RU239356U1 - A container for a single-component beverage, containing two annular grooves in the upper part, equipped with a positioner, a positioner bridge, a sealed bag, an adhesive layer, stiffeners, and a capsule holder support - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to beverage preparation devices, as well as containers specially adapted for specific products. The utility model can be used to operate the claimed device in challenging conditions, such as by passengers in vehicles, particularly taxis. A container for a single-component beverage, comprising in its upper part two annular grooves, one above the other, wherein the container is provided with a holder for one capsule, which has one opening, the shape and size of which allows the capsule to be installed in it, wherein the holder has a protrusion that allows it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container, wherein the holder is configured to move from its upper position, in which its protrusion is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its protrusion is in the lower groove of the container, wherein the container is provided with a piercer containing one piercing element, which is located inside the container and is attached to the inside of the container, wherein the piercer is located in such a way that, when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing element does not interact with the capsule, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing element pierces the capsule, wherein the piercer is provided with a capsule positioner, the internal shape of which repeats the external shape of the lower part of the capsule, wherein the positioner The capsule is provided with positioner bridges connecting the positioner and the container walls, wherein the container contains a sealed bag of water, wherein the capsule holder is provided with an adhesive layer located in the area of contact with the capsule, wherein the capsule holder is provided with stiffening ribs evenly spaced around the holder's perimeter, and wherein the interior of the container is provided with a capsule holder support formed inseparably from the interior of the container's side wall. The technical result achieved by the utility model consists in increasing the operational safety of the device. 3 ill.

Description

This utility model relates to beverage preparation devices, as well as specially adapted containers for these devices. The utility model can be used for operating the device in challenging conditions, such as by passengers in vehicles, particularly taxis.

State of the art

The prior art discloses containers for preparing and consuming beverages described in RU 218200 U1, 16.05.2023, RU 219996 U1, 18.08.2023, RU 221418 U1, 07.11.2023, RU 220130 U1, 28.08.2023, RU 220368 U1, 20.07.2023, RU 220129 U1, 28.08.2023, as well as in RU 229407 U1, 04.10.2024, RU 229400 U1, 04.10.2024, RU 228658 U1, 09.09.2024, and equipped with capsule holders, and also with piercing tools.

However, in known solutions, neither the capsule holders nor the piercers are movable; therefore, the capsule is pierced by the user when inserting it into the holder, immediately before preparing the drink.

Therefore, known solutions cannot be stored with capsules installed, and also require the user to properly install the capsules. Operating the coffee machine with incorrectly installed capsules can result in hot water splashing out, which can land on the passenger, burn them, and stain clothing and/or the car's interior.

Thus, the known designs are unsafe to operate.

The technical result achieved by the utility model consists in increasing the safety of operation of the device.

In order to achieve the technical result, a container for a single-component beverage is claimed, containing in its upper part two annular grooves, one above the other, wherein the container is provided with a holder for one capsule, which has one opening, the shape and size of which allows the capsule to be installed in it, wherein the holder has a protrusion that allows it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container, wherein the holder is configured to move from its upper position, in which its protrusion is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its protrusion is in the lower groove of the container, wherein the container is provided with a piercer containing one piercing element, which is inside the container and is attached to the inside of the container, wherein the piercer is located in such a way that, when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing element does not interact with the capsule, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing element pierces the capsule, wherein the piercer is provided with a capsule positioner, the internal shape of which repeats the external shape of the lower part of the capsule, at In this case, the capsule positioner is provided with positioner jumpers connecting the positioner and the walls of the container, wherein the container contains a sealed package, wherein the capsule holder is provided with an adhesive layer located in the area of contact with the capsule, wherein the capsule holder is provided with stiffening ribs located evenly around the perimeter of the holder, wherein the inner part of the container is provided with a support for the capsule holder, made inseparable from the inner part of the side wall of the container.

The essence of the utility model is explained by illustrations:

Fig. 1 - device with installed capsule before capsule puncture. Side cross-sectional view.

Fig. 2 - The device with the capsule installed after puncture. Side cross-sectional view.

Fig. 3 - The device. Side sectional view. A - before installation in a car coffee machine. B - after installation in a car coffee machine.

In this case:

1 - Car coffee machine

2 - Capacity

3 - Upper groove of the tank

4 - Lower groove of the tank

5 - Capsule holder

6 - Capsule

7 - Ledge

8 - Piercing element

9 - Puncturer

10 - Positioner

11 - Positioner jumper

12 - Sealed bag

13 - Adhesive layer

14 - Stiffener

15 - Capsule holder support.

Implementation of a utility model

The body of the water container is designed with rigidity that ensures the possibility of using the device without its destruction during user manipulation of the declared device at all stages of the device's operation, including when placing the device on the lower receiving piercer.

A beverage container 2 comprises two annular grooves 3 and 4 in its upper portion, one above the other. The container is provided with a holder 5 for one capsule 6, which has a single opening of a shape and size suitable for inserting a capsule therein. The holder has a projection 7 that allows it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container. Furthermore, the holder is movable from its upper position, in which its projection is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its projection is in the lower groove of the container. The container is provided with a piercer 9, comprising a piercing element 8 (e.g., a needle), which is located inside the container and attached to the interior of the container. The piercer is positioned such that when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing element does not interact with the capsule, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing element pierces the capsules.

When moving the capsule from the upper to the lower position, the capsule may become tilted, causing the lower portion of the capsule to fail to pierce. This could result in water dispensed through the upper piercing hole splashing out through the connection between the upper piercer and the capsule, or could cause a rupture in the brewing unit's water lines. This situation creates a risk of hot water splashing onto the user.

To reduce the likelihood of this hazard, the lancing device is equipped with a positioner attached to the lancing device. The internal shape of the positioner matches the external shape of the lower portion of the capsule. This positioner is designed to position the capsule as it moves from the upper to the lower position and is pierced. This positioner prevents the capsule from tilting and ensures that the lower portion of the capsule is pierced, increasing the safety of the device.

Due to the softness of the material from which the positioner may be made, the positioner may deviate to the side, thus, the capsule, entering the positioner, may become crooked and/or get stuck in the positioner, as a result of which the puncture of the lower part of the capsule may not occur.

To reduce the likelihood of such a hazard, the claimed device includes positioner bridges connecting the positioner and the side wall of the container. These bridges are integrally molded or bonded to the positioner and the container wall, increasing the positioner's rigidity. Thus, the capsule positioner, connected to the container via a bridge, prevents the capsule from tilting and ensures that the lower portion of the capsule is not punctured, improving the safety of the device.

To prepare the drink, water is forced under pressure through a substance contained in a capsule. To add water to the coffee machine, you need to pour water from a bottle into the device. This involves opening the bottle, turning it upside down, and pouring the water into the device. In a moving vehicle, where there may be shaking, braking, or sudden maneuvers, this operation could result in water spilling onto the user and/or interior components of the vehicle. To reduce the risk of this hazard, the device contains water from which the drink is prepared.

However, water inside the container could leak during its transfer from the production line to storage and/or from storage to use, or at any other stage of the device's operation. To reduce the risk of such a hazard, the water is contained in a sealed bag.

The coffee machine is designed to receive water from a sealed bag using a receiving piercer, a pointed tube designed to pierce the lid and the sealed bag. The tube is lowered vertically to the bottom of the container, for example, by a lever or linear actuator, with the opening of the tube facing down and a pump drawing water out of the sealed bag. The water passes through the beverage preparation elements and, through the upper piercer, is fed into the capsule. After passing through the capsule filler, it flows into the container as the finished beverage.

Water in a sealed bag ensures the functional integrity of the device and serves as a medium that functions as part of the device. Without this medium, the functional integrity of the device is compromised, and the stated technical result—improved operational safety—would not be achieved, as preparing a drink requires pouring water into the coffee machine, which is inconvenient and unsafe in moving vehicles. Furthermore, the presence of water in a sealed bag for preparing a drink ensures procedural integrity. In this case, the sealed bag of water is not simply a container, like water in a drinking glass; it is an active component of the technological process, representing an assembly operation, as the sealed bag is filled with water directly at the production site, and then it is constantly present in the container until the beverage is produced. This eliminates the need for interaction with water, thereby increasing the operational safety of the device.

When tilting the device while drinking, the liquid inside the device may press on the inserted capsule, causing the capsule to fall out of the capsule slot. This could result in hot beverage leaking through the unsealed capsule slot onto the user. To reduce the risk of this hazard, the capsule holder is equipped with an adhesive layer located in the capsule contact area, designed to adhere the capsule to the capsule slot.

The adhesive used is a food-grade hot-melt adhesive, such as silicone adhesive, epoxy resin, or other solvent-free adhesives that emit low levels of volatile organic compounds, making them safe for food contact. The adhesive layer is pre-applied to the finished product in a continuous layer or in dots.

The presence of an adhesive layer on the capsule seat where it contacts the device prevents capsules from falling out of the capsule socket. The adhesive layer in the capsule-lid contact area secures the capsule in the socket, preventing it from falling out and increasing the safety of the device.

When pouring liquid into the device, the upper piercer presses against the capsule located in the device with significant force. This significant force is required due to the high water pressure generated by the coffee machine, which is necessary to force the water through the beverage extract contained in the capsule. The force applied to the upper piercer is transmitted from the capsule to the device components and can cause damage to these components. This could result in splashing of hot liquid onto the user when pouring hot liquid into the device.

To reduce the likelihood of such a hazard, the device is equipped with stiffening ribs located on any part of the device, designed to increase the strength of the product and prevent its deformation and destruction. The stiffening ribs are implemented as localized thickenings of the product walls during the molding process (e.g., injection molding). The pressure generated by the upper piercer on the capsule is transferred to the device components reinforced by the stiffening ribs, reducing the likelihood of component failure and thereby increasing the safety of the device.

The capsule holder moves from its upper position to its lower position, which is used to pierce the bottom of the capsule, when the upper capsule piercer, which is part of the beverage preparation device, is pressed onto the capsule. If the device is not installed evenly in the beverage preparation device, or if the capsule seat is deformed, for example, due to improper storage or transportation, or if the capsule piercer mechanism or the device holder in the coffee machine are deformed, for example, due to temperature effects from the environment and/or from beverage preparation device components, the capsule seat may end up higher than its normal position, i.e., closer to the capsule piercer. This may result in the capsule being crushed and the capsule seat being destroyed when the upper capsule piercer is lowered onto the capsule. This will result in water being sprayed under pressure into the capsule through the capsule piercer, which may burn the user, stain their clothing and/or the interior of the vehicle.

To reduce the likelihood of this situation, the claimed device is equipped with a capsule holder support, which is an annular platform integrally molded or bonded to the inside of the container sidewall. The capsule holder support is made of hard plastic and is designed to support the capsule holder in its lowered position. The capsule holder support has several through-holes to allow the beverage to flow when the container is tilted. These holes are designed so that when drinking, the entire beverage flows out of the glass through these holes. The capsule holder support is permanently positioned on the inside of the container wall and does not move when the upper capsule piercer is lowered. This increases the rigidity of the capsule seat in the lowered position, reducing the likelihood of damage to the capsule seat from excessive pressure from the upper capsule piercer, thereby improving the safety of the device.

The utility model works as follows:

The user can use a beverage container pre-packaged with a capsule corresponding to the beverage's recipe. Alternatively, the user can customize the container by inserting the appropriate capsules into the beverage container holder. It's important to note that the capsules are not punctured during installation.

The user then places the beverage container into the coffee machine, which, by moving the holder, pierces the capsules from below.

The coffee machine is designed to simultaneously pierce the capsule from above with the upper piercer and cut a drinking hole. For this purpose, the coffee machine is equipped with a knife, which is a component of the coffee machine designed to cut a drinking hole when the upper piercer is lowered onto the device.

The coffee machine then heats and forces water under pressure through the capsules into the container, thus providing the user with a finished drink, ready for consumption through the opening created by cutting the drinking hole.

Claims (1)

A container for a single-component beverage, comprising in its upper part two annular grooves, one above the other, wherein the container is provided with a holder for one capsule, which has one opening, the shape and size of which allows the capsule to be installed in it, wherein the holder has a protrusion that allows it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container, wherein the holder is configured to move from its upper position, in which its protrusion is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its protrusion is in the lower groove of the container, wherein the container is provided with a piercer containing one piercing element, which is located inside the container and is attached to the inside of the container, wherein the piercer is located in such a way that, when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing element does not interact with the capsule, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing element pierces the capsule, wherein the piercer is provided with a capsule positioner, the internal shape of which repeats the external shape of the lower part of the capsule, wherein the positioner The capsule is provided with positioner jumpers connecting the positioner and the walls of the container, wherein the container contains a sealed package with water, wherein the capsule holder is provided with an adhesive layer located in the area of contact with the capsule, wherein the capsule holder is provided with stiffening ribs located evenly along the perimeter of the holder, wherein the inner part of the container is provided with a support for the capsule holder, made inseparable from the inner part of the side wall of the container.