CAPSULE, BEVERAGE PRODUCTION MACHINE AND SYSTEM FOR THE PREPARATION OF A NUTRITIONAL PRODUCT

• US 20130236609A1
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Magniet, Ines, Epars, Yann, Martin, Vincent, Wyss, Heinz, Bernhardsgruetter, Raphael, Lehmann, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 9,499,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/87
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0642 specially adapted to cooperate with a cartridge, e.g. having grooves or protrusions to separate cartridge from the bottom of the brewing chamber A47J31/0668 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/369 Impermeable cartridges being employed
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/407 with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4492 Means to read code provided on ingredient pod or cartridge
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/804 Disposable containers or packages with contents which are mixed, infused or dissolved in situ , i.e. without having been previously removed from the package B65D65/46 takes precedence; tea infusers A47G19/16; spoons or stirrers comprising beverage additives A47G21/04
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8058 Coding means for the contents

Abstract

The present invention presents a capsule 1 having an inlet face C, which is formed by a circular section 2a and a bulge section 2b extending from the circular section 2a giving the inlet face C a not symmetric in rotation. The capsule 1 further has an optically readable code 3 on a side wall 4 of a cup-shaped body of the capsule 1 opposite the bulge section 2b. The present invention further presents a beverage production machine with a capsule holder 13 for holding a capsule 1 in such a way in the beverage production machine 10, that the optically readable code can be read by a code reader 24. Liquid can be supplied to the capsule to produce a nutritional product. The present invention provides means to prevent the optically readable code 3 and the code reader 24, 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 machine 1 becomes possible, and is more reliable than state of the art solutions.

Claims

1. A capsule for containing nutritional ingredients and designed for insertion in a beverage production machine, the capsule comprising:

a cup-shaped base body having a bottom, a side wall and an inlet face;

the inlet face of the cup-shaped base body presents a contour, which is not symmetric in circumference, and presents a bulge section extending from an essentially circular section; and

an optically readable code is provided on the side wall at a position which, when viewing the capsule from the inlet face, is located opposite the bulge section.

2. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the cup-shaped base body comprises an upper flange defining the non-symmetric contour of the inlet face including the bulge section.

3. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

a wall member is sealed onto the upper flange.

4. Capsule according to claim 1, wherein

the bottom of the cup-shaped base body is provided with one or more outlets.

5. Capsule according to claim 1, comprising

a fluid inlet unit positioned in a seat of the body below the bulge section of the inlet face.

6. Capsule according to claim 1, comprising

a filter adapted for removing contaminants contained in the supplied liquid.

7. Beverage production machine for the preparation of a nutritional product comprising,

a housing;

a reservoir for holding a liquid,

a capsule holder removably insertable in the housing for holding a capsule containing nutritional ingredients;

a liquid injection assembly provided in the housing for supplying liquid held in the reservoir to a capsule held in the capsule holder; and

,

an optical code reading assembly of the beverage production machine for reading an optically readable code, wherein the capsule holder is interposed, when inserted in the housing, between the liquid injection assembly and the code reading assembly.

8. Beverage production machine-according to claim 7,

wherein the optical code reading assembly comprises a code reader provided on a frame of the beverage production machine for reading an optically readable code, wherein the frame is located outside of the housing.

9. Beverage production machine according to claim 8, wherein

the housing comprises a window positioned between the inserted capsule holder and the code reader;

and

the window is transparent to light emitted from the code reader.

10. Beverage production machine according to claim 9,

wherein the capsule holder comprises an aperture for uncovering an optically readable code of the capsule;

the aperture being aligned with the window in the housing.

11. Beverage production machine according to claim 7, wherein the liquid injection assembly comprises

an injection plate adapted to open and close an opening to the capsule;

and

a liquid needle adapted to be extended through the opening and to inject liquid into a capsule.

12. Beverage production machine according to claim 9, wherein

the window is oriented along a plane which forms an angle in a range of 110°

and 160°

relative to the bottom plane of the capsule in the inserted capsule holder.

13. Beverage production machine for the preparation of a nutritional product from capsules containing nutritional ingredients comprising:

a housing;

a reservoir for holding a liquid, the reservoir;

a capsule holder removably insertable in the housing for holding a capsule containing nutritional ingredients;

a liquid injection assembly provided in the housing for supplying liquid held in the reservoir to a capsule held in the capsule holder,

an optical code reading assembly comprising;

a code reader for reading an optically readable code on each capsule placed in the capsule holder when the capsule holder is inserted in the housing,

a control unit including a memory for memorizing the last optically readable codes read by the code reader;

the control unit is adapted to deactivate the beverage production machine and/or to provide a warning signal to the user of the beverage production machine when an optically readable code read by the code reader corresponds to one of the last memorized optical codes, and the control unit is adapted to set at least one preparation parameter, for the nutritional product, according to the optically readable code of the capsule read by the code reader when the optically readable code does not correspond to the one of the last memorized optically readable codes.

14. System comprising a beverage production machine comprising:

a capsule for containing nutritional ingredients and designed for insertion in a beverage production machine, the capsule comprising a cup-shaped base body having a bottom, a side wall and an inlet face, the inlet face of the cup-shaped base body presents a contour, which is not symmetric in rotation, and presents a bulge section extending from an essentially circular section, an optically readable code is provided on the side wall at a position which, when viewing the capsule from the inlet face, is located opposite the bulge section a housing comprises a window positioned between the inserted capsule holder and the code reader; and

the window is transparent to light emitted from the code reader; and

the capsule in the capsule holder, and the capsule holder in the beverage production machine are positioned such that the optically readable code faces the window of the housing.

15. System according to claim 14, wherein the optically readable code is a barcode for identifying the type of capsules for setting parameter.

16. A removable insert which comprises a body having a bottom or fluid delivery side, a top or fluid supply side and a frontal sidewall opposite a rear side, wherein the fluid supply side presents a contour which is not symmetrical in circumference and presents a bulge section extending from the main section, an optical code is provided on the frontal sidewall at a position which, when viewing the insert from fluid supply side is located opposite the bulge section.

17. Insert according to claim 16, wherein the optical code is placed on the frontal sidewall.

18. A removable capsule holder comprising:

a seat for receiving a capsule having a frontal sidewall,

a guiding member for slidably guiding the capsule holder in a housing of the beverage production machine;

the seat comprising a main capsule support section and a smaller bulge capsule support section extending from the main capsule support section and opposite the frontal sidewall;

an optical readable code is provided on the frontal sidewall of the seat at a position which, when viewing the capsule holder from the top, is located opposite the bulge capsule support section.

19. Capsule holder according to claim 18, wherein the guiding member comprises two side rails placed on each lateral side of the capsule holder between the frontal sidewall and the rear sidewall.