NL2027976B1

NL2027976B1 - Capsule, assembly, and method for the preparation of single-serve beverages

Info

Publication number: NL2027976B1
Application number: NL2027976A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Eric Anton Arthur Klep Mark
Original assignee: Threehundredsixty Degrees B V
Priority date: 2021-04-15
Filing date: 2021-04-15
Publication date: 2022-10-28

Abstract

The invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of single-serve beverages and use of said capsule. The invention also relates to an assembly of a capsule according to the invention and a device for preparing beverages, which device comprises a capsule holder for holding the capsule. The invention further relates to a method for the production of a capsule for preparation of single-serve beverages, in particular a capsule according to the invention.

Description

Capsule, assembly, and method for the preparation of single-serve beverages The invention relates to a capsule for the preparation of single-serve beverages. The invention also relates to an assembly of a capsule according to the invention and a device for preparing beverages, which device comprises a capsule holder for holding the capsule. The invention moreover relates to the use of a capsule according to the invention in a device for preparing beverages. The invention also relates to a pelletized compound for producing at least a part of the housing of the capsule according to the invention, as well as to the use of said pelletized compound for producing at least a part of said housing of the capsule according to the invention. The invention further relates to a method for the production of a capsule for preparation of single-serve beverages, in particular a capsule according to the invention.

Coffee is one of the most known beverages worldwide. The popular hot beverage is made from roasted coffee beans and is a widely enjoyed drink both in restaurants and at home. Many people have their own single-served coffee maker at home, which makes use of grounded coffee, coffee beans, or coffee capsules. In particular single-serve, flavoured coffee capsules, wherein a predefined amount of ground coffee is packaged in a housing, provide new experiences beyond the traditional custom of brewing coffee. The quality, efficiency, and diverse choices offered in such capsules are responsible for the significant growth witnessed by the coffee capsules market. While these capsules provide consumers access to a selection of premium coffee worldwide, the capsules create huge quantities of plastic-aluminium packaging waste. Consequently, improvements have been proposed in a capsules pick-up network to increase and facilitate the recycling indices of capsule waste. However, in reality, there is often a mismatch with the infrastructure and services that were actually available, which still leads to a substantial inefficiency of such pick-up networks and moderate use of these networks, despite of the increasing environmental awareness which drives consumers’ attitudes regarding the environment and sustainability.

It is a first goal of the invention to reduce the amount of waste originating from single-serve beverage capsules that ends up in landfill.

it is a second goal of the invention to provide an improved single-serve beverage capsule having a decreased environmental footprint.

It is a third goal of the invention to provide a single-serve beverage capsule having an improved composition.

At least one of these goals can be achieved by providing a single-serve capsule according to the preamble, comprising: a substance to be extracted and/or to be dissolved, such as ground coffee, for preparing a beverage, in particular coffee, and a substantially closed housing, which substantially fully encapsulates the substance, wherein the housing comprises chaff and/or at least one constituent obtained from chaff. Chaff, also known as silverskin, coffee chaff, perisperm or spermoderm, is a skin which covers and, due to its antioxidant properties, protects (preserves) the green (unroasted) coffee bean in the cherry. It covers about 4% of the weight of the bean. After harvesting the cherry is dried or washed to take out the bean from the cherry, wherein the silverskin keeps protecting the coffee bean itself. The silverskin is released from the bean during the roasting of the fresh coffee beans and is subsequently considered a by-product of the roasting process and is usually discarded as waste or may alternatively be used as soil fertilizer. It has been found that this chaff, or constituents of this chaff, and/or derivates based upon (obtainable from) this chaff, can be efficiently used to compose at least a part of the housing of the capsule according to the invention, which reduces the amount of waste generated during the production process, and leads to a more environmental-friendly (“greener”) capsule. Furthermore, the inclusion of natural material (biomaterial) into the housing improves the recyclability of the housing, which provides the capsule according to the invention a circular design from an economic point of view. Instead of or additionally to coffee chaff also other types of chaff, like chaff obtained from cereal grains, like rice, barley, oats, and wheat, or one or more constituents obtained therefore, may be used to compose at least a part of the housing of the capsule according to the invention.

The constituent may be a constituent as originally present in the chaff, but may also be a constituent which is a modified constituent based upon chaff, in particular a chemically and/or enantiomeric modified constituent based upon chaff. The chaff used for the housing is typically obtained from a coffee bean, preferably a roasted coffee bean, although also unroasted and/or untreated chaff may be used to compose at least a part of the housing of the capsule according to the invention. The main component of coffee chaff is fiber, typically present in an amount of 69- 70% by weight, of which approximately 24% is cellulose, 17% is hemicellulose, and 29% is lignin. Coffee chaff typically comprises approximately 19% by weight of protein, 4% by weight of lipids, as well as a small amount of caffeine and polyphenols. These weight percentages are approximations and they may vary according to the coffee variety and extraction method. The presence of polyphenols in chaff, of which chlorogenic acid is the major component, is of interest as it shows antioxidant properties, which is favourable for the shelf life of the single-serve beverage capsule as such. Preferably, the housing is free of carcinogenic constituents, like hydroxymethylfurfural and ochratoxin, which may be present in the chaff to be used for composing at least a part of the housing. In case such carcinogenic constituent would be present in the chaff used, this constituent is preferably substantially eliminated before realizing the housing to prevent migration of such a constituent from the housing into the packaged substance to be extracted and/or dissolved.

Preferably, the total amount of one or more constituents obtained from chaff, preferably chaff as such, in the housing may be at least 10% by weight of the housing, preferably at least 20% chaff by weight of the housing, more preferably at least 30% chaff by weight of the housing. Although it is imaginable that the housing is entirely composed of chaff or one or more, original and/or modified, constituents obtained from chaff, in practice often a composite of chaff or chaff based constituents and at least one other material, typically a polymer, is used to compose at least a part of the housing. Often, in this composite, the chaff or chaff based constituents are dispersed in and/or mixed with a polymer matrix as will be described below in more detail.

In a preferred embodiment of the capsule according to the invention solely the housing fully encapsulates the substance. The housing is preferably formed by a single component, formed around, preferably moulded around, the substance to be extracted and/or dissolved. In this preferred embodiment, the housing may also be considered as a shell entirely surrounding and sealing, and hence packaging, the substance to be extracted and/or solved. It is advantageous when the housing is the only packaging that is needed for the substance, as such avoiding unnecessary waste from packaging and avoiding the use of more other components, which is moreover favourable from a logistic and economic point of view. The substance can be contained by the housing in an uncompressed or compressed state. It is typically preferred to package the substance in a compressed state in the housing, which typically leads to a more compact capsule, which attractive from an economic and logistic point of view. Preferably, the substance is compressed prior to and/or during encapsulation by the housing, wherein said compressed state of the substance is preferably maintained by the housing. Packaging the substance in a compressed state reduces the porosity of the, typically powder-like and/or granular, substance, which increases the effective density of the substance, and which allows a predefined quantity of substance to be packaged in a relatively compact manner. Moreover, this reduced porosity will commonly reduce the amount of air or moisture enclosed by the substance, which will typically improve the shelf life. The packaging of the compressed substance by the housing is hence substantially functional. Typically, an outer surface of the compressed substance is substantially entirely in contact with an inner surface of the housing. This means that the housing is preferably substantially entirely filled with substance to be extracted and/or dissolved.

Another advantage of the use of chaff and/or at least one constituent obtained from chaff is that the chaff and its constituents are home compostable, whereas the aluminium or plastic, often polyolefin, housing of a traditional coffee capsule is usually not compostable at all. As the used substance, in particular the coffee grounds, are typically also compostable, the entire capsule according to the invention can be given a compostable, in particular home compostable character, which reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.

The housing of the capsule according to the present invention may be substantially completely compostable. It is beneficial to choose other ingredients for the housing besides at least one constituent obtained from chaff to be compostable, such that substantially the complete housing is compostable. Preferably the housing is suitable to be composted at home. Composting at home means that the housing is compostable within 12-13 weeks, preferably 4-5 weeks, even more preferably 2-3 weeks.

In case the chaff {or one or more derivates therefrom) is mixed with at least one polymeric material, wherein chaff particles, e.g. chaff flakes or chaff platelets, are mixed with said polymeric material, the chaff particles are typically oriented in shingle-like structure during injection-moulding and/or extrusion and/or 5 thermoforming of the housing, which provides the housing improved oxygen barrier properties, and which improves the shelf life of the capsule as such. The shingle- like orientation of the chaff particles is created during forcing molten polymeric material towards a mould or mechanical mouth, which leads to a layered, (typically partially) overlapping orientation of the chaff particles, typically substantially parallel to the flow direction of the mixture of molten polymeric material and chaff particles, thereby creating an oxygen labyrinth in the housing material, which leads to the improved oxygen barrier properties. The housing material comprising said material mixture of (at least) said at least one polymeric material and said chaff particles may be considered as a composite material.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing comprises at least one composite material comprising chaff and/or at least one constituent obtained from chaff, and at least one biopolymer. The combination of chaff with a biopolymer forming said composite is beneficial because this composite exhibits good thermal stability, which is favourable in case a hot beverage, such as coffee, will be prepared by using the capsule according to the invention. In a particular preferred embodiment of the capsule according to the present invention the housing comprises at least one biopolymer chosen from the group consisting of: polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate-co-butylene adipate {(PBSA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyvalerate)(PHBYV), feather keratin, and starch. PLA may comprise both the L- enantiomer (PLLA homopolymer) and the D-enantiomer (PDLA homopolymer). The use of a biopolymer is advantageous as such a material is obtainable from a natural source and can typically efficiently be renewed (recycled), and often also composted, after use. Typically, the one or more biopolymers used act as polymer matrix into which chaff, and/or one or more constituents obtained from chaff, are dispersed. The chaff (or derivates) may be present as macro-particles, but also smaller particles, like nano-particles, in particular nanocrystals, may be applied.

The housing preferably comprises one or more, preferably inert, fillers other than chaff, such as chalk. It is beneficial when fibres are used in the housing, for example chalk and/or fibres. This may not only reduce the cost price of the housing but could also contribute to providing the housing with desired mechanical properties, such as stiffness and rigidity of the housing. Furthermore, the orientation of the fibres may contribute to lower the oxygen transmission rate (improved oxygen barrier properties) of the housing. The orientation of the fibres may be formed inherent to a flow used in the manufacturing process, such as injection moulding. The fibres may be oriented in a lamel structure. When chaff particles as such are used in an embodiment, said same benefits may be obtained, as already described above. It is possible to treat coffee chaff and extract the cellulose and/or hemicellulose present in the coffee chaff to use said extracted cellulose and/or hemicellulose to compose the housing at least partially. The at least one constituent obtained from chaff may be formed by cellulose, preferably nanocellulose, and/or hemicellulose. The combination of nanocellulose with a biopolymer, such as PLA, ina (nano)composite typically exhibits enhanced mechanical, water vapor and oxygen barrier properties, all of which are beneficial for the food grade packaging.

In nature, cellulose molecules are organized into ordered crystalline regions and less-ordered amorphous regions. The amorphous domains of cellulose can be removed by mechanical or chemical treatments, releasing the crystallites known as cellulose nanocrystals, which have a dense and orderly crystalline structure.

Cellulose nanocrystals have attracted a lot of attention due to their remarkable mechanical properties, such as a high specific strength of about 10 GPa and an elastic modulus of about 150 GPa. Moreover, their low-cost, biocompatibility, renewable nature, a high axis ratio (L/d), ease of chemical and mechanical modification as well as high aspect ratio makes cellulose nanocrystals very suitable to act as reinforcing filler in the housing of the capsule according to the invention. In this respect it is noted that PLA, for example, is a biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastic aliphatic polyester that can be derived from renewable natural sources such as starch, and which is used in several applications such as in food packaging due to its good stiffness and strength. However, some drawbacks of PLA including low thermal stability and poor barrier properties compared with petroleum-derived polymers have limited its application, such as in high-temperature environments. To overcome these difficulties, and to make PLA suitable for brewing coffee or other hot beverages, the addition of said cellulose nanocrystals in said PLA matrix will lead to seriously enhanced physical properties of this PLA-cellulose based composite. It was found that the greatest improvements in both mechanical properties and barrier properties can be obtained in case 2 to 4 % by weight of cellulose nanocrystals is incorporated in the PLA material. Higher concentrations of cellulose nanocrystals could disturb the reinforcing effect on the tensile and barrier properties of the composite material formed. Increased crystallinity of the PLA matrix is also observed by the nucleating effect of cellulose nanocrystals on the thermal properties. it is beneficial when the at least one constituent obtained from chaff for the capsule according to the invention is formed by an antioxidant, preferably an antioxidant chosen from the group consisting of: melanoidin, melatonin, lignan, lignin, tannic acid, isoflavones and trigonelline. An antioxidant activity of the housing is beneficial because it helps to prevent or slow down the oxidation and therefore deterioration of the (compressed) substance, preferably (compressed) ground coffee.

In an embodiment of the capsule according to the present invention, at least one constituent obtained from chaff is formed by fibres, preferably dietary fibres. Fibres are beneficial for the ductility of the housing, such that an undesired interruption of the encapsulation of the substance may be avoided.

it is conceivable that at least one constituent obtained from chaff is a hydrophobic constituent. This means that this particular constituent is more hydrophobic than hydrophilic. The originally hydrophilic silverskin (chaff) may be treated to increase its hydrophobic characteristics. This is beneficial because an increased hydrophobic character increases the compatibility with hydrophobic polymers, meaning more hydrophobic than hydrophilic, and a better compatibility results in better mechanical properties for the housing. The silverskin may be treated to increase its hydrophobicity with alkali and/or silanization and/or torrefaction.

In a variant of the capsule according to the present invention, the housing comprises ground coffee, in particular spent coffee grounds. For further processing of the spent coffee grounds, it is preferred that the spent coffee grounds are dried before mixing the spent coffee grounds with other materials needed for composing the housing. Spent coffee grounds comprise cellulose and hemicellulose, although in a lower content than in the silverskin, and are therefore suitable to use as a constituent for the housing. It is possible that coffee bars collect their spent coffee grounds and sell them to manufacturers or suppliers of capsules according to the invention. Using spent coffee grounds further reduces the waste involved with the preparation of a cup of coffee. Furthermore, spent coffee grounds are known for their good compostability characteristics and as such will contribute to the compostability of the housing.

In a further embodiment of the capsule according to the present invention, the housing comprises glucose and/or any other monosaccharide. Glucose may be used for the housing to provide a solid structure once dry and, if this glucose is applied in a releasable manner, may have a sweetening effect to the beverage once wetted or dissolved. Optionally fructose or any other crystal sugar which could dissolve in the prepared beverage may be added. The one or more monosaccharides used are typically dispersed in a polymer matrix of the housing and/or may be applied as (internally oriented) coating layer onto said polymer matrix to realize a direct contact between the (sweetening) coating layer and the substance to be extracted and/or dissolved.

The (compressed) substance in the capsule according to the present invention may be of various nature. It is conceivable that different capsules according to the invention comprise different flavours and/or flavour strengths to prepare a beverage. Depending on the consumer's taste, the consumer may choose the most preferred capsule. Especially in households or coffee bars where different consumers prepare coffee it is beneficial when the flavour type or flavour strength of the (compressed) substance present in the capsule according to the invention can be visually identified by said consumer(s) at a glance. Hence, in a preferred embodiment of the capsule according to the present invention, the housing comprises at least one (visible) colouring agent and/or other (visible) marker representing the identity, in particular the flavour type and/or flavour strength, of the substance encapsulated by said housing.

It is beneficial when the shelf life of the capsule may be elongated, while remaining the same quality of the (compressed) substance in the capsule according to the present invention.

For this purpose, the housing may comprise at least one oxygen barrier.

The oxygen barrier may comprise polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). It is also possible that the housing comprises a laminate of multiple layers, wherein at least one layer is substantially impermeable to oxygen, such as PVOH, to protect the (compressed) substance from the atmosphere surrounding.

The atmosphere surrounding is understood to mean the ambient air surrounding the capsule.

The housing of the capsule according to the present invention is preferably configured to be perforated, in particular pierced, by a device for preparing beverages.

This allows (hot) water to be injected into the capsule to prepare the beverage, and also allows the beverage to be discharged from the capsule.

The housing may, for example, be perforated by a pressurized waterjet and/or by one or more piercing elements, such as needles or other kind of pins.

The perforating action may be caused by closing a capsule holder by a consumer prior to preparing the beverage.

To prepare a beverage by extraction of dissolving the (compressed) substance in the capsule according to the present invention, the housing preferably may comprise a perforable inlet for water, and a perforable outlet for a prepared beverage.

A perforable inlet and outlet allow for a simple construction of the housing.

It is preferred that the inlet and the outlet are located at opposite sections, preferably opposite sides, of the housing.

In this way the inlet flow and outlet flow are separated and cannot contaminate each other.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the housing of the capsule comprises a plurality of sections, preferably sides.

Said plurality of sections of the housing is configured to act as perforable inlet, and wherein said plurality of sections, preferably sides, of the housing is also configured to act as perforable outlet.

The sections may be understood as sides of a prism, preferably a cube, meaning two or more, preferably six sections, which may act as inlet and/or outlet.

Each side may be perforable in the same way and may serve the function of either inlet or outlet, depending on the orientation at that moment.

It also facilitates that each side of the capsule has the same properties, such that the user does not have to pay attention in which orientation the capsule is inserted into a capsule holder, which significantly increases the ease of use of the capsule.

This ease of use is even further increased when the capsule has at least two axes of rotation, preferably at least three axes of rotation. In this embodiment the capsule is symmetrical around at least two axes of rotation, which axes of rotation are placed in different directions. For example, the axes of rotation may be placed perpendicular to one another, such that the capsule is cube shaped. Hence, the housing of the capsule according to the present invention is preferably substantially prism-shaped. A prism-shaped housing has the advantage that the shape is easy to handle, especially when a similar shaped capsule holder in a device for preparing a beverage is used, because it guides the user on how to use the product by the shape of it, also known as poka yoke design. Said prism shape typically comprises at least one identical polygonal base surface kept at a mutual distance by means of one or more side surfaces.

In an embodiment the shape of the housing may be a shape which substantially corresponds to a shape chosen from the group: a cube, preferably a cube with rounded corners; a — preferably rectangular — cuboid, a (rectangular or triangular) pyramid, a cylinder, and a sphere. For example, the shape of the housing may be that of a cube with rounded corners with its length, width, and height dimensions around 20x20x20mm. Another option for the dimensions of the capsule according to the invention is that the surface area volume ratio is situated in between 5.5/d and 6.5/d, wherein d represents an edge length of the housing in case the housing is substantially polyhedral shaped, and wherein d represents a diameter of the housing in case housing is substantially spherically shaped. The desired beverage prescribes a certain amount of (compressed) substance which will be desired. Advantage of said shapes and dimensions is that the capsule results in a compact capsule for preparing a beverage which capsule is easy to use.

It is advantageous when the material characteristics of the housing find a balance between on one hand rigid, strong, and ductile to protect the packaged substance and on the other hand a more soft and/or brittle material to allow the housing to be opened, since the housing should allow the (compressed) substance to be extracted or solved for preparing a beverage. Experiments have shown that for this purpose it is beneficial when the housing has a substantially homogeneous thickness, preferably situated in between 0.1-2.5mm, preferably 0.1-1mm, more preferably 0.2-0.75mm, even more preferably 0.4-0.65mm. A homogeneous thickness is preferred, because this allows the use of injection moulding as an option to manufacture the housing. In another embodiment of the capsule according to the present invention at least a part of the housing is soluble, such that the housing can be dissolved at least partially in hot milk and/or hot water for preparing a beverage. The soluble parts of the housing may for example have the purpose to flavour and/or colour the beverage or to dissolve entirely such that there is no waste from the capsule. There are several options to prepare a beverage with a capsule according to the present invention. The substance in the capsule may comprise at least one substance chosen from the group consisting of: ground coffee, milk powder, cacao powder, tea, and freeze dried juice.

To offer further varieties in the beverage for the consumer it is conceivable that the substance comprises a sweetener, for example cane sugar or stevia, and/or a liquid, such as honey, water, syrup, or alcohol. Said sweetener may be added to the substance, or be present in the housing and dissolve while preparing the beverage.

The substance may comprise between 4-10 grams of ground coffee, preferably between 5-8 grams, and more preferably 5-6 grams of ground coffee. By using compressed substance instead of uncompressed substance, it is possible to use less coffee grounds, for example 5.5 grams, compared to the common coffee capsules which usually hold 8 grams of ground coffee. Less grounded coffee may be used because the same amount of water will get in contact with more coffee grounds and thus result in substantially equally strong coffee as when more uncompressed grounded coffee would have been used. Thus, for one cup of coffee, less materials are used and so this reduces the environmental load of the cup of coffee.

As said, it is advantageous when all sides of the capsule according to the invention have substantially the same characteristics. For this purpose, it may be convenient that the housing has a homogenous thickness. A preferred manufacturing technique to obtain this result for large number of products is to use injection moulding. This way, the housing may be provided with at least one parting line created during injection-moulding of the housing, in particular during injection moulding of the housing. Additionally, to the parting line, also sprue and/or gate marks and/or ejector pin marks may be present on the housing. Preferably, the mould used for injection-moulding is also used for containing the substance to be packaged by the housing, which allows the substance (to be compressed and) to be encapsulated by means of insert injection-moulding. The invention also relates to an assembly of a capsule and a device for preparing beverages, which device comprises a capsule holder for holding the capsule. In an embodiment the capsule holder comprises a plurality of holder parts which are moveable with respect to one another between an open position in which the capsule can be placed in the capsule holder and a closed position in which the capsule is clamped by the holder parts in an essentially watertight manner. The capsule holder may be a high pressure capsule chamber. The capsule is inserted in the capsule holder while it is in an open position. The capsule holder and the capsule may have corresponding shapes such that the capsule will be placed in the correct way automatically by the user. Preferably facilitated by a poka yoke design of capsule and capsule holder. For preparing a beverage, the capsule may be perforated by the device. The housing may be perforated during or after closing of the capsule holder, allowing (hot) water, typically with a temperature of between 80 and 120 degrees Celsius, to be injected under pressure, typically with a pressure of between 2 and 10 bar, into (and through) the capsule. Perforation during closing of the capsule holder may be possible during clamping of the capsule in the capsule holder.

The high pressure capsule chamber allows for pressure build-up in the capsule such that the capsule may be perforated and the chamber remains substantially intact. The capsule holder may comprise an open perforation structure, in particular an open perforation plate, configured to perforate an outlet of the housing, as a result of pressure build-up in the capsule during injection of water into the housing.

After the extraction, the used capsule may drop into a bin, preferably a composting bin or pre-composting bin. The invention also relates to the use of a capsule according to the invention in a device for preparing beverages.

The invention additionally relates to a pelletized compound for producing at least a part of the housing of the capsule according to the invention, wherein said pelletized compound comprises at least one constituent obtained from chaff and at least one polymer, preferably a biopolymer. A pelletized compound is a compound which is formed and/or compacted into pellets. A pellet is usually small rounded, spherical, or cylindrical body or chunk of composite material, although a pellet may also have any other shape, such as a filament shape. The pellets may be prepared by a so-called polymer compounder to mix (blend) the polymer(s) with the chaff (constituent(s)), and optionally one or more further additives. The pellets may subsequently be shipped to a manufacturer, typically an injection moulding (and/or extrusion and/or thermoform) company, to transform the pellets into a housing of the capsule, typically by means of injection moulding. During this transformation, the pellets are typically heated, which leads to softening, in particular at least partially melting, of the pellets. The pellet size may vary, but is typically situated in between 1 and 5 mm. The invention further relates to the use of such a pelletized compound for producing at least a part of the housing of the capsule according to the invention. The invention moreover relates to the use of chaff and/or at least one constituent obtained from chaff, for producing at least a part of a housing of a capsule according to the invention.

The invention also relates to a method for the production of a capsule for preparation of single-serve beverages, in particular a capsule according to the invention. The method comprises the steps of a) providing and preferably compressing, a substance to be extracted and/or to be dissolved, such as ground coffee; and b) encapsulating the, preferably compressed, substance with a housing, wherein the housing comprises at least one constituent obtained from chaff, preferably obtained from a roasted coffee bean. During step a) typically a predetermined quantity is provided, such as 4-10 grams. Preferably, the capsule is made by insert injection moulding wherein the compressed substance may be considered an insert, or in-mould packaging by injection moulding of the housing. Advantages and various embodiments have already been described above in an extensive manner.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the compression of the substance to be extracted and/or dissolved, and the moulding of the housing subsequently takes place in the same mould. It is advantageous to use one mould for both steps because in this way the compressed substance is packaged quickly after the compression such that the deterioration of the quality of the compressed substance due to influences from its surrounding are reduced.

In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the inventions, the method also comprises step ¢), comprising preparing a compound, in particular a composite, comprising chaff and/or at least one constituent obtained from chaff, and at least one polymer, preferably a biopolymer, to produce at least a part of the housing, wherein step Cc) is carried out prior to step b). As indicated above, the use of biopolymers is beneficial because they further reduce the environmental load of the capsule.

Preferably, during step c) the compound is pelletized. As mentioned above, this is typically realized by mixing the compound constituents and to shape the mixed compound as pellets. During this mixing process the polymer(s) may be heated to soften and/or melt the polymer(s) to allow the chaff and/or chaff related constituent(s) to be dispersed in said polymer(s) matrix.

During step b) the pelletized compound is preferably softened, in particular at least partially molten, by heating the pelletized compound. This allows the compound to be injection moulded and/or extruded and/or thermoformed.

The invention will be further elucidated by means of the following non-limitative iilustrative figures:

- Fig. 1 shows a cross section of a capsule according to a first embodiment of the present invention; - Fig. 2 shows a cross section of a capsule according to a second embodiment of the present invention; - Fig. 3 shows a perspective view on a capsule according to an embodiment of the present invention; - Fig. 4 shows a length cross section of an assembly of a capsule and a capsule holder; and - Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the method according to the present invention. Figure 1 shows a cross section of a substantially cube shaped capsule 10 with a housing 11 and a compressed or uncompressed substance 12. The cross section is squircle shaped, meaning a square with rounded corners. The housing 11 has a homogeneous thickness 13 and has a monolayer structure. Figure 2 shows a cross section of a hexagonal prism shaped capsule 20 with a housing 21 and a compressed or uncompressed substance 22. The cross section forms a hexagon with rounded corners, the corresponding length cross section of this embodiment would be rectangular with rounded corners. The housing 11 has a homogeneous thickness 13 and has a monolayer structure. Figure 3 shows a capsule 30 with the shape of a cube with rounded corners. The housing 31 is the only packaging used for the capsule 30. The housing 31 fully encapsulates a compressed substance for preparing a beverage. The housing comprises six sides 31a,31b,31¢,3d,31e,31f. Each side may serve as an inlet or an outlet. In this embodiment the sides may pairwise (a-c,b-d,e-f) serve as an inlet and/or outlet. For example, side 31a may serve as an inlet and 31c as an outlet once perforated by a device.

Figure 4 shows a length cross section of an assembly of a capsule 40 and a capsule holder 44, which holder will be part of a device for preparing a beverage. The capsule holder 44 comprises two parts 44a and 44b. The capsule 40 has the same shape as the capsule shown in figure 3. The housing 41 of capsule 40 has a laminated structure with two layers 41’, 41” . The housing fully encloses the compressed substance 42 and is perforated by the capsule holder 44. In the shown embodiment the capsule is perforated at two opposite sides by the capsule holder. Each part 44a and 44b of the capsule holder perforates the capsule 40 in order to create either an inlet for water 45 or an outlet for a beverage 46.

Figure 5 shows a schematic view of a method according to the present invention. The figure shows the step of injection moulding of a monolayered housing 51, enclosing the compressed substance 52. The compressed substance 52 is placed in the mould 55, A granulate 56 comprising a compound of mixed treated or untreated chaff and at least one biopolymer. The granulate 56 is fed to the flow channel 57, wherein the plunger 58 is moving. The granulate 56 is heated and will melt and be injected into the mould cavity around the compressed substance 52. The figure shows a compressed substance 52, which may be compressed by a mechanical force before placing the compressed substance in the mould 55. In another embodiment, the substance 52 may be compressed within the same mould 55 as the mould 55 which is used for injection moulding of the housing 51. This process is also known as insert moulding, wherein the compressed substance 52 may be considered as an insert.

It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown and described here, but that within the scope of the appended claims numerous variations are possible which will be self-evident to the skilled person in this field.

For the wording ‘obtained from’ and its conjugations as used in this document, not only ‘obtained from’ should be understood, but also ‘derived from’ and conjugations thereof. Where ‘silverskin’ is used in this document, also ‘coffee chaff’ may be understood and vice versa.

Claims

Conclusions

CLAIMS 1. Capsule for preparing drinks for single use, comprising: - a substance to be extracted and/or dissolved, such as ground coffee, for preparing a drink; and - a substantially closed housing, which substantially completely encloses the substance, wherein the housing comprises at least one component obtained from chaff.

A capsule according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises chaff obtained from a coffee bean, preferably a roasted coffee bean

Capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the total amount of one or more components obtained from chaff, preferably chaff as such, in the housing is at least 10% by weight relative to the housing, preferably at least 20% by weight chaff relative to the housing, even more preferably at least 30% by weight relative to the housing.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein only the housing completely encloses the substance.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substance is a compressed substance, and preferably an outer surface of the compressed substance is substantially wholly in contact with an inner surface of the housing.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing is substantially fully compostable.

Capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises at least one composite of at least one component obtained from husks and at least one biopolymer.

Capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises at least one biopolymer selected from the group consisting of: polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate-co-butylene adipate (PBSA) and poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV).

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises spring keratin.

10. Capsule as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the housing comprises a fibre, for example lime.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one component obtained from husks is formed by cellulose, preferably nanocellulose and/or hemicellulose.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one component is formed by an antioxidant, preferably an antioxidant selected from the group consisting of: melanodin, melatonin, lignan, lignin, tannic acid, isoflavones and trigonelline.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one component obtained from chaff consists of fibres, preferably dietary fibres.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one component obtained from husks is a hydrophobic component.

15. Capsule according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises ground coffee, in particular coffee grounds, preferably dried coffee grounds.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises glucose.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises at least one dye and/or other marker representing the identity, in particular the taste, of the substance encapsulated by said housing.

Capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises at least one oxygen barrier, preferably polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH).

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises a multi-layer laminate, at least one layer being impermeable to oxygen for protecting the substance from the surrounding atmosphere.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing is adapted to be perforated by a beverage preparation device to allow injection of pressurized water into the capsule.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing comprises a perforable inlet and a perforable outlet for a prepared beverage, the inlet and the outlet preferably being on opposite sections, preferably opposite sides, of the housing.

A capsule according to claim 21, wherein multiple sections, preferably sides, of the housing are arranged to serve as a perforable inlet, and wherein said multiple sections, preferably sides, of the housing are also arranged to serve as a perforable outlet.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the capsule has at least two axes of rotation, preferably at least three axes of rotation.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing is substantially prism-shaped.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shape of the housing is a shape which substantially corresponds to the shape selected from the group: a cube, preferably a cube with rounded corners; a pyramid, a cylinder and a sphere.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface-to-volume ratio is between 5.5/d and 6.5/d, wherein d represents an edge length of the housing in case the housing is substantially polyhedral, and wherein d is a diameter of the housing in case the housing is substantially spherical.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing has a substantially homogeneous thickness, preferably between 0.1-2.5mm, preferably 0.1-1mm, more preferably 0.2-0.75mm , and more preferably 0.4-0.65mm.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least part of the housing is soluble, such that the housing can be at least partially dissolved in warm milk and/or hot water for preparing a beverage.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substance comprises at least one substance selected from the group consisting of: ground coffee, powdered milk, cocoa powder, tea, and freeze-dried juice.

Capsule according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the substance comprises between 4-10 grams of ground coffee, preferably between 5-8 grams, and even more preferably 5-6 grams of ground coffee.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substance comprises a sweetener, preferably cane sugar or stevia, and/or a liquid, such as honey, water or alcohol.

A capsule according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing is provided with at least one dividing line created during the injection molding of the housing, in particular during the insert injection molding of the housing.

33. Assembly of a capsule as claimed in any of the claims 1-32 and a device for preparing beverages, which device comprises a capsule holder for holding the capsule.

An assembly according to claim 33, wherein the capsule holder comprises a plurality of holder parts which are movable relative to each other between an open position in which the capsule can be placed in the capsule holder and a closed position in which the capsule is clamped between the holder parts in a substantially watertight manner.

An assembly according to claim 34, wherein the housing is perforated during or after closing of the capsule holder, allowing water to be injected into the capsule under pressure.

An assembly according to claim 35, wherein the capsule holder comprises an open perforation structure, in particular an open perforation plate, adapted to perforate an outlet of the housing, as a result of pressure build-up in the capsule during the injection of water into the housing.

Use of a capsule according to any one of claims 1-32 in an apparatus for preparing beverages.

A pelletized composition for manufacturing at least part of the housing according to claims 1-32, wherein said pelletized compound comprises at least one component obtained from husks and at least one polymer, preferably a biopolymer.

Use of a pelletized composition according to claim 38 for making at least part of the capsule body according to claims 1-32.

Use of chaff and/or at least one component obtained from chaff for manufacturing at least a part of the housing of a capsule according to any one of claims 1-32.

A method for manufacturing a capsule for preparing beverages for single use, in particular a capsule according to any one of claims 1-32, comprising: a) providing a predetermined amount of an extractable and/or substance to be dissolved, such as ground coffee; and b) encasing the substance with a housing, the housing comprising at least one component obtained from chaff, preferably obtained from a roasted coffee bean

The method of claim 41, wherein the capsule is made by insert injection molding.

A method according to claim 41 or 42, wherein the predetermined amount is compressed before or during encapsulation, and wherein, preferably, the compression of a substance to be extracted and the encapsulation, in particular the injection molding, of the housing take place successively in the same mold.

The method of claims 41-43, wherein the at least one component! obtained from chaff consists of chaff that has been treated to increase hydrophobicity, for example by alkali pretreatment, silanization and torrefaction.

The method of any one of claims 41-44, wherein the at least one component derived from chaff comprises extracted nanocrystals and/or nanocellulose derived from chaff.

A method according to claims 41-45, wherein the method also comprises step c), comprising preparing a composition comprising at least one component obtained from husks and at least one polymer, preferably a biopolymer, for the production of at least one part of the housing, where step c) is performed before step b).

The method of claim 46, wherein during step c) the composition has been pelletized.

A method according to claim 47, wherein during step b) the pelletized composition is softened, in particular at least partially melted, by heating the pelletized composition.