The present invention provides improved spectral signature strategies for use in a wide range of product and service applications. The present invention encodes spectral signature features into one or more optical brightener compounds and/or one or more infrared absorbing compounds. Equipment is modified with appropriate ultraviolet/violet or infrared LED illumination sources and corresponding detectors, optionally optical filters, and optionally mask elements, in order to read the spectral responses. These features desirably are used in combination with one or more other luminescent taggant compounds.

The beverage preparation machine (1) comprises: a beverage preparation device (2) with a holding section (10) for detachably holding a beverage component holder (12) that comprises: ⋅a cavity (14) for receiving a beverage component suitable for interacting with a liquid to prepare a beverage, and⋅a transponder (16) configured to store data related to the beverage component, a liquid delivery device (4) for delivering a liquid via a liquid inlet (18) into the cavity (14), a liquid discharge device (6) for discharging N the prepared beverage via a discharge outlet (22) out of the cavity (14) to a dispensing outlet (24), and a control unit (8) for controlling a liquid flow from the liquid delivery device (4) via the cavity (14) to the liquid discharge device (6) based on the stored data.

A beverage system for producing a coffee or tea beverage that includes a beverage machine that includes: a holder configured to receive and support a portion capsule, and a pump controlled to push water into the capsule to produce the beverage. The portion capsule includes a metal cover attached to a metal base element. The cavity has a plurality of ribs that are radially spaced, vertically oriented, and configured to extend toward a central portion thereof. The ribs are free from extending all the way to a bottom of the cavity. The base element has a side wall with an electrically conductive section and radially spaced and vertically oriented grooves, the grooves being free from extending all the way to a bottom of the base element and are also free from extending all the way to a region of the side wall that is immediately adjacent to the flange.

A beverage system for making a beverage that includes a single-serve capsule and a beverage machine. The capsule has a cavity containing a beverage material; a flange; a cover fastened to a top side of the flange; and an individualization identifier on a bottom side of the flange. The beverage machine includes: a capsule receptacle having a wall structure to receive the capsule; an optical sensor/detector positioned outside of the wall structure to direct a beam through a portion of the wall structure to read the identifier; a pump that supplies water into the portion capsule only after the identifier is read by the sensor/detector; a mandrel to pierce the cover in a region that is offset from the central axis; and a seal that seals against the cover in a region between a peripheral edge of the flange and the region of the cover pierced by the mandrel.

The invention relates to a cartridge receiver (10) for producing a drink (70) using a cartridge (2) that comprises a reservoir (6) filled with a drink substance (7), it being possible to insert the cartridge receiver (10) into a drink preparation machine (3) and connect it to the cartridge (2), wherein the cartridge receiver (10) comprises a mixing chamber (8) that can be brought into fluidic connection with the reservoir (6), and a fluid supply (12) that opens into the mixing chamber (8). The invention is characterised in that the cartridge receiver (10) comprises a mandrel guide (80) and a puncturing mandrel (73) that is displaceably mounted within said mandrel guide (80), wherein the puncturing mandrel (73) can be displaced between a retracted position in which said puncturing mandrel (73) is positioned at a distance from a sealing element (18) of the cartridge (2), and an extended position in which said puncturing mandrel (73) pierces the sealing element (18) and projects into the reservoir (6). The outer wall of the puncturing mandrel (73) comprises at least one lateral channel (71) for conducting the drink substance (7) in the direction of the mixing chamber (8) when the sealing element (18) has been pierced.

The invention relates to a dispenser having a cartridge holder.

A beverage machine that brews beverages from a beverage pod is described. The pod is container with a top surface and a bottom surface connected by a sidewall that form a cylinder. The pod contains whole brewing elements that can be ground into sub-elements by the brewing system for brewing into a beverage. The pod is actuatable between an open state and a closed state by a breaking system of the beverage machine. In the closed state the brewing elements are contained and in the open state the elements are released. The pod includes a failure mechanism on the sidewall that is engineered to fail when the pod is actuated by a breaking mechanism of the beverage machine. When actuated the failure mechanism fails such that the beverage pod can be pulled into a top portion and a bottom portion to release the brewing elements.

A portion capsule for producing a beverage includes a base element having a cavity in which a beverage raw material is provided and which is closed by a membrane fastened to the base element.

A portion capsule for producing a beverage includes a base element having a cavity in which a beverage raw material is provided and which is closed by a membrane fastened to the base element.

The invention relates to a dispenser having a cartridge holder.