COMPOSTABLE POD RING

Abstract

A compostable pod ring is disclosed. The pod ring includes a flange having a thickness able to support a beverage pod when the beverage pod is installed in a brewing machine. The flange has a suitable thickness and suitable texture for enabling sealing of a filter and lid material. The pod ring has a cylindrical wall section located diametrically around a center of a part used to support the filter, the section shaped to optimize filter expansion. The pod ring is comprised of compostable material.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/100,230 filed on Jan. 6, 2015 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Single-cup brewing devices are designed to quickly brew a fresh cup of roast and ground coffee using a single serve beverage pod. Such systems allow the consumer to rapidly make an individual cup of coffee, rather than brewing an entire pot and wasting a portion of it if only a single cup is desired. Because of such features, many consumers prefer the ease and convenience of using one of the various single-cup brewing devices currently on the market.

SUMMARY

While single-cup brewing devices may offer the convenience consumers are looking for, the single serve beverage pods such as those explained above suffer from a variety of deficiencies. One such deficiency is that disposable single serve beverage pods produce a staggering volume of non-recyclable refuse that is currently only able to be disposed of in landfills. A mix of materials does not provide a realistic recycling solution and since a non-compostable polymer is used to manufacture the rigid component of the beverage pod, a bio-degradable solution is not possible.

Embodiments of the invention significantly overcome such deficiencies. A pod ring designed as a component of beverage pods features a geometry uniquely suited to compostable polymer materials permitting the manufacture of fully compostable beverage pods.

Note that each of the different features, techniques, configurations, etc. discussed in this disclosure can be executed independently or in combination. Accordingly, the present invention can be embodied and viewed in many different ways. Also, note that this summary section herein does not specify every embodiment and/or incrementally novel aspect of the present disclosure or claimed invention. Instead, this summary only provides a preliminary discussion of different embodiments and corresponding points of novelty over conventional techniques. For additional details, elements, and/or possible perspectives (permutations) of the invention, the reader is directed to the Detailed Description section and corresponding figures of the present disclosure as further discussed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 comprises a top view of the compostable pod ring in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 comprises an isometric view of the compostable pod ring in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 comprises a side view of the compostable pod ring in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 comprises a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the compostable pod ring in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustrate the best mode of practicing embodiments of the invention. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the invention and recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.

The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein; rather, this embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the particular embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, the compostable pod ring 10 includes a flange 12 of sufficient thickness to support the beverage pod when installed in a brewing machine. The flange 12 is of sufficient thickness and suitable texture to enable the sealing of filter and lid material. The compostable pod ring 10 has a cylindrical wall section 14 located diametrically around the center of the part used to support the filter. The wall section 14 terminates at an end 16. The wall section 14 is shaped to optimize the filter expansion.

The material used to manufacture the pod ring 10 can withstand the temperatures and stresses of the process of brewing a hot beverage. A compostable material is used to manufacture the pod ring. In one embodiment of the pod ring 10 the material used is a polyactic acid material (heavyweight or lightweight), although other compostable materials may be used. In other embodiments the compostable material may comprise a compostable polymer or a compostable polymer combined with a predetermined percentage of compostable filler.

The pod ring 10 is compostable in household, municipal or industrial compost facilities. For an item to be marked compostable there must be scientific evidence that the materials in the item break down, or become part of, usable compost in a safe and timely manner in an appropriate composting facility or home compost pile. Compostable items must completely break down and not release any metals or toxins into the compost.

The pod ring 10 promotes adhesion of compostable filter material during beverage pod manufacture. The pod ring 10 promotes adhesion of non-compostable filter material during beverage pod manufacture. The pod ring 10 has a geometry that allows its use in existing beverage brewers and can be adapted to future brewers as they are released. The pod ring outside geometry may be circular or other geometric shapes as required by the beverage brewer. The height of the cylindrical wall may vary as required by the beverage brewer and the requirements of support of the filter material.

In one particular embodiment pod ring and its components have the following measurements, although it should be understood that other sizes may also be used. The flange 12 has an outside diameter of about 2.0 inches and an inside diameter of about 1.8 inches. The pod ring 10 has an overall height of about 0.356 inches. The cylindrical wall section has a thickness of about 0.02 inches. The flange has a thickness of about 0.041 inches. The flange 12 may include a machine identifiable cavity identifier (ID) as well as a gate location identifier.

Unless otherwise stated, use of the word “substantially” may be construed to include a precise relationship, condition, arrangement, orientation, and/or other characteristic, and deviations thereof as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, to the extent that such deviations do not materially affect the disclosed methods and systems.

Throughout the entirety of the present disclosure, use of the articles “a” or “an” to modify a noun may be understood to be used for convenience and to include one, or more than one of the modified noun, unless otherwise specifically stated.

Although the methods and systems have been described relative to a specific embodiment thereof, they are not so limited. Obviously many modifications and variations may become apparent in light of the above teachings. Many additional changes in the details, materials, and arrangement of parts, herein described and illustrated, may be made by those skilled in the art.

Having described preferred embodiments of the invention it will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments incorporating these concepts may be used. Accordingly, it is submitted that that the invention should not be limited to the described embodiments but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A compostable pod ring comprising:

a ring having a flange having a thickness able to support a beverage pod when said beverage pod is installed in a brewing machine, said flange having a suitable thickness and suitable texture for enabling sealing of filter and lid material;

wherein said ring has a cylindrical wall section located diametrically around a center of said pod ring used to support said filter, said cylindrical wall section shaped to optimize filter expansion; and

wherein said ring is comprised of compostable material.

2. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said compostable material comprises heavyweight polyactic acid.

3. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said compostable material comprises lightweight polyactic acid.

4. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said compostable pod ring has an outside diameter of about 2.0 inches.

5. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said compostable pod ring has an inside diameter of about 1.8 inches.

6. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said compostable pod ring has an overall height of about 0.356 inches.

7. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said cylindrical wall section has a thickness of about 0.02 inches.

8. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said flange has a thickness of about 0.041 inches.

9. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said flange includes a machine identifiable cavity identifier (ID).

10. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said flange has a gate location identifier.

11. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said compostable material comprises a compostable polymer.

12. The compostable pod ring of claim 1 wherein said compostable material comprises a compostable polymer and a predetermined percentage of compostable filler.