Cartridge, machine and system for the preparation of beverages and process for manufacturing the cartridge

A system for the preparation of a beverage, the system comprising:

• a cartridge and a machine for use with said cartridge, wherein
• the cartridge comprises an envelope having a top end wall, an annular lateral wall, and a bottom end wall, the bottom end wall being connected to the top end wall by the annular lateral wall,
• a lower side of the bottom end wall is exposed to the outside of the cartridge,
• an upper side of the bottom end wall defines, together with the top end wall and the annular lateral wall, an internal chamber, the internal chamber containing an amount or dose of a substance for preparation of the beverage;
• said envelope has at least one first permeable wall and at least one second permeable wall, the at least one first permeable wall and the at least one second permeable wall defining an inlet and an outlet, respectively allowing an introduction of a flow of water into the internal chamber, and allowing an outflow of the beverage from the internal chamber;
• said envelope further having an annular formation extending downwardly as a prolongation of the annular lateral wall, the annular formation protruding downwardly beyond said bottom end wall, substantially along an axial direction of the envelope;
• the at least one first permeable wall is in the annular lateral wall;
• the annular formation being the bottom most portion of the cartridge;
• the machine comprises an infusion unit adapted to receive said cartridge, a supply unit allowing a flow of water to be introduced into the cartridge, and a discharge unit allowing for an outflow of the beverage formed in the infusion unit toward a collecting vessel;
• the infusion unit including a plurality of parts arranged to be coupled together in a leak-tight way to define, as a whole, an infusion chamber configured to receive the cartridge,
• the infusion chamber being configured to define, relative to the cartridge positioned therein, an annular space connectable to the supply unit and separated in a liquid-tight manner from the discharge unit;
• a first stationary part of said plurality of parts having a first cup-shaped body and a deformable first sealing ring,
• the annular formation abuts against the deformable first sealing ring when the cartridge is positioned in the infusion chamber when the infusion chamber is closed,
• a second part of said plurality of parts includes an annular containing body having a lower edge portion, the lower edge portion being movably mounted within an upper part of the first stationary part,
• the second part having a tapering bevel wedged between a lateral wall of the first stationary part and the deformable first sealing ring,
• when the infusion chamber is closed, the deformable first sealing ring deforms radially against the annular formation so as to separate the infusion chamber from the discharge unit in a liquid-tight manner, and
• the infusion unit further includes a disc-shaped sealing element having a first radially outermost annular groove which is engaged by a second sealing ring, and a second radially innermost annular groove which is coaxial with the first radially outermost annular groove and in which a third sealing ring, pressing against the top end wall of the cartridge is engaged.