Beverage preparation system, a coded insert and methods of use thereof

Abstract

A beverage preparation system is provided comprising a beverage preparation machine, a cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients, and a coded insert. The beverage preparation machine comprises a brew head for receiving the cartridge. The cartridge comprises a primary code configured to provide operating instructions to the beverage preparation machine for delivering a beverage from the cartridge. The coded insert is separate from the cartridge and insertable along with the cartridge into the brew head. The coded insert comprises a secondary code configured to provide alternative operating instructions to the beverage preparation machine for delivering a modified beverage from the cartridge.

Claims

1. A coded insert for use with a beverage preparation machine of the type comprising a brew head and with a cartridge of the type containing one or more beverage ingredients and having a primary code configured to provide operating instructions to the beverage preparation machine for delivering a beverage from the cartridge; the coded insert being shaped and sized to be locatable within the brew head along with the cartridge and comprising a secondary code configured to provide alternative operating instructions to the beverage preparation machine for delivering a modified beverage from the cartridge; wherein the coded insert comprises a first member and a second member which is rotatably mounted to the first member, the first member having a rectangular window and the second member having a plurality of secondary codes which can be interchangeably viewed through the window by rotating the second member relative to the first member.

2. A coded insert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the modified beverage differs from the beverage in one or more of the following group of parameters: volume of beverage dispensed, temperature of beverage dispensed, and flow rate of beverage dispensed.

3. A coded insert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coded insert comprises a barcode.

4. A coded insert as claimed in claim 3 wherein the coded insert comprises a plurality of barcodes.

5. A coded insert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coded insert comprises one or more apertures for accommodating an inlet piercer and/or an outlet piercer of the beverage preparation machine.

6. A coded insert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coded insert has a planar form.

7. A coded insert as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coded insert comprises a machine-readable code on an obverse side and user operating instructions on a reverse side.

8. A method of dispensing a beverage from a beverage preparation machine using a cartridge containing one or more beverage ingredients, and a separate coded insert, wherein the cartridge comprises a primary code configured to provide operating instructions to the beverage preparation machine for delivering a beverage from the cartridge, and the coded insert comprises a secondary code configured to provide alternative operating instructions to the beverage preparation machine for delivering a modified beverage from the cartridge; wherein the coded insert comprises a first member and a second member which is rotatably mounted to the first member, the first member having a rectangular window and the second member having a plurality of secondary codes which can be interchangeably viewed through the window by rotating the second member relative to the first member; the method comprising the steps of: inserting the cartridge and the coded insert into a brew head of the beverage preparation machine; operating the beverage preparation machine to read operating instructions from the coded insert; preparing and dispensing the beverage according to the operating instructions read from the coded insert.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein: on insertion of the coded insert and cartridge into the brew head, the coded insert obscures the primary code from a code reader of the beverage preparation machine.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(1) Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a view of a reverse side of a coded insert according to the present disclosure;

(3) FIG. 2 is a view of the obverse side of the coded insert of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coded insert of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a near side-on view of the coded insert of FIG. 1;

(6) FIGS. 5a to 5d illustrate the insertion of the coded insert of FIG. 1 into a beverage preparation machine; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a view of an alternative coded insert according to the present disclosure.

(8) The coded insert 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a planar body having an obverse side 2 and a reverse side 3.

(9) In the following examples the coded insert 1 will be described for use with a Tassimo beverage preparation machine manufactured by Kraft Foods, Inc. and which is described, for example in EP1440639, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. Such a beverage preparation machine comprises a water reservoir that is fluidly connected to a water inlet of a brew head which comprises a fixed lower part and a pivotable upper part and pivotable cartridge mount that can be opened to allow insertion of a cartridge (such as a T-Disc cartridge) containing beverage ingredients and provided with a barcode for providing operating parameters to the beverage preparation machine. The brew head comprises an outlet in the lower part through which beverages are dispensed. The brew head is shaped to receive the cartridge in a specific orientation. The water is heated either by providing an immersion heater in the reservoir or pumping the water via a resistive flow heater or thermoblock. One or more temperature sensors are provided for controlling the temperature of the water dispensed. Volume control is provided by use of a flow meter or by controlling the number of pump cycles of a positive displacement pump. The beverage machine comprises a microprocessor control linked to the heater, pump, flow meter, temperature sensor(s) and also to a barcode reader of the brew head. The brew head is provided with an inlet piercer coupled to the water inlet and an outlet piercer coupled to the outlet of the brew head. In use the piercers form an inlet and an outlet in the previously sealed cartridges inserted into the brew head. Preferably, the inlet and outlet piercers are formed as a single replaceable piercer unit. In use, on insertion of the cartridge into the brew head the barcode reader is operated to read the barcode of the cartridge and so configure the brewing parameters for the individual brew cycle.

(10) It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to a coded insert for Tassimo beverage machines and the coded insert 1 may be configured to work with other beverage preparation machines.

(11) The planar body of the coded insert 1 is substantially disc shaped although a lobe 37 is provided at one point on the circumference. The lobe 37 provides a suitable handle for gripping the coded insert 1 and also ensures correct alignment of the coded insert 1 when inserted into the brew head of the beverage preparation machine as shown in FIGS. 5a to 5d.

(12) The coded insert 1 comprises a central aperture 4 and a peripheral aperture 5. The peripheral aperture 5 may comprise a slot (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) which extends inwardly from the edge of the body part way towards the centre of the disc. Alternatively, the peripheral aperture 5 may take the form of a hole fully bounded by the material of the coded insert 1 which is located near the peripheral edge of the coded insert 1.

(13) The obverse side 2 is provided with two barcodes 19. (A single barcode 19 may be provided where the coded insert 1 is designed to work with only a single model of beverage preparation machine. Multiple barcodes 19 may be provided where the coded insert 1 is designed to work with multiple beverage preparation machine models which have their barcode readers located in different positions in their respective brew heads).

(14) The reverse side 3 is provided with a plurality of pictograms 6 providing user operating instructions.

(15) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the coded insert 1 is thin compared to its diameter. Typical dimensions for one example are a diameter (not including the lobe 37) of 68 mm and a thickness of preferably 0.3 to 1.0 mm.

(16) The coded insert 1 may be manufacture from any suitable material, advantageously one which is durable, water resistant and wipe clean. An example is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

(17) In use, as shown in FIGS. 5a to 5d the brew head 51 of the beverage preparation machine 50 is opened to expose a pivotable cartridge mount 52 which normally directly receives the cartridge 10 containing the beverage ingredients. Instead, the coded insert 1 is first placed on the cartridge mount 52 with the obverse side 2 lowermost and the cartridge 10 is stacked on top.

(18) The brew head 51 is then closed pivoting the cartridge mount 52, cartridge 10 and coded insert 1 downwardly so as to pierce the underside of the cartridge 10 with the inlet and outlet piercers of the beverage preparation machine 50 in the normal manner. During this closing operation the outlet piercer passes through the central aperture 4 of the coded insert 1 and the inlet piercer passes through the peripheral aperture 5 such that the coded insert 1 is not damaged and the piercers are not impeded.

(19) When stacked in this configuration the barcode 19 on the coded insert 1 is aligned with the barcode reader of the brew head and also obstructs the barcode on the cartridge 10 from being read when start/stop button 54 is pressed.

(20) Thus, on pressing the start/stop button 54 the barcode 19 of the coded insert 1 will be read in place of the barcode of the cartridge 10 and a modified beverage will be dispensed.

(21) The coded insert 1 may be used to modify one or more brewing parameters for a number of reasons. One reason may be to alter the strength of the beverage by altering the volume of beverage dispensed or the flow rate of water. Another reason may be to provide improved iced or cold beverages using cartridges 10 normally configured to dispense hot beverages.

Example 1Iced Latte

(22) A coded insert 1 is provided to dispense an iced latte beverage using an Espresso T-Disc and a Creamer from milk T-Disc both available from Kraft Foods, Inc. First a user places six ice cubes in a glass. Next the coded insert 1 and the Creamer from milk T-Disc are inserted in stacked configuration and brewed to dispense a milk-based beverage portion of reduced volume than normal onto the ice cubes. The coded insert 1 and Creamer from milk T-Disc are removed and the Espresso T-Disc is inserted and brewed as normal to add a coffee portion into the glass to complete the iced latte.

(23) Suitable pictograms 6 for this example are shown in FIG. 1.

Example 2Iced Espresso

(24) A coded insert 1 is provided to dispense an iced espresso beverage using an Espresso T-Disc available from Kraft Foods, Inc. First a user places six ice cubes in a glass. Next the coded insert 1 and the Espresso T-Disc are inserted in stacked configuration and brewed to dispense a coffee beverage portion of reduced volume than normal onto the ice cubes to complete the iced latte. Optionally a spoonful of sugar can be added.

Example 3Iced Mint Tea

(25) A coded insert 1 is provided to dispense an iced mint tea beverage using an Twinings Green Tea and Mint T-Disc available from Kraft Foods, Inc. First a user places six ice cubes in a glass. Next the coded insert 1 and the Twinings Green Tea and Mint T-Disc are inserted in stacked configuration and brewed to dispense a tea beverage portion of reduced volume than normal onto the ice cubes to complete the iced mint tea. Optionally a spoonful of sugar can be added.

(26) The coded insert 1 may be reusable.

(27) In a modified embodiment the coded insert 1 may be disc shaped without a lobe 37 and be provided with a plurality of barcodes 19. In use the coded insert can be inserted into the brew head in a plurality of angular orientations to allow a user to choose a specific barcode to be read.

(28) FIG. 6 shows an alternative coded insert 101 which again is planar and relatively thin but comprises a first member 110 and a second member 111 which is rotatably mounted to the first member 110 by any suitable means such as a pin on one member and a retaining socket on the other member. The second member 111 is disc shaped. The first member 110 is generally disc shaped except for a protruding lobe 137 and a cut-off edge portion 113 which exposes the second member 111. The first member 110 is provided with a rectangular window 112.

(29) The second member 111 is provided with a plurality of barcodes 119 which can be interchangeably viewed through the window 112 by rotating the second member 111 relative to the first member 112.

(30) Both the second member 111 and first member 111 have an aligned central aperture 104. The first member has a peripheral aperture 105 and the second member has a plurality of outer apertures that each align with the peripheral aperture 105 of the first member 110 when the barcodes 119 are in register with the window 112.

(31) Pictograms 106 providing user instructions may be provided as before on the reverse side or, as illustrated, may be provided on the obverse side of the second member 112.

(32) In use a user first chooses which modified beverage they wish to dispense by rotating the second member 111 to display the correct barcode 119 in the window 112. The coded insert 101 is then inserted into the brew head 51 with the appropriate cartridge and brewed as described above in the previous embodiments.

(33) The coded insert 101 may alternatively have a sandwich structure wherein the second member 111 is rotatably mounted between two first members 110.