Sarong Societa' Per Azioni

Unifill S.p.a.

Sarong

Illycaffe' S.p.a.

Unfill International A/g

Unifill International Ag

Sarong Societa' Per Zioni

Ferrero Gmbh

Andrea Bartoli

Davide Capitini

Alessandro Grillenzoni

Flavio Traldi

Roberto Tabaroni

Alberto Bartoli

Primo Finetti

Elio Sanibondi

Mattia Solieri

Luca Mastropasqua

Federica Barbieri

Gianni Cavazzoli

Claudio Bottazzi

A method for making a capsule provided with a body containing a filtering element suitable for receiving a product for preparing a beverage, including: supplying a first film of thermoplastic material and a second film of filtering material to a forming mold according to a supplying direction, superimposing the second film on the first film, the forming mold including a lower half mold in which a plurality of cavities is obtained and an upper half mold provided with a plurality of stretching elements, one for each cavity, which are movable in one direction that is perpendicular to the supplying direction; pre-heating to a softening temperature the first film of thermoplastic material, by a pre-heating device arranged upstream of the forming mold; closing the forming mold bringing the lower half mold and the upper half mold towards one another until they clamp between one another the first film of thermoplastic material and the second film of filtering material; simultaneously forming in the cavities the bodies of the capsules and the respective filtering elements, using the stretching elements. An apparatus for making a capsule provided with a body containing a filtering element suitable for receiving a product for preparing a beverage, including: one forming mold including a lower half mold wherein a plurality of cavities is obtained and an upper half mold provided with a plurality of stretching elements, one for each cavity, movable in one direction, a supplying means that is movable in one advancement direction that is perpendicular to the direction, to supply simultaneously to the forming mold and to keep taut a first film of thermoplastic material and a second film of filtering material, a pre-heating device for pre-heating at least the first film of thermoplastic material before it is supplied to the forming mold.

Method and apparatus for making capsules provided with filter

Coffee capsule

A capsule comprises a casing () that includes: a base wall () and a side wall () defining a cavity () that is suitable for containing a food preparation (P); a flange-shaped edge () extending from the side wall (), the side wall () being deformable along preset lines of pliability () to enable the casing () to be compressed along a direction (A) that is transverse to the base wall (). The capsule () further comprises: a cover element () fixed to the flange edge () to close the cavity () hermetically and a nozzle (), fixed to the cover element (), which is housed in the cavity (). The nozzle () comprises: a first end () and a second end () that are opposite; a first portion () that includes the first end (), is arranged for receiving injection means of fluid (F) and comprises a plurality of openings () for supplying the fluid (F) from the injection means to the cavity (); a second portion () that includes the second end (), extends through the outlet opening () and comprises a first tubular part () with a constant section, and a second part () that is shaped with respect to the first part (), in which the second portion () further comprises an outer flange () that peripherally surrounds the second end () and closes the outlet opening () when the capsule () is in a first, undeformed, configuration (K). The outer flange () of the nozzle () is configured for pushing the closing element () outwards to open the capsule (), when the capsule () is compressed to pass from the first configuration (K) to a second, deformed, configuration (J). Moreover, the second part () of the nozzle () is configured for projecting beyond the base wall () of the capsule () when the capsule () is further compressed passing from the second configuration (J) to a third' configuration (E), which is deformed further. In addition, the second part () of the nozzle () is shaped into a divergent form so as to guide outwards the food preparation (P) that exits the outlet opening () pushed by the pressurised fluid (F) when the capsule () is in the second configuration (J) or in the third configuration (E).

Capsule for beverages

The apparatus includes an operating unit, which can be a welding unit for welding a closing film to an edge zone of a containing element or a separating unit for separating containing elements from portions of sheet material. The apparatus includes a control unit programmed to enable the operating unit to selectively process a continuous strip of containing elements or discrete groups of containing elements.

Apparatuses and methods for producing containers

A machine for making capsules containing a product includes a forming station for forming in a sheet of thermoformable plastic material at least a casing of a capsule having a cavity, a shearing station with a punch and a die for cutting the sheet so as to separate the capsule along a respective edge, and a filling station for dosing the product into the cavity. During the cutting, the punch moves to cut the sheet with the die and then lift and detach the capsule from the sheet. The punch and the die are movable away from each other for placing the capsule on the sheet, and a through opening is created in the sheet by separating the capsule. The through opening has a passage section smaller than external dimensions of the edge to allow the sheet to support and move the capsule along an advancing direction.

Machine and method for making capsules for beverages

A capsule for preparing a beverage includes a capsule body made by forming a sheet of thermoformable plastic material, the capsule body having: a base wall and a first portion of side wall defining a cavity suitable for containing an initial product to be combined with a fluid to obtain a final product in the form of a beverage, a first opening of the cavity opposite the base wall, an upper edge extending from the first portion of side wall and surrounding the first opening, a second opening of the cavity made in the base wall, in which the first opening is closed hermetically by a covering element fixed to the edge, the covering element being perforable by a dispensing machine in which the capsule is usable, in which the second opening is closed hermetically by a closing element that is suitable for tearing when pressure inside the cavity exceeds a preset value, the capsule further comprising a chamber located opposite the base wall with respect to the cavity and defined by a second portion of side wall and by a bottom wall of the body of the capsule, the chamber being able to communicate with the cavity through the second opening, when the closing element tears, the chamber being provided with a third opening, made in the center of the bottom wall, inside the chamber there being arranged a damping element for controlling the exit speed of the beverage, the damping element is configured in such a way as to move inside the chamber between an initial position and a final position, through the effect of the pressure of the beverage in the chamber.

A capsule for beverages includes a casing made by forming a sheet of thermoformable plastic material, the casing including: a base wall and a side wall defining a cavity suitable for containing an initial product to be combined with a fluid to obtain a final product in the form of a beverage, a first opening of the cavity opposite the base wall, an edge extending from the side wall and surrounding the first opening and a second opening made in the base wall. The first opening is closed hermetically by a cover element fixed to the edge, said the cover element being perforable by an injection arrangement of a dispensing machine in which the capsule is usable. The second opening is closed hermetically by a closing element) suitable for tearing when pressure inside the cavity exceeds a predetermined value. The capsule further includes a chamber placed opposite the base wall with respect to the cavity, the chamber being able to communicate with the cavity through the second opening, when the closing element tears, the chamber being provided with an outlet opening, made in the center of a bottom wall opposite the base wall. Inside the chamber a damping element is arranged that can communicate with the cavity through the second opening, when the closing element tears, the damping element being sized in such a manner as to prevent the occurrence of the water hammer phenomenon at the moment of tearing of the closing element, or at least to reduce considerably the intensity of the pressure waves generated by the phenomenon, the damping element acting also as a resting element for the closing element when the latter is deformed through the effect of a pressure increase inside the cavity.

An apparatus for making a capsule provided with a shell containing a filtering element suitable for receiving a product for preparing a beverage or the like includes a superimposing assembly for applying a film of filtering material to at least one shell with a cavity in order to cover an opening of the cavity. The shell is moved along a first advancement direction and the apparatus further includes a locking assembly to lock the film to the shell, and a first stretching device included in a first stretching station for heating and stretching a portion of the film facing the cavity in order to obtain a filtering element.

Apparatus and method for making capsules with filter

A method for making objects by forming a thermoformable sheet material includes forming the objects by interaction of a die assembly and a forming assembly. The method further includes, compressing and crushing a first portion of the sheet material by a crushing punch device before forming the objects and maintaining the first portion crushed during the forming operation to reduce the thickness thereof and to orientate chains of molecules that compose a structure of the sheet material at the first portion, in order to weaken the structure and the first portion. The first portion is thus easily perforable, tearable and breakable.

Forming apparatus and method and object thus made

A capsule includes a deformable and/or compressible casing provided with a base wall and a side wall defining a cavity suitable for containing an initial product to be combined with a fluid to make a final product. The deformable base wall is provided with an outlet passage for the outflow and dispensing of the final product, and when the casing is compressed and/or crushed, it changes from an initial configuration to a final configuration. The capsule further includes a closing device inside the cavity, substantially facing and adjacent to the base wall and provided with a closing portion arranged inside the cavity for engaging and closing the outlet passage in the initial configuration of the base wall, and for disengaging and opening the outlet passage, so as to dispense the final product through the outlet passage in the final configuration of the base wall.

Capsule for beverage

A capsule includes a first container provided with a first closed cavity containing a first product and a second container provided with a second closed cavity containing a second product. The first container and the second container include a first interface element facing the first cavity and a second interface element facing the second cavity, respectively. The first interface element is provided with a first connecting device having a first conduit and the second interface element is provided with a second connecting device having a second conduit. In an assembled configuration of the capsule, in which the first container is associated with the second container, the first connecting device is engaged with the second connecting device so as to couple the first conduit with the second conduit to make a flow connection between the first cavity and the second cavity and enable at least the first product to pass into the second cavity and join the second product to make a final product.

Capsule and dispensing machine for beverages

A capsule includes a deformable and/or compressible casing, provided with a base wall and a side wall defining a cavity that is open and suitable for containing an initial product to obtain a final food product. A supporting element is fixed to a first edge of the casing and facing the cavity and a nozzle is fixed to the supporting element and arranged for delivering a fluid into the cavity which interacts with the initial product to make the final product. The nozzle also opens the base wall and enables the final product to exit when the casing is compressed and crushed.

Capsules and dispensing machine

A beverage dispensing machine for producing a beverage from a capsule containing a product, includes an injecting arrangement arranged for piercing a covering element of the capsule and injecting into the latter a liquid interacting with the product to make a beverage, a housing element provided with a seat into which the capsule is insertable, a dispensing unit for dispensing said liquid into the capsule, said housing element rests on elastic elements and is slidable inside a chamber obtained in a box element that is insertable into a space of the dispensing unit, the chamber being provided with a fixed support intended for constituting a rest for a bottom of the capsule when the latter is inserted into the seat.

Growing community of inventors

Reggio Emilia, Italy

Andrea Bartoli