Capsule for preparing edible compositions

Abstract

The present invention concerns a capsule (1) for food or beverage preparation having a capsule body defining a compartment for containing a precursor ingredient, the capsule body being a volume with one symmetry plane or one symmetry axis so as to define at least two symmetrical volume segments, the capsule (1) being suitable for coupling any of its body segments to a food or beverage preparation machine (14) for injection of a mixing ingredient from the machine within the capsule, characterized in that the capsule (1) comprises at least two codes (15) each located in one body segment, each code (15) carrying two different alternative values of a same beverage preparation setting.

Claims

1. A food or beverage preparation system comprising: a food or beverage preparation machine having an optical reader; and a capsule suitable for coupling any body segment of the capsule to the food or beverage preparation machine for injection of a mixing ingredient from the food or beverage preparation machine within the capsule, the capsule comprising: a capsule body comprising a top wall comprising an inner surface, the capsule body further comprising a bottom wall and a side wall extending from the bottom wall to the top wall, the inner surface of the top wall defines part of a compartment for containing a precursor ingredient, the top wall comprising a membrane sealed onto a peripheral upper edge of the side wall, the capsule body having a volume with one symmetry plane or one symmetry axis to define at least two symmetrical body segments of the capsule; and at least two codes, each of the at least two codes located on an outer surface of the top wall, the outer surface located on an opposite side of the top wall from the inner surface, each of the at least two codes code carrying one respective value of a beverage preparation setting for operating the food or beverage preparation machine, wherein the at least two codes are different from one another such that the at least two codes carry different values of the same beverage preparation setting; and wherein each of the at least two codes are arranged on the capsule such that only one of the at least two codes is read by the machine based on the orientation of the capsule relative to the machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the description of the presently preferred embodiments which are set out below with reference to the drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a cut perspective view of a capsule for preparation of a beverage product;

(3) FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a capsule having setting prints according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a beverage preparation system comprising a capsule and a machine according to the invention;

(5) FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C are top perspective views of capsule loaded in the capsule holder of a beverage preparation machine, in three different setting positions;

(6) FIGS. 5A, 5B are perspective, respectively enlarged perspective, views of a machine with a capsule holder and capsule being loaded into the machine;

(7) FIGS. 6A and 6B are top perspective, side, and respectively cut side, views of a beverage capsule and optical reader of a beverage machine according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) A capsule 1 according to the invention is represented in FIG. 1. It comprises a capsule body with side wall 2, a top wall 3, and a bottom wall 4. The top wall 3 is a pierceable membrane that is sealed onto peripheral upper edges 5 of the side wall 2. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the membrane 3 is pierceable by an injection needle 6 of the machine, which injects water under pressure, as a mixing ingredient into the interior of the capsule, where it mixes with a precursor ingredient (not shown) contained therein. The mix between the precursor ingredient and the mixing ingredient forms an end product. The product is the dispensed into a cup or other consumer container, through a dispensing opening 7 of the capsule bottom wall. Opening of the capsule is performed by a pierceable bottom membrane 8 that flexes down when water pressure inside the capsule increases (due to injection of said water inside the capsule), such that it contacts a piercing plate 9 placed thereunder. This opening principle of the capsule is described extensively in e.g. Applicant's European patent EP 1472156 B1.

(9) The capsule can be made of any suitable material, for instance a plastic that is injected, or thermoformed, and having moisture and oxygen barrier properties. The top pierceable membrane is made with a mono- or multi-layer plastic film having preferably moisture and oxygen barrier properties. The bottom pierceable layer is preferably made of an aluminium, comprising a layer of thermoplastic for better sealing properties to the rest of the capsule plastic body.

(10) The capsule body is generally frustoconical, with a greater cross section near the top of the capsule body. Said capsule body is a volume with one vertical symmetry axis VAS.

(11) According to the invention and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the top wall comprises a series of three codes 15 which are located each in a segment of the capsule. Segments are represented with dotted lines in FIG. 2. Each code carries one different alternative value of a same beverage preparation setting. All codes carry a code for beverage volume dispensing. As shown in FIG. 2, the code that is placed in the middle codes for the standard volume setting. In the example shown in FIG. 2, this standard setting code 15 comprises superimposed bars. The more bars printed as a code, the greater the volume to be dispensed into the consumer cup. According to the invention, the capsule comprises a second code, with only 5 superimposed bars, which therefore corresponds to a lower volume to be dispensed, and a third code which comprises 7 bars, i.e. which codes for a larger than standard volume to be dispensed.

(12) The capsule according to the invention is used as illustrated in FIG. 3: the used places the capsule into a capsule holder 10 of a beverage preparation machine, which is then inserted into a corresponding slot of the machine, as shown with arrows.

(13) At the time the capsule is inserted into the capsule holder, the user can choose which volume setting he desires by rotating the capsule within the capsule holder, and aligning the selected code with a position indicator 11 of the capsule holder. The capsule can be rotated for selection of the standard code by aligning the middle code with the capsule holder indicator as shown in FIG. 4A, or alternatively the user can rotate the capsule differently within the capsule holder by aligning the lower volume code as shown in FIG. 4B, or as a third alternative the user can rotate the capsule within the capsule holder to select the greater dispensing volume as shown in FIG. 4C.

(14) Once the user has placed the capsule in the capsule holder and has selected a volume setting by rotating the capsule therein as described above, the user can insert the loaded capsule holder within the machine, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

(15) Once the user has placed a capsule in the capsule holder, and has selected the volume setting by rotating the capsule therein as described above, the user can insert the loaded capsule holder within the machine, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

(16) As illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the machine comprises an optical reader 16, consisting of a laser emitting diode 17 and a photo sensor 18. The diode sends a sensing beam 12 towards the capsule surface, and the photo sensor captures the reflected light beam 13. The machine 14 therefore senses the number of bars in the code, and adapts the beverage preparation settings.

(17) The details of the optical reader are shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. as shown in FIG. 6A, the optical reader is located in the machine such that it can sense the code printed on the front half of the capsule. The direction of insertion of the capsule into the machine is illustrated in FIG. 6A with an arrow.

(18) In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the optical reader is positioned in the machine such that the sensing beam 12 and the reflected beam 13 are directed in a plane that is perpendicular to the top wall 3 of the capsule which bears the code, as illustrated in FIG. 6B. Importantly, the position and the distance of the optical reader relative to the upper surface of the capsule is such that said optical reader can read the code that the user has aligned to the position indicator of the capsule holder.

(19) The working principle of the optical reader is similar to the principle of a barcode reader. More precisely, it senses the variations of contrast in the zone of the code. Even more precisely the optical reader senses the presence of each bar of the code, which is interpreted by the machine as a beverage preparation setting, depending on the number of bars which are sensed once the full code is read. By inserting the capsule, the optical reader counts the number of bars and adapts the cup volume accordingly.

(20) Importantly, the fact that each code is made of a series of superimposed bars, or out of one bar (for the smallest value of the coded setting), is advantageous because the speed of insertion of the capsule within the machine does not impact on the precision of reading by the optical sensor: the photo sensor reads only a series of light and dark items, which is converted into a series of bits by the decoding program of the machine, which is then translated directly into a value corresponding to the setting as selected by the user.

(21) The invention as described above can be used independently from the fact that the capsule is inserted directly into the machine, or via a capsule holder as described above. What is important is the correct positioning of the code borne by the capsule relative to the sensor of the beverage machine.

(22) It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.