A machine (M) for preparing beverages, in particular espresso coffee, comprises a hydraulic circuit including: a brewing unit (1); a water tank (4); a pump (3) having the inlet connected in fluid communication to said tank (4) and the outlet or delivery connected in fluid communication to the brewing unit (1); a normally closed one-way hydraulic valve (10), set between the pump (3) and the brewing unit (1), for enabling a flow of water towards the brewing unit (1) when the pressure of the water delivered by the pump (3) exceeds a substantially predetermined threshold; heating means (9) for heating the water delivered by the pump (3); and a normally open discharge valve (12) having: a main inlet (12.sub.IN), connected between said one-way hydraulic valve (10) and the brewing unit (1); a main outlet (27a, 12.sub.OUT), connected towards a discharge space (11); an open/close member (29-31) set between the main inlet (12.sub.IN) and the main outlet (12.sub.OUT), designed to assume an open condition and a closed condition, where it enables and prevents, respectively, a flow of fluid between said inlet (12.sub.IN) and said outlet (12.sub.OUT), the open/close member (29-31) being urged by a corresponding spring (28) into the open condition. The discharge valve (12) is a hydraulically driven valve, which further comprises a chamber (26) for hydraulic driving of the open/close member (29-31), an auxiliary inlet (12.sub.DR-IN) of the driving chamber (26), connected to the delivery of the pump (3), and an auxiliary outlet (26a, 12.sub.DR-OUT) of the driving chamber (26), connected to the brewing unit (1), in such a way that water forced by the pump (3) passes through the driving chamber (26) before reaching the brewing unit (1). The discharge valve (12) moreover has a further outlet (26b, 25) of the driving chamber (26), connected in fluid communication to a device (22) for spillage of water from the driving chamber (26), in particular towards one of the water tank (4) and the inlet of the pump (3).

The present invention relates to a beverage preparation system (10) for controlling a beverage preparation process by injection of liquid into a cartridge (20), the system comprisinga pressure adjustable pump (2) for delivering different pressures upon varying at least one of its drive characteristics such as the speed of the pump, a sensor (3) for measuring an operating parameter of the pump (2) such as a current absorbed by the pump, a flow sensor (1) for measuring a liquid flow parameter of liquid injected into the cartridge (20), a control unit (6) designed to control an extraction pressure of the cartridge (20) by adjusting the drive characteristics of the pump (2) based on pre-established pressure interpolation data (12) depending on the measured liquid flow parameter and the measured operating parameter of the pump.

A capsule for holding an extractable product for dispensing a beverage is disclosed. The capsule comprising a circumferential wall, a bottom, a lid, and an entrance opening portion and an exit opening portion for letting fluid in the capsule and draining prepared beverage from the capsule, respectively, of which at least one opening portion is closed to prevent fluid from passing. The circumferential wall, the bottom and the lid of the capsule enclose an inner space that comprises an extractable product, and the capsule further comprises at least one moveable portion of the capsule that extends at a distance from a respective opening portion, and that is arranged to open the respective opening portion by being moved with respect to the respective opening portion.

A system for making beverages includes a capsule and a capsule holder including an annular edge at the top of which there is a projecting annular element and/or respectively an annular seat. The capsule includes a body including a lower wall, a lateral wall and a perimetric edge on which there is an annular groove having a bottom zone and two inner lateral faces, and/or respectively there is an annular tooth having a tip portion and two outer lateral faces. The capsule holder and the capsule can adopt a sealed configuration where the projecting annular element, inserted in the annular groove, is in sealed contact with at least one of the inner lateral faces, and/or respectively the annular seat receives inside it the annular tooth and is in sealed contact with at least one of the outer lateral faces.

A beverage-making machine for making a beverage from a portion capsule has a motorized brewing module that has a first brewing module part and a second brewing module part, which can be moved relative to the first brewing module part. A brewing chamber can be formed by the first and second brewing module parts, the brewing chamber at least partly surrounding the portion capsule. The beverage-making machine includes a closing unit and a sensor. The closing unit includes a manually actuatable operating lever that can be pivoted about a pivot axis between a closed position, in which the operating lever closes the capsule insertion opening, and an open position, in which the capsule insertion opening is accessible. The sensor can be used to ascertain whether the operating lever has assumed the closed position.

A system for making beverages includes a capsule and a capsule holder including an annular edge at the top of which there is a projecting annular element and/or respectively an annular seat. The capsule includes a body including a lower wall, a lateral wall and a perimetric edge on which there is an annular groove having a bottom zone and two inner lateral faces, and/or respectively there is an annular tooth having a tip portion and two outer lateral faces. The capsule holder and the capsule can adopt a sealed configuration where the projecting annular element, inserted in the annular groove, is in sealed contact with at least one of the inner lateral faces, and/or respectively the annular seat receives inside it the annular tooth and is in sealed contact with at least one of the outer lateral faces.

A beverage machine includes a brewing unit with a main body defining a hollow for receiving different types of portable pad and/or capsule holders, and a lid connected to the main body for opening and closing the hollow. The beverage machine further includes first and second holders for receiving first and second types of a pad or capsule, respectively. The shape of the hollow is configured such that it may either receive the first or second holder. The lid includes (i) a first sealing member configured to seal a first brewing chamber between the lid and the first holder, when the first holder is inserted into the hollow, and (ii) a second sealing member which is different from the first sealing member and is configured to seal a second brewing chamber between the lid and the second holder, when the second holder is inserted into the hollow.

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 consumable recognition system for recognizing placement and/or type of a consumable containing a food substance, for the preparation of a beverage using a beverage dispenser, includes a light sensor configured to sense light reflected from a reflection element of the consumable during a relative movement between the consumable and the light sensor to obtain a sensor signal. The sensor signal depends on the position, reflectivity and/or pattern of the reflection element. A movable sensor carrier is configured to carry the light sensor which is configured to sense light reflected from the reflection element during a movement of the sensor carrier. A signal processor is configured to recognize placement and/or type of consumable based on the sensor signal.

A device (1) handles selectively a first capsule (2a) having a first flange (2a) and a second capsule (2b) having a second flange (2b) greater than the first flange (2a). The device comprises: a first part (10) and a second part (20) that are relatively movable from a transfer position for inserting and/or removing such capsule (2a, 2b) to an extraction position for extracting such capsule (2a, 2b); and a third part (30) for guiding such capsule (2a, 2b) to inbetween the first and second parts (10, 20) when in the transfer position. The third part (30) has: a first portion (31a) for engaging with and guiding the first flange (2a) of the first capsule (2a); and a second portion (31b) for engaging with and guiding the second flange (2b) of the second capsule (2b). The third part (30) is so configured that: the first portion (31a) is bypassed by the second flange (2b) when the second capsule (2b) is guided to in-between the first and second parts (10, 20) in the transfer position; and the second portion (31b) is bypassed by the first flange (2a) when the first capsule (2a) is guided to inbetween the first and second parts (10, 20) in the transfer position.