GB2392429A

GB2392429A - Web of sachets with openings sealed by interconnection means

Info

Publication number: GB2392429A
Application number: GB0220106A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Nicholas Reid
Original assignee: Vallid Ltd
Current assignee: Vallid Ltd
Priority date: 2002-08-30
Filing date: 2002-08-30
Publication date: 2004-03-03
Also published as: WO2004020308A1; WO2004020308A8; GB0220106D0; AU2003259364A1

Abstract

A web 10 of interconnected sachets 12,14,16 is disclosed, each sachet being made from two sheets of impermeable material 11,13 bonded together at the edges. The sachets contain a particulate substance 26 through which liquid can be passed to make a beverage. Each sachet has a discharge opening consisting of an array of holes 20, or a mesh 15 adhered to the interior surfaces of the impermeable sheets, to allow drainage of liquid and retain the particulate substance. The discharge opening is sealed by the interconnecting means 22 between the sachets in the web. The interconnecting means may be a label adhered to the outer surfaces of the sachets and severed to separate them. The web may be formed from continuous sheets separated into sachets, with lines of weakness between each sachet. The sheets may be a laminate material. An annular spacer 18 can be mounted between the two sheets, through which liquid is injected into the sachet.

Description

- 1 - DISPENSING OF BEVERAGES

Field of the invention

5 The present invention relates to the dispensing of beverages. Background of the invention

lo In order to dispense beverages such as coffee, tea, chocolate or soup, dispensing machines have normally relied on the use of instant products, these being powders that dissolve completely in water to produce the desired beverage. To make the beverage, it was only necessary to 15 dispense the appropriate amount of instant powder into a cup and to fill the cup with water. This considerably simplified the construction of the vending or dispensing machine, but the taste of the resulting beverages left much to be desired. Most consumers prefer tea made by brewing tea so leaves and coffee made by percolating hot water through ground coffee powder.

To produce beverages of improved quality, machines are known that do use tea leaves and ground coffee powder 25 instead of instant tea and coffee, examples of these being available in the UK under the Flavia and Kenco Singles trade marks. In the known machines, individual sealed sachets or boxes containing tea leaves or ground coffee powder are inserted into a dispensing machine. In the so dispensing machine, the sachet or box is pierced by a tube that is used to inject hot water into it. After the water has filtered through the ground coffee powder or remained in contact with tea leaves for a sufficient time for the tea to brew, the resulting beverage leaves the sachet and falls 35 directly into a cup for dispensing.

t - 2 - It is important that the sachets should remain hermetically sealed until they are used in making a beverage. The breaking of the hermetic seal to inject a liquid into the sachet can be effected by inserting a needle 5 into a wall of the sachet but it is also necessary to break the seal to allow the liquid to flow from the sachet into a dispensing cup. In the case of the Flavia sachets, the sachet is arranged to burst under the pressure of the injected liquid. This however is not particularly lo satisfactory as the popping of the sachet is unpredictable and can lead to the user being splashed.

A further disadvantage of known sachets is that they are not well suited to use in an automated dispensing 15 machine. This is because the sachets are packaged individually. With a view to mitigating the foregoing disadvantages, the present invention provides a continuous web consisting so of a chain of interconnected sachets, wherein each sachet is formed of two sheets of impermeable material bonded to one another to define a pocket that contains a particulate material from which a beverage can be made by injecting a liquid into the pocket, each sachet is formed with a 25 discharge opening from which the beverage can be discharged from the pocket, and the connection between the sachets is such that the discharge opening of a sachet remains hermetically sealed while the sachet is connected to the next sachet in the web but is uncovered to permit the 30 beverage to be discharged from the sachet when the sachet is separated from the web.

In an embodiment of the invention that is particularly suitable for making tea and other infusions, the discharge 35 opening is formed by an array of holes made in at least one of the sheets, the holes acting as a sieve to permit the

brewed beverage to leave the sachet while retaining the leaves. When the sachets are formed in this manner, the sachets 5 may be connected to one another by labels that are adhered to the outer surfaces of the sachets, the line of adhesion of the labels to the sachets encircling the discharge opening so as to seal the contents of the sachet. In this case, when the label is torn to enable a sachet to be 10 separated from the web, the hermetic seal is automatically broken. The label nevertheless remains in place and this advantageous in that the label can act to channel the discharged beverage into a dispensing cup and to prevent the beverage from spurting out laterally from the discharge 15 opening when liquid is injected into the sachet under pressure. When making coffee or a beverage that uses a fine powder through which the injected liquid must percolate, it so is preferable to form the sachet with a pocket that is open at one end and to adhere a mesh to the interior surfaces of the sheets defining the pocket to act as a filter. With such sachets, the injected liquid must first pass through the fine powder then the mesh filter before it can be discharged 25 from the open end of the pocket.

With this type of sachet, it is once again possible to use labels adhered to the opposite sides of the sachets to connect the sachets of the web to one another. While the web 30 is intact, the open end of each sachet is hermetically sealed by the labels that connect it to the next sachet in the web. Once the labels are severed to separate the sachet from the web, then the beverage can be discharged from the sachet once it has passed through the mesh filter.

With the latter form of sachet, it is not however necessary to use adhered labels and one may instead form the

sachets from continuous sheets of plastics material. The sheets may be weakened between adjacent sachets while remaining impervious to air and water along their entire length. The sheets of plastics material may for example be formed of a laminate that comprises an inner layer of a first material, such as polypropylene that is simple to weld and a second layer of polyester that offers greater lo strength. When using such a laminated material, it would be possible for the polypropylene layer to be continuous but for the polyester layer to be interrupted between the individual sachets. The interruption of the polyester layer would make the web easy to tear between sachets but before a 15 sachet is separated from the web the continuous polypropylene layer would ensure that the contents of the sachets remain hermetically sealed.

The manner in which the liquid is injected into the so sachet may be conventional, but it is preferred to provide within the sachet an annular spacer as disclosed in copending British Patent Application No. (Agent's ref. P/6839). Such a spacer acts as a manifold in that it has a central plenum into which the liquid is injected and 25 fine radial passages that direct the liquid to all parts of the pocket containing the particulate material. The advantage of such a construction is that the sachet is essentially flat, which permits the web to be rolled or more preferably to be fan folded for easy storage in any 30 automated dispensing machine.

If the web of the invention is to be used in a sachet dispenser, be it for manual use or for use in an automated dispensing machine, it is preferable to form tractor feed 35 holes along the sides of the web. These may either be formed in extensions of the sheets of plastics material

- 5 lying outside the pockets or they may be formed in a tape that is adhered to the sachets.

An automated dispensing machine using the webs of the s invention may suitably comprise a transport mechanism that passes sequentially through three stations. In a first loading station, a sachet separated from a selected one of several webs (for different types of beverages) is advanced into the transport mechanism. The sachet, which is no longer lo hermetically sealed, is carried to a dispensing station where liquid, usually hot water, is injected into it and the resulting beverage escapes from the discharge opening into a dispensing cup. Lastly, the spent sachet is carried to a waste station where it is discarded.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a web of the invention with JO one of the labels between adjoining sachets removed, Figure 2 is a section through one of the sachets of the web of Figure 1 during a dispensing operation, and Figure 3 is a section similar to that of Figure 2 showing a sachet of an alternative embodiment of the Is invention which is better suited for making coffee.

The section of the continuous web 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises three sachets 12, 14 and 16 which are suitable for beverages made from coarser particulate materials such as So dried leaves for making tea or other infusions. They can also be used for instant beverages made from a particulate material that is fully soluble.

Each sachet is formed of two sheets, designated 11 and 35 13 in Figure 2, which are bonded to one another around the entire periphery of each sachet. A spacer 18 is bonded to the two sheets 11 and 13. The spacer 18 is annular and has a

- 6 central chamber into which a liquid can be injected by a needle passing through of the sheets 11, 13. The spacer includes radial passages through which the injected liquid can be distributed, as designated by the arrows in Figure 2, 5 to all parts of the interior of the sachet to permeate the particulate material 26 in the sachet.

Each of the sheets 11,13 is formed of a laminated plastics material having at least an inner layer of a material such as polypropylene that can be heat welded and a JO stronger liquid impervious outer layer made of a material such as a polyester. The sheets may if desired additionally include a metallic layer.

A discharge opening is formed by an array 20 of fine 15 holes in at least one of the two sheets 11,13 through which liquid can be discharged from the sachet after the beverage has brewed or the particulate material has dissolved. The holes can be formed either by piercing the sheet or by means of a laser.

The individual sachets are connected to one another to form a web by means of labels 22 that are applied to both sides of the sachets. The labels 22 have an adhesive applied only around their periphery and are adhered to both of the 25 sheets 11,13. The web 10 is shown with the label that connects the individual sachets 12 and 14 removed to expose the array 20 of fine holes.

While the labels 22 are in place, as shown for the JO labels connecting the sachets 14 and 16, the array of holes 20 is covered by the labels 22 so that the sachet remains hermetically sealed. When however the labels 22 are cut or torn to separate a sachet from web, the sachet is no longer sealed and liquid injected into the sachet through the 35 spacer 18 can escape from the sachet through the array of holes in the manner represented by the arrows in Figure 2.

Because the label 22 remains stuck to the sachet, it acts as a flap which prevents liquid from spraying out of the sachet. Instead the beverage is channelled between the flap and sachet and drops cleanly into a dispensing cup 5 placed below the sachet.

In use, the web of Figure 1 is stored in a dispensing machine either as a roll or as a fan fold. The side edges of the web 10 have sprocket holes which are either formed in lo the sheets 11,13 or in tapes that are adhered to the individual sachets. The sachets 12 to 16 are only connected to one another by means of the labels 22 but the labels act to ensure that all the sachets remain hermetically sealed.

15 When a beverage is to be dispensed, an indexing mechanism having a tractor feed is used to advance the web by means of the sprocket holes by a distance corresponding to the length of one sachet. The advanced sachet is then separated from the web by cutting through the labels 22 that 20 attach the sachet to the next sachet in the web. The sachet is transported to a dispensing station in which it is held vertically above an opening. A liquid, usually hot water, is injected into the sachet, passes through the particulate material in the sachet and leaves through the array of holes 25 20 to fall through the opening in the dispensing machine into a cup. After the required quantity of liquid has passed through the sachet, the sachet is removed from the dispensing station and transported to a waste station where the spent sachets are stored for subsequent disposal.

Because liquid only comes into contact with the sachet and no other part of the dispensing machine, the machine remains clean at all times and there is no risk of cross-

contamination between different beverages dispensed using 35 the same machine. Each sachet remains hermetically sealed until it is separated from its web immediately before it is

- 8 - used and it can therefore benefit from a prolonged shelf life. The array of holes 20 is not particularly well suited 5 to certain beverages, such as coffee, that are made from finely ground powder. With such beverages, it is preferred to use a mesh, such as filter paper 15 in Figure 3, that is adhered to the interior of the sachet. The filter paper 15 in Figure 3 is gusseted to provide a larger surface area for lo the liquid to percolate through the ground powder but this is not essential.

When a sachet 12' is provided with a mesh that prevents the particulate material from escaping from the sachet, it remains possible to attach the sachets to one another by means of labels that must be cut to separate each sachet from the web. It is however also possible in this case to dispense entirely with the labels and to form the sachets such that the sheets 11',13' are made from continuous stock.

20 In this case, a sachet is separated from the web by cutting through the sheets and at the same time the seal along its lower edge is broken and a discharge opening is created to permit liquid to leave the sachet after passing through the particulate material 26 and the filter 15.

It is possible to form a line of weakness between the sachets in the web by interrupting the polyester layer of the sheets 11',13' between individual sachets while leaving the polypropylene layer intact. It is however simpler to JO provide a cutter in the dispensing machine that can sever the full thickness of the sheets 11',13'.

Claims

1. A continuous web consisting of a chain of interconnected sachets, wherein each sachet is formed of two 5 sheets of impermeable material bonded to one another to define a pocket that contains a particulate material from which a beverage can be made by injecting a liquid into the pocket, each sachet is formed with a discharge opening from which the beverage can be discharged from the pocket, and lo the connection between the sachets is such that the discharge opening of a sachet remains hermetically sealed while the sachet is connected to the next sachet in the web but is uncovered to permit the beverage to be discharged from the sachet when the sachet is separated from the web.

2. A web as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge opening is formed by an array of holes made in at least one of the sheets, the holes acting as a sieve to permit the brewed beverage to leave the sachet while retaining the 20 leaves.

3. A web as claimed in claim 1, wherein each sachet is formed as a pocket that is open at its lower end to define a discharge opening, and a mesh is adhered to the 25 interior surfaces of the sheets to retain the particulate material within the sachet and to act as a filter.

4. A web as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the sachets are connected to one another by a label which in use so is severed to separate each sachet from the web, the label being adhered to the outer surfaces of the sachets with the line of adhesion of the label to the sachets encircling the discharge opening so as to seal the contents of the sachet.

35 5. A web as claimed in claims 2 and 4, wherein in use the label remains adhered to the sachet after it has been separated from the web and acts to channel the beverage

- 10 into a dispensing cup and to prevent the beverage from spurting out laterally from the discharge opening when liquid is injected into the sachet under pressure.

5

6. A web as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sachets are formed from continuous sheets of plastics material, the material being severed to separate each sachet from the web.

7. A web as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plastics lo sheets are weakened between adjacent sachets while remaining impervious to air and water along their entire length.

8. A web as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheets of plastics material are formed of a laminate 15 that comprises an inner layer of a material that is simple to weld and a second layer that offers greater strength.

9. A web as claimed in claims 7 and 8, wherein the inner layer is continuous but the outer layer is interrupted 20 between the individual sachets.

10. A web as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each sachet includes an annular spacer that is welded to the interior of the two sheets, the spacer having a central 25 plenum into which the liquid is injected and fine radial passages that direct the liquid to all parts of the pocket containing the particulate material.

ll. A web as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein 30 sprocket holes are provided along the sides of the web to permit the web to be advance by a tractor feed indexing mechanism. 12. A web constructed substantially as herein 35 described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.