Patent Description:
In particular this invention relates to a capsule and to a system for making a beverage which comprises the capsule, of the type in which the capsule contains a powdered food substance, which allows the beverage to be made by passing a water flow through the food substance. This invention may be applied either in the case in which the capsule is of the type which contains a food substance intended to allow the beverage to be made by extraction or infusion (such as roasted, ground coffee), or in the case in which the capsule is of the type which contains a food substance intended to allow the beverage to be made following complete or partial dissolving of the food substance in the water which passes through it (for example milk, chocolate, powdered tea, etc.).

In general, in accordance with the prior art, the capsule comprises a main body which contains the food substance, and an upper film which closes the top of the main body. The main body is usually substantially cup-shaped and comprises a lateral wall and a bottom wall. The lateral wall is typically roughly frustoconical or cylindrical.

This invention is intended, in particular, for a type of capsule into which water is injected through the upper film and in which the beverage comes out of the capsule through the bottom wall. In most applications the upper film is initially closed and is pierced by a piercer which is part of the apparatus for making the beverage. The outflow of the beverage through the bottom wall occurs through an opening which may already be present in the bottom wall, or which may be made in the bottom wall by the apparatus for making the beverage.

In any case, this invention may also be applied in capsules with an inverted inner structure, that is to say, in capsules in which the bottom wall constitutes an infeed wall for the water whilst the upper film constitutes an outfeed wall for the beverage.

Irrespective of how they are structured, prior art capsules also usually have a barrier against the passage of oxygen, in order to ensure optimum preservation of the food substance contained in them.

When the capsules contain a food substance which allows a beverage to be made by means of extraction or infusion, inside the main body there is usually also a lower filtering unit, which is positioned between the food substance and the outfeed wall of the main body. This lower filtering unit is configured to filter the beverage made by passing the water through the food substance contained in the capsule and, therefore, to retain inside the main body at least most of the food substance which, if it were to come out together with the beverage, would reduce the quality of the latter.

Most of the prior art capsules for making a beverage are used in apparatuses for making beverages capable of supplying the beverage directly into a cup. In more detail, in most prior art applications, the capsule is inserted in an openable and closable infusion chamber, defined by the apparatus; when the capsule is inside the closed infusion chamber, the water (hot and more or less pressurised as required) is injected into the capsule, in order to obtain the beverage following the interaction of the water with the food substance. Finally, the beverage is made to come out of the capsule and of the apparatus along a supplying path.

In order to obtain a good quality of the beverage supplied from the capsule it is usually recognised that the food substance should preferably remain sufficiently compacted inside the capsule. Therefore, many prior art capsules are configured to guarantee that a predetermined level of food substance compression is maintained (a level which, usually, depends on the type of food substance itself).

The type of prior art capsules for which this invention is intended, like for example <CIT>, also comprises a water flow distributing unit, which is positioned between the infeed wall and the food substance. In these capsules, the food substance is usually compacted between the water flow distributing unit and the lower filtering unit; indeed, maintaining a suitable level of compression of the powdered food substance may allow the quality of the beverage to be improved.

For some aspects, the shape of the water flow distributing unit may depend on the type of food substance contained in the main body of the capsule. Indeed, for the food substances which allow beverages to be made by means of extraction or infusion, the water flow distributing unit is usually shaped in such a way as to allow the most homogeneous possible distribution of the water in the food substance, in order to attempt to guarantee uniform wetting of it; for this type of food substances, the water flow distributing unit usually has a large number of holes which are distributed as evenly as possible on its surface. In contrast, in the case of food substances which allow beverages to be made by dissolving the food substance, the prior art includes use of a water flow distributing unit configured to convey the water flow at infeed towards a circumscribed zone of the containment chamber for the food substance; this circumscribed zone is typically not aligned with the opening in the outfeed wall from which the beverage comes out, in such a way as to favour a turbulent development of the water flow inside the containment chamber as it passes through the food substance and, consequently, to encourage dissolving of the food substance contained in the main body of the capsule.

Furthermore, use is known of water flow distributing units which are rigid or semi-rigid, and which are typically made by moulding, in particular by means of injection moulding. This type of water flow distributing units, described for example in <CIT>, guarantees optimum quality of the beverage supplied, partly because it allows a suitable level of compression of the food substance to be maintained even during supplying: that may be achieved either thanks to their intrinsic stiffness, or by means of the contact between these units and the infeed wall as well as the contact between the infeed wall and a rigid part of the apparatus. However, the use of rigid or semi-rigid water flow distributing units of the type described above involves relatively high costs linked above all to the quantity of material necessary to make them.

In order to keep such production costs lower, in many types of prior art capsules use is, in contrast, made of water flow distributing units constituted of, or which comprise, a micro-perforated flexible membrane placed a predetermined distance from the infeed wall.

Water flow distributing units comprising a micro-perforated flexible membrane are less expensive than rigid or semi-rigid ones, but they may have the disadvantage of not allowing the obtainment of the same quality of beverage as when the latter are used.

This problem is due mainly to the fact that the water flow distributing units comprising a micro-perforated flexible membrane, unlike rigid or semi-rigid ones, may not be capable of guaranteeing a suitable compression/compacting of the powdered food substance during supplying. Since they are less stiff than rigid or semi-rigid water flow distributing units, they indeed show a greater tendency to deform towards the infeed wall when the food substance, absorbing the water, tends to increase in volume.

Usually, during injection of water into the capsule the water flow distributing unit initially deforms towards the food substance, due to the high pressure of the injected water, temporarily increasing the level of compression of the food substance; however, then, the increase in the volume of the food substance, which occurs following absorption of the water by the food substance, combined with heating of the micro-perforated membrane by the hot water, causes a deformation of the water flow distributing unit away from the food substance, that is to say, towards the infeed wall.

What is described above is a problem which arises particularly if the food substance is a substance such as roasted, ground coffee, from which the beverage is obtained by means of extraction or infusion; however, that shall not be understood as limiting this invention, since the same problem might be important even with regard to capsules containing food substances for making beverages by dissolving.

Therefore, an ideal capsule should combine the advantages of both types of water flow distributing units described above, that is to say, a low cost and a good capability for guaranteeing optimum compression/compacting of the powdered food substance even during supplying.

In this context, the technical purpose which forms the basis of this invention is to make a capsule and a system for making a beverage comprising that capsule, which at least partly overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages.

A further technical purpose of this invention is to make a capsule and a system for making a beverage which allows the obtainment of a beverage whose quality is equal to, or at least comparable to, that obtained using rigid or semi-rigid water flow distributing units.

In particular the technical purpose of this invention is to make a capsule and a system for making a beverage which combine a low cost and a good capability for guaranteeing a compression/compacting of the powdered food substance during supplying.

The technical purpose specified and the aims indicated are substantially achieved by a capsule and a system for making a beverage as described in the appended independent claims.

In contrast, particular embodiments of this invention are defined in the corresponding dependent claims.

Further features and the advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the detailed description of several preferred, non-limiting embodiments of a capsule and a system for making a beverage illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:.

In the detailed description which follows, first there is a description of the capsule for making a beverage, and then of the system for making a beverage which comprises the capsule.

Like similar prior art capsules, the capsule <NUM> contains a food substance (not illustrated in the accompanying figures) and allows the beverage to be made by passing a water flow through the food substance placed inside the capsule <NUM>.

The capsule <NUM> comprises a main body <NUM>, which is substantially cup-shaped, which in turn has a lateral wall <NUM> and a bottom wall <NUM>. The lateral wall <NUM> of the main body <NUM> extends between a first edge <NUM>, which defines an infeed opening <NUM>, and a second edge <NUM>, to which the bottom wall <NUM> is connected; the bottom wall <NUM> also closes the main body <NUM> at the second edge <NUM>. It should be noticed that in the preferred embodiments the passage from the lateral wall <NUM> to the bottom wall <NUM> is without an interruption, so that the second edge <NUM> coincides with a perimetric edge of the bottom wall <NUM>.

In the preferred embodiments, the lateral wall <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> comprises a flange <NUM> which defines the first edge <NUM> and which extends radially outwards from the capsule <NUM>. Therefore, the flange <NUM> constitutes a substantially flat circular ring and has an internal diameter equal to the diameter of the infeed opening <NUM>.

The expression "substantially cup-shaped" means that the main body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> has a shape which resembles that of a cup, as is the case for most prior art capsules for making a beverage.

Moreover, in the context of this description the terms "upper" and "lower" shall be understood to refer to a positioning of the main body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> similar to that of a cup, that is to say, with the bottom wall <NUM> resting on a horizontal resting plane; therefore, these terms do not refer to a way of using the capsule <NUM>, which is suitable for use both in apparatuses <NUM> with so-called horizontal infusion units, and in apparatuses <NUM> with so-called vertical infusion units.

Similarly to the prior art capsules, the capsule <NUM> according to this invention comprises an upper film <NUM>, which is fixed to the main body <NUM> at the first edge <NUM>. If the capsule <NUM> has the flange <NUM>, the upper film <NUM> is fixed to the main body <NUM> at the flange <NUM>. Preferably, the upper film <NUM> is fixed to the main body <NUM>, and in particular to the flange <NUM>, by sealing or by gluing.

Advantageously the upper film <NUM> seals the main body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>, and the capsule <NUM> is as a whole made in such a way as to constitute a barrier to oxygen for the food substance contained inside it. In particular, both the main body <NUM>, and the upper film <NUM> are advantageously made with a material capable of creating a barrier to oxygen so as to guarantee improved preservation of what is contained in the capsule <NUM>.

One of either the bottom wall <NUM> or the upper film <NUM>, is configured to constitute an infeed wall <NUM> for the water into the capsule <NUM> (the upper film <NUM> in the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures) and the other is configured to constitute an outfeed wall <NUM> for the beverage from the capsule <NUM>.

Preferably, whilst the main body <NUM> is a shaped rigid or semi-rigid element, the upper film <NUM> is a flexible film. The main body <NUM> and the upper film <NUM> may be made mainly with a plastic or metal material (in particular aluminium), or with a compostable or biodegradable material (in these cases even the other components of the capsule <NUM> will advantageously be respectively compostable or biodegradable).

According to this invention, the capsule <NUM> also comprises a water flow distributing unit <NUM>, which is placed inside the main body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> and is positioned between the infeed wall <NUM> and the food substance; moreover, the water flow distributing unit <NUM> is permeable for the water flow which, in use, is injected into the capsule <NUM> through the infeed wall <NUM> (advantageously by piercing the latter before injecting the water as described below).

In one of the preferred embodiments, the water flow distributing unit <NUM> comprises a micro-perforated membrane, which is flexible and permeable for the water.

The expression "micro-perforated membrane" means a membrane which has one or more holes <NUM>, which have a size such that they allow the water to pass but not the food substance present inside the main body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>, at least not the grains of food substance whose particle size measurement is close to the nominal one.

The use of a micro-perforated membrane in which the holes <NUM> are distributed substantially evenly is advantageous above all for capsules <NUM> which contain food substances which allow the beverage to be obtained by extraction or infusion, since it allows the water flow to be homogeneously distributed throughout the food substance.

In the case of capsules <NUM> containing a food substance intended to dissolve in the water flow, it may even be the case that the micro-perforated membrane has fewer holes <NUM> and/or they are unevenly distributed.

The definition "flexible" with reference to the micro-perforated membrane means that it must be capable of bending and rolling up on itself, such as a membrane constituted of a plastic film. The same applies for the upper film <NUM>. In contrast, any semi-rigid bodies shall not be considered flexible membranes according to this description.

According to the main innovative aspect of this invention, the capsule <NUM> comprises a reinforcing element <NUM>, which is placed inside the main body <NUM>, and is positioned between the infeed wall <NUM> and the water flow distributing unit <NUM>; this reinforcing element <NUM> is configured to limit, in use, the deformation of the water flow distributing unit <NUM> towards the infeed wall <NUM>. In other words, during use of the capsule <NUM> in an apparatus <NUM> for making beverages, the presence of the reinforcing element <NUM> ensures that the maximum deformation that the water flow distributing unit <NUM> can undergo towards the infeed wall <NUM>, is less than that which it could undergo if the reinforcing element <NUM> were not present.

Depending on the embodiments, in contrast the water flow distributing unit <NUM> may or may not be able to deform towards the food substance. Advantageously, the reinforcing element <NUM> is constituted of food-safe plastic material, and is preferably made by moulding; in some embodiments the reinforcing element <NUM> may be constituted of biodegradable material or of compostable material. Moreover, advantageously, the reinforcing element <NUM> is rigid or semi-rigid as a whole.

In the preferred embodiments, the water flow distributing unit <NUM> and the reinforcing element <NUM> are different and separate elements.

In some embodiments, the reinforcing element <NUM> is rested on the water flow distributing unit <NUM>.

In other embodiments the reinforcing element <NUM> and the water flow distributing unit <NUM> are at a distance from each other; in this case, the reinforcing element <NUM> may be for example rested on a shoulder <NUM> formed by the lateral wall <NUM> of the main body <NUM> (such as that of the main body <NUM> shown in the accompanying figures). The reinforcing element <NUM> may also be associated with the lateral wall <NUM> by interference or interlocking.

If the reinforcing element <NUM> is rested on the water flow distributing unit <NUM> (preferred solution), the reinforcing element <NUM> may hinder deformation of the water flow distributing unit <NUM> towards the infeed wall <NUM> from the start of the deformation. In contrast, if the reinforcing element <NUM> and the water flow distributing unit <NUM> are at a distance from each other, the reinforcing element <NUM> may hinder deformation of the water flow distributing unit <NUM> only when these two elements make contact with each other following an initial deformation of the water flow distributing unit <NUM>: the greater the initial distance is between the reinforcing element <NUM> and the water flow distributing unit <NUM>, the longer the delay will be before the action applied by the reinforcing element <NUM> and, consequently, the greater the initial deformation to which the water flow distributing unit <NUM> will be subjected.

In one of the preferred embodiments, the reinforcing element <NUM> comprises a central portion <NUM> and a plurality of radial portions <NUM>, each of which extends from a first end <NUM> to a second end <NUM>; the first end <NUM> of each radial portion <NUM> is connected to the central portion <NUM>, whilst the relative second end <NUM> is placed at the lateral wall <NUM> of the main body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>. The radial portions <NUM> keep the central portion <NUM> centred relative to the lateral wall <NUM>. In a first possible embodiment, shown for example in <FIG>, the reinforcing element <NUM> comprises four radial portions <NUM> which extend along straight lines which form right angles to each other, and which are therefore arranged substantially in a cross shape; in a second possible embodiment, shown for example in <FIG>, the reinforcing element <NUM> comprises only two radial portions <NUM> which extend in opposite directions along the same line (or, in other words, along two lines which form straight angles between them); in this second case the two radial portions <NUM> are positioned in such a way that they are aligned with each other, and extend along a diameter of the inner section of the main body <NUM>.

Advantageously, as in the case of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures, the reinforcing element <NUM> may also comprise at least one tangential portion <NUM> which extends along the lateral wall <NUM> and which is in contact with the lateral wall <NUM> itself; this tangential portion <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM> is connected to the second end <NUM> of at least one of the radial portions <NUM>.

In some embodiments the reinforcing element <NUM> comprises a single tangential portion <NUM>; advantageously this extends circumferentially along the entire lateral wall <NUM>, therefore being substantially ring-shaped, as in the embodiments illustrated in <FIG>.

In other embodiments, each tangential portion <NUM> present is connected to the second end <NUM> of a single radial portion <NUM>, as in the case of the embodiments in <FIG>; in this case preferably the number of tangential portions <NUM> is equal to the number of radial portions <NUM>.

In yet other embodiments (not illustrated), at least one tangential portion <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM> is connected to at least two radial portions <NUM>, so that the number of the tangential portions <NUM> may be less than the number of the radial portions <NUM>.

In one of the preferred embodiments, the central portion <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM> defines a seat <NUM>, as in the case of the embodiments of the accompanying <FIG>, which is configured to house a piercer <NUM> of the apparatus <NUM> for making the beverage, whose function, in the known way and therefore not described in detail herein, is to pierce the infeed wall <NUM> to allow supplying of the water flow into the capsule <NUM>.

In the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures, the seat <NUM> for the piercer <NUM> is defined by a concave part <NUM> of the central portion <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM> which projects, relative to the rest of the reinforcing element <NUM>, towards the food substance.

In other embodiments not illustrated, the concave part <NUM> may in contrast project, relative to the rest of the reinforcing element <NUM>, towards the infeed wall <NUM> (with the concavity directed towards the infeed wall <NUM>).

In other embodiments, also not illustrated, the concave part <NUM> may in contrast be made within the thickness of the reinforcing element <NUM> (which, in that case, will be greater than that illustrated in <FIG>).

In the embodiments in which the capsule <NUM> has the seat <NUM> present for housing the piercer <NUM> of the apparatus <NUM>, defined by the concave part <NUM> of the central portion <NUM> projecting towards the food substance, the water flow distributing unit <NUM> may be made with various configurations.

In a first configuration, which corresponds to a first embodiment of it, the water flow distributing unit <NUM> is shaped in such way that it is centrally shaped similarly to the outside of the concave part <NUM> of the central portion <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM>: in this case, the water flow distributing unit <NUM> defines a housing for the seat <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM>.

In a second configuration, which corresponds to a second embodiment of the water flow distributing unit <NUM>, the water flow distributing unit <NUM> extends in a substantially planar way, similarly to the embodiments illustrated in the appended figures.

Moreover the water flow distributing unit <NUM> may be at a distance from or in contact with an outer surface of the concave part <NUM> of the central portion <NUM>.

If the concave part <NUM> of the central portion <NUM> projects towards the food substance and the water flow distributing unit <NUM> is flat, only a limited (central) portion of the latter makes contact with the reinforcing element <NUM> at an outer surface of the concave part <NUM> of the central portion <NUM> (the moment when contact is made depends whether or not the two are initially already in contact). Therefore only the concave part <NUM> of the central portion <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM> will act to limit the deformation which the water flow distributing unit <NUM> may undergo. By acting at the centre of the water flow distributing unit <NUM>, the reinforcing element <NUM> in this case considerably limits its deformation camber, where the term camber means the maximum shifting of a point of the water flow distributing unit <NUM>, which is obtained following the deformation, relative to the undeformed configuration of the water flow distributing unit <NUM> itself (in the absence of the reinforcing element <NUM> the maximum deformation would be recorded at the centre of the water flow distributing unit <NUM>).

Both in the embodiments in which the seat <NUM> is present, and in the others, it should also be noticed that if there is contact between the reinforcing element <NUM> and the piercer <NUM> of the apparatus <NUM>, the latter may actively help to keep the reinforcing element <NUM> in position, and therefore, to oppose the force applied by the water flow distributing unit <NUM> which tends to deform.

In accordance with another innovative aspect of this invention, the capsule <NUM> is intended to be used in an apparatus <NUM> equipped with an optical recognition device <NUM>, by means of which the apparatus <NUM> is capable of recognising a recognition substance placed inside the capsule <NUM>, and to adjust its operation based on the detections of the optical recognition device <NUM>.

In this case, the reinforcing element <NUM> may be advantageously used, not just to limit deformation of the water flow distributing unit <NUM>, but also as an optical recognition element of the capsule <NUM> or a supporting element for the latter.

Advantageously, the surface of the central portion <NUM> of the reinforcing element <NUM> defines a reading area <NUM>, which is directed towards the infeed wall <NUM> and which is configured to be able to be recognised by the optical recognition device <NUM> of the apparatus <NUM> for making the beverage.

In the embodiments of the capsule <NUM> in which the central portion <NUM> has the seat <NUM> present, the reading area <NUM> is preferably placed at a bottom <NUM> of this seat <NUM>. That reading area <NUM> may be flat, concave or convex; the convex shape of the reading area <NUM> is preferable to prevent grains of food substance which pass through the water flow distributing unit <NUM> from stopping on the reading area <NUM> itself and hindering recognition of the capsule <NUM>.

Advantageously, the reinforcing element <NUM>, at the reading area <NUM>, comprises an optical recognition substance, which when it is energised with a predetermined first optical signal, emits a second optical signal with known and recognisable characteristics.

In particular, in the preferred embodiments the predetermined first optical signal has a frequency which is included in the band of frequencies of visible light and/or of ultraviolet and/or of infra-red, and has a first emission spectrum in that range of frequencies which is known and predetermined (in use the first optical signal will coincide with the energising optical signal emitted by the optical recognition device <NUM> of the apparatus <NUM>). The optical recognition substance is a substance selected in such a way that, once irradiated with that predetermined first optical signal, it emits a second optical signal with frequencies in the range of frequencies of visible light and/or of ultraviolet and/or of infra-red and with corresponding known and recognisable characteristics of the emission spectrum.

In some embodiments, the optical recognition substance may have fluorescent properties, so that by using a first optical signal with a frequency band included in the ultraviolet range of frequencies, the optical recognition substance emits a second optical signal with a frequency band which is included in the visible light range of frequencies.

Further details about the aspects linked to recognition will be provided below in the context of the description of the apparatus <NUM>.

Although it has not been shown in the accompanying figures, in many embodiments the capsule <NUM> also comprises a lower filtering unit positioned inside the main body <NUM> between the food substance and the outfeed wall <NUM>; this lower filtering unit is configured to filter, in use, the beverage made as a result of the water flow passing through the food substance. The term "to filter" means that the lower filtering unit is configured to allow the beverage to pass, whilst it retains at least most of the powdered food substance contained between the water flow distributing unit <NUM> and the lower filtering unit itself; only a minimal part of the food substance will be able to come out as powder with the beverage supplied (usually these are grains with a particle size measurement significantly smaller than the nominal particle size measurement of the food substance).

Moving on to a description of the system for making a beverage according to this invention, it comprises the capsule <NUM> described above and an apparatus <NUM> for making beverages which uses that capsule <NUM>.

The apparatus <NUM> comprises, in turn, an infusion unit <NUM>, which defines an infusion chamber <NUM>, which is configured to house the capsule <NUM>. As already indicated, the infusion unit <NUM> may be, advantageously, either of the type which extends vertically, or of the type extending horizontally; in some embodiments, less common in the prior art, the infusion unit <NUM> may extend in a way other than vertically or horizontally.

The infusion unit <NUM> usually comprises a first part <NUM> and a second part <NUM>; the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM> are movable relative to each other between an operating position, in which they are coupled to each other, forming the infusion chamber <NUM>, and a non-operating position, in which they are at a distance from each other and allow insertion or removal of the capsule <NUM> in the infusion chamber <NUM>. In order to open and close the infusion chamber <NUM>, that is to say, to move the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM> between the operating position and the non-operating position, the apparatus <NUM> may also comprise a movement mechanism <NUM>, which allows the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM> to be shifted relative to each other; the movement mechanism <NUM> may be operated directly by the user of the apparatus <NUM>, for example using a lever in the case of manual operation, or by pressing a button in the case of motor-driven operation, as well as fully automatically in ways already known and therefore not described in detail.

The apparatus <NUM> also comprises a piercer <NUM>, suitable for piercing the infeed wall <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>, when the later is housed inside the infusion chamber <NUM>. Advantageously the piercer <NUM> is configured to be able to pierce only the infeed wall <NUM>, in contrast avoiding piercing the reinforcing element <NUM> and the water flow distributing unit <NUM> which are positioned inside the capsule <NUM>.

If a seat <NUM> is present, defined by the reinforcing element <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>, at least when the capsule <NUM> is inserted in the infusion chamber <NUM>, the piercer <NUM> is at least partly housed in this seat <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the apparatus <NUM> may comprise a lower piercing system <NUM>, configured to create at least one hole in the outfeed wall <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>, in such a way as to allow the beverage to come out of the capsule <NUM>. The lower piercing system <NUM> may be either fixed, or movable. In the latter case, in some embodiments it may be activated by means of the movement mechanism <NUM> previously described, in such a way that the capsule <NUM> can be pierced at the outfeed wall <NUM> after the operating position has been reached starting from the non-operating position or during shifting between the two positions.

The apparatus <NUM> may also comprise feeding means, suitable for generating the water flow and for feeding it into the capsule <NUM>, in particular above the water flow distributing unit <NUM>. Advantageously, the feeding means comprise a tank configured to contain the water to be introduced into the capsule <NUM>, a pump which allows the desired water injection pressure to be obtained, and a boiler which allows the water to be brought to the temperature necessary for making the beverage.

In some of these embodiments, the feeding means may also comprise a nozzle configured to inject the water into the main body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>; advantageously, the nozzle may be defined by the piercer <NUM>.

In the known way, the apparatus <NUM> may also comprise an ejector, which is configured to eject the capsule <NUM> from the infusion chamber <NUM> after the beverage has been supplied; advantageously the ejector can also be activated by means of the movement mechanism <NUM> previously described, in such a way that the capsule <NUM> can be ejected after the non-operating position has been reached starting from the operating position. In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures the ejector is not present, whilst an elastically operated disengaging element <NUM> is present, configured to disengage the capsule <NUM> from the piercer <NUM> when the first part <NUM> and the second part <NUM> return to the non-operating position.

In one of the preferred embodiments, the apparatus <NUM> also comprises an optical recognition device <NUM> which is configured to generate the first optical signal and to send it towards the zone in which the reading area <NUM> is located when the capsule <NUM> is inserted in the infusion chamber <NUM>, and to detect a response optical signal which is generated in this way.

The optical recognition device <NUM> is also configured to inspect the response optical signal and to control operation of the apparatus <NUM> depending on the result of that inspection. In particular, the inspection aims to ascertain if the response optical signal has the known and recognisable emission spectrum characteristics of the second optical signal described above (which and how many characteristics are to be inspected may be decided on each occasion at the design stage). If the result of the inspection is positive (that is to say, if there is a match) the optical recognition device <NUM> considers the capsule <NUM> recognised and controls operation of the apparatus <NUM> accordingly, in the known ways. If the result of the inspection is negative (that is to say, if there is no match), the optical recognition device <NUM> considers the capsule <NUM> unrecognised; at that point operation of the apparatus <NUM> may be permitted or not depending on design choices. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the optical recognition device <NUM> is operatively associated with the piercer <NUM> and comprises an emitter <NUM> for generating the first signal, for example an LED, an optical fibre <NUM> configured to direct the first signal towards the reading area <NUM> of a capsule <NUM> inserted in the infusion chamber <NUM>, and a mirror <NUM> positioned in such a way as to reflect at least part of the light radiation it receives from the LED, in the optical fibre <NUM>. The optical fibre <NUM> is mounted inside the piercer <NUM> and is directly facing the reading area <NUM> to irradiate it with the first optical signal. The same optical fibre <NUM> receives the response optical signal and sends it towards a detecting sensor <NUM> which in the embodiment illustrated is placed behind the mirror <NUM>. The latter is indeed advantageously constituted of a dichroic mirror which reflects the band of frequencies in which the part of interest of the first optical signal is included, and which is in contrast transparent for the band of frequencies of interest for the response optical signal.

This invention brings important advantages.

Indeed, thanks to this invention, a capsule for making a beverage has been provided which allows the obtainment of a beverage whose quality is equal to, or at least comparable to, that obtained using rigid or semi-rigid water flow distributing units, and which combines a low cost and a good capability for guaranteeing optimum compression/compacting of the powdered food substance during supplying.

Those benefits also extend to the system which comprises the capsule and the apparatus intended to use it.

Finally, it should be noticed that this invention is relatively easy to produce and that even the cost linked to implementing the invention is not very high.

The invention described above may be modified and adapted in several ways without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

Claim 1:
A capsule for making a beverage, containing a food substance, which allows the beverage to be made by passing a water flow through the food substance, wherein said capsule (<NUM>) comprises:
a main body (<NUM>) which is substantially cup-shaped and which has a lateral wall (<NUM>) and a bottom wall (<NUM>), the lateral wall (<NUM>) extending between a first edge (<NUM>), which defines an infeed opening (<NUM>), and a second edge (<NUM>), and the bottom wall (<NUM>) being connected to the second edge (<NUM>) and closing the main body (<NUM>) at said second edge (<NUM>); and
an upper film (<NUM>), fixed to the main body (<NUM>) at the first edge (<NUM>); wherein:
one of either the bottom wall (<NUM>) or the upper film (<NUM>) is configured to constitute an infeed wall (<NUM>) for the water into the capsule (<NUM>) and the other, of either the bottom wall (<NUM>) or the upper film (<NUM>) is configured to constitute an outfeed wall (<NUM>) for the beverage from the capsule (<NUM>);
a water flow distributing unit (<NUM>) is placed inside the main body (<NUM>), said water flow distributing unit (<NUM>) being positioned between the infeed wall (<NUM>) and the food substance, and being permeable for the water flow; characterised in that it also comprises a reinforcing element (<NUM>) which is a separate element from the water flow distributing unit (<NUM>), and is placed inside the main body (<NUM>) between the infeed wall (<NUM>) and the water flow distributing unit (<NUM>), said reinforcing element (<NUM>) being configured to limit, in use, a deformation of the water flow distributing unit (<NUM>) towards the infeed wall (<NUM>).