Nestec S.a.

Gerhard Pirker

Michael Ayoub

Akos Spiegel

A heating unit for a beverage preparation machine. The machine includes a pump for circulating a beverage preparation fluid through the machine from a fluid source to the heating unit. The heating unit is suitable for heating the fluid and includes a housing which defines a fluid heating chamber. A heating element is located inside the housing and is adapted to heat the fluid. The heating unit further includes a pre-heating tube for conveying the fluid from the pump. The pre-heating tube includes a tube inlet and a tube outlet. The tube outlet connects with the heating chamber. The pre-heating tube is located at least partly within the housing such that the heating element will at least partially heat the fluid in the pre-heating tube before the pre-heated fluid is released into the heating chamber through the outlet.

Heating unit for a beverage preparation machine

A beverage preparation system comprising: (i) a capsule () with side (), bottom () and top () walls, said capsule having a shape that is substantially symmetrical around a vertical axis, and said capsule is suitable for containing a beverage preparation ingredient to be dissolved, and/or infused, and/or extracted under pressure, by action of a fluid circulating into said capsule through said ingredient, (ii) a beverage preparation machine () suitable for receiving said capsule (), and circulating said fluid into said capsule, (iii) optionally a capsule holder () for holding said capsule (), at least at the time said capsule is disposed into said machine, characterized in that: the machine () comprises a linear barcode reader () suitable for reading a linear barcode sequence () contained in a segment S having a segment length L, said linear barcode reader () being disposed in the machine such that it can read a barcode printed on the capsule while said capsule is being inserted inside said machine, and the capsule () comprises a barcode sequence () that is repeatedly printed along a peripheral path of the capsule, each sequence being disposed in an arc having a linear projected length Lthat is inferior to Land said sequence () is composed of dots () spaced apart from one another along said arc, such that their projected point images along a linear segment are also spaced apart.

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Lenzburg, Switzerland

Gerhard Pirker