U.S. patent application number 14/026647 was filed with the patent office on 2014-01-16 for beverage substance, portion capsule and method for producing a beverage.
The applicant listed for this patent is K-FEE SYSTEM GMBH. Invention is credited to Gunter EMPL, Wolfgang EPPLER, Marc KRUGER.
Application Number | 20140017359 14/026647 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45937190 |
Filed Date | 2014-01-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140017359 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KRUGER; Marc ; et
al. |
January 16, 2014 |
BEVERAGE SUBSTANCE, PORTION CAPSULE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A
BEVERAGE
Abstract
A beverage substance for producing a tea beverage is proposed,
wherein the beverage substance is intended to be stored in a
portion capsule and to be infused in the portion capsule by means
of hot water introduced under pressure into the portion capsule,
wherein the beverage substance is substantially particulate and at
least in part comprises tea, and wherein the beverage substance has
a mean particle size of between 500 micrometres and 1,500
micrometres.
Inventors: |
KRUGER; Marc; (Bergisch
Gladbach, DE) ; EMPL; Gunter; (Bergisch Gladbach,
DE) ; EPPLER; Wolfgang; (Bergisch Gladbach,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
K-FEE SYSTEM GMBH |
Bergisch Gladbach |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
45937190 |
Appl. No.: |
14/026647 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
PCT/EP2012/001124 |
Mar 14, 2012 |
|
|
|
14026647 |
|
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|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/78 ; 426/77;
426/84 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/8043 20130101;
A23F 3/14 20130101; A23F 3/34 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/78 ; 426/77;
426/84 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/804 20060101
B65D085/804 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 14, 2011 |
DE |
10 2011 013 962.1 |
Claims
1. A portion capsule for producing a tea beverage, said portion
capsule having a substantially closed container which is filled at
least in part with a brewing substance which is provided for the
brewing process, wherein for brewing the brewing substance the
portion capsule can be inserted into a brewing chamber machine,
wherein the closed container has a substantially
truncated-cone-shaped base element with a closed bottom which is
sealed on its side remote from the bottom by means of a covering
foil, wherein a hollow space for accommodating the brewing
substance is realized between the bottom and the covering foil,
wherein the portion capsule has a filter element, characterized in
that the filter element comprises a filter felt and in that the
brewing substance comprises a beverage substance for producing a
tea beverage, wherein the beverage substance is provided to be
stored in the portion capsule and to be brewed in the portion
capsule by means of hot water introduced into the portion capsule
under pressure, wherein the beverage substance is substantially
particulate and comprises tea at least in part, wherein the
beverage substance has an average particle size (D.sub.4,3) of
between 500 micrometers and 1500 micrometers.
2. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beverage
substance has an average particle size (D.sub.4,3) of between 650
micrometers and 1320 micrometers.
3. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beverage
substance has a proportion of particles with a particle size
greater than 500 micrometers which is between 40 percent and 90
percent and is preferably between 50 and 80 percent.
4. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beverage
substance has a proportion of particles with a particle size
smaller than 100 micrometers which is smaller than 10 percent and
is preferably smaller than 8 percent.
5. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beverage
substance has a specific swelling capacity of between 1.5 and 3 and
in particular between 1.0 and 2.6.
6. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beverage
substance is thermally preheated to reduce germs.
7. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least 90
percent of the beverage substance has a median particle size of
between 0.1 and 2 millimeters.
8. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, that the beverage
substance comprises an anti-foaming means.
9. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 8, wherein the
anti-foaming means comprises a vegetable oil.
10. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 8, wherein the
anti-foaming means comprises a maximum of 5 percent, in a preferred
manner a maximum of 2 percent and in a particularly preferred
manner a maximum of 1.5 percent of the beverage substance.
11. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beverage
substance comprises green tea and/or black tea.
12. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the beverage
substance comprises substantially between 2 and 4 grams, in a
preferred manner between 2.5 and 3.5 grams and in a particularly
preferred manner substantially 3 grams of green tea and/or black
tea.
13. The portion capsule (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
material of the filter felt preferably comprises polyester.
14. The portion capsule (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
filter felt has a weight per unit area of between 100 and 2000
grams per square meter, in a preferred manner between 400 and 900
grams per square meter, in a particularly preferred manner between
600 and 700 grams per square meter and in a quite particularly
preferred manner substantially 650 grams per square meter.
15. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter
felt, at right angles to its main extension plane, has a thickness
which is between 1.5 and 5.0 millimeters, in a preferred manner
between 2 and 4 millimeters and in a particularly preferred manner
is substantially 2.8 millimeters.
16. The portion capsule as claimed in claim 1, wherein, at a
pressure of 200 Pa, the filter felt has an air permeability of
between 100 and 1000 l/(dm.sup.2min), in a preferred manner between
200 and 300 l/(dm.sup.2min) and in a preferred manner is
substantially 250 l/(dm.sup.2min).
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of International
Application No. PCT/EP2012/001124, filed on Mar. 14, 2012, entitled
BEVERAGE SUBSTANCE, PORTION CAPSULE, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A
BEVERAGE, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in
its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to a beverage substance for
producing a tea beverage, wherein the beverage substance is
provided to be stored in a portion capsule and to be brewed in the
portion capsule by means of hot water being introduced under
pressure into the portion capsule, and wherein the beverage
substance is substantially granulate and comprises tea at least in
part.
[0003] Such beverage substances are generally known and are
frequently filled into portion capsules. For example, FR 2 556 323
A1 makes known a portion capsule for producing a beverage which has
a substantially truncated-cone-shaped or cylindrical base element,
which has a hollow space, and a membrane which seals the hollow
space, a filter element being arranged inside the hollow space,
said filter dividing the hollow space into a first region for
accommodating the beverage substance and a second region for
accommodating a beverage extract. The beverage substance, in this
case, however, comprises a coffee powder. The portion capsule is
consequently used for producing a coffee beverage. To produce the
beverage, the portion capsule is arranged in a brewing chamber of a
brewing chamber machine in which the membrane is perforated and an
extraction liquid, in particular hot water is brought into the
first region. The beverage substance is traversed by the extraction
liquid during an extraction operation such that a beverage extract,
in this case a coffee beverage is formed which passes right through
filter openings in the filter element into the second region of the
hollow space. The sieving function of the filter element prevents
the beverage substance from also passing into the second region. In
the brewing chamber, a bottom region of the portion capsule is also
perforated such that the beverage extract is able to leave the
portion capsule and, where applicable, pass into a beverage vessel,
such as for example a coffee cup.
[0004] Over and above this, it is known to use these types of
portion capsules filled with a tea substance in order to produce a
tea beverage in an analogous manner using the brewing chamber
machine. In this connection, however, the problem arises that a
high quality tea beverage has to be prepared in a comparatively
short brewing time. The user of such brewing chamber machines is
used to receiving a finished beverage within a maximum of 1 to 1.5
minutes. In addition, the known brewing chamber machines can, as a
rule, supply hot boiling water to the portion capsule for a maximum
of 60 to 90 seconds. In order to produce a cup of tea, the boiling
water has to be pumped comparatively quickly through the volume of
the portion capsule. The interaction time between the tea substance
and the boiling water is consequently comparatively short and in
particular clearly shorter than in the case of a classic or manual
brewing operation for a classic tea beverage. The quality of the
tea beverage produced in a brewing chamber machine using a portion
capsule is consequently comparatively bad.
[0005] It is consequently the object of the present invention to
make available a beverage substance, as a result of which the
disadvantages of the prior art are avoided and a more efficient,
quicker and more reliable brewing operation for producing a tea
beverage is achieved.
SUMMARY
[0006] The object is achieved with a beverage substance for
producing a tea beverage, wherein the beverage substance is
provided to be stored in a portion capsule and to be brewed in the
portion capsule by means of hot water being introduced under
pressure into the portion capsule, wherein the beverage substance
is substantially particulate and comprises tea at least in part and
wherein the beverage substance has an average particle size of
between 500 micrometers and 1500 micrometers.
[0007] The advantage of the beverage substance as claimed in the
invention compared to the prior art is that a clearly more
efficient, quicker and cleaner brewing of the beverage substance is
made possible. On the one hand, the particle sizes are selected
small in such a manner that the beverage substance has a large
surface and, as a result, even in a comparatively short brewing
time, it is possible to brew the tea efficiently with a good
development of taste and aroma. On the other hand, the particle
sizes are selected large in such a manner that the beverage
substrate is able to be filtered out of the generated tea beverage
in a simple manner and consequently the tea beverage prepared for a
consumer is not contaminated by beverage substrate nor is its taste
impaired. The term `particulate` in particular in the sense of the
present invention means the same as `granulate`. The average
particle size comprises in particular the D.sub.4,3-value (also
referred to as the volume median diameter of the particle) when the
beverage substance is measured using the Malvern laser diffraction
method. The Malvern Mastersizer 3000 with Aero S dry dispersing, 4
bar dispersive pressure and a feed rate of between 60 and 90 has
been used for this type of measuring.
[0008] As claimed in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, it is provided that the beverage substance has an
average particle size D.sub.4,3 of between 650 micrometers and 1320
micrometers. In a preferred manner, the beverage substance has a
proportion of particles with a particle size greater than 500
micrometers which is between 40 percent and 90 percent and is
preferably between 50 and 80 percent. In a particularly preferred
manner, the beverage substance has a proportion of particles with a
particle size smaller than 100 micrometers which is smaller than 10
percent and is preferably smaller than 8 percent. It has been shown
in a manner that is unexpected and surprising to the expert that a
beverage substance with a particle distribution of this type
exhibits optimum extraction behavior. In particular, efficient
extraction and a satisfying aroma are achieved where the amount of
raw tea material used is less than in the prior art. In particular,
an extract content of between 1 and 3 percent is achieved as a
result. The extract content specifies the percentage amount of
extracted dry substance. In this connection, the amount of the
substances from the vegetable parts released during the preparation
which remain behind as a solid after drying in the drying cabinet
is divided by the amount of vegetable parts present in the capsule.
The result is the extract content as a percentage.
[0009] As claimed in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, it is provided that the beverage substance has a
specific swelling capacity of between 1.5 and 3 and in particular
between 1.0 and 2.6. The swelling capacity comprises in particular
the specific swelling capacity and is calculated as a quotient from
the volume of the dry vegetable parts and the volume of the
vegetable parts swollen after the brewing process. The defined
swelling capacity advantageously enables an optimum brewing
efficiency of the beverage substance in the portion capsule. In
particular, as a result, during the brewing operation an absorption
of the water of the beverage particles is achieved which ensures
optimum development of the tea aroma.
[0010] As claimed in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, it is provided that the beverage substance is thermally
preheated to reduce germs. Herbal teas are subject to a very
unstable germ load. Priority attention has been directed to
enterobacters (salmonella, coliforms) as these can result in
stomach upsets through to very serious and even fatal illnesses. In
an advantageous manner, the beverage substance is consequently
pretreated thermally in order to reduce enterobacters, but also
yeasts and moulds. Even if the water is not boiling when it flows
into the capsule, consequently it is ensured that the few germs
still present are killed and as a result it is possible to produce
a hygienically perfect beverage.
[0011] The object of the present invention is also achieved with a
beverage substance for producing a tea beverage, wherein the
beverage substance is provided to be stored in a portion capsule
and to be brewed in the portion capsule by means of hot water being
introduced under pressure into the portion capsule, wherein the
beverage substance is substantially granulate and comprises tea at
least in part and wherein at least 90 percent of the beverage
substance has a median particle size of between 0.1 and 2
millimeters.
[0012] In a preferred manner, it is provided that at least 90
percent of the beverage substance has a median particle size of
between 1 and 2 millimeters. The filtering of beverage substrate
out of the tea beverage is particularly efficient in this
connection as almost all particles get caught in the filter and at
the same time, however, individual filter openings of the filter
are prevented from being obstructed by particles that are too
small. In terms of the present invention, the percentage
specifications relate in particular to the percentage by mass of
the particles, i.e. that those particles of the beverage substance
which have a median particle size of between 0.1 and 2 millimeters
make up at least 90 percent of the mass of the beverage substance.
In terms of the present invention, the particle size comprises in
particular the particle median diameter of the beverage substance.
This latter is preferably measured using a sieve analysis where the
beverage substance is sieved, for example, using a sieve tower
which is produced from several test sieves which are stacked one on
top of the other. The mesh width of the individual test sieves, in
this case, decreases from top to bottom. For carrying out the sieve
analysis, the beverage substance is deposited onto the topmost test
sieve and is then exposed to a defined shaking motion. The grain
size distribution of the beverage substance is determined by
weighing out the residues on the individual test sieves. To produce
the beverage substance, tea leaves, in particular after the wilting
process, are crushed, torn and/or curled (for example by means of a
mechanical CTC process) in order to achieve the above-mentioned
desired particle size or particle size distribution. It is
additionally conceivable for wilted tea leaves to be chopped, cut
and crumbled or the like. The beverage substance is produced, for
example, by using the named CTC method, the particle size
distribution is then measured using the above-mentioned sieve
analysis method and a decision is made by way of the analysis
results obtained as to whether further size reduction steps are
necessary or whether the desired particle size distribution is
already present.
[0013] Advantageous developments and further developments of the
invention can be found in the sub-claims as well as the description
with reference to the drawings.
[0014] As claimed in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, it is provided that the beverage substance includes an
anti-foaming means. In an advantageous manner, too strong a foaming
of the beverage substance during or after the brewing operation is
prevented by the anti-foaming means. In particular when leaving the
portion capsule, the tea beverage is strongly swirled, as a result
of which large foam bubbles are formed. These latter make it
difficult to fill the tea beverage in a proper manner into a
receiving vessel, such as a cup or a pot. The anti-foaming means
comprises in particular hydrophobic, vegetable constituents. In a
preferred embodiment, the anti-foaming means comprises a vegetable
oil. The vegetable oil is preferably sprayed onto a grain of tea
which is then filled into the portion capsule. This has shown in a
surprising and unforeseeable manner that with a maximum proportion
of anti-foaming means of 5 percent, in a preferred manner a maximum
of 2 percent and in a particularly preferred manner a maximum of
1.5 percent of the overall mass of the beverage substance, foam
formation is effectively prevented and at the same time there is
sufficient tea substance in the beverage substance to generate a
high quality tea beverage. Along with the above-described content
substances, the beverage substance can also include further
aromatizing and coloring components, such as for example sugar,
caramel coloring, natural coloring from vegetables, dried aqueous
extracts from fruit, spices and herbs, oily extracts and extract
mixtures of spices, herbs, citrus fruit peel and other vegetables
and vegetable parts, aroma substances for rounding off, typifying
and standardizing or the like. Said content substances, after
preparation, produce a tea beverage which corresponds to the
traditionally prepared beverage in all characteristics such as
aroma, taste, color and appearance.
[0015] As claimed in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, it is provided that the beverage substance comprises
green tea and/or black tea. In particular, the beverage substance
comprises overall substantially between 2 and 4 grams, in a
preferred manner between 2.5 and 3.5 grams and in a particularly
preferred manner substantially 3 grams of green tea and/or black
tea.
[0016] A further object of the present invention is a portion
capsule for producing a tea beverage, said portion capsule having a
substantially closed container which is filled at least in part
with a brewing substance which is provided for brewing, wherein the
portion capsule is insertable into a brewing chamber machine for
brewing the brewing substance and wherein the brewing substance
comprises a beverage substance as claimed in the invention. The
advantage of the portion capsule compared to the prior art is that
it is possible to brew the beverage substance which is located in
the portion capsule in a clearly more efficient, quicker and
cleaner manner. The portion capsule preferably has a filter element
which in a particularly preferred manner has filter openings which
have a median hole diameter of between 0.01 and 1 millimeter. The
advantage of this compared to the prior art is that there is no
contamination of the tea beverage to be produced by particles of
the beverage substance, at the same time a more efficient brewing
behavior of the beverage substance being achieved. The high level
of efficiency of the brewing operation additionally enables in an
advantageous manner a reduction in the amount of the required
beverage substance, as well as a high brewing speed, as a result of
which the duration of the beverage brewing procedure is reduced. It
has been shown in a surprising and unforeseeable manner that in
particular with a beverage substance where at least 90 percent of
the beverage substance has a median particle size of between 0.1
and 2 millimeters, combined with a filter element which has filter
openings with a median hole diameter of between 0.01 and 1
millimeter, an optimum ratio between brewing efficiency and brewing
speed on the one hand and filtration rate on the other is
achieved.
[0017] As an alternative to this, it is conceivable for the filter
element to comprise a filter felt, by way of which a similarly
optimum result can be achieved. The material of the filter felt
preferably comprises polyester such that cost-efficient production
and a high degree of tearing resistance can be achieved. The filter
felt has, in particular, a weight per unit area of between 100 and
2000 grams per square meter, in a preferred manner of between 400
and 900 grams per square meter, in a particularly preferred manner
of between 600 and 700 grams per square meter and in a quite
particularly preferred manner of substantially 650 grams per square
meter. In addition, the filter felt, at right angles to its main
extension plane, has in particular a thickness which is between 1.5
and 5.0 millimeters, in a preferred manner between 2 and 4
millimeters and in a particularly preferred manner is substantially
2.8 millimeters. As an option, the filter felt is realized in such
a manner that, at a pressure of 200 Pa, the filter felt has an air
permeability of between 100 and 1000 l/(dm.sup.2min), in a
preferred manner of between 200 and 300 l/(dm.sup.2min) and in a
preferred manner of substantially 250 l/(dm.sup.2min). The defined
filter felt makes possible in an advantageous manner a quick,
efficient and aromatic extraction of the beverage substance
without, in this connection, particles of the beverage substance
being washed out of the portion capsule and the beverage
consequently becoming contaminated. As an alternative to this, it
is also conceivable for the filter element to comprise a filter
fleece.
[0018] The closed container preferably has a substantially
truncated-cone-shaped base element with a closed bottom which is
sealed on its side remote from the bottom with a covering foil,
wherein a hollow space for accommodating the brewing substance is
realized between the bottom and the covering foil. In an
advantageous manner, the portion capsule as claimed in the
invention is consequently able to be used in traditional brewing
chamber machines.
[0019] A further object of the present invention is a method for
producing a tea beverage with a portion capsule, wherein in a first
method step the portion capsule is inserted into a brewing chamber
of a brewing chamber machine, wherein in a second method step
boiling water is introduced into the portion capsule and the
brewing substance is brewed by means of the boiling water to
produce the tea beverage and wherein in a third method step the tea
beverage is discharged out of the portion capsule. By using the
portion capsule as claimed in the invention, a tea beverage, which
is higher in quality compared to the prior art, is produced in a
comparatively short brewing time without any beverage substrate
residues.
[0020] It has been shown that the named advantages are achieved in
particular when an extract content is kept between 1 and 50
percent, in a preferred manner between 1 and 10 percent and in a
particularly preferred manner between 1 and 3 percent. The extract
content is kept in particular by an average particle size D.sub.4,3
of the beverage substance being provided between 500 micrometers
and 1500 micrometers and in a preferred manner between 650
micrometers and 1320 micrometers and/or the beverage substance
being provided with a proportion of particles with a particle size
greater than 500 micrometers which is between 40 percent and 90
percent and preferably between 50 and 80 percent, and/or the
beverage substance being provided with a proportion of particles
with a particle size smaller than 100 micrometers which is smaller
than 10 percent and preferably smaller than 8 percent.
[0021] As claimed in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, it is provided that in the first method step an inlet
opening for the boiling water and an outlet opening for the tea
beverage is generated in the closed container of the portion
capsule, wherein the closed container is preferably perforated by
perforating means of the brewing chamber machine and/or wherein a
sealing foil which covers the inlet and/or outlet opening is
preferably removed from the closed container. The advantage of this
is that the beverage substance does not lose or only loses an
insignificant amount of aroma during storage of the portion capsule
as, prior to the opening or producing of the inlet and/or outlet
opening, the portion capsule is substantially hermetically
sealed.
[0022] As claimed in a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, it is provided that in the second method step boiling
water is introduced into the portion capsule for a time period of
between 30 and 100 seconds, in a preferred manner of between 50 and
80 seconds and in a particularly preferred manner of between 60 and
70 seconds. It has been shown that an optimum between a still
justifiable brewing duration and comparatively good brewing results
can be ensured in this way.
[0023] The method as claimed in one of claims 12 to 14,
characterized in that the pressure of the boiling water, the inner
volume of the portion capsule, the amount of the brewing substance
arranged in the portion capsule, the amount of the boiling water
introduced into the portion capsule in the second method step, the
particle size distribution of the brewing substance and/or the
median hole diameter of the filter element are matched to one
another in such a manner that in the third method step an amount of
between 150 and 250 milliliters, in a preferred manner between 180
and 220 milliliters and in a particularly preferred manner of
substantially 200 milliliters of tea beverage is discharged out of
the portion capsule.
[0024] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the
figures and are explained in more detail in the following
description. The figures are described purely as an example and do
not limit the general concepts of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
a portion capsule having a beverage substance as claimed in an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
a portion capsule as claimed in an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention during a brewing operation.
[0027] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
a portion capsule having a beverage substance as claimed in a
further exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
the portion capsule as claimed in a further exemplary embodiment of
the present invention during a brewing operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
a portion capsule 1 as claimed in a first embodiment of the present
invention, the portion capsule 1 having a substantially
truncated-cone-shaped base element 2 which is realized in the
manner of a pot and surrounds a hollow space 3. The hollow space 3
is sealed by a covering foil 4 in the form of a membrane. The base
element 2 comprises in particular a soft or rigid plastics
material. The covering foil 4 preferably comprises a thin plastics
material or aluminum foil. The base element 2 has a circumferential
fastening flange 20 in the region of the membrane 4, the membrane 4
being positively bonded, in particular welded or glued, to the
fastening flange 20. Inside the base element 2 is arranged a filter
element 5 which is produced from a thermoplastic plastics material,
for example polypropylene. The filter element 5 divides the hollow
space 3 into a first region 6 and into a second region 7. The first
region 6 is provided for accommodating a powdery beverage substance
10 which is only illustrated schematically in the figures for
reasons of clarity. The beverage substance 10 comprises granulated
tea. The beverage substance 10 is filled, for example, into the
first region 6 and is then compacted before the hollow space 3 is
sealed by the covering foil 4. The second region 7 serves for
accommodating and in particular for collecting a tea beverage (not
shown) during a brewing operation of the portion capsule 1. The
portion capsule 1 is provided for the purpose of being inserted
into a brewing chamber 12 of a brewing chamber machine (not shown
in FIG. 1), in which a brewing liquid (for example hot water) is
supplied preferably at high pressure to the first region 6. Said
brewing liquid interacts with the beverage substance 10 such that a
tea beverage is formed. The filter element 5 has a plurality of
filter openings 8 and functions as a filter for the beverage, as a
result of which particles of the beverage substance 10 are filtered
out of the produced beverage. The tea beverage, in this connection,
passes through the filter openings 8 into the second region 7,
whilst no particles of the beverage substrate 10 pass into the
second region 7. The second region 7 is defined by a bottom region
of the base element 2 which is pierced in the brewing chamber 12,
for example by a piercing mandrel of the brewing chamber machine in
order to produce an outlet opening for the beverage. As an
alternative to this, it is conceivable for an outlet opening to be
formed automatically in the base region under the pressure of the
brewing liquid and/or for an outlet opening or an outlet valve to
be already implemented in the bottom region. The outlet opening is
sealed, for example, by way of a sealing foil which is removable by
hand and is removed manually by a user prior to inserting the
portion capsule 1 into the brewing chamber machine. The beverage
substance 10 is substantially granulate and comprises at least in
part green tea and/or black tea. However, it is equally conceivable
for the beverage substance 10 to comprise any other sort or
combination of commercially available teas, such as, for example,
fruit tea, herb tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, rose-hip tea
and the like. It would also be conceivable for the beverage
substance 10 to comprise a granulate for ice tea. The grain size
distribution of the beverage substrate 10 is selected additionally
in such a manner that at least 90 percent of the beverage substance
10 has a median particle size of between 0.1 and 2 millimeters. The
grain size distribution, in this case, is matched in particular to
a median diameter of filter openings 8 which comprises
substantially between 0.01 and 1 millimeter. The ratio between the
grain size distribution of the beverage substance 10 and the
diameter and cross section of the individual filter openings 8, in
this case, is selected in such a manner that almost no particles of
the beverage substance 10 pass from the first to the second region
6, 7 and at the same time as quick and efficient a brewing of the
beverage substance 10 as possible is achieved. The overall mass of
the beverage substance 10 in the portion capsule 1 preferably
comprises substantially 3 grams. The beverage substance 10
additionally has an anti-foaming means which is in particular
granulate and comprises at least one oil. The anti-foaming means,
in this case, preferably comprises a maximum proportion of 1.5
percent of the overall mass of the beverage substance 10. It is
conceivable for the beverage substance 10 to be thermally
pretreated to reduce germs.
[0030] As an option or as an alternative to this, it is provided
that the beverage substance 10, when it is measured using the
Malvern laser diffraction method (for example by means of a Malvern
Mastersizer 3000 with Aero S dry dispersing, 4 bar dispersive
pressure and a feed rate of between 60 and 90), has an average
particle size D.sub.4,3 of between 650 micrometers and 1320
micrometers. In addition, the beverage substance 10 has a
proportion of particles with a particle size greater than 500
micrometers which is between 50 and 80 percent and a proportion of
particles with a particle size smaller than 100 micrometers which
is smaller than 8 percent. The specific swelling capacity of the
beverage substance 10 is between 1.0 and 2.6.
[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
the portion capsule 1 described by way of FIG. 1 during a brewing
operation. The portion capsule 1, in this case, is arranged in a
brewing chamber 12 of a brewing chamber machine which can be, for
example, a coffee machine for brewing coffee portion capsules. The
brewing chamber 12 comprises a receiving element 13 for receiving
the portion capsule 1 and a sealing element 14 for sealing the
receiving element 13. The brewing chamber 12 is movable by axially
displacing the sealing element 14 in relation to the receiving
element between a loading position (not shown) and a brewing
position shown in FIG. 2. In the loading position, the receiving
element 13 and the sealing element 14 are at a spacing from one
another along the axial direction 100 such that the portion capsule
1 can be inserted into the brewing chamber 12 or can be arranged
along the axial direction 100 between the sealing element 14 and
the receiving element 13. The sealing element 14 is then moved
along the axial direction 100 in the direction of the receiving
element 13 such that the flange 20 is clamped between the edge of
the receiving element 13 and the sealing element 14 and
consequently a closed brewing chamber 12 is formed. In addition,
the receiving element 13 has a mandrel 15 and the sealing element
14 has a plurality of perforating tips 16. When the brewing chamber
12 is closed, the bottom region of the portion capsule 1 is
perforated by means of the mandrel 15 and the covering foil 4 is
perforated by means of the perforating tips 16. The sealing element
14 has a liquid feed opening 17, through which the brewing liquid
is fed to the first region 6 of the portion capsule 1 in the form
of pressurized, hot or cold water. The boiling water, in this case,
is introduced into the portion capsule 1 for a time period of
between 60 and 70 seconds. The brewing liquid, in this case, passes
into the portion capsule 1 through the perforation holes, which are
generated in the covering foil 4 by means of the perforation tips
16. The brewing liquid interacts with the beverage substance 10
inside the first region 6, as a result of which a tea beverage is
formed or brewed which passes through the filter openings 8 of the
filter element 5 into the second region 7. The tea beverage is
additionally directed out of the second region 7 through the output
hole, which is generated by means of the mandrel 15 in the bottom
region, and is then supplied to a beverage vessel (not shown), such
as, for example, a tea cup or teapot. In particular, an amount of
substantially 200 milliliters of tea beverage is supplied to the
beverage vessel in one single brewing operation. The extract
content, in this connection, is in particular between 1 and 3
percent. Once the brewing operation has been completed, the sealing
element 14 is moved away from the receiving element 13 again such
that the used portion capsule 1 can be removed or automatically
ejected and the brewing chamber machine, where applicable, can be
filled with a new portion capsule 1.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
a portion capsule 1 having a beverage substance 10 as claimed in a
further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the portion
capsule 1 being substantially the same as the portion capsule 1
illustrated in FIG. 1 and the only difference being the filter
element 5 realized as a filter felt. The beverage substance 10
corresponds in particular to the beverage substance 10 described in
conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0033] The material of the filter felt preferably comprises
polyester. The filter felt has a weight per unit area of between
600 and 700 grams per square meter and in particular of
substantially 650 grams per square meter. The thickness of the
filter felt at right angles to its main extension plane is
substantially 2.8 millimeters. At a pressure of 200 Pa, the filter
felt preferably has an air permeability of substantially 250
l/dm.sup.2min.
[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a sectional drawing of
the portion capsule 1 described by way of FIG. 3 during a brewing
operation, the mandrel piercing the capsule bottom from
below--similar to as in FIG. 2. In the present example, however,
the mandrel tip enters into the filter felt such that the beverage
is able to flow out of the portion capsule 1. The extract content,
in this connection, is also in particular between 1 and 3 percent.
It is also conceivable for the mandrel tip to pierce the filter
felt completely and/or for the filter felt to be lifted up slightly
in the region of the mandrel tip. An efficient flowing-out of the
beverage is made possible by means of the cross flow inside the
filter felt (parallel to the main extension plane of the filter
felt), the individual particles of the beverage substance being
filtered out through the filter felt and consequently not
contaminating the beverage as it flows out.
* * * * *