The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 14, 2019
Filed:
Jul. 15, 2014
Nestec S.a., Vevey, CH;
John Patrick Cavanagh, Lausanne, CH;
Akos Spiegel, Chables, CH;
Nestec S.A., Vevey, CH;
Abstract
The present invention concerns a food or beverage preparation machine (M) comprising a casing, a mineralized fluid source (), a receptacle () adapted for functionally enclosing at least one food or beverage ingredient container (C), means () for conducting said mineralized fluid () from said source () to the interior of said capsule (C), optionally a heating and/or chilling device (), and a fluid pipe system () that fluidly connects said source (), said conducting means (), said receptacle (), and said heating and/or chilling device (), characterized in that at least one portion of the fluid pipe system () and/or conducting means (), and/or heating/chilling device () is made of a smart memory alloy (SMA), or smart memory polymer (SMP) designed to reversibly expand or contract above a defined temperature threshold in order to negate the buildup of scale or other deposits on the surfaces in contact with the mineralized fluid () by mechanical action, during operation of said machine.