IDENTIFICATION OF BEVERAGE INGREDIENT CONTAINING CAPSULES

• US 20120260805A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Ozanne, Matthieu, Vuagniaux, Didier
• Granted Patent: US 9,010,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/280
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3623 Cartridges being employed with tape of cartridges A47J31/3652
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4492 Means to read code provided on ingredient pod or cartridge

Abstract

The invention concerns a beverage production system comprising beverage ingredient containing capsules (1) comprising an identification member (6) and a beverage production machine for receiving said capsules, said machine comprising contact means (8) for physically contacting the capsule identification member (6) in order to read information thereof and control means connected to the contact means and designed to control the operation of the beverage production machine (11) in response to the read information, the contact means (8) comprising:—at least one displaceable probe (81) which mechanically contacts the capsule identification member (6),—a resilient support member (82) in contact with the probe on one side and associated to a circuitry (9) on its other side, wherein the part of the resilient support member in contact with the probe presents such a shape that it is able to deform itself when the probe applies a force on it, the deformation being partially transversal to the direction applied by the force.

Claims

1. A beverage production system comprising beverage ingredient containing capsules comprising an identification member and a beverage production machine for receiving the capsules, the machine comprising:

a contact means member for physically contacting the capsule identification member order to read information thereof; and

a controller connected to the contact member and designed to control the operation of the beverage production machine in response to the read information; and

the contact means member comprising;

at least one displaceable probe which mechanically contacts the capsule identification member,

a resilient support member in contact with the probe on one side and associated to a circuitry on its other side, and

the part of the resilient support member in contact with the probe on one side and associated to the circuitry on its other side presents a shape able to deform itself when the probe applies a force on it, the deformation being partially transversal to the direction applied by the force.

2. A beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the part of the resilient support member in contact with the probe presents a shape that when the probe applies a force on it, it first deforms itself along a direction longitudinal to the force applied by the probe and it second deforms itself along a direction transversal to the direction applied by the force.

3. A beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the resilient support member is made of an elastomeric material.

4. A beverage production system according to claim 3, wherein the resilient support member is made of silicone or of an EPDM rubber.

5. A beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the side of the part of the resilient support member in contact with the probe presents the form of a hollowed cylinder and the other side of the part of the resilient support member associated to the circuitry presents the form of a cone.

6. A beverage production system according to claim 4, wherein the resilient support member is a sheet:

on which the hollowed cylinder protrudes on the side of the resilient support member in contact with the probe; and

in which the cone is hollowed out on the other side of the resilient support member associated to the circuitry.

7. A beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the contact member comprises discrete conductive parts fixed on a layer placed between the resilient support member and the circuitry.

8. A beverage production system according to claim 7, wherein the discrete conductive parts are fixed on the side of the layer facing the circuitry.

9. A beverage production system according to claim 8, wherein the discrete conductive parts face the areas of the circuitry which can be short-circuited.

10. A beverage production system according to any of claim 7, wherein the layer is made of an elastomeric member, and the electrical conductive parts are made of graphite.

11. A beverage production system according to claim 7, wherein the layer is a film, the discrete electrical conductive pieces being stuck on the film and a waterproof material layer being placed between the resilient support member and the layer.

12. A beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the machine comprises a controller arranged with the at least one probe to detect an identification information in relation to the degree of displacement of the probe in response to its contact with the capsule.

13. A beverage production system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one displaceable probe and the part of the resilient support member coupled to the probe are selectively moved depending on the contact of the probe with the capsule and selectively and contact the associated circuitry wherein the contact of the probe, the coupled of the resilient member and the associated circuitry constitutes a predetermined binary coded state (0 or 1) and the non-contact of the probe the coupled of the resilient member and the associated circuitry constitutes the other binary coded state (1 or 0).

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the contact member comprises a plurality of identical displaceable pins for contacting a plurality of predetermined localized contact receivers of the capsule.