Highly recyclable beverage pods and method of manufacture

Abstract

A beverage pod is disclosed. The beverage pod includes a cavity comprised of a shell and a filter disc disposed within the cavity. The beverage pod also includes a formed filter material adhered to an interior surface of the cavity and a beverage material within the formed filter material. Further, the beverage pod includes an airtight lid sealing the filter disc, the formed filter material, and the beverage material within the cavity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage pod comprising:
 a cavity comprised of a shell;   a filter disc disposed within the cavity;   a formed filter material adhered to an interior surface of the cavity;   a beverage material within the formed filter material; and   an airtight lid sealing the filter disc, the formed filter material, and the beverage material within the cavity.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the shell is comprised of an aluminum material. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage pod shell is comprised of an aluminum alloy material. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity of the beverage pod is comprised of a polymeric coating. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , further comprising a headspace between the beverage material and the airtight lid. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage pod of  claim 5 , wherein the headspace comprises an inert gas disposed and sealed within the cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage pod of  claim 6 , wherein the inert gas comprises nitrogen gas disposed and sealed within the cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage pod of  claim 5 , wherein the headspace comprises an oxygen level of less than 2%. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the airtight lid is comprised of an aluminum foil material and polymeric coating. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage pod of  claim 9 , wherein the airtight lid comprises a tab configured to enable a user to grasp. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage pod of  claim 10 , wherein the tab is configured to all the airtight lid to be peeled from the beverage pod. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the cavity comprises at least one groove configured to allow a plurality of beverage pods to be stacked. 
     
     
         13 . The beverage pod of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one groove comprises at least one twist groove. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein filter disc is disposed off of an interior floor of the cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the shell comprises at least one recess. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage pod of  claim 15 , wherein an exterior surface of the shell further comprises a curved channel extending from a top of the exterior surface to a corresponding recess of the at least one recess. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity comprises a polymeric coating on an interior surface of the shell. 
     
     
         18 . The beverage pod of  claim 17 , wherein the polymeric coating comprises a co-extruded polypropylene. 
     
     
         19 . The beverage pod of  claim 18 , wherein the co-extruded polypropylene comprises a thickness of about 27 microns. 
     
     
         20 . The beverage pod of  claim 1 , wherein the formed filter material is disposed within the cavity to allow for about 10 millimeters of clearance between an underside of the filter and an inside bottom of the beverage pod.