Used capsule or pod receptacle for liquid food or beverage machines

• US 8,800,433 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Cahen, Antoine, Kaeser, Stefan, Kollep, Alexandre, Kruchi, Frank, Mri, Peter, Ozanne, Matthieu
• Primary Examiner(s): JENNISON, BRIAN W
• Application Number:
  US12/747,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 992/84, 992/90, 992/95, 992/89.R, 993/231, 993/232
• US Class Current: 99/289.R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3619 Means to remove coffee after brewing
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3638 Means to eject the cartridge after brewing
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06

Abstract

A machine for preparing liquid food or beverage from a beverage or food ingredient contained in a capsule or pod. The machine includes a liquid food or beverage preparation unit arranged to receive capsules or pods for use and evacuate capsules or pods after use; a housing having an opening leading into a seat to which capsules or pods are evacuated from the preparation unit; and a receptacle having a cavity forming a storage space for collecting capsules or pods evacuated to the seat into the receptacle to a level of fill. The receptacle is insertable into the seat for collecting capsules or pods and is removable from the seat for emptying the collected capsules or pods. The preparation machine further comprises a mechanism to inhibit jamming of the receptacle at removal from the seat when the level of fill in the receptacle extends above the opening of the housing.

Claims

1. A machine for preparing liquid food or beverage from a beverage or food ingredient contained in a capsule or pod, comprising:

a liquid food or beverage preparation unit arranged to receive capsules or pods for use and evacuate capsules or pods after use;

a housing having an opening leading into a seat to which capsules or pods are evacuated from the preparation unit;

a receptacle having a cavity forming a storage space for collecting capsules or pods evacuated to the seat into the receptacle to a level of fill, the receptacle being insertable into the seat for collecting capsules or pods and being removable from the seat for emptying the collected capsules or pods, and

means to inhibit jamming of the receptacle at removal from the seat when the level of fill in the receptacle extends above the opening of the housing, the jamming inhibiting means being arranged to lower the level of fill of collected capsules or pods in the receptacle;

or to displace the receptacle with its level of fill of collected capsules or pods, so that the collected capsules or pods in the receptacle are inhibited from interfering with the housing at removal of the receptacle through the housing'"'"'s opening.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the jamming inhibiting means are arranged to lower, within the seat, the receptacle relative to an upper part of the opening of the housing.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the jamming inhibiting means are arranged to reorient, within the seat, the receptacle so that the level of fill is lowered relative to an upper par of the opening of the housing.

13. The machine of claim 1, wherein the receptacle has a bottom with at least one arrangement for evacuating liquid, with the receptacle being located on a reservoir for collecting liquid from the receptacle, and the receptacle and reservoir optionally insertable into and removable from the seat en bloc.

17. The machine of claim 1 wherein the level of fill of collected capsules or pods is lowered in the receptacle by moving a wall that increases receptacle volume.

4. A machine for preparing liquid food or beverage from a beverage or food ingredient contained in a capsule or pod, comprising:

a liquid food or beverage preparation unit arranged to receive capsules or pods for use and evacuate capsules or pods upon use;

a seat to which capsules or pods are evacuated from the preparation unit;

a receptacle having a cavity forming a storage space for collecting capsules or pods evacuated to the seat, the receptacle being insertable into the seat for collecting capsules or pods and being removable from the seat for emptying the collected capsules or pods; and

means for reducing the storage space of the receptacle at insertion into the seat and for increasing the storage space of the receptacle at removal from the seat, wherein increasing the storage space includes lowering a level of fill of collected capsules or pods in the receptacle during removal of the receptacle.

5. The machine of claim 4, wherein the seat comprises or is assembled to a body that is arranged to enter the cavity at insertion of the receptacle into the seat, whereby the storage space is reduced;

and to exit the cavity at removal of the receptacle from the seat, whereby the machine has increased storage space based on this arrangement.

6. The machine of claim 4, wherein the receptacle has a wall delimiting the cavity, the wall having a through-opening for allowing the passage of the body into the cavity.

7. The machine of claim 6, wherein the body is associated with a rear face or end of the seat and is arranged to extend via the through-opening of a rear wall of the receptacle.

8. The machine of claim 6, wherein the body is associated with a rear face or end of the seat and is arranged to extend via the through-opening of a sidewall of the receptacle.

9. The machine of claim 4, wherein the receptacle has an upper mouth above the cavity arranged to allow the passage of the body into the cavity, optionally with the receptacle arranged to be raised against and around the body and lowered therefrom or with the body arranged to be lowered into the receptacle and raised out therefrom.

10. The machine of claim 4, wherein the receptacle comprises a plurality of walls delimiting the cavity, at least one of which is relatively movable in the receptacle to increase and reduce the storage space at removal and insertion of the receptacle, respectively.

11. The machine of claim 10, wherein the cavity is delimited by two cooperating shells that are movable relatively to one another, with the cooperating shells as well as the receptacle and the seat optionally relatively and respectively movable to one another along substantially parallel directions.

12. The machine of claim 10, wherein the at least one relatively movable wall is movable in a sliding or telescopic movement in the receptacle.

18. The machine of claim 4 wherein the level of fill of collected capsules or pods is lowered in the receptacle by moving a wall that increases receptacle volume.

14. A receptacle having a cavity forming a storage space for collecting capsules or pods, such receptacle being insertable and removable from a seat of a machine for preparing a liquid food or beverage that is arranged to evacuate ingredient capsules or pods to the seat after use, wherein the receptacle comprises means associated with its cavity for reducing the storage space at insertion into the seat and for increasing the storage space at removal from the seat, wherein the increasing the storage space includes lowering a level of fill of collected capsules or pods.

15. The receptacle of claim 14, wherein the cavity is delimited by a wall having a through-opening allowing at insertion into the seat, entry into the cavity of a body associated with the seat;

and at removal from the seat, exit from the cavity of the body.

16. The receptacle of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of walls delimiting the cavity, at least one of which is relatively movable in the receptacle to increase and reduce the storage space at removal and insertion of the receptacle in the seat, respectively.

19. The receptacle of claim 14 wherein the level of fill of collected capsules or pods is lowered in the receptacle by moving a wall that increases receptacle volume.