Societe Des Produits Nestle S.a.

Nestec S.a.

Youcef Ait Bouziad

Alfred Yoakim

Fabien Ludovic Agon

Alexandre Perentes

Andre Noth

Alexa Perrin

Jean-Marc Flick

Heinz Wyss

Gregory Savioz

Nicolas Ganshof Van Der Meersch

Philippe Baenninger

Alexandre Kollep

Gilles Gavillet

Renzo Moser

Philippe Dumur

Damien Neurohr

Christian Jarisch

Yann Epars

Blaise Rithener

Alain Jaccard

Minh Quan Phan

André Noth

Grégory Savioz

Sheldon Fernandes

Elodie Debefve

The invention relates to a method for dispensing ground coffee for preparing a coffee beverage. The method comprises the steps of: providing a machine (), which comprises one or more receptacles () for storing one or different types of roasted coffee beans, one or more dosing devices () for dispensing coffee beans, which are stored in the one or more receptacles (), and a grinder () for receiving coffee beans, which are dispensed by the one or more dosing devices (), the grinder () being configured to move into different grinding positions for different grinding degrees, respectively; setting up the grinder () so that the grinder () is in a specific grinding position; dispensing, with the one or more dosing devices (), a specific amount of coffee beans to the grinder () subsequent to the step of setting up the grinder (); and grinding, with the grinder (), said specific amount of coffee beans and, thus, dispensing the so ground coffee beans until the grinder () is free from coffee beans.

Method for dispensing ground coffee

The invention relates to a grinding and extraction apparatus for roasted coffee beans comprising a grinding device () and an associated extraction device (); the grinding device () comprising one or more housings for receiving one or more beans containers () with roasted coffee beans of the same or different types; the grinding device () comprising a reader () to obtain the information of the product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of the one or more beans containers (); the grinding device () further comprising a control unit configured to adapt the grinding size and the quantity of roasted coffee beans for obtaining a certain coffee blend from each beans container to be grinded according to these product parameters and/or according to a recipes database () comprising the beverage information associated to the beverage to be prepared; the grinding device () further comprising an encoder () to encode the beverage information on programmable identification means () on a product holder () in the grinding device (), to where the grinded coffee is sent; the extraction device () being configured for receiving the product holder () and comprising reading means () to identify the beverage information in the said product holder identification means (), the extraction device () further comprising a control unit to extract the beverage according to the beverage information retrieved and/or from the beverage information retrieved from a beverage database in this control unit. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for grinding roasted coffee beans and preparing a beverage from them using a grinding and extraction apparatus as the one described, and also refers to the use of a grinding and extraction apparatus as the one described for delivering a certain beverage from roasted coffee beans.

Grinding and extraction apparatus for coffee beans

The invention relates to a roasting and grinding apparatus for coffee beans comprising a roasting device () and an associated grinding device (); the roasting device () being configured for receiving coffee beans of a certain type that will be roasted, the roasting device () comprising reading means () to identify the characteristics of the coffee beans dispensed to it, the roasting device () further comprising a control unit configuring the roasting profile of the beans according to the characteristics retrieved from the reading means () and/or from the characteristics of the beans in a database () in this control unit and/or according to the user's input; the roasted coffee beans being dispensed into a beans container (), the beans container () comprising programmable identification means where product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of a certain type are encoded on it by an encoder () in the roasting device; the grinding device () comprising one or more housings for receiving one or more beans containers (); the grinding device () comprising a reader () to obtain the information of the product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of the one or more beans containers (); the grinding device () further comprising a control unit configured to adapt the grinding size and the quantity of roasted coffee beans to be delivered from the coffee beans containers () for obtaining a certain coffee quantity and/or a certain coffee blend quantity from each beans container to be grinded according to these product parameters and/or according to a recipes database (), and/or according to the user's input. The invention further relates to a method for roasting and grinding coffee beans using a roasting and grinding apparatus as the ones described, and to the use of such a roasting and grinding apparatus.

Roasting and grinding apparatus for coffee beans

The invention pertains to the field of the beverage preparation machines having an ingredient processing module for preparing a beverage with at least one ingredient supplied with a capsule. The machine comprises a positioner arranged to hold at least one capsule out of the ingredient processing module. It further comprises a sensing arrangement adapted to detect an event related to the insertion by a user of a capsule and/or the presence of the capsule on or into the positioner. The machine is configured, upon detection of the event, to transfer the capsule to the ingredient processing module by using transfer means, and then to start the preparation of the beverage. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine providing a convenient and safe solution to fully automate the preparation of a beverage.

Automatic beverage machine

The invention relates to a food processing system () allowing reconstitution and/or structuration and/or texturization of dehydrated food materials such as powders, the system comprising: &#x2014;a dosing system () comprising one or a plurality of containers () each container comprising a dehydrated or partially dehydrated food material; &#x2014;at least one reconstitution food processing unit () to which the containers () from the dosing system can be connected, the processing unit () comprising: at least one product inlet () for the food material coming from a container (), at least one liquid inlet () for liquid to be mixed with the food material, and at least one product outlet () at one end of the unit () for in-line depositing the formed food; &#x2014;a depositing area () where the formed food from the processing unit () is dispensed; the depositing area () and the at least one food processing unit () being moveable with respect to each other in such a way that different food shapes and/or patterns from one or different food materials can be formed in the depositing area (). The invention further relates to a method for operating a food processing system () as the one described.

Food processing system and associated method

The invention relates to method for preparing a foodstuff in a food processing system (), the system comprising solid state radio frequency cooking means () that transmits an electromagnetic wave to a food substrate and a cavity where the food is cooked, the method monitoring the return power losses, which are the difference between the power emitted by the solid state radio frequency cooking means () and the reflected power in the cavity, for optimising the delivery of the radio frequency power to the food substrate by controlling and adjusting at least two parameters: the emitted frequency of the solid state radio frequency cooking means () and the distance of the cooking means () to the food substrate. In the method of the invention, the dielectric properties, the water content and/or the compaction of the food substrate are monitored throughout the preparation method.

Method for preparing a foodstuff with a food processing system

Disposable foaming device () for foaming a fluid () comprising a container compartment () and a foaming compartment (), the container compartment () being pressurized by primary incoming air (') so that the fluid () is driven into the foaming compartment (), wherein the foaming compartment () is provided with secondary incoming air (&#x2032;) to be mixed with the fluid () coming from the container compartment (), the foaming compartment () being designed in such a way that the mixture of air and fluid () is moved under certain level of shear stress calculated so that it allows the mixture of air and fluid () to be emulsified in the foaming compartment (). Typically, the foaming compartment () comprises an inner cylinder () and an outer cylinder (), the inner cylinder () and the outer cylinder () being arranged concentrically so that a gap () is formed between them, the inner cylinder () being rotatable with respect to the outer cylinder (), such that the mixture of fluid () and air is emulsified when driven through the gap ().

Disposable foaming device

The invention refers to a pumping and foaming device () comprising a mixing unit () where air and a foamable fluid are conveyed and pre-mixed, and a foaming unit () where the mixture of air and fluid is foamed; the device () further comprising a processing element () rotatable with respect to the foaming unit (), such that the rotation of the processing element () sucks air and fluid by centrifugal forces into the mixing unit (), where they are conveyed and pre-mixed, that same rotation of the processing element () with respect to the foaming unit () driving the mixture of air and fluid under a certain level of shear stress which allows the mixture to be foamed. The invention further refers to a pack () comprising a device () and a fluid container (), and further to a machine () to which such a pack () is connectable. The invention also refers to a system () comprising a machine () and a pack ().

Centrifugal pumping and foaming device

The present invention presents a pumping system () with a preheated reservoir (), a main pump () for pumping a preheated liquid () from the reservoir (), and pressurizing means () for pressurizing the reservoir (). Preferably, the pressurizing means set an absolute pressure of 0.5 to 1 bar in the reservoir (). The liquid () in the reservoir () can be heated up to 90&#xb0; C. or more. The present invention achieves a nearly complete suppression of the phenomenon of cavitation at the main pump entrance, and thus achieves an increased pumping performance at elevated liquid temperatures.

Pumping system and method for a beverage production apparatus

A rotary compressor arrangement is disclosed that includes a body centered at a shaft axis, a cylindrical piston arranged with respect to the body such that an inner volume is created between them, and guiding means arranged at an offset axis with respect to the shaft axis. Also disclosed is a cooling/refrigerant system that includes the rotary compressor arrangement.

Rotary compressor arrangement

The present invention relates to a beverage preparation device for preparing hot and cold beverages, the device () comprising a hot extraction module () comprising a brewing unit () for injection of hot liquid into a beverage ingredients containing capsule, a hot beverage outlet () connected to the brewing unit () for dispensing of a hot extracted beverage, and a cooling module () comprising a cooling reservoir () for receiving the hot extracted beverage, wherein the hot beverage outlet () and the cooling module () are arranged moveably relative to each other such that the hot extracted beverage may be selectively dispensed from the hot beverage outlet () into the cooling reservoir () of the cooling module () in at least one relative position of the hot beverage outlet () and the cooling module ().

Beverage preparation device for hot and cold beverages

Rotary compressor arrangement () for compressing a fluid comprising a body () centered at an axis (X) of a shaft () and a cylindrical piston () eccentrically arranged with respect to the body () such that a compression chamber () is created between them; the arrangement () further comprising a satellite element () arranged at an offset axis (Y) and orbiting around the axis (X), the satellite element () contacting the external wall of the cylindrical piston () under a certain pressure or force such that the orbiting of the satellite element () entrains in rotation around the axis (X) the cylindrical piston () over the body (); wherein the shaft () and the body () are solidary and static within the compressor arrangement (); and wherein the shaft () comprises at least one inlet port () through which a compressible fluid is introduced into the compression chamber () for being compressed and/or one outlet port () through which the compressed fluid exits the compressor arrangement (). Cooling/refrigerating system comprising such a rotary compressor arrangement ().

Rotary compressor arrangement with stationary shaft with inlet and outlet and a cylindrical piston rotated by a satellite element

Fitment assembly () for a container comprising in its inside volume a coffee ingredient, the fitment assembly () comprising: an inlet chamber () to accommodate an inflow of fluid for flowing through the coffee ingredient to extract a coffee beverage; a tertiary active chamber () on one of the sides of the fitment assembly () to where extracted coffee fluid together with the coffee ingredient particles is conveyed and a tertiary passive chamber () on the reverse side of the fitment assembly () to where the extracted coffee fluid after having been filtered is conveyed; a primary filter element () filtering the extracted coffee fluid coming from the tertiary active chamber () and flowing into the tertiary passive chamber () in such a way that only the fluid can go through and into the tertiary passive chamber () while the particles of coffee ingredient are retained in the tertiary active chamber (); and an outlet duct () arranged in such a way that the extracted coffee beverage from the tertiary passive chamber () enters the outlet duct () and flows by gravity towards the exterior of the fitment assembly ().

Pack for extracting a coffee beverage

Pack () having an inner volume in which a beverage medium is stored and from which an infusion beverage is prepared when a fluid is introduced inside the pack (), said inner volume being defined by sheets of material joined to one another at their edges, such that the inner volume presents a generally plane shape, said pack () comprising an inlet chamber () configured to accommodate an inflow of fluid that will infuse the beverage medium to produce an infusion beverage and at least one outlet duct () for delivering the infusion beverage from said inner volume, said inlet chamber () and said outlet duct () being positioned at the bottom of the pack (), the pack () further comprising a compartmental channel () and a filtering element () configured in such a way that they define a dedicated chamber inside the volume of the pack where the beverage medium is confined, the filtering element () being further configured for preventing the particles of the beverage medium from entering the outlet duct () when fluid is introduced in the pack and the infusion beverage is prepared, thus preventing these particles from being delivered together with the infusion beverage.

Pack for preparing infusion beverages

Rotary compressor arrangement () comprising a body () centered at a shaft axis (X) and a cylindrical piston () eccentrically arranged with respect to the body () such that a chamber is created between them, the arrangement () further comprising a satellite element () arranged at an offset axis (Y) and orbiting around the shaft axis (X) such that the orbiting of the satellite element () entrains in rotation around the shaft axis (X) the cylindrical piston () over the body (), the relative distance between the axis (X, Y) being such that a contact between the body () and the cylindrical piston () within the chamber is ensured during rotation of the cylindrical piston ().

Growing community of inventors

Echandens, Switzerland

Youcef Ait Bouziad