Portion capsule having an identifier
AssigneeK-Fee System GmbH
InventorMarc Krüger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beverage system for making a beverage that includes a single-serve capsule and a beverage machine. The capsule has a flange and a barcode on a bottom side of the flange. The beverage machine includes: a sensor/detector to read the barcode; a brewing chamber to receive the capsule; and a pump controlled to supply water into the capsule. The machine includes: a mandrel to pierce the cover in a region that is offset from the central axis; a seal that seals against the cover in a region between a peripheral edge of the flange and the region of the cover that is pierced by the mandrel; a pair of holding arms for engaging the capsule; and a dropping box for the capsule to fall into. The pump is controlled to push the water into the capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference.
Claims10
A beverage system for making a beverage, comprising:
- a single-serve capsule comprising:
- a base element with a cavity, in which a raw beverage material is provided;
- a flange extending outwardly from the base element, the flange comprising a top side and an opposing bottom side;
- a cover that is fastened to the top side of the flange to close the cavity;
- and a barcode provided on the bottom side of the flange;
- and
- a beverage machine comprising:
- a sensor/detector configured to read the barcode;
- a brewing chamber configured to receive the base element of the single-serve capsule and having an end portion that opposes the bottom side of the flange;
- and a pump controlled to supply water into the single-serve capsule;
- wherein the single-serve capsule is free of a filter that is located inside of the cavity, the single-serve capsule also comprises:
- i. an upper end portion that has an annular convexity and a lower end portion that has an annular concavity relative to a central axis of the base element;
- and
- ii. a barrier layer to prevent moisture or aroma from escaping out of the single-serve capsule;
- wherein the beverage machine also comprises:
- i. a mandrel that is configured to pierce the cover in a region that is offset from the central axis of the base element;
- ii. a seal that that is configured to seal against the cover in a region between a peripheral edge of the flange and the region of the cover that is pierced by the mandrel;
- iii. a pair of holding arms for engaging the single-serve capsule;
- and
- iv. a dropping box for the single-serve capsule to fall into;
- wherein the pump is controlled to push the water into the single-serve capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference.
A beverage system for making a beverage, comprising:
- a single-serve capsule comprising:
- a base element with a cavity, in which a raw beverage material is provided;
- a flange extending outwardly from the base element, the flange comprising a top side and an opposing bottom side;
- a cover that is fastened to the top side of the flange to close the cavity;
- and an identifier provided on the bottom side of the flange, the identifier being a barcode;
- and
- a beverage machine comprising:
- a sensor/detector, a brewing chamber configured to receive the base element of the single-serve capsule and having an end portion that opposes the bottom side of the flange;
- and a pump controlled to supply water into the single-serve capsule;
- wherein the single-serve capsule is free of a filter that is located inside of the cavity, the single-serve capsule also comprises:
- i. an upper end portion that has an annular convexity and a lower end portion that has an annular concavity relative to a central axis of the base element;
- ii. a barrier layer to prevent moisture or aroma from escaping out of the single-serve capsule;
- and
- iii. a side wall having indentations;
- wherein the beverage machine also comprises:
- i. a mandrel that is configured to pierce the cover in a region that is offset from the central axis of the base element;
- ii. a seal that that is configured to seal against the cover in a region between a peripheral edge of the flange and the region of the cover that is pierced by the mandrel;
- iii. a pair of holding arms for engaging opposite sides of the single-serve capsule;
- and
- iv. a dropping box for the single-serve capsule to fall into;
- wherein the beverage machine, by reading or detecting the identifier with the sensor/detector, is configured to determine if the single-serve capsule belongs to a group of single serve capsules operable for use with the beverage machine, and only if the beverage machine determines that the single-serve capsule belongs to the group of single serve capsules operable for use with the beverage machine is the pump controlled to push the water into the single-serve capsule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.