Drink cartridge and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A cartridge for preparation of a drink comprises a chamber having a top end for allowing flow of water under pressure into the chamber, a side wall and a bottom end for allowing flow of drink out of the chamber, a supply of soluble solids in the chamber, a solubility promoter adapted to move downward and to conform to the side wall of the chamber during its downward movement within the chamber for facilitating the dissolution of the soluble solids, a flow promoter for facilitating the flow of the drink out of bottom end of the chamber, and a dryer adapted to produce a supply of gas upon contacting the water for drying the cartridge for mess-free disposal.

1 . A cartridge for use in preparing a beverage with water under pressure from an apparatus comprising: 
 a preparation chamber having a top end for allowing the flow of water under pressure into said chamber, a side wall, and a bottom filter for allowing the flow of the resulting beverage out of said preparation chamber;    a predetermined supply of a first flavor-containing material within said preparation chamber, substantially all or most of said first flavor-containing material being capable of being dissolved or carried out of said preparation by the water from the apparatus;    a predetermined supply of a second flavor-containing material also within said preparation chamber, said second flavor-containing materials comprising an extractable part capable of being extracted out as flavor by the water from the apparatus to form a beverage and an insoluble part, said insoluble part being substantially larger than said extractable part; and    wherein said predetermined supply of said second flavor-containing material is adapted to facilitate the dissolution of said first flavor-containing material, said supply of said second flavor-containing material comprising an upper surface adjacent to said top end of said preparation chamber for receiving the water under pressure from the apparatus, a lower surface in contact with the upper surface of said supply of said first flavor-containing material, and numerous small openings formed between the particles of said second flavor-containing materials and located between said upper and lower surfaces of said supply of said second flavor-containing material for distributing water flow from said top end of said preparation chamber to said supply of said first flavor-containing material and minimizing the gelling or aggregation of said first flavor-containing material by water, thereby promoting the dissolution of said first flavor-containing material and forming a strong beverage that contains the extractable from said second flavor-containing material and at least most of said supply of said first flavor-containing material and issues out of said preparation chamber via said bottom filter.    
   
   
       2 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 1  wherein said lower surface of said supply of said second flavor-containing material is sufficiently large to cover substantially all the upper surface of said supply of said first flavor-containing material in said preparation chamber for facilitating the dissolution of said first flavor-containing material.  
   
   
       3 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 2  wherein said lower surface of said supply of said second flavor-containing material is dimensioned or shaped to move within said preparation chamber along with said upper surface of said supply of said first flavor-containing material as the water dissolves said first material, thereby maintaining said contact to said first flavor-containing material during the dissolution process.  
   
   
       4 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 3  wherein said lower surface of said supply of said second flavor-containing material is in direct contact with the upper surface of said supply of said first flavor-containing material.  
   
   
       5 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 2  wherein said supply of said first flavor-containing material comprises at least one of the creamer, fat, powdered milk, cocoa, sugar, protein, vitamin, and dairy product solids.  
   
   
       6 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 5  wherein said preparation chamber is comprised of one substantially cylindrical chamber in which said supply of said second flavor-containing material can move substantially freely into the lower part of said substantially cylindrical chamber originally occupied by said supply of said first flavor-containing material as said first flavor-containing material is being dissolved.  
   
   
       7 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 2  wherein said supply of said second flavor-containing material comprises roast coffee grounds.  
   
   
       8 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 7  wherein said roast coffee grounds is sufficiently compressed and said preparation chamber is so constructed that during the brewing of the beverage said supply of said roast coffee grounds expands mostly only in height.  
   
   
       9 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 7  wherein said supply of said roast coffee grounds is compressed sufficiently that it occupies substantially all said preparation chamber after the dissolution of said supply of said first flavor-containing materials in said chamber, thereby rendering said cartridge substantially drip-free for disposal after brewing.  
   
   
       10 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 7  wherein said supply of said roast coffee grounds is made sufficiently coarse to enable it to be sufficiently compressed that after the dissolution of said first flavor-containing material in said chamber said supply of said roast coffee grounds can occupy substantially all said preparation chamber, thereby rendering said cartridge substantially drip-free after brewing for disposal.  
   
   
       11 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 1  further comprising an elongated section on said bottom filter and a porous plate for covering or protecting said elongated section, said elongated section being sufficiently small or closed to prevent said first flavor-containing material from leaking out of said chamber before the pressurized water is introduced into said preparation chamber but becoming sufficiently expanded or open to allow said first flavor-containing material and the gels or even slumps formed of said first flavor-containing material to pass through after the pressurized water is introduced into said chamber, thereby preventing said bottom filter from being clogged and further improving the dissolution of said first flavor-containing material.  
   
   
       12 . A cartridge as defined in claim II wherein said porous plate comprises filtration openings or pores approximately 0.1 to 1 mm in diameter or size to deter the formation of gel or slump above said porous plate when water reaches said first flavor-containing material.  
   
   
       13 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 1  wherein said supply of said second flavor-containing material further comprises a porous plate at the lower end of said second flavor-containing material, said porous plate being not attached to said preparation chamber and being capable of moving downward within said preparation chamber as said first flavor-containing material is dissolved by the water without causing substantially deformation of said preparation chamber.  
   
   
       14 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a supply of gas-generating material capable of producing gas upon contact with water in said preparation chamber.  
   
   
       15 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 14  wherein said gas-generating material comprises a supply of edible acidic material and a supply of salt comprising at least one of a carbonate salt and bicarbonate salt.  
   
   
       16 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 14  wherein said gas-generating material comprises a first and a second solid compounds, at least one of said compounds being soluble in water to enable a chemical reaction between said first and second compounds to produce a gas.  
   
   
       17 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a cartridge inlet connected to said preparation chamber for connecting said cartridge to the apparatus and a cartridge outlet attached to said chamber for collecting the beverage from said bottom filter and dispensing the beverage to a receptacle, wherein said cartridge inlet, preparation chamber and cartridge outlet are made of a single, integral piece without any seam in between, thereby reducing the chance of leaking when under pressure.  
   
   
       18 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 1  wherein said top end of said preparation chamber comprises a top filter, said top filter being sealed to said bottom filter to form said preparation chamber for enclosing said supplies of said first and second flavor-containing materials.  
   
   
       19 . A cartridge for use in preparing a beverage with water under pressure from an apparatus comprising: 
 a preparation chamber having a top end for allowing the flow of water under pressure into said chamber, a side wall, and a bottom filter for allowing the flow of the resulting beverage out of said preparation chamber;    a predetermined supply of a flavor-containing material within said preparation chamber, substantially all or most of said flavor-containing material being capable of being dissolved or carried out of said preparation chamber by the pressurized water from the apparatus;    a solubility promoter comprising an upper surface adjacent to said top end of said preparation chamber for receiving water and a lower surface in close contact with the upper surface of said supply of said flavor-containing material, said promoter being substantially porous and having numerous small openings or pores located between said upper and lower surfaces of said promoter for distributing the water flow from said top end of said preparation chamber to the supply of said flavor-containing material, thereby minimizing the gelling or aggregation of said flavor-containing material and promoting the dissolution of said flavor-containing material to form a sufficiently strong beverage containing said flavor-containing material and issuing out of said preparation chamber via said bottom filter; and    wherein said lower surface of said solubility promoter is sufficiently large to cover substantially all the upper surface of said supply of said flavor-containing material to prevent any channeling of water flow and to cause substantially all the pressurized water from said apparatus to be distributed to said flavor-containing material by said numerous small openings of said promoter.    
   
   
       20 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 19  wherein said flavor-containing material comprises at least one of the creamer, fat, powdered milk, cocoa, proteins, and dairy product solids.  
   
   
       21 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 19  further comprises an elongated section on said bottom filter and a porous plate for covering or protecting said elongated section, said elongated section being sufficiently small or closed before the pressurized water is introduced into said chamber to prevent said flavor-containing material from leaking out of said chamber but becoming sufficiently expanded or open to allow said flavor-containing material and the gel or even slump formed of said flavor-containing material to pass through after the pressurized water is introduced to prevent said bottom filter from being clogged, thereby further improving the dissolution of said first flavor-containing material.  
   
   
       22 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 21  wherein said porous plate comprises filtration openings or pores approximately 0.1 to 2 mm in diameter or size to deter the formation of gel or slump above said porous plate when water reaches said flavor-containing material.  
   
   
       23 . A cartridge as defined in  claim 19  wherein said promoter is substantially heavier than water for facilitating the dissolution of said supply of said flavor-containing material when water is introduced to said top end of said preparation chamber.