Nestec S.a.

Societe Des Produits Nestle S.a.

Societe Des Produits S.a.

Alexandre Kollep

Gilles Gavillet

Matthieu Ozanne

Peter Möri

Alfred Yoakim

Renzo Moser

Stefan Etter

Thomas Hodel

Peter Preisig

Robin Schwab

Antoine Cahen

Urs Gaudenz

Daniel Abegglen

Stefan Kaeser

Thomas Kaeser

Didier Vuagniaux

Frank Kräuchi

Christophe Boussemart

Xavier Greppin

Ralph Piguet

Jean-Paul Denisart

Philippe Dumur

Damien Neurohr

Alp Sarioglu

André Jung

Alessandro Brazzola

Etienne Claude Jaquier

Peter Bucher

Marco Bacchi

Christian Jarisch

Jean-Marc Flick

Gilles Gerber

Daniel Fischer

Grégoire Terrien

Mischa Stieger

Youcef Ait Bouziad

Andre Noth

Fabien Ludovic Agon

Rudolf Schenk

Jean-Luc Denisart

Arnaud Gerbaulet

Enzo Bonacci

Pierre Struzka

Blaise Rithener

Remy C Jacquet

Petr Masek

Frederic Doleac

Jean-Luc Colantonio

Francois Besson

Minh Quan Phan

Frédéric Doleac

Michael Meier

Roland Huber

Markus Lang

Patrice Borne

Patrick Caprotti

Leo Bühler

Rémy Jacquet

Frank Schnyder

André Noth

Steve Aemisegger

François Besson

Nicolas Gres

Guido Bambagioni

Matteo Bolognesi

Nicolas Delay

Reinhard Lutz

Heinz Leuthold

Borne Patrice

Christophe Sébastien Paul Heydel

Reto Markus ZÜRCHER

Peter Moeri

Frank Kraeuchi

Alex Eisenbart

Christophe S Boussemart

Pierre Nicolas Neyret

The invention pertains to the field of the beverage preparation machines having an ingredient processing module for preparing a beverage with at least one ingredient supplied with a capsule. The machine comprises a positioner arranged to hold at least one capsule out of the ingredient processing module. It further comprises a sensing arrangement adapted to detect an event related to the insertion by a user of a capsule and/or the presence of the capsule on or into the positioner. The machine is configured, upon detection of the event, to transfer the capsule to the ingredient processing module by using transfer means, and then to start the preparation of the beverage. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine providing a convenient and safe solution to fully automate the preparation of a beverage.

Automatic beverage machine

A beverage or foodstuff preparation machine () comprising: a component processing unit () to process a beverage or foodstuff component to prepare a beverage or foodstuff therefrom; and a control system () operable to execute a preparation process comprising controlling said component processing unit to prepare the beverage or foodstuff, the control system comprising a user interface (), wherein the user interface comprises: a contactless sensor () operable to sense without physical contact a body part of a user; and a feedback unit operable to provide feedback to a sensor, said body part of a user; and in response to change a value of a parameter associated with the preparation process and to indicate via the feedback unit the change in value.

User interface of beverage preparation machine

The invention relates to a capsule () for the preparation of a beverage by extracting the substance in a beverage preparation device, comprising: —an aluminium capsule body () with a bottom, a side wall () and an outwardly extending flange (), —a cover () attached to the outwardly extending flange () and, —a sealing member () at the outwardly extending flange () for providing a water sealing contact with an enclosing member of the beverage preparation device; wherein the sealing member () comprises at least one annular layer of polymeric material positioned on the outwardly extending flange wherein in use in the device, the sealing member is compressed and wherein the outwardly extending flange () comprises an annular recess () with an annular bottom wall (), and an inner projecting wall () and an outer projecting wall (), both projecting walls () extending in a direction towards the bottom of the capsule body and wherein the annular layer of polymeric material () is entirely contained in the annular recess ().

Capsule and system for preparing a beverage from such capsule with a seal member

An extraction unit of a beverage preparation machine, the extraction unit to extract an ingredient of a beverage from a capsule, the extraction unit comprising: a capsule holder operable to move between a capsule receiving position and a capsule extraction position; a capsule holder loading system operable to actuate the capsule holder between the said positions, the capsule holder loading system comprising an actuator unit and a loading mechanism, the actuator unit to actuate the loading mechanism, wherein the loading mechanism comprises a planetary gear train and a linear actuator, the actuator unit to supply a rotary motion to the planetary gear train, the planetary gear train to gear down the said rotary motion, the linear actuator to: receive the said geared down rotary motion; convert the geared down rotary motion into linear motion; couple the said linear motion to the capsule holder.

Extraction unit of beverage preparation machine

A cap assembly is used in a container. A food product to be dispensed from the container is in an inner volume of the container, and the inner volume of the container is closed by a lid. An identifier is arranged on the cap assembly and/or on a surface of the container. The cap assembly includes two parts relatively moveable with respect to each other in a relative movement. The relative movement and/or a solidary movement of these two parts allows displacement of the identifier according to a certain path and allows opening and/or closing a communication between the cap assembly and the inner volume of the container.

Container cap assembly

Pumping system () for a beverage preparation device comprising a reservoir () for storing a liquid; pumping means () for pumping the liquid from the reservoir () to a beverage preparation means () of the beverage preparation device; and pressurizing means () for injecting air in the system (); wherein the pumping system () further comprises one motor () driving both the pumping means () and the pressurizing means (); the system further comprising engaging means () configured to engage or disengage the pumping means () as a function of the direction of rotation of the motor (). The invention further refers to a pumping method for use in a beverage preparation device.

Pumping system and method

A beverage preparation machine comprising: a beverage preparation module comprising an extraction unit to extract an ingredient of a beverage from capsule supplied thereto or an ingredient container which is part thereof; a fluid supply comprising the components a fluid heater, a fluid pump, optionally a fluid reservoir; a first module movably connected to the beverage preparation module; wherein the beverage preparation machine further comprises a second module movably connected to the first module, the first module comprising the fluid pump and/or the fluid heater, the second module comprising the said components of the fluid supply different to those of the first module, the components comprising at least one of the fluid pump or fluid heater or fluid reservoir.

Reconfigurable beverage preparation machine

A container contains a food product to be dispensed, the container volume being closed by a closure and including an identification member; the container being further provided with an engagement member designed to engage with a corresponding driving member to displace the identification member according to a certain pre-defined path in order to allow its reading. A device is operable with such a container, the device has a driving element and a reader, the driving element engaging with the container to displace the identification member according to a certain pre-defined path with respect to the reader. A system prepares cold or frozen dessert products from a fluid contained in a container, the system has a container and a device operating it.

Container, device and system

A beverage preparation device for preparing a beverage from an ingredients containing capsule includes a beverage brewing unit for receiving the capsule and preparing the beverage by means of injection of pressurized liquid into the capsule, and beverage dispensing means for dispensing the resulting beverage into a receptacle, wherein beverage brewing unit is designed for passing liquid through the capsule in a direction essentially opposite to gravity. Systems that include the beverage preparation device and methods of producing and using said device are also disclosed.

Beverage preparation unit

A liquid food or beverage preparation machine that includes a fluid arrangement and a printed circuit board for controlling one or more functions of the fluid arrangement, with the printed circuit board being enclosed within a substantially impervious housing to protect the printed circuit board from fluid or vapor emissions from the fluid arrangement.

Heating device with an integrated thermoblock for a beverage preparation machine

A combination of a flow meter and printed circuit board or flex-print for a liquid food or a beverage preparation machine, which board or flex-print is rigidly connected to the flow meter. This combination is used in a liquid food or beverage preparation machine that includes an in-line heating device in which machine liquid is circulated through the heating device and then guided into a brewing chamber that includes a capsule or pod housing for brewing a food or beverage ingredient supplied into the brewing chamber.

A kit includes at least a capsule for insertion in a beverage production machine and containing beverage ingredients, the capsule having a cup-like base body including an outlet face. The kit includes one or more beverage production parameter programming connector(s) having an identification member placed on a first side of the connector designed for representing individual information as to beverage production parameters upon mechanical contact by sensing means of a beverage production machine, the side being opposite to the second connector side designed for connection to the outlet face of the capsule. Either the capsule(s) or the connector(s) or the both is provided with means for mechanically associating the connector to the capsule by the consumer, preferably without using tools.

Programming connector for beverage capsules, beverage capsules and kit of capsules and programming connectors

A device for preparing a liquid comestible is disclosed. The device may include a beverage preparation means for supply of a beverage and/or a brewing unit designed for receiving an ingredient-containing capsule and preparing the beverage from the ingredients by means of injection of hot pressurized liquid into the capsule. The device may further include a receptacle support means designed to support and to selectively connect to a receptacle for receiving the resulting beverage, beverage delivery means adapted to collect and/or guide the resulting beverage from the beverage preparation means/brewing unit to the receptacle support means, and/or injection means adapted to selectively open a portion of an outer wall of the receptacle connected to the receptacle support means and to establish a fluid communication between the beverage delivery means and the receptacle.

Beverage production device with enhanced receptacle injection means

A machine () for preparing a beverage (') comprises a frame () and a beverage preparation module () supported by the frame, the module () having a part () that is movable relative to the frame between: a transfer position for introducing a beverage ingredient into the module () and/or removing the ingredient therefrom; and a processing position for forming the beverage from the ingredient in the module. The beverage preparation module further has a beverage outlet () for dispensing the formed beverage (&#x2032;) to a beverage dispensing area () for receiving a user-recipient for collecting the beverage (&#x2032;). The frame () further supports a guide () configured to drain and deliver liquid residues (&#x2032;) from the beverage outlet () to a service area () separate from the dispensing area () so that the residues (&#x2032;) are inhibited from being drained from the beverage outlet () to the beverage dispensing area ().

Beverage preparation machine with drop management

Growing community of inventors

Lutry, Switzerland

Alexandre Kollep