Abstract
The invention relates to a capsule for preparing a beverage product. The capsule comprises a capsule body, a lid, and an inlet for introducing a fluid into the capsule. The capsule body is covered by the lid to form a closed receiving chamber, and the inlet is arranged eccentrically on the capsule in relation to a center of the cover. A first machine readable code is eccentrically applied to, in particular printed on, the lid. In relation to the center of the lid, the first machine-readable code. in particular the center thereof, is arranged at an angular spacing relative to the inlet. The angular spacing has a magnitude of at most 70°, preferably at most 60°, preferably at most 50°.
Claims
1-15. (canceled)
16. A capsule for preparing a beverage product, comprising: a capsule body, a cover, and an inlet for introducing a fluid into the capsule, wherein the capsule body is covered by the cover in order to form a closed receiving space, and the inlet is arranged o′n the capsule eccentrically with respect to a center of the cover, a first machine readable code is mounted eccentrically on the cover, the first machine readable code is arranged with respect to the center of the cover at an angle spacing from the inlet, and the angle spacing has a value of at most 70°.
17. The capsule according to claim 16, wherein a second machine readable code is mounted eccentrically on the cover next to the first machine readable code, the first machine readable code is arranged with respect to the center of the cover at a positive angle spacing and the second machine readable code is arranged at a negative angle spacing from the inlet, and the angle spacings have a value of at most 70°.
18. The capsule according to claim 17, wherein the value of the first and second angle spacing is identical in size.
19. The capsule according to claim 16, wherein the capsule body has a recess in an edge region, and the angle spacing of the recess from the inlet with respect to the center of the cover has a value of at least 90°.
20. The capsule according to claim 1$, wherein the inlet is arranged in an interior of the receiving space.
21. The capsule according to claim 20, wherein the inlet is dosed by the cover.
22. The capsule according to claim 16, wherein at least one machine readable code is a one dimensionally machine readable code.
23. The capsule according to claim 16, wherein at least one machine readable code contains parameters for preparing the beverage product and/or is linked to said parameters.
24. The capsule according to claim 23, wherein at least one machine readable code contains at least one beverage preparation routine and/or is linked thereto.
25. The capsule according to claim 16, wherein the cover is formed from a composite structure.
26. The capsule according to claim 16, wherein the capsule body is produced from a plastics material.
27. The capsule according to claim 16, wherein the capsule body and the cover are oxygen and/or aroma tight.
28. A beverage preparation system comprising a capsule according to claim 16 and a beverage preparation machine, wherein the beverage preparation machine has a receptacle with at least one reading device, and the capsule is inserted into the receptacle and at least one machine readable code is read using said at least one reading device.
29. The beverage preparation system according to claim 28, wherein the reading device is designed as at least one barcode scanner or as a camera system.
30. The beverage preparation system according to claim 28, additionally comprising an adapter, wherein, in order to introduce a liquid into the capsule and in order to discharge a liquid from the capsule, the adapter is placed together with said capsule into the beverage preparation device.
31. A kit comprising at least one capsule according to claim 16 and at least one adapter, wherein the adapter is placed together with the capsule into a beverage preparation machine, in order to introduce a liquid into the capsule and in order to discharge a liquid from the capsule.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] Further advantages and individual features of the present invention emerge from the description below of a plurality of exemplary embodiments and from the drawings, in which, schematically:
[0046] FIGS. 1 and 2: show schematic illustrations of the capsule body of a capsule according to the invention;
[0047] FIG. 3: shows a perspective illustration of a capsule according to the invention;
[0048] FIG. 4: shows a top view of a capsule according to the invention;
[0049] FIG. 5: shows a top view of an adapter for use with a capsule according to the invention from the capsule side;
[0050] FIG. 6: shows a top view of an adapter for use with a capsule according to the invention from the device side;
[0051] FIG. 7: shows a perspective illustration of an adapter for use with a capsule according to the invention from the capsule side;
[0052] FIG. 8: shows a perspective illustration of an adapter for use with a capsule according to the invention from the device side;
[0053] FIG. 9: shows a perspective overall view of a capsule according to the invention and of an adapter provided for use with said capsule;
[0054] FIGS. 10 and 11: show perspective illustrations of a capsule according to the invention, placed onto an adapter;
[0055] FIG. 12: shows a sectional view through a capsule according to the invention, placed onto an adapter according to FIGS. 9 and 10;
[0056] FIG. 13: shows an enlargement of the partial region A from FIG. 12;
[0057] FIG. 14: shows an alternative sectional view of a capsule according to the invention, placed onto an adapter according to FIGS. 9 and 10;
[0058] FIG. 15: shows an enlargement of the partial region B from FIG. 14;
[0059] FIG. 16: shows a perspective overall view of a capsule according to the invention, an adapter provided for use with said capsule and of a beverage preparation device (partially illustrated);
[0060] FIG. 17: shows a perspective sectional view of an overall view according to FIG. 16;
[0061] FIGS. 18 and 19: show sectional views of a capsule according to the invention, placed onto an adapter, placed into a beverage preparation device (partially illustrated) provided for this purpose;
[0062] FIG. 20: shows alternative embodiments of an adapter for use with a capsule according to the invention;
[0063] FIG. 21: shows a perspective sectional view of a further exemplary embodiment of an adapter;
[0064] FIG. 22: shows a sectional view of the adapter according to FIG. 21 with a capsule placed thereon;
[0065] FIG. 23: shows an enlargement of the partial region C from FIG. 22;
[0066] FIG. 24: shows a further sectional view of the adapter according to FIG. 21 with a capsule placed thereon;
[0067] FIG. 25: shows an enlargement of the partial region D from FIG. 24.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0068] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a capsule body 24 for a capsule 2 according to the invention from two different perspectives. The capsule body 24 comprises a side wall 31 and a base 32. The base 32 has a circular elevation 33. Furthermore, the side wall 31 and part of the base 32 are provided with a recess 34. The interior of the capsule body 24 has an inlet 47. The inlet 47 has a slot 48 on its end side.
[0069] FIG. 3 shows a capsule 2 according to the invention in the mounted state. The capsule body 24 is closed by a cover 25 which forms a contact surface 13 of the capsule 2. Two barcodes 28, 28′ are printed on the cover 25. The capsule body 24 together with the cover 25 forms a receiving space for receiving a starting substance for producing a beverage. An inlet 47 which is illustrated by chain-dotted lines in the present illustration is arranged in the receiving space. In order to introduce a liquid into the inlet 47, the cover 25 of the capsule 2 has to be penetrated.
[0070] FIG. 4 shows a top view of a capsule 2 according to the invention from the side of the cover. A first barcode 28 and a second barcode 28′ are arranged on the cover. In addition, the inlet 47 is illustrated by chain-dotted lines similarly as in FIG. 3. In addition, 47′ also indicates an inlet which is not visible on the cover surface, as arises in the beverage preparation machine. It can be seen that the center of the first machine-readable code 28 is arranged with respect to the center Z of the cover at an angle spacing of α +50° from the inlet 47. The second machine-readable code 28′ is arranged at an angle spacing of α −45° from the inlet 47. The capsule furthermore has a recess 34. The inlet 47 is arranged with respect to the center Z of the cover at an angle spacing β of 130°.
[0071] FIG. 5 shows details of the capsule side 4 of an adapter 1 for use with a capsule 2 according to the invention. It can be seen that the adapter 1 has a substantially circular shape and a tab 29. The tab 29 serves firstly as a gripping element for a user and secondly for aligning the adapter 1 in a beverage preparation device 3. The capsule side 4 of the adapter 1 has a discharging region 11. The discharging region 11 is surrounded by a sealing element 12′. Furthermore, a hollow canular 14 as a means for introducing a liquid into a capsule 2 is arranged on the capsule side 4. The hollow canular 14 is surrounded by a sealing element 12. The discharging region 11 has a multiplicity of penetration elements in the form of triangular pyramids 15. In addition to said pyramids 15, supporting elements in the form of truncated cones 16 are also arranged in the discharging region 11. For the positioning of a capsule 2 on the adapter 1, the latter has an encircling collar 20. Furthermore, there are two transparent regions 27, 27′ through which a code on the contact surface 13 of a capsule 2 placed onto the adapter 1 can be machine-read from the device side of the adapter 1.
[0072] FIG. 6 shows the device side 7 of the adapter 1 according to FIG. 5 with the transparent regions 27, 27′. Furthermore, the outlet 9 which is surrounded by an encircling collar 30 can be seen. The inlet 8 of the adapter 1 is arranged in the periphery thereof and opens into a duct 19, of which only the outer contour is visible in the present figure. The transparent region 27 is arranged in such a manner that the line a which connects the outlet 9 to the center of the transparent region 27 and a line b which connects the inlet 8 to the outlet 9 are separated by an angle spacing γ of 85°.
[0073] FIGS. 7 and 8 additionally also show the capsule side and device side of the adapter 1 in a perspective illustration. It can be seen that the adapter 1 is substantially disk-shaped.
[0074] FIG. 9 shows the capsule 2 according to the invention and an adapter 1 provided for use therewith in an overall view. It can be seen that the recess 34 of the capsule 2 corresponds to an indentation 35 of the encircling collar 20 of the adapter 1. Therefore, in addition to an exact positioning of the capsule 2 on the adapter 1, a desired orientation of said capsule is also obtained.
[0075] In FIGS. 10 and 11, the capsule 2 is placed onto the adapter 1. It can be seen in particular in FIG. 11 that the recess 34 of the capsule 2 and the indentation 35 of the encircling collar of the adapter 1 also provide the required space for the inlet 8.
[0076] FIG. 12 shows a sectional view of the capsule 2 placed onto the adapter 1. For better clarity, the cover 25 of the capsule 2 has been omitted. The sectional plane runs along the straight line b (cf. FIG. 6) through the inlet 8, the outlet 9 and the transparent region 27′ of the adapter 1. In the present illustration, it can readily be seen that the inlet 8 opens into the duct 19. It can likewise be seen that the transparent region 27′ is formed by a cuboid element made from a transparent material which is inserted into a recess in the adapter 1.
[0077] FIG. 13 shows more precise details of the partial region A of FIG. 11. It can be seen that the opening for the liquid into the outlet 9 is designed as a gap 21. During the preparation of coffee beverages, said gap produces a crema typical of an espresso. Furthermore, the gap 21 carries out a valve function and can thus prevent an unintentional dripping of liquid after a beverage has been prepared when the capsule together with the adapter is removed from the beverage preparation device. A pyramid-shaped penetration element 15 can likewise be clearly seen in FIG. 12.
[0078] FIG. 14 shows an alternative sectional view of a capsule 2 according to FIGS. 12 and 13 placed onto an adapter 1. In this case, the sectional plane runs along the straight a, which runs vertically perpendicularly to the straight line b (cf. FIG. 6). The transparent region 27′ is correspondingly apparent here. Furthermore, a further portion of the duct 19 can be seen.
[0079] FIG. 15 shows an enlargement of the partial region B according to FIG. 14. It can be seen that the capsule body 24 comprises a flange-like edge 36. An outer region of the latter has an encircling collar 37 which runs substantially parallel to the side wall 31 and extends beyond the contact surface 13. When the capsule 2 is placed onto the adapter 1, the collar 37 engages in a groove formed by the encircling collar 20 and the sealing element 12″ of the adapter 1. The collar 20 of the capsule body 24 enters into a tight connection with the adapter 1. At the same time, the sealing element 12″ enters into a tight connection with the capsule body 24. The cover 25 of the capsule 2 is omitted in FIGS. 14 and 15. However, it is envisaged attaching such a cover in a centered manner on the flange-like edge 36 of the capsule body 24 such that said cover does not fall between the sealing element 12″ and the capsule body 24 or between the collar 37 and the adapter 1. It has been shown that this would significantly reduce the sealing action. In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown, it is provided that the cover 25 of the capsule 2 additionally enters into a tight connection with the sealing element 12′.
[0080] FIG. 16 shows a three-dimensional overall view of a capsule 2 according to the invention, of an adapter 1 and of the upper part 39 and the lower part 40 of a capsule holder of a beverage preparation device 3.
[0081] FIG. 17 shows a perspective sectional view of the overall view according to FIG. 16. It can be seen that the upper part 39 of the capsule holder has two punches 41, 41′. The punch 41 engages from the lower side in the elevation 31 of the base 32 of the capsule 2. The punch 41′ engages in the indentation 35 of the encircling collar 20. The lower part 40 of the capsule holder has an inflow stub 42 which engages in the inlet 8 of the adapter 1 and via which a pressurized liquid can be provided. Furthermore, the lower part 40 of the capsule holder has an outflow stub 43 in which the outlet 9 of the adapter 1 can engage. The lower part 40 of the capsule holder furthermore has two windows 44, 44′ via which a reading device, which is part of the beverage preparation device 3, can read a machine-readable code, which is mounted on the contact surface 13 of the capsule 2, for example a barcode 28, 28′, through the adapter 1.
[0082] FIGS. 18 and 19 show the adapter 1 according to the invention with a capsule 2 in the capsule holder 39, 40 of a beverage preparation device 3 in the closed state. It can be seen that the flange-like edge 38 of the adapter 1 is clamped between the upper part 39 and the lower part 40 of the capsule holder, and therefore the latter is closed in a sealing manner. Furthermore, it can be seen how the punch 41 acts on the lower side of the elevation 33 in the capsule base 32. The capsule 2 is thus pressed onto the adapter 1, and therefore the sealing elements 12, 12′, 12″ and the encircling collar 37 together with the contact surface 13 of the capsule 2 close in a sealing manner. Furthermore, the punch 41′ presses onto the inlet 8 of the adapter 1. The transition from the inflow stub 42 to the inlet 8 is thus sealed. For better clarity, the cover 25 forming the contact surface 13 is omitted in FIGS. 18 and 19.
[0083] FIG. 20 shows an alternative embodiment of an adapter 1. The latter has windows 23, 23′ through which a machine-readable code mounted on the contact surface 13 of the capsule 2 can be read by the beverage preparation device 3 when the adapter 1 is placed together with the capsule 2 into the beverage preparation device 3.
[0084] FIGS. 21 to 25 show a further exemplary embodiment of an adapter 1. The latter is used in the example according to FIGS. 5 to 19. However, a sealing element 12′ is not arranged around the discharging region 11. Instead, the transparent regions 27, 27′ are each surrounded by a sealing element 12″'. An adapter which has both sealing elements 12′, which surround the discharging region 11, and sealing elements 12″', which surround the transparent regions 27, 27′ or windows 23, 23′, would also be conceivable.
[0085] As is apparent in particular from FIG. 23, in said exemplary embodiment, the encircling collar 20 of the adapter 1 has latching means in the form of a cavity 45 and a latching lug 46, to which the encircling collar 37 of the flange-like edge 36 of the capsule body 24 can be latched. The capsule 2 can thus be held in a standby position in which the contact surface 13 of the capsule, formed in the present case by the cover 25, is held in front of the above-described penetration elements. The cover 25 is penetrated only when the capsule 2 and the adapter 1 are placed into the beverage preparation device 3 and the device 3 is closed.
