U.S. patent application number 15/786196 was filed with the patent office on 2018-02-08 for packaging dry leaves in sealed capsules.
The applicant listed for this patent is TPRESSO AG. Invention is credited to Eric FAVRE.
Application Number | 20180036737 15/786196 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48628753 |
Filed Date | 2018-02-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180036737 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FAVRE; Eric |
February 8, 2018 |
PACKAGING DRY LEAVES IN SEALED CAPSULES
Abstract
A system for packaging tea in a sealed casing. the system
includes a machine for breaking dried tea leaves, said machine
comprising an inlet for supplying dried tea leaves, an outlet for
releasing the broken tea leaves, and at least one breaker device
including a first breaker member and a second breaker member that
can be removed relative to the first breaker member, said first and
second breaker member being configured to bend the dried tea leaves
until they break.
Inventors: |
FAVRE; Eric; (St-Barthelemy,
CH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TPRESSO AG |
Zurich |
|
CH |
|
|
Family ID: |
48628753 |
Appl. No.: |
15/786196 |
Filed: |
October 17, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14398825 |
Mar 3, 2015 |
|
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PCT/IB2013/053535 |
May 3, 2013 |
|
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15786196 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 31/028 20130101;
A23F 3/00 20130101; B02C 4/02 20130101; B02C 4/42 20130101; B65B
29/022 20170801; B65B 59/04 20130101; B02C 4/30 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B02C 4/02 20060101
B02C004/02; B02C 4/30 20060101 B02C004/30; A23F 3/00 20060101
A23F003/00; B65B 59/04 20060101 B65B059/04; B65B 31/02 20060101
B65B031/02; B02C 4/42 20060101 B02C004/42; B65B 29/02 20060101
B65B029/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 4, 2012 |
EP |
12166912.1 |
Claims
1. A system for packaging dried leaves or stalks of plants in a
hermetically sealed casing, the system including a machine for
breaking dried leaves, the machine comprising an inlet for
supplying the dried leaves or stalks, an outlet for releasing the
broken dried leaves or stalks, and at least one breaker device
including a first breaker member and a second breaker member that
can be removed relative to the first breaker member, wherein the
first and second breaker members are configured to bend the dried
leaves or stalks until they break and in that the machine comprises
a source of neutral gas designed to provide an environment in the
machine, including the said at least one breaker device, which
prevents the oxidation of the leaves or stalks at the time of
breaking until their insertion into the casing.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the machine comprises
multiple breaker devices of different dimensions designed to break
the dried leaves or stalks into pieces of gradually decreasing
size.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second breaker
member comprises a breaker wall with teeth inserted into grooves
and tooth spacings above the upper surface allowing specific
clearance from this surface, said teeth comprising a convex-shaped
leading edge.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the breaker devices are
assembled one on top of the other in the direction of the
gravitational force.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system also
comprising a supply device positioned above the said breaker
device(s), designed to generate a well-distributed shower of leaves
or stalks falling individually onto the surface of the said first
breaker member.
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the supply device
comprises a grid or vibrating tray generating a regular, fine
shower of dried leaves or stalks across the entire length of the
first breaker member.
7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the supply device
comprises one or more grids or vibrating trays positioned upstream
from the said grid or vibrating tray.
8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first breaker
member is removable and comprises a roller that is caused to
rotate.
9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the roller comprises
active lines with a top surface interrupted by cavities designed to
catch the tea leaves, the active lines being separated by grooves
around the roller. The cavities have radial surfaces forming upper
edges with the top surface and the grooves have lateral surfaces
forming side edges with the radial surfaces.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the rollers is
driven by a driver system controlled so that the speed of each
roller of the machine can be adjusted separately.
11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the depth Pa, Pb, Pc
of cavities arranged on the surface of the breaker devices in
relation to the top surface of the breaker devices and/or the width
La, Lb, Le of cavities of the breaker devices as well as the width
Wa, Wb, Wc of grooves of the breaker devices is different from one
breaker device to another.
12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the width of the
cavities and the grooves of a removable breaker member located
downstream is smaller than that of a removable breaker member
located upstream.
13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second breaker
member comprises a breaker wall with teeth inserted into grooves
and tooth spacings above the upper surface, allowing specific
clearance from this surface.
14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the teeth comprise a
convex-shaped leading edge.
15. The system according to claim 1, wherein one angle .THETA. of
the breaker wall in relation to an orthogonal plane on the surface
of the said first breaker member is between -50.degree. and
+60.degree..
16. The system according to claim 3, wherein the leading edge forms
a "V" shape and has a general angle of between 80.degree. and
160.degree..
17. The system according to claim 1, wherein a static breaker
member is attached to an inlet guide in the shape of a funnel to
guide the broken leaves onto the surface of the removable breaker
member.
18. The system according to claim 2, comprising at least three of
said breaker devices.
19. A machine for breaking dried leaves according to a method of
packaging dried leaves or stalks of plants in a hermetically sealed
casing comprising: breaking the dried leaves or stalks in an
environment of non-oxidising gas, inserting the broken leaves into
a casing in an environment of non-oxidising gas, and hermetically
sealing the casing, breaking the dried leaves or stalks involves
bending them until they break, wherein the machine comprises an
inlet for supplying the dried leaves or stalks, an outlet for
releasing the broken dried leaves or stalks, and at least one
breaker device including a first breaker member and a second
breaker member that can be removed relative to the first breaker
member, wherein the first and second breaker members are configured
to bend the dried leaves or stalks until they break and in that the
machine comprises a source of neutral gas designed to provide an
environment in the machine, including the said at least one breaker
device, which prevents the oxidation of the leaves or stalks at the
time of breaking.
20. The machine for breaking dried leaves according to claim 19,
comprising several stages for breaking the dried leaves or stalks,
each subsequent stage breaking the leaves into smaller pieces than
the previous stage.
21. The machine for breaking dried leaves according to claim 19,
wherein the dried plant leaves or stalks are dried tea leaves.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a Divisional Application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 14/398,825, filed Mar. 3, 2015, which
is a 371 of International Application PCT/IB2013/053535 filed on
May 3, 2013 which claims the benefit of priority from European
Patent Application No. 121 66 912.1 filed May 4, 2012, the contents
of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] System (1) for packaging tea in a hermetically sealed casing
(3). The system includes a machine (4) for breaking dried tea
leaves. The machine comprises an inlet (11) for supplying the dried
tea leaves, an outlet (12) for releasing the broken tea leaves, and
at least one breaker device (5a, 5b, 5c) including a first breaker
member (6) and a second breaker member (8) that can be removed
relative to the first breaker member. The first and second breaker
members are designed to bend the dried tea leaves until they
break.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention is for a method of packaging dried edible
leaves or stalks in hermetically sealed casings, the dried leaves
or stalks comprising namely tea, herbal tea or aromatic herbs.
[0004] A known method exists for producing hermetically sealed
casings containing substances such as coffee, broth or tea for
making hot beverages. A method of packaging substances in casings
is described for example in publications WO2008/129530 and
WO2010/007633. Typically, the hermetically sealed casing is placed
in a machine comprising an injection head and a perforating bottom
wall. The injection head perforates one wall of the casing in order
to inject hot water into the casing, and the perforating wall opens
the opposite wall of the casing in order to extract the beverage
once the water has passed through the substance contained in the
casing. By packaging substances such as coffee or tea in
hermetically sealed casings, the properties of the substance can be
preserved for a relatively long period lasting until the beverage
is prepared.
[0005] There are two possibilities as far as tea is concerned. Tea
can be placed in the casing either as whole dried leaves, or as
dried tea leaves that have been cut or crushed into pieces. If
whole leaves are used, the extraction time is longer because the
surface area is smaller than when extracting tea from cut leaves.
When tea is extracted from casings by water injection machines, it
is preferable for the extraction time to be as short as possible
due to the way the machine operates. An extraction time of three to
five minutes, which would be typical for the preparation of tea in
a cup or in a teapot using a teabag or loose leaves, would not be
acceptable for preparing tea from casings in an extraction machine.
Moreover, irrespective of whether the tea leaves are whole or cut,
oxidation of the surface reduces the quality of the tea in terms of
taste and aroma. This problem is compounded if the tea leaves are
cut into small pieces. The conventional approach is therefore to
keep the tea leaves whole to ensure a high-quality taste, the
disadvantage of this being a long extraction time.
[0006] Known methods of cutting or crushing tea leaves into pieces,
such as those described in publications U.S. Pat. No. 2,533,550,
GB281922 and GB820728, do not prevent surface oxidation of the
pieces of leaves because the leaves are exposed to the air during
the reduction processes. In addition, since the leaves form piles
as they are sheared or crushed between two rollers turning in
opposite directions, heat is produced as a result of friction or
shearing which leads to faster sealing by oxidation and/or by
drying out the exposed broken surface of the cut leaves. This
reduces the ability of the leaf to absorb water quickly and also
heats the exposed surface, which may also result in other chemical
reactions that can alter the properties of the tea or other dried
edible plants in terms of taste and aroma.
[0007] The problem described above can also affect the leaves of
other dried edible plants such as herbs.
[0008] One objective of the invention is to provide a method of
packaging dried leaves or stalks of edible plants in hermetically
sealed casings and a machine for implementing the method in order
to prepare a beverage or liquid nutrient with excellent properties
in terms of taste and aroma.
[0009] One specific objective of the invention is to provide a
method of packaging dried tea leaves in hermetically sealed casings
and a machine for implementing the method in order to prepare tea
with excellent properties in terms of taste and aroma.
[0010] It is advantageous to provide a method and a machine for
packaging tea or another edible product in casings which can be
used to prepare tea or another liquid nutrient in a short time. It
is advantageous to provide a method and a machine for packaging tea
or another edible product in hermetically sealed casings which can
be used to prepare tea or another liquid nutrient with a very high
level of extraction of the substances contained in the dried
leaves. The objectives of the invention are achieved by the method
including breaking the dried leaves or stalks in an environment of
non-oxidizing gas; inserting the broken leaves into a casing in an
environment of non-oxidizing gas; and hermetically sealing the
casing; breaking the dried leaves or stalks involves bending them
until they break, a system for packaging dried leaves or stalks of
plants in hermetically sealed casings including a machine for
breaking dried leaves; the machine comprising an inlet for
supplying the dried leaves or stalks; an outlet for releasing the
broken dried leaves or stalks; and at least one breaker device
including a first breaker member and a second breaker member that
can be removed relative to the first breaker member; characterized
in that the first and second breaker members are configured to bend
the dried leaves or stalks until they break and in that the machine
comprises a source of neutral gas designed to provide an
environment in the machine; including the said at least one breaker
device; which prevents the oxidation of the leaves or stalks at the
time of breaking until their insertion into the casing, and a
machine having an inlet for supplying the dried leaves or stalks;
an outlet for releasing the broken dried leaves or stalks; and at
least one breaker device including a first breaker member and a
second breaker member that can be removed relative to the first
breaker member, wherein the first and second breaker members are
configured to bend the dried leaves or stalks until they break and
in that the machine comprises a source of neutral gas designed to
provide an environment in the machine, including the said at least
one breaker device, which prevents the oxidation of the leaves or
stalks at the time of breaking.
[0011] This invention describes a method of packaging dried edible
plants, particularly tea, in a hermetically sealed casing,
involving breaking whole dried leaves in an environment of
non-oxidizing gas, inserting the broken leaves into a casing in an
environment of non-oxidizing gas and hermetically sealing the
casing. Breaking the dried leaves or stalks involves bending them
until they break. It is preferable to break the leaves in several
stages, each subsequent stage breaking the leaves or stalks into
smaller pieces than the previous stage.
[0012] This invention describes a system for packaging dried edible
plants, particularly tea, in a hermetically sealed casing. The
system includes a machine for breaking the dried leaves or stalks
of edible plants, particularly tea. The machine comprises an inlet
for supplying the dried leaves or stalks, an outlet for releasing
the broken dried leaves or stalks, and at least one breaker device
including a first breaker member and a second breaker member that
can be removed relative to the first breaker member. The first and
second breaker members are designed to bend the dried leaves or
stalks until they break.
[0013] According to one aspect of the invention, the machine can
advantageously comprise a source of non-oxidizing gas, such as
nitrogen, designed to provide a gaseous environment in the machine
in order to prevent the oxidation of the leaves or stalks at the
time of breaking until their insertion into the casing.
[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, the machine can
comprise a supply device positioned above the first breaker device,
designed to generate a well-distributed shower of leaves or stalks
falling individually onto the surface of the said first breaker
member. The shower of leaves or stalks is preferably designed so
that only one leaf or stalk lands in the cavity of the first
breaker device at a time in the case of the majority of the leaves
falling onto the first breaker device. Ideally, only one leaf or
twig should be in each cavity at a time (shower effect) to prevent
the leaves or stalks from being crushed and to guarantee the best
possible conditions for breaking each dried leaf or stalk solely as
a result of bending. In the invention, as well as generating a
shower of leaves or stalks falling onto the first breaker device,
the latter is made to move at a speed that can be adjusted to take
into account the characteristics of the leaves or stalks,
particularly the type, origin, moisture content and average size
(diameter, length) of each leaf or stalk. The supply device can
advantageously comprise a grid or vibrating tray with a drop edge
along the entire length of the first breaker member, designed to
generate a regular, fine shower or curtain of dried leaves or
stalks along the entire length of the first breaker member.
[0015] The supply device can also comprise one or more grids or
vibrating trays positioned upstream of the said grid or vibrating
tray to prevent the leaves or stalks from piling up and to ensure
optimum spacing between them. The machine can advantageously
comprise multiple breaker devices, preferably at least three
breaker devices.
[0016] The machine can advantageously comprise multiple breaker
devices positioned one on top of the other, for example assembled
one on top of the other vertically. In this embodiment, the broken
leaves are transported from one device to the next by gravity.
Other means of transporting the leaves between successive breaking
devices, such as conveyor belts, vibrating conveyors or blown gas,
can however be envisaged as part of this invention. The breaker
devices do not have to be positioned vertically, but can instead be
assembled horizontally or as a cascade, or even spaced apart. In
this last alternative, the dried leaves could be broken as part of
a chain or batch process. A batch process is divided into several
independent or autonomous stages to break the leaves into pieces of
gradually decreasing size.
[0017] In one embodiment, the first breaker member is removable and
comprises a roller that is made to rotate by a motor. The roller
can comprise active lines with an essentially cylindrical top
surface interrupted by cavities designed to catch the dried leaves,
the active lines being separated by grooves around the roller. The
cavities have radial surfaces forming upper edges with the top
surface, and the grooves have lateral surfaces forming side edges
with the radial surfaces. It is advantageous if the depth of the
cavities in relation to the top surface and the width of the
cavities, as well as the width of the grooves, is different from
one breaker device to another, particularly if the width of the
cavities and the grooves decreases from the upstream breaker member
to the downstream breaker member. In an advantageous embodiment,
each of the rollers is driven by a controlled drive system so that
the speed of each roller of the machine can be adjusted separately.
The drive system can advantageously comprise a separate motor for
each roller.
[0018] In an advantageous embodiment, the second breaker member
comprises a breaker wall with teeth inserted into the grooves of
the rollers and controlled tooth spacing above the top surface of
the rollers allowing specific clearance from this surface. The
clearance could for instance be between 0.001 mm and 1 mm.
[0019] The teeth, particularly those of the first and possibly the
second breaker device, can advantageously comprise a convex leading
edge, forming a "V" shape for example, with a general angle of
between 80.degree. and 160.degree..
[0020] It is advantageous if the bottom surface of the grooves is
higher than the bottom surface of the cavities. The static breaker
device can be attached to an inlet guide in the shape of a funnel
to guide the broken leaves onto the surface of the removable
breaker member.
[0021] One angle .THETA. of the breaker wall in relation to an
orthogonal plane on the surface of the first breaker member may
specifically be between -50.degree. and +60.degree..
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] Other objectives and advantages of the invention can be seen
from the claims or from the detailed description of one embodiment
below, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: FIG.
1a is a perspective view of a machine for packaging dried leaves,
particularly tea, in casings, according to one embodiment of the
invention;
[0023] FIG. 1b is a perspective view of the machine with part of
the outer structure removed to better illustrate the machine;
[0024] FIG. 1c is a perspective view of the machine according to
FIG. 1a, showing a supply device of the machine in more detail;
FIG. 2a is a perspective view of a machine for packaging dried
leaves, particularly tea, in casings, according to one embodiment
of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 2b is a side view of the machine shown in FIG. 2a;
[0026] FIG. 2c is a front view of the machine shown in FIG. 2a
[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of part of the machine shown in
FIG. 2a representing a breaker device seen from above;
[0028] FIG. 4 is a view of the rollers of a breaker device seen
from above, in one alternative;
[0029] FIG. 5a is a detailed, schematic cross-sectional view of a
breaker device of a machine for breaking dried leaves according to
one embodiment of the invention;
[0030] FIGS. 5b and 5c illustrate parts of alternative breaker
rollers;
[0031] FIG. 5d is a schematic illustration showing the teeth of a
breaker wall engaging a breaking roller according to one
alternative;
[0032] FIG. 5e is a schematic illustration indicating the
dimensions of the teeth and grooves of a breaker device according
to one alternative;
[0033] FIG. 6a is a perspective view of a roller of a breaker
device of a machine according to one embodiment of the
invention;
[0034] FIG. 6b is a plan view of the roller shown in FIG. 6a;
[0035] FIG. 6c is a view in the direction of the rotational axis of
the roller shown in FIG. 6a;
[0036] FIG. 7a is a perspective view of a roller breaker for
breaking the leaves into smaller pieces than the breaker roller
shown in FIG. 6a;
[0037] FIG. 7b is a plan view of the roller shown in FIG. 7a;
[0038] FIG. 7c is a view in the direction of the rotational axis of
the roller shown in FIG. 7a;
[0039] FIG. 8a is a perspective view of a roller of a breaker
device of a machine according to another embodiment of the
invention;
[0040] FIG. 8b is a plan view of the roller shown in FIG. 8a;
[0041] FIG. 8c is a view in the direction of the rotational axis of
the roller shown in FIG. 8a;
[0042] FIG. 9a is a perspective view of a breaker wall of a machine
according to one embodiment of the invention;
[0043] FIG. 9b is a plan view of the wall shown in FIG. 9a;
[0044] FIG. 9c is a view in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG.
9b;
[0045] FIG. 9d is a view in the direction of arrow D shown in FIG.
9b;
[0046] FIG. 10a is a perspective view of a breaker wall for
breaking the leaves into smaller pieces than the breaker wall shown
in FIG. 9a;
[0047] FIG. 10b is a plan view of the breaker wall shown in FIG.
10a;
[0048] FIG. 10c is a view in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG.
10b; and
[0049] FIG. 10d is a view in the direction of arrow D shown in FIG.
10b; FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a machine 4 for breaking the
dried leaves of plants, and particularly dried tea leaves. The
machine is part of a system 1 for packaging leaves, particularly
tea, in a hermetically sealed casing 3. The machine comprises an
inlet 11 for supplying the dried leaves, an outlet 12 for releasing
the broken leaves and guiding them into the casing, and at least
one breaker device 5a, 5b, 5c.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0050] In the embodiment illustrated, the machine 4 comprises
multiple breaker devices assembled one on top of the other
vertically. It would also be possible to position the breaker
devices next to one another horizontally or in different positions,
and to have a transport mechanism such as a conveyor belt to
transport the leaves from one device to another.
[0051] In an advantageous embodiment, there are three breaker
devices 5a, 5b and 5c.
[0052] The breaker devices can be installed in a cabinet 13, at
least partially, the interior of the said cabinet being supplied
with a neutral gas such as nitrogen in order to prevent the
oxidation of the leaves or stalks at the time of breaking until
their insertion into the casing. The neutral gas covers the breaker
devices and the entire route taken by the broken leaf or stalk
until it reaches the casing. The casings 3 are therefore also
filled with a neutral gas before being hermetically sealed. This
not only avoids the oxidation of the leaves or stalks during and
after breaking, but also preserves their organoleptic properties
and prevents microbial activity. The machine 4 can also be
installed in an airlock in a controlled environment, particularly
if a neutral gas such as nitrogen is used to fill the airlock.
[0053] In one embodiment of the invention, each breaker device 5
comprises a removable breaker member 6 and a static breaker member
8. In an advantageous embodiment, the removable breaker member 6
comprises a motor 26 which causes roller 16a, 16b, 16c to rotate.
The roller comprises active lines 22 with a cylindrical top surface
18 interrupted by cavities 20 designed to partially catch the
leaves 2, as shown in FIG. 5. There are multiple active lines
separated by grooves 24 around the roller. The cavities have a
bottom surface 17 and radial surfaces 19 forming upper edges 21
with the top surface 18. The grooves 24 have a bottom surface 23
and lateral surfaces 25 forming side edges 27 with the radial
surfaces 19 of the cavities 20.
[0054] It is advantageous if each of the rollers is driven by a
separately controlled motor 26a, 26b, 26c so that the speed of each
roller of the machine can be adjusted separately. The rotational
speed of the rollers can be determined empirically depending on the
type of dried leaf to be broken, for instance tea, but also
depending on differences within a single type of product. These
differences may concern the morphology of dried leaves of different
origins, their moisture content or their resistance to breakage. In
the different alternatives, it is however possible to have one or
more motors working at constant speed, and a gearbox or coupling
system of adjustable, controllable speed, to couple the motor or
motors to the rollers.
[0055] It is advantageous if the depth Pa, Pb, Pc of the cavities
20 in relation to the top surface 18 and the width La, Lb, Le of
the cavities, as well as the width Wa, Wb, Wc of the grooves is
different from one breaker device to another. The widths of the
cavities and the grooves of the removable breaker member of the
first device (upper member) 6a are larger than those of the second
removable breaker member (intermediate member) 6b which are in turn
larger than those of the third removable breaker member (lower
member) 6c. The reduction in dimensions takes account of the fact
that the dried tea leaves are broken in successive stages as they
pass from each breaker roller to the breaker roller beneath,
gradually decreasing in size. The top part of the leaf (not yet
broken) should preferably bounce "autonomously" and fall back down
to be broken without being crushed between the teeth of the roller
and the sheet, i.e. solely as a result of bending.
[0056] The static breaker member 8, 8a, 8b, 8c comprises a breaker
wall 9, 9a, 9b, 9c with teeth 30, 30a, 30c, inserted into grooves
24 between the lines 22 and tooth spacings 32, 32a, 32c just above
the top surface, allowing specific, controlled clearance from this
surface. The tooth spacings 32 can break the ends of dried tea
leaves emerging radially over the upper edges 21 of the cavities
20. The teeth 30 can break the ends of dried tea leaves 2 emerging
laterally from the cavities 20 over the side edges 27. The teeth 30
are also designed to push the leaves that fall into the grooves 24
laterally so that they will be fed in within the side edges 27 of
the cavities 20. For this purpose, it is advantageous for the teeth
30 to have a convex-shaped leading edge 34, forming a "V" shape for
example (see FIGS. 5d, 9a and 9c), to collect and push the leaves
laterally so that they are more likely to be fed in with one end
partially in the cavities 20. As far as the first roller 6a and the
second roller 6b are concerned, the "V"-shaped leading edge can
have a general angle that is preferably between 80.degree. and
160.degree., for instance between 110.degree. and 130.degree.. In
one alternative, the bottom surface 15 of the groove 24 can be
higher than the bottom surface 17 of the cavities, in other words
at an average depth in relation to the upper surface 18, but lower
than the depth Pa, Pb, Pc of the cavities 20. This makes it easier
to feed the leaves partially into the cavities 20 by helping them
to fall into the cavities. The profile of the bottom surface 25 of
the groove 24, seen as a longitudinal cross-section containing the
rotational axis A of the roller, can be essentially straight, as
illustrated, or slightly convex to help the tea leaves falling into
the grooves to slide or be projected towards the cavities 20.
[0057] The static breaker member 8 can be integrally formed or
attached to an inlet guide 10 in the shape of a funnel to guide the
broken tea leaves onto the surface of the removable breaker member
6a, 6b, 6c, and to redirect towards the surface of the removable
breaker member any tea leaves thrown up into the air on being
broken.
[0058] In one advantageous method, the dried leaves or stalks,
either whole or essentially whole, are fed onto the first roller 6a
by a supply device 28 designed to generate a shower of leaves
falling not too densely onto the surface of the removable breaker
member between the inlet walls 10 and in particular between the
breaker walls 9. The regular, fine shower of dried leaves covers
the entire length of the first breaker member. The leaves fall
individually onto the surface of the said first breaker member so
that there is preferably only one leaf in each cavity 20 at a time,
but a maximum of two or three. The supply device can comprise a
grid or other vibrating tray to release the leaves one after
another and generate a regular, fine shower of dried leaves. If the
density of the leaves falling onto the first removable breaker
member 6a is too high, the cavities 20 may become blocked and the
leaves will not be broken in the optimal manner. Even if the
cavities 20 do not become blocked, the leaves are only broken in
the optimal manner if one, or no more than two or three leaves, are
in a cavity 20 in order to prevent the leaves from piling up and
being compressed between the upper edges 21 and side edges 27 of
the cavity 20 and the static breaker member 8 when the edges meet
the static breaker member, which could reduce the effectiveness of
the breaking process. A leaf typically bounces along the breaker
member several times. Breaking leaves by crushing or shearing
releases thermal energy which is harmful to the properties of the
surface exposed after breaking, whereas breaking each leaf
individually by bending, as in this invention, involves exposing a
very large surface on breaking the leaf and releasing a minimum of
thermal energy.
[0059] To prevent the leaves from piling up, and hence the top part
of the leaf from being crushed (i.e. the part above the part being
broken), the leaf must remain "isolated", which is why it is so
important to ensure the optimum adjustment of the "shower of
leaves". The shower of leaves can be adjusted manually by the
operator (optimum balance between the speed of the rollers, that of
the distribution vibrators, and the shower effect), or according to
parameters determined during tests carried out beforehand depending
on the type of leaf and its moisture content. It is therefore
advantageous if the speed of each roller can be adjusted separately
from that of the other rollers. As already stated, differences in
moisture content or breakage resistance have an effect on the speed
adjustment. A leaf bounces several times, on several rollers.
[0060] With reference to FIGS. 1a and 1c, the supply device 28, in
an advantageous embodiment, comprises a vibrating tray 36 with an
overflow edge 38 covering the entire length of the first roller and
positioned above the first roller 16a. In the embodiment
illustrated, the leaves are fed in according to the axis of the
breaker roller, the overflow edge being placed at an oblique angle
in relation to the axis so that the edge covers the entire length
of the roller. It is also possible to supply the leaves
transversally in relation to the rotational axis of the breaker
roller, as is the case for example in the supply device illustrated
in FIG. 2a.
[0061] The supply device 28 can also comprise one or more vibrating
trays 40 upstream from vibrating tray 36, the upstream vibrating
trays preventing the dried leaves or stalks from piling up and
separating them before feeding them onto vibrating tray 26. This
arrangement helps to control and adjust the distribution of the
leaves or stalks and ensures optimum spacing between them before
they reach the overflow edge 38 so that a fine shower of leaves
falls onto the first breaker device, a single leaf or stalk falling
into a cavity of the breaker device at a time.
[0062] With reference to FIG. 5a, the angle .THETA. of the breaker
wall 8 in relation to the radial direction R, at the intersection
between the breaker wall and the upper surface 18 of the roller,
may specifically be between -50.degree. (.THETA. min.) and
+60.degree. (.THETA. max.). With reference to FIGS. 5b and 5c, the
angle .delta. between the radial surface 19 of the cavities 20 and
the plane 7 tangential to the upper surface 18 may specifically be
between 30.degree. and 125.degree.. Angle .delta. can vary
depending on angle .THETA. given that both of these angles
influence the position of the support points applied to a dried
leaf caught between the breaker wall 9 and the tooth 30 on one
side, and the upper edge 21 of the radial surface 19 on the other,
as well as the free space allowing the leaf to bend. The aim is to
cause the leaf to break by bending rather than as a result of a
sharp break or grinding or crushing.
[0063] With reference to FIG. 5e, clearances j1, 2, 3 between the
end 30 of the breaker wall and the top surface 18 of line 22 of the
removable breaker member are preferably between 0.001 mm and 1.8
mm. The angle .THETA. of the breaker wall 9, the angle at the
leading edge of the teeth, the clearances j1, j2, j3 and the
dimensions of the cavities 20 and of the grooves 24 are designed so
that a tea leaf 2 falling into the cavity 20 becomes caught between
the breaker wall and the upper edge 21 or the side edge 27 of the
cavity 20. The leaf is then bent until it breaks when roller 6
turns and the cavity moves against breaker wall 9. When a leaf
breaks, it tends to be a sudden, irregular break, particularly if
it is caused by bending a dried leaf until it breaks. This is
different from a sharp break or cut, or a break obtained by
grinding or crushing a leaf.
[0064] In the invented system, the aim is to avoid grinding the
leaves or causing a sharp cut or break. Firstly, the exposed
surface of a broken leaf is irregular and rough, making it much
larger than that of a cut leaf. The major advantage of this is that
breaking tea leaves by bending in a non-oxidizing environment, i.e.
without oxygen, prevents the oxidation of the surface and enables
the leaf to absorb water extremely quickly in order to extract the
substances from the tea and prepare a beverage. Not only can these
substances be extracted very quickly, but the subtle aromas are
also preserved by preventing the oxidation of the exposed surfaces
when the leaves are bent by breaking. Moreover, the surface of a
tea leaf that has been cut or ground undergoes intense localized
heating, the effect of which is to repair the cut or ground surface
and reduce its ability to quickly absorb water and to quickly
release the soluble substances contained in the tea leaf. Breakage
by bending generates less thermal energy at the broken surface, and
this surface therefore remains more porous to the absorption of
water and the release of soluble products. The aroma of the tea is
altered less by avoiding localized heating of the broken surface.
Tea leaves from different regions have different mechanical
properties, dimensions and moisture contents. As a result, the
necessary parameters for breaking the leaves in the optimal manner
may vary. Machine 4 therefore has a driver system designed to
control the rotational speed of the removable breaker members,
preferably to control the rotational speed of each breaker member
separately. The driver system can comprise one or more motors and
possibly one or more mechanisms such as one or more gearboxes to
control the rotational speeds. In the alternative illustrated, the
machine comprises motors 26a, 26b, 26c for driving the removable
breaker members 6a, 6b, 6c, which are controlled separately. The
speed of each breaker roller is determined by the speed of each
corresponding motor coupled to the respective roller. The optimal
speed for each of the breaker rollers can be determined for each
type of tea by means of empirical measurement. For example, very
dry, very brittle tea leaves can be broken with faster rotational
speeds of rollers 16a, 16b and 16c than for more elastic, less
brittle leaves. It is therefore possible to vary the angle .THETA.
of the wall and the clearance between the upper surface and the
tooth spacing part of the breaker wall according to the elasticity,
dimensions, density, moisture content and other characteristics of
the tea leaves. It is also possible to replace the breaker walls
and rollers in order to change the dimensions and angles of the
grooves, cavities and teeth depending on the dimensions and
mechanical properties of the type of leaves to be packaged into
casings. The speed of the breaker rollers may also depend on the
speed at which the dried leaves are fed in by the upstream supply
device in order to prevent several leaves from piling up in the
cavities of the rollers. Ideally, the aim is to ensure that a
single leaf falls into each cavity of the breaker rollers at a time
in order to ensure optimum breaking by bending, without crushing.
The optimum speeds of the breaker rollers, which depend in
particular on the characteristics of the leaves to be packaged and
on the speed at which they are fed in, can be adjusted empirically
by carrying out analyses on the broken leaves leaving the
machine.
[0065] When the dried leaves or stalks 2 fall into the cavities,
the parts emerging from the cavity above the upper surface 18 or
laterally over the edge will be broken when they come into contact
with the breaker wall. Part of the broken leaf or stalk probably
remains in the cavity and the other part is probably thrown up into
the air before falling back down onto the surface of the removable
breaker member. If the part thrown up into the air is still longer
than the depth or the width of the cavity 20, it can be broken
again. With regard to the part of the broken leaf or stalk that
remains in the cavity 20 when the cavity passes under the breaker
wall 9, this part of the leaf or stalk falls from the cavity into
the inlet guide 10b of the breaker member positioned beneath it and
is then broken further into smaller pieces. By means of the
multiple removable breaker members assembled one on top of the
other, the tea leaves can be broken into smaller and smaller pieces
in successive stages in order to package small pieces of broken tea
leaves forming a very large non-oxidised surface of absorption. The
time needed to extract the substances contained in the tea or other
edible plant is therefore reduced to less than 30 seconds compared
to an extraction time of several minutes for a traditional method
of preparing tea. As a result, the substances extracted are of
greater organoleptic quality than those extracted from traditional
tea leaves or other edible plants. In one alternative, breaker
devices can also be assembled horizontally, one next to the other,
or spaced out, and the broken leaves or stalks are transported from
one device to another via a means of transport such as a conveyor,
a vibrating plate or a system of blown gas. The cavities 20 can
have active lines and grooves that are orthogonal in relation to
the rotational axis A as illustrated in FIG. 3, but in one
alternative (not illustrated), the active lines and grooves may
form a helix around the roller.
[0066] In one alternative, the radial walls 19 on both sides of the
cavities 20 are essentially parallel to the rotational axis of the
rollers, as illustrated in the embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 6a to 6c.
In another alternative, the walls 19 can be placed at an oblique
angle .phi. in relation to the direction of the rotational axis, as
illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 8a to 8c, the oblique angle .phi.
preferably being between 10.degree. and 35.degree. in relation to
the direction of the rotational axis.
[0067] Upholding the purpose of the invention, a method of breaking
the dried leaves or stalks of tea or other plants can be
implemented by embodiments of breaker members other than those
illustrated. Instead of a roller, the removable breaker member can
for instance be an essentially flat member, fitted with cavities
and oscillating from side to side in relation to a breaker wall. A
pair of corrugated sheets or sheets with opposing jagged edges or
opposing cavities and protuberances could also be used as breaker
members. The dried tea leaves would land in the cavities of one of
the sheets, and the protuberances of the other sheet would fit into
the cavities in order to bend the leaves until they break, the aim
being to cause the leaves to break by bending rather than as a
result of a sharp break or grinding of the leaves. It would also be
possible to have two removable breaker members.
EXAMPLE
[0068] An example of a specific configuration of the breaker walls
and rollers based on an embodiment such as that illustrated in
FIGS. 1a to 2c for packaging dried tea leaves can have parameters
(shown in FIGS. 5a-5e, 6b, 6c, 7b, 7c) with values close to the
following values:
TABLE-US-00001 Parameter First roller: Second roller: Third roller:
.alpha. 120.degree. 120.degree. 120.degree. .THETA. 45.degree.
45.degree. 45.degree. .delta. 90.degree. 90.degree. 90.degree. W
11.8 mm 4.3 mm 2.8 mm P 3 mm 3 mm 2.5 mm L 6.7 mm 4.7 mm 1.7 mm J1
1.5 mm 1.4 mm 1.3 mm J2 1.5 mm 1.4 mm 1.3 mm J3 0.1 mm 0.1 mm 0.1
mm
[0069] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown
and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it
will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise
without departing from such principles.
* * * * *