Societe Des Produits Nestle S.a.

Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Nestec S.a.

Aventor Sa

Nicolas Obliger

Marco Magatti

Bertrand Guyon

Jean-Luc Thuliez

Etienne Crozier

Steven Ryutaro Takayama

Da Mi Byun

Lukic Branko

Eric Meyer

Cyril Voisard

Kevin J Kilpatrick

Azagen Mootien

Guillaume Heisel

Jean-christophe Guillaud-bataille

Christian Monin

Katell Rosolen-delarue

Jean-Christophe Guillaud-Bataille

Damien Romand

A machine () for preparing a beverage from an ingredient includes an extraction unit () that has: an ingredient extraction seat (); an inlet arrangement () for guiding water into the seat (); and a dispensing arrangement () for guiding beverage out of the seat (). The dispensing arrangement () has a face () delimiting a downstream part of the seat () and having a flow-through portion () configured such that beverage flowing out the seat () flows through the flow-through portion () towards a beverage dispensing area ('). The face () has a flow-inhibiting portion () that is at least substantially flush with the flow-through portion () so as to delimit the seat (). The flow-inhibiting portion () is configured such that beverage flowing out the seat () is inhibited, e.g. prevented, from passing through the flow-inhibiting portion ().

Beverage machine with a partly closed dispensing face

The invention relates to a beverage extraction unit () for extracting a beverage from an exchangeable single-serve portioned capsule () containing beverage ingredients and being configured with a flow restricting member for extracting capsules at different beverage pressure and flow conditions. The invention also relates to the beverage machine comprising the extraction unit.

Beverage extraction unit with movable outflow obstructor

The invention relates to a beverage preparation machine () for providing a pressurized liquid to a dose of beverage ingredients () such as a coffee capsule, the machine comprising a pressurizing liquid chamber () designed for being filled with a predefined amount of liquid upon operation of a liquid pump () connected to a liquid reservoir () of the machine, a potential energy accumulator () that is associated to the pressurizing liquid chamber () and which is designed for being brought into a charged position upon filling of the pressurizing liquid chamber (), a brewing chamber () for receiving the dose of beverage ingredients () and which is designed for being selectively brought in fluid communication with the pressurizing liquid chamber (), the machine () further comprising flow control means () designed for regulating the amount of liquid conveyed from the liquid pump () into the pressurizing liquid chamber () depending on an operating position of the potential energy accumulator () and/or on the pressure of liquid in the pressurizing chamber ().

Beverage preparation machine with manually operated pump with flow control means

A machine for preparing a beverage from an ingredient has: an extraction seat, an inlet arrangement for guiding water into the seat and a dispensing arrangement for guiding beverage out of the seat. The dispensing arrangement has a face, formed by a beverage guide structure for guiding a total flow of beverage out of a total guide exit, delimiting a downstream part of the seat. The guide structure is associated with a flow control device, having an obstruction portion and one or more control sides, configured to control the flow of beverage. The control sides suitable to delimit from the obstruction portion a passage that the total flow of beverage is passed through. The obstruction portion and the control side(s) are operable over the beverage guide structure to change a position, size and/or shape of the obstructed and unobstructed portion of the total guide entry and/or exit.

Beverage machine with a controlled outflow aperture

The invention relates to beverage extraction unit () for extracting a beverage from an exchangeable capsule () containing beverage ingredients and being configured for operating according to two beverage extraction modes, e.g. at respectively high pressure or low pressure. The invention also relates to the beverage machine comprising the extraction unit.

Beverage extraction unit for selectively providing orifices of different types in a capsule for extraction of the beverage

A machine () for preparing a beverage () from an ingredient () has an extraction unit () with: an ingredient extraction seat (); an inlet arrangement () for guiding water into the seat (); and a dispensing arrangement () for guiding beverage () out of the seat (). The dispensing arrangement () has a face () delimiting a downstream part of the seat (). The face () is made of an upper portion () and a lower portion () that are delimited by a substantially horizontal physical or notional delimitation line () that is located between a top end and a bottom end of the face (). The upper portion () is nude of an upper outflow passage () and an upper impervious part delimiting the upper outflow passage. The upper portion () has an upper surface area ratio transverse to a direction () of downstream flow in the seat () of: a surface area of the upper outflow passage () over a surface area of the upper impervious part. The lower portion () is made of a lower outflow passage () and a lower impervious part delimiting the lower outflow passage. The lower portion () has a lower surface area ratio transverse to the downstream flow direction () of: a surface area of the lower outflow passage () over a surface area of the lower impervious part. The face () has an overall ratio of the upper surface area ratio over the lower surface area ratio that is greater or smaller than 1.

Beverage machine with a non-homogeneous ingredient extraction configuration

A machine () is provided for preparing a beverage from an ingredient supplied into such machine () within a capsule () that is provided with an outlet membrane (). The machine has an extraction unit () that has an ingredient extraction seat () for receiving such capsule (), an inlet arrangement () for guiding water into the seat () and a dispensing arrangement () for guiding beverage out of the seat (). The dispensing arrangement () has a face () delimiting a downstream part of the seat () and having a membrane opening portion () associated with or bearing a plurality of raised elements () configured to form beverage outlet orifices in the outlet membrane (). The downstream part of the seat () is provided with one or more flow-through holes () extending from the face (), the flow-through hole(s) () being configured such that beverage flowing from the seat () through the flow-through holes () is guided towards a beverage dispensing area (). The face () further has a non-opening portion () that is free of any upstream-projecting raised element and that is at least substantially flush with the membrane opening portion () so as to delimit the seat (). The non-opening portion () is provided with one or more flow-through holes () extending from the face (). Such flow-through hole(s) () is/are configured such that beverage flowing from the seat () through such flow-through holes () is guided towards the beverage dispensing area (').

Beverage machine with a partly opening dispensing face

A machine () for preparing and dispensing a beverage has an outside housing () having one or more outside faces (). The machine includes a user-interface device () movable from: a deployed operative position adjacent to a face () of such one or more outside faces () so that the device () is accessible by a user; to a retracted storage position in the outside housing (). The user-interface device () is movable from its deployed operative position into its retracted storage position and vice versa along a first direction (') and a second direction (&#x2033;) that is non-parallel to the first direction (&#x2032;).

Beverage machine with a collapsible interface

A machine () has a unit for preparing and dispensing via an outlet () a beverage. The machine includes: an outside housing () with one or more outside faces (); and at least one placement member () for resting onto a generally flat external support surface () in a configuration such that the unit is in an orientation for preparing and dispensing the beverage via the beverage outlet () to a beverage dispensing surface (). At least one placement member () is movable and has: a deployed placement position providing a stability of the unit in this orientation on the external support surface (); and a retracted rest position within the outside housing () or collapsed against the outside housing ().

Beverage machine with a stabilizing foot

A machine for preparing a beverage from a capsule includes a capsule extraction seat, an inlet arrangement for guiding water into the seat and a dispensing arrangement for guiding beverage out of the seat. The dispensing arrangement has a face delimiting a downstream part of the seat, the face bearing one or more raised elements that project upstream and that are configured for forming one or more beverage outlet openings in the outlet membrane of the capsule in the seat. The raised element(s) are fixed relative to or integral with the face and include at least one controllable raised element. The face is associated with an opening control arrangement configured to control the formation of the outlet opening(s) in the outlet membrane by the controllable raised element. The opening control arrangement has at least one neutralizing member that is movable between an operative position and a rest position.

Beverage machine with a controlled capsule piercing

A machine () for preparing and dispensing a beverage includes a beverage preparation and dispensing unit that has: an ingredient container (); a dispensing head () with a beverage outlet () for dispensing the beverage to a beverage dispensing surface (); and a liquid circuit for processing the beverage and delivering such beverage into the beverage outlet (). The liquid circuit has at least one activatable unit () that is passed through by liquid during beverage preparation. The machine further includes: a power unit (') connected to a main switch () and to the activatable unit(s) (); and a functional part that is configured to perform a function other than actuating the main switch () and that has a beverage preparing and dispensing position and that is movable into a different position in which no beverage is intended to be prepared or dispensed. The functional part () is further configured to operate, when moved to the dispensing position or to the different position, the main switch () so as to enable or disable the supply of power from the power unit (&#x2032;) to the activatable unit(s) ().

Beverage machine with ergonomic power switch

A beverage preparation machine () comprises a source of liquid () and a dispensing outlet () connected via a pump () that includes a chamber () and a displaceable wall () delimiting the chamber (). The pump () further has: an electric actuator () driving the displaceable wall () for causing an inflow of liquid from the source into the chamber () and for causing an outflow of liquid from the chamber () to the dispensing outlet (); and a powering unit () that comprises an electric power source () and that is configured for supplying power to the actuator (). The powering unit () further comprises: a sensor () for measuring an electrical parameter representative of a consumption of power by the actuator (); and a control unit () that is connected to the sensor () and to the electrical power source () and that is configured to control the power supplied to the actuator () by the electric power source () as a function of: the measured parameter; and a desired liquid input into the chamber () and/or liquid output from the chamber (), such as a desired flow and/or pressure of the liquid input and/or of the liquid output.

Beverage preparation machine with a controlled pump

A machine () for preparing and dispensing a beverage () comprises: &#x2014;a main body () containing a unit () for preparing said beverage () to be dispensed via an outlet () to an external user-recipient () at a user-recipient placement location (); &#x2014;an auxiliary body () that is movable relative to the main body () inwards into the main body () into a retracted position and outwards from the main body () into a deployed position; &#x2014;a control unit () for controlling the preparation unit () to supply said beverage () to the outlet (); and&#x2014;a user-interlace (') connected to the control unit (). The user-interface (&#x2032;) is located on the auxiliary body () and is movable therewith.

Beverage machine with an ergonomic user-interface

A machine () for preparing a beverage has: a body (') with a fluid line () extending from a liquid inlet (&#x2033;) to a beverage outlet (&#x2032;&#x2033;); a liquid tank () that has an outlet () connected to the liquid inlet (&#x2033;); and a carrier () assembled to the body (&#x2032;) for carrying the liquid tank (). The carrier () is movable with the liquid tank () as a unit () inwards into the body (&#x2032;) into an operative position for supplying liquid to the liquid inlet (&#x2033;) and outwards from the body (&#x2032;) into a service position.

Beverage machine with an ergonomic water storage

A machine () for preparing and dispensing a beverage () comprises: &#x2014;a main body () containing a unit () for preparing said beverage () to be dispensed via an outlet () to an external user-recipient () at a user-recipient placement location (); &#x2014;a beverage dispensing head () that includes the outlet () and that is movable relative to the main body () inwards into the main body () into a retracted head position and outwards from the main body () into a deployed head position; and&#x2014;a control unit () for controlling the preparation unit () to supply said beverage () to the outlet (). The control unit () is configured to: &#x2014;maintain or leave the beverage dispensing head () in its retracted position when the beverage preparation unit () is not operated to process a liquid; and/or&#x2014;move the beverage dispensing head () into its deployed position or maintain or leave it in this position only when the control unit () operates the preparation unit () to process a liquid for dispensing via the outlet ().

Growing community of inventors

Franey, France

Nicolas Obliger