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US 8,770,094 B2Granted
Beverage preparation machine for large size beverages
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsBlaise Rithener, Christian Jarisch, Antoine Cahen, Alain Jaccard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beverage preparation machine (1) has a fluid circuit (3-10c) that comprises a liquid flavoring arrangement (9a, 3, 4, 5) for circulating a liquid, such as water, through a flavoring ingredient (2, 2′) to flavor this liquid and for dispensing this flavored liquid to a user-receptacle (100). The fluid circuit further comprises a dilution arrangement (9b, 9′, 9″) for mixing the liquid unflavored with the flavored liquid upon flavoring.
Claims19
A beverage preparation machine having a fluid circuit comprising:
- a liquid flavoring arrangement for circulating a liquid through a flavoring ingredient to flavor the liquid and for dispensing the flavored liquid to a user-cup,
- a dilution arrangement for mixing the liquid unflavored with the flavored liquid upon flavoring,
- a first outlet for dispensing the flavored liquid, and a second outlet for dispensing the unflavored liquid, the first outlet and the second outlet arranged to direct the flavored and unflavored liquids to a single filling position for the user-cup below the first and second outlets,
- and the fluid circuit has a dispensing configuration for dispensing the flavored and unflavored liquids from the fluid circuit to a receptacle filling zone within a notional virtual dispensing cylinder having a diameter of 0.1 to 2 cm, the receptacle filling zone arranged to support the user-cup in the single filling position in which the user-cup collects the flavored and unflavored liquids below the first and second outlets, and the dispensing configuration is selected from the group consisting of (i) the first and second outlets are in contact with each other to dispense the flavored and unflavored liquids, respectively, into the user-cup located vertically underneath the first and second outlets, (ii) the first and second outlets are adjacent to each other by a distance less than 20 mm to dispense the flavored and unflavored liquids, respectively, into the user-cup located vertically underneath the first and second outlets, (iii) the first outlet is arranged within the second outlet, and (iv) the second outlet is arranged within the first outlet.
1 more element
A beverage preparation system comprising a machine having a fluid circuit comprising:
- a liquid flavoring arrangement for circulating a liquid through a flavoring ingredient to flavor the liquid and for dispensing the flavored liquid to a user-receptacle;
- a dilution arrangement for mixing the liquid unflavored with the flavored liquid upon flavoring;
- a pre-portioned flavoring ingredient cartridge that is contained in the ingredient chamber of the machine;
- a first outlet for dispensing the flavored liquid, and a second outlet for dispensing the unflavored liquid, the first outlet and the second outlet arranged to direct the flavored and unflavored liquids to a single filling position for the user-receptacle below the first and second outlets;
- and the fluid circuit has a dispensing configuration selected from the group consisting of (i) the first and second outlets are in contact with each other to dispense the flavored and unflavored liquids, respectively, into the user-cup located vertically underneath the first and second outlets, (ii) the first and second outlets are adjacent to each other by a distance less than 20 mm to dispense the flavored and unflavored liquids, respectively, into the user-cup located vertically underneath the first and second outlets, (iii) the first outlet is arranged within the second outlet, and (iv) the second outlet.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.