WO2000021857A1

WO2000021857A1 - Sealed pre-measured cup with thermal fuse

Info

Publication number: WO2000021857A1
Application number: PCT/FR1999/002394
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Yves Nicolas Rouviere
Original assignee: Rouviere Jean Yves Nicolas
Priority date: 1998-10-09
Filing date: 1999-10-07
Publication date: 2000-04-20
Also published as: AU5990399A; EP1051339A1; CA2312878A1; FR2784356A1; WO2000021857B1; JP2002527309A; FR2784356B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a sealed pre-measured cup (4) incorporating preferably at its outer peripheral surface, a mark (5) capable of being read and identified by the reading unit of a machine before it is filled, and erasable or modifiable in its characteristics by thermal effect after being filled, so that it can no longer be read by said reading unit. The invention aims at exclusively associating the cup with the machine filling it, thereby preventing it from being refilled with product and re-used after it has been used once.

Description

PREDOSE OPERATED CUP WITH THERMAL FUSE

// is common to find on the market, most often in companies and large administrations, automatic vending machines for hot or cold drinks that can deliver a large range of hot drinks such as; coffee, tea, chocolate, soups, etc. or cold drinks such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc.

Two families are generally distinguished in these means of consumption, the machines themselves preparing the drink and delivering it to the consumer after composition, and the machines delivering on the one hand cups pre-dosed with powder of lyophilized products and on the other hand the heated or cooled water necessary to make up the drink in the cup.

Machines dispensing pre-dosed cups and water are becoming more and more popular because they are very simple to operate and do not require major installation, maintenance and repair work, unlike other machines whose technique is very meticulous and requires constant maintenance and frequent repairs.

The process of preparing the drink by the consumer himself in his cup significantly reduces the technical constraints and all the services related to the operation.

Among the pre-dosed cups offered today on the market there is one whose principle is highly appreciated and whose development is amplified every day a little more; the predosed cup sealed.

This type of cup is characterized in that it has at its bottom a precise dose of powder of lyophilized product which can be coffee, tea, chocolate or even powder of lemon, orange, etc.

The powder is retained in the bottom of the cup by an aluminum seal welded or glued, so as to keep the lyophilized product contained away from light and air and thus guarantee excellent storage conditions.

// For several years now, automatic vending machines with or without coins have been developing, which simply deliver the cup sealed dispenser chosen by the consumer, and hot or cold water necessary for the composition of the drink.

The user who has selected the drink of his choice on the vending machine therefore receives the corresponding pre-dosed cup. IJ removes the aluminum cover generally by pulling on the tab provided for this purpose in the very shape of the cover and releases the powder retained in the bottom. He then presents the cup in a housing of the machine in which a presence detector or a pusher triggers the flow of water at the desired temperature.

Some machines require the user to use two hands, that is to say that the consumer must present the cup with one hand at a specific location on the machine and must use the other hand to press a contactor.

Vending machines using pre-dosed cups are difficult for operators to operate, as it is difficult for them to effectively lock out the sale of consumables. Indeed, for the types of machines which hold consumable products inside themselves and compose the drinks themselves before delivering them, it is easy for the operator to control the consumption of product and ensure it restocking. In contrast, for machines dispensing pre-capped cups and water, it is very difficult to prevent the user of the machine from buying cheaper cups elsewhere, or from using empty pre-filled cups by refilling itself from freeze-dried products in jars sold on the market at very low prices.

Some machine manufacturers have already studied special machines and special packaging of consumables which can only be used with the machine of the same concept.

The object of the present invention is to provide operators of the automatic distribution sector with a pre-sealed cup which overcomes these drawbacks and which additionally provides certain advantages capable of securing this consumption method which is increasingly appreciated throughout the world.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pre-dosed lidded cup has on its outer peripheral wall a precise mark clearly legible and identifiable before filling the cup, but modifiable or erasable after filling the cup, under the effect of sufficient heating to affect the mark without affecting the cup itself or its contents.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark can be standardized such as the bar codes currently used for the identification of many products in industry or commerce, or be produced according to the wish of the manufacturer or operator of the cup. All the brands that we see appearing today on products or their packaging in trade and industry, are designed to be read.

Their function is to allow the identification of the product and the recording of technical or commercial information.

All these marks are produced for the sole purpose of being read by programmed optical or opto-electronic readers, with the aim of identifying the carrier product, and possibly from this identification to initiate programs of machines, computers, etc.

After reading and identifying the brand worn on the product is no longer useful and remains printed on the support without disturbing the consumer. At times, the mark is printed on an adhesive label placed on the object for its identification and subsequently removed.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark is preferably worn directly on the cup so as to be read as previously explained. Contrary to the facts cited above, the brand of the cup of the invention has the particularity of being able, after reading and identification, to be modified in its shape, its color, its appearance or any other characteristic so as to no longer be able to be read by the reader.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark carried on the cup is characterized in that it is locally, totally or partially erasable after reading and identification and can therefore no longer be identified again by the reader.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark is made directly on the body of the cup using ink, varnish, paint or any other product capable of being read and identified by an opto-eiecironic reader for example. According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark can be constituted by an element attached to the cup, such as sticker, label, adhesive tape, etc. or piece of solid material such as for example; plastic, metal etc.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark carried on the body of the cup is modifiable or erasable under the effect of a sufficient rise in temperature, to act on the mark without damaging the cup or its content. .

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark carried on the cup can be modified or deleted under the effect of a thermal element represented for example by a heating resistor or hot air blower.

According to a different embodiment of the invention, the mark carried on the cup at a chosen location can be modified or erased under the effect of the rise in temperature caused by the hot liquid itself contained in the cup.

In fact, when the pre-dosed sealed cup is awaiting use and conditioned in the absence of air and light, the surrounding temperature of the mark it bears on part of its coφs is equivalent to the temperature ambient, for example 20 ° C. The brand is therefore at this temperature clearly legible and identifiable.

When the pre-capped cup is filled with hot water, for example at 70 ° C., the temperature of the liquid inside the cup is transmitted by thermal conduction to the external face of the cup and therefore to the mark it bears. Depending on the insulating capacities of the material constituting the beaker, the temperature transmitted to the mark may for example be between 50 and 55 ° C. At this temperature, the mark deforms or disappears and becomes illegible by the reader. The mark thus acts as a thermal fuse which modifying its characteristics under the effect of heat prohibits or limits an action or an operation.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark is worn on the coφs of the cup but at the bottom of a housing which is reserved for it and which substantially reduces the thickness of the material at the place of the mark, so as to facilitate heat transfer between the hot liquid contained in the cup and the outside mark of the cup. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark consists of one or more horizontal lines located on the total periphery of the cup at a height best suited for the temperature transfer and the positioning of the cup on the machine. According to this embodiment, the peripheral mark can be modified or erased under the effect of heat in two ways; either entirely by the transfer of the temperature of the hot liquid contained by the cup, or locally by intervention of a thermal element of the machine.

According to this embodiment and in the case of a local modification or erasure of the circular and peripheral mark of the cup, it would suffice for the user to turn the cup and present the reader with another unaltered place of the mark. to reuse the cup allowing a new reading of the mark. To overcome this drawback it is necessary to force the user to present the cup always in the same position facing the reader. According to this embodiment of the invention, the cup is designed so as to have a physical arrangement of its shape or its periphery forcing it to always be placed in the same position.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark is made of a solid material and attached to the cup so that part of the mark crosses the wall of the cup and is in direct contact with the hot liquid when the cup is filled. According to this embodiment, the clearly readable and identifiable mark when the cup is at room temperature, changes one or other of its characteristics when the cup is filled with hot water and the water temperature is automatically transmitted to the brand. The brand then becomes unidentifiable by the reader.

According to a different embodiment of the invention, the mark is made of a metallic material and attached to the cup, so that it can be read before filling the cup and erased after filling by magnetic or electronic effect.

According to a different embodiment of the invention, the pre-fused lidded cup of the invention making full use of the effects of temperature for its operation, and particularly suitable for very hot drinks such as infusions and herbal teas, is provided at its bottom with a sieve intended to allow the infusion of leaf products.

Indeed, unlike common hot drinks such as coffee, chocolate, broth, etc. obtained by dissolving lyophilized products in hot water, infusions and herbal teas involve the infusion of leaf products in very hot water.

The pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse of the invention therefore has at its bottom and under the cover, a sieve preferably with very fine holes, retained for example by local deformations of the circular wall of the cup.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse of the invention is provided with a welded or glued cover constituted by two supeφosed layers and associated with each other; a waterproof upper layer, generally made of aluminum, and a lower layer of a fine-meshed sheet playing the role of sieve to prevent the rising of leaves and residues in the drink. During the removal of the cover, the aluminum layer is removed and the layer of fine meshed web remains integral with the bottom of the cup.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of nonlimiting examples will make it possible to understand how the invention can be put into practice.

FIG. 1 shows a commercial pre-lidded cup containing the powder of lyophilized product.

Figure 2 shows the predosed cup of the invention bearing the mark.

Figures 3a and 3b respectively show the clear and identifiable mark before reading, and the modified mark in its form after reading.

Figures 4a and 4b respectively show the clear and identifiable mark before reading, and the erased mark after reading.

Figure 5 shows the mark reported on the cup by positioning an adhesive. Figure 6 shows the brand of the cup subjected to temperature rise by means of a heating resistor.

FIG. 7 shows the mark of the cup subjected to a rise in temperature by means of hot blown air.

Figures 8a and 8b respectively show an unused cup with its clear and identifiable mark, and a cup filled with its hot drink with its mark erased.

FIG. 9 shows the arrangement of the mark at the bottom of a housing provided on the cup, to reduce the thickness of the cup at the location of the mark, and to facilitate the transfer of temperature,

Figure 10 shows a horizontal and peripheral mark.

FIG. 11 shows by way of example a shape arrangement of the cup making it possible to always position it in the same place.

Figure 12 shows the cup of the invention with the bottom sieve for retaining the sheet products.

FIG. 13 shows the cover of the cup with the associated fine mesh ply which remains integral with the cup when the cover is removed.

Figure 14 shows how the solid material mark could be placed on the cup by crossing it so as to be in direct contact with the hot liquid when the cup is filled.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) is characterized in that it has on one of its external surfaces a mark (5) clearly legible and identifiable, erasable or modifiable in its shapes, colors or other characteristics, under the effect of a rise in temperature, without this rise in temperature could affect the cup (4) itself or its content. (Fig 2).

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) may be a standardized mark such as for example a barcode or a mark not standardized defined by the manufacturer or the operator readable by a preferably opto-electronic programmed reader.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) is worn directly on the body of the cup (4) and has the ability to change after reading and identification, in its shapes, colors or other characteristics in order to can no longer be read by the reader. (Fig 3a and 3b). The brand thus acts as a single-use fuse which would destroy itself after a single use.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is characterized in that it is locally, totally or partially erasable after reading and identification. The mark (5) thus acts as a disposable fuse which would destroy itself after a single use. (Fig4a and 4b).

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) is directly produced on the coφs of the cup (4) by means of a varnish, a printing ink, a paint or any other liquid product capable of being read and identified by a reader, for example optoelectronics.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark can be constituted by an element attached to the cup, such as sticker, label, adhesive tape etc. or piece of solid material such as plastic or metal (Fig 5).

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable under the effect of a local rise in your temperature caused by a heating resistor (6). (Fig 6).

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable under the effect of a local rise in temperature caused by a hot air blower (7) . (Fig 7).

According to a different embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable under the effect of the rise in temperature caused by the hot liquid contained in the cup. (Fig 8a and 8b). 7

The cup (4) before filling is at a storage temperature generally of 20 ° C., the mark (5) is then clearly legible and identifiable. When filling with water, for example at 7 ° C., the wall of the cup (4) heats up and depending on the quality of the material constituting the cup 14) the residual temperature transferred to the mark could for example vary between 50 and 55 ° C. Subject to this temperature ia mark (5) of the gobeiei (4) is then modified or deleted.

the thickness of the cup (4) at the location of the mark (5) in order to facilitate the transfer of temperature from the hot liquid contained in the cup (4) to the mark (5). (Fig 9).

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) produced directly on the gobeiet (4) consists of one or more horizontal and peripheral lines. This horizontal mark around the entire periphery of the cup can be modified or deleted according to two specific effects; in its entirety by the transfer of temperature of the hot water contained in the cup or locally by the heating caused by an electrical resistance (6) or hot blown air (7). (Fig 10).

In the latter case, a local modification or erasing would not be sufficient to prohibit the reuse of the cup (4) because the user would only have to turn the cup (4) and present an unaffected place of the brand (5). According to this embodiment of the invention, the cup (4) is provided with any means (9) to force the user to present the cup always in the same position, such as for example an arrangement of its shape or its periphery. (Fig 11).

According to another embodiment of the invention, the brand (5) is made of a soda material which may for example be a plastic or metallic material, and attached to the cup (4) so that at least part of this reported mark (5) passes through the wall of the cup (4) to be in direct contact with the hot liquid, when the cup (4) is filled. According to this embodiment, the solid mark (5) is clearly legible and identifiable torque the cup (4) is empty, and modified in at least one of its characteristics when the cup (4) is full of hot water. This modification of characteristic leads to the fact that the reported solid mark (5) is no longer identifiable once again by the reader. (Fig 14)

According to another embodiment of the invention, the mark (5) is made of a metallic material and attached to the cup (4) so that it can be identified, modified or deleted by magnetic or electronic effect.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) is provided at its bottom and under the cover (2) with a screen (10) in charge of maintaining in the case of infusions or herbal teas, leaves and residue (11). In fact, if the composition of a hot drink involves mixing the powder of lyophilized product with hot water, in the case of herbal teas and various other infusions, the leaves (11) are not integrated into the drink. They should therefore be retained in the bottom of the cup (4). (Fig 12).

In another embodiment of the invention, the cup (4) is provided at its bottom, retained by gluing or welding, with a cover (2) characterized in that it is closely associated with a sheet of fine mesh (12), playing the role of the sieve (10) previously described.

The cover (2) thus composed has in one piece two distinct layers; a layer, for example of aluminum intended for preservation, and a layer of fine mesh ply (12) intended to retain the leaves (11) at the bottom of the cup. Once installed and glued into the cup (4), this double layer cover (2) can be removed without the fine-meshed cloth coming off the cup (4).

Claims

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7. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4), characterized in that it includes a mark (5) whose particularity lies in that it is readable and identifiable by the reader of a machine before filling the cup (4). ), and modified or deleted by thermal effect after filling the cup (4), so that it can no longer be identified by said reader.

2. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to claim 1, characterized in that the mark (5) which it comprises is modified or deleted by a sufficient thermal effect, to act on the mark (5) without affecting the cup (4) or its contents.

3. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the mark (5) carried by the cup (4) can be normalized or non-normalized and capable of being read by the programmed reader. of a machine.

4. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark (5) carried by the cup (4), read and identified by the reader of a machine before filling the cup (4), can be modified after filling the cup (4), by thermal effect in its shapes, colors or any other characteristic, sufficiently to no longer be able to be identified again by said reader.

5. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark (5) carried by the cup (4), read and identified before filling the cup (4) by the reader of a machine, can be partially or totally erased after filling the cup (4) so that it can no longer be identified again by said reader.

6. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark (5) worn is carried out directly on the cup (4) using printing ink, paint, varnish or any other liquid product capable of being read and identified by the reader of a machine ,

7. Gobelei predosed sealed thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that ia mark (5) carried is carried on a support attached to the cup (4), such as; sticker, label, adhesive tape, or piece of solid material such as plastic, metal, etc.

8. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable by a thermal effect caused for example by a resistance electric heater (ô).

9. Pre-lined cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark (5) carried on the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable by a thermal effect generated by air hot blown (7).

10. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that ia mark (5) carried by the cup (4) is modifiable or erasable by thermal effect resulting from the transfer of the temperature of the liquid in the cup towards the mark (5).

11. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark (5) carried by the cup (4) is located at the bottom of a housing (8) intended to reduce substantially the thickness of the wall of the cup (4) and thus improve the temperature transfer between the liquid contained in the cup (4) and the mark (5).

12. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has an arrangement (9) in its shape enabling it to always be placed in the same position on the machine, in order to accept a horizontal mark (5) around its entire periphery.

13. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark

(5) carried by the cup (4) is attached in such a way to the cup (4) that at least part of the mark (5) passes through the wall of the cup (4) to be in direct contact with the liquid contained .

14. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mark (5) carried by the cup (4) is attached and made of a metallic material so that it can be identified, modified or deleted by magnetic or electronic effect.

15. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has, in addition to the modifiable and erasable mark (5) which it carries, a sieve (10) with very small holes made integral with the bottom of the cup (4) and intended to retain the leaves and residues (11) of herbal teas and infusions.

16. Pre-dosed cup with thermal fuse (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that its cover (2) consists of two closely linked layers; a waterproof upper layer intended for preservation, and a lower layer consisting of a fine mesh ply (12) acting as a sieve (10) and remaining integral with the cup (4) when the waterproof upper layer of the cover is withdrawn.