Preparation of Beverages and Liquid Food Products
The present invention relates to improvements in the preparation of beverages and, in particular, to an improved cartridge for preparing beverages in brewing machines. The cartridges can also be used for preparing liquid food products. The cartridge comprises a continuous elongate tubular chamber containing the at least one ingredient providing a fluid flow path linking an inlet for the introduction of the liquid at one end of the chamber to an outlet for discharge of the beverage or food product at an opposite end of the chamber. The chamber has an internal width to length ratio in the range of 1:4 to 1:200.
1 : A cartridge for use in a machine for preparing a beverage or food product from at least one ingredient and a liquid, said cartridge comprising a continuous elongate tubular chamber containing the at least one ingredient providing a fluid flow path linking an inlet for the introduction of the liquid at one end of the chamber to an outlet for discharge of the beverage or food product at an opposite end of the chamber, wherein the chamber has an internal width to length ratio in the range of 1:4 to 1:200.
2 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which the internal width of the chamber lies in the range of 1 to 20 mm.
3 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which the internal length of the chamber lies in the range of 50 to 1000 mm.
4 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which the chamber comprises a plurality of interconnecting compartments each containing at least one ingredient.
5 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 4 in which there are at least 6 interconnecting compartments.
6 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one ingredient is provided in an at least partially soluble coating on at least a part of an inner surface of the chamber.
7 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 6 in which different ingredients are provided in different at least partially soluble coatings formed one over the other.
8 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which at least partially soluble coatings containing different ingredients are provided sequentially along at least a part of the length of the chamber.
9 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which some or all of the ingredients are at least partially soluble.
10 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which one or more of the ingredients are at least partially insoluble.
11 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in which flow control means are provided in the chamber to modify the flow of liquid therethrough.
12 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 11 in which the flow control means divert the flow path of the liquid.
13 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 11 in which the flow control means increase the turbulence in the flow path.
14 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 11 in which the flow control means restrict the internal diameter of the chamber to change the flow velocity of the liquid.
15 : A method of dispensing a beverage or food product during an operating cycle from a cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of passing a liquid through the inlet to dispense the beverage or food product out of the outlet and into a receptacle.
16 : A beverage or food dispensing system comprising a cartridge as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a beverage or food dispensing machine adapted to receive the cartridge and to dispense a beverage or food product therefrom by the addition of a liquid.
17 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the chamber has an internal width in the range of 1 to 10 mm.
18 : A cartridge as claimed in claim 1 wherein the chamber has an internal width in the range of 5 to 8 mm.