A dispensing assembly for a machine for preparing a liquid food product by means of capsules including a casing having an inlet passage, suitable for enabling insertion of a capsule into the dispensing assembly, and an outlet passage, suitable for enabling discharge of the capsule from the dispensing assembly, an infusion chamber which comprises two chamber parts, at least one of which defines a housing for at least partially receiving the capsule, retention elements, for keeping the capsule in a retaining position, essentially coaxial to the two chamber parts, the retention elements being within the casing in an intermediate position between the inlet and outlet passages, to be operative between the two chamber parts when they are in a spaced-apart position, an actuation system, operable for causing relative movements between the two chamber parts according to an actuation axis, between the spaced-apart position and a close position, a guide member mounted at the inlet passage to be displaceable between an inoperative position and an operative position, in which access to the inlet passage is allowed or prevented, respectively, a longitudinally extended pusher member engaged in a respective guide of the guide member, to be displaceable according to a respective sliding axis between a first position and a second position, the sliding axis being generally transverse to the actuation axis when the guide member is in the operative position.

With the guide member in the operative position and with the first chamber part and the second chamber part in the spaced-apart position, a displacement of the pusher member from the first position to the second position causes a thrust on the capsule towards the outlet passage, in order to free the capsule from the retention means.

A beverage system for making a beverage, including: a single-serve capsule including: a base element with a cavity, in which a raw beverage material is provided; a flange extending outwardly from the base element, the flange comprising a top side and an opposing bottom side; and a cover that is fastened to the top side of the flange to close the cavity, the cover is made of a different material than the base element; the single- serve capsule is free of a filter; the capsule has an identifier, which makes it possible to individualize the respective single-serve capsule, the identifier comprises a barcode that is provided on the bottom side of the flange; and a beverage machine including: a sensor/detector configured to read the barcode, a media chute configured to receive and support the single-serve capsule, and a pump controlled to supply water into the single-serve capsule.

Capsule containing a substance for the preparation of a potable beverage, the capsule having an aluminum capsule body having a side wall and an outwardly extending flange and a sealing member at the outwardly extending flange for providing a fluid sealing contact with an enclosing member of a beverage preparation device. The beverage preparation device comprises an annular element having a free contact end which may be provided with a plurality of radially extending open grooves. The sealing member is integral with the outwardly extending flange and comprises a projection. An annular trough between the inner projection foot and the side wall has a bottom axially spaced from the outer projection foot towards the bottom of the capsule body.

A machine for preparing a beverage from a capsule includes a capsule extraction seat, an inlet arrangement for guiding water into the seat and a dispensing arrangement for guiding beverage out of the seat. The dispensing arrangement has a face delimiting a downstream part of the seat, the face bearing one or more raised elements that project upstream and that are configured for forming one or more beverage outlet openings in the outlet membrane of the capsule in the seat. The raised element(s) are fixed relative to or integral with the face and include at least one controllable raised element. The face is associated with an opening control arrangement configured to control the formation of the outlet opening(s) in the outlet membrane by the controllable raised element. The opening control arrangement has at least one neutralizing member that is movable between an operative position and a rest position.

A brewing device for producing a beverage from a single-serve pod of the type comprising a casing formed of two sheets to form a central body containing a brewable material, and an external annular flange that extends all around, and seals, the central body; the brewing device comprises a water injection assembly and a beverage extraction assembly defining respective half-chambers and mutually movable along a longitudinal axis, from and to a closed configuration forming a brewing chamber for the pod; and a pod support device rotatably mounted about a fixed axis transverse to the longitudinal axis to move between a retention position, supporting a pod in a loading position between the injection assembly and extraction assembly, and a disengagement position, and it is configured to insert and leave the pod in the brewing half-chamber of the extraction assembly before reaching the disengagement position.

Described herein includes a puncture mechanism for a beverage appliance or machine that can be configured to puncture a pod containing a beverage medium (e.g., a flavoring agent). The puncture mechanism can be configured to induce lateral movement of one or more engagement members to securely hold a beverage pod. The puncture mechanism can be configured to induce relative axial movement between an anvil and the secured beverage pod to puncture a seal of the beverage pod.

A brewing module for preparing a brewed drink from a portion capsule includes a first brewing module part and a second brewing module part which is movable relative to this between a first brewing module part position and a second brewing module part position. An operating element is further present, the operating element being able to be brought manually from a first into a second operating element position. The brewing module has an energy store which is configured, by way of moving the operating element from the first into the second position, to intermediately store energy which is coupled into the brewing module and, activated by a release, to convert it again into a movement from the first brewing module part position into the second brewing module part position.

A beverage dispensing system that can dispense both cold and hot drinks from either cold drink capsules or hot drink capsules. The cold or hot drink capsule is inserted into the system, and the lid is manually closed. if a cold drink capsule has been inserted, a mechanism cracks the capsule along a predetermined seam, injects cold mixing fluid into the capsule, and then rotates the capsule to pour out or further flush out the cold drink into a cup. If a hot drink capsule has been inserted, the lid is closed, and a rotating needle pierces the top of the capsule. The capsule is then punctured from the bottom. Hot water can then be injected into the top of the capsule, and the hot drink can be removed from the bottom into a cup.

A beverage system for making a beverage that includes a single-serve capsule and a beverage machine. The capsule has a flange and a barcode on a bottom side of the flange. The beverage machine includes: a sensor/detector to read the barcode; a brewing chamber to receive the capsule; and a pump controlled to supply water into the capsule. The machine includes: a mandrel to pierce the cover in a region that is offset from the central axis; a seal that seals against the cover in a region between a peripheral edge of the flange and the region of the cover that is pierced by the mandrel; a pair of holding arms for engaging the capsule; and a dropping box for the capsule to fall into. The pump is controlled to push the water into the capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference.

The invention relates to a beverage preparation device (100) for preparing a beverage upon interaction of ingredients provided in a capsule (5) with liquid supplied thereto, the device comprising an injection module (10) comprising a first (1) and a cooperating second enclosing member (2) designed for being moved relatively to each other, the first enclosing member being equipped with capsule opening and injection means (3) for opening a first inlet face (5a) of a capsule (5) and inject liquid into the capsule, the first and second enclosing member (1,2) being designed for being brought into at least a first capsule insertion position for inserting a capsule between the enclosing members (1,2) and a second capsule enclosing position in which the opening and injection means (3) engage the liquid inlet face (5a) of the capsule (5), the device (100) further comprising control means (13) designed for setting at least the capsule enclosing position based on information read from the capsule and/or based on information provided by a user input.