Suppose you are a coffee capsule enthusiast familiar with Nespresso's original capsules. In that case, you should have learned about the unique and important design of Nespresso capsules: the waterproof coating on the shoulder and the bottom filter of the capsule. They used to be one of Nespresso's patent items.
Firstly, let's talk about the patents of Nespresso single-serve capsules. As a result of Nestle's aggressive pursuit of its IP, it has obtained a 20-year patent period for its product. This type of long-term protection gives Nestle a significant advantage over the competition.
Nespresso has a well-known brewing system and has obtained multiple patents. In 1986, they simultaneously launched a coffee machine for use and have been actively promoting patents for their coffee system. The reason why it has invested so much workforce, material resources, and financial resources in applying for multiple patents for its capsules, machines, and services is to prevent competitors from selling machines or capsules similar to it in the market. The fact has proven that these investments and efforts are worth it, leaving Nestle with almost no competitors to match for decades.
Based on this, Nestle has never stopped its footsteps in pursuing intellectual property. After the first batch of patents expired in 1997, they quickly began the trademark registration process in 2001. This move is also aimed at preventing competitors' capsules from occupying the market and gaining an advantage in the brands created by Nestle. However, Mondelez Kraft later filed an invalidation lawsuit against the trademark, stating that it only protects the external appearance of the product rather than the core technical result. Therefore, more and more compatible capsules are gradually emerging.
![expakchina]( "expakchina")
Then go back to our topic today. In the past, the waterproof coating on the shoulder of the capsule is a very important patent of Nestle. Nespresso removed the waterproof device from the coffee machine. Instead, they add a coating around the capsule's shoulder and apply it as a patent, which means no one else can use this design to prevent the water-leaking problem. Nestle uses this patent to protect itself from other compatible capsules to seize the coffee market.
According to this situation, what did other competitors do? We are certain that they will not sit idly by. On the contrary, they delved into how Nestle's coffee machine equipment and capsules matched internally and worked hard to develop different design solutions dedicated to solving the water leakage problem. There are several common forms of capsule shoulder position design:
1, Spiral pattern design
2, Silicone ring (rubber ring) design
3, Paper ring design
So with these different designs to function as the same usage of the waterproof coating, these Nespresso-compatible capsules can be used in the original Nestle coffee machine with different models. However, we must admit that these replacement design solutions cannot be as perfect as Nestle's original capsule, they will have some small differences, but they can almost reach 95% of the ideal effects. If you are interested in these compatible capsule products, please move to our product area for further understanding. Also, welcome to send us an email for further discussion.
Another special useful design is the bottom filter inside the capsule, which will work with the front Washer plate. Some customers may ask why we need this filter. It will take off some space already so limited, then the ground coffee's volume will also be limited. However, As we all know, The taste of coffee is closely related to the uniformity of water flow through it. Nestle's coffee machine usually Pierce three small holes at the bottom of the capsule to allow hot water to pass smoothly. If we don't have the filter, the water maybe can't affect all the ground coffee smoothly; Some areas will only be lightly filtered. In contrast, areas close to the pores may pose a risk of over-extraction, which can have a fatal and serious impact on the taste of coffee.
![expakchina]( "expakchina")
What's more, sometimes the three holes at the bottom will be a little bit large and will have a risk of letting the ground coffee get out of the capsule and go into the water. So the filter will prevent this situation and ensure no coffee grounds get into your cup, improving the quality of your coffee's taste.
To sum up, even though the Nespresso capsule has small in size, the sparrow is small and has all five organs, it's hidden ingenuity and design are still worth studying and researching by coffee enthusiasts. Similarly, in learning and borrowing from these compatible capsules, we can also better understand the knowledge of coffee, helping us distinguish which capsules are better and which coffee is better.
Especially when you choose Nestle capsules as your development project product, you must select capsule products that can perfectly avoid its patent design while also considering its functional requirements to produce a successful final product that can be widely used in the market.
Publication Date: 5/22/2023
Category: Product Events
