Method for Packaging a Beverage Powder in a Beverage Capsule

Abstract

A method for packaging in a capsule a beverage powder tending to evolve a gas, said capsule comprising a capsule body ( 103 ) defining a cavity ( 106 ) containing a quantity of beverage powder, said cavity being hermetically sealed up comprises the following steps: providing a quantity of said beverage powder evolving a gas within said cavity ( 106 ) of said capsule body ( 103 ); applying a vacuum into said cavity ( 106 ) of the capsule body ( 103 ), so that the internal pressure in the cavity ( 106 ) is below atmospheric pressure; sealing the capsule to hermetically close said cavity ( 106 ), while maintaining the internal pressure in the cavity ( 106 ), below atmospheric pressure; and keeping said gas emanating into the cavity ( 106 ) of the capsule so that the internal pressure in the sealed-up capsule is above atmospheric pressure. Use for packaging in a capsule a ground coffee.

1 . A method for packaging in a capsule a beverage powder tending to evolve a gas, said capsule comprising a capsule body defining a cavity containing a quantity of beverage powder, said cavity being hermetically sealed up or respectively, the capsule being hermetically sealed up by an over-packaging, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a quantity of said beverage powder evolving a gas within said cavity of said capsule body;   applying a vacuum into said cavity of the capsule body, or respectively, into said over-packaging containing the capsule, so that the internal pressure in the cavity, or respectively, in said over-packaging is below atmospheric pressure;   sealing the capsule to hermetically close said cavity, or respectively, sealing the over-packaging to hermetically close the over-packaging surrounding the capsule while maintaining the internal pressure in the cavity, or respectively, in said over-packaging below atmospheric pressure; and   keeping said gas emanating into the hermetically closed cavity of the capsule so that the internal pressure in the sealed-up capsule, or respectively, in said over-packaging, is above atmospheric pressure.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said beverage powder is a ground coffee, and wherein the method further comprises a step of grinding coffee beans before said step of sealing, and wherein the duration of a degassing step between grinding the coffee beans and sealing the cavity, or respectively, sealing the over-packaging is less than 25 minutes. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure reduction below atmospheric pressure applied into the cavity, or respectively, into the over-packaging, in the step of applying a vacuum, is comprised between 100 and 800 mbar. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein after said keeping step, the internal pressure is comprised between 1050 mbar and 1800 mbar. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein said internal pressure is stabilized to a value comprised between 1050 mbar and 1800 mbar about 72 hours after said sealing step. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the capsule is sealed hermetically by sealing a membrane onto the capsule body. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein the membrane is sealed onto a flange of the capsule body by heat welding or ultrasonic sealing. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the capsule is gas permeable and is contained within said hermetically sealed over-packaging. 
     
     
         9 . A beverage capsule comprising a capsule body defining a cavity and being adapted to be hermetically sealed up with a quantity of beverage powder provided within said cavity, wherein the beverage capsule is fabricated by the method of packaging according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A beverage capsule according to  claim 9 , wherein said cavity is provided with a predetermined quantity of roast and ground coffee. 
     
     
         11 . A beverage capsule according to  claim 10 , wherein said cavity is provided with a quantity of roast and ground coffee comprised between 4 and 16 grams. 
     
     
         12 . A beverage capsule according to  claim 10 , wherein at the equilibrium (after full degassing), said cavity has a volume between 8 to 30 ml.