Nestec S.a.

Monodor S.a.

Eric Favre

Petr Masek

Bernard Truchement

Jacques Hentsch

A method for preparing a beverage or a liquid foodstuff from a capsule containing a product with a substance to be extracted, the capsule having a flexible membrane () capable of deforming elastically or permanently to a considerable extent, comprising the steps of perforating a plurality of holes () distributed over the flexible membrane and of injecting water onto the flexible membrane, in such a manner that it deforms in the direction of the product inside the capsule and in that the water penetrates into the capsule via said holes. The size of the holes perforated by the perforating spikes is controlled by the level to which the capsule is filled or by the compactness of the product inside the capsule, so as to influence the hydraulic pressure differential &#x394;P between the two sides () of the flexible membrane, in such a manner as to achieve an automatic adjustment of the compression of the product contained in the capsule.

Method for preparing a beverage from a capsule and device therefor

A filter employed for the extraction of beverages is formed of a piece of material having two planar surfaces and a plurality of uniformly distributed openings extending through the piece. A plurality of nipples, equal in number to the number of openings, project from and out of at least one of the planar surfaces and extend for a distance substantially equal to the thickness between the planar surfaces of the piece of material, each nipple being associated with one of the openings through the piece of material, and each opening extends through each nipple. The openings have a shape of a truncated cone, a truncated pyramid, or a truncated tetrahedron, and each opening at the end of each nipple, which is disposed away from the planar surface from which the nipple projects, forms a minor base of the opening shape and each opening at the other planar surface forms a major base of the opening shape.

Filter for use in a cartridge for the preparation of a beverage

A container for beverages, particularly beverages, such as coffee, which form a froth upon being dispensed in the container for consumption, has an interior base portion extending to a sidewall portion and defining an interior beverage containing surface having a shape in the form of an ellipsoid of revolution having an eccentricity of from 1.15 to 5.0, a hyperboloid of revolution having asymptotes forming an angle of less than 90.degree., or a paraboloid of revolution wherein a distance from a focus of the parabola to its directrix line is from 0.5 to 3.0 for promoting the formation of a shell of froth when the beverage is dispensed into the cup.

Container for providing frothy beverages

A device for extracting material contained in cartridges has a housing body having a hollow interior, defined by the inside of the housing body which extends to and terminates at an open bottom, in a form which substantially conforms to the form of a cartridge to be extracted for accepting a cartridge for extraction. An upper portion of the housing includes an injection element having a point which protrudes into the hollow interior for opening and penetrating a cartridge for extraction of the material in the cartridge. The outside of the housing body has an upper protruding part and a lower protruding stop beneath and displaced from the upper protruding part. A movable ring circumscribes the housing and the stop and has a lug protruding towards the outside of the housing body which is capable of communicating with the stop, the lug being positioned on the ring such that when the lug and stop are in communication, the ring protrudes below the bottom of the housing. A spring is confined between the lug and upper protruding part and the ring and the housing body for urging the lug into communication with the stop. A cartridge holder has an edge for holding a rim of a cartridge and cooperates with the movable ring for holding the rim of the cartridge during extraction and for releasing the cartridge after extraction.

Device for the extraction of cartridges

A process for extracting aromatic substances which are contained in sealed cartridges by injecting water for prewetting the substance in the cartridge, injecting air into the prewetted substance and injecting water for extraction of the substance. More particularly, the aromatic substances which are extracted are for the preparation of a beverage and are contained in cartridges which have a top portion capable of being pierced by an injector and a base portion having a membrane provided with a line of weakness which breaks during the extraction process with a filter being provided between the membrane and the substance to be extracted. The prewetting water is injected into the substance in the cartridge at a pressure of between 2 kg/cm.sup.2 and 3 kg/cm.sup.2. Air is injected at a pressure of between 3 kg/cm.sup.2 and 6 kg/cm.sup.2 for opening up irrigation channel pathways in the prewetted substance and for applying a force to the cartridge membrane greater than the breaking resistance of the line of weakness for tearing the membrane along the line of weakness. Water is injected into the substance in the cartridge at a pressure of between 8 kg/cm.sup.2 and 16 kg/cm.sup.2 for extraction.

Growing community of inventors

Saint-Barthelemy, Switzerland

Eric Favre