WOVEN MESH AND USES

The present invention relates to a woven mesh. The woven mesh comprises polyester such as poly(ethylene terephthalate). The present invention also relates to associated uses and systems of the woven mesh.

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Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a woven mesh for multiple serves. Specifically, the invention relates to a device comprising a woven mesh that substantially comprises polyester and is applicable for use in making multiple serves of a consumable liquid such as coffee, tea or an infusion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of the filing date of Australian Provisional Application No. 2012904026, which was filed on 14 Sep. 2012.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Historically, people have enjoyed the taste of coffee and tea due to the effects of caffeine, for example, as well as an association of coffee and tea with social interaction and intellectualism. As such, coffee and tea are two of the most widely consumed beverages in the world today. Coffeehouses, teahouse, cafes and coffee shops have met the need for social interaction with coffee and tea. With the increase of these establishments world-wide, such as in North America and Australia as it relates to coffee in particular, the popularity of coffee is likely to remain and possibly increase. Consumers expect a good cup of coffee wherever they are, which includes travelling either by land, sea or air.

Tea has always been a popular drink and has its roots in China. Tea is commonly consumed at social events, and many cultures have created intricate formal ceremonies for these events. Western examples of these are afternoon tea and the tea party. Hot tea has become increasingly popular with Westerners.

The consumption of hot coffee and tea or an infusion when travelling by air relies on preparation of these consumable liquids by flight crews with the use of brewers or Bodum®s. In the circumstance where a brewer is used, what regularly occurs is that coffee grinds, tea leaves or any select materials for infusion are either placed in a paper filter or already contained within a paper pillowpack. The flow of hot water through the filter or pillowpack would result in the extraction or infusion of the water soluble compounds from the coffee grinds, tea leaves or select material thus producing the relevant flavours in the respective resultant liquid for consumption.

However, flight crews have experienced problems when making coffee, tea and infusions for their passengers. For example, it has been reported on a number of occasions by Qantas that during the in-flight preparation of coffee for example for the economy cabin, paper pillowpacks for use in brewers were found to explode or burst during the brew cycle. In consultation with a supplier of one of the brewers used on flights, the inventors found that the problem of bursting or exploding paper pillowpacks was a longstanding one both locally & internationally. The incidence of bursting or exploding pillowpacks was so common that the above-mentioned supplier even provided instructions on the front of their machines as to what to do in the event of bursting pillowpacks. The inventors refer to FIG. 1 in this regard.

The pillowpacks that are currently being used and available for purchase on the market are made primarily of paper. When the paper pillowpacks have been used, it has been observed that these pillowpacks can fail in which contents, such as coffee grinds may be released into the chambers of the brewers. In several instances, the paper pillowpacks had burst due to incorrectly inserting the pillowpacks into the brewers. However, the paper pillowpacks also failed when they were handled and used in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions.

The inventors submit that the above problem has been solved by the invention as described and defined herein. The invention is predicated on the development of a device comprising woven mesh whereby the mesh substantially comprises polyester and whereby the device is useful in securing coffee grinds, loose tea leaves or any select materials for extraction or infusion by a solvent such as water. The device and examples of various uses of the device are discussed below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device to produce multiple serves of a consumable liquid, whereby the device comprises woven mesh substantially comprising polyester. In addition, there is provided a device when used to produce multiple serves of a consumable liquid, whereby the device comprises woven mesh substantially comprising polyester.

In one embodiment, the polyester may be one or a blend of the following: Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone, Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate, Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran. In a more preferred embodiment, the polyester is PET.

In one embodiment, the device is in the form of a filter or pillowpack.

In another embodiment, the pillowpack seals a select material.

In a further embodiment, the select material may be any plant part that is infused to produce the consumable liquid. The plant part may be seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits or berries. The seeds may be coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds. The leaves may be tea leaves.

In one embodiment, the mesh is sealed by sealing means. The means to seal the mesh includes, but not limited to, ultrasonic welding and direct heat. In another embodiment, the ultrasonic welding comprises high frequency low amplitude vibration. In an example, the high frequency is within the range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz. The temperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about 50 and about 200 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment, the temperature is in a range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius. In a further embodiment, the temperature is about 125 degrees Celsius.

In one embodiments the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm) respectively.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm).

In another aspect, the present invention relates to use of a device to make multiple serves of a consumable liquid, whereby the device comprises a woven mesh substantially comprising polyester, whereby the use comprises (1) placing select material in the woven mesh, (2) sealing the mesh to contain the select material during immersion, (3) immersing the material-containing mesh into hot or cold liquid for a time and under conditions to infuse the material, (4) producing the consumable liquid from the infusion and (5) collecting the consumable liquid for multiple serve consumption.

In one embodiment, the consumable liquid is selected from the group comprising teas, coffees and other infusions.

In one embodiment, the polyester may be one or a blend of the following: Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone, Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate, Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran. In a more preferred embodiment, the polyester is PET.

In one embodiment, the device is in the form of a filter or pillowpack.

In a further embodiment, the select material may be any plant part. The plant part may be seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits or berries. The seeds may be coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds. The leaves may be tea leaves.

In one embodiment, the mesh is sealed by sealing means. The means to seal the mesh includes, but not limited to, ultrasonic welding and direct heat. In another embodiment, the ultrasonic welding comprises high frequency low amplitude vibration. In an example, the high frequency is within the range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz. The temperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about 50 and about 200 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment, the temperature is in a range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius. In a further embodiment, the temperature is about 125 degrees Celsius.

In one embodiment, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm) respectively.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm).

A method of making multiple serves of a consumable liquid comprising:

(1) placing a device comprising woven mesh which substantially comprises polyester into a Bodum® or brewer or any apparatus in which the purpose of using the apparatus is to produce the consumable liquid;
(2) placing select material in the woven mesh;
(3) sealing the mesh to contain the select material during immersion;
(4) immersing the material-containing mesh into hot or cold liquid for a time and under conditions for infusion to occur whereby a consumable liquid is produced by the infusion in an amount that allows for multiple serves; and
(5) collecting the consumable liquid for multiple serve consumption.

In one embodiment, the consumable liquid is selected from the group comprising teas, coffees and other infusions.

In one embodiment, the polyester may be one or a blend of the following: Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone, Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate, Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran. In a more preferred embodiment, the polyester is PET.

In one embodiment, the device is in the form of a filter or pillowpack.

In a further embodiment, the select material may be any plant part. The plant part may be seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits or berries. The seeds may be coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds. The leaves may be tea leaves.

In one embodiment, the mesh is sealed by sealing means. The means to seal the mesh includes, but not limited to, ultrasonic welding and direct heat. In another embodiment, the ultrasonic welding comprises high frequency low amplitude vibration. In an example, the high frequency is within the range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz. The temperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about 50 and about 200 degrees Celsius. In another embodiment, the temperature is in a range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius. In a further embodiment, the temperature is about 125 degrees Celsius.

In one embodiment, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm) respectively.

In some embodiments, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm).

Definitions

The woven mesh of the invention, which is a woven mesh made substantially of polyester, may be referred to in the examples and figures as “mesh”, “mesh bag” or “silk bag” and should be considered distinct to a filter or pillowpack made substantially of paper. The device comprising the woven mesh of the invention is useful in producing multiple serves of a consumable liquid.

The term “multiple serves” means that more than a single serve of consumable liquid is produced.

The term “contain”, “contains”, “containing” or “contained” which could be used interchangeably with “retain”, “retains”, “retaining” and “retained” refers to the retention of the select material as described herein within the sealed woven mesh such that during immersion and infusion only soluble compounds are allowed to exit the mesh.

The term “other infusions” as used herein refers to a consumable liquid that has been produced through the steeping of plant parts other than coffee beans or tea leaves in a solvent such that the liquid contains soluble compounds of the plant parts that give the liquid flavour. A non-limiting example of a solvent is water and is typically hot in relation to temperature which ensures effective and efficient infusion of the plant parts. Non-limiting examples of plant parts for infusion include dried herbs, flower, fruit/berries such as lemon, chamomile, senna, apple, ginger, rooibos, and a great many other plants not mentioned herein. The dried herbs, flowers and fruit/berries may be infused individually or in combination.

The term “pillowpack” is a description given to a square or rectangular mesh bag, into which is placed selected materials requiring immersion into hot or cold liquid, and then sealed to contain the selected materials during the immersion process. The selected materials may be, for example, coffee grinds or extracts. The term “Pillowpack” has the same meaning as the terms “envelope”, “bag” and “pouch”. Thus, these terms may be and are used interchangeably.

The term “brewer” is a description given to a machine that forces heated liquid through a chamber containing material that requires infusion, and then transports the resultant liquid, including the now-released soluble compounds, into a vessel used to distribute the liquid into cups, or directly into cups.

The term “coffee bag” is a description given to a square or rectangular mesh bag, into which is placed selected coffee grinds or extracts requiring immersion into hot or cold liquid, and then sealed to contain the selected materials during the immersion process.

Bodum® is a registered trademark. Bodum® as described herein refers to a manual coffee brewer supplied by Bodum® which is freely available in Australia. The brewer consists of a glass vessel typically containing 1.5 litres of boiling water, on top of which is placed coffee grinds or extracts, on top of which is placed a plunger. After allowing a brewing time, the plunger is forced to the base of the vessel, also transporting the now infused coffee grinds or extracts, leaving the liquid, including the now released soluble compounds, ready to be poured into cups.

The term “bursting” or “exploding” as used herein describes the event where a pillowpack or coffee bag, after being placed in either a brewer or Bodum® and immersed in boiling water, ruptures its mesh material or splits open its seams, allowing the contents to escape.

The term “filter” is a description given to a device that, when filled with coffee, tea or infusion materials, and then immersed in a liquid, allows the soluble portion of the contents to pass into the liquid whilst retaining the residual solids.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g. in aroma chemistry, acid chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering).

Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Throughout this specification, reference to numerical values, unless stated otherwise, is to be taken as meaning “about” that numerical value. The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device and the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that prior art forms part of the common general knowledge of the person skilled in the art.

The entire content of all publications, patents, patent applications and other material recited in this specification is incorporated herein by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following figures.

FIG. 1: Photograph of instructions on B/E Aerospace Brewer Machine

FIG. 2: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted correctly in brewer tray

FIG. 3: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted correctly in tray—After brewing

FIG. 4: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted incorrectly in brewer tray

FIG. 5: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted incorrectly in brewer tray—Burst during brewing

FIG. 6: Photograph of paper pillowpack inserted incorrectly in brewer tray—Burst during brewing

FIG. 7: Photograph of coffee granules remaining in brewer head after burst pillowpack

FIG. 8: Photograph of mesh coffee bag of the invention inserted correctly in tray

FIG. 9: Photograph of mesh coffee bag of the invention inserted correctly in tray—After Brewing

FIG. 10: A schematic diagram showing typical width and length of a hole size (in micrometres) for Mesh#1

FIG. 11: A schematic diagram of a typical polyester filament within the woven mesh from a cross-sectional perspective showing the sheath and core of the filament

FIG. 12: A micrograph showing filaments within the woven mesh of Mesh#2 at a magnification of ×100

FIG. 13: A micrograph showing filaments within the woven mesh of Mesh#2 at a magnification of ×300. The width and length of the hole size were measured and the measured distances are shown on the micrograph

FIG. 14: A photograph of an intact paper pillowpack. This pillowpack was in good condition with no tears or breaks in seam or top and bottom side of bag

FIG. 15: A photograph of a paper pillowpack split at the seam. This pillowpack had a split at one end of the seam without contents permeating tray.

FIG. 16: A photograph of a paper pillowpack cracked on top centre: This pillowpack was partially intact with crack under water faucet, without contents permeating into tray.

FIG. 17: A photograph of a burst paper pillowpack (top panel). This pillowpack completely burst causing contents to permeate throughout tray and into cory pot (middle panel) and aircraft drain (lower panel).

FIG. 18: Graph showing no breakages in the woven mesh pillowpacks compared to the paper pillowpacks and the trial paper pillowpacks. Breakages as indicated in this figure and the figures listed below mean small or large splits in the pillowpacks.

FIG. 19: Graph showing breakages of paper pillowpacks when aligned in the tray versus when placed transversely.

FIG. 20: Graph showing small number of breakages of woven mesh pillowpacks when transversely (incorrectly) placed in the tray.

FIG. 21: Graph showing effect of standard coarse of coffee grind versus coarser grind on percentage of breakages of the pillowpacks.

FIG. 22: Graph showing effect of weight of pillowpack on percentage of breakages of the pillowpacks.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have surprisingly found a woven mesh that is useful as a filter or pillowpack that typically contains select material such as coffee grinds, tea leaves or other plant parts within the mesh during immersion of the material into hot or cold liquid for infusion and not allowing the material to exit or escape the mesh during the immersion process.

The woven mesh of the invention provides advantages over filters and pillowpacks that are available on the market. These conventional filters and pillowpacks are primarily made of paper and have been known to fail when used in brewers to produce multi-serves. For example, the paper pillowpack may fail due to breakage of the pillowpack in which the contents of the pillowpack (e.g. coffee grinds) are released into, and thus contaminate the brewer. See for example FIG. 7 and the associated figure legend. A pillowpack with the woven mesh of the invention is not as susceptible to breakage compared to the paper pillowpack, as the woven mesh which is made substantially of polyester is stronger than mesh which is made substantially of paper as shown in The Examples, Figures and the Figure Legends. The inventors specifically refer the reader to FIGS. 2 to 9 which photographically shows intact and burst paper pillowpacks and intact woven mesh pillowpacks.

As contemplated herein, any polyester that provides the minimal requirements for the woven mesh to achieve an advantage over the paper mesh is contemplated herein and considered to be within the scope of the invention. As an example, the woven mesh substantially comprises poly(ethylene terephthalate) but may alternatively or additionally comprise Polyglycolide or Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone, Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate, Polyethylene naphthalate or Vectran. A schematic diagram depicting a polyester filament from a cross-sectional perspective is provided in FIG. 11. In the examples and as discussed below, the woven mesh comprises PET. The technical specification of the woven mesh substantially comprising PET is provided in the Examples and compared to a paper mesh, specifically Dynapore 123/3 as per the tradename.

The woven mesh of the invention has wide applications and benefits in the airline, hospitality, retail and food service sectors. The woven mesh is useful for producing multiple serves of coffee, tea or other infusions. As such, the woven mesh as per the invention could be in the form of a filter or pillowpack and used in Bodum®s or brewers. Any associated uses and systems in which water soluble compounds are extracted from select material contained within the woven mesh by infusion are also described herein and are encompassed by the invention.

Specific uses of the woven mesh for making coffee, tea or other infusions include, but are not limited to, (1) Percolator replacing filter paper, (2) Bodum®s/plungers, (3) high pressure machine brewers and (4) commercial urns.

Specific uses of the woven mesh for making loose leaf tea include, but are not limited to, (1) Percolators, (2) Bodum®s/plungers, (3) tea pots and (4) commercial teapots/urns.

As described herein, the woven mesh of the invention, that being woven mesh substantially comprising polyester, has superior properties over mesh substantially comprising paper in terms of, for example, tensile strength which is an important characteristic for pillowpacks as they are under a great deal of pressure and force during immersion and infusion particularly in a brewer. As such, the filters and pillowpacks that comprise the woven mesh of the invention have distinct advantages over filters and pillowpacks that are primarily made of paper.

Two devices that comprise the woven mesh of the invention have been developed by the inventors. Based on experiments undertaken with one of the developed woven mesh devices (hereinafter referred to as “Mesh#1), some of the identified advantages over the paper devices are stronger seams to prevent splitting during plunging, stronger material to prevent breakage during plunging, improved infusion of coffee versus paper pillowpack and that a coarser grind of coffee can be used. One use of Mesh #1 is in airline Bodum®s for the purpose of brewing coffee in-flight.

A further woven mesh device (hereinafter referred to as “Mesh#2) which was developed by the inventors has been shown to also have advantages over paper devices. Some of these advantages are (1) reduction of bursting from 18.75% as per the paper device to no occurrences of bursting with Mesh#2, (2) less coffee is required, (3) a coarser grind of coffee can be used, (4) the coffee flavoured is enhanced, (5) the coffee body is enhanced, (6) time saved by airline staff cleaning the brewers after paper pillowpacks burst thus providing faster service to passengers and eliminating the risk of granules from earlier burst pillowpacks floating in Bodum®s and passenger cups and (7) multiple use across various brewers (e.g. urns, percolators, Bodum®s and machine brewers). Mesh#2 would be useful in, for example, (1) airline Bodum®s and (2) airline machine identified brewers, for example, B/E Aerospace 3510 (which has also been referred to herein as the “3510 Model” or the “3510 Series”) and 4510 Endura (which has also been referred to herein as the “4510 Model” or the “4510 Series”). Micrographs showing filaments within the woven mesh of Mesh#2 at a magnification of ×100 and also at ×300 are provided in FIGS. 12 and 13.

Although there is discussion of coffee above, the disclosure of the specification clearly shows that the woven mesh of the invention is applicable and useful for producing any consumable liquid that requires infusion. Any select material that products a consumable liquid as a result of infusion may be contained in the woven mesh by sealing. The select material would likely be a plant part and may comprise or consist of seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits and/or berries. The seeds may be coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds whilst the leaves may be from tea plants.

With regard to sealing, the inventors used either ultrasonic welding or direct heat to seal select material into the woven mesh. However, any means to effectively seal the woven mesh is contemplated herein and encompassed within the scope of the invention.

In ultrasonic welding, for example, high frequency (e.g. 15 kHz to 40 kHz) low amplitude vibration is used to create heat by way of friction between two parts of the mesh for sealing. The interface of the two parts is specially designed to concentrate the energy for the maximum weld strength.

The temperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about 50 and about 200 degrees Celsius, and preferably within the range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius, and more preferably about 125 degrees Celsius.

The woven mesh once sealed is essentially a square or rectangular mesh bag/pillowpack as described in the Examples and as shown in the Figures.

A person skilled in the art would understand that the dimensions of the woven mesh could include any length and any width that enables the mesh during immersion in hot or cold liquid to retain select material that is sealed within the mesh. As non-limiting examples, the dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm) or about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm) respectively. Examples of the dimensions of the woven mesh are shown in FIGS. 10 to 12.

As contemplated herein, there are uses for the woven mesh of the invention to make or produce a consumable liquid. The steps required to make the liquid include the placement of select material in the woven mesh of the invention, sealing the mesh to contain the select material whilst in the immersion process, immersing the material-containing mesh into hot or cold liquid for a time and under conditions to infuse the material, producing the consumable liquid from the infusion and, then, collecting the consumable liquid for consumption. As described herein, the consumable liquid is selected from the group comprising teas, coffees and other infusions.

In addition, the woven mesh of the invention is applicable in a method of making a consumable liquid comprising placing the woven mesh which substantially comprises polyester into a Bodum® or brewer or any apparatus in which the purpose of using the apparatus is to produce the consumable liquid, placing select material in the woven mesh, sealing the mesh to contain the select material during immersion, immersing the material-containing mesh into hot or cold liquid for a time and under conditions for infusion to occur whereby a consumable liquid is produced by the infusion and whereby the consumable liquid is collected for consumption.

The person skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that different features disclosed herein may be combined to form combinations of features that are within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention will now be further described with reference to the following examples, which are illustrative only and non-limiting.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Short Description of Mesh#1

The tradename of Mesh#1 is Tearoad Sharp 5100 and comprises the following technical specifications:

Description—Woven PET mesh

Overall Dimensions—Width(W) 110 mm Length(L) 155 mm

Direct Heat Seal Temperature—Vertical: 138 degrees Celsius; Horizontal: 138 degrees Celsius

Ultrasonic waves were used for sealing as well

Typical hole sizes of Mesh#1 are schematically depicted in FIG. 10.

Example 2 Short Description of Mesh#2

The tradename of Mesh#2 is Tearoad Sharp 5800 and comprises the following technical specifications:

Description—Fine woven PET mesh

Overall Dimensions—W 110 mm L 155 mm

Heat Seal Temperature—Vertical: 165 degrees Celsius; Horizontal: 170 degrees Celsius

Typical hole sizes of Mesh#2 are shown in micrographs contained in FIGS. 12 and 13.

Example 3 Technical Specifications of Mesh#1, Mesh#2 and Paper Mesh

The following technical characteristics were identified and measured:

Tensile Tensile Strength Strength MD CD Fibre (machine (cross Product Thickness size direction) direction) name Comment Material Type Gramage/m2 (mm) (denier) N/15 mm N/15 mm Dynapore Used in airline 23.0 +/− 1.2 0.08 +/− 0.01 >16.2 >4.8 123/3 brewers Mesh#1 To be used in airline PET Woven 23.1 0.08 25 32.3 37.7 Bodum ® s Mesh#2 To be used in airline PET Woven 25-40 Bodum ® s and airline brewers Hole Melting point Melting point Mesh Product Elongation Elongation Size Aperture (deg C.) - a part of (deg C.) - a Count name (%) - warp (%) - weft (um) ratio sheath part of core (Filaments/inch) Dynapore 123/3 Mesh#1 16.2 22.7 210 +/− 5 62.40% 175 255 warp 97 ± 4 × weft 97 ± 4 Mesh#2 210 × 120 35.00% 175 255 warp 97 ± 4 × weft 94 ± 4

Measurements of the mesh counts (filaments/inch) and open space ratio (%) are described in the below table.

Mesh count filaments/inch Open Space Open Space dimension (mm) Warp Weft ratio % Warp Weft 97 97 62.1 0.206 0.206 97 105 60.5 0.206 0.189 97 110 59.5 0.206 0.177 97 115 58.4 0.206 0.167 97 120 57.3 0.206 0.158 97 125 56.2 0.206 0.149 97 130 55.4 0.206 0.142

Example 4 Summary of In-Flight Testing of Grinders Pillowpack Coffee Performed by Qantas

Various reports from Qantas cabin crew have been collected and analysed. It has been identified that on a number of occasions during the in-flight preparation of coffee for the Economy cabin in which Grinders paper pillowpacks were used in a machine coffee brewer, the pillowpacks were found to ‘explode’ or break open during the brew cycle.

From this preliminary finding, a formal review and testing were undertaken. Grinders pillowpack coffee was tested over four domestic sectors utilising in-flight coffee machine brewers. The Pillowpacks provided were manufactured with a +10 mm and −10 mm area of the Pillowpacks. Five Pillow packs of each +10 mm and −10 mm were tested over three separate sectors in different machines on different aircraft. Brewing was performed according to the instructions provided on the back of the Grinders Coffee packaging. Pillowpacks were thoroughly inspected for imperfections prior to utilization. The below tables provide information on the aircraft type, registration of the aircraft, pillowpack type, cycle time and pillowpack conditions.

Aircraft Aircraft Pillowpack Cycle Pillowpack Type Rego type time condition 737-800 VH-VXA +10 5 min Split at seam 737-800 VH-VXA +10 4 min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA +10 3 min Split at seam 737-800 VH-VXA +10 4 min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA +10 3 min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA −10 4 min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA −10 3 min Intact 737-800 VH-VXA −10 3 min Split at seam 737-800 VH-VXA −10 4 min Cracked on top Centre 737-800 VH-VXA −10 3 min Cracked on top Centre

Aircraft Aircraft Pillowpack Cycle Pillowpack Type Rego type time condition 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Split on side 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Cracked on top Centre 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Split on top 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Split on seam

Aircraft Aircraft Pillowpack Cycle Pillowpack Type Rego type time condition 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 4 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO +10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Burst 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Intact 737-800 VH-VXO −10 3 Burst

The tables above highlight the failures of the paper pillowpacks when used according to the manufacturer's instructions. Photographs of some of the intact and burst pillowpacks are provided in

FIGS. 14 to 17. On some of the pillowpacks that had split at the seam, it appeared the seam was actually smaller on one end than the other, this generally occurred on the −10 pillowpacks. Prior to brewing, the pillowpacks were inspected and all seams appeared to be identical.

In one instance prior to brewing, one of the pillowpacks marked as +10 was noticeably a −10, this bag was removed from trial and not tested.

The conditions of testing were all similar inflight scenarios, ground testing had occurred on a previous occasion providing a controlled environment, that being without the added air pressure associated with cabin pressurization. In summary, it was confirmed that on a number of occasions, the paper pillowpacks failed even when the pillowpacks were used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Example 5 Information Collected from Various Brewers

Various brewers provided the Applicant with information regarding observational data of the pillowpacks when used in-flight with particular focus on describing any failures during brewing. The brewers provided observations, number of pillowpacks (bags) observed to be used, the number of breakages which ranged from unknown to 2 to 7, the flight number, aircraft registration number, aircraft type and brewer model. In summary of the information, the brewers noted many failures of the paper pillowpacks. Observational notes from the brewers are provided in the below table. In the table, the brewers refer to the pillowpacks as coffee bags or brewer bags.

Notes Grinders coffee bags for machine brewer kept breaking while brewing x2. Crew were trying to follow the instructions on the pack which says to “place pillow pack into the brew container with the centre seal face down”. These bags do not have a centre seal Y coffee machine bags breaking (x4). Two different brewers were used. The coffee bags used to brew coffee (six bags) in the main cabin all burst during the brewing process. They burst in both the front and back brewers. The bags were all different expiry dates. VZX has the new style coffee/tea brewers. Today 7 coffee bags broke during the brew process filling the pot with grinds and making the brew useless. This is happening regularly lately but is particularly bad with the new brewers. Could you please look in Issue: Y machine coffee bags breaking during brew cycle. Y class 3 coffee bags broke open in brewer drawer while brewing Three Y/C coffee brewer bags were spilt when opened prior to loading into brewer tray. Please see attached photos with batch information. Coffee bags passed on to Perth catering for further investigation Brewer coffee bag broken in sealed bag this is my third and other crew saying its happening to them as well Pillow Pack broken 4 coffee bags broke whilst brewing Ex perth y/c 5 x coffee bags split whist brewing. No batch numbers to report. 2 Y/C coffee bag burst during brewing. A number of coffee bags for brewers burst during use. All bags carried NB notation On both sectors 3 pillow bags broke making the beverage service incredibly difficult to deliver. This is an obvious problem when the pillow bags are put into the brewers. Unfortunately I didn't get the batch numbers as the team leader didn't tell me them 3 x ECY coffee machine brewer bags broke in ECY on this sector. Sorry, I did not get the batch number Y/C - 2 coffee brew bags broke instant had to be used. Coffee Granules scalded crew member's arm

Example 6 Trial Comparing Paper Mesh Pillowpacks and Woven Mesh Pillowpacks

A pillowpack trial was undertaken. Participants of the trial were employees of Qantas and the Applicant in which the aim was to isolate the cause/s of the bursting of paper pillowpacks in machine brewers.

The brewers used in the trial were B/E Aerospace Model 3510 and Model 4510.

Methodology consisted of eleven tests in which each test had an average of eight pillowpacks (up to 28 for the standard pillow-pack). The following parameters were measured:

Seam strength

Pillowpack placement in brewer tray

Paper grade/strength

Silk/mesh strength & application in brewers

Coffee grind

Coffee volume/weight

The above-mentioned parameters were assessed on pillowpacks contained in Pack Numbers 1 to 12 as listed in the two tables below. The characteristics of the pillowpacks for each of the packs are contained in the tables. Coarse ‘1’ (−07) and other references to coarses of coffee grinds under the column labelled ‘Details . . . ’ refers to machine settings on a coffee grinder and one skilled in the art would understand and apply such settings and produce the difference coarses of grinds without undue experimentation.

Size Pack Characteristic Details Weight (Std = No. adjusted (differences from Std) (gm) 155 × 110) 1 weight (−) under-weight (−20) 55 Std 2 weight (−) under-weight (−10) 65 Std 3 NIL STANDARD 75 Std 4 length (+) longer (+10 mm) 75 165 × 110 5 weight (+) over-weight (+10) 85 Std 6 Bag material trial paper 65 Std 7 Bag material trial paper 75 Std 8 Bag material Woven mesh 75 Std 9 grind + coarse ‘1’ (−07) 65 Std weight (−) 10 grind coarse ‘1’ (−07) 75 Std 11 grind + coarse ‘2’ (−14) 65 Std weight (−) 12 grind coarse ‘2’ (−14) 75 Std

Paper/mesh Quantity Quantity Pack (‘paper’ = Grind setting 3510 4510 Total No. 23 gm) (Std = 41) series series qty 1 paper Std 12 12 24 2 paper Std 12 12 24 3 paper Std 12 12 24 4 paper Std 12 12 24 5 paper Std 6 only 6 only 12 only 6 paper (21 gm) Std 12 12 24 7 paper (21 gm) Std 12 12 24 8 Woven mesh Std 12 12 24 9 paper 48 12 12 24 10 paper 48 12 12 24 11 paper 7 12 12 24 12 paper 7 12 12 24 276 

The seal temperature in degrees Celsius of the paper pillowpacks and the woven mesh pillowpacks as per the above-mentioned pack numbers is the following:

Bag Longitudinal Transversal Paper 160 188 Mesh 138 138

The extensive information was collected and analysed. The results are shown in the below tables. The first listed table below relates to information collected on pillowpacks brewed on a 4510 brewer model. The second listed table relates to information collected on pillowpacks brewed on a 3510 model.

In total, 100 pillowpacks were tested over the two days. It was found that no major difference in results between brewer models was observed nor whether the seams of the pillowpacks are up or down. However, in gathering and analysing the data, specific causes of bursting pillowpacks were observed. They were (1) use of paper instead of the woven mesh, (2) incorrect placement of the pillowpack into the tray, i.e. transverse placement, (3) coarseness of coffee grind and (4) weight of the pillowpack.

The following data was collected and shows that no failures of woven mesh pillowpacks were observed when all pillowpacks tested were aligned in the tray. In contrast, failures were observed with the paper and trial paper pillowpacks.

Large Paper Small Paper Grand Good Split Split Total mesh 12 12 Paper 13 3 16 trial paper 2 2 2 6 Grand Total 27 2 5 34

It is clear from the data that woven mesh pillowpacks have considerably less breakages, actually no breakages compared to the paper pillowpacks in which 18.75% of these pillowpacks were found to have splits in the paper mesh. A graph of the data contained in the above table is found in FIG. 18.

One cause of breakages appears to be incorrect placement of the pillowpacks such as transverse placement in the trays. From the data below, the paper pillowpacks have a higher incidence of breakage than mesh pillowpacks when placed transversely in the tray. This indicates that the woven mesh has a greater ability to maintain integrity of the woven mesh even when the pillowpack is placed incorrectly compared to the paper pillowpacks.

Paper Large Paper Small Paper Grand pillowpack Good Split Split Total Aligned 13 3 16 Transverse 5 3 8 Grand Total 13 5 6 24 Mesh Large Seal Grand pillowpack Good failure Total Aligned 13 13 Transverse 2 2 4 Grand Total 15 2 17

The graph of the breakages of the paper pillowpacks is found in FIG. 19. The graph showing breakages of the woven mesh pillowpacks when transversely placed in the tray is shown in FIG. 20. Large Seal failure in FIG. 20 is abbreviated to L'Seal fail.

In relation to coarseness of coffee grinds, the following data was collected.

Large Paper Small Paper Grand Good Split Split Total #2 7 1 8 Std 13 5 6 24 Grand Total 20 5 7 32

All variables associated with the pillowpacks tested were the same (e.g. paper pillowpacks were used and weight was 75 grams) except for the coarse of the coffee grinds. The results show that a coarser grinds dramatically reduce the incidence of pillowpack failures. A graph of the data contained in the above table is found in FIG. 21.

In relation to weight, the following data was collected.

Large Paper Small Paper Grand Good Split Split Total 65 g 10 10 75 g 13 3 16 85 g 1 2 1 4 Grand Total 24 2 4 30

The results show that additional weight increases failure rates. A graph of the data is in FIG. 22.

Other observations in relation to the paper pillowpacks include the following:

Most cases of bag failure were from splitting of the paper rather than giving at the seams.

Coarser grind reduced loss of integrity of the bag during brewing

No “popping sounds” resulted in any test

Failures were predominately found to be from bag being positioned without support around perimeter (i.e. transversely, at angle, or away from sides)

Other observations in relation to the pillowpacks of the woven mesh include the following:

The woven mesh did not tear/split during any test, other than during one test when it was placed transversally

When brewed the coffee contained excessive coffee sediment. Two options are available to solve this, those being, use a liner in the tray and use coarser grind. Also, coarser grind in mesh bag seemed to result in stronger brew (possibly allowing for a reduction in dosage).

Other observations in relation brewers including the following:

Generally 3510 (with deeper tray) had more failures relative to 4510 (believed due to tray volume allowing excessive expansion, i.e. not supporting bag)

3510 Brewer instructions note that pillowpack breakages are to be expected

Madura now has a 3510 brewer on loan from Qantas and will complete daily quality assurance checks on all pillowpack production runs.

Example 7 In-Flight Evaluation #1—Evaluation on Flight from GC to Melbourne (Virgin Flight DJ724)

Evaluators were advised that the flight crew just had a bag failure with 4510 series.

Evaluators noted that the bags were wrapped in plastic bag, and literally ‘stuffed’ into a drawer along with other products. There were both paper and mesh bags stored this way, pre-stressing seals.

Flight crew commented that the brewers had only recently been installed, all 4510 series. And added that when the paper bags fail, they either:

    • Insert a mesh bag into the brewer, or
    • Make a coffee using a Robert Timms coffee bag

Flight crew said the mesh works well, and it drops in nicely. They found the paper bag too large, requiring shuffling into place, with potential damage from fingernails and prodding around the seals.

Flight crew also commented that they have never had a mesh bag fail, and that they have not had any complaints such as silt in the cup.

Example 8 Trial Comparing Paper Mesh Pillowpacks and Woven Mesh Pillowpacks

A pillowpack trial was undertaken at Qantas Maintenance Facility in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Participants of the trial were employees of Qantas and the Applicant in which the aim was to isolate the cause/s of the bursting of paper pillowpacks in machine brewers. The following information was obtained.

Body Flavour Sedament Total Test Type (Low 1: (Low 1: (Low 0: Sediment Scoreout No Brewer no Pk Type Grind Weight High 3) High 3) Lots 2) Score of 9 12 3510 20 Fine Mesh 2 70 g 3 3 0 3 9 6 4510 20 Fine Mesh 2 70 g 3 3 1 2 8 1 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 3 4510 21 Fine Mesh 2 75 g 3 3 2 1 7 4 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 8 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 11 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 13 4510 21 Fine Mesh 2 75 g 3 2 1 2 7 14 3510 15 Std Paper 2 75 g 2 2 0 3 7 15 3510 14 Std Paper 2 70 g 2 2 0 3 7 10 4510 19 Fine Mesh 2 65 g 1 2 0 3 6 16 4510 13 Std Paper 2 65 g 1 1 0 3 5 2 3510 18 Std Mesh 2 75 g 1 1 1 2 4 5 3510 17 Std Mesh 2 70 g 1 1 1 2 4 9 3510 16 Std Mesh 2 65 g 1 1 1 2 4

Test results confirmed the mix of coffee components to produce the highest scoring coffee in terms of (1) body, (2) flavour and (3) low sediment.

Claims

1. A device to produce multiple serves of a consumable liquid, wherein the device comprises woven mesh substantially comprising polyester.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the polyester comprises at least one of Polyglycolide, Polyglycolic acid, Polylactic acid, Polycaprolactone, Polyethylene adipate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate, Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), Polybutylene terephthalate, Polytrimethylene terephthalate, Polyethylene naphthalate and Vectran.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the polyester is PET.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the device is in the form of a filter or a pillowpack.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the pillowpack seals a select material.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the select material is any plant part that is infused to produce the consumable liquid.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the plant part is seeds, leaves, dried herbs, flowers, fruits, berries or any combination thereof.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the seeds are coffee beans in the form of coffee grinds.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the leaves are tea leaves.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the mesh is sealed by sealing means.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein means to seal the mesh is via ultrasonic welding and/or direct heat.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein ultrasonic welding comprises high frequency low amplitude vibration wherein the high frequency is within the range of about 15 kHz to about 40 kHz.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the temperature to directly heat seal the mesh is in a range between about 50 and about 200 degrees Celsius or in a range between about 100 to about 150 degrees Celsius or the temperature is about 125 degrees Celsius.

14. The device of claim 5, wherein dimensions of the mesh comprise a width and length of about 50 millimetres (mm) to about 200 millimetres (mm) or a width and length of about 90 millimetres (mm) to about 120 millimetres (mm).

15. A method of manufacturing a device, wherein the device comprises woven mesh substantially comprising polyester, wherein the method comprises

(1) placing select material into the woven mesh; and
(2) sealing the woven mesh so that the select material remains in the mesh during immersion.

16. A method of making multiple serves of a consumable liquid comprising:

(1) placing the device of claim 5 into a Bodum® or brewer or any apparatus in which the purpose of using the apparatus is to produce the consumable liquid;
(2) immersing the device into hot or cold liquid for a time and under conditions for infusion to occur wherein a consumable liquid is produced by the infusion in an amount that allows for multiple serves; and
(3) collecting the consumable liquid for multiple serve consumption.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the consumable liquid is selected from the group consisting of tea, coffee and another infusion.

Patent History
Publication number: 20130196032
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 13, 2013
Publication Date: Aug 1, 2013
Inventors: Ronald Hartley Ford (Tweed Heads), Stephen James Bright (Murwillumbah)
Application Number: 13/800,572