A brewing chamber works with a pod to brew a beverage and drains the beverage from the pod without being obstructed by the brewing mechanism to substantially avoid contaminating the beverage and brewing mechanism. The pod is designed to drain the beverage once a gap is formed between an extension of an internal filter that is peelably coupled with a rim of the outer container. The brewing chamber is adapted to hold the pod in a substantially horizontal orientation where a hook slides to separate the extension from the rim to form the gap and the hook is tucked away so that the beverage may drain from the pod unobstructed by the hook.

A beverage preparation machine (1) comprises a source of liquid (2,3) and a dispensing outlet (4) connected via a pump (10) that includes a chamber (11) and a displaceable wall (12) delimiting the chamber (11). The pump (10) further has: an electric actuator (13) driving the displaceable wall (12) for causing an inflow of liquid from the source into the chamber (11) and for causing an outflow of liquid from the chamber (11) to the dispensing outlet (4); and a powering unit (14) that comprises an electric power source (142) and that is configured for supplying power to the actuator (13). The powering unit (14) further comprises: a sensor (143) for measuring an electrical parameter representative of a consumption of power by the actuator (13); and a control unit (144) that is connected to the sensor (143) and to the electrical power source (142) and that is configured to control the power supplied to the actuator (13) by the electric power source (142) as a function of: the measured parameter; and a desired liquid input into the chamber (11) and/or liquid output from the chamber (11), such as a desired flow and/or pressure of the liquid input and/or of the liquid output.

The present invention relates to a consumable recognition system for recognizing placement and/or type of consumable containing a food substance for the preparation of a beverage by use of a beverage dispenser. To enable the recognition of placement and/or type of consumable in a simple, foolproof and easily implementable way an embodiment of the system comprises a light source (31, 301, 311, 321, 331, 341) for emitting light (35) to the consumable (4a, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90), a light sensor (32 302, 312, 322, 332, 342) for sensing light (36) reflected from a reflection element (42, 52, 63, 73, 83, 93) of the consumable to obtain a sensor signal, wherein the sensor signal depends on the position, orientation, fluorescence, phosphorescence and/or polarization characteristic of said reflection element, and a signal processor (33) for recognizing placement and/or type of consumable based on said sensor signal.

A pack for preparing a food or beverage product is disclosed, as well as methods of use thereof. The pack includes an insert comprising at least one primary fluid inlet with aqueous and gaseous fluid injection inlets, as well as a container where the ingredient or ingredients are stored, wherein the aqueous fluid injection inlet and the gaseous fluid injection inlet communicate with the inner volume of the container. Also disclosed is a machine for use with the pack in preparing a food or beverage product, a system containing the pack and the machine, and methods of use of the system containing the pack and machine.

A beverage preparation machine includes a fluid system comprising a fluid source, a pump, a heating element, at least two container holders adapted for receiving ingredient containers, and a control unit for controlling the fluid system to prepare a beverage by mixing fluid with the beverage ingredient contained in the containers to produce a mixed beverage component in each of the containers. The control unit is further arranged to dispense part or whole of the mixed components sequentially or simultaneously to produce the beverage. The container holders differ from one another for holding containers of different sizes and/or types. Separate fluid injection interfaces have different structural and kinematic configurations and are arranged for independently delivering fluid in one of the corresponding ingredient containers. Each interface is connected to the fluid system and adapted to a different container.

A motorized beverage machine (1) has a brewing unit (2) that comprises a first assembly (13) and a second assembly (14) cooperating together, each assembly (13,14) delimiting part of a brewing chamber (29) for containing an ingredient capsule (30). At least one of these assemblies (14) is: movable away from the cooperating assembly (13) into an open position within such machine for forming between said assemblies a passage (31) for inserting into and/or removing from the brewing unit the ingredient capsule (30); and movable to the cooperating assembly into a closed position for forming the brewing chamber (29). The machine comprises activation means including: a motor for driving the movable assembly between the open and closed positions and transmission means for transmitting the drive action of the motor to the movable assembly; water supply means for supplying heated water to brewing chamber; control means for controlling the drive action of the motor comprising means for measuring at least one electrical parameter representative of the motor power consumption and for comparing the evolution of said measured parameter as a function of time during the transfer of the assembly from the open to the closed position to a set reference and means for providing an input to at least one of the activation means as a result of the compared evolution of the measured parameter to the set reference.

An beverage-preparation apparatus comprises a capsule receptacle (204, 300, 400, 416, 500) receiving a beverage capsule (306, 418) containing a quantity of a beverage ingredient, and an injection head (202) for injecting fluid into said beverage capsule (306, 418) to produce a beverage, said injection head (202) being mobile between a first, inactive position and a second, active position, and further comprising a biasing device (226, 304) selectively preventing the injection head (202) from remaining in the first, inactive position, and a capsule-detecting means (308, 402, 404, 422, 508) activating the biasing device (226, 304) when the presence of a beverage capsule (306, 418) within said capsule receptacle (204, 300, 400, 416, 500) is detected.

The present invention is a product and method for conveniently cleaning a single cup brewing machine's pod/cup canister. The present invention is also an improved pod/cup that reduces the chance for over pressurization and unwanted explosions during the brewing process. The pod/cup according to the invention is designed in the same general shape and configuration as a pod/cup intended to be used in the machine with a plurality of apertures in the side of the pod. This invention also includes an improved machine canister with a plurality of piercing pins. Still further, the invention includes a new cup puncture device with puncture pins or blades that can be used on the pod prior to insertion into the canister.

A coffee capsule is provided, the outer dimensions of which are matched to the size of a filtered-coffee capsule, but which has a separating element that separates an empty area from an extraction-material area. Furthermore, at least one liquid channel is provided, which passes through the empty area for example. The liquid channel or liquid channels and the extraction-material area are designed in such a way that water introduced into the capsule at an injection location or a beverage produced in the capsule substantially does not enter the empty area.

The present invention relates to a consumable recognition system for recognizing placement and/or type of consumable containing a food substance for the preparation of a beverage by use of a beverage dispenser. To enable the recognition of placement and/or type of consumable in a simple, foolproof and easily implementable way the system comprises a plurality of magnetic and/or electric field elements (31, 32, 33, 301) for separately sensing a magnetic and/or electric field, wherein said consumable comprises one or more magnetically and/or electrically conductive elements (42, 51, 61, 71, 81, 82, 91, 92) and the sensed magnetic fields depend on at least one characteristic of the one or more magnetically and/or electrically conductive elements, a driver (34) for providing drive currents to said magnetic and/or electric field elements, and a signal processor (35) for recognizing placement and/or type of consumable based on the sensed magnetic and/or electric fields.