System for dispensing short and long coffee beverages

1. A beverage system for selectively delivering, in a same coffee extraction device, short coffee liquid extracts and long coffee liquid extracts comprising:

cartridges containing ground coffee;

a receiving device for receiving one cartridge at a time and pumping means for injecting water under pressure in the cartridge;

means for opening the cartridge comprising retaining means to retain the liquid under pressure in the cartridge and engaging means which engage the retaining means to open the cartridge and deliver the coffee liquid extract;

at least a first cartridge adapted to deliver a short coffee liquid extract,

at least a second cartridge having substantially the same external configuration and shape as the first cartridge so as to be capable of being received in the same receiving device as the first cartridge and adapted to deliver a longer coffee liquid extract upon allowing a larger amount of water to flow there through, wherein the second cartridge has a greater amount of ground coffee than the first cartridge, the coffee in the second cartridge has a higher value of granulometry than the coffee in the first cartridge and a greater mass of coffee per unit volume than in the first cartridge so that water flows through the second cartridge at a greater rate than in the first cartridge during extraction.

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein the second cartridge contains at least 10% by wt. more ground coffee than the first cartridges.

3. System according to claim 1 , wherein the second cartridges contains at least 20% more ground coffee than the first cartridges.

4. System according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of coffee in the second cartridge is determined so that the flow rate is between 160 and 300 grams/minute whereas the amount in the first cartridge is between 50 and 150 grams/minute.

5. System according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of coffee in the second cartridge has an extraction yield of between 17 and 30% and total solids between 1.1 and 1.9% wt.

6. System according to claim 1 , wherein the second cartridge contains between 6 to 8 grams of ground coffee whereas the first cartridge contains between 5 and 6 grams of ground coffee.

7. System according to claim 1 , wherein, the opening means and device for delivering the longer liquid extract are arranged inter-dependently to deliver the coffee extract of the second cartridge at an opening pressure that is lower than the opening pressure retained in the first cartridge.

8. System according to claim 7 , wherein the opening pressure retained in the second cartridge before opening by the opening means is at least 20% lower than the opening pressure retained in the first cartridges before opening by the opening means and the internal pressure of the second cartridge is at least 20% lower than the internal pressure of the first cartridge.

9. System according to claim 1 , wherein the granulometry of the ground coffee in the second cartridge is of from 300 to 600 microns whereas the granulometry of the first cartridge is of from 200 to 400 microns.

10. System according to claim 1 , wherein the tap density in the second cartridge is higher than the tap density in the first cartridge.

11. System according to claim 1 , wherein the tap density in the second cartridge is of from 390 to 500 g/l whereas the tap density of the first cartridge is of from 300 to 430 g/l.

12. System according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining means is tearable or cuttable against the engaging means under the effect of the pressure in the cartridge.

13. System according to claim 12 , wherein the retaining means is a membrane and the engaging means comprises a surface with protruding elements.

14. System according to claim 1 , wherein the different flow rates of the first and second cartridges are further achieved by a different configuration of the opening means including:

(a) a membrane of the second cartridge has a lower puncture resistance than a membrane of the first cartridge, and/or

(b) the engaging means is made of a more incisive design for opening the second cartridge than for opening the first cartridge.

15. System according to claim 1 , wherein the different flow rates of the first and second cartridges are further achieved by a different configuration of the member for opening comprising a membrane of the second cartridge having a lower puncture resistance than a membrane of the first cartridge.

16. System according to claim 1 , wherein the different flow rates of the first and second cartridges are further achieved by a different configuration of the member for opening comprising the engaging means being made of a more incisive design for opening the second cartridge than for opening the first cartridge.

17. A beverage system comprising:

a device for receiving a cartridge and injecting water under pressure in the cartridge;

a member for opening the cartridge and retaining liquid under pressure in the cartridge and deliver a coffee liquid extract;

a first cartridge adapted to deliver a short coffee liquid extract,

a second cartridge which has substantially the same external configuration and shape as the first cartridge and which is adapted to deliver a longer coffee liquid extract allowing a larger amount of water to flow there through, wherein the second cartridge has a greater amount of ground coffee than the first cartridge, the coffee in the second cartridge has a higher value of granulometry than the coffee in the first cartridge and a greater mass of coffee per unit volume than in the first cartridge so that water flows through the second cartridge at a higher rate than in the first cartridge during extraction.