Reusable Pods for Sustainable Coffee Brewing

A single-serve coffee brewer that provides a high-quality coffee experience without requiring timed interaction or increased manual dexterity. The brewer uses a novel brewing method and design to overcome the issues of taste, waste, and convenience in single-serve coffee makers. It allows for single-serve brewing without disposable pods, reduces waste by using less packaging, and improves taste by using freshly ground beans. The brewer has a reusable filter basket that holds a measured amount of freshly ground coffee. The brewing process involves immersing the coffee in water at controlled temperatures for a precise time. This extracts the flavor without over-extraction. The brewer also has a mechanism to automatically stop the brewing when complete, preventing over-extraction. The result is a high-quality, customizable single-serve coffee without the waste or taste issues of pods.

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A metallic capsule made from a specific grade of aluminum alloy for use as a single-use beverage capsule that is more sustainable and recyclable. The capsule is made from a grade of aluminum alloy that can be sourced from recycled aluminum, such as from beverage cans. The capsule is designed to be compatible with existing beverage machines and provide similar performance to current single-use capsules. The aluminum alloy used is specifically chosen to balance strength and thickness for sufficient capsule durability and resistance to transport damage. The capsule has a cup-shaped body with a sealed lid, allowing it to hold beverage ingredients like ground coffee for dispensing when liquid is injected into the capsule.

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A machine for filling and sealing single-serve biodegradable pods with ground food products like coffee. The machine has a rotating platform that moves empty pods to a filling station where augers or valves fill them. Then the pods move to a sealing station where a heated block seals and trims a film lid onto the pods. The machine automates the process of filling and sealing pods to produce single-serve packaged food products.

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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.

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A compostable capsule for preparing hot beverages, like coffee, that is made of a compostable non-crosslinked polysaccharide shell encasing a core of beverage ingredients like coffee powder. The cladding material can be made of polysaccharides like carboxymethylcellulose, microfibrillated cellulose, sodium alginate, pullulan, or chitosan. The capsule provides a compostable alternative to plastic and aluminum coffee pods.

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A coffee grinder with a built-in filling device for refillable coffee capsules. The grinder has a filling tube that can be positioned over a capsule. Ground coffee drops into the capsule through a lateral access opening in the tube. A movable ram in the tube compresses the coffee in the capsule after filling. This ensures all the coffee goes into the capsule. The filing tube and capsule contacting prevent spillage.

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Reusable single-serve coffee pod system that is environmentally friendly and provides a better tasting cup of coffee. The pod system consists of a reusable open-bottomed ring and disposable filters. The filters are biodegradable and can be quickly and easily assembled and disposed of using a dedicated assembly station.

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A bag for collecting and recycling used coffee capsules that provides a reliable way to collect used coffee capsules such as aluminum capsules for recycling without requiring cleaning. The bag has a closure flap, an extension portion, and optionally compartments. The bag is made of plastic layers with cavities that isolate the capsules. The bag can be filled with used capsules, closed, and shipped to recycling centers.

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A device to clean and collect coffee grounds from reusable pods used in coffee machines like Keurig. The device fits over the pod and has a housing to catch the grounds and a lid with a filter. After brewing, the pods are emptied by tapping or rinsing them into the housing. The grounds fall through the filter into the housing and excess water drains out. The filter can be disposable or reusable.

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Device for separating single-serve infusion capsules like coffee pods into their recyclable components, such as plastic and aluminum, for recycling. The device has a base with an aperture to receive the capsule body and a plunger to push the capsule through the aperture. The base has a undulating surface surrounding the aperture that cause the capsule to deform and separate when pushed through.

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A fully compostable and biodegradable capsule for preparing infusion or soluble beverages like coffee that avoids the environmental issues of conventional capsules. The capsule has a body made of a compostable/biodegradable material and a lid closure made of a compostable/biodegradable material. The key innovation is the lid design that enables the use of compostable materials without sealing problems. The lid has a weakened portion that allows it to be easily pierced by a brewing machine. This avoids needing a sealing layer like aluminum or glue that wouldn't be compostable.

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Biodegradable coffee pod system as an environmentally friendly single-serve coffee option. The system comprises a biodegradable pod made of filter material containing coffee grounds, a reusable holder to keep the pod in place during brewing, and a resealable low-waste packaging for transporting multiple pods. The biodegradable pod can be placed in a compatible coffee machine, brewed like a regular coffee pod, and then disposed after use. The system aims to reduce the waste of single-serve coffee pods by providing a biodegradable alternative.

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A device to easily and safely dismantle used coffee pods for recycling. The device has a handle, pod holder, and cutter. The pod holder securely holds the coffee pod while the cutter slices through the shell to open it. This allows the pod components to be separated and recycled. The cutter can be adjusted to cut just the shell or cut through the filter inside as well. An adapter is provided to accommodate smaller pods in the holder.

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Simple and efficient recycling of used coffee capsules, particularly aluminum capsules, by providing a shipping bag designed for collecting and transporting the damp waste in a sealed and liquid-tight manner. The bag has adhesive strips for closure to prevent leaks during shipping. This allows users to easily recycle used coffee capsules without the need for cleaning them.

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A biodegradable and compostable beverage capsule that can be used with single-serve brewing machines. The capsule has a unique design with a cup and filtering element that have interconnected channels to allow liquid flow. The filtering element has an inward tapered sidewall that fits into the cup. The cup, filtering element and cover are all made from compostable materials.

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Reusable coffee brewing cartridge for Keurig-type machines that offers an eco-friendly alternative to disposable K-Cups. The cartridge has an injection nozzle like a disposable K-Cup, but instead of an extraction needle that pierces the bottom of the capsule, the reusable cartridge has passageways in the base to release the brewed coffee. This avoids the need for a seal with the machine's extraction needle, which simplifies the design. It also has a color code on the base that can be read by the machine to automatically set the brew parameters.

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