A beverage preparation apparatus for preparation of a beverage from a capsule in a clamp assembly (30). The clamp assembly has a first clamp member (31) and a second clamp member, where the inner surfaces of the first clamp member and the second clamp member form a clamp chamber (33) for substantially enclosing and supporting a capsule (10) during beverage preparation. The second clamp member comprises a rigid peripheral frame (32) having a central void and a resilient layer (37) extending across said central void. There is a piston (36) positioned in the central void and resiliently coupled to the peripheral frame (32) to allow limited resilient movement of the rigid peripheral frame (32) relative to the piston (36).

Described is a system for roasting, grinding, brewing and dispensing coffee comprising: an infuser head in fluid communication with a source of hot water and comprising bedding means for distributing coffee grounds such that they are disposed substantially evenly on an inner surface of a slidable wall of a coffee cartridge thereby forming an extraction bed within an extraction chamber; and infuser means comprising one or more outlets for the hot water, the infuser head being adapted to deliver hot water to the extraction bed within the extraction chamber, whereby coffee is extracted to yield a coffee brew.

A capsule is designed for insertion in a centrifugal beverage production device for preparing a beverage from a substance contained in the capsule by introducing liquid in the capsule and passing the liquid through the substance using centrifugal forces. The capsule includes a body having a bottom end and an open end spaced apart in the axial direction, an upper wall for covering the body at the open end along a direction transverse to the axial direction, and an enclosure between the body and the upper wall containing a predetermined amount of beverage substance. The capsule further includes an annular pressure-setting ring configured for adjusting the backpressure in the beverage production device. The pressure-setting ring provides an improved coffee in-cup quality. A set of capsules can have pressure-setting rings of different dimensions for setting different backpressure when engaged in a centrifuging beverage production device.

The present invention concerns a brewing unit (5) for a beverage preparation machine (1), having several automated functionalities actuated by one single motor (16). The invention also concerns a beverage preparation machine comprising such an automated brewing unit.

Brewing device for producing a beverage from capsules of two different sizes; wherein the brewing device has an inlet sized to allow the insertion of a larger capsule, arranged according to a given orientation; a clamping retaining device movable to and from a normal closed configuration, in which it defines a seat suitable to retain the capsule; a cover arranged to close the inlet and movable to and from an open position, in which the inlet is accessible from the outside for loading a capsule; and an adapter mounted to move, when the cover is in the open position, between an inlet disengagement position and an inlet engagement position, in which it reduces the inlet area to allow a smaller capsule to be fed to the retaining device according to a given orientation.

A capsule is designed for insertion in a centrifugal beverage production device for preparing a beverage from a substance contained in the capsule by introducing liquid in the capsule and passing the liquid through the substance using centrifugal forces. The capsule includes a body having a bottom end and an open end spaced apart in the axial direction, an upper wall for covering the body at the open end along a direction transverse to the axial direction, and an enclosure between the body and the upper wall containing a predetermined amount of beverage substance. The capsule further includes an annular pressure-setting ring configured for adjusting the backpressure in the beverage production device. The pressure-setting ring provides an improved coffee in-cup quality. A set of capsules can have pressure-setting rings of different dimensions for setting different backpressure when engaged in a centrifuging beverage production device.

A capsule for preparing a predetermined quantity of beverage with a beverage brewing device is disclosed. The beverage brewing device comprises a receptacle for receiving the capsule. The capsule comprises a cup comprising a circumferential wall, a bottom closing the circumferential wall at a first end, and a lid in use connected to the cup at a second end of the circumferential wall opposite the bottom. The wall, bottom and lid, in use, enclose an inner space comprising the extractable product. At least a portion of a surface of the capsule conceived to, in use, interact with the receptacle is provided with at least one projection for forming a sealing engagement with the receptacle.

A machine (1) for preparing a beverage from at least one ingredient (2) comprises: an ingredient processing module (3); an ingredient passage (4) having an ingredient mouth (41) for inserting along an insertion direction (42) an ingredient from outside such machine (1) into the ingredient processing module; and a cover (5) pivotable between a position covering the ingredient passage and a position uncovering the ingredient passage, The cover (5) is pivotable about a pivoting axis (51) that is generally parallel to the insertion direction (42) and/or that is generally perpendicular to the mouth (41) of the passage (4).

An image acquisition device (4) for a capsule, usable in an apparatus (1) for making a beverage that uses the capsule. The device (4) comprises an optical sensor (42) facing an image capture zone (40) in which said capsule is located or passes, at least one light emitting element (44) for lighting the image capture zone (40), a box-shaped casing (5) surrounding an inner chamber (50) in which the optical sensor (42) is housed. The box-shaped casing (5) comprises a front wall (51), that is made of transparent material and is interposed between the optical sensor (42) and the image capture zone (40), and lateral walls (52, 53, 54, 55) that are connected to the front wall (51) and laterally delimit the inner chamber (50). At least one lateral wall (52) of the box-shaped casing (5) is coupled to the light emitting element (44) and has a lighting surface region (521) that is outside the inner chamber (5) and is facing the image capture zone (40), the lateral wall (52) being a light guide designed to transmit, inside it, the light emitted by the light emitting element (44) to said lighting surface region (521). The image capture zone (40) is lit by light projected from the lighting surface region (521) of the light-guide lateral wall (52).

A beverage preparation capsule containing a beverage preparation ingredient, having a body with side walls formed from one or more substantially air- and liquid-impermeable sheet materials defining a chamber containing a beverage preparation ingredient and further defining an outlet channel having an upstream end in fluid communication with the chamber for escape of beverage from the chamber. At least a region of the outlet channel is filled by a filtration material for filtering the beverage escaping from the chamber. Also provided is a clamp assembly for preparing a beverage from such a capsule, the clamp assembly comprising two or more clamp members, wherein an inner wall of at least one of the clamp members comprises a concave base surface for receiving the capsule and one or more pressure pads projecting from the concave base surface for selectively constricting a region of the capsule.