Beverage capsule

Abstract

A beverage capsule (10) for use in a beverage preparation machine to prepare a beverage by passing a fluid therethrough. The beverage capsule comprises: a cup-shaped body (12) having a base (14) and a sidewall (16); a lid (22) sealed to the cup-shaped body; and a punctured support plate (20) positioned inside the cup-shaped body and dividing the interior volume into a first compartment for holding beverage ingredients (24) and a second compartment. The punctured support plate is located at a distance from the base which is larger than a piercing height of a draining member of the beverage preparation machine. The cup-shaped body, the lid and the punctured support plate are made of a material comprising metal.

1 . A beverage capsule for use in a beverage preparation machine to prepare a beverage by passing a fluid through the beverage capsule, the beverage capsule comprising:
 a cup-shaped body comprising a base and a sidewall contiguous with the base, wherein the base is configured to be pierced by a draining member of the beverage preparation machine to allow draining a beverage from the beverage capsule;   a lid sealed to the cup-shaped body, the lid and cup-shaped body enclosing an interior volume, wherein the lid is configured to be pierced by an injection member of the beverage preparation machine to inject a fluid into the beverage capsule; and   a punctured support plate positioned inside the cup-shaped body and dividing the interior volume into a first compartment delimited in part by the lid and configured for holding one or more beverage ingredients and a second compartment delimited in part by the base, wherein the punctured support plate is located at a distance from said base which is larger than or equal to a piercing height of the draining member of the beverage preparation machine and wherein said beverage is able to pass through the punctured support plate,   
       wherein the cup-shaped body, the lid and the punctured support plate are made of a material comprising metal. 
     
     
         2 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the beverage capsule further comprises the one or more beverage ingredients. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more beverage ingredients are extraction ingredients. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 3 , wherein the one or more beverage ingredients have a particle size distribution determined using optical microscopy according to ISO 13320:2020, wherein at least 95 volume % of the one or more beverage ingredients have a particle size of at least 40 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the punctured support plate comprises openings having a size so as to prevent at least  95  volume % of the one or more beverage ingredients from passing therethrough. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the punctured support plate comprises openings having a smallest dimension which is at most 200 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 6 , wherein all of the openings have a same shape. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the punctured support plate comprises openings which are uniformly distributed across the plate. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the cup-shaped body, the lid and the punctured support plate are all made of a same metal. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the cup-shaped body, the lid and the punctured support plate are all made of a food-grade metal. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a stepped region, the punctured support plate engaging the stepped region. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 11 , wherein the punctured support plate is welded on the stepped region. 
     
     
         13 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 11 , wherein the sidewall is provided with one or more inwardly extending protrusions located adjacent the stepped region, the punctured support plate being fixed between the one or more inwardly extending protrusions and the stepped region. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein said distance between the punctured support plate and the base is at least 5 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the beverage capsule does not contain a filter paper. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the beverage capsule comprises an annular rim contiguous with the sidewall, the lid being sealed to the annular rim. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall comprises a second stepped region near the lid, the second stepped region being configured to attach a filter bag to the sidewall, which filter bag is configured to hold the one or more beverage ingredients. 
     
     
         18 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 17 , wherein the capsule further comprises a filter bag configured to hold the one or more beverage ingredients, the filter bag being attached to the second stepped region. 
     
     
         19 . The beverage capsule according to  claim 18 , wherein the filter bag is welded to the second stepped region. 
     
     
         20 . A beverage capsule for use in a beverage preparation machine to prepare a beverage by passing a fluid through the beverage capsule, the beverage capsule comprising:
 a cup-shaped body comprising a base and a sidewall contiguous with the base, wherein the base is configured to be pierced by a draining member of the beverage preparation machine to allow draining a beverage from the beverage capsule; and   a lid sealed to the cup-shaped body, the lid and cup-shaped body enclosing an interior volume, wherein the lid is configured to be pierced by an injection member of the beverage preparation machine to inject a fluid into the beverage capsule,   
       wherein the sidewall comprises a first stepped region near the base and a second stepped region near the lid, the first stepped region being located at a distance from said base which is larger than or equal to a piercing height of the draining member of the beverage preparation machine and being configured to support a punctured support plate which divides the interior volume into a first compartment delimited in part by the lid which is configured to hold one or more beverage ingredients and a second compartment delimited in part by the base, 
       the second stepped region being configured to attach a filter bag to the sidewall, which filter bag is configured to hold the one or more beverage ingredients.