Container with a plant material for preparing a tea beverage

Abstract

The invention relates to a container (1) for use in a beverage preparation machine. The container (1) has a non-symmetrical shape such that it is inserted functionally inside the beverage preparation machine with a specific orientation. The container (1) comprises a container body (2) having a back side (40) and a front side (3), the back side (40) and the front side (3) delimiting a compartment adapted to be traversed by water injected therein by the beverage preparation machine through the back side (40), and a plant material for preparing a tea beverage, the plant material being inside said compartment. The front side (3) comprises at least one discharge opening (31) arranged in the upper half, preferably arranged in the upper third part, of said front side (3) when said container (1) is functionally inserted in the beverage preparation machine in order to keep water in the compartment at a defined level (L) that is above the median height (M) of said container (1), before the tea beverage is dispensed outside said container (1), thus allowing soaking of the plant material in said water.

1 . A container for use in a beverage preparation machine, the container having a non-symmetrical shape such that it is inserted functionally inside the beverage preparation machine with a specific orientation, the container comprising:
 a container body having a back side and a front side, the back side and the front side delimiting a compartment adapted to be traversed by water injected therein by the beverage preparation machine through the back side,   a plant material for preparing a tea beverage, the plant material being inside the compartment; and   the front side comprises at least one discharge opening arranged in the upper half of the front side when the container is functionally inserted in the beverage preparation machine in order to keep water in the compartment at a defined level (L) that is above the median height (M) of the container, before the tea beverage is dispensed outside the container, thus allowing soaking of the plant material in the water.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant material is selected from the group consisting of tea leaves, herbal tea, herbal infusions, and fruits. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the front side comprises only one discharge opening. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharge opening has a round shape. 
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 1 , which comprises one or more tabs in the form of a code, for processing the container in a beverage preparation machine. 
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 5 , wherein the front side comprises one or more first side edges, and wherein each of the one or more tabs has one or more second side edges, wherein at least one or each of the one or more second side edges is at least in part complementary formed to one of the one or more first side edges. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a filter element provided upstream of the discharge opening for preventing particles of the plant material to be discharged from the container. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the front side and/or the back side is/are obtained by forming and/or separating a single blank such as a sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The container according to  claim 1 , which is made of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, paper, cardboard, aluminum, a multilayer laminate, a biodegradable and/or compostable material, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the container is made of a biodegradable and/or compostable material.