A tray assembly for apparatuses for preparing coffee, milk and infusion-based beverages

A tray assembly for use with a beverage apparatus for preparing and dispensing a beverage, the tray assembly comprising:

• a mechanical interface element for connection to the beverage apparatus;
• a tray removably mounted to the mechanical interface element, the tray including a grille and a body having a funnel disposed therein, the grille being disposed over the funnel and providing a support for a cup to be filled with the beverage, the grille being configured to allow spilled beverage to pass therethrough into the funnel, the funnel having a discharge fitting;
• a hydraulic coupling apparatus for connecting the discharge fitting of the funnel to a discharge outlet of the beverage apparatus to permit spilled beverage in the funnel to flow to the discharge outlet of the beverage apparatus;
• wherein the mechanical interface element and the tray are configured to have the tray mounted to the mechanical interface element so as to be in a lower position or an upper position relative thereto in order to accommodate different-sized cups, wherein one of the mechanical interface element and the tray have appendices extending therefrom and the other one of the mechanical interface element and the tray have recesses or openings formed therein that are configured to receive the appendices to mount the tray to the mechanical interface element, and wherein the mechanical interface element and the tray are configured to permit the height of the appendices relative to the recesses or openings receiving the appendices to be changed to change a mounting position of the tray between the lower position and the upper position;
• and
• wherein the hydraulic coupling apparatus is configured to connect the funnel to the discharge outlet when the tray is in either the lower position or the upper position.