Capsule based system for preparing and dispensing a beverage
The present invention relates to dispensing of a substance from a container by means of a dispensing apparatus. Specifically, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to (1) a container and (2) the automated method for opening such container and (3) the automated method of dispensing of the contents from such container into a customer receptacle or glass.
1. A method of making and dispensing a beverage using a beverage preparation machine, the method comprising:
a beverage preparation machine comprising a lid, said lid comprising a slot to receive a beverage capsule;
inserting a beverage capsule into said slot of the lid, the beverage capsule having a capsule body, a rim and a cover sealed to the rim, and containing a beverage mix; and then,
closing said lid to break the seal between the cover and the rim and then,
the beverage preparation machine opening said capsule by tearing the cover from the rim of the capsule body by downwardly rotating the capsule body away from the cover;
injecting a mixing liquid stream into the opened capsule to force the beverage mix out of the capsule and into a container positioned below the capsule; and
further injecting a finishing liquid stream to direct the mixing stream into the container, thus preparing a beverage.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, the capsule comprising code and the machine reading the code on the capsule before opening the capsule.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, the beverage preparation machine injecting a correct quantity of the mixing liquid stream during the injecting step based on mixing instructions contained on said code.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said code is a bar code.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said mixing liquid stream is at ambient temperature.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixing liquid stream is water.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the finishing liquid stream is water.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the beverage preparation machine comprises liquid filters, and the mixing stream or the finishing stream is filtered by the liquid filters before being injected.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the opening of the capsule comprises downwardly rotating the capsule body 45 degrees with respect to the a horizontal plane.
10. A method of making and dispensing a beverage using a beverage preparation machine, the method comprising:
a beverage preparation machine comprising a display, a sensor to detect the presence of a beverage container, an optical reader to read information from the beverage capsule, a beverage capsule receiving compartment, lid comprising a capsule receiving slot, and a dispensing outlet;
placing a beverage container under the dispensing outlet;
the beverage preparation machine sensing, via the sensor, the presence of the beverage container;
after sensing the beverage container, the beverage preparation machine instructing, on the display, to place a beverage capsule in the machine, the beverage capsule having a capsule body, capsule rim and capsule cover, the capsule cover sealed to the capsule rim, the capsule having readable information and containing a beverage mix;
inserting the beverage capsule into the capsule receiving slot;
the machine reading, via the optical reader, information on the capsule and then instructing on the display to close the compartment lid over the capsule;
closing the compartment lid of the beverage preparation machine;
the beverage preparation machine opening said capsule by tearing the cover from the rim of the capsule body by downwardly rotating the capsule body away from the cover;
the beverage preparation machine then injecting a mixing liquid stream into the opened capsule to force the beverage mix out of the capsule and into the beverage container; and
further injecting a finishing liquid stream to direct the mixing stream into the beverage container, thus dispensing a prepared beverage from the beverage preparation machine; and then,
the beverage preparation machine providing instructions on the display to remove the beverage container from under the dispensing outlet;
removing the beverage container comprising the prepared beverage from under the dispensing outlet.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising,
the machine sensing via the sensor when the beverage container comprising the prepared beverage has been removed from the beverage preparation machine; the beverage preparation machine crushing the beverage capsule via the crushing arms, opening the recycle bin, forcing the crushed capsule into the recycle bin and then closing the recycle bin.
12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
the beverage preparation machine comprising a recycle bin;
the machine sensing, via the sensor, when the beverage container has been removed from the machine and then forcing the capsule into a recycle bin.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the mixing liquid is water.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein the mixing liquid is at ambient temperature.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the finishing liquid is water.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein the capsule comprises a bar code.
17. The method of claim 10 further comprising,
after the placing step, the beverage preparation machine providing instructions, via the display, to select to prepare a hot or cold drink;
selecting a hot drink and wherein the beverage preparation machine heats the mixing liquid or the finishing liquid.