Nestec S.a.

Ines Magniet

Heinz Wyss

Yann Epars

Raphael Bernhardsgruetter

Vincent Martin

Roland Lehmann

Alain Meier

Stephane Hentzel

Sophie Abraham

Nicole Langenegger

Catia Filipa Monteiro Pimenta De Sousa

Marie Georgina Feuvrier-Roy

A capsule has an inlet face C formed by a circular section and a bulge section extending from the circular section so that the inlet face C is not symmetric in rotation. The capsule further has an optically readable code on a side wall of a cup-shaped body of the capsule opposite the bulge section. A beverage production machine has a capsule holder for holding the capsule in the beverage production machine so that the optically readable code can be read by a code reader. Liquid can be supplied to the capsule to produce a nutritional product. The optically readable code and the code reader can be prevented from being contaminated with liquid, vapor, dirt or the like. The beverage production machine can perform an automatic detection of the capsule type and a corresponding automatic setting of preparation parameters.

Capsule, beverage production machine and system for the preparation of a nutritional product

The present invention relates to a kit, comprising: &#x2014;at least one capsule () for insertion in a beverage production machine and containing nutritional ingredients, preferably infant formula ingredients, the capsule having a cup-like base body () comprising an opening () being closed off by an outlet face (), and &#x2014;at least one capsule opening device () provided separately to the capsule (), the capsule () and the opening device () being provided with means for mechanically associating the opening device () to the capsule () by the consumer, preferably without using tools, the capsule opening device () comprising an integrally formed opening member () arranged to be operated by a user and designed for opening said outlet face () of the capsule ().

Capsule opening kit

The present invention presents a capsulehaving an inlet face C, which is formed by a circular sectionand a bulge sectionextending from the circular sectiongiving the inlet face C a not symmetric in rotation. The capsulefurther has an optically readable codeon a side wallof a cup-shaped body of the capsuleopposite the bulge section. The present invention further presents a beverage production machine with a capsule holderfor holding a capsulein such a way in the beverage production machine, that the optically readable code can be read by a code reader. Liquid can be supplied to the capsule to produce a nutritional product. The present invention provides means to prevent the optically readable codeand the code reader, respectively, from being contaminated with liquid, vapor, dirt or the like. An automatic detection of the capsule type, and a corresponding automatic setting of preparation parameters by the beverage production machinebecomes possible, and is more reliable than state of the art solutions.

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Savigny, Switzerland

Ines Magniet