Machine for the preparation of beverages
First Claim
1. A low pressure beverage preparation system for automatically preparing a range of beverage types from a range of beverage cartridges, the system comprising:
- a beverage preparation machine;
and a plurality of beverage cartridges, each beverage cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients associated with a specific beverage type, wherein the beverage preparation system comprises;
a. means for receiving one of said plurality of beverage cartridges in said beverage preparation machine and means for supplying, in use, to said beverage cartridge an aqueous medium at a pressure of less than 2 bar to produce a beverage from the one or more beverage ingredients contained therein;
b. a reader in said beverage preparation machine for automatically interpreting a code written on said beverage cartridge;
c. processing means for creating a specific brewing cycle based on said code;
d. means for automatically adjusting a temperature of said aqueous medium based on said code prior to supply of said aqueous medium to the beverage cartridge;
e. means in at least some of said plurality of beverage cartridges for optionally, dependant on beverage type, producing foaming of the beverage; and
f. a user interface for initiating an operating cycle;
wherein the beverage preparation system can produce a range of beverage types including at least, but not limited to, filtered coffee, cappuccino, tea, chocolate and frothed milk, and wherein operation of the user interface is independent of the beverage type being dispensed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low pressure beverage preparation system for automatically preparing a range of beverage types from a range of beverage cartridges, the system comprising:
a beverage preparation machine;
and a plurality of beverage cartridges, each beverage cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients associated with a specific beverage type, wherein the beverage preparation system comprises:
a. means for receiving one of said plurality of beverage cartridges in said beverage preparation machine and means for supplying, in use, to said beverage cartridge an aqueous medium at a pressure of less than 2 bar to produce a beverage from the one or more beverage ingredients contained therein;
b. a reader in said beverage preparation machine for automatically interpreting a code written on said beverage cartridge;
c. processing means for creating a specific brewing cycle based on said code;
d. means for automatically adjusting a temperature of said aqueous medium based on said code prior to supply of said aqueous medium to the beverage cartridge;
e. means in at least some of said plurality of beverage cartridges for optionally, dependant on beverage type, producing foaming of the beverage; and
f. a user interface for initiating an operating cycle;
wherein the beverage preparation system can produce a range of beverage types including at least, but not limited to, filtered coffee, cappuccino, tea, chocolate and frothed milk, and wherein operation of the user interface is independent of the beverage type being dispensed.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A low pressure beverage preparation system for automatically preparing a range of beverage types from a range of beverage cartridges, the system comprising:
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a beverage preparation machine;
and a plurality of beverage cartridges, each beverage cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients associated with a specific beverage type, wherein the beverage preparation system comprises;
a. means for receiving one of said plurality of beverage cartridges in said beverage preparation machine and means for supplying, in use, to said beverage cartridge an aqueous medium at a pressure of less than 2 bar to produce a beverage from the one or more beverage ingredients contained therein;
b. a reader in said beverage preparation machine for automatically interpreting a code written on said beverage cartridge;
c. processing means for creating a specific brewing cycle based on said code;
d. means for automatically adjusting a temperature of said aqueous medium based on said code prior to supply of said aqueous medium to the beverage cartridge;
e. means in at least some of said plurality of beverage cartridges for optionally, dependant on beverage type, producing foaming of the beverage; and
f. a user interface for initiating an operating cycle;
wherein the beverage preparation system can produce a range of beverage types including at least, but not limited to, filtered coffee, cappuccino, tea, chocolate and frothed milk, and wherein operation of the user interface is independent of the beverage type being dispensed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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- 9. A low pressure beverage preparation system comprising a beverage preparation machine and a plurality of beverage cartridges, each beverage cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients, wherein the beverage preparation machine comprises processing means and a memory for storing information about the beverage cartridges dispensed by the beverage preparation machine.
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14. A method of preparing at least one of a range of beverages comprising the steps of:
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a. inserting at least one beverage cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients into a low pressure beverage preparation machine;
b. operating a user interface of said beverage preparation machine to initiate an operating cycle;
c. operating a reader to detect a code written on said beverage cartridge;
d. creating a specific brewing cycle based on said code;
e. passing an aqueous medium through the beverage cartridge to produce a beverage, wherein the temperature pre-wet, volume, flow rate and air purge of the aqueous medium is set based on the code;
f. for at least some of the range of beverages, producing foaming of the beverage;
wherein the method can produce a range of beverage type using one or more beverage cartridges including at least, but not limited to, filtered coffee, cappuccino, tea, chocolate and frothed milk, and wherein operation of the user interface is independent of the beverage type being dispensed.
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15. A method of preparing a beverage comprising the steps of:
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a. inserting a first beverage cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients into a beverage preparation machine;
b. operating said beverage preparation machine to pass an aqueous medium through the first beverage cartridge at a pressure of less than 2 bar to dispense a first portion of said beverage into a receptacle;
c. storing in a memory of said beverage preparation machine information on the type of the first beverage cartridge;
d. inserting a second beverage cartridge containing one-or more beverage ingredients into the beverage preparation machine; and
e. operating the beverage preparation machine to pass an aqueous medium through the second beverage cartridge at a pressure of less than 2 bar to dispense a second portion of said beverage into the receptacle;
wherein one or more operating parameters of the beverage preparation machine during dispensing of the second beverage cartridge are set with reference to the information stored in the memory on the type of the first beverage cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification