Portable beverage preparation devices for preparing a beverage from an ingredients containing capsule are disclosed and include a beverage brewing unit and beverage dispensing means that includes a safety outlet valve. Also disclosed are systems that include the beverage preparation devices and receptacles for use with the beverage preparation devices.

A capsule has an inlet face C formed by a circular section and a bulge section extending from the circular section so that the inlet face C is not symmetric in rotation. The capsule further has an optically readable code on a side wall of a cup-shaped body of the capsule opposite the bulge section. A beverage production machine has a capsule holder for holding the capsule in the beverage production machine so that the optically readable code can be read by a code reader. Liquid can be supplied to the capsule to produce a nutritional product. The optically readable code and the code reader can be prevented from being contaminated with liquid, vapor, dirt or the like. The beverage production machine can perform an automatic detection of the capsule type and a corresponding automatic setting of preparation parameters.

The invention relates to a system for preparing a beverage from a capsule using a fluid supplied under pressure into the capsule comprising a beverage preparation device having an enclosing member with an annular element having a free contact end and a capsule containing a substance for the preparation of a beverage. The capsule comprises a sealing member having the shape of a step. The sealing member comprises a floor portion extending over an engagement distance and a side wall portion extending in a direction away from the floor portion. The engagement distance of the floor portion is such that the floor portion engages the free contact end of the annular element over if the capsule is positioned in the enclosing member of the beverage preparation device and is moved relative towards a capsule holder of the beverage preparation device.

A beverage preparation machine having an ingredient processing module for preparing a beverage with at least one ingredient supplied with a capsule. The machine includes a positioner arranged to hold at least one capsule out of the ingredient processing module. The machine further includes a sensing arrangement adapted to detect an event related to the insertion by a user of a capsule and/or the presence of the capsule on or into the positioner. The machine is configured, upon detection of the event, to transfer the capsule to the ingredient processing module by using transfer means, and then to start the preparation of the beverage. The machine provides a convenient and safe solution to fully automate the preparation of a beverage.

The invention relates to a single-serve capsule (1) for preparing a beverage in a beverage preparation machine, wherein: the single-serve capsule (1) comprises a base element (2), which has a cavity (3) for receiving a beverage raw material, and a capsule cover (4) sealing the cavity (3); the base element (2) comprises a capsule base (5), a peripheral flange (6), and a capsule wall (7) extending between the capsule base (5) and the peripheral flange (6); the capsule cover (4) is attached to the flange (6) along a sealing plane (8); the flange (6) has a peripheral bulge (9) at its outer free end; a sealing element in the form of a sealing bead (10) pointing away from the capsule cover (4) is provided on the flange (6); the sealing plane (8) extends along the flange (6) on the side of the capsule cover (4), between the bulge (9) and the sealing bead (10); and the sealing bead (10) comprises an inner flank (11) on the capsule wall (7) side and an outer flank (12) on the bulge (9) side; characterised in that the outer flank (12) is oriented at a substantially right angle () to the sealing plane and the inner flank (11) is oriented at an angle () of greater than 80 to less than 90 degrees to the sealing plane (8).

A beverage brewer includes a pump assembly, a pressure chamber, an intake channel, and a brewing material holder assembly. The pump assembly has an inlet port and is configured to provide negative fluid pressure at the inlet port. The pressure chamber is configured to hold liquid and has an intake port, a draw port arranged for fluid communication with the inlet port of the pump assembly, and a drain. The intake channel is arranged for fluid communication with the intake port of the pressure chamber. The brewing material holder assembly is configured to hold ground brewing material and is arranged to receive fluid from the drain. The pump assembly is configured to draw liquid through the intake channel into the pressure chamber such that the drawn liquid issues to the brewing material holder assembly through the drain, thereby brewing a beverage in the brewing material holder assembly.

A system (2) comprising a container (6) and a machine (4) for preparing a beverage and/or foodstuff thereof, the container (6) including: a body portion (62) comprising a storage portion (58) for containing a precursor material; a closing member (56) to close the storage portion (58), and; a machine-readable code (44) storing preparation information, the machine (4) including: a code reading system (18) to read the code (44) of the container (6); a processing unit (14) for processing the precursor material of the container (6), and: electrical circuitry (16) to control the processing unit (14) based on the preparation information read from the code (44), wherein the code reading system (18) includes a positioning mechanism (110) to apply a variable loading condition to the container (6), and the code reading system (18) includes a detection system (150) to detect a reading position if a predetermined condition for reading the code (44) is met, and if said condition is met, then the electrical circuitry (16) configured to process the code (44) to extract the preparation information in the reading position.

Machine (1) for preparing and dispensing a beverage (2), such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate, cold chocolate, milk, soup or baby food, wherein the machine comprises a capsule recognition module (8) for recognizing a type of a capsule (3) inserted in the machine (1), the capsule recognition module (8) comprising a light source (82) for lighting at least part of the surface of the capsule (3) and an optical sensor (81) for sensing an optical property of the at least part of the surface of the capsule (3); and wherein the capsule recognition module (8) is configured to: determine a correction value of the optical property by sensing the optical property of the at least part of the surface of the capsule (3) while said light source (82) is switched off; determine at least one sample value of the optical property by sensing the optical property of the at least part of the surface of the capsule (3) while the light source (82) is switched on; calculate a corrected sample value with the correction value and the at least one sample value; determine a type of the capsule by comparing the corrected sample value with at least one reference value, the at least one reference value being representative of a type of capsule.