Refill cartridge for a drink dispensing device and device designed for such a cartridge
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsBernard Jeannin, Petr Masek, Ennio Bardin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A food substance refill element for an automatic fluid dispensing device. The refill element includes a receptacle containing a quantity of the substance to be refilled into the fluid dispensing device and a closing member that cooperates with the receptacle to form a hermetically enclosed chamber. The closing member includes a detachment portion so that the closing member is at least partially detached from the receptacle when the refill element is introduced into the automatic fluid dispensing device or after the refill element has been introduced in the automatic fluid dispensing device. The invention also relates to a fluid dispensing device for use with the refill element.
Claims35
A refill element for an automatic fluid dispensing device comprising a receptacle having a periphery within which is contained a predetermined quantity of a substance to be filled into the device and a closing member cooperating with the receptacle to form an enclosed chamber, wherein the closing member comprises a detachment portion adapted to engage a retaining part of the device to at least partially detach the closing member from the receptacle, wherein the substance is a pulverized or powdered food substance useful for the preparation of a drink.
A drink-dispensing apparatus comprising:
- at least one refill element for refilling the dispensing device with a pulverized substance, wherein the refill element comprises a receptacle in the form of an elongated tray containing the pulverized substance within its periphery and a detachable film that cooperates with the refill element to form an enclosed chamber, wherein the film has a foldable free portion that extends beyond the periphery of the receptacle, the free portion being provided with a detachment portion;
- and
- a dispensing device comprising a housing for receiving the refill element and a retaining part which engages the detachment portion when the refill element is introduced into the housing, so that the movement of introducing the refill element into the housing causes the film to be delaminated from the refill element so that the substance is released into the dispensing device by gravity.
A refill element for an automatic fluid dispensing device comprising a receptacle having a periphery within which is contained a predetermined quantity of a substance to be filled into the device and a closing member cooperating with the receptacle to form an enclosed chamber, wherein the substance is a pulverized or powdered food substance, wherein the closing member comprises a detachment portion bearing at least one catching means adapted to engage a retaining part of the device to at least partially detach the closing member from the receptacle, and wherein the receptacle comprises guiding means adapted to slidably guide the refill element in the dispensing device while the catching means is capable of engaging the retaining part of the device.
A refill element for an automatic fluid dispensing device comprising a receptacle having a periphery within which is contained a predetermined quantity of a substance comprising a pulverized or powdered food to be filled into the device and a closing member cooperating with the receptacle to form an enclosed chamber, wherein the closing member comprises a detachment portion that is adapted to engage a retaining part of the device to at least partially detach the closing member from the receptacle, and wherein the receptacle is made of a thermoformed, injected, extrusion blow-molded, or injection blow-molded plastic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.