These approaches aim to preserve freshness, prevent leaks, and enhance the brewing process, ensuring every cup delivers the full spectrum of flavors and aromas coffee lovers expect.
1. Biodegradable Coffee Capsule with Polyhydroxybutyrate Polymer Blend and Barrier Function
MY TEA CUP AG, 2023
Single-use coffee capsules that are biodegradable and compostable, while having a good barrier function with regard to oxygen and water vapor. The capsule contains a polymer formulation that includes polyhydroxybutyrates (PHB) and optionally silicates, vitamin E, and proteins. The capsule container is injection molded from this biodegradable polymer blend and filled with coffee powder. The capsule also has a biodegradable seal. The PHB-based capsules have barrier properties comparable to aluminum capsules but can biodegrade in industrial and home composting.
2. Beverage Cartridge Lid with Inner Centering Contour and Deformable Outer Sealing Contour
Adrian Rivera, 2023
Beverage cartridge lid for use in coffee brewing machines like espresso machines. The lid has features to improved the sealing when the cartridge is inserted into the brewing chamber. It has an inner contour that centers the cartridge in the chamber and an outer contour that gets deformed by the chamber rim for a tight seal.
3. Reusable Coffee Capsule with Compressible Sealing Film and Hoop Mechanism
Xiaofeng LIU, 2022
A coffee capsule that can be filled multiple times with coffee powder and reused, reducing waste and cost compared to disposable capsules. The capsule has a shell to hold the coffee and a sealing film covering the shell opening. A hoop compresses the film edge against the shell to seal it. This allows the capsule to be filled and sealed with coffee multiple times while still fitting capsule coffee machines.
4. Coffee Capsule Sealing Tool with Die Holder, Pressing Die, Guide Piece, Annular Gland, and Hoop
Xiaofeng LIU, 2022
Tool for making coffee capsules that can be reused and refilled with coffee grounds. The tool has a die holder and a 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.
5. Coffee Capsule with Ductile Metal Body and Biodegradable Adhesive-Sealed Cellulose Gasket
Alex Gort-Barten, Leslie Gort-Barten, 2022
A coffee capsule for use in machines that avoids the issues of aluminum capsules while providing convenience. The capsule is made of a ductile metal like steel that can withstand the high pressure without deforming. The capsule has a paper or cellulose gasket that provides a good seal, but avoids the delamination and bursting problems of previous paper gaskets. The gasket is fixed to the capsule flange with a biodegradable adhesive.
6. Paper Capsule with Polymer-Coated Flange for Seamless Sealing
Nestlé S.A., 2022
Paper capsule with a polymer-coated flange for coffee machines. The capsule has a paper body and flange, with a molded polymer coating on the flange that covers the paper to provide a smooth sealing surface without folds or creases.
7. Extraction Capsule with Thickened Side Wall, Circumferential Sealing Rib, and Intermediate Channel
Euro-Caps Holding BV, 2021
A capsule for containing coffee or other substances to be extracted in a hot water extraction machine. The capsule has a thickened section of the side wall closest to the flange, a single circumferentially extending sealing rib protruding from the flange towards the base, and a circumferentially extending channel between the rib and thickened section. The rib provides a sealing surface that contacts the extraction machine sleeve to prevent leaks.
8. Injection-Molded Plastic Capsule with Frustoconical Side Wall and Dual Sealed Membranes
BRAIN CORP SA, 2021
Improved capsule design for single-serve beverage machines, like coffee machines, that allows high quality beverage extraction without requiring additional packaging. The capsule is made of injected-molded plastic with a side wall, bottom, and sealed membranes covering both ends. The side wall is a single cone frustum shape with a sealed label. The bottom has a central opening and crown connected to the side wall, and an inner sealed membrane.
9. Espresso Machine Capsule with Deformable Cellulose Flange Seal
Alex Gort-Barten, 2020
A coffee capsule for espresso machines that provides an improved seal using a cellulose or paper ring that plastically deforms when engaged by the machine's capsule cage. The capsule is made from a ductile metal like aluminum. The ring on the flange deforms to provide a seal when clamped by the machine. This avoids the need for silicone seals used in other capsules. The cellulose ring provides an effective sealing without needing a separate sealant.
10. Compostable Multi-Layer Lid with Oxygen Barrier and Biodegradable Fiber Layer for Coffee Capsules
Ahlstrom-Munksjö Oyj, 2020
A compostable lid for sealing a capsule containing coffee, such as a coffee pod. The lid is made of layers that satisfy the conditions of use in coffee machines while being compostable. The lid has a support layer, an oxygen barrier layer, an adhesive layer, and a non-woven layer containing biodegradable fibers. The lid can seal the capsule without tearing when pierced, prevent coffee grounds from passing through, and provide an oxygen barrier. The lid layers are arranged in different configurations to balance properties.
11. Coffee Capsule with Fat, Milk Protein, and Lactose Blend and Perforable Sealing Cover
FrieslandCampina Nederland B.V., 2020
A coffee capsule that when brewed in a coffee machine produces a hot creamy liquid. The capsule contains a specific blend of fat, milk protein, and lactose to create a creamy texture and good foam when brewed. The capsule also has a sealing cover that perforates during brewing to allow dispensing of the creamy liquid.
12. Coffee Pod with Sloped Sidewall and Stacking Shoulder for Enhanced Structural Integrity and Sealing
Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC, 2019
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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Maintaining the freshness and flavor of coffee in pods is a crucial aspect of enjoying a perfect cup. The innovative sealing techniques discussed in this blog post demonstrate the industry's commitment to delivering a consistently delightful coffee experience. As technology advances, we can anticipate even more sophisticated methods that will further enhance the preservation of coffee's delicate flavors and aromas, ensuring every cup is as fresh as the day it was roasted.
