Energy director releasably sealing single-serve beverage pod
View Patent ↗A beverage pod is assembled to allow the upper extension of the filter to separate from the upper rim of the container upon an application of force upon the extension. An energy director may be provided between the extension and the rim such that when a linear vertical high-frequency energy is applied to the energy director, the energy director may melt and releasably join the extension to the rim. At least one of the extension and/or the rim may have an energy director protruding therefrom. Separating the extension from the rim may form a gap between the extension and the rim to allow the beverage formed within the pod to drain therethrough.
1. A method of assembling a beverage pod having a filter having an extension, and a container having a rim, the method comprising:
positioning the extension of the filter juxtaposed to the rim of the container; and
applying a predetermined amount of vertical ultrasonic energy on a non-isometric shape energy director between the extension and the rim where a center of gravity of the energy director is offset relative to a midpoint of a distal tip side such that the vertical ultrasonic energy causes the distal tip side to slide outwardly, and the predetermined amount of vertical ultrasonic energy releasably joins the energy director to the rim around a circumference of the extension, where the extension has an outer portion that extends outwardly farther than the rim, and an application of force upon the outer portion of the extension causes the extension to separate from the rim.
2. The method according to claim 1 , where the extension has an underside with an energy director protruding downwardly therefrom to be placed over the rim of the container, the energy director having a non-isometric shape with an inner side and an outer side converging towards a tip side where the inner side is tapered relative to the underside to form an obtuse angle therebetween, and the outer side is substantially perpendicular relative to the underside.
3. The method according to claim 2 , where the obtuse angle is from 105° to 125°.
4. The method according to claim 2 , where the outer side forms an angle with the underside of from 91° to 95°.
5. The method according to claim 2 , where the energy director forms a base along the underside having a width from 0.25 mm to 0.45 mm.
6. The method according to claim 2 , where the tip side has a width from 0.05 mm to 0.015 mm.
7. The method according to claim 2 , where the outer side has a height relative to the underside from 0.35 mm to 0.60 mm.
8. The method according to claim 2 , where the obtuse angle is from 105° to 125°, the tip side has a width from 0.05 mm to 0.015 mm, and the outer side has a height length relative to the underside from 0.35 mm to 0.60 mm.
9. The method according to claim 1 , where at least one of the extensions or the rim has the energy director.
10. The method according to claim 1 , where the rim has the energy director protruding from a topside of the rim.
11. The method according to claim 1 , where the step of applying includes hermetically joining the energy director to the rim to substantially prevent air from passing between the extension and the rim.