A coffee machine 1 having a body part 3, a door 2 that is openably and closably supported by the body part 3 and a cup station at which a cup is placed, the coffee machine 1 supplying milk from a milk nozzle 25 a distal end of which is disposed above the cup, to the cup placed at the cup station, in which the coffee machine 1 includes a movable nozzle support unit 27 that supports the milk nozzle 25 and is disposed in the body part 3 so as to be movable between a first position at which the distal end of the milk nozzle 25 is above the cup while the door 2 is closed and a second position at which the distal end of the milk nozzle 25 is retracted from above the cup and a nozzle movement unit 50 that moves a pusher 52 so as to extend to and retract from the door 2. The pusher 52 is extended to push the movable nozzle support unit 27 and move the movable nozzle support unit 27 to a supply position.

The system may be a device that allows for mixture of an additive to a substance in a line of flow. The system may include a hydration pack with a reservoir that may contain a first substance, such as water. The system may include a cartridge with an additive that is mixed to the line of flow through a Venturi which may include a rolling seal that is manipulated with a dial a user manipulates to adjust the amount of additive added to the line of flow. The mixed liquid may then be accessed through a hose from the system to a mouth piece. The system may be modular to allow a user to replace the cartridge by disengaging a first component and a second component of the system through a buckling mechanism and replacing the cartridge within the second component. The cartridges may be reusable, recyclable or disposable.

A dosing pump for dosing metered amounts of liquid product, includes an inlet adapted to be fluidly connected to a storage container, an output adapted to be connected to a beverage dispensing machine for receiving metered amounts of liquid product, and a dosing chamber arranged for transferring a liquid from the inlet to the output. The dosing chamber is at least partly filled with a liquid different from the liquid product. The different liquid can be a cleaning fluid, or be food compliant. The dosing pump can be included in an exchangeable supply pack filled with the liquid product for connecting to a beverage dispensing machine, and the output can be adapted to be brought into fluid connection with a beverage dispensing machine. When associated with a beverage dispensing machine, the dosing pump can be operated to allow the different fluid to be pumped through the beverage dispensing machine prior to a first dosing cycle of liquid product.

A method of operating a beverage preparation machine that permits automated preparation of a variety of beverages. A plurality of stations add ingredients to a beverage container and process the contents directly in the container in some embodiments. Parallel preparation of more than one beverage may be performed in some embodiments. A robotic arm moves the beverage container to the stations. The robotic arm may include a weight sensor as part of controlling the addition of ingredients.

A ceramic valve unit for a beverage machine including a housing, a water inlet pipe for receiving hot water, an outflow opening, and first and second ceramic elements within the housing. The first and second ceramic elements each have mutually abutting surfaces and are relatively movable in a plane common to the abutting surfaces. The plane common to the abutting surfaces is downstream of the water inlet pipe and the first ceramic element, but upstream of the second ceramic element and the outflow opening. The first ceramic element has at least differently sized first and second openings for allowing a liquid flow there through. The second ceramic element has only a single liquid flow opening permanently aligned with the outflow opening. The first ceramic element is selectively slidable between at least first and second different positions preferably in a path of movement about a centre of rotation beyond the boundaries of the first ceramic element.

A beverage making and dispensing apparatus for controllably preparing batches of beverage. The beverage making and dispensing apparatus includes a housing, a controller, a user interface carried on the housing and operatively associated with the controller. A beverage making engine is associated with the housing and is controllably operated by the controller. The brew engine controllably receives a predetermined quantity of beverage making substance and beverage making liquid for producing a predetermined beverage. At least a plurality of reservoirs are individually, operatively associated with the apparatus and retained in the housing. Each reservoir is controllably operatively in communication with the beverage making engine to controllably, individually receive separate batches of beverage produced by the beverage making engine. Beverage is selectively, controllably dispensable from each reservoir on demand by selective controllable operation of a dispensing valve communicating with each reservoir.

A device to produce personalized mixtures of substances intended to obtain and optimize beverages for a specific individual or user, includes a plurality of containers of basic substances, at least a measuring device and management and control means. The device is associated to the management and control means configured to carry out instructions regarding personalized formulas that express univocal sensory profiles or profiles functional to the specific needs of a specific individual or user.

An apparatus (20) for dispensing an additive into a liquid in a container comprises a support structure (22) and a container holder (28), supported by the support structure (22), for holding a container (21) containing a liquid. The apparatus (20) also includes a capsule holder (38) for holding a capsule (40) containing an additive, for example a liquid, semi-liquid or powder, and a manipulator device (41) which is operable to manipulate the capsule (40), for example by crushing it, to thereby dispense the additive into the liquid in the container (21).

A system and method for delivery of a beverage with a customized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements in real time having a beverage delivery apparatus with a plurality of storage compartments. Each of the storage compartments configured to contain at least one seed capsule that contains the dietary and nutraceutical supplements. The dispensing apparatus for delivering a beverage with customized quantities of dietary and nutraceutical supplements and flavor in single and/or multi-serve configurations is also provided. The system further has a cloud-based data center with a nutrient recommendation engine configured to create a personalized nutrient mix regimen profile and to provide specific recommendation to a user.

An automatic device for brewing beverages at least comprises an ice cube meter, at least one beverage supply device, at least one robotic arm, a feed conveyor belt, a plurality of feeders, and a film sealing machine, mainly uses the robotic arm to take up ice cubes and a beverage from the ice cube meter and the beverage supply device with a hand-shake cup, then shake and mix, and pour the shaken and mixed beverage and ice cubes into a beverage cup, the beverage cup is conveyed to pass through the feeders by the feed conveyor belt, ingredient is squeezed into the beverage cup by the feeder, and finally the beverage cup containing the beverage, ice cubes and ingredient is conveyed by the feed conveyor belt to the film sealing machine for sealing.