초록 ▼

A capsule (1) contains beverage ingredients such as ground coffee, tea or other ingredients and is configured for insertion in a beverage production device (2) in order to have a liquid under pressure have enter the capsule (1) and to interact with the ingredients (3) in the capsule (11). The capsul

A capsule (1) contains beverage ingredients such as ground coffee, tea or other ingredients and is configured for insertion in a beverage production device (2) in order to have a liquid under pressure have enter the capsule (1) and to interact with the ingredients (3) in the capsule (11). The capsule (1) has a base body (4) and a foil member (5) closing the base body (4) by being attached to a flange-like rim (6) extending from the side wall (7) of the base body (4) of the capsule (1). The base body (4) of the capsule (1) comprises a resilient sealing member (8), the sealing member (8) being designed to be in sealing engagement with a bell member (9) of the beverage production device (2).

대표청구항 ▼

1. A capsule for containing beverage ingredients having a center axis defining an axial direction and designed for insertion in a beverage production device in which a liquid under pressure enters the capsule in order to interact with the ingredients in the capsule and to drain a beverage from the c

1. A capsule for containing beverage ingredients having a center axis defining an axial direction and designed for insertion in a beverage production device in which a liquid under pressure enters the capsule in order to interact with the ingredients in the capsule and to drain a beverage from the capsule, the capsule comprising a first and second wall element connected with each other in a gas-tight fashion at a flange-like rim so as to create a sealed interior for the ingredient and comprising a sealing member on an outer surface of the capsule and occupying at least a portion of the flange-like rim, wherein the sealing member is distinct from the first and second wall element and made of a material having a lower hardness than the material of the remaining portions of the capsule, the sealing member is configured to be compressible in sealing engagement at least in the axial direction with at least a matching pressing surface of the beverage production device, and the sealing member is resilient; wherein the sealing member has a resiliency which, in combination with the compressibility and lower hardness in relation to the remaining portions of the capsule, provides the sealing member with the ability to stop any water from flowing between the capsule and the pressing surface of the beverage production device when the sealing member is in use in the sealing engagement within the beverage production device. 2. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is resilient due to its shape. 3. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is so constructed and arranged to exert a biasing force against the matching pressing surface of the beverage production device. 4. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is compressible and resilient due to a constituent material from which it is constructed. 5. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member has a hollow deflectable structure. 6. The capsule according to claim 4, wherein the sealing member is designed to compress from a first uncompressed thickness to a second compressed thickness. 7. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is made of a material that is different than the material of the remaining portions of the capsule. 8. The capsule according to claim 6, wherein the sealing member is made of a rubber-elastic material. 9. The capsule according to claim 8, wherein the remaining portions of the capsule is made of non-rubber elastic material. 10. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is made from at least one material from which remaining portions of the capsule are made. 11. The capsule according to claim 1, comprising a first and a second wall element connected with each other in a gas-tight fashion at a flange-like rim area so as to create a sealed interior for the ingredients. 12. The capsule according to claim 7, wherein the sealing member is provided at least in a transition area of a flange-like rim and one of the wall elements. 13. A capsule for containing beverage ingredients having a center axis defining an axial direction and designed for insertion in a beverage production device in which a liquid under pressure enters the capsule in order to interact with the ingredients in the capsule and to drain a beverage from the capsule, the capsule comprising a first and second wall element connected with each other in a gas-tight fashion at a flange like rim so as to create a sealed interior for the ingredient and comprising a sealing member on an outer surface of the capsule and occupying at least a portion of the flange-like rim, the sealing member being distinct from the first and second element and being configured to be compressible in sealing engagement with at least a matching pressing surface of the beverage production device and the sealing member being resilient, wherein the sealing member is made of a material different than the material of the remaining portions of the capsule and having a lower hardness than the material of the remaining portions of the capsule, and is provided on a wall between a flange-like rim and a location on the capsule where water is injected to assist in preventing the liquid from flowing outside the capsule; wherein the sealing member has a resiliency which, in combination with the compressibility and lower hardness in relation to the remaining portions of the capsule, provides the sealing member with the ability to stop any water from flowing between the capsule and the pressing surface of the beverage production device when the sealing member is in use in the sealing engagement within the beverage production device. 14. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the capsule comprises a cup-like base body and a closure member. 15. The capsule according to claim 14, wherein the sealing member is present both on a flange-like rim and a portion of a side wall of the base body. 16. The capsule according to claim 10, wherein the sealing member is an integral part of one of the wall elements. 17. The capsule according to claim 6, wherein the sealing member is a structure that is different from wall elements of the capsule. 18. The capsule according to claim 17, wherein the sealing member has a shape of an O-ring. 19. The capsule according to claim 18, wherein the sealing member has a L-shaped cross-section. 20. The capsule according to claim 17, wherein the sealing member is attached to one of the wall elements using an attachment selected from the group consisting of an adhesive, by welding, by pinching, crimping and a combination thereof. 21. A beverage producing system, comprising a beverage production device in which a liquid under pressure enters a capsule comprising a structure according to claim 1 in order to interact with the ingredients in the capsule and to drain a beverage from the capsule, the capsule comprising a sealing member on an outer surface of the capsule, wherein the sealing member is configured to be compressible in sealing engagement with at least a matching pressing surface of the beverage production device, the sealing member is resilient, and the sealing material is made of a material having a lower hardness than the material of the remaining portions of the capsule, and wherein the beverage production device includes an enclosing member adapted to selectively and sealingly engage the sealing member of the capsule. 22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the sealing engagement is compressible and resilient due to a constituent material from which it is constructed and is only effective as long as the enclosing member exerts a minimum pressure on the capsule, and is automatically released as soon as the pressure falls below the minimum pressure. 23. The system according to claim 22, wherein grooves are provided in a circumference of the enclosing member, the grooves act as air inlet passages for feeding air through the grooves and through the released sealing engagement between the capsule and the enclosing member. 24. The system according to claim 21, wherein the enclosing member comprises additional sealing means adapted to assist sealing engagement between the enclosing member and the capsule. 25. The system according to claim 21, wherein the sealing pressure acting at the sealing engagement has at least one of a radial or an axial component relative to the center axis of the capsule. 26. A method for producing a beverage, the method comprising the steps of: providing a capsule containing beverage forming ingredients and comprising a structure according to claim 1, the capsule including a first wall member and a second wall member sealed to each other,positioning the capsule in a beverage production device and producing at least one opening in both the first and second wall members, andhaving a liquid enter the capsule through the at least one opening in the first wall member and having the liquid leave the capsule through at least the one opening in the second wall member,wherein the opening in the first wall member is separated from the opening in the second wall member by a pressure-tight sealing engagement of an element of the beverage production device and the sealing member of the capsule to assist in preventing the liquid from flowing outside of the capsule. 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the pressure-tight sealing engagement is caused by the sealing member of the capsule and the sealing engagement is not present when using a capsule without the sealing member. 28. A beverage production system comprising: the capsule of claim 1; anda beverage production device having an enclosing member adapted to selectively and sealingly engage the sealing member of the capsule. 29. The system of claim 28, wherein grooves are provided in the circumference of the enclosing member. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein grooves act as air inlet passages for feeding air through the grooves and through the released sealing engagement between the capsule and enclosing member.