Societe Des Produits Nestle S.a.

Nestec S.a.

Alexandre Pugliese

Alexandre Perentes

Nicolas Ganshof Van Der Meersch

Thomas Gabella

Antonin Lizon

Michael Ayoub

Akos Spiegel

The present invention is directed to a beverage mixing device () comprising a mixing body () defining a mixing chamber (), at least one or a plurality of fluid inlets () for supplying a fluid (L, W, A, S) into the mixing chamber (), a discharge opening () to discharge a liquid (P) from the mixing chamber (), a sealing element () being moveably provided between a closed position for closing the discharge opening () and an open position for releasing the discharge opening () to allow a liquid (P) in the mixing chamber () be discharged via the discharge opening (), and an evacuation outlet () for evacuating the mixing chamber () by a fluid (G) be introduced into the mixing chamber () via the at least one or the plurality of fluid inlets () when the discharge opening () is closed by the sealing element (). The present invention is further directed to a beverage preparation device () comprising the beverage mixing device (), a liquid supply (), at least one or a plurality of product supplies (), a gas supply (), and a drainage (). Also, the present invention is directed to a method for preparing a beverage product using the beverage preparation device according to the invention.

Beverage mixing device, beverage preparation device and method for preparing a beverage product

The present invention is directed to a beverage dispenser connector () comprising a dispenser body () defining a cavity () with an opening () to be open at a side of the dispenser body (), a connection section () to attached the dispenser body () with the open cavity () over a delivery section () of a container () to close the cavity () with the delivery section (), an inlet () to deliver a fluid into the cavity (), an outlet () to discharge the fluid out of the cavity (), and a needle () with a piercing tip (), the needle () being associated with the dispenser body () so as to be moveable between a retracted position in which the piercing tip () is positioned within the cavity () and an extended position in which the piercing tip () protrudes out of the cavity () via the opening (). The invention is further directed to a beverage production device comprising the beverage dispenser connector (), a liquid supply (), a gas supply (), and a discharge section (). Further, the present invention is directed to a method for beverage production with the beverage production device ().

Beverage dispenser connector, beverage production device and method for beverage production

Beverage cooling device () for rapidly cooling a beverage and serving the beverage when cooled, after having been dispensed from a beverage preparation machine () in the device, comprising a heat exchange container () comprising a closed chamber () containing a phase-change coolant capable of accumulating and restoring cooling energy and a beverage cavity () with an open upper end () for receiving the beverage; the closed chamber () and cavity () being separated by at least one heat conductive inner wall (). The device is arranged to be handled separately from the beverage preparation machine and comprises a control unit () comprising a communication module () arranged for communicating to the beverage preparation machine information representative of the presence of the device at proximity of the beverage preparation machine and/or of a cooling state of the coolant in the chamber. The invention also relates to a system comprising a beverage preparation device and the cooling device.

Beverage cooling device for preparing cooled beverage when paired with a beverage preparation machine

The invention relates to a container () for receiving a liquid comprising a thin film capacitive sensor () comprising a level sensor for detecting the liquid filling level of the container () over time, wherein the sensor () further comprises a settable device allowing setting one or more desired liquid filling levels of the container (), of the same or of different liquids. Preferably, the settable device is configured as a touch screen, arranged in the external layer of the sensor (). The invention further relates to a beverage production system (S) comprising a beverage production machine () having a beverage production unit () for preparing and dispensing a beverage and a control unit () for controlling a beverage production of the beverage production unit (), and a container () as the one described. Yet further, the invention relates to a method for setting one or a plurality of liquid filling levels of a container ().

Liquid container, beverage production system and method for detecting one or a plurality of liquid filling levels of a container

A food or beverage preparation machine, including a control panel, an actuator for setting at least one food or beverage preparation parameter to a predetermined value and a controlling unit, a pressure sensor electronically connected to the controlling unit for controlling the functioning of the food or beverage preparation machine, the actuator being pressure-sensitive and having a first end with a first deformable surface which is configured to receive a press action (F) from a user, a second end with a second deformable surface which is in physical contact with the pressure sensor, and an elongate portion connecting the first end and the second end the elongate portion being configured to transfer to the second end a pressure that has been generated at the first end, to set the at least one food or beverage preparation parameter.

Beverage preparation machine

A food or beverage preparation machine () comprising a control panel (), said control panel () comprising an actuator () for setting at least one beverage preparation parameter to a predetermined value and a controlling unit for controlling the functioning of the food or beverage preparation machine (), the food or beverage preparation machine () comprising in association with said actuator (): a light emitting device () for emitting a light beam, an element for reflecting the light beam that has been emitted by the light emitting device (), the position of the reflecting element being modified when a press action (F) is applied to the actuator (), a coupler () for generating an interference signal based on the emitted light beam and the reflected light beam, a value of at least one parameter of the interference signal depending on the position of the reflecting element, and a light sensor () for detecting the interference signal, said light sensor being electronically connected with the controlling unit, the controlling unit being configured for detecting a press action applied to the actuator () based on the value of the at least one parameter of the interference signal so as to set at least one food or beverage preparation parameter.

A selection device () for a beverage preparation machine (), comprises a fixed selection element () and a mobile selection element (), the fixed selection element () comprising a set of marks () each corresponding to a parameter value, the mobile selection element () being movable in relation to the set of marks () for selecting a parameter value by positioning the mobile selection element () in visual association with a selected mark (). The selection device () further comprises a light-sending layer which is disposed in the fixed selection device (), a polarization layer for polarizing said sent light, and at least one polarization modifying layer able to modify the polarization of the polarized light such that the visual aspect of a selected mark () is modified when the mobile selection element () is positioned in visual association with the selected mark (), the polarization modifying layer being disposed in superposition relative to the polarization layer and relative to the selected mark ().

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Paudex, Switzerland

Alexandre Pugliese