Beverage filter cartridge

Abstract

A beverage filter cartridge for use in a single serve beverage brewing machine, the cartridge including a open ended cup with an open top and closed bottom with a cup-shaped filter pouch containing a beverage material sealed to the inside thereof proximate to a top end. The top end includes a flange to which a cover is sealed to prevent spoilage of the beverage material by atmospheric oxygen. The cartridge includes a filter bag with a dry beverage material. The inner surface of the cup has a series of vertically oriented channels which allow for the brewed beverage to flow out of the sides of the filter bag and down the channels before exiting the cartridge at the bottom. The brewed beverage can flow out of the bottom of the cartridge either via the side of the filter bag through the channels or through the bottom of the filter bag.

1 . A single-serving beverage pod for use in a beverage making machine having an upper needle for injecting hot water into the beverage pod and a lower needle for allowing a brewed beverage to exit the beverage pod, comprising:
 an open ended cup having an open top and a closed bottom, with the cup having a flange extending around said top;   a filter, said filter being generally cup-shaped and having an upper portion, said upper portion being sealed within said cup proximate to said top;   a dome, upwardly facing, extending within the cup from the bottom thereof for supporting the filter a distance above the bottom of the cup sufficient to prevent the lower needle from piercing the filter;   a beverage material within said filter; and   a top cover attached to said flange.   
     
     
         2 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein the top cover comprises an oxygen barrier material. 
     
     
         3 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein the cup comprises a high density polyethylene with an oxygen scavenging additive. 
     
     
         4 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein inward of a sidewall of the cup, the bottom of the cup rises substantially vertically, terminating in a rounded, curved surface, defining the dome. 
     
     
         5 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein the filter fills the space within the cup above the dome. 
     
     
         6 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  further having a side wall including a series of vertically oriented channels. 
     
     
         7 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 6  wherein the vertically oriented channels extend from proximate the top of the cup to a point proximate the bottom of the cup. 
     
     
         8 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the bottom of the cup defines a flat surface that is substantially parallel to the flange, wherein the portion extends radially inward of a sidewall of the cup, the dome rising from a radially inward-most edge of the first portion and wherein, as between all diametrically opposed points on a surface of the dome, a curve defined by the surface is characterized by a first derivative having only one change in sign. 
     
     
         9 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein the beverage pod comprises a layer of EVOH barrier material sandwiched between two layers of polypropylene. 
     
     
         10 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein the dome does not collapse when the hot water is injected. 
     
     
         11 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 1  wherein a hole in the bottom of the cup resulting from the lower needle of the beverage making machine is formed outside of a perimeter of the dome. 
     
     
         12 . A single-serving beverage pod for use in a beverage making machine having an upper needle for injecting hot water into the beverage pod and a lower needle for allowing a brewed beverage to exit the beverage pod, comprising:
 an open ended cup having an open top, a sidewall, and a closed bottom;   a filter, the filter having a cup shape and wherein an upper portion of the filter is attached to the cup proximate to the top thereof;   a dome, upwardly facing, extending within the cup from the bottom thereof, wherein the dome is non-collapsible to support the filter a distance above the bottom of the cup sufficient to prevent the lower needle from piercing the filter;   a beverage material within the filter; and   a top cover attached to the top of the cup.   
     
     
         13 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 12  wherein there are no openings in a surface of the dome. 
     
     
         14 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 12  wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of vertically oriented channels. 
     
     
         15 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 12  wherein a slope of a curve defined by a surface of the dome within a region between a base and apex thereof changes monotonically. 
     
     
         16 . A single-serving beverage pod for use in a beverage making machine having an upper needle for injecting hot water into the beverage pod and a lower needle for allowing a brewed beverage to exit the beverage pod, comprising:
 an open ended cup having an open top, a sidewall, and a closed bottom;   a filter, the filter having a cup shape and wherein an upper portion of the filter is attached to the cup proximate to the top thereof;   a dome, upwardly facing, extending within the cup from the bottom thereof, wherein there are no openings through a surface of the dome;   a beverage material within the filter; and   a top cover attached to the top of the cup.   
     
     
         17 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 16  wherein the dome is not collapsible. 
     
     
         18 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 16  wherein a slope of a curve defined by a surface of the dome within a region between a base and an apex thereof changes monotonically. 
     
     
         19 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 18  wherein the dome supports a bottom of the filter, and further wherein a height of the dome is sufficient to prevent the lower needle of the beverage making machine from piercing the filter. 
     
     
         20 . The single-serving beverage pod of  claim 16  wherein the sidewall comprises a plurality of vertically oriented channels.