Beverage preparation machine

2:

• The system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-piercing arrangement is configured to pierce a wall opposed to the a wall to be contacted by the reading head.

3:

• The system according to claim 1, wherein the pre-piercing arrangement is configured to pierce the pod when the positioning mechanism moves the pod and/or the code reader relative to each other from the holding position to the reading position.

4:

• The system according to claim 1, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises a pushing device configured to push the pod from the holding position to the reading position, and wherein the pushing device bears the pre-piercing arrangement.

5:

• The system according to claim 1, wherein the extraction device comprises upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts, wherein at least one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts is movable to the other between (i) an open position for inserting the pod in the extraction device and removing the pod from the extraction device and (ii) a closed position for forming an extraction chamber enclosing the pod during extraction, and
• wherein the code reader is positioned above the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts.

6:

• The system according claim 5, wherein the beverage preparation machine comprises a blocking member to block vertically temporary the pod in the holding position above the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts, and
• wherein the blocking member is actuated by a movement of the upstream enclosing part or the downstream pod enclosing part.

7:

• The system according to claim 6, wherein the blocking member is a pod support attached to one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts, the pod support being designed and positioned relatively to the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts:
• to receive and hold the pod above the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts when the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts are positioned in a pod holding position,
• to release the pod when the upstream pod enclosing part is positioned in the open position.

9:

• The system according to claim 1, wherein the pod is airtight, and at least a part of the first and second enclosing walls of the pod is made of a deformable material, the material being deformable under a difference of external atmospheric pressure, and the machine-readable code storing the preparation information is arranged on the surface of the part of the first and second enclosing walls of the pod made of the deformable material.

10:

• The system according to claim 9, wherein the deformable material is a multilayer paper material, the multilayer paper material comprising at least one layer of paper assembled with at least one layer of plastic.

The system according to claim 1, wherein the beverage ingredient in the pod contains a compacted beverage ingredient.

(canceled)

15:

• The system according to claim 1, wherein the beverage ingredient in the pod contains compacted roast and ground coffee.