Nestec S.a.

Vincent Martin

Yann Epars

Heinz Wyss

Raphael Bernhardsgruetter

HansPeter Pleisch

Anne Roulin

Ines Magniet

Roland Lehmann

Antoine Ryser

Nihan Dogan

Lucio Scorrano

Frédéric Doleac

Sophie Abraham

Bruno Bizet

Ralph Kugler

Nicolas Bezet

Conchita Tran

Matthew Steven

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.

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

A cartridge () containing a food substance adapted to interact with water injected in the cartridge to produce a food liquid comprising: a cup () having a chamber for holding the food substance () and a lid (), a puncturable delivery wall () that holds the substance in the chamber, a puncturing structure () to puncture at least one opening in the delivery wall as a response of water filling the chamber, a collecting area () for collecting the liquid passing through the delivery wall in a substantially axial direction; said collecting area being placed downstream the puncturable delivery wall (), at least one liquid outlet () in the collecting area for allowing the liquid to leave the collecting area, wherein the cartridge comprises a support structure () comprising at least one support surface () configured to support at least one portion of the delivery wall to maintain a flow gap between the puncture structure () and the at least one outlet ().

Cartridge for preparation of a liquid comprising puncturable delivery wall

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

A dispenser for a nutritional composition comprises a water reservoir, water heating means, water discharge means, a bacterial filter between the water heating means and the water discharge means such that heated water passes though the filter prior to discharge from the dispenser, and means to heat surfaces of the dispenser which come into contact with filtered water.

Dispenser for preparing a nutritional composition

A capsule for use in a beverage production device, the capsule containing ingredients to produce a nutritional or food liquid when a liquid is fed into the capsule at an inlet face thereof, with the capsule being provided with a filter having a plurality of filtering orifices and a flow collection member placed downstream of the filter to collect the filtered liquid from the filtering orifices. The collection member includes at least one restriction orifice to focus the flow of liquid in at least one jet of liquid at high velocity in the compartment containing the ingredients. The invention is particularly advantageous for producing a nutritional liquid (e.g., infant formula) or a food from powdered ingredients.

Growing community of inventors

Crissier, Switzerland

Vincent Martin