Single-Serving Beverage Cartridge Container

Abstract

A cup having an endless sidewall with a lower stacking shoulder formed of a sidewall and bottom heel including a convexly outwardly curved rib disposed at a transition between the sidewall and a cup bottom having a bottom wall having a recessed dome-shaped center section providing draw ratio bottom wall thickness reduction to an annular flat bottom wall section defining a puncture region of the cup. The cup sidewall has a ribbed section disposed adjacent the heel and extends upwardly at least one-quarter the height of the cup helping to strengthen the relatively thin sidewall to prevent it from undesirably deforming during puncturing of the cup bottom during beverage making. The cup may include an upper shoulder formed of an outwardly expanded section of the sidewall adjacent the top of the cup and defining an filter attachment seat on one side and a cup carrier on the opposite side.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cup for a single serving cartridge comprising:
 a top with an open mouth;   a bottom with a bottom wall comprised of a puncture region; and   a sidewall of endless tubular construction having a upper shoulder at or adjacent the top that defines an external cup carrier and internal filter attachment seat, and a ribbed section comprised of at least a plurality of ribs disposed at or adjacent the bottom of the cup.   
     
     
         2 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the cup has a bottom stacking shoulder disposed at or adjacent the bottom. 
     
     
         3 . The cup of  claim 2 , wherein the stacking shoulder comprises a generally toroidal rib at the bottom of the cup providing a transition between the sidewall of the cup and the bottom wall of the cup. 
     
     
         4 . The cup of  claim 3 , wherein the generally toroidal rib is convexly curved having a radius of curvature of at least two millimeters. 
     
     
         5 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the ribbed section is comprised of at least a plurality of annular axially spaced apart and adjoining ribs. 
     
     
         6 . The cup of  claim 5 , wherein the ribs of the ribbed section form a ribbed section of sawtooth construction. 
     
     
         5 . The cup of  claim 5 , wherein the ribs of the ribbed section each have a generally triangular cross-section. 
     
     
         6 . The cup of  claim 5 , wherein the ribbed section extends along the sidewall of the cup at least one-quarter the axial height of the cup. 
     
     
         7 . The cup of  claim 5 , wherein the ribbed section extends along the sidewall of the cup at least one-quarter the axial height of the cup sidewall. 
     
     
         8 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the cup has a recessed dome-shaped center section. 
     
     
         9 . The cup of  claim 8 , wherein the bottom of the cup has a puncture region. 
     
     
         10 . The cup of  claim 9 , wherein the puncture region is comprised of an annular generally planar section of the bottom wall of the cup. 
     
     
         11 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the top of the cup further comprises a radially outwardly extending flange defining a lip to which a cover or lid is attached in making a beverage cartridge. 
     
     
         12 . The cup of  claim 11 , wherein the cup is formed of a multilayer laminate or film material formed of at least one layer comprised of plastic. 
     
     
         13 . The cup of  claim 12 , wherein the multilayer laminate or film material is formed of at least one layer composed of polypropylene. 
     
     
         14 . The cup of  claim 13 , wherein the polypropylene layer is comprised of polypropylene having at least one additive. 
     
     
         15 . The cup of  claim 13 , wherein the multilayer laminate or film material has at least a plurality of pairs of layers. 
     
     
         16 . The cup of  claim 1 , further comprising a perforate or porous filter is attached to a filter seat formed by an inner surface of the upper shoulder. 
     
     
         17 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall diametrically tapers from the shoulder to the bottom of the cup. 
     
     
         18 . The cup of  claim 3 , wherein the generally toroidal rib at the bottom of the cup orients the sidewall of the cup at a draft angle up to 8° inward. 
     
     
         19 . The cup of  claim 5 , wherein a height of the rib of the ribbed section adjacent the bottom of the cup is greater than a height of a rib of the ribbed section further away from the bottom of the cup. 
     
     
         20 . The cup of  claim 5 , wherein the ribs of the ribbed section have a height greater than 3.5 millimeters.