Beverage cartridge and its manufacturing

Abstract

A cartridge for producing a beverage comprise a housing with the general shape of a truncated cone and has a rigid perforated dividing wall element within the housing, dividing the housing's interior into a first chamber and second chamber. The first chamber contains dry beverage medium, and the perforated dividing wall element comprises holes that are dimensioned to permit passage of liquid and block passage therethrough of said dry beverage medium.

1 . A cartridge for producing a beverage comprising
 a housing having the general shape of a truncated cone defined between an opening at one end sealed by a closure, an end wall at the other end and a side wall converging from said opening towards said end wall; and   a rigid perforated dividing wall element within the housing, dividing the housing's interior into a first chamber and second chamber, the first chamber is defined between said one end and said wall element and contains dry beverage medium, and the second chamber is defined between said wall element and said end wall, the perforated dividing wall element comprises holes that are dimensioned to permit passage of liquid and block passage therethrough of said dry beverage medium.   
     
     
         2 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing comprises first and second cup-shaped members connected to one another;   said first cup-shaped member comprises an opening at one end thereof, a perforated wall at an opposite end and first side wall extending therebetween;   said second cup-shaped member having an opening at one end and a bottom wall at an opposite end and a second side wall therebetween; and wherein   the two members being combined such that (i) the opening of the first member constitutes said opening of the cartridge, (ii) the perforated wall constitutes the perforated wall element of the cartridge, (iii) the bottom wall of the second member constitutes said end wall of the cartridge, and (iv) the first side wall and the second side wall jointly defining said side wall of the cartridge.   
     
     
         3 . The cartridge of  claim 2 , wherein the two members are joined to one another by fitting a portion of an inner face of the second side wall adjacent the second member's opening over a bottom portion of an outer face of the first side wall adjacent the perforated wall element and tightly joining the two portions to one another. 
     
     
         4 . A cartridge for producing a beverage comprising
 a housing having an opening at one end sealed by a closure, an end wall at the other end and a side wall extending therebetween and generally converging from said opening to said end wall;   a rigid perforated dividing wall element within the housing, dividing the housing's interior into a first chamber and second chamber, the first chamber is defined between said one end and said perforated element and contains dry beverage medium, and the second chamber is defined between said perforated dividing member and said end wall, the perforated dividing wall comprises holes that are dimensioned to permit passage of liquid and block passage therethrough of said dry beverage medium; and   the housing comprises first and second cup-shaped members connected to one another, wherein said first cup-shaped member comprises an opening at one end thereof, a perforated wall at an opposite end and first side wall extending therebetween, and said second cup-shaped member having an opening at one end and a bottom wall at an opposite end and a second side wall therebetween, and wherein   the two members are combined such that (i) the opening of the first member constitutes said opening of the cartridge, (ii) said perforated wall constitutes said dividing member of the cartridge, (iii) the bottom wall of the second member constitutes said end wall of the cartridge, and (iv) the first side wall and the second side wall jointly defining said side wall of the cartridge.   
     
     
         5 . The cartridge of  claim 4 , wherein the two members are joined to one another by fitting a portion of an inner face of the second side wall adjacent the second member's opening over a bottom portion of an outer face of the first side wall adjacent the perforated wall element and tightly joining the two portions to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The cartridge of any one of  claim 1 , wherein the perforated dividing wall element is integral with the housing or an element thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the perforated wall element is formed by a perforated insertable element that is configured to be received within the housing's interior to divide it into said first chamber and said second chamber. 
     
     
         8 . The cartridge of  claim 7 , wherein the housing comprises first and second cup-shaped members connected to one another at respective first and second connecting ends, one or both of the first and second connecting ends having an inward-directed fold that defines said shoulder. 
     
     
         9 . The cartridge of  claim 7 , wherein said insert comprises a feature that is configured to tightly engage with a counterpart form-fitting feature in the cartridge's interior to secure it in position within the cartridge. 
     
     
         10 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , configured for fitting within a cartridge-receptacle of a beverage producing machine, the closure being pierceable by a probe of said machine for introducing a liquid and the end wall being configured for engagement with an outlet arrangement of said machine for extracting the beverage from the cartridge. 
     
     
         11 . The cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the end wall is pierceable by a tubular outlet probe of said machine. 
     
     
         12 . The cartridge of  claim 1 , being a single serve cartridge for receiving a defined volume of water through the inlet probe for extracting a volume of a beverage through the outlet probe. 
     
     
         13 . An empty cartridge, comprising:
 a generally cup-shaped housing defined between an opening at one end, an end wall at the other end and a side wall converging from said opening to end wall;   a rigid perforated wall element within the housing dividing the housing's interior into a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber is defined between said one end and said wall element and a second chamber defined between said wall element and said end wall, the perforated dividing wall element comprises holes that are dimensioned to permit passage of liquid and block passage therethrough of a dry beverage medium;   the empty cartridge being configured for further processing that comprises introducing the dry beverage medium into said first chamber, and after said receiving sealing said opening with a closure.   
     
     
         14 . The empty cartridge of  claim 13 , wherein
 the housing comprises first and second cup-shaped members connected to one another;   said first cup-shaped member comprises an opening at one end thereof, a perforated wall at an opposite end and first side wall extending therebetween;   said second cup-shaped member having an opening at one end and a bottom wall at an opposite end and a second side wall therebetween; and wherein   the two members being combined such that (i) the opening of the first member constitutes said opening of the cartridge, (ii) the perforated wall constitutes the perforated wall element of the cartridge, (iii) the bottom wall of the second member constitutes said end wall of the cartridge, and (iv) the first side wall and the second side wall jointly defining said side wall of the cartridge.   
     
     
         15 . An empty cartridge, comprising:
 a housing having an opening at one end sealed by a closure, an end wall at the other end and a side wall extending therebetween and generally converging from said opening to said end wall;   a rigid perforated dividing wall element within the housing, dividing the housing's interior into a first chamber and second chamber, the first chamber is defined between said one end and said perforated element and contains dry beverage medium, and the second chamber is defined between said perforated dividing member and said end wall, the perforated dividing wall comprises holes that are dimensioned to permit passage of liquid and block passage therethrough of said dry beverage medium; and   the housing comprises first and second cup-shaped members connected to one another, wherein
 said first cup-shaped member comprises an opening at one end thereof, a perforated wall at an opposite end and first side wall extending therebetween, and said second cup-shaped member having an opening at one end and a bottom wall at an opposite end and a second side wall therebetween, and wherein 
 the two members are combined such that (i) the opening of the first member constitutes said opening of the cartridge, (ii) said perforated wall constitutes said dividing member of the cartridge, (iii) the bottom wall of the second member constitutes said end wall of the cartridge, and (iv) the first side wall and the second side wall jointly defining said side wall of the cartridge. 
   
     
     
         16 . The empty cartridge of  claim 15 , wherein the two members are joined to one another by fitting a portion of an inner face of the second side wall adjacent the second member's opening over a bottom portion of an outer face of the first side wall adjacent the perforated wall element and tightly joining the two portions to one another. 
     
     
         17 . The empty cartridge of  claim 15 , wherein the perforated dividing unit is integral with the cup-shaped housing. 
     
     
         18 . The empty cartridge of  claim 13 , wherein the perforated wall element is formed by a perforated insertable element that is configured to be received within the housing in to thereby divide the housing's interior into said first chamber and said second chamber. 
     
     
         19 . The empty cartridge of  claim 18 , wherein the housing comprises first and second cup-shaped members connected to one another at respective first and second connecting ends, one or both of the first and second connecting ends having an inwardly projecting radial lip that defines the support feature. 
     
     
         20 . The empty cartridge of  claim 18 , wherein said perforated insertable element comprises a feature that is configured to tightly engage with a counterpart form-fitting feature in the cartridge's interior to secure it in position within the cartridge.