Luigi Lavazza S.p.a

Politecnico Di Torino

Argotec S.r.l.

Alberto Cabilli

Luca Bugnano

Danilo Bolognese

Denis Rotta

Alfredo Vanni

Elvio Bonisoli

Luisa Anna Borello

Stefano Tornincasa

Carlo De Mango

Andrea Pinna

Massimo Sorli

Fabio Tottone

Emilio Cugnetto

Silvia Barus

Marino Reimondo

Laura Gastaldi

Giovanni Jacazio

Marco Mandelli

Massimo Audino

Alberto Bottura

A capsule for extraction of a beverage of the filter-coffee type has a capsule body (), made of water-impermeable material, which defines a chamber (), present inside which is a precursor of the beverage, comprising soluble coffee and roast and ground coffee. At least 51 wt % of the precursor is roast and ground coffee having a grain size expressed in x50 comprised between 350 and 800 μm, and the complement to 100 wt % of the precursor is soluble coffee having a grain size expressed in x50 comprised between 1000 and 5000 μm. The roast and ground coffee is laid out to form a first layer (GC) in the lower part of the capsule body (), and the soluble coffee (SC) is laid out to form a second layer (SC) in the upper part of the capsule body, i.e., in a position corresponding to the inlet wall () and/or above the first layer (GC). The first layer of roast and ground coffee (GC) is pressed inside the capsule body (), and the second layer of soluble coffee (SC) is present inside the capsule body () substantially unpressed.

Capsule for the preparation of a coffee-based beverage

The cartridge () according to the invention comprises an envelope () having a first and a second end wall () connected together by an annular lateral wall () and defining an inner chamber () containing a quantity or dose of a substance (S) for preparation of the beverage. The envelope () has at least one first and at least one second permeable wall () acting as an inlet for the introduction of a flow of water into the chamber () and as an outlet from it respectively for outflow of the beverage from chamber (). Between the first and the second permeable walls () the envelope () has an outwardly projecting annular formation (). A portion of the permeable inlet wall () for the introduction of water into the chamber () is made in the annular lateral wall () of the envelope (). The annular formation () extends from the second end wall () in a direction substantially opposite to the first end wall ().

Cartridge, machine and system for the preparation of beverages and process for manufacturing the cartridge

A system for the preparation of beverages with the use of capsules including an infusion assembly () and a capsule (C). The infusion assembly includes a capsule-holder () and a cooperating body (), adapted to assume an open configuration for positioning a capsule (C) therebetween, and a closed configuration for preparing a beverage through the capsule (C) clamped in a liquid-tight manner therebetween. In the capsule-holder () there is defined a recess () adapted to receive the capsule (C) with the bottom wall () facing the interior of the capsule-holder () and wherein is provided a first piercing member () provided with at least a piercing point () adapted to penetrate through the bottom wall () of said capsule (C). The capsule-holder () is adapted to supply a flow of fluid introduced into the capsule (C) through the tear created in its bottom wall () from the at least one point (). In the cooperating body () a dispensing conduit () is defined for the beverage and a second piercing member () is provided, having at least one point () adapted to penetrate through the cover () of the capsule (C) to allow the outflow of the beverage from the capsule (C) towards said dispensing conduit (). In the capsule-holder () there are provided fluid communication passages (), which put into communication a region upstream of the first piercing member () such that, during the preparation of a beverage, the fluid introduced into the recess () of the capsule-holder () exerts on the first piercing member () a force lower than a predetermined value towards the capsule (C), the first piercing member () being mounted in the recess () of the capsule-holder () such as to be movable under the action of a spring () tending to displace it towards the cooperating body ().

System for the preparation of beverages with the use of capsules

A cartridge () containing a dose () of at least one substance for preparing a liquid product, e.g., coffee, by means of liquid and/or steam introduced into the cartridge (). The cartridge comprises a body () containing the aforesaid dose (), with a bottom wall (), through which the liquid product is able to flow out of the cartridge (), and a cover () that closes the body of the cartridge () at the end of the body opposite to the bottom wall (). The body () comprises a crushed-plant-fibre material (e.g., with a base of rice husk), which may also be used for producing the cover. Alternatively, the cover () may be made of paper material (e.g., filter paper). The body () and the cover () are connected together via purely mechanical connection, it thus being possible to avoid gluing or welding.

Cartridge for preparing a liquid product and method for producing it

A cartridge () containing a dose () of at least one substance, for example, ground coffee, for preparing a liquid product using liquid and/or steam introduced into the cartridge () comprises a body () with a bottom wall () and a cover () for closing the body () of the cartridge () in a position opposite to the bottom wall (). The cover () is coupled to the body () via a coupling element, such as, for example, the mouth part () of the body or a lock ring () that undergoes shape variation under the action of said liquid and/or steam, thus causing release of the coupling between the cover () and the body () of the cartridge (). The coupling element () comprises, for example, compostable material that can undergo post-crystallization under the action of heat, which has not been subjected to post-crystallization in the cartridge () prior to use.

Cartridge for preparing a liquid product, and method for production thereof

A cartridge () containing a dose () of at least one substance, such as powdered coffee, for preparing a liquid product by means of liquid and/or steam introduced at a given temperature into the cartridge () comprises a casing () containing the aforesaid dose () with a side wall () and a bottom wall () through which the liquid product flows out from the cartridge (). The aforesaid bottom wall () has a layered structure with: at least one layer () made of a first compostable material designed to undergo softening and/or melting at a temperature ranging between 70&#xb0; C. and 120&#xb0; C.; and&#x2014;at least one layer () made of a second compostable material that does not undergo appreciable softening and/or melting at said temperature.

Cartridge for preparing a liquid product

A capsule or cartridge () including a cup-shaped body () with a bottom wall (), a lateral wall () and a flange-like top formation () which is essentially planar and extends transversely towards the outside, and a cover () fixed to the flange-like formation () of the body (), such as to define a chamber () containing the material for the preparation of the beverage, in particular ground roasted coffee. The lateral wall () of the body () has a plurality of projections () and recesses () which as a whole define at least an identification of the capsule (). The projections () and recesses () are aligned in an essentially rectilinear direction, belonging to a plane essentially parallel to the flange-like formation () of the body () of the capsule ().

Capsule or cartridge and infusion assembly for the preparation of a beverage, in particular coffee

The system comprises: The capsules (C) of the aforementioned different types have flanges () of correspondingly different shapes, and the end delimiting part () of the brewing chamber () carries stop members () adapted to be coupled to the flanges () of said different types of capsules (C) when the latter are introduced into the brewing chamber (), so as to allow correspondingly different relative movements of the end delimiting part () relative to the lateral delimiting part () of said chamber ().

System for the preparation of beverages

A dispensing assembly for a machine for preparing a liquid food product by means of capsules including With the guide member in the operative position and with the first chamber part and the second chamber part in the spaced-apart position, a displacement of the pusher member from the first position to the second position causes a thrust on the capsule towards the outlet passage, in order to free the capsule from the retention means.

Dispensing assembly for machines for preparing liquid products by means of capsules

A machine for preparing liquid food products includes: a source of a liquid; a delivery assembly, having a brewing chamber for receiving a precursor of a liquid food product and for delivering the food product following passage of the liquid through the brewing chamber; a pump, for pumping the liquid; and a control system, for controlling an electric motor of the pump. The pump has a casing with an inlet and an outlet and an arrangement driven via the motor. The motor is bidirectional, and the control system includes means for controlling reversal of rotation of the motor between a primary direction and a secondary direction. The pump has a priming system including a recirculation valve and an actuation arrangement.

Machine for preparing liquid products, in particular via capsules

A machine for preparing liquid food products includes a pump. A cylinder is defined in the pump casing, with a piston extending in the cylinder at least in part to define a variable-volume work chamber. Between a shaft of a motor and the piston there is a transmission arrangement for causing a reciprocating movement of the piston with a predetermined stroke between advanced and retracted positions, to vary a volume of the work chamber. The pump has an intake valve and a delivery valve, for connecting the work chamber with an inlet and an outlet of the pump casing, respectively. The transmission arrangement has an actuation member driven in rotation by the shaft and operatively coupled to the piston. The actuation member defines a cam path to which the piston is coupled. The cam path is prearranged for determining the predetermined stroke of the piston between the advanced position and the retracted position.

A capsule () including a casing () having first and second end walls () spaced one from the other and interconnected by a lateral wall () having an essentially annular shape, and defining an internal chamber () containing an amount or dose of a substance () for the preparation of a beverage. The casing () has at least one first and at least one second permeable or pierceable wall portion (), acting as inlet and outlet, respectively, for the introduction of a flow of water into said chamber () and the outflow of the beverage from said chamber (), respectively. An inlet wall portion () for the introduction of water into the chamber () is provided in the annular lateral wall ().

Capsule, machine, system and method for preparing beverage, particularly espresso coffee

The gripper device () comprises a pair of opposite movable jaws () having respective coordinated gripping profiles () intended to cooperate with corresponding predetermined portions of the lateral surface of a capsule (C) of a first predetermined type so as to define a retaining position for such a capsule (C) in which the capsule (C) is essentially coaxial with a predetermined reference direction (R-R). The jaws () are able to assume a relative rest or standby position in which they are close together and inlet portions thereof () are capable of being splayed and passed beyond by a capsule (C) introduced into the machine (), so as to allow said capsule (C) to be positioned and gripped between the gripping profiles () in the retaining position. Moreover, the jaws (), adjacent to said coordinated gripping profiles (), have respective further coordinated gripping profiles () able to cooperate with corresponding predetermined portions of the lateral surface of a capsule (CX) of a further and different type able to be introduced into the machine as well as to splay and pass beyond the inlet portions () of the jaws (). These further coordinated profiles () are shaped and/or arranged such that they are capable of defining, for a capsule (CX) of the further type, a corresponding retaining position in which the capsule (CX) of the further type is axially offset by a predetermined amount (&#x394;) with respect to the predetermined reference direction (R-R).

Gripper retention device for a capsule or the like in a machine for the preparation of beverages, in particular espresso coffee

A machine for preparing liquid food products using capsules includes a dispensing assembly, a loading arrangement, an actuation system and a control system, including a processor, a non-volatile memory and an optical sensor device for acquiring characteristic information associated to an end wall of the body of a capsule. The actuation system is prearranged so that movements of the first part and the second part of the infusion chamber take place in a direction generally transverse to a direction of movement of the capsule determined by the insertion guide. The optical sensor device is mounted laterally with respect to the insertion guide. The loading arrangement has first retaining elements, which define an intermediate retention position of the capsule, in such a way that the control system is able to acquire the characteristic information by the optical sensor device when the capsule is in the intermediate position of retention. The first retaining elements can be switched from the respective condition of retention to a respective condition of release of the capsule by applying a force to the capsule.

Machine and system for the preparation of liquid products using capsules

A machine for preparing liquid food products using capsules includes a dispensing assembly having a first part and a second part designed to define an infusion chamber between them, a loading arrangement for the insertion of the capsule, an actuation system, a control system, and an arrangement for heating the fluid. A processor of the control system is prearranged for controlling at least the heating arrangement and the feeding arrangement. Encoded instructions contained in a memory of the control system has sets of brewing information that are differentiated from each other according to a type of capsule. The processor is prearranged for comparing an image acquired by an optical sensor device with reference images of the capsules that are encoded in the memory and for associating a set of brewing information to a corresponding type of capsule to select an operation mode.

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Moncalieri, Italy

Alberto Cabilli