1. A beverage cartridge comprising:
a top surface;
a bottom surface;
a lower sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom surface;
the top surface, bottom surface and lower sidewall defining, in part, an internal space of the cartridge;
a rim between the top and bottom surfaces and having an upper surface and a lower surface extending outwardly from the lower sidewall, the internal space of the cartridge including a region between the upper and lower surfaces of the rim, and the rim being configured for engagement with a cartridge holder of a beverage making machine such that the cartridge holder can engage the rim and force the cartridge into a brewing position in the cartridge holder;
a gas inlet located on the lower surface of the rim, the gas inlet comprising a flow control element configured to resist fluid communication into the internal space of the cartridge and configured to open while a clamping force is exerted on the rim by the beverage making machine to admit pressurized gas into the internal space of the cartridge to move a beverage medium in the internal space of the cartridge out of the cartridge; and
an indexing feature including a recess formed in the lower sidewall and located below the gas inlet to rotationally position the gas inlet of the cartridge relative to the cartridge holder,
wherein gas introduced via the gas inlet enters into the region of the internal space of the cartridge between the upper and lower surfaces of the rim.
2. The beverage cartridge of claim 1, wherein:
the internal space of the cartridge includes an upper internal space and a lower internal space, and
the beverage cartridge further comprises:
an upper portion including the upper internal space containing a gas source, the upper portion including the top surface and an upper sidewall extending downwardly from the top surface to the rim; and
a lower portion including the lower internal space containing the beverage medium, the lower portion including the bottom surface and the lower sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom surface, wherein the rim extends radially outwardly from the upper and lower sidewalls,
wherein the flow control element is arranged to be opened to admit pressurized gas into the lower internal space to urge the beverage medium to exit the lower internal space.
3. The beverage cartridge of claim 2, wherein the rim provides first and second clamping surfaces for engagement by the cartridge holder of the beverage making machine to define a pressure tight seal to contain pressurized gas emitted by the gas source.
4. The beverage cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a lid portion inside the internal space of the cartridge and covering the gas inlet, the lid portion being configured to control flow of gas through the gas inlet into the internal space of the cartridge.
5. The beverage cartridge of claim 2, wherein the upper portion includes a bottom wall that bounds a bottom of the upper internal space of the upper portion, and separates the upper internal space from the lower internal space.
6. The beverage cartridge of claim 2, wherein the gas source comprises a zeolite gas source arranged to release gas in the presence of a liquid.
7. The beverage cartridge of claim 4, further comprising a lid that includes the lid portion, wherein the lower sidewall defines an opening that is closed by the lid.
8. The beverage cartridge of claim 2, wherein the upper portion has a substantially frustoconical shape.
9. The beverage cartridge of claim 2, wherein the lower sidewall flares upwardly and outwardly from the bottom surface.
10. The beverage cartridge of claim 2, wherein the lower portion includes an outlet located at the bottom surface through which the beverage medium exits the lower internal space.
11. (canceled)
12. The beverage cartridge of claim 4, wherein opening of the flow control element causes the lid portion to move upwardly relative to the lower surface of the rim.
13. The beverage cartridge of claim 12, wherein the gas inlet includes a breakable portion of the rim.
14. The beverage cartridge of claim 1, wherein the rim is annular and has a thickness.
15. The beverage cartridge of claim 1, wherein the recess extends from the bottom surface to the lower surface of the rim.
16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the flow control element includes a protrusion extending downwardly from the lower surface of the rim, a hinge and a break region, wherein upward movement of the protrusion relative to the rim causes the protrusion to pivot about the hinge and cause the break region to detach and open the gas inlet.
17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the protrusion has a slope at a lower surface such that the protrusion is longer on a side opposite the hinge so as to concentrate a breaking force on the break region when the protrusion is moved upwardly relative to the rim.
18. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the gas inlet includes a D-shaped sealing region arranged around the flow control element, the D-shaped sealing region arranged to engage with a portion of the cartridge holder to form a gas-tight seal with the portion of the cartridge holder when admitting pressurized gas into the internal space.
19. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a gas path arranged to direct gas entering the cartridge at the gas inlet to the internal space, the gas path including a restriction to resist movement of beverage medium in the cartridge to the gas inlet.
20. A beverage cartridge comprising:
a top surface;
a bottom surface;
a lower sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom surface, the top surface, bottom surface and lower sidewall defining, in part, an internal space of the cartridge;
a clamping structure between the top and bottom surfaces and having a lower surface extending outwardly from the lower sidewall, the clamping structure arranged for engagement with a cartridge holder of a beverage making machine such that the cartridge holder can engage the clamping structure and force the cartridge into a brewing position in the cartridge holder;
a gas inlet located on the lower surface of the clamping structure, the gas inlet comprising a flow control element configured to resist fluid communication into the internal space of the cartridge and configured to open while a clamping force is exerted on the clamping structure by the beverage making machine to admit pressurized gas into the cartridge to move a beverage medium in the internal space of the cartridge out of the cartridge;
a lid portion inside the internal space of the cartridge and covering the gas inlet, the lid portion being configured to control flow of gas through the gas inlet into the internal space of the cartridge; and
an indexing feature including a recess formed in the lower sidewall and located below the gas inlet to rotationally position the gas inlet of the cartridge relative to the cartridge holder.
21. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the clamping structure includes one or more protrusions extending outwardly from the lower sidewall.
22. A beverage cartridge for forming a carbonated beverage, comprising:
an upper portion including a top surface and an upper sidewall extending downwardly from the top surface, the top surface and upper sidewall defining, in part, an upper internal space;
a lower portion including a bottom surface and a lower sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom surface, the bottom surface and lower sidewall defining, in part, a lower internal space, the upper and lower internal spaces being part of an internal space of the cartridge;
a rim spaced from and positioned between the top and bottom surfaces, the rim having an upper surface extending radially outwardly beyond the upper sidewall and a lower surface extending radially outwardly beyond the lower sidewall, the upper and lower surfaces providing first and second clamping surfaces for engagement by a cartridge holder of a beverage making machine to define a pressure tight seal to contain pressurized gas emitted by the gas source, and the internal space including a region between the upper and lower surfaces of the rim;
a gas inlet located on the lower surface of the rim, the gas inlet comprising a flow control element configured to resist and enable fluid communication into the lower internal space;
wherein at least a portion of the upper internal space overlies at least a portion of the lower internal space,
and wherein, while a clamping force is exerted on the rim by the beverage making machine, the flow control element is upwardly moveable relative to the lower surface of the rim into the region of the internal space between the upper and lower surfaces to admit pressurized gas into the lower internal space to urge the beverage medium out of the lower internal space.
23. The beverage cartridge of claim 22, wherein the upper portion includes an upper rim portion, the lower portion includes a lower rim portion, and the upper and lower rim portions are joined together to form the rim.
24. The beverage cartridge of claim 23, further comprising a coupling member attached to the upper and lower rim portions.
25. The beverage cartridge of claim 24, wherein the upper and lower rim portions each include a circumferential portion at a radially outer end of the upper and lower surfaces of the rim, respectively.
26. The beverage cartridge of claim 22, further comprising a lid portion inside the internal space and covering the gas inlet, the lid portion being configured to control flow of gas into the internal space of the cartridge.
27. The beverage cartridge of claim 22, wherein the first and second clamping surfaces are annular.
28. The beverage cartridge of claim 22, wherein the lower portion includes an outlet located at the bottom surface of the lower portion through which the beverage medium exits the lower internal space.
29. The beverage cartridge of claim 22, wherein the lower portion has an indexing feature that includes a recess in the lower sidewall.
30. (canceled)
31. The beverage cartridge of claim 20, further comprising a lid that includes the lid portion, wherein the lower portion includes an opening that is closed by the lid.
32. The beverage cartridge of claim 20, wherein opening of the flow control element causes the lid portion to move upwardly relative to the lower surface of the clamping structure and allow fluid communication through the gas inlet into the internal space.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A fiber comprising a resin composition comprising 1) an aliphatic polyester resin of which carboxyl groups of one end or both ends of molecular chain ends are capped with at least one kind of compounds represented by General formula (I) and 2) at least one kind of compounds represented by General formula (I), wherein an end group concentration of the carboxyl group of the aliphatic polyester resin is 0 to 15 equivalentton, and an a* value which is an index of red color tone of the fiber is \u22125 to 5 and the b* value of the fiber is \u22126 to 6 in the L*a*b* color coordinate system:
wherein at least one of R1 to R3 is glycidyl group and others are hydrogen, an alkyl group with 1 to 10 carbon atoms, hydroxyl group or allyl group.
2. The fiber according to claim 1, wherein the compound represented by General formula (I) is present in an amount of 0.1 to 8 wt % based on the total resin composition.
3. The fiber according to claim 1, wherein the aliphatic polyester resin is polylactic acid.
4. The fiber according to claim 1, wherein a molecular weight of the aliphatic polyester constituting the resin composition is in the following ranges, respectively:
Mw: 80,000 to 500,000
MwMn: 1.5 to 4
(Mw is a weight average molecular weight, Mn is a number average molecular weight and they are values measured by gel-permeation chromatography and converted to those of polystyrene.)
5. The fiber according to claim 4, wherein the MwMn is 1.5 to 2.
6. The fiber according to claim 1, wherein the compound represented by General formula (I) is one or more compounds selected from diallyl monoglycidyl isocyanurate, monoallyl diglycidyl isocyanurate and triglycidyl isocyanurate.
7. The fiber according to claim 1, wherein the aliphatic polyester resin having the carboxyl group at molecular chain ends and at least one kind of compounds represented by General formula (I) are mixed in a molten state or in a solution state.
8. A multifilament comprising the fiber of claim 1, wherein physical properties of said multifilament satisfy the following characteristics:
MwMn 1.5 to 2.5
Strength 2 to 8 cNdtex
Elongation 20 to 80%
Boiling water shrinkage 0 to 20%
Yarn unevenness U % 0.1 to 2%
Strength retention 50 to 99%.
9. A method of producing a fiber comprising feeding a compound represented by General formula (I) or a composition containing said compound into a kneader such that an added amount of said compound is 0.1 to 40 wt % to a resin composition containing an aliphatic polyester resin having carboxyl groups at molecular chain ends, extruding the composition after kneading at a kneading temperature of 200 to 250\xb0 C. within a residence time in a molten state of 300 seconds or less
wherein at least one of R1 to R3 is glycidyl group and others are hydrogen, an alkyl group with 1 to 10 carbon atoms, hydroxyl group or allyl group, and melt-spinning the extruded composition at a spinning temperature of 200 to 250\xb0 C. with a residence time in a molten state for 180 to 1800 seconds and at a spinning speed of 500 to 10000 mmin.
10. A method of producing a fiber comprising mixing a pellet formed from the resin composition of claim 9 and a pellet of an aliphatic polyester resin containing carboxyl groups at molecular chain ends such that an amount of the compound represented by General formula (I) is 0.1 to 8 wt %, and melt-spinning a resulting mixture at a spinning temperature of 200 to 250\xb0 C., a residence time in a molten state of 180 to 1800 seconds and at a spinning speed of 500 to 10000 mmin.