RU2774533C2 - Beverage making using liquid under pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: beverage making.

SUBSTANCE: beverage making device is proposed, designed for making a beverage from a capsule in clamping device (30). The clamping device has first clamping element (31) and the second clamping element, while inner surfaces of the first clamping element and the second clamping element form clamp chamber (33) designed for essentially surrounding capsule (10) and providing a support for capsule (10) during beverage making. The second clamping element contains rigid peripheral frame (32) with the central empty space, and elastic layer (37) overlapping the specified central empty space. There is piston (36) located in the central empty space and elastically connected to peripheral frame (32) for providing the possibility of limited elastic movement of rigid peripheral frame (32) relatively to piston (36).

EFFECT: obtaining a beverage making device.

14 cl, 35 dwg

Description

The technical field to which the invention belongs

The present invention relates to capsules, apparatus and methods for preparing beverages by forcing water under high pressure into capsules containing a beverage ingredient.

Prerequisites for the creation of the invention

Beverage manufacturing systems are known in which a beverage is produced by inserting a capsule containing a particulate beverage ingredient, such as ground coffee, into a beverage manufacturing unit in a beverage manufacturing device. The apparatus then causes water to be injected into a capsule in which the beverage ingredient is dissolved in water or brewed in water to form a beverage. The beverage flows out of the capsule through a suitable outlet, which may be a simple opening or perforation in the capsule, or it may include an outlet tube that pierces the outlet area of the capsule. The capsule may include a filter to prevent solid components such as coffee grounds from passing out of the capsule. Systems of this conventional type for the production of beverages are described, for example, in documents WO94/01344, EP-A-0512468 and EP-A-0468079 (all in the name of Nestle), in documents US-A-5840189 and WO-A- 0160220 (Keurig), in EP-A-0272922 (Kenco), in WO-A-2007093355 (Samar Technologies), in US-A-20110142996 (Kruger), EP-A-0710462 (Illycaffe) and in documents EP-A-0821906, US-A-20110000376 and US-A-20110027425 (Sara Lee).

GB-A-2121762, GB-A-2122881, EP-A-0179641, EP-A-0247841 and WO-A-9905044 describe capsule-based beverage systems, which are systems of this type which, in are now widely used and marketed by Mars Drinks under the registered trademark FLAVIA®. An exemplary embodiment of a prior art FLAVIA® capsule is shown in Figures 1, 2a and 2b. Similar capsules are described in JP-A-4142266.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2a and 2b, an exemplary FLAVIA® type beverage capsule 100 comprises front and back sheets 110, 112 of liquid impermeable and air impermeable sheet material permanently bonded together along their tops. and side edges, as described in more detail below. The front and back sheets are also bonded together along the bottom edge 120 of the capsule, but this connection is designed to be released by heat or pressure within the capsule. For example, the bonding of the bottom edge 120 may be accomplished with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Inside the capsule 100, there is a folded filter material belt 130 attached to the inner walls formed from the front and back sheets. The filter material belt supports the beverage preparation ingredient 150 such as ground coffee or tea leaves. Capsule 100 further comprises a nozzle 140 having a tubular channel 142. The nozzle is inserted into the top edge of the capsule and air tight attached to the front and back sheets, the nozzle being flanged to facilitate proper placement of the capsule 100 in the beverage machine. The nozzle channel is initially hermetically sealed by means of a suitable airtight barrier element designed to preserve freshness.

In use, the capsule 100 is inserted into a FLAVIA® vending/dispensing machine which includes a clamp designed to grip the nozzle below the flange and a hollow injection tube with a mechanism to insert the hollow injection tube into the channel of the nozzle, thereby piercing a barrier element designed to to keep fresh. The vending machine/dosing machine further comprises a source of hot water and a pump for forcing hot water through the injection tube into the capsule. When hot water is introduced through the injection tube and the nozzle passage, the beverage preparation ingredient 150 contained in the capsule 100 is mixed with hot water, and the beverage is brewed/brewed. The bottom seam 120 of the capsule 100 is opened by heat and fluid pressure and the beverage passes through the filter cloth 130 and the open bottom of the capsule and accumulates in a receiving reservoir located in the receiving reservoir position immediately below the capsule.

As shown in FIG. 2a, the sheet of web material 130 is folded to form a W-shape in cross section and provide support for the infused beverage ingredient 150. When fluid is introduced through the fluid tube, fluid pressure causes the top 132 of the W-shaped configuration to invert to produce a downwardly convex filter layer as shown in FIG. 2b. The inversion effect contributes to breaking the pressure-sensitive, sealed connection in the bottom seal 120 for dispensing a beverage brewed/brewed in a capsule. Additional details and advantages of reversible filter belts can be found in document EP-A-0179641. The FLAVIA® capsules and method provide superior quality beverages and furthermore provide the advantage of avoiding cross-contamination of the beverage preparation device with successive beverages since the drink does not come into contact with any component of the device after preparation.

Modern beverage dispensing systems of the FLAVIA® type are designed to prepare beverages by injecting hot water at only slightly elevated pressures, for example gauge pressures of less than 1 bar. Capsules are not designed to function at higher pressures. In particular, injection of water at higher pressures may cause separation of the filter from the package. However, the preparation of certain high-quality beverages, in particular espresso coffee, requires passing water through a bed of coffee at a pressure in excess of 5 bar and up to about 20 bar. Therefore, there remains a need for capsules, apparatus, and beverage preparation methods that are designed to prepare espresso coffee and other beverages requiring high pressure extraction, and that also provide the above quality and non-cross-contamination benefits.

It is also known to brew individual portions of espresso coffee by means of individual capsules of ground coffee. Capsules typically contain a portion of ground coffee hermetically and tightly packed in a capsule having the shape of a truncated cone or an oblate spheroid and formed from an air and moisture-tight material. The capsule is inserted into a rigid metal cooking chamber, which is typically shaped to fit snugly around the capsule. The brewing chamber has a filter element at its base, means for piercing the underside of the capsule, and means for forcing hot water at a pressure of 500-1500 kPa (5-15 bar) into the interior of the espresso coffee capsule. Capsules and systems of this type for brewing espresso coffee are described, for example, in documents WO93/17932 and WO94/02059.

A disadvantage of existing espresso coffee pods is that they are adapted for use with conventional espresso coffee machines/espresso machines which have a rigid brewing chamber sized to accept a layer of coffee having certain dimensions, and applying the necessary pressure to such a layer of coffee. There are limits to which the amount of coffee in the capsule may vary, or the degree of compaction of the coffee layer during brewing may vary. An additional disadvantage of current espresso coffee brewing systems is cross-contamination between successive brewed beverages, since the beverage exiting the capsule passes through the base portion and therefore contaminates the base portion of the brew chamber.

EP-A-0 521 186 describes a capsule containing a compressed beverage brewing ingredient such as ground coffee for use in machines such as espresso machines. The capsule is deformable so that it can take the shape of the cavity of any espresso machine in which it is used. This eliminates the need for a custom adapter designed to adapt existing espresso machines to the exact shape and configuration of the capsule. Unfortunately, this also means that the coffee in the capsule may not be compacted enough for optimal espresso brewing. With this configuration, there is also the problem of cross-contamination with successive brewed beverages.

EP-A-0821906 describes methods for brewing/brewing beverages in which a vacuum pack containing an ingredient for brewing/brewing a beverage is placed in a nip, hot water is forced into the vacuum pack through a hollow needle, and the brewed/brewed beverage is allowed to exit through sealed seam in a vacuum package. The package includes a movable plate which is located opposite the closing seam of the vacuum package and which is used to compress the vacuum package in the nip prior to brewing/brewing. The plates forming the brewing/brewing cavity are rigid flat plates. These plates cannot provide high pressure applications for squeezing a vacuum package without the risk of rupture of the package.

WO-A-0219875 describes a device for brewing/brewing a beverage by moving an aqueous liquid through a capsule (capsule) containing an ingredient for brewing/brewing a beverage, said device comprising: one or more pumping elements designed to pump the liquid water-based into a capsule during said brewing/infusion, and a clip for the capsule, wherein said clip contains one or more elements that are movable to open and close the clip, wherein said elements have internal surfaces that, when closed, the position of the clamp defines the boundaries of the cavity formed with the possibility of essentially enclosing the capsule and providing support for the capsule during the specified brewing / specified brewing and, in addition, created with the possibility of forming a channel for the outlet of the drink in the lower part of the cavity, and at the same time the inner surface, along at least one clamping element encapsulates at least one deformable zone held on a support that can move when the clip is in said closed position, whereby the shape of said cavity or said outlet can be changed while the clip is in said closed position to provide a given capsule configuration during brewing / brewing. The capsule is suitably a FLAVIA® type capsule, possibly with modifications.

WO-A-2012175985 describes a beverage preparation capsule containing a beverage preparation ingredient for preparing beverages by pressurizing water. The capsule contains a body having side walls formed from one or more essentially airtight and liquid-tight sheet materials and defining the boundaries of the chamber containing the beverage preparation ingredient, and, in addition, defining the boundaries of the outlet channel, which has an inlet end, in fluid communication with the chamber, and is designed to exit the drink from the said chamber, wherein at least some area of the outlet channel is filled with filter material for filtering the drink leaving the said chamber. The filter material is suitably in the form of two or more superimposed layers of filter sheet, for example formed from a single filter sheet having first and second edges attached to respective opposite side walls of the housing above the outlet passage, the sheet being folded to form a V- shaped or W-shaped configuration between the side walls to form said superimposed layers in the outlet channel.

3 and 4 show a capsule similar to that described in WO-A-20121751585. The capsule 150 is formed from front and back sheets 151, 152 of flexible sheet material fastened together by a permanent heat seal (or ultrasonic seal) along the side edges 153, 154 and the top edge 155. The discharge tube 156 is fixed between the front and back sheets in the center of the top edge 155 in an airtight manner. The permanent heat seal 170 also extends laterally through the capsule at a distance from the bottom of the capsule to form the bottom of the beverage ingredient chamber 162, but with a central gap defining the outlet channel 157 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. The beverage ingredient chamber is mainly filled with an ingredient 175 such as ground coffee. The permanent heat seal seal further comprises downwardly curved, protruding portions 158, 159 located on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the capsule below the outlet channel 157 and forming the side edges of the outlet chamber 160. The lower edge 161 of the capsule is sealed with a straight seal, which is formed by adhesive, heat-releaseable and provides a barrier to maintain freshness prior to use of the capsule. The width of the exit chamber is intermediate between the width of the beverage ingredient chamber 162 and the width of the narrower exit channel 157.

The filter in the outlet passage 157 is formed by a single rectangular sheet of filter material 171 which is folded in a V-shape and whose opposite edges 172, 173 are attached to the inside of the front and back sheets 151, 152, respectively, similar to the attachment of the prior art capsule filter sheet shown in Fig.1-2. The edges 172, 173 are attached to the inside of the front and back sheets 151, 152 at a location well above the exit port 157. V-folded, the filter sheet extends downward through the exit port 157 with the bottom of the V-pleat 174 inside exit chamber 160. Thus, the exit passage 157 will be filled with filter sheet material at twice its thickness. It should be noted that the V-shaped filter material strip extends substantially across the entire width of the package, whereby, in areas where the V-folded filter sheet overlaps the permanent heat seal seal, the permanent heat seal seal is formed by the folded V-shaped filter sheet, so that the front and rear sheets 151, 152 and the V-folded filter sheet 171 are all bonded together. This is facilitated by the use of a filter sheet containing thermoplastic fibers such as polypropylene fibers. However, the filter sheet is not attached to the front and back surfaces in the exit area, and it does not extend into the area 161 with a releasable seal at the bottom of the package.

In use, the beverage preparation capsule of FIGS. 3 and 4 is inserted into the jaw of the beverage preparation apparatus so that the capsule outlet is clamped between the jaws in the outlet area to provide a reduction in outlet flow cross-section and maintain high back pressure within the capsule body. Water at a pressure of 5-15 bar is injected into the capsule in the inlet zone to obtain a beverage in the capsule, and the beverage exits through the outlet zone.

Channeling of liquid through the compressed layer of beverage preparation material during brewing/infusion can occur when beverages are prepared using capsule-based (i.e., capsule-type) systems, especially where relatively high pressures are required, such as when espresso coffee and espresso type drinks. This flow through the channels directs the liquid along the preferred channels in the compressed layer of beverage preparation material, which prevents uniform exposure of the beverage preparation material to the liquid and results in wasted beverage preparation material and a beverage having reduced concentration of dissolved or brewed material. Leakage through the channels can occur in particular if the beverage ingredient is unevenly and/or insufficiently compressed in the jaw before and during water injection.

The present inventors have also found that attaching V-filter edges 172, 172 at locations above outlet 157, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, causes liquid to leak through the filter above the outlet and therefore results in incomplete extraction. coffee, especially coffee adjacent to the bottom of the beverage ingredient chamber.

It will also be understood that in the case of typical capsules of the above types, which have a cooking/sealing zone with an area of from 25 cm ² to 50 cm ² and in which a cooking/brewing gauge pressure of approximately 10 bar or more operates, a force of the order of 5000 N can be applied to the clamp of the beverage preparation device during brewing/brewing. This requires a clamp having high dimensional stability and strength under such forces, as well as ease of opening and access before and after brewing/brewing. It is also desirable that the clamp provides optimal squeezing (compacting) of the coffee layer inside the capsule before brewing, and furthermore that it allows squeezing of the package after brewing/brewing to dehydrate the package before removal and to reduce dripping.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improved capsules, apparatus and methods for preparing beverages from capsules, especially at high pressures such as those required to produce espresso coffee and espresso-type beverages from flexible capsule-type packages.

The essence of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage preparation capsule comprising a beverage preparation ingredient, wherein the beverage capsule comprises: front and back sheets of substantially air-tight and liquid-impervious flexible film materials, the sheets being bonded together - with surfaces facing each other - along the top edge, the first and second side edges and the bottom edge, while the bonding area on the bottom edge is made with the possibility of separation under the action of heat and / or pressure to allow the drink to exit the capsule during the preparation of the drink ; wherein the front and back sheets are further bonded together - with surfaces facing each other - by a transverse seal extending between the top and bottom edges, the transverse seal being interrupted by a gap, whereby the gap provides fluid communication between the ingredient chamber above the gap and a beverage exit chamber below the gap and a folded filter strip extending transversely through the capsule to provide a filter element in the gap, the folded filter strip having a fold extending transversely below the transverse seal , and front and rear side panels extending upward through the transverse seal and attached to the front and back sheets of the capsule, respectively, with the front and rear side panels not protruding more than about 10 mm into the beverage ingredient chamber above the transverse seal.

Accordingly, the folded filter sheet is a simple V-folded filter strip, with the top of the V-pleat located below the transverse intermediate seal in the capsule and the side edges of the V-pleat extending into the transverse seal or protruding slightly above the transverse seal. However, there is a possibility that strips folded in more complex shapes, such as strips folded in a W-shape, may be used. It has been found that providing the filter as a V-folded strip that does not protrude significantly or not at all above the intermediate transverse seal and therefore above the outlet channel allows for improved fluid flow through the ingredient bed in the ingredient chamber during drink preparation time. Accordingly, the front and rear side panels of the folded filter strip do not protrude more than about 5 mm into the beverage ingredient chamber above the transverse seal, more advantageously if they do not protrude more than about 2 mm. Accordingly, the width of the folded strip (top to bottom of the capsule) is from about 15 mm to about 25 mm. Thus, in the case of a V-folded strip, this corresponds to an unfolded edge-to-edge width of about 30 mm to about 50 mm.

Accordingly, the lower edge of the folded filter strip, for example the top of the filter formed by the folded V-shaped strip, is fixed in the lower edge seam of the capsule. It has been found that there is an improvement in the opening of the lower edge seal during preparation of the beverage. Both the reliability and cleanliness of the opening and the audible "pop" when the package is opened are increased/improved in an unexpected way by this feature.

Accordingly, the capsules of the invention further comprise a liquid injection conduit having a tubular passage sealed with a freshness retaining barrier member, the conduit being air-tight sealed at the top edge between the front and back sheets.

Suitably, the front and back sheets are bonded together at a portion of the width of the capsule between the intermediate transverse seal and the bottom seal to form an exit chamber between the front and back sheets having a width less than the width of the ingredient chamber.

Accordingly, the capsule consists essentially of a front and back sheet, a filter strip, an optional but optional nozzle, and an ingredient. Accordingly, a capsule is a single serving capsule. Accordingly, it may be a disposable ejection capsule.

Accordingly, the gap and exit chamber are located in that region of the capsule which is axially central, and the exit chamber has a width of from about 20% to about 70% of the width of the beverage ingredient chamber. The capsule accordingly has a substantially mirror symmetry about the longitudinal midline.

The gap defining the outlet passage from the beverage ingredient chamber suitably has a width of from about 5 mm to about 25 mm, for example from about 8 mm to about 15 mm.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage preparation apparatus for preparing a beverage by pressurizing water into a capsule, the capsule having at least one flexible wall, said beverage preparation apparatus including a clamping device , functioning so that it can be in an open configuration or a closed configuration of brewing / brewing, provided for the preparation of a drink, while the specified clamping device contains the first clamping element having a recess on its inner wall, designed to receive a part of the capsule, the second clamping element, with wherein said second clamping element comprises a rigid peripheral frame having a central empty space and an elastic layer passing through said central empty space, wherein the front surface of said elastic layer forms a second inner wall for receiving a part to capsules, wherein the respective inner walls of said first and second clamping elements in said closed brewing/brewing configuration define the boundaries of a chamber designed to substantially enclose the capsule and provide support for the capsule during beverage preparation, and a piston located in the central empty space of the rigid frame, wherein the specified piston contains a working surface of the piston, designed to fit against the rear surface of the specified elastic layer, and the body of the piston, while the specified piston is elastically connected to the specified rigid peripheral frame to enable limited elastic movement of the specified rigid frame relative to the specified piston along the direction clamp closure.

The flexible wall of the capsule is a wall that is deformable by the device and thus allows the clamping elements of the device to manipulate the contents of the capsule and position differently, i.e. compress the contents of the capsule.

The direction of closure is determined by the path along which the clamping elements move when moving from an open configuration to a closed configuration provided during brewing/brewing.

Accordingly, the piston rests on a lever that is rotatably attached to the device frame, whereby the piston can be rotated away from the first clamping element about an axis substantially perpendicular to the closing direction of the clamp when the clamp is released.

Accordingly, the device comprises an actuating mechanism connected to the piston for forcibly moving the second clamping element to a closed position adjacent to the first clamping element. The drive mechanism can be taken out of contact with the piston when the clamp is locked. In these embodiments, the drive mechanism respectively includes a groove in the piston, wherein the groove extends from the surface of the piston in a clamp closing direction, and a drive pin inserted into the groove, where the drive pin can be retracted within the groove in the closed and locked position/position fixing the clamp to remove the drive mechanism from contact with the piston.

Accordingly, the device comprises a drive mechanism for closing the clamp, the mechanism comprising: a crank having a first end connected to the piston and a second end connected to a toothed crankshaft, the crankshaft axle being fixed to the frame of the device and extending substantially perpendicular to the closing direction of the clamp, and while the crankshaft with teeth is driven by a drive gear connected to the motor.

The inner surface of the elastic zone may include a concave base surface for receiving the capsule and one or more pressing support elements protruding from the concave base surface to selectively narrow the cross section of one or more zones of the capsule held in the clamp. For example, the pressure pads may comprise one or more elongate pressure pads, or be composed of one or more elongate pads extending in a direction substantially from the inlet nip towards the exit nip. Accordingly, one or more of the pressing support elements have a substantially arcuate transverse and/or longitudinal section in the absence of an external force.

The beverage preparation device may include a locking mechanism as described below. The locking mechanism may include: at least one first locking pin protruding from the side of the first clamping element; at least one second locking pin protruding from the side of the piston, and a movable locking closure having a first lug designed to fit against the first locking pin in a closed and locked/latching position (when the locking mechanism is in its closed brewing configuration/ sealing), and a second protrusion designed to fit against the second locking pin in a closed and locked position, while the locking locking element is movable when closing the clamp from the unlocked position (open configuration), in which the protrusions do not come into contact with the pins , to a locked position/latching position (closed configuration provided during brewing/brewing), in which the protrusions come into contact with opposite sides of the first and second pins, respectively, to prevent the first and second pins from moving away from each other while allowing the importance of moving the first and second pins towards each other.

Accordingly, a plurality of respective pairs of pins are provided on opposite sides of the first clamping member and the piston. This ensures that the clamping elements are locked together in a plurality of locations to ensure uniform stresses on the clamping elements and the locking elements.

Accordingly, the piston comprises a peripheral flange protruding beyond the rigid frame, and the elastic connection between the piston body and the second clamping element contains a plurality of springs located at a distance from each other along the periphery of the rigid frame and the piston flange, while the relative movement of the piston towards the rigid frame or from a rigid frame provides, respectively, compression or extension of the springs relative to the relative position corresponding to zero displacement.

The beverage production apparatus of the present invention generally further comprises a cup receiving station for receiving a cup for receiving a beverage prepared in the nip, and a water jet nozzle positioned above the cup receiving position for directing a jet of water into the cup at the position. taking a cup. In these embodiments, the control system and user display are programmed to offer the user a choice between a smooth drink such as a latte and a non-homogeneous drink such as a cappuccino. If a homogeneous beverage is selected, the control system is programmed to force water into the beverage in the cup after the beverage has been prepared in the jig to swirl and stir the beverage in the cup.

The device may further comprise a capsule recognition device and a control system and display programmed to interrupt preparation of a beverage and signal to the user when an incorrect type of capsule has been inserted into the clamping device.

The apparatus of the invention may further comprise a cup receiving position for receiving a cup for receiving a beverage prepared in the nip, wherein the cup receiving position comprises a cup detecting device comprising an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver positioned so that the cup located at the receiving position interrupts the infrared beam between the infrared transmitter and the infrared receiver to detect the presence of a cup at the cup take-up position, with the device control system and user display programmed to perform the following steps when the cup detection device does not detect a cup at the cup take-up position: (a) aborting the beverage preparation and (b) instructing the user to perform one of the following possible actions: either (i) inserting a cup into the cup receiving position, or (ii) deactivating the cup detection function.

The beverage preparation device according to the present invention is preferably adapted to prepare a beverage from a capsule according to the present invention. Accordingly, the gripper is configured to narrow the capsule outlet by contraction when the gripper is closed and fixed around the capsule, and the lower edge of the capsule extends outward from the gripper to prevent contamination of the gripper by beverage exiting the capsule.

The apparatus of the invention suitably further comprises an injection tube for injecting water into a capsule held within the clamping device, and a pump for injecting water through the injection element at a gauge pressure greater than about 5 bar, for example at a gauge pressure of about 10 bar.

In these embodiments, the beverage preparation device suitably further comprises a second chuck configured to prepare a beverage from the capsule at pressures of less than about 2 barg, a second injection tube for injecting water into the capsule held within the second chuck, and a pump for injecting water through a second injection tube at a gauge pressure of at least about 2 bar, the device comprising one control system and one user interface for controlling the preparation of beverages in both clamping devices. Second clamp, etc. may, for example, be substantially the same as that intended for existing low pressure FLAVIA systems. The two clips in these embodiments are respectively mounted in one housing. The device according to these embodiments allows the user to choose between high pressure brewed beverages such as espresso coffee and low pressure brewed/brewed beverages such as brewed coffee or tea. In addition, a low pressure clamp can be used to prepare the milk component of a multi-ingredient drink from a suitable condensed milk capsule, possibly frothed, to which a small amount of espresso coffee can be added from a high pressure clamp.

Thus, the control system and display can be programmed to instruct the user to perform the following sequential steps in response to a command to brew/brew a multi-ingredient beverage:

(a) inserting a first capsule containing the first beverage brewing/brewing ingredient into one of the jaws;

(b) waiting until the first beverage component from the first capsule is brewed/brewed;

(c) moving the receiving container from the cup receiving position of the one jaw to the cup receiving position of the other jaw;

(d) inserting a second capsule containing the second beverage brewing/brewing ingredient into the holder of the other clip; and

(e) waiting until the second beverage component from the second capsule is brewed/brewed.

Accordingly, according to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage preparation system comprising: a beverage preparation apparatus according to the invention having first and second beverage preparation jaws; a plurality of capsules of the first type intended for preparation of a beverage and intended for use in the first clamp of the device for preparing a drink, and a plurality of capsules of another type intended for preparation of a drink and intended for use in a second clamp of the device for preparing a drink.

The capsules of the present invention may not be ideal for use in low pressure clamps such as conventional FLAVIA clamps. Similarly, conventional FLAVIA capsules, such as those shown in Figures 1 and 2, may not be ideal for use in the high pressure brewing/brewing clamps of the present invention. Therefore, the system according to the invention suitably includes a device for preventing the misuse of capsules of the wrong type in the respective clamps. This device may be a capsule recognition system like the above, or one of the following.

For example, the first clip includes a first keyway, and the second clip includes a second keyway different from the first keyway, wherein the first keyway allows insertion of a first type capsule containing a first configuration nozzle through the keyway of the first clip, and the second the keyway allows the insertion of a second type capsule containing a nozzle with a second configuration through the keyway of the second clamp. This provides a simple mechanical interface to prevent misuse of capsules in the wrong clamp.

Alternatively, the first clip includes a first nozzle color sensor and the second clip includes a second nozzle color sensor, wherein the first type capsule includes a nozzle having a first color and the second type capsule includes a nozzle having a second color.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing a beverage comprising inserting a beverage preparation capsule having a beverage preparation ingredient in a beverage ingredient chamber of the capsule into a jaw of a beverage preparation apparatus according to the invention such that an outlet passage extending from the capsule chamber intended for the ingredient of the drink, narrowed between the clamping elements due to compression; fixing the clamping device in a closed brewing/brewing configuration; injecting water at a gauge pressure of about 5 to about 15 bar into the beverage ingredient chamber of said capsule to produce a beverage in said capsule and allowing said beverage to exit the capsule and clamp through said outlet port.

Accordingly, the method includes the steps of: inserting the capsule into the clamp; fixing the first clamping element in a fixed position; then moving the second clamping element towards the first clamping element until the elastic layer on the rigid frame of the second clamping element abuts against the periphery of the first clamping element; subsequent further movement of the piston towards the first clamping element for additional compression of the elastic layer to the first clamping element in order to squeeze the beverage ingredient inside the capsule; following said step of injecting said water into the beverage ingredient chamber to prepare a beverage; then moving the second jaw member away from the first jaw to open the jaw to remove the spent capsule.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage preparation apparatus for preparing a beverage by injecting water into a capsule, comprising: a first brewing/brewing section configured to hold a capsule containing a beverage brewing/brewing ingredient, while the first brewing/brewing section includes a first door that is movable between a closed position and an open position for receiving a capsule in the first brewing/brewing section; a second brewing/brewing section configured to hold a capsule containing a beverage brewing/brewing ingredient, wherein the second brewing/brewing section includes a second door that is movable between a closed position and an open position for receiving the capsule in the second brewing/brewing section; at least one hot liquid source; at least one pumping element (and preferably wherein a pumping element is provided for each brewing/brewing section), wherein the pumping element is configured to inject hot liquid into a capsule held in the brewing/brewing section to brew/brew the beverage component into the capsule, and a control system for opening each of the first door and the second door, the control system being programmed to open the first door in response to a first command entered by the user and open the second door in response to a second command entered by the user.

Description of drawings

Additional details and specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

1, 2a and 2b show a prior art FLAVIA® type capsule, similar to that described previously;

3 shows a plan view of a prior art capsule for making a beverage, like that described in WO2012175985;

figure 4 shows a longitudinal section of the capsule according to figure 3 according to the prior art, intended for the preparation of a drink;

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of a capsule according to the present invention for preparing a beverage;

Fig. 6 shows a longitudinal section of the beverage capsule of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a schematic elevational side view of a clamping device containing a locking mechanism of a beverage preparation device according to the present invention in an open configuration;

Fig.8 shows a schematic vertical side view of the clamping device containing the locking mechanism of the device for preparing the beverages of FIG. 7 in a closed and locked brew/brew configuration;

Fig. 9 shows a schematic elevational side view of a clamping device and a drive mechanism in accordance with the present invention in an open configuration;

Fig. 10 shows a schematic vertical side view of the clamping device and drive mechanism of Fig. 9 in a closed brew/brew configuration;

Fig. 11 shows a schematic vertical side view of the finger guard of the present invention in a locked configuration;

Fig. 12 shows a schematic side elevational view of the finger guard of Fig. 11 in the unlocked configuration;

Fig. 13 shows a schematic cross section of the exit channel area of the capsule of Fig. 5 when it is inserted into the clamping device of the present invention;

Fig. 14 shows a front perspective view of a portion of a second clamping element of a beverage preparation apparatus according to the present invention;

15a-15m show partially broken away, schematic side elevational views of a beverage preparation apparatus according to the invention, showing the steps in preparing a beverage from a capsule according to the invention;

Fig. 16 shows a schematic representation of a beverage preparation device according to the invention;

17a shows a side elevational view of a first capsule nozzle according to the invention, having a first keyway profile;

Fig. 17b shows a top plan view of the nozzle of Fig. 17a;

18a shows a side elevational view of a second capsule nozzle according to the invention having a second key protrusion;

Fig. 18b shows a top plan view of the nozzle of Fig. 18a;

Fig. 19a shows a cross-sectional view of a first keyway in a beverage preparation device according to the present invention for inserting a capsule including a nozzle similar to that shown in Figs. 17a and 17b; and

Fig. 19b shows a cross-sectional view of a second keyway in a beverage preparation device according to the present invention for inserting a capsule including a nozzle similar to that shown in Figs. 18a and 18b.

Detailed description of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage preparation capsule comprising a beverage preparation ingredient, wherein the beverage capsule comprises: front and back sheets of substantially air-tight and liquid-impervious flexible film materials, the sheets being bonded together - with surfaces facing each other - along the top edge, the first and second side edges and the bottom edge, while the bonding area on the bottom edge is made with the possibility of separation under the action of heat and / or pressure to allow the drink to exit the capsule during the preparation of the drink ; wherein the front and back sheets are further bonded together - with surfaces facing each other - by a transverse seal extending between the top and bottom edges, the transverse seal being interrupted by a gap, whereby the gap provides fluid communication between the ingredient chamber a beverage outlet located above the gap and a beverage outlet chamber located below the gap, wherein said outlet chamber is in fluid communication with said releasable bonding area at the bottom edge, and a V-folded filter strip having first and second edges, attached to the inner surfaces of the first and second back sheets, respectively, wherein said edges extend transversely through said capsule within or near the intermediate transverse weld, whereby the V-folded filter strip passes through the gap to provide a filter element in the gap .

The term "capsule" as used herein refers to a suitably sealed container containing a beverage preparation material, typically a particulate material such as ground coffee. The ingredient is sealed inside the capsule before use. That is, at least the capsule chamber for the beverage ingredient is substantially airtight and moisture-tight. The capsule is suitably formed from materials that are substantially impermeable to oxygen and moisture to maintain the freshness of the beverage ingredient. Preferably, the capsule is substantially shelf-stable. That is, it can be stored at ambient temperature and atmospheric conditions for a period of at least 3 months, preferably at least one year, without significant deterioration of the contents.

The anterior and posterior sheets of the capsule form the capsule body. The term "body" is used herein in its usual sense, meaning a three-dimensional shape, including a barrier to hold the beverage brewing/brewing ingredient. It should be understood that the capsule body may have any suitable shape in plan view, including a circular shape, a square shape, other regular polygonal shapes, or a trapezoidal shape. Accordingly, the capsule body is substantially rectangular in plan view. Suitable dimensions are: height from about 5 cm to about 12 cm, width from about 3 cm to about 8 cm. In these embodiments, the overall width of the filter strip is from about 30 mm to about 50 mm, for example, about 40 mm (i.e. approximately 20 mm on each side of the pleat).

The terms "upper" and "lower" in this document and related expressions such as "above" and "below" and "front" and "rear" are correlative terms/expressions intended to indicate relative positions and to clarify relative positions. elements of capsules and devices with reference to the accompanying drawings. While the "top" end of the capsules may indeed be the topmost end in use, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that this may not necessarily be the case depending on the orientation of the beverage preparation machine. In any case, the "top" (ʺtop') or "upper" (ʺupper') zones of the capsule are those zones that are located upstream, and the "bottom" (ʺbottomʺ) or "lower" (ʺlowerʺ) elements are located downstream relative to the flow liquids while preparing a drink. For example, it is possible for the beverage preparation machine to be oriented so that water passes through the capsule in a horizontal direction during preparation of the beverage. Thus, the upper end of the capsule and the lower end of the capsule will be at the same height in the vertical direction. However, from the description and drawings of the present invention provided herein, it will be appreciated that the beverage preparation machine is preferably oriented such that water passes through the capsule in a substantially vertical direction during preparation of the beverage.

The front and rear flexible sheets are bonded together to form an ingredient chamber in which the beverage preparation ingredient is stored and in which the beverage is prepared by brewing or dissolving the beverage preparation ingredient. The ingredient chamber is suitably substantially filled with ingredient, eg at least about 50% of the chamber volume is filled with ingredient. The uncompressed volume of the chamber is suitably from about 5 ml to about 100 ml.

The gap in the intermediate transverse seal defines an outlet passage which extends from the beverage ingredient chamber and through which the beverage exits the chamber during beverage preparation. The outlet channel is substantially free of the beverage ingredient. The outlet channel has a certain length in the direction of the drink flow and a cross section perpendicular to this flow. The length of the outlet channel is suitably from about 1 mm to about 20 mm, for example from about 5 mm to about 10 mm. The width of the outlet channel is suitably from about 5 mm to about 50 mm, respectively from about 10 mm to about 30 mm, for example about 15 mm. The average uncompressed/uncompressed average cross-sectional area of the outlet passageway is substantially less than the average uncompressed average cross-sectional area of the beverage ingredient chamber, e.g. chamber for the beverage ingredient, determined in the uncompressed state. In addition, as will be further explained below, the outlet channel is usually subjected to compression (squeezing) during preparation of the beverage to further reduce its cross section. In embodiments, the average exit channel width is respectively from about 5 mm to about 30 mm, for example, from about 10 mm to about 20 mm, and the average depth of the exit channel in the uncompressed state is less than about 4 mm, for example, from about 0.4 mm to about 2 mm.

The V-folded filter strip is a simple folded strip of filter material, suitably a non-woven textile material, such as a non-woven web of polypropylene fibers. The overall width of the strip (measured from the first longitudinal edge to the opposite longitudinal edge perpendicular to the V-fold) is suitably about 30 mm to about 50 mm, such as about 35 mm to about 45 mm. The V-fold is suitably located at the midline of the strip. The strip is suitably substantially the same length as the width of the capsule, whereby it will be attached transversely within the capsule over substantially the entire width of the capsule, with the short ends of the strip suitably sealed into the side edge seals of the capsule. The strip has two longitudinal edges spaced from the V-fold. Each of these edges is attached respectively to the front and back side walls of the capsules across the axis of the capsule so that the V-fold is located below the side edges. It is a feature of the present invention that the side edges of the V-folded strip are attached to the side walls within or near the intermediate transverse weld, whereby the edges of the V-folded strip do not protrude above the transverse weld in any noticeable degree. That is, the edges do not protrude above the top of the transverse weld (and hence above the top of the outlet) by more than about 10 mm, preferably not more than about 5 mm, and more preferably not at all. above the top of the transverse weld. This feature helps to ensure that the ingredient layer is completely and uniformly wetted and extracted by the fluid flow through the ingredient chamber. The present inventors have found that the prior art capsules of Figures 3 and 4, which have a V-strip filter attached to the sidewalls well above the transverse intermediate seal, allow liquid to pass laterally through the filter over the side channel and pass downward between the filter and the side wall of the ingredient chamber without subjecting the ingredient to complete extraction. The present invention overcomes this problem.

The filter strip is attached to the front and back sheets in the intermediate transverse seal by heat sealing or ultrasonic welding simultaneously with the formation of the intermediate transverse seal. Accordingly, the filter strip suitably contains thermoplastic fibers to facilitate such welding.

The basis of operation of the capsules according to the invention is that the beverage is prepared by forcing water into the beverage ingredient chamber in which the beverage is formed and the beverage is filtered as it exits the ingredient chamber through the outlet. The drink cannot leave the housing without passing through the filter. The filter material creates a back-pressure in the outlet passage so that high brewing/brewing pressures can be maintained inside the ingredient chamber (eg for brewing espresso coffee) without the beverage escaping too quickly. This back pressure can be adjustable or fixed by applying a compressive force to reduce the cross section of the outlet channel for squeezing the filter material, as a result of which the cross section of the outlet channel through which the liquid exits will change. The filter material is sufficiently compressible and preferably resilient to allow the cross section of the channel through which the liquid exits to be controlled by compressing the filter material.

The sheet or flexible film material used to form the capsule body will typically be a laminate containing two or more of the following layers: a thermoplastic sealant layer for attaching the sheet to other packaging elements; a substantially gas-tight barrier layer, which is suitably a metal film such as an aluminum film; adhesive layers designed to improve adhesive adhesion between other layers of the laminate; structure-forming layers, designed, for example, to impart puncture resistance, and/or a layer that forms the basis for printing. The structural layers may be made of polyolefins, polyester, nylons, or other polymers, as is well known in the art. In certain embodiments, the front and back sides of the capsule comprise flexible sheets. In certain embodiments, the front and back surfaces may be formed from a single sheet of material folded along one edge. In certain embodiments, at least some area of at least one of the front and back sheets may be transparent to allow the user to see the ingredient.

The front and back sheets and/or the filter and/or the plenum may contain biodegradable material or may essentially consist of biodegradable material. The term "biodegradable" means that the material essentially decomposes within a few months, suitably within a few weeks when it is composted. Typically, the capsule composts at least about 90% within six months, as determined by a method in accordance with ISO14855 as in EN13432. Thermoplastic biodegradable polymers that can be used for the capsule include lactic acid-glycolic acid polymers and copolymers, polyhydroxybutyrates, polyvinyl alcohols (PVOH), ethylene vinyl alcohols (EVOH), starch derivatives, cellulose and cellulose derivatives, and mixtures thereof.

Suitable materials and manufacturing methods are described, for example, in the patent specifications already mentioned relating to the FLAVIA capsule system, for example, in documents GB-A-2121762, GB-A-2122881, EP-A-0179641, EP-A-0247841 and WO-A-9905044.

The capsule further comprises a downstream (outlet) chamber located in fluid communication with the outlet end of the outlet channel opposite the beverage ingredient chamber. Accordingly, the beverage ingredient chamber, the outlet channel, and the outlet/downstream chamber are all formed by bonding together the front and rear surfaces of the sheet material in an appropriate bonding pattern (profile). The exit chamber is suitably much smaller than the beverage ingredient chamber, eg, its volume is no more than about 25% of the volume of the beverage ingredient chamber. The outlet channel and the outlet chamber (if any) are respectively located at the end of the capsule, opposite to the place of injection of liquid under pressure, for example, in relation to the discharge pipe of the capsule. In embodiments, the capsule is accordingly substantially axisymmetric (i.e., has a double rotational/mirror symmetry about the longitudinal axis), and, accordingly, the discharge pipe (if any), the outlet channel and the outlet chamber (if any) are located on the longitudinal axes.

The fact that the outlet chamber is wider than the outlet channel and is in fluid communication with a releasable bottom seal on the capsule helps open this seal when the outlet chamber is filled with hot beverage from the channel.

The outlet chamber may also function as a chamber for conditioning the beverage exiting the outlet channel, i.e. a chamber in which the bubbles present in the liquid can be separated from the liquid to form a "cream" on the espresso coffee. Alternatively or in addition, the outlet chamber may include one or more channels for directing the beverage to the one or more outlets for the beverage. For example, the outlet chamber may branch in two to direct the beverage to two outlets adjacent to opposite ends of the capsule. In other embodiments, the outlet chamber may be funnel-shaped to direct the beverage to a single outlet located in the center.

As already mentioned, the element for discharging the beverage from the outlet chamber is hermetically sealed by means of a releasable seam that opens under the action of heat and/or pressure of the beverage in the outlet chamber (if required by external heating, such as heating with hot air supplied from outside by means of a brewer). The releasable seal is substantially impervious to air or moisture to maintain the freshness of the beverage brewing/brewing ingredient by preventing air or moisture from penetrating through the liquid guide prior to brewing/brewing. For example, a releasable seam may comprise a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer as described in EP-A-0179641 or WO99/05036.

In preferred embodiments, the lower part of the filter in the form of a V-folded strip (ie, the top of the V-fold) is fixed inside the lower edge seam of the capsule, in particular within the releasable part of the seam. It has been found that sealing the bottom of the V-strip filter within a releasable seal results in a more secure opening of the package and a more pronounced "pop" sound when the package is opened.

Accordingly, the capsule further comprises a port through which liquid can be forced into the chamber containing the beverage preparation ingredient. The nozzle is suitably a thermoplastic nozzle having a tubular passage for receiving a tube for injecting liquid from a beverage preparation machine. The channel may be cylindrical, or it may have a non-circular cross section. The nozzle may have a single outlet located within the chamber, or it may have a plurality of outlets within the chamber, such as an outlet line for distributing a liquid intended for the production of a beverage in an enclosed space for a beverage ingredient. The outlet element or nozzle outlets may be located at the edge of the capsule, or they may be located more centrally within the enclosed space. Corresponding nozzles are described in EP-A-0179641 and WO-A-9905036. The inlet end of the nozzle may include an annular socket (recess) around the channel, designed to receive the O-ring on the injection tube to form a tight seal between the injection tube and the nozzle.

The nozzle suitably comprises a flange at the inlet end of the nozzle to facilitate gripping of the nozzle by the clamp of the brewer. The flange may be profiled in longitudinal section to form a keyway profile, wherein the capsule can only be inserted into the brewer clamp if the spout flange keyway profile matches the keyway in the brewer clamp. Alternatively or in addition, the nozzle may be molded from a colored plastic, such as black, white, red, or blue plastic, to assist in capsule recognition by the user and/or by optical capsule recognition devices provided on the brewer. This can be used to ensure that improper capsules are not accidentally inserted into the brewer.

Accordingly, the nozzle is sealed with a frangible barrier element to keep the beverage ingredient fresh before the beverage is prepared. The breakable barrier element may comprise a thin sheet of film material or consist essentially of a thin sheet of film material which can be pierced by a liquid injection tube on a beverage machine. In other embodiments in which the nozzle is molded from thermoplastics, the frangible barrier element may be a thermoplastic barrier element integrally molded with the nozzle and having at least a peripheral zone of weakness to allow the barrier element to be pierced by a fluid injection tube onto beverage machine.

Typically, a capsule is a single serving capsule. That is, the amount of ingredient contained in the capsules is sufficient to prepare one serving of a beverage, that is, in the case of espresso coffee, from about 10 to about 250 ml, respectively from about 25 ml to about 125 ml of drink. For example, a capsule may contain from about 2 g to about 25 g of ground coffee, or from about 1 g to about 9 g of tea leaves. Accordingly, the capsule is a disposable capsule that is discarded or recycled after a single use.

In use, as further explained below, the capsule is substantially completely enclosed by and in contact with the internal surfaces of the nip cavity. The cavity provides support for the beverage brewing/brewing capsule and is enclosed within the cavity, thereby allowing high hydrostatic pressures to be generated within the capsule without rupturing the capsule. Indeed, it is envisaged that the capsule can be formed with very thin walls, thereby reducing the amount of waste plastic that remains after cooking/brewing.

It can be easily seen that the above capsules can be made by using only slight modification of the methods used to make capsules according to GB-A-2121762, GB-A-2122881, EP-A-0179641, EP-A-0247841 and WO- A-9905044. In particular, the capsules can be made from continuous bands of front and back sheet material and a continuous band of V-folded filter material by using suitably profiled heat seal or ultrasonic welding jaws to form the top, edge and intermediate seals and bonding area. under the intermediate weld, which defines the boundary of the exit chamber.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a beverage preparation apparatus for preparing a beverage by pressurizing water into a capsule, wherein the capsule has at least one flexible wall, the beverage preparation apparatus including a clamping device configured operable and transferable between an open configuration and a closed brewing/brewing configuration for preparing a beverage, the clamping device comprising: a first clamping element having a recess on its inner wall for receiving a portion of a capsule; a second clamping element, wherein the second clamping element comprises a rigid peripheral frame and an elastic central zone formed by an elastic layer overlapping the peripheral frame, wherein the respective inner walls of the first and second clamping elements in a closed brewing/brewing configuration define the boundaries of the chamber intended for essentially enclosing the capsule and providing support for the capsule during preparation of the beverage, the chamber having an inlet area for injecting water and an outlet area for exiting the beverage; a piston element comprising a piston working surface adjacent to the elastic central zone of the second clamping element, and a piston housing elastically connected to a rigid peripheral frame to enable limited elastic movement of the piston element relative to the rigid peripheral frame, and a drive element acting on the piston to open and closing the clamping device.

Accordingly, the beverage preparation device according to the present invention is configured to prepare a beverage from the capsule according to the invention. The beverage preparation device suitably comprises a rigid frame of metal or similar strong material to which the movable components are attached, together with a casing designed to surround the frame and the movable components.

Accordingly, the first and second gripping elements are movable together, when facing each other, along a path (hereinafter "closing direction") to grip and encircle the capsule. Accordingly, one of the first and second clamping elements is fixed relative to the frame of the beverage preparation device after the insertion of the capsule and before the clamping. The fixed clamping element is suitably the first clamping element. The other clamping element is moved by a drive mechanism along a certain path to clamp the capsule. Accordingly, at least the end portion of said path is substantially straight along said closing direction.

The inlet zone of the chamber defined by the first and second clamping elements is usually located at the first end of the chamber (also referred to herein as the "upper end"), and the outlet zone is usually located at the opposite end (also referred to herein as the "lower end"). In embodiments, such as the embodiments detailed herein, the inlet is suitably located above the outlet, for example substantially directly above the outlet. The term "longitudinal" refers to the direction from the inlet end to the outlet end. The term "transverse" or "horizontal" refers herein to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The term "center line" in this document refers to a transverse line located at half the distance between the inlet and outlet. The term "zone near the entrance" refers to that zone of the clamp chamber, which is located between the center line and the entrance. The term "zone near the exit" refers to that area of the clamp chamber, which is located between the center line and the exit.

The inner surfaces of the clamping elements define the boundaries of the beverage capsule chamber when the clamping device is in the closed position. The beverage capsule is supported by the jaws, typically substantially completely surrounded by the jaws, and in contact with the jaws, thereby allowing high hydrostatic pressures to be generated within the capsule without rupturing the capsule. Indeed, it is envisaged that the capsule can be formed with very thin walls, thereby reducing the amount of waste plastic that remains after use. The actual enclosure formed by the first jaw and the second jaw in a closed brew/brew configuration will have an inlet to allow liquid to be forced into the capsule to be held in the chamber, and it will also have an outlet to allow the brewed/brewed beverage to be discharged. from the camera. With the exception of the entry and exit data, the first chuck and the second chuck form a closed chamber when they are in a closed brew/brew configuration.

The first clamping element respectively surrounds one of the front or rear surfaces of the capsule and provides support for one of the front or rear surfaces of the capsule in use. Accordingly, the inner surface of the clamping element is shaped to fit against said front or rear surface of the capsule, for example said inner surface is concave. The first clamping element is rotatably attached to the frame of the beverage preparation device. In a preferred embodiment, the first jaw is mounted vertically (i.e., the first jaw has an inlet at its upper end and an outlet at its lower end) and the first clamp is positioned outside the second clamp within the device. In a preferred embodiment, the first clamping element is rotatable about one edge, preferably the lower edge (at the outlet end), relative to the frame for inserting the capsule into the first clamping element. The first clamping element thus serves as a door which can be opened for insertion of the capsule and closed when the device is in use or at rest.

The first clamping element may be locked into its closed brew/brew configuration by means of a locking mechanism. Each of the clamping elements can be independently moved to a position corresponding to its closed brew/brew configuration. Only when both clamping elements are placed in their closed brewing/brewing configurations is a clamping chamber formed between the two elements.

The locking mechanism of the first clamping element can be unlocked to allow access to the first clamping element, for example, to insert a beverage capsule. The locking mechanism may secure the first clamping element relative to the frame of the device. Accordingly, the locking mechanism comprises complementary locking components on a part of the first clamping element and on a second part on the frame. Thus, the first clamping element is resistant to being dislodged from its closed brewing/brewing configuration when force is applied to it during the brewing/brewing process. The locking mechanism may be a latch. The latch may have a spring-loaded lever rotatably coupled to the first clamping element and a complementary lug protruding from the frame on which the spring-loaded lever slides as the first clamping element is moved to its closed brew/brew configuration, the lever being resiliently "hooked" around the lug when the first clamp element reaches its closed brew/brew configuration. Thus, the first clamping member can be easily moved from its open configuration to its closed brew/brew configuration, but cannot return to the open configuration without the spring-loaded arm disengaging and rotating from the frame boss.

In these embodiments, in which the first clamping element can be rotated to insert the capsule, the first clamping element can be biased by a spring or equivalent such that it will rotate to the open position when the locking mechanism is released. Alternatively, a motor may be operatively connected to the first clamping element to allow rotation of the first clamping element between open and closed positions. The first clamping element may be made of metal or a similar rigid material and may be covered with a layer of elastic material.

The first clamping element may include a removable covering element that forms the inner wall of the first clamping element. The removable cover may be held in position by an interference fit, retainers, or a magnetic structure. The presence of a removable cover element makes it possible to easily clean the surface of the first clamping element facing the capsule by removing the removable cover element from the device.

The second clamping element comprises an elastic layer (formed from any suitable material such as an elastomeric material) supported by a rigid frame having a central void. The elastic layer has a front surface designed to contact the beverage capsule and enclose the beverage capsule, and a rear surface. The elastic layer covers the empty space in the central area of the rigid frame. The elastic layer is such that it can deform elastically when a force is applied (in particular, a force applied by a piston, as described below). The rigid frame is not deformable in the beverage preparation device under the action of forces perceived during its operation.

The piston extends inside the empty space of the rigid frame and has a piston working surface which is adjacent to the rear side of the elastic layer, whereby displacement of the piston towards the rigid frame in the direction of closing the second clamping element (as defined above) ensures that the piston working surface is pressed against the rear side. elastic layer and displacement of the elastic layer into the cavity of the clamp, intended for the preparation of the drink. Thus, the clamping device can provide a seal, that is, a compression of the capsule in the clamping chamber. It also provides support for the contents of the capsule during liquid injection, which makes it possible to achieve high brewing/brewing pressures.

The piston is attached to the rigid frame by an elastic means such as a spring. A plurality of springs may be distributed around the periphery of the piston and rigid frame to function as resilient means. The presence of elastic means provides the possibility of elastic displacement of the piston for a limited distance towards the rigid frame and away from the rigid frame relative to the central position (corresponding to zero displacement). The center position is the initial position of the piston relative to the rigid frame when no force is acting to impart relative movement between the two components. In the center position, the working surface of the piston is located such that it only contacts the back side of the elastic layer, or is located at a short distance, such as 0-10 mm, from the back side of the elastic layer behind it. The elastic means make it possible to move the piston over a limited distance, for example 5-15 mm, towards the rigid frame to move the elastic layer forward from the frame in the direction of closing the second clamping element. In this way, the piston can move out of the center position while maintaining contact between the rigid frame and the first clamping element, which ensures that the capsule in the clamping chamber remains substantially enclosed and allows the capsule to remain trapped between the rigid frame and the first clamping element, even though that the piston is moving. When the maximum displacement of the piston in the frame in a given direction is reached, the piston will be able to bear against the frame in an inelastic manner such that any further displacement of the piston will require displacement of the frame, which is counteracted by the fixation of the first clamping element relative to the frame of the device when the clamping device is in a closed brewing/brewing configuration. .

As described above, the resilient connection between the rigid frame and the piston allows movement of the piston to move the rigid frame into contact with the first clamping element and then provide uniform contact with the entire periphery of the first clamping element. The movement of the piston relative to the rigid frame may continue to seal the contents of the capsule between the two clamping elements. Thus, the elastic means make it possible to increase the tolerances in which the clamping device is manufactured and/or operates, since the elastic means allow compensation/correction if one part of the rigid frame comes into contact with the first clamping element before the rest of the rigid frame, and ensure uniform contact between the first and second clamping elements.

As described above, the resilient means may be in the form of springs. Springs may be provided around bolts that extend between the rigid frame and the piston. The bolts may extend from one of the piston or rigid frame components and may be inserted into the other component (i.e. rigid frame or piston as appropriate) to ensure that the piston stays aligned with the empty space at the center of the rigid frame , and that the springs will remain in position between the piston and the rigid frame.

The rigid frame is respectively made of metal or hard plastic. It suitably has dimensions similar to the outer dimensions of the beverage preparation chamber of the capsule to be subjected to the brewing/brewing process, with the edges of the beverage preparation chamber tightly clamped between the rigid frame (including any elastic layer on the frame) and the opposite edges of the first clamping element. during preparation of the beverage to provide a hermetic seal around the beverage preparation chamber.

The elastic layer suitably has dimensions similar to those of the rigid frame and is suitably provided with a peripheral edge, and is applied to the front surface of the rigid frame at its edge forming an interference fit or snap-in connection around the outer periphery of the rigid frame to hold the elastic layer on the frame . This allows the elastic layer to be easily replaced when it becomes worn.

The resilient material of the resilient layer is reshapeable but correspondingly substantially incompressible, for example it may be a continuous layer of elastomer. Typically, the elastomer layer has a thickness of 5 to 25 mm and has a shore hardness of 10 to 60 units, preferably 20 to 50 units. The resilience of the front surface of the elastic layer may vary in different zones of the layer to allow the shape of the cavity to change depending on the pressure during brewing/brewing. The front surface can also be profiled with pressure pads to improve the flow of liquid through the capsule during brewing/brewing, as further described below.

It has been found that improved preparation of beverages can be achieved when the inner surface of one or more of the clamping elements includes one or more clamping support elements that protrude into the chamber formed by the clamping device when it is in the closed position. The pressing support elements guarantee uniform compression of the beverage ingredient layer inside the capsule. The pressure pads may be configured or profiled to optimize fluid flow through the beverage ingredient layer. Accordingly, pressing support members are provided on the front surface of the elastic layer.

When the gripper is in a closed brew/brew configuration and surrounds a beverage preparation capsule in the chamber, these one or more pressing pads compress the top of the surrounded capsule before forcing water into the beverage preparation capsule. This in turn assists in retaining and compressing the layer of beverage preparation material (such as coffee) within the capsule, allowing the beverage preparation medium (typically water) to uniformly flow through the layer, thereby minimizing liquid flow through the capsule. channels through the beverage preparation material during brewing/brewing and improves the extraction of the beverage preparation material into the beverage preparation medium.

The resilient layer can be deformed and "adjusted" to accommodate irregularly shaped beverage capsules and/or varying amounts of ingredient within the capsules, and can also accommodate pressure changes during fluid injection, thereby adjusting the hydrostatic pressure within the capsule. This results in a more uniform exposure of the compressed layer of beverage preparation material to the liquid medium (generally water), resulting in improved diffusion. The result is a higher quality beverage while reducing the waste of beverage preparation material that results from flow through the channels.

In addition, this deformability allows the clamping support elements to adapt to beverage preparation capsules containing varying amounts of ingredients, which increases the versatility/flexibility of the clamping device.

Accordingly, in the above-described embodiments, the concave base front surface of the elastomeric layer of the second clamping element is profiled to ensure that its shape generally conforms to the shape of the capsule. This makes it possible to ensure that the shape of the inner surface of the clip conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the beverage preparation capsule and thereby prevent the capsule from breaking when pressurized liquid is forced into the capsule. Accurately matching the shape of the clamp surface to the shape of the outer surface of the capsule in use also helps to ensure quality in the brewing/brewing of the beverage by reducing the flow of liquid through the channels through the layer of the ingredient intended for brewing/brewing, as this promotes uniform compression of the ingredient intended for brewing/brewing. drink.

The pressure pads protruding from the inner surface of the grip member may be configured to allow compression of the beverage ingredient and minimize the volume of air or liquid in the beverage preparation capsule during brewing/infusion. This advantageously minimizes the volume of liquid in the capsule, thereby facilitating the preparation of more concentrated beverages such as espresso by maximizing the exposure of the layer to the liquid and providing a more efficient beverage preparation process.

The pressure support(s)(s) protruding(s) from the inner surface of the elastic layer of the second grip element into the chamber formed by the grip elements in a closed brew/brew configuration may/may be of any suitable configuration to achieve the intended purpose of squeezing the headspace above the ingredient in the capsule and compressing the coffee layer within the capsule. As a rule, one or more of these pressing support elements have a substantially arcuate transverse and/or longitudinal section in the absence of an external force. The clamping support elements respectively have a rounded (biconvex) cushion shape. The arcuate pressure pads respectively "cross" said concave base surface at a contact angle of from about 2° to about 45°, for example from about 10° to about 30°. The arcuate pressure pads respectively have a maximum height (measured from the tangent to the underlying base surface curve) of about 1 mm to about 15 mm, such as about 4 mm to about 10 mm.

The clamping support elements are suitably located mainly near the inner region of the fence formed by the clamp. That is, more than half of the volume of the pressure pad is located in the upper half of the nip chamber. This arrangement achieves the purpose of squeezing the headspace above the ingredient in the capsule and extruding the ingredient layer into the bottom of the capsule. This arrangement also allows the profile of the pressure pads to guide the flow of water into the ingredient bed.

When squeezing the top of the capsule, there remains a need for the pressure support members to allow liquid to pass into the ingredient layer at the bottom of the capsule. For this reason, the pressure support(s) element(s) is/are respectively made with such a cross-sectional profile as to form one or more longitudinal channels with a lower height. Fluid can pass through the capsule under these channels. Accordingly, at least one of the channels is located essentially centrally to direct the flow in the center to the ingredient layer. The clamp(s) support(s) element(s) may/may have, for example, a substantially m-shaped cross section.

These one or more pressing support elements preferably have an elongated shape and extend essentially in the direction from the inlet zone to the outlet zone. The pressure abutment or each pressure abutment may independently extend from about 20% to about 80% of the length of the chamber, such as from about 30% to about 75% of the length of the chamber. In other words, by positioning the pressure support(s) principally near the inlet zone, they may extend past the cavity centerline towards the outlet zone.

In some embodiments, only one pressure pad is present in the clamping device. In other embodiments, the implementation of the clamp element containing the pressure support elements, may contain more than one pressure support element. In some embodiments, from 1 to 10 pressure pads may be provided. In a preferred embodiment, from 1 to 4 clamping elements may be provided, for example, the clamping element may comprise three clamping elements.

Accordingly, the clamping support elements consist of three cushion-shaped (biconvex) elongated support elements extending from the inlet towards the outlet on the elastic layer of the second clamping element. The support elements respectively "overlap" in the transverse direction to form a wavy inner surface. Accordingly, the outer support elements have a profile with a greater height than the central elongated support element. Accordingly, the support elements do not extend all the way to the exit, leaving a space in the exit area of the nip cavity into which the beverage ingredient is squeezed.

As noted earlier, the water pressure inside the clamp can create forces of 5000 N or more on the clamp members during brewing/brewing. This force must be localized in a reliable manner. In addition, this force acting on the clamp drive mechanism of the device can cause the drive mechanism to move out of its proper aligned position. Therefore, the beverage brewing/brewing apparatus of the present invention is suitably configured so that forces of a given level are not transmitted in such a way as to cause damage to the drive mechanism.

The preferred way to achieve this is to use a layout that corresponds to the so-called top dead center (TDC) to geometrically "close" the second clamping element in a predetermined position. In this approach, the drive mechanism comprises a crankshaft and a crank such that the crankshaft rotates about the center of the crankshaft and is connected to the first end of the crank at a first pivot such that the crank can rotate relative to the crankshaft. The second end of the crank, opposite to the first end, is connected to the piston in the second hinge. This allows the crank to rotate relative to the piston. The movement of the piston is limited, as a rule, to a linear movement towards the first clamping element and away from the first clamping element. Thus, when the crankshaft is brought into rotation by the electric motor, the working surface of the piston moves towards either the first clamping element or away from the first clamping element. In the arrangement that corresponds to top dead center, the working surface of the piston is in a place where it is removed as far as possible from the center of the crankshaft, and the center of the crankshaft, the first hinge and the second hinge are located on the same straight line so that the first hinge is located between the center of the crankshaft and the second hinge. In addition, any force acting on the crank and crankshaft from the side of the second clamping element through the piston acts in the direction of alignment of the hinges. In this position, any force acting on the piston face will not cause the crankshaft to rotate, and thus the risk of causing the motor to rotate in reverse is eliminated and the motor is thus protected from potential damage. Thus, at the top dead center position, the moving components (piston and crankshaft) are positively locked so that the second clamping element is held in position against the large cooking forces that occur in the clamping chamber.

There is an acceptable amount of tolerance associated with the layout that corresponds to top dead center, because the motor can create some resistance to the forces that cause movement in the opposite direction without damaging it. In the present invention, the top dead center arrangement remains effective provided that the crankshaft center, the first pivot, and the second pivot are substantially co-linear and substantially at the arrangement that corresponds to top dead center. In this context, the term "essentially" means that the crankshaft may be at an angle that is not more than ±5°, preferably not more than ±2.4°, relative to the location corresponding to the top dead center.

The layout that corresponds to the top dead center and described above means that the second clamping element will be fixed in position without the need for complex additional components, such as the locking mechanism shown in Fig.7 and 8.

As an alternative to fixing the second clamping element in a predetermined position by (or perhaps even in addition to) a pattern that corresponds to top dead center, the device of the present invention may comprise a locking mechanism that secures the first clamp element and the second clamp element in the closed brewing/brewing configuration. One such locking mechanism is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The locking mechanism may allow limited deformation of the elastic layer of the second clamping element in a closed brew/brew configuration to provide sealing (squeezing) of the capsule before brewing/brewing and/or dehydrating the capsule after brewing/ brewing. Accordingly, the locking mechanism comes into contact with the first clamping member and the piston, but does not come into direct contact with the rigid frame or elastic layer. Instead, in a closed brew/brew configuration, the rigid frame of the second clamping element is forcibly displaced against the first clamping element - to seal the capsule enclosure to form the clamping chamber - under the action of an elastic force transmitted from the piston to the rigid frame due to the elastic connection between the piston and the rigid frame. The elastic connection and the locking mechanism provide the possibility of an additional limited movement of the piston towards the rigid frame in a closed brew/brew configuration, for example, to assist in releasing the locking mechanism and/or to push the elastic layer further into the brew/brew cavity to seal the beverage ingredient within the capsule and/or to dehydrate the capsule after beverage preparation. Finally, the device is suitably configured to allow the drive mechanism to be disengaged from the piston while brewing/brewing is taking place, so that all of the force due to the brewing/brewing pressure inside the nip chamber will be taken up by the locking mechanism and not by the drive mechanism.

Accordingly, the locking mechanism comprises: at least one first locking pin protruding from a side of the first clamping element; at least one second locking pin protruding from the side of the piston, and a movable locking closure having a first lip designed to fit against the first locking pin in a closed and locked position (which is also referred to herein as a closed locking mechanism configuration provided when brewing /brewing), and a second protrusion designed to fit against the second locking pin in a closed and locked position, wherein the locking closure is movable when the clamping device is in a closed brewing/brewing configuration, from an open position in which the protrusions are not come into contact with the pins, into a locked position/latching position, in which the protrusions come into contact with opposite sides of the first and second pins, respectively, to prevent the first and second pins from moving away from each other while providing the possibility of moving the first and second pins towards each other.

Accordingly, the pins on the first clamping element and on the piston are located opposite each other on a line substantially parallel to the closing direction of the clamping elements. Accordingly, the respective first and second locking pins and the locking locking elements are located on opposite sides of the first clamping element and the piston. Accordingly, two, three or more pairs of locking pins are provided at spaced apart locations on respective sides of the first clamp member and the piston, with respective locking strikers and locking lugs providing locking on both sides at a plurality of spaced locations. from friend.

The locking locking element respectively comprises a vertical drive bar and one or more transverse locking strikers attached to the drive bar and having corresponding protrusions at opposite ends of each locking striker. "Transverse" in this case means the closing direction of the clamping elements. The locking closure element is respectively connected to the frame of the device and is moved perpendicularly to the closing direction of the clip halves by means of an appropriate drive mechanism.

One or both of the clamping elements may include a heater for heating the beverage ingredient within the capsule prior to and/or during beverage preparation. The heater may include, for example, an electric heating element inside or on the surface of one or both of the clamping elements. In other embodiments, one or both of the clamping elements may be heated by circulating hot water or steam through channels within the element. The heater accordingly ensures the achievement of a temperature of 90-110°C on the surface of the heated clamping element. Heating the beverage ingredient is desirable to provide a constant, optimized extraction temperature, eg, approximately 90° C.-95° C. for espresso coffee. In the absence of external heating, the thermal energy required to heat the beverage ingredient may cause the initial brewing temperature to drop below optimal values, especially in the case of beverages that require a small amount of hot water, such as espresso coffee.

The maximum volume of the cooking chamber when the clamp is in the closed and locked position in the absence of internal pressure is suitably from about 25 cm ³ to about 250 cm ³ , more suitably from about 30 cm ³ to about 150 cm ³ . The minimum volume when the piston is fully extended into the cooking chamber is suitably about 75% or less of the maximum volume, for example about 50% or less of the maximum volume.

The clamping device is configured to apply a compression force to the outlet channel coming out of the capsule chamber designed for the beverage ingredient, so as to provide an optimal combination of the beverage exit rate from the capsule and the counterpressure inside the beverage ingredient chamber to optimize the quality of the beverage and the speed of brewing/brewing. For example, the clamping device may include clamping elements in the region of the exit from the cooking chamber, configured to reduce the cross-section of the outlet channel of the capsule to provide a narrowing. Various designs are suitable, including (a) a fixed configuration exit constriction, (b) an adjustable constriction, and/or (c) a preload constriction.

In the simplest design, the clamping device in the closed position has internal surfaces in the exit channel area that define the boundaries of the hole with fixed dimensions and shape, which provide a given degree of "compression" of the capsule exit channel. For example, one clamp element may have a flat surface in a given area, and another clamp element may have a flat surface with a dimensional slot cut into that surface. When flat surfaces are brought into contact when the clamping device is closed, a predetermined hole in the bottom of the clamp is formed by said groove. For example, when used in conjunction with capsules of the kind shown in Figures 5 and 6, the fixed gap provided at the bottom of the nip chamber respectively has a depth of about 0.1 mm to about 0.8 mm and a width of about 10 mm to about 20 mm, for example about 15 mm. This provides a given compression force acting on the output channel of the capsule. The groove is suitably formed on the rigid surface of the first clamping element, and the flat surface is formed by an elastomer layer located over the rigid frame of the second clamping element.

In other embodiments, the size of the hole formed in the exit zone of the clamp when a compression force is applied to the capsule can be adjusted, for example, by mounting a corresponding part of one of the clamp elements on the screw. This allows the orifice size to be optimized for different capsule sizes, ingredients and/or a given capsule back pressure. Indeed, by increasing the size of the hole sufficiently it is possible to use the clip both for high pressure brewing (eg espresso coffee) and also for low pressure brewing/brewing (eg brewed coffee or tea). The orifice is narrowed for high pressure cooking to maintain a high back pressure in the ingredient chamber. The orifice is expanded for low pressure brewing/brewing to allow flow at a sufficient flow rate through the outlet channel while maintaining the back pressure in the brewing chamber below about 1.5 bar.

In other embodiments, at least one of said compression elements has such an inner surface in said fluid outlet zone that is displaced/compressed to apply a compression force to the capsule in the chamber. The clamping means compensates for deviations in the shape of the package, and also compensates for the deformation of the clamping elements when the pressure in the capsule increases under the action of the injected water. Accordingly, said inner surface in the fluid outlet area can be compressed by being supported by a spring, as described in more detail in WO2012175985. The pressing means may be adjustable to vary the pressing force.

The second clamping element may be supported by a lever attached to the piston and extending substantially perpendicular to the closing direction of the clamp. The end of the lever distal to the piston is attached to the frame of the beverage preparation device by means of a pivot connection. This allows the lever to pivot the second jaw member away from the first jaw member to open the jaw and allow the capsule to be ejected into a container within the device. The piston can be moved by means of a drive pin inserted into a groove in the back of the piston. The drive pin is respectively attached to one end of the crank. The other end of the crank may be articulated to a toothed crankshaft which is driven by an electric motor having a gear engaging the toothed crankshaft through a suitable gearing to provide additional power gain. The crankshaft rotates about an axis (corresponding to the center of the crankshaft) which is mounted on the frame of the beverage preparation apparatus, the crankshaft being preferably substantially aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the jaw to provide a balanced closing force acting on the jaw. As noted, the nip drive only needs to apply sufficient force to close the nip and drive the piston inward to compress the brew/brew chamber of the capsule before and after pressurizing water into the nip. The entire force exerted by the pressurized liquid during brewing/brewing is taken up by the locking device. Consequently, very large forces are not required from the clamping mechanism itself.

The device according to the present invention suitably further comprises an injection tube or injection tubes for injecting an aqueous liquid into the interior of the capsule when the capsule is held in the brewing/brewing cavity. The injection tube is suitably made of metal and suitably has a pointed end to facilitate piercing the freshness barrier element of the capsule nozzle. The injection tube can be inserted into the nozzle at the top of the capsule, as described in GB-A-2121762. Accordingly, the device further comprises a mechanism for moving the pumping element into the capsule before the start of brewing/brewing and out of the capsule after the brewing/brewing is completed. This mechanism may be actuated by closing and opening the first clamping element, or it may be actuated by separate mechanical or electromechanical devices. The pressure tube suitably communicates with the pressurized water supply by means of a check valve, such as a ball valve, which opens at pressures greater than, for example, about 5 bar to allow water to pass through the pressurized tube, but which prevents water from flowing out of the pressure tube. when not in use, this leakage may be caused, for example, by the thermal expansion of water during heating of the brewer. Accordingly, an o-ring is installed around the injection tube to form a hermetic seal along with the capsule inlet, as further described below. The o-ring may be held in place by a flange or sleeve attached to the injection tube above the o-ring and adjacent to the o-ring.

The device comprises a pump for supplying water to the pressure tube at gauge pressures exceeding 5 bar, for example at gauge pressures of 10-15 bar. A typical pump is a slider pump that operates at a fixed flow rate and a fixed speed, with the water flow rate decreasing as the back pressure increases to a maximum pressure of typically around 16 bar. Accordingly, the device further comprises a heater for supplying an aqueous brewing/brewing medium, such as hot water or steam, respectively hot water at a temperature, respectively, of about 80 to about 100° C., to the pump.

The device according to the invention may further comprise a cup receiving position for receiving a cup for receiving a beverage prepared in the clamping device, said cup receiving position comprising a cup detecting device comprising an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver positioned so that the cup located at the position reception, interrupts the infrared beam between the specified infrared transmitter and the specified infrared receiver to detect the presence of a cup at the cup receiving position, the control system and the user interface of the device are programmed to perform the following steps when the cup detection device does not detect a cup at the cup receiving position: (a ) interrupt preparation of the beverage and (b) instruct the user to perform one of the following possible actions: either (i) insert a cup into the cup receiving position or (ii) turn off the cup detection function.

The cup receiving position is usually located just below the bottom of the outlet of the package in use, ie below the outlet of the nip chamber, so that the beverage enters the cup by gravity. The cup receiving position may include a shelf to support the cup. The vertical height of the shelf can be adjusted to accommodate cups of different sizes. Alternatively, the shelf may be at a fixed vertical height below the bottom of the package outlet, but is movable so that it can be moved out of position to dispense the beverage in the vending machine. This allows the use of a shelf if required depending on the size of the cup into which the beverage will be dispensed, whereby in the case of larger cups the use of the shelf can be omitted and the larger cups can be placed on the base of the cup receiving section directly below the bottom part of the outlet channel of the package.

An infrared cup detector is well known in the art and will not be described further. The inventors of the present invention have found that a disadvantage of such infrared cup detectors is that they may not detect glass cups due to the transparency of the glass to infrared radiation. This drawback can be overcome by providing the user interface with the option to turn off the cup detection function and continue to prepare the drink if, for example, a glass cup is used, which results in a false negative output from the cup detection infrared detector.

The device may include a pressure transducer for measuring the pressure in the line intended for introducing liquid into the capsule located in the clamp (backpressure). The device may further comprise controls for changing the pump delivery and/or the configuration of the zone of the outlet passage in the clamp in response to the measured back pressure, for example, to maintain a substantially constant back pressure during preparation of the beverage.

The device preferably comprises a second jaw for holding a second capsule, a pressure element for forcing water into the capsule held within the jaw, and a pump for forcing said water through said pressure element at a gauge pressure of less than about 1 bar. The second clamp and pressure element may be, for example, similar to the clamp and pressure element described in the above-mentioned patent specifications GB-A-2121762, GB-A-2122881, EP-A-0179641, EP-A-0247841 and WO-A-9905044 . Thus, one device has clamps adapted for preparing beverages at high pressure and low pressure, respectively. Accordingly, the first and second clamping devices are in the same housing, with one control system and one display interacting with them.

Accordingly, the device may include a control system and a display programmed to instruct the user to perform the following sequential steps:

(a) select the drink to be prepared;

(b) insert the capsule into the appropriate clamp; and

(c) wait until the drink is prepared with the capsule.

Typically, prompt (a) instructs the user to select from various possible drinks such as brewed coffee, filter tea, espresso coffee, or two-component drinks such as cappuccino coffee.

The beverage selection prompt may be made via one or more selection screens in a menu accessed via soft/touch keys. The device may also be programmed to instruct the user to make a payment before said step (a) or after said step (a). The payment may be made through the coin machine mechanism or card scanning, or some other automatic withdrawal procedure provided by the system.

The display may show a welcome screen, such as a logo or a picture of a coffee cup, when not in use. The device may also be programmed to instruct the user to place the receiving reservoir at the cup-receiving position of the device prior to said step (a). As noted above, the device may include a locking mechanism associated with cup detection, such as an infrared detector locking mechanism for locking or interrupting operation of the device if there is no receiving reservoir at the beverage receiving position of the device. The control system may be configured to instruct the user to insert a cup (or disable cup detection as described above) if no cup is detected at the cup receiving position at any stage of the procedure.

The control system and display may include, for example, a liquid crystal display and controls in the form of soft/touch keys. In addition to the visual cues, or as an alternative to the visual cues on the display screen, the cue (b) may include the mechanical opening of the appropriate clip to allow insertion of the capsule. Prompt (b) may include a visual prompt on the display to select the type of capsule that matches the clip (i.e., a high-pressure capsule according to the invention for a high-pressure beverage such as espresso coffee or regular FLAVIA capsules for low pressure beverage in a low pressure clamp). In this way, the user will be instructed to place the capsule in the appropriate clamp, thus avoiding any confusion as to where the capsule should be placed to continue the brewing/brewing process.

The prompting function is generally applied to a beverage preparation apparatus having a plurality of places in which capsules can be placed. The process of opening the respective opening, i.e. opening the door of the respective brewing/brewing section, provides an intuitive instruction to the user to place the capsule in the desired position for the selected beverage.

Alternatively or in addition, the beverage production device may further prompt after prompt (c) to perform the following step: (d) move the receiving container from the beverage receiving position under the second jaw to the beverage receiving position below the first jaw. This hint would be appropriate, for example, in the case of preparing a two-component beverage, such as a cappuccino type beverage containing a hot frothed milk component prepared in a second jig from a creamer/powdered milk/milk capsule, to which is then added a small portion of espresso coffee prepared from the coffee capsule in the first clamping device.

Thus, in these embodiments, the beverage production apparatus may comprise a control system and a display programmed to instruct/prompt the user to perform the following sequential steps in response to a command to brew a multi-ingredient beverage:

(a) insert the first capsule containing the first beverage preparation ingredient into one of the jaws;

(b) wait until the first beverage component has been brewed with the first capsule;

(c) move the receiving container from the cup-receiving position of said said one jaw to the cup-receiving position of the other jaw;

(d) insert the second capsule containing the second beverage preparation ingredient into the holder of the other clip; and

(e) wait until the second beverage component has been brewed with the second capsule.

The device is also configured to prepare both beverage components in the same nip, for example if the nip device according to the invention has an exit zone that can be adjusted to provide a larger opening, resulting in low back pressure in the ingredient chamber to prepare components that are brewed coffee or frothed milk, after which a smaller opening will be used to provide high back pressure to prepare an espresso shot. In these embodiments, the control system and display are programmed to instruct/prompt the user to perform the following sequential steps in response to a command to brew a multi-ingredient beverage:

(a) insert the first capsule containing the first beverage preparation ingredient into the clip;

(b) wait until the first beverage component has been brewed with the first capsule;

(c) insert the second capsule containing the second beverage preparation ingredient into the holder; and

(d) wait until the second beverage component has been brewed and released from the second capsule.

In all of the above embodiments, the beverage production device may additionally issue a last prompt to perform the next step: remove the receiving container containing the beverage from the device.

In the case where the beverage preparation device comprises two clamping devices, it is preferred that the two clamping devices are configured to be actuated by a single power input in the device. This maintains ease of use for the user and minimizes the problems associated with individual power supplies drawing current from the user's multiple power outlets at the same time.

In the case where the beverage preparation device comprises two clamping devices, it is preferred that the two clamping devices are configured to share one water tank. This allows the complexity of the device to be reduced and a smaller aspect ratio to be maintained.

The beverage preparation device suitably further comprises a mechanical ejection means for ejecting the capsules from the holder after the injection of water has been completed. Accordingly, the capsules are ejected into a container inside the device.

The beverage preparation device according to the invention may further comprise an air pump and associated piping/channels and one or more valves controlled by the device control system for forcing air into the capsule after preparation of the beverage to dehydrate the capsule.

Accordingly, the beverage production apparatus according to any of the above embodiments further comprises a water jet nozzle powered by one of the pumps for directing the water jet into the liquid contained in the receiving reservoir at the cup receiving position of one or both jaws, for foaming liquid by intense mixing of air and liquid with high shear forces as the jet impinges on the surface of the liquid in the receiving tank. The area of the internal cross-sectional area of the outlet channel of the jet nozzle, as a rule, is from about 0.2 to about 3 mm ² , preferably from about 0.4 to about 2 mm ² , for example, about 1 mm ² . Since water is essentially incompressible and does not have significant viscoelasticity, it follows that a water jet will be formed having a circular cross section and a diameter of from about 0.5 to about 2 mm, preferably from about 0.7 to about 1, 5 mm. Details of such jet nozzles and their use in producing foamed beverages are described in WO-A-02/087400, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The jetting nozzle can also be used to agitate the beverage at any stage of the beverage preparation procedure by short-term blasting to swirl the liquid in the receiving reservoir. Thus, such a jet can be used, for example, to stir the drink as the last step in the preparation of the drink. This provides additional options in the beverage preparation process. For example, in a typical cappuccino making process, frothed milk is formed in a cup as described above. This is usually done in a low pressure brew press. Thereafter, a small portion of espresso coffee is fed into the cup from the high pressure brewing clamp as described above. This results in a cappuccino having a distinct, dark coffee layer on the bottom and a distinct, light and milky layer on top. Some consumers prefer this distribution, especially for visual appeal in a glass cup. However, other consumers prefer a fully mixed "latte" of a uniform color. Therefore, the control system and user display of the apparatus of the present invention respectively include the option to select a cappuccino or latte by the user. If either of these two options is selected, then the indicated two-pack brewing sequence described above is carried out. If a latte is chosen, the process includes an additional step of spraying water into the cup after introducing a small amount of coffee to swirl the liquid in the cup to mix the layers evenly.

The jet nozzle may be formed from an elastomeric material such as silicone. This ensures that the jet nozzle has some degree of flexibility, which facilitates cleaning and counteracts the formation of deposits such as limescale. The beverage preparation device may be configured to periodically manipulate the jet nozzle as part of normal operation/operation of the device. This manipulation provides a movement of the nozzle, preferably abrupt, which helps to separate any plaque that may have formed over time. A regular operation that ensures simultaneous manipulation of the nozzle for the formation of a jet, may be the removal of the container in which the spent capsules accumulate. The operation of removing the container is not part of the beverage brewing process and therefore the separated plaque will not accidentally enter the prepared beverage.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage preparation system comprising a beverage preparation apparatus according to the present invention and further comprising a plurality of beverage preparation capsules preferably made in accordance with the present invention for use in the apparatus. Accordingly, a plurality of capsules contain respective different beverage ingredients. In the case where the device is adapted for both high pressure and low pressure brewing/brewing, for example in the case of the embodiments described above and provided with two clamping devices, the capsules respectively include various capsules specially adapted for brewing/brewing respectively at high pressure and low pressure.

The preparation of beverages in the apparatus and system for preparing beverages described herein is preferably carried out by opening the capsules in a dry state during the preparation of the beverage. The beverage capsules described herein are preferably dry-openable. As used herein, the term "dry opening" means that the capsules are opened under the action of air pressure, and not under the direct influence of liquid pressure, that is, that the aforementioned bonding zone at the lower edge of the capsule, which is detachable to allow the release of the drink from the capsule during the preparation of the drink, is destroyed by air pressure, and not under the direct influence of liquid pressure. During the preparation of a drink, pressurized water is forced into the capsule by means of a pressure element, and the term "dry opening" means that when pressurized water is forced into the capsule or into the pressure element, or into a piping system that provides pressurized water from a reservoir for water into the pressure element, the residual air present in the capsule and/or the pressure element and/or said piping will be forced out towards the inside of the lower edge of the capsule in such a way that it is said residual air which is pressurized by the pressurized fluid and not the pressurized liquid itself will cause the bottom edge of the capsule to break before the pressurized water comes into contact with it. Opening the capsule under air pressure rather than directly under liquid pressure preferably results in a "cleaner" opening of the capsule, thus avoiding any uncontrolled spraying of liquid during opening of the capsule. The dry opening of the present invention corresponds to a distinct actuation sound/pop.

Alternatively, the capsules may be opened by the presence of pressurized fluid at the bottom edge of the capsule. In particular, the opening of the capsule can be provided by heat and/or liquid pressure at the bottom edge.

Accordingly, the system contains both capsules according to the invention (for example, for preparing small portions of espresso coffee) and capsules not according to the invention, intended for preparing beverages such as brewed coffee, filter tea or hot foam. milk intended to be added to a small portion of espresso coffee to form a cappuccino, at low pressure. Capsules not in accordance with the invention are respectively made according to one of the patents for the FLAVIA system mentioned above. Capsules for preparing hot frothed milk respectively contain powdered milk or concentrated liquid milk, as described in detail, for example, in document WO-A-02/087400.

Since it is undesirable to use a low pressure capsule in a high pressure clamp and vice versa, the device accordingly includes means to ensure that only the correct type of capsule is used in each clamp.

For example, the beverage preparation device may further comprise a capsule recognition device in the jaw or each jaw operatively coupled to the control system and display of the beverage preparation device. At its simplest, this recognition device may be a simple dual mode detector such as a UV light source and a light detector to detect if there is a fluorescent zone on the capsule. More sophisticated capsule recognition devices such as barcode readers or radio frequency identification (RFID) chip detectors are also provided. Alternatively or in addition, the capsules can be identified by using plastics of different colors for the capsule nozzles. For example, high pressure brew/brew capsules may contain nozzles formed from black plastic, while low pressure brew/brew capsules may contain nozzles formed from white or translucent plastic. In these embodiments, the clamps of the device further comprise a light source and a light detector for detecting the color of the capsule nozzle, and the control system is programmed to abort the beverage preparation process if the wrong type of capsule is inserted into the clamp.

The main purpose of the capsule recognition device is to determine whether the correct type of capsule has been inserted into the clamp, i.e. a capsule designed for use at high pressure, which is a capsule of the type described in accordance with the present invention and intended for a clamp for brewing / high pressure brewing capsule, or a capsule designed for use at low pressure, such as conventional FLAVIA type capsules designed to be clamped in a low pressure brewing/brewing configuration. The control system is programmed so that if the recognition device determines that a capsule of the wrong type has been inserted, the control system will instruct the user to replace the capsule. The recognizer may read additional information from the capsule related to the ingredients of the capsule, in which case the control system will adapt the brew/brew cycle parameters such as time/temperature/water volume to optimize the product for that ingredient.

Alternatively or in addition, the first clip may include a first keyway, and said second clip includes a second keyway different from said first keyway, and wherein the first capsule includes a nozzle with a first configuration that allows insertion of the first capsule into the first clip through the keyway of the first clip, but not into the second clip through the keyway element of the second clip, and the second capsule includes a nozzle with a second configuration that allows the second capsule to be inserted into the second clip through the keyway element of the second clip, but not into the first clamp through the first keyway.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preparing a beverage, comprising inserting a beverage preparation capsule according to the invention into a clamping device of a beverage preparation device according to the present invention in such a way that the cross-section of the outlet channel of said capsule is narrowed due to compression between clamping elements in said exit zone; injecting a water-based liquid into said capsule in said inlet zone to obtain a beverage in said capsule and allowing said beverage to exit through the outlet channel and through the outlet chamber.

The lower part of the capsule passes through the lower part of the clip, so that the drink coming out of the capsule does not come into contact with the clip. This substantially eliminates cross-contamination between successive drinks prepared in the same nip.

Clamping support elements extending along the inner wall of the chamber surrounding the capsule contact the beverage preparation capsule and cause the beverage preparation capsule to be compressed when the clamp is closed around the capsule. The compressed layer of coffee (or other ingredient) within the capsule is profiled by buffer support members and this has been found to improve the quality of the final beverage, in particular improving overall solids extraction. It appears that this increase is due to a decrease in the flow of liquid through the channels through the shaped layer of the ingredient inside the capsule. An additional advantage of the clamping support members is that they allow the same clamp to be used for capsules containing different quantities of the ingredient. Typically, this type of system uses capsules having identical dimensions but containing different amounts of ground coffee to produce products with different volumes or strengths. The buffer support members allow the clamp to effectively compress capsules containing a range of different amounts of the ingredient.

The capsule may be preheated by means of a heater in the gripper before and during preparation of the beverage. A cannula is inserted through the inlet area at the top of the clamp and into the bore of the nozzle of the capsule to pierce the membrane seal, and hot water is injected at a gauge pressure of approximately 10 bar to brew coffee inside the capsule. It has been found that the increase in pressure inside the capsule caused by the injection of water leads to an increase in air pressure in the bottom of the capsule, which leads to a rapid failure of the bottom seal of the capsule, allowing the capsule outlet to open in a dry state, before the liquid reaches the bottom of the capsule. . This has the advantage of a "cleaner" opening compared to a process/method in which the liquid directly causes the capsule outlet/hole to open.

When a compression force is applied to the capsule outlet as discussed above, the compression force will only be sufficient to allow the resulting beverage to exit the outlet at a predetermined rate while maintaining high pressure within the capsule and without excessive back pressure building up in the ingredient chamber.

Accordingly, the water-based fluid is injected at a gauge pressure of from about 5 to about 15 bar, for example, about 10 bar. Typically, the water-based fluid is injected at a temperature of from about 88°C to about 98°C, for example, about 90°C. Injection of liquid into the capsule can be carried out at an average rate of from about 25 ml/min to about 500 ml/min, respectively, and more preferably from about 50 to about 150 ml/min, respectively. The duration of the water injection is suitably from about 10 to about 30 seconds, for example from about 12 to about 15 seconds. Accordingly, the aqueous liquid consists essentially of water and the brewing ingredient comprises ground coffee. This makes it possible to obtain espresso-type coffee.

Liquid injection can be carried out periodically or in a pulsed mode to optimize the organoleptic properties of the product. The method may further include the step of forcing air into the capsule after brewing/brewing to force the remaining beverage out of the capsule. Alternatively, or in addition, dehydration of the residue can be achieved by squeezing the post-cook/brew ingredient layer while moving the elastomeric nip wall inwards, as described above. A similar compression of the ingredient layer (eg ground coffee) is suitably carried out before water is injected to compact the ingredient layer. Experiments have shown that there is an optimal degree of compression of the ingredient layer that maximizes espresso crema and other espresso-like coffee characteristics.

Accordingly, essentially all steps of the method other than selecting the type of beverage, inserting the cup into the cup position(s) and inserting the capsule(s) into the clip(s) are performed automatically by the device.

Specific embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described in more detail below.

As shown in figures 5 and 6, the capsule 10 in accordance with the present invention is a modification of the capsule described in document WO2012175985 and shown in figures 3 and 4. It contains two flexible multilayer sheet 11, 12. Each multilayer sheet contains an internal thermoplastic a film for welding, a layer of oxygen-impervious metal foil and an outer layer for printing. The front and back sheets 11, 12 are fastened together along the edge welds 14, 15, the top weld 13 and the bottom seam 16. The top and side edges are fastened respectively by heat sealing or ultrasonic welding to form a permanent weld between the sheets. At least the central region 23 of the bottom seam 16 is held together by a pressure-sensitive, peelable adhesive that can be “unfastened” by heat and/or liquid and/or air pressure within the capsule and/or by heat supplied from the outside. side of the capsule. The pipe 17 is inserted into the upper seam 13 of the capsule. Spigot 17 has a central cylindrical bore and a flange at the inlet (upper) end. The outlet (lower) end 18 of the tube is diamond shaped in cross section to facilitate insertion into the top edge seam 13 to seal the front and back sheets. The cylindrical channel of the branch pipe is hermetically sealed from above by a destructible membrane.

An additional transverse, permanent seal 19 between the front and back sheets extends across the capsule between the top and bottom transverse seals to separate the capsule into a beverage ingredient chamber 22 and a beverage accumulation/conditioning exit chamber 23. The intermediate weld 19 does not extend across the capsule over its entire width. An unbonded gap 20 remains in the intermediate weld to provide an outlet passage extending from the beverage preparation chamber.

When the ingredient chamber 22 of the capsule is substantially full, it contains approximately 15 grams of ground roasted coffee 27. The capsule provides an oxygen-tight and moisture-proof "enclosure" for the coffee until the capsule is used.

Permanent transverse intermediate weld 19, formed by heat sealing, additionally contains bent in the downward direction, the protruding part 21, located on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the capsule under the outlet channel 20 and forming the side edges of the downstream (outlet) chamber 23. Width of the outlet chamber 23 is intermediate between the width of the beverage ingredient chamber 22 and the width of the narrower outlet 20.

The filter material in the outlet channel is provided by a single V-folded, rectangular strip 24 of non-woven filter material of polypropylene fibers, which is fixed across the entire width of the capsule. The long side edges of the V-folded strip are secured in the transverse intermediate weld 19, i.e. the filter strip does not protrude above the intermediate weld 19. The V-folded filter strip 24 extends down through the outlet channel 20 and the outlet chamber 23, with the apex of the V-fold is secured in the lower edge seam 16 of the capsule, which includes a heat-releasable zone 23. Thus, the outlet 20 will be filled with the filter sheet at twice its thickness. It should be noted that in areas where the V-folded filter sheet overlaps the intermediate transverse seal, the side edge welds, and the bottom edge weld 16, said seal between the front and back sheets is formed by the V-folded filter sheet. so that the front and back sheets and the V-folded filter sheet are all bonded/welded together. In areas in which a permanent seal is formed by heat sealing, this is facilitated by the use of a filter sheet containing thermoplastic fibers or consisting of thermoplastic fibers such as polypropylene fibers.

7 and 8, the clamping device 30 provided in the device according to the present invention is shown schematically. The clamp comprises a first clamping element 31 and a second clamping element. The first clamping element 31 is formed from a metal or similar rigid material with an inner surface having a flat periphery and a concave central zone 33 which is optionally but not necessarily removable and is intended to receive a capsule chamber intended for a beverage ingredient, such as the respective chambers of FIG. .5 or 6. O-ring 34 is placed in a groove running along the entire flat periphery.

The second clamping element includes a rigid frame 32. A rigid frame 32 of metal or similar material surrounds a central void. An elastomer layer 37 having a beaded periphery 42 is placed over the rigid frame 32 to form an interference fit. The surface of the elastomer layer facing the first clamping element is profiled to form a recess in which there are cushion-shaped support elements, as shown in more detail in Fig.14. The opposite side of the elastomer layer faces the working surface 49 of the piston on the piston 36, as a result of which the displacement of the working surface 49 of the piston relative to the rigid frame 32 towards the first clamping element 31 causes the elastomer layer to move outward, so that it bulges in the direction of the first clamping element 31.

The piston 36 comprises a piston rod mateably inserted into the central empty space of the rigid frame 32 and a piston flange protruding on the periphery of the piston rod behind the rigid frame 32, i.e. from the side of the rigid frame 32 facing away from the first clamping element 31. A plurality of distributed around the circumference of the springs 35 pass between the rigid frame 32 and the piston flange to enable limited elastic movement of the piston element and the rigid frame 32 relative to each other.

Three locking pins 43 may extend from each side of the first clamping element, and three locking pins 44 may extend from each side of the piston flange. Corresponding pairs of locking pins on the first clamping element and on the piston flange are aligned along the closing direction of the first and second clamping elements. The locking device, shown in dotted lines in Figs. 7 and 8, is made in the form of locking rods 45 on each side of the clamping device, with each locking rod 45 having three transverse locking strikers 46, and each said locking striker 46 has projections 47, 48 at its ends, designed to engage behind the respective pins 43, 44 on the first clamping element and piston flange as shown in FIG. 8 to lock/lock the clamp in the closed position. A drive mechanism (not shown) moves the locking rods 45 in a vertical direction (ie, perpendicular to the direction of the clamp) to lock and unlock the clamp. It can be seen that in the locked position shown in FIG. 8, the locking mechanism allows slight movement of the piston 36 towards the first clamp element 31, but prevents the first clamp element and the piston from moving away from each other. The slight allowable additional movement of the piston towards the first clamping element can be used to: (a) simply lock and unlock the locking mechanism; (b) squeezing (compacting) the beverage ingredient within the nip prior to brewing/brewing; and (c) squeezing the beverage ingredient after brewing/brewing to dehydrate the post-brewing/brewing capsule.

In addition, it can be seen that in the locked position shown in Fig. 8, the springs 35 urge the rigid frame 32 towards the first clamping element 31 to apply a sealing force around the entire periphery of the first clamping element where it comes into contact with the rigid frame. 32 of the second clamping element.

The rear side of the piston 36 includes a centrally located rear projection 38 having a slot 40 into which the drive pin 39 is inserted. A support arm 41 extends from the rear projection 38 to provide pivotal support for the piston 36, as described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 15a-15m. The drive pin 39 is driven by a mechanism to drive the piston 36 towards the first clamping member 31 which is fixed with respect to the frame of the brewer. In use, the drive pin 39 and the drive mechanism first cause the second clamping element to move forward until the peripheral area of the elastomeric coating on the rigid frame 32 abuts the peripheral area of the first clamping element 31. Further forward movement of the drive pin 39 will compress the springs 35 and will move the piston surface 49 forward relative to the rigid frame 32. The piston 36 is driven forward past the position shown in FIG. into the beverage brewing/brewing cavity to compress the beverage ingredient within the capsule. The locking latches 45 are then lowered and the drive pin is moved rearward so that the locking pins 43, 44 abut against the projections 47, 48 of the locking 45 locking/locking clips. Thereafter, the drive pin 39 moves further back along the slot 40 as shown in FIG. 8 so that it is out of contact with the piston 36 when brewing/brewing occurs within the nip chamber to ensure that forces due to pressure within pinch chambers during brewing/brewing will not be transferred to the drive mechanism where they could cause deformation and misalignment in the future. As soon as the preparation of the beverage from the capsule is completed, the drive pin 39 moves forward again to drive the piston 36 to a position farther from the position shown in Fig.8, to press the working surface 49 of the piston into the rear side of the layer 37 of the elastomer and thereby allowing the elastomer layer to bulge inside the beverage brewing/brewing cavity to compress the beverage ingredient inside the capsule to compress and dehydrate the capsule. This also causes the locking pins 43, 44 to come out of contact with the projections 47, 48 of the locking closures. The locking latches 45 are then lifted and the drive pin 39 is moved back to move the second clamping element as described further in connection with FIGS. 15a-15m.

Figure 9 shows details of a preferred drive mechanism that can be used in conjunction with the clamping device and preferably as an alternative to the locking mechanism of Figures 7 and 8. Figure 9 shows the design of the clamping device in an open configuration. All elements that are equivalent to those described in relation to the design of the clamping device according to Fig.7 and 8, have the same reference positions.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the drive mechanism has a crankshaft 84 connected to the frame of the brewer at a pivot point, namely the center 86 of the crankshaft. Accordingly, the crankshaft 84 can rotate around the center 86 of the crankshaft.

The crankshaft 84 is rotatably attached to one end of the crank 88 at a pivot 90, which allows the crank to rotate relative to the crankshaft about this pivot point. The crank 88, in turn, is rotatably attached to the piston 36 in an additional hinge 92. Accordingly, the crank 88 can also rotate relative to the piston 36 around the hinge 92. These two hinges 90, 92 on the crank 88 are located at opposite ends of the crank 88.

The movement of the piston 36 along the direction towards the first clamping element 31 is limited. Therefore, in this design, the rotation of the crankshaft 84 can be used to adjust the distance from the piston 36 in a straight line to the center 86 of the crankshaft, while the position of this center is fixed relative to the frame. Since the position of the first clamp element 31 is also fixed relative to the frame before brewing/brewing, the rotation of the crankshaft 84 also causes the second clamp element to move relative to the first clamp element 31. piston 36 is located at the point where it is furthest from the center 86 of the crankshaft and at the point where it is closest to the first clamping element 31. Therefore, the device is configured so that this arrangement of the drive mechanism corresponds to the clamping device located in closed brew/brew configuration. The advantage of this approach is the elimination of any net torque acting on the crankshaft 84 even when the piston is subjected to a significant longitudinal force from the second clamping element associated with back pressure due to the brewing/brewing process. Therefore, this drive mechanism design effectively mechanically locks the clamping device in a closed brew/brew configuration while ensuring that the motor (not shown) that drives the crankshaft is not subjected to forces that could cause damage to the crankshaft. .

The beverage preparation device may have a finger guard, such as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12, which blocks access to the nip chamber when the nip is open, but allows liquid to escape from the nip when the nip is in a closed brew/brew configuration. brewing. In particular, the finger guard may guard the exit of the clamping device. In the illustrated example, the finger guard 94 is rotatably attached to the frame of the brewer and spring-loaded to an enclosing configuration while resting on the ledge 96 of the frame. When the finger guard 94 is in a fencing configuration, user access to the clamping device from the outside of the frame will not be possible. This ensures that the user does not randomly place any object or protrusion between the first clamping element 31 and the second clamping element during the clamping process, thus avoiding the risk of injury to the user or damage to the clamp.

Moving the finger guard 94 to the non-fencing configuration illustrated in FIG. 12 is part of the action of the clamp moving to the closed brew/brew configuration. This can be done by having a protrusion 98 on the piston 36 move towards the finger guard 94 when the piston 36 is moved to the closed brew/brew configuration. When the second gripping member engages the first gripping member 31, the protrusion 98 contacts the finger guard 94 and thus causes it to move to a non-fencing configuration while overcoming the spring force of the finger guard. Upon subsequent movement of the clamping device back to its open configuration by moving the second clamping element away from the first clamping element 31, the finger guard 94 will automatically return to its enclosed configuration under spring action.

The protrusion 98 is located on the exit side of the nip chamber so that its presence does not obstruct the liquid exiting the nip chamber. Two protrusions may be provided, one on each side of the exit from the clamp chamber, to ensure that a balanced force is applied to the finger guard 94 during opening.

13 shows a schematic cross-section of a portion of the clamping device 30 at the location of the capsule outlet 20 in use. It can be seen that the transverse sealed area 19 and the capsule outlet 20 are clamped between the first clamping element 31 and the elastomeric layer 37 covering the rigid frame 32 of the second clamping element. A shallow recess 50 is present in the first clamping element in the area of the outlet channel 20, whereby the compression is sufficient to maintain only a predetermined back pressure within the capsule chamber intended for the ingredient during preparation of the beverage while allowing the beverage to flow through the outlet channel sufficiently quickly.

14 shows a front perspective view of the rigid frame 32 and the elastomeric cover 37 of the second clamping element. The rigid frame 32 is substantially rectangular and sized to fit around the capsule chamber intended for the beverage ingredient. The elastomeric cover 37 is integrally molded from a silicone elastomer. It comprises a peripheral edge 42 which fits snugly around the rigid frame 32 to secure the cover to the frame while allowing it to be easily removed for replacement if necessary. The front (facing the capsule) surface of the elastomeric cover element 37 includes a substantially flat periphery 54 to fit the periphery of the first clamp element 31. In use, the capsule periphery is sandwiched between this periphery 53 of the elastomeric cover element 37 and the periphery of the first clamp element 31. The lower region of the periphery of the elastomeric The capping element 37 provides a constriction of the outlet channel 20 of the capsule 10. The upper periphery zone of the elastomeric cover element includes a shallow V-shaped recess 58 for receiving a portion of the upper edge of the capsule 10 having a diamond-shaped nozzle body inserted into it.

The central area 54 of the front surface of the elastomeric cover 37 is generally concave to receive one side of the capsule 10. However, three pillow-shaped protrusions 55, 56, 57 extend upward from the concave surface to provide improved sealing of the beverage ingredient, in particular ground coffee, inside the capsule and to improve the flow of liquid through the layer of the ingredient during cooking/brewing, as described in this document.

On figa-15m certain mechanisms of the device 60 for the production of beverages in accordance with the present invention are shown schematically. The device 60 includes a rigid frame 61 having metal side plates between which most of the device components are located. The first (front) clamping element is fixed to the door 62, which is attached to the frame by a hinge 63 located near the bottom of the door, which allows the door to be opened, as shown in Fig. 15b, when the locking mechanism 65 is released. This rotation can be carried out by means of an electric motor. Closing the door 62 by the same motor can be accomplished by the user gently pushing the door 62 towards the closed position after the capsule has been inserted as shown in Fig. 15c. Once the door 62 is closed, a door locking mechanism 65 similar to that shown in Fig. 15d is automatically engaged to lock the top of the door to the frame 61 so that the door and the first clamping member will not move relative to the frame 61 during beverage preparation.

The device of FIG. 15 further comprises a second clamping element 64, similar to that described above. The structure 64, consisting of the second clamping element and the piston, is mounted on a rigid pivoting arm 79 having a proximal end rigidly attached to the piston and a distal end rotatably attached to the frame 61 by means of an axis 66 passing through the frame above the location of the second clamping element. element when it is in the closed brew/brew configuration. The piston, as described above, has a rear protrusion, which has a groove, and which protrudes from the rear side of the piston rod. The driving pin 67 for driving the piston is inserted through the groove so that it can move freely in the groove. The drive pin 67 is rotatably attached to the proximal end of the crank 68. The distal end of the crank is connected to the crankshaft 70 by a pivot 69. The crankshaft 70 is mounted on an axle 72 rotatably mounted on the frame 61. The circumferential circumferential portion 70a of the crankshaft is geared to engage with the drive gear 73 of the electric motor also fixedly mounted on the frame 61.

After loading the capsule into the machine and fixing the door and front clamp as shown in Fig. 15d, the motor is driven to rotate the crankshaft 70 to the maximum extent, while the crank 68 and the drive pin 67 drive the structure 64, consisting of a piston and a second clamping element, for closing the clamping device, as shown in Fig.15e. A rigid frame coated with an elastomeric layer is brought into contact with the first clamping element, and after that the piston is moved 1-15 mm beyond the position corresponding to the closed piston configuration provided for brewing/brewing, to seal the ingredient inside the capsule by pressing the elastomeric layer of the second clamping element. element into the brewing/brewing cavity as described above. The locking mechanism 76 is then actuated as shown in FIG. 15f to lower locking elements (not shown) like those described above in connection with FIGS. shaft 70 and crank 68 to the position shown in Fig.15g. This causes the locking pins on the clamping elements to engage with the lugs of the locking elements as described above, whereby the first clamping element, the second clamping element, and the piston are locked in the closed brewing/brewing configuration. Also, as seen in FIGS. 8 and 15g, the drive pin 67 retracts slightly in a groove on the back of the piston. This ensures that no load is applied to the drive pin 67 during beverage preparation inside the nip chamber. The clamping device is now ready to prepare the drink inside the capsule.

The device further comprises a tube 78 for injection of water, as shown in Fig.15g. Once the clamp is locked, the drive mechanism causes the water injection tube 78 to move downward to pierce the freshness sealing member of the capsule nozzle and form a seal in the capsule nozzle created by mating. Thereafter, water is pumped into the capsule 10 from the reservoir 80 by means of a slider pump 81 at a pressure of approximately 10 bar, as shown in Fig. 15h, to prepare a drink inside the capsule. The beverage flows from the bottom of the capsule 10 into the cup 82 located at the cup receiving position of the device, under the clamp.

When the injection of water is completed, the motor is again driven for a short time to rotate in the forward direction to drive the crank 68, the drive pin 67, and thus the piston, in the closing direction, as shown in Fig. 15i. This again causes the elastomeric layer on the second clamping member to bulge towards the capsule chamber, thereby squeezing the capsule to expel the additional beverage from the capsule (this is also referred to as capsule dehydration). This movement of the piston also causes the locking pins on the piston and the first clamping element to come out of contact with the locking closures. Thereafter, the locking closures are lifted, as shown by moving the mechanism 76 in Fig. 15j, and the injection tube is retracted. The motor is then turned on to rotate in the opposite direction to rotate the second clamping element in the direction away from the first clamping element, as shown in Fig.15k. This opens the back of the clip and allows the capsule ejection mechanism (not shown) to push the spent capsule into container 74 within the device, as shown in FIG. 15l. After that, the device is in the state of readiness shown in Fig.15m to remove the cup 82 containing the drink, after which the process can be repeated. It should be understood that substantially the same sequence can be used when closing/locking the clamp chamber by using a top dead center actuator arrangement/design instead of the locking mechanism of FIGS. 7 and 8.

16 shows a schematic partial view of a beverage preparation device 200 in accordance with the invention. The device 200 includes a clamping device 30, similar to the clamping device described above in connection with figures 7 and 8. The first (front) clamping element rotates at the bottom by means of a hinge, which allows the first clamping element to rotate outward to load the capsule 10 in accordance with the invention in a clamp. The capsule 10 is loaded into the clamp by inserting the capsule nozzle through the keyway 214 at the front of the device. After passing through the keyway 214, the capsule nozzle is secured in the groove in the position shown in FIG. 16, in which the flange of the capsule nozzle rests on a support 212 having a groove through which the nozzle passes. The area of the outlet channel 20 coming out of the capsule chamber intended for the beverage ingredient is clamped by means of the lower part of the clamping device. The outlet chamber 20 and the releasable bottom edge seal 23 of the capsule extend below the clamping device, thereby ensuring that the beverage does not contaminate the clamp during the preparation and dispensing process. The device 200 may further comprise a heat source (not shown), such as a source of hot air or radiant heat, positioned adjacent the releasable bottom edge seal 23 of the capsule below the nip and for heating the releasable bottom edge seal 23 to facilitate opening of the capsule.

The clamping device 30 further comprises a second clamping element and locking elements similar to those described above. The sequence of operation of the drive mechanism for the second clamping element is described above in connection with figa-15m.

The apparatus of FIG. 16 further comprises a cup receiving position located under the clamp, in the form of a niche having a shelf 204 to provide support for the cup 82. An infrared transmitter 206 and an infrared detector 207 are located on opposite sides of this niche, with the presence of the cup 82 on the cup receiving position will cause the infrared beam between transmitter 206 and receiver 207 to be interrupted to enable the cup detection function. A waste container 74 is also provided inside the apparatus for receiving spent capsules 10 after the beverage has been prepared. The device according to this embodiment further comprises a mechanism (not shown) for ejecting the spent capsules 10 into the container 74 after the preparation of the beverage has been completed and after retraction of the second clamping element. This mechanism may be similar to the corresponding mechanism used in existing FLAVIA beverage machines.

The device 200 further includes a liquid injection tube 78 in the form of a metal tube having a pointed end for piercing the freshness barrier member and passing into the capsule port to inject water into the capsule. Injection tube 78 forms a mating fit within the bore of the capsule nozzle. The injection tube 78 is further provided with an O-ring 213 fitted around the tube and held under the injection tube flange 211. In use, the O-ring is pressed tightly against the top of the capsule nozzle flange to form an airtight seal between the discharge tube and the capsule nozzle. Injection tube 78 is mounted on a reciprocating mechanism 210 to move the injection tube down into the capsule port before and during beverage preparation and up to the side during capsule insertion and removal.

The device further comprises a jet nozzle 208 for delivering a jet of water into the receiving container 82 located at the cup receiving position. The jet nozzle 208 is located slightly above the top of the receiving container and at some angle relative to the vertical, so that the jet of water from the nozzle swirls the liquid inside the cup. The jet nozzle may be a nozzle having a tapered inner passage, for example substantially similar to that described in GB-A-2379624.

The device further comprises a water tank 216 (which may be provided with heating), a pump 217 with a slider, configured to supply water at pressures of 10-15 bar, and a water heating heating unit 218, designed to heat water under pressure to a predetermined temperature component 90-100°C. Downstream of the heater, the downstream water heating block 218 divides the water passage into a first passage through the valve 220 to the discharge nozzle 78 of the clamping device and a second passage through the valve 221 to the jet nozzle 208 for frothing or mixing in the cup. . The device may further comprise an air pump (not shown) for supplying pressurized air to either the injection tube passage and/or the jet nozzle through respective valves. Compressed air may be blown into the capsule after brewing/brewing to dehydrate the capsule after brewing/brewing. Alternatively, or in addition, pressurized air may be injected into the capsule prior to boiling/brewing to open the capsule just prior to water injection. Alternatively or in addition, pressurized air may be used to clear the water passages of liquid to eliminate dripping and to prevent scale formation in the water passages.

The apparatus of FIG. 16 further comprises a control system 224 and a user interface 226. The control system 224 controls the pump 217, heater 218, valves 220, 221, jaw opening and closing mechanisms, any hot air supply systems and valves, capsule removal mechanism, and etc. in accordance with the sequences described in this document, to obtain the desired beverages. The user interface 226 accordingly comprises a display and corresponding soft keys or touch screen controls to enable the user to select the desired beverage and initiate the process.

As shown in FIGS. 17a and 17b, the first keyed stub 230 for the capsule of the present invention comprises a diamond base 234, a tubular stem 242, and a top flange formed from a first portion 235 shaped into a hexagonal prism, and the top, second part 236, which is diamond-shaped. These components are respectively formed in one piece by injection molding or 3D printing. In the assembled capsule, the diamond-shaped base is inserted and secured between the front and back sheets of the capsule at the top edge of the capsule. A tubular passage 233 extends through all of these components to receive the brewer's water injection tube in use. Channel 233 is sealed with a transverse freshness barrier 237, which may be integrally molded with the rest of the nozzle components into a breakable barrier, or may be a membrane of other material attached from edge to edge of the top of the channel.

As shown in FIGS. 18a and 18b, the second keyed stub 240 for the capsule of the present invention comprises a diamond base 244, a tubular stem 242, and a flange 245 shaped into a hexagonal prism. These components are respectively formed in one piece by injection molding or 3D printing. In the assembled capsule, the diamond base 244 is inserted and secured between the front and back sheets of the capsule at the top edge of the capsule. The tubular passage 243 extends through all of these components to receive the brewer's water injection tube in use. The channel is sealed by a transverse freshness seal 237, which may be molded integrally with the rest of the nozzle components as a breakable barrier element, or may be a membrane of other material attached from edge to edge of the top of the channel. The hexagonal prism flange 245 of the nozzle of FIGS. 18a and 18b has a greater thickness when measured along the major axis of the prism than the hexagonal prism flange of the nozzle of FIGS. 17a and 17b.

19a and 19b show a cross-sectional view of the first and second keyways 250, 260 on the first and second jaws of capsule brewers having respective nozzles according to FIGS. 17a and 17b and FIGS. 18a and 18b. It can be easily seen that the nozzles 230 of Figs. 17a and 17b will be inserted through the keyway 254 of Fig. 19a, but not through the keyway 260 of Fig. 19b. Similarly, nozzles 240 of FIGS. 18a and 18b will fit through keyway 260 of FIG. 19b, but not through keyway 250 of FIG. 19a. Accordingly, capsules which are intended for use in high-pressure brewing/brewing clamps like those described herein and which have an outlet that is narrowed by the clamp are provided with a first type keyed nipple, and capsules which designed for use in low pressure brewing/brewing clamps and which have a larger outlet port, such as conventional FLAVIA capsules intended for use in conventional FLAVIA brewing/brewing clamps, have a second type, while the keyways made in the appropriate clamps prevent the erroneous use of capsules.

It should be understood that, for the sake of brevity, preferred and alternative features have in some instances been described in connection with only one aspect of the invention, even though they are applicable to all other aspects. Accordingly, any feature that has been described above in connection with any one aspect of the invention can also be applied to any other aspect of the invention.

The above embodiments have been described by way of example only. Many other embodiments that are within the scope of the accompanying claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (26)

1. A beverage preparation capsule containing a beverage preparation ingredient, wherein the beverage capsule contains: front and back sheets of airtight and liquid-impermeable flexible film materials, wherein said sheets are bonded together—with surfaces facing each other—along the top edge, the first and second side edges, and the bottom edge, wherein said bonding area on said bottom edge is made with the possibility of separation under the influence of heat and/or pressure to allow the release of the drink from the capsule during the preparation of the drink; wherein said front and back sheets are additionally fastened together - with surfaces facing each other - by means of a transverse weld extending between said upper and lower edges, said transverse weld being interrupted by a gap, whereby said gap provides fluid communication between a beverage ingredient chamber above said gap and a beverage outlet chamber below said gap; and a folded filter strip extending transversely through said capsule to provide a filter element in said gap, wherein said folded filter strip has a pleat extending transversely below said transverse seal and front and rear side panels extending upwardly through said transverse seal. a weld and attached respectively to said front and back sheets of the capsule, wherein said front and rear side panels do not protrude more than 10 mm into said beverage ingredient chamber above said transverse seal. 2. A beverage capsule according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid injection nozzle having a tubular channel sealed with a barrier element to preserve freshness, said nozzle being airtight sealed at said upper edge between said front and back sheets. 3. A beverage capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said front and back sheets are bonded together at a portion of the width of the capsule between said transverse seal and said bottom edge to form said exit chamber between said front and back sheets having a width, which is less than the ingredient chamber width. 4. A beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said front and rear side panels do not protrude more than 5 mm into said beverage ingredient chamber above said transverse seal. 5. A beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said folded strip is a strip folded in a V-shape and having an edge-to-edge width in an unfolded state of 30 mm to 50 mm. 6. A beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said capsule consists of said front and back sheets, said filter strip and said ingredient. 7. A beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 6, said capsule being a single serving capsule. 8. A beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said gap and exit chamber are located in an area of said capsule that is axially central and said exit chamber has a width of 20 to 70% of the width of the chamber. for the drink ingredient. 9. A beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said gap has a width of 5 to 25 mm. 10. A beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the fold of said folded filter strip is fixed at the lower edge of the capsule in said releasable bonding area. 11. A beverage preparation apparatus for preparing a beverage from a capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the apparatus is for preparing a beverage by pressurizing water into a capsule which has at least one flexible wall, and said preparation apparatus includes a clamping device operable to be in an open configuration or a closed brewing/brewing configuration for preparing a beverage, said clamping device comprising: the first clamping element having a recess on its inner wall, designed to receive part of the capsule; a second clamping element, wherein said second clamping element comprises a rigid peripheral frame having a central empty space, and an elastic layer overlapping said central empty space, wherein the front surface of said elastic layer forms a second inner wall for receiving a part of the capsule, wherein the corresponding inner walls said first and second clamping members in said closed brew/brew configuration define a chamber for enclosing the capsule and providing support for the capsule during beverage preparation; and a piston located in the central empty space of the rigid frame, wherein said piston comprises a piston working surface designed to fit against the rear surface of said elastic layer, and a piston body, and said piston is elastically connected to said rigid peripheral frame to enable limited elastic movement said rigid frame with respect to said piston along the clamp closing direction, and wherein said clamping device is configured to narrow said outlet channel of said capsule when said clamping device is closed and fixed around said capsule, and said bottom edge of said capsule extends outside said clamp. 12. A beverage preparation device for preparing a beverage by injecting water into a capsule, comprising: a first brewing/brewing section configured to hold a beverage brewing/brewing ingredient, wherein the first brewing/brewing section comprises a first door that is movable between a closed position and an open position designed to receive a capsule in the first brewing/brewing section ; a second brewing/brewing section configured to hold a capsule containing a beverage brewing/brewing ingredient, wherein the second brewing/brewing section includes a second door that is movable between a closed position and an open position designed to receive the capsule in the second section boiling / brewing; at least one hot liquid source; at least one pumping element configured to inject hot liquid into the capsule held in the brewing/brewing section to brew/brew the beverage component in the capsule; and a control system for opening each of the first door and the second door, the control system being programmed to open the first door in response to a first command entered by the user and open the second door in response to a second command entered by the user. 13. The beverage preparation apparatus of claim 12, wherein the capsule inserted into the first brewing/brewing section is subjected to a different brewing/brewing condition than the capsule inserted into the second brewing/brewing section. 14. The beverage preparation apparatus of claim 13, wherein the different brew/brew condition includes a different brew/brew pressure.

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