Capsule, beverage production machine and system for the preparation of a nutritional product

• US 9,499,333 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2011
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Erik
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, CHAIM A
• Application Number:
  US13/884,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20130236609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

a filter unit positioned in a seat of the cup-shaped base body below the bulge section of the inlet face; 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. The 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. The capsule according to claim 2, wherein a wall member is sealed onto the upper flange.

4. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the cup-shaped base body is provided with one or more outlets.

5. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit is adapted for removing contaminants contained in a supplied liquid.

6. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the filter unit is part of a fluid inlet unit in the seat.