Societe Des Produits Nestle S.a.

Nestec S.a.

Luc Fontbonne

Blaise Rithener

Herve Bourgund

Pierre-Emmanuel Vincent

Hervé Bourgund

A machine () for dispensing a beverage () includes a module () having a cavity () and a cavity outlet (') for guiding said beverage out of the cavity (). The cavity () is delimited by a first module part () and a second module part (). At least one () of the parts () is movable along a module direction (&#x2032;) into a position distant from the other part () for transferring an ingredient capsule () to and/or from the cavity () and into a position close to the other part () for processing the capsule () in the cavity () to form said beverage (). The machine () includes a guide () that has a guide outlet () and that is movable between: a dispensing position for receiving the beverage () from the cavity outlet (&#x2032;) and guiding the beverage () along a guide direction (&#x2032;) to the guide outlet () to a beverage dispensing area; and a non-dispensing position for preventing liquid from being guided to the dispensing area. The guide direction (&#x2032;) is horizontally angled away from the module direction (&#x2032;) such as horizontally angled away by an angle in the range of 45 to 135 deg.

Liquid dispensing machine with drop stop

A machine () for dispensing a beverage () includes: a module () having a cavity () and a cavity outlet (') for guiding the beverage out of the cavity (); and a guide () that has a guide outlet () and that is arranged for receiving the beverage () from the cavity outlet (&#x2032;) and guiding the beverage () along a guide direction (&#x2032;) to the guide outlet () and out thereof so as to be dispensed to a beverage dispensing area. The guide () has a guide channel () extending along the guide direction (&#x2032;) for receiving the beverage () from the cavity outlet (&#x2032;) and guiding the beverage () to the guide outlet (). The guide channel (&#x2033;) has a cross-section orthogonal to the guide direction (&#x2032;) and a bottom (&#x2032;) generally extending along the guide direction (&#x2032;). The cross-section has a width that increases with distance from the bottom (&#x2032;), e.g. with height above the bottom.

Liquid dispensing machine with speed regulator

A machine for dispensing a beverage () includes a beverage processing module () that has an outlet (). The module () further has a first part () and a second part () that can be relatively moved between: a transfer configuration for introducing a beverage ingredient () between the first and second parts () and/or removing the ingredient from therebetween; and a processing configuration for forming said beverage () from said ingredient () between the first and second parts (). The machine also includes:&#x2014;a liquid driver () for driving a liquid along a liquid line () from a liquid source () via the processing module () to the outlet ();&#x2014;a drop collector () having a beverage guide () and a motor () for moving the guide () relatively to the outlet () into either a dispensing position for dispensing beverage () from the outlet () into a dispensing area () or a collecting position for dispensing residual beverage (') from the outlet () into a service area ();&#x2014;a control unit () for controlling the liquid driver () and the motor (); and a user-interface (&#x2032;) for providing user-instructions to the control unit (). The module () comprises a module actuator () for driving the first and second parts () from the transfer configuration to the processing configuration and vice-versa, the actuator () being independent of the motor (). The control unit () is arranged to activate the liquid driver () and the motor () upon receiving a user-instruction from the user-interface () independently of a presence or an absence of a receptacle () in the dispensing area ().

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Lyons, France

Luc Fontbonne