A delivery head for a beverage preparation machine comprising a movable first part, a fixed second part and a cartridge guide; the first part being movable between an open position and a clamping position; the cartridge guide being operatively engaged with the first part and slidably movable relative to the second part between a loading position and a dispensing position; the cartridge guide being located in the loading position when the first part is in the open position so as to enable loading of a cartridge into the cartridge guide; wherein on movement of the first part into the clamping position the cartridge guide is slidable into the dispensing position due to the operative engagement of the cartridge guide with the first part.

A capsule coffee machine includes a brewing seat and a brewing assembly. Rotating members are connected to the brewing assembly in a rotatable manner. Two detent members are hinged to the brewing seat and connected to a limit structure of a corresponding rotating member. When the brewing assembly and brewing seat move apart, each detent member is rotated inwardly by a corresponding rotating member so that a coffee capsule can be held between the detent members. When the brewing seat and assembly move towards each other, each detent member rotates outwardly to release the capsule into a making cavity of the brewing assembly. When the brewing assembly and seat are again moved apart, the coffee capsule having been brewed, drops from an interval between the brewing seat and brewing assembly and the detent members rotate back to their original position.

A machine for dispensing a beverage (5) includes a beverage processing module (2) that has an outlet (20). The module (2) further has a first part (25) and a second part (26) that can be relatively moved between: a transfer configuration for introducing a beverage ingredient (4) between the first and second parts (25, 26) and/or removing the ingredient from therebetween; and a processing configuration for forming said beverage (5) from said ingredient (4) between the first and second parts (25, 26). The machine also includes: a liquid driver (31) for driving a liquid along a liquid line (30) from a liquid source (32) via the processing module (2) to the outlet (20); a drop collector (1) having a beverage guide (10) and a motor (11) for moving the guide (10) relatively to the outlet (20) into either a dispensing position for dispensing beverage (5) from the outlet (20) into a dispensing area (6) or a collecting position for dispensing residual beverage (5′) from the outlet (20) into a service area (7); a control unit (3) for controlling the liquid driver (31) and the motor (11, 11a, 11b); and a user-interface (3′) for providing user-instructions to the control unit (3). The module (2) comprises a module actuator (21) for driving the first and second parts (25, 26) from the transfer configuration to the processing configuration and vice-versa, the actuator (21) being independent of the motor (11). The control unit (3) is arranged to activate the liquid driver (31) and the motor (11) upon receiving a user-instruction from the user-interface (32) independently of a presence or an absence of a receptacle (60) in the dispensing area (6).

A machine (1) for dispensing a beverage (7) includes: a module (10) having a cavity (10a) and a cavity outlet (10a′) for guiding the beverage out of the cavity (10a); and a guide (100) that has a guide outlet (102) and that is arranged for receiving the beverage (7) from the cavity outlet (10a′) and guiding the beverage (7) along a guide direction (100′) to the guide outlet (102) and out thereof so as to be dispensed to a beverage dispensing area. The guide (100) has a guide channel (101,101′,101″,101b) extending along the guide direction (100′) for receiving the beverage (7) from the cavity outlet (10a′) and guiding the beverage (7) to the guide outlet (102). The guide channel (101,101′,101″) has a cross-section orthogonal to the guide direction (100′) and a bottom (101,101b′) generally extending along the guide direction (100′). The cross-section has a width that increases with distance from the bottom (101,101b′), e.g. with height above the bottom.

A method and apparatus for opening and closing a door of a beverage forming machine, e.g., for accessing a beverage forming station. The door may be opened by retracting the door into an interior space of the housing, e.g., by moving the door rearwardly. When at the closed position, at least one edge of the door may be flush with an adjacent outer housing portion.

A machine (1) for dispensing a beverage (7) includes a module (10) having a cavity (10a) and a cavity outlet (10a′) for guiding said beverage out of the cavity (10a). The cavity (10a) is delimited by a first module part (11) and a second module part (12). At least one (11) of the parts (11, 12) is movable along a module direction (10′) into a position distant from the other part (12) for transferring an ingredient capsule (2) to and/or from the cavity (10a) and into a position close to the other part (12) for processing the capsule (2) in the cavity (10a) to form said beverage (7). The machine (1) includes a guide (100) that has a guide outlet (102) and that is movable between: a dispensing position for receiving the beverage (7) from the cavity outlet (10a′) and guiding the beverage (7) along a guide direction (100′) to the guide outlet (102) to a beverage dispensing area; and a non-dispensing position for preventing liquid from being guided to the dispensing area. The guide direction (100′) is horizontally angled away from the module direction (10′) such as horizontally angled away by an angle in the range of 45 to 135 deg.

A brewing assembly, which has a brewing chamber having a first axis and for receiving a sealed capsule of brewing material; a sealing piston mounted to move along a second axis to and from a sealing position sealing the brewing chamber; a first unloading device movable along the brewing chamber to at least partly expel the capsule from the brewing chamber; a second unloading device movable with respect to the brewing chamber to engage the at least partly expelled capsule and unload it to the outside; and a brewing body, which defines the brewing chamber, supports the first unloading device, and is mounted to oscillate, about a third axis substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes, between a first position, in which the first and second axis coincide, and a second position, in which the first and second axis extend on opposite sides of the second unloading device.

The invention relates to a device comprising: a support arranged to receive a capsule provided with a front face, a filter wall, a ring, a rear face and a solid casing extending between the ring and the rear face and defining a receptacle containing the material to be infused; injection means; an infusion chamber having a substantially vertical opening arranged to be in fluid communication with the filter wall, said ring comprising sealing means arranged to maintain the fluid communication sealed from the surrounding medium; and an outlet.

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.

An apparatus for preparing a quantity of beverage suitable for consumption, includes a first and a second brew chamber part to form a brew chamber for holding an exchangeable capsule as well as a fluid dispensing device for supplying an amount of fluid, such as water, under pressure to the exchangeable capsule. The first and the second brew chamber part are movable relative to each other between a first relative position, and a second relative position. The first relative position defines an open state in which the capsule can be inserted into the brew chamber. The second relative position defines a closed state allowing the brew chamber to enclose the capsule. A first biasing member biases the capsule towards the second brew chamber part. A second biasing biases the first brew chamber part and the second brew chamber part towards each other. The first biasing member has a higher stiffness than the second biasing member. Also a system is provided comprising the apparatus as well as at least one capsule to be used by the apparatus.