IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,858,177
Granted Patent B2
US 10,858,177 · App. 16/860,432 · Granted Dec 8, 2020

Portion capsule having an identifier

Inventor: Marc Krüger (Bergisch Gladbach, DE)
Assignee: K-FEE SYSTEM GMBH
B65D85/8043A47J31/4492B65D65/466B65D2203/06B65D2203/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,858,177
App. No.
16/860,432
Granted
Dec 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A beverage system for producing a beverage. The beverage system includes a portion capsule and a beverage machine. The portion capsule includes a lid sealed to a base element having a cavity within which a beverage raw material is provided. The base element has a circumferential flange having a top side and a bottom side with a barcode located on the bottom side. The beverage machine includes a detector to read the barcode, a media chute configured to receive and support the portion capsule, and a pump controlled to push water into the portion capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference.

Claims (30)

1. A beverage system for producing a beverage, comprising:

a portion capsule comprising: a foil lid sealed to a base element having a cavity within which a beverage raw material is provided, the base element comprising a circumferential flange having a top side to which the lid is attached and a bottom side with a barcode located on the bottom side, and

a beverage machine comprising: a detector to read the barcode, a media chute configured to receive and support the portion capsule, and a pump controlled to push water into the portion capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference,

wherein the base element has a wall region with an electrically conductive section and radially spaced and vertically oriented drawn grooves, the cavity has radially spaced and vertically oriented drawn ribs.

2. The beverage system according to claim 1 , wherein the beverage machine comprises a pair of holding arms for engaging the portion capsule.

3. The beverage system according to claim 2 , wherein the holding arms engage opposing sides of the portion capsule.

4. The beverage system according to claim 1 , wherein the water is pushed into the portion capsule along a central axis that is perpendicular to the flange of the portion capsule.

5. The beverage system according to claim 4 , wherein the beverage machine comprises a mandrel that pierces the lid in a region that is offset from the central axis.

6. The beverage system according to claim 1 , wherein the beverage machine is operable to pierce the lid in a region that is offset from a central axis of the portion capsule.

7. A beverage system comprising:

a portion capsule comprising: a foil lid sealed to a base element having a cavity within which a powdered coffee material is located, the base element including an electrically conductive section and a circumferential flange having a top side onto which the lid is attached and a bottom side with a barcode located on the bottom side, the portion capsule being free of a filter and comprising a plurality of ribs that are (i) radially spaced, (ii) vertically oriented, and (iii) configured to extend toward a central portion of the cavity; and

a beverage machine comprising: a detector to read the barcode, a media chute configured to receive and support the portion capsule, and a pump controlled to push heated water into the portion capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference,

wherein the base element comprises a circumferential border adjacent the flange and a wall region extending between the border and a bottom of the base element, the border has a larger diameter compared to a diameter of the wall region.

8. The beverage system according to claim 7 , wherein an outer surface of the base element comprises a plurality of grooves that are radially spaced, vertically oriented, and extend only partially between the flange and the bottom area of the base element.

9. A beverage system comprising:

a portion capsule comprising: a foil lid sealed to a base element having a cavity within which a powdered coffee material is located, the base element including a flange having a top side onto which the lid is attached and an opposing bottom side with a barcode located on the bottom side; and

a coffee machine comprising: a detector to read the barcode, a media chute configured to receive the portion capsule, a seal that seals against the foil lid, a mandrel configured to pierce the foil lid in a region that is offset from a central axis of the portion capsule, and a pump controlled to push heated water into the portion capsule only upon a determination that the read barcode agrees with a stored reference, the pump is also controlled to not push heated water into the portion capsule upon a determination that the read barcode does not agree with the stored reference,

wherein the base, element has a wall region with an electrically conductive section and radially spaced and vertically oriented drawn grooves, the cavity has radially spaced and vertically oriented drawn ribs, and

wherein the base element comprises a circumferential border adjacent the flange that has an enlarged diameter compared to a diameter of the wall region of the base element.

10. The beverage system according to claim 9 , the beverage machine comprises a pair of holding arms for engaging the portion capsule.

11. The beverage system according to claim 9 , wherein the coffee machine comprises a dropping box for the portion capsule to fall into.

12. The beverage system according to claim 1 , wherein the cavity has grooves defined between the ribs, and the grooves in the cavity generate turbulence of the water in the cavity.

13. The beverage system according to claim 1 , wherein the portion capsule is free of a filter and the base element is made of metal.

14. The beverage system according to claim 1 , wherein the base element comprises a circumferential border adjacent the flange and a wall region extending between the border and a bottom of the base element, the border has a larger diameter compared to a diameter of the wall region.

15. The beverage system according to claim 7 , wherein the lid and the base element are made of metal.

16. The beverage system according to claim 7 , wherein the base element has radially spaced and vertically oriented drawn grooves.

17. The beverage system according to claim 16 , wherein the grooves extend into the border.

18. The beverage system according to claim 7 , wherein the beverage machine pierces the lid in a region that is offset from a central axis of the portion capsule.

19. The beverage system according to claim 9 , wherein the portion capsule is free of a filter.

20. The beverage system according to claim 9 , wherein the grooves extend into the border.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 21, 2026
From: K-FEE SYSTEM GMBH
To: SOCIÉTÉ DES PRODUITS NESTLÉ SA
Reel/Frame 073529/0617 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 10, 2020
From: KRÜGER, MARC
To: K-FEE SYSTEM GMBH
Reel/Frame 053184/0930 →
Priority Claims (3)
DE 10 2010 031 988 · Jul 22, 2010 · national
DE 10 2010 044 251 · Sep 2, 2010 · national
DE 10 2011 010 534 · Feb 7, 2011 · national
Continuity (6)
Continuation 16438818 · Jun 12, 2019
Continuation 15646980 · Jul 11, 2017
Division 15211823 · Jul 15, 2016
Division 13744623 · Jan 18, 2013
Continuation PCTEP2011003677 · Jul 22, 2011
Related Publication 20200255212A1 · Aug 13, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,369,742