Nestec S.a.

Esec, Trading Sa

Raphael Bernhardsgruetter

Cedric Beausire

Yann Epars

Lucio Scorrano

Vincent Martin

Heinz Wyss

Nihan Dogan

Jean-Luc Thuliez

David J Harrison

David Hamel

Iwan Kissling

Raphael Gugerli

Ines Magniet

Roland Lehmann

HansPeter Pleisch

Peter Hess

Ralph Kugler

Alexander Greber

Nicolino Onda

Dieter Falk

Hansjörg Gujer

Cédric Beausire

Inès Magniet

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 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.

Device for producing a frothed liquid comprising a chamber opened to atmosphere with a transverse bottom wall and a longitudinal upward wall, at least one diluent inlet, at least one liquid delivery outlet. The diluent inlet is provided through the upward wall and is dimensioned and oriented for directing a thin jet of diluent in the chamber. The at least one liquid delivery outlet is configured in the bottom wall for liquid to rise up along the side of the upward wall by the jet of diluent entering the chamber as a result of the direction and dimension of the diluent inlet in the chamber.

Device and method for producing a frothed liquid from soluble ingredients and diluent

Production machine () for beverages and liquid comestibles, the machine comprising: a housing (); a capsule holder designed for insertion into the housing (), wherein the capsule holder comprises a capsule receiving means (); a liquid injection assembly () provided in the housing (). The capsule holder and the machine are designed such that the capsule holder can be transferred manually, via a relative movement of the capsule holder and the housing of the machine, at least between: &#x2014;a first capsule loaded position, in which any capsule () received in the capsule holder is positioned ready for being engaged by the liquid injection assembly () and, &#x2014;a second capsule loading position adapted for loading a capsule outside of the housing (). Complementary stopping means of the capsule holder and the housing are provided which are configured to automatically engage each other to stop the capsule holder in the second capsule loading position. The capsule holder () can be resiliently removed completely from the housing () for cleaning/replacing purposes and in a way that it is not damaged or does not require tools.

Beverage production machine comprising features to facilitate capsule loading and unloading

Device for producing a frothed liquid comprising a chamber opened to atmosphere with a transverse bottom wall and a longitudinal upward wall, at least one diluent inlet, at least one liquid delivery outlet. The at least one diluent inlet comprises a first diluent inlet provided through the upward wall and dimensioned and oriented for directing a thin jet of diluent in the chamber. The at least one liquid delivery outlet is configured in the bottom wall for liquid to rise up along the side of the upward wall by the jet of diluent entering the chamber as a result of the direction and dimension of the diluent inlet in the chamber.

The invention relates to a refillable multi-dose container () for storing a flowable product comprising: &#x2014;a tank () with a top opened extremity (), &#x2014;means () for closing the top opened extremity () of the tank (), said means being openable by exercising contact pressure on them and closable by stopping contact pressure on them. The invention relates too to a machine comprising such a multi-dose container.

Refillable multi-dose container applicable to a machine for preparing beverages

The present invention relates to a beverage mixing and dispersing apparatus comprising: &#x2014;a metering device, &#x2014;a mixing chamber, &#x2014;at least one diluent feeding means, &#x2014;means for moving the mixing chamber, characterized in that the mixing chamber is movable between: &#x2014;a metering position, where the metering device outlet emerges in the mixing chamber inlet, and &#x2014;a mixing position, where the diluent feeding means are able to inject the diluent in the mixing chamber and the metering device outlet does not emerge in the mixing chamber inlet.

Mixing and dispensing apparatus with movable mixing chamber

Device for producing a frothed liquid comprising a chamberopened to atmosphere with a transverse bottom walland a longitudinal upward wall, at least one diluent inlet, at least one liquid delivery outlet, wherein the diluent inlet is provided through the upward wall and is dimensioned and oriented for directing a thin jet of diluent in the chamber, and wherein the at least one liquid delivery outlet is configured in the bottom wall for liquid to rise up along the side of the upward wall by the jet of diluent entering the chamber as a result of the direction and dimension of the diluent inlet in the chamber.

The present invention discloses a beverage machine () comprising a tank (), which holds a liquid for preparing a beverage, and a dispenser (), to which the tank is connectable, wherein the tank () comprises a valve (); the dispenser comprises an opening () for receiving the valve in connection of the tank on the dispenser; at least one ultrasonic transceiver () is disposed in the dispenser () or tank (), the ultrasonic transceiver being designed to emit and receive ultrasonic waves () in the liquid, in order to determine the distance (d) from the transceiver to the liquid level (), wherein it further comprises a control unit (), which is connected to the ultrasonic transceiver () which is adapted to determine the distance (d) changing with time and as a result the volume (V) of the liquid flowing out of the tank.

Beverage machine with integrated ultrasonic transceiver

The invention concerns a dosing device for dosing a metered amount of a powdered product comprising: &#x2014;a fixed body () made of at least a disc presenting a single pierced aperture (), &#x2014;a rotary top disk () disposed on the top of the fixed body () and presenting a taking out pierced aperture (), &#x2014;a rotary bottom disk () disposed on the bottom of the fixed body and presenting a discharging pierced aperture (), &#x2014;a rotary shaft () connecting the bottom disk () and the top disk (), wherein in the stand-by position of the device the metered pierced aperture () is empty and closed to the atmosphere. The invention also concerns a beverage preparation apparatus implementing such a dosing device.

Device for dosing a metered amount of a powdered product and beverage machine using such a device

A clamping element for the transport of a substrate in a predefined transport direction comprises a first and a second leg with a first and second clamping jaw for clamping a substrate. Each of the two clamping jaws has a clamping plate which is movable in transport direction relative to the corresponding leg. A sensor measures the deflection of the first clamping plate relative to the first leg. As soon as the measured deflection exceeds a predefined threshold value, the clamping element is opened.

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St. Gallen, Switzerland

Raphael Bernhardsgruetter