Disclosed is a system for producing a beverage, in particular a cold beverage, comprising a cartridge that has a reservoir filled with a beverage substance, a beverage preparation unit with a cartridge receptacle into which the cartridge can be reversibly inserted, and a cartridge discharge device which causes at least partial transfer of the beverage substance from the reservoir into a mixing chamber; furthermore, the beverage preparation unit comprises a fluid supply which opens into the mixing chamber, or the system includes a movable plunger which is placed inside the reservoir and can be transferred from a starting position into a final position by means of the cartridge discharge device.

An apparatus for preparing a beverage from capsules, including a liquid supply system comprising a water reservoir and a pump, an extraction block comprising an injection block including an injector head and a housing, and an extraction mechanism comprising a capsule holder configured to receive a capsule. The injector head comprises an injection plate having plurality of inlet injectors with internal liquid channels configured to pierce through a lid of a capsule. The injector head comprises a water inlet connected to the water reservoir and an actuating mechanism configured to displace the injector head between an open position whereby the capsule can be inserted or removed from the extraction block to a closed position whereby the injector head is sealingly closed against the capsule holder.

A system for the preparation of beverages with the use of capsules including an infusion assembly (1) and a capsule (C). The infusion assembly includes a capsule-holder (2) and a cooperating body (3), adapted to assume an open configuration for positioning a capsule (C) therebetween, and a closed configuration for preparing a beverage through the capsule (C) clamped in a liquid-tight manner therebetween. In the capsule-holder (2) there is defined a recess (4) adapted to receive the capsule (C) with the bottom wall (20a, 20f) facing the interior of the capsule-holder (2) and wherein is provided a first piercing member (8) provided with at least a piercing point (9) adapted to penetrate through the bottom wall (20a) of said capsule (C). The capsule-holder (2) is adapted to supply a flow of fluid introduced into the capsule (C) through the tear created in its bottom wall (20a) from the at least one point (9). In the cooperating body (3) a dispensing conduit (13) is defined for the beverage and a second piercing member (14) is provided, having at least one point (16) adapted to penetrate through the cover (21) of the capsule (C) to allow the outflow of the beverage from the capsule (C) towards said dispensing conduit (13). In the capsule-holder (2) there are provided fluid communication passages (8c; 8d; 11), which put into communication a region upstream of the first piercing member (8) such that, during the preparation of a beverage, the fluid introduced into the recess (4) of the capsule-holder (2) exerts on the first piercing member (8) a force lower than a predetermined value towards the capsule (C), the first piercing member (8) being mounted in the recess (4) of the capsule-holder (2) such as to be movable under the action of a spring (10) tending to displace it towards the cooperating body (3).

A bottom fillable espresso cartridge base and apparatus and method for filling and plugging the bottom of the espresso cartridge base. The espresso cartridge base includes an open bottom and a press in bottom plug. The top of the espresso cartridge may be sealed by a foil lid or the like, or be open and an adhesive attachable lid may be included for attachment by a user. A first method utilizes a hand held multi-function tool including a cartridge holder with a holder lid to capture the espresso cartridge, and a bottom tamper and plug seating arm. A second method utilizes a stationary base residing on a flat surface, a cartridge holder to retain cartridges on the base, and individual tools to fill and tamp brewing material in the cartridge, and to attach the bottom plug to the cartridge.

A dispensing apparatus for dispensing a beverage preparation ingredient from a pod. The dispensing apparatus comprises a pod support region configured to support a pod, an actuator configured to engage with a corresponding actuator engagement region of the pod, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the pod. The apparatus is configured to cause the actuation member to cause an opening to be formed in a pod supported by the pod support region. The apparatus is further configured to cause the rotation mechanism to cause the pod to rotate about an axis of rotation during a dispensing operation, so as to cause the beverage preparation ingredient to be released from the pod via said opening.

A machine (1) is provided for preparing a beverage from an ingredient supplied into such machine (1) within a capsule (100) that is provided with an outlet membrane (101). The machine has an extraction unit (2) that has an ingredient extraction seat (20) for receiving such capsule (100), an inlet arrangement (21) for guiding water into the seat (20) and a dispensing arrangement (22) for guiding beverage out of the seat (20). The dispensing arrangement (22) has a face (220) delimiting a downstream part of the seat (20) and having a membrane opening portion (221) associated with or bearing a plurality of raised elements (225) configured to form beverage outlet orifices in the outlet membrane (101). The downstream part of the seat (20) is provided with one or more flow-through holes (224) extending from the face (220), the flow-through hole(s) (224) being configured such that beverage flowing from the seat (20) through the flow-through holes (224) is guided towards a beverage dispensing area (1). The face (220) further has a non-opening portion (222, 222a, 222b, 222c) that is free of any upstream-projecting raised element and that is at least substantially flush with the membrane opening portion (221) so as to delimit the seat (20). The non-opening portion (222, 222a, 222b, 222c) is provided with one or more flow-through holes (226) extending from the face (220). Such flow-through hole(s) (226) is/are configured such that beverage flowing from the seat (20) through such flow-through holes (226) is guided towards the beverage dispensing area (1).

The invention refers to a capsule for preparing infusion beverages and a capsule production method. The capsule includes an outer containing body defining a longitudinal direction and a cover for forming a first inner chamber. The capsule has also a first inner duct extending in the longitudinal direction towards the inside for fluidly connecting the first inner chamber with the outside. The capsule has also an inner containing body with a second end wall, separate from the outer containing body. The inner containing body is arranged upside down, inside the outer containing body. The second inner chamber is fluidly connected with said first inner chamber. The capsule includes a closing layer for closing the inner containing body at the second end wall in a fluid-tight manner. The infusion beverage, after crossing the second end wall), is directed towards said first inner duct.

A machine (1) is configured for preparing a beverage from an ingredient supplied within a capsule (100) that is provided with an outlet membrane (101). The machine (1) has an extraction unit (2) that has a capsule extraction seat (20), an inlet arrangement (21) for guiding water into the seat (20) and a dispensing arrangement (22) for guiding beverage out of the seat (20). The dispensing arrangement (22) has a face (220) delimiting a downstream part of the seat (20), the face (220) bearing one or more raised elements (225) that project upstream and that are configured for forming one or more beverage outlet openings in the outlet membrane (101) of the capsule (100) in the seat (20). The raised element(s) (225) are fixed relative to and/or integral with the face (220) and comprising at least one controllable raised element (225a). The face (220) is associated with an opening control arrangement (23) configured to control the formation of the outlet opening(s) in the outlet membrane (101) by the controllable raised element (225a). The opening control arrangement (23) has at least one neutralizing member (23a) that is movable adjacent the controllable raised element (225a) between an operative position in which the controllable raised element (225a) is prevented from forming a beverage outlet opening in the outlet membrane (101) and a rest position in which the controllable raised element (225a) is enabled to form a beverage outlet opening in the outlet membrane (101).

A cup having an endless sidewall with a lower stacking shoulder formed of a sidewall and bottom heel including a convexly outwardly curved rib disposed at a transition between the sidewall and a cup bottom having a bottom wall having a recessed dome-shaped center section providing draw ratio bottom wall thickness reduction to an annular flat bottom wall section defining a puncture region of the cup. The cup sidewall has a ribbed section disposed adjacent the heel and extends upwardly at least one-quarter the height of the cup helping to strengthen the relatively thin sidewall to prevent it from undesirably deforming during puncturing of the cup bottom during beverage making. The cup may include an upper shoulder formed of an outwardly expanded section of the sidewall adjacent the top of the cup and defining an filter attachment seat on one side and a cup carrier on the opposite side.

A machine (1) for preparing a beverage (110) from an ingredient (102) has an extraction unit (2) with: an ingredient extraction seat (20); an inlet arrangement (21) for guiding water into the seat (20); and a dispensing arrangement (22) for guiding beverage (110) out of the seat (20). The dispensing arrangement (22) has a face (220) delimiting a downstream part of the seat (20). The face (220) is made of an upper portion (220a) and a lower portion (220b) that are delimited by a substantially horizontal physical or notional delimitation line (220c) that is located between a top end and a bottom end of the face (220). The upper portion (220a) is nude of an upper outflow passage (222a) and an upper impervious part delimiting the upper outflow passage. The upper portion (220a) has an upper surface area ratio transverse to a direction (200) of downstream flow in the seat (20) of: a surface area of the upper outflow passage (222a) over a surface area of the upper impervious part. The lower portion (220b) is made of a lower outflow passage (222b) and a lower impervious part delimiting the lower outflow passage. The lower portion (220b) has a lower surface area ratio transverse to the downstream flow direction (200) of: a surface area of the lower outflow passage (222b) over a surface area of the lower impervious part. The face (220) has an overall ratio of the upper surface area ratio over the lower surface area ratio that is greater or smaller than 1.