High pressure extraction capsule

Abstract

A high pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) for single beverage preparation has a porous hydrophobic membrane ( 5, 10 ) that acts as a barrier to fluid flow up to a certain pressure and exceeding said pressure allows for extracting the fluid with active ingredients but still acts as a barrier to particles, particularly ground herbs or roots, wherein the pore size of the membrane ( 5, 10 ) is bigger than 0.45 μm and wherein the hydrophobic membrane ( 5, 10 ) is arranged to have a surface tension of less than 40 dynes/cm. The capsule ( 1 ) comprises an inlet port ( 2 ), a compartment ( 3 ) for holding a substance with active ingredients like, e.g. ground herbs or roots, an outlet port ( 4 ) and a hydrophobic membrane ( 5, 10 ) that separates the compartment ( 3 ) from the outlet port ( 4 ).

1 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) for single beverage preparation with a porous hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) that acts as a barrier to fluid flow up to a certain pressure and exceeding said pressure allows for extracting the fluid with active ingredients but still acts as a barrier to particles, particularly ground herbs or roots, wherein the pore size of the membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) is bigger than 0.45 μm and wherein the hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) is arranged to have a surface tension of less than 40 dynes/cm. 
     
     
         2 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) is arranged to have a surface tension of less than 35 dynes/cm, preferably approx. 30 dynes/cm. 
     
     
         3 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) is arranged to have a surface tension of less than 25 dynes/cm, preferably approx. 20 dynes/cm. 
     
     
         4 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the pore size of the hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) ranges from 0.45 μm to 10 μm, preferably from 0.45 μm to 5 μm. 
     
     
         5 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the capsule ( 1 ) comprises an inlet port ( 2 ), a compartment ( 3 ) for holding a substance with active ingredients like, e.g. ground herbs or roots, an outlet port ( 4 ) and a hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ) that separates the compartment ( 3 ) from the outlet port ( 4 ). 
     
     
         6 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) is supported by a nonwoven. 
     
     
         7 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the hydrophobic membrane ( 5 ,  10 ) is supported by a support means of the capsule ( 1 ). 
     
     
         8 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the capsule ( 1 ) comprises a first compartment ( 3 ) and a second compartment ( 8 ), wherein the inlet port ( 2 ) opens into the first compartment ( 3 ) and the second compartment ( 8 ) opens out into the outlet port ( 4 ), wherein a first membrane ( 9 ) separates the second compartment ( 8 ) from the outlet port ( 4 ), wherein the first compartment ( 3 ) is separated from the second compartment ( 8 ) by means of a second membrane ( 10 ). 
     
     
         9 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the second membrane ( 10 ) has a higher water resistance pressure than the first membrane ( 9 ). 
     
     
         10 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the first membrane ( 9 ) has a higher water resistance pressure than the second membrane ( 10 ). 
     
     
         11 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , whereby the capsule ( 1 ) comprises three or more compartments ( 3 ,  8 ,  16 ) that are separated from each other by means of membranes ( 10 ,  9 ). 
     
     
         12 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 8 , whereby a flow distributing member is arranged between two adjacent compartments ( 3 ,  8 ). 
     
     
         13 . High pressure extraction capsule ( 1 ) according to  claim 12 , whereby the flow distributing member is a membrane ( 10 ).