PORTION CAPSULE FOR PREPARING A DRINK

Description

State of the art

[0001] The present invention is based on a portion capsule for preparing a beverage with the aid of a beverage production machine, wherein the portion capsule has a base element with a cavity for receiving a beverage raw material and a capsule lid closing the cavity, wherein the base element comprises a capsule bottom, a circumferential flange and a capsule wall extending from the capsule bottom to the circumferential flange, wherein the capsule lid is fastened to the flange, wherein the portion capsule has a feature that is optically detectable in particular by a detector of the beverage production machine.

[0002] Such portion capsules are known from the prior art. For example, the publication WO 2016 / 186 488 A1 discloses such a portion capsule. This portion capsule is intended to be inserted into a brewing chamber, in which the portion capsule is perforated to introduce brewing liquid in the form of hot water under pressure into the cavity. The interaction between the introduced water and the beverage raw material, in particular roasted and ground coffee, creates a beverage that leaves the portion capsule through further perforations and enters a container.

[0003] For each portion capsule, there is usually a suitable beverage production machine optimized for preparing beverages based on the corresponding portion capsules. To prevent malfunctions, it has proven effective to equip such portion capsules with machine- and optically readable detectable features. This allows a check to be carried out before the brewing process begins to determine whether the inserted portion capsule is compatible with the machine. In addition, a suitable brewing program can be started for the beverage raw material contained in the portion capsule, if necessary.

[0004] From the publications WO2013 / 072239 A1, EP 3 023 362 B1, WO 2020 / 201 487 A1 and US 10,800,600 B2 it is known to print such optically detectable features in the form of barcodes or binary codes on the flange of the capsule. Disclosure of the invention

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a portion capsule with an optically detectable feature (hereinafter also referred to simply as a feature) of the type mentioned above, which represents an improvement over the solutions known from the cited prior art. In particular, the detectable feature should be easier to apply to the portion capsule during production. Furthermore, it is desirable that the feature be readable by more than just a detector directed at the lidding film, thus opening up more options for the design of the beverage production machine.

[0006] The object of the present invention is achieved with a portion capsule according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention can be found in the subclaims and the following description with reference to the drawings.

[0007] A portion capsule for preparing a beverage with the aid of a beverage production machine is disclosed, wherein the portion capsule has a base element with a cavity for receiving a beverage raw material and a capsule lid closing the cavity, wherein the base element comprises a capsule bottom, a circumferential flange and a capsule wall extending from the capsule bottom to the circumferential flange, wherein the capsule lid is fastened to the flange, wherein the portion capsule has a feature that is optically detectable, in particular by a detector of the beverage production machine, wherein the optically detectable feature is arranged on a side of the capsule lid facing away from the flange, and wherein the flange and the capsule lid are at least partially optically transparent.

[0008] Advantageously, the optically detectable feature can thus be arranged on a side of the lidding film facing away from the base element, which, for example, is particularly easy to print on. At the same time, however, the optically detectable feature can be read from the opposite side of the capsule, i.e., through the flange and the lidding film, since the flange and the capsule lid are optically transparent, at least in the area of ​​the optically detectable feature. For example, if the optically detectable feature is backlit from the lidding film side, it can be read by a detector arranged on the side of the base element.In the context of the present invention, the term "optically transparent" means, in particular, that the material is at least sufficiently translucent (also referred to as translucent or partially transparent) to allow optical readout of the feature by a detector. Therefore, 100% transparency does not necessarily have to be present for all wavelengths of the optical spectrum.

[0009] Preferably, only an edge region of the capsule lid or the entire capsule lid is optically transparent. It is conceivable that a central region of the capsule lid, which does not cover the flange, can be printed in a known manner with a visually appealing logo, inscription, or the like, while only the edge region of the capsule lid, in which the feature is arranged and which covers the flange, is optically transparent. Alternatively, the entire capsule lid can be transparent.

[0010] Preferably, an adhesive layer is arranged between the edge region of the capsule lid and the flange, by means of which the edge region and the flange are firmly bonded to one another. The adhesive layer is optically transparent. Advantageously, the feature can thus be optically read by the detector through the flange, the adhesive layer, and the lid foil.

[0011] The optically detectable feature is preferably arranged in an edge region of the capsule lid relative to a main extension plane of the capsule lid. This means that the feature is arranged, particularly in the radial direction, in an outer edge region of the preferably round capsule lid.

[0012] Preferably, the portion capsule has a ring, wherein the optically detectable feature is arranged on the ring, in particular printed thereon, wherein the ring is arranged on the capsule lid and in particular glued thereon.

[0013] Preferably, the base element is designed to be completely optically transparent.

[0014] Preferably, the base element is constructed in two parts from a base part and a flange part, wherein only the flange part is optically transparent, wherein the base part and the flange part are connected to one another.

[0015] Preferably, the optically detectable feature is a machine-readable code, preferably a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional bit or barcode.

[0016] A further object of the present invention is the use of the above-mentioned portion capsules according to the invention for preparing a beverage with the aid of a beverage production machine.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base element is made of plastic. The base element is preferably produced by cold or hot forming, in particular deep drawing. The hollow design of the base element is preferably created by thermoforming, for example, deep drawing using negative pressure, positive pressure, and / or a movable die. Alternatively, the portion capsule is produced by injection molding, in particular using a single-component, multi-component, or in-mold process.

[0018] The base element is preferably made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), polyphenylene ether (PPO) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0019] The lidding film is preferably made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), polyphenylene ether (PPO) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0020] It is conceivable that the cover film and the base element are made of the same material.

[0021] The base element is preferably truncated cone-shaped, conical, cylindrical, spherical, hemispherical, elliptical, or partially elliptical. The base element is preferably rigid or semi-rigid. The cavity formed by the base element serves to accommodate raw beverage material, for example, roasted coffee granules, instant coffee, chocolate powder, tea blends, milk powder, and / or the like. The lidding film is, in particular, flat or nearly flat, at least immediately after the filled portion capsule has been closed by the lidding film. Any bulging of the lidding film over time due to outgassing of coffee powder does not result in the lidding film being non-flat within the meaning of the present invention, since this bulging typically only occurs some time after the portion capsule has been filled.

[0022] The lidding film preferably comprises a plastic-aluminum composite film or a plastic film or a multi-layer plastic film. It is conceivable for the portion capsule to be rotationally symmetrical about its longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis thus forms a central axis of rotational symmetry, which runs centrally through the portion capsule and in particular substantially perpendicular to a main extension plane of the lidding film. The flange of the base element preferably runs at an angle of between 70 and 110 degrees, particularly preferably 80 to 100 degrees and most particularly preferably substantially 90 degrees to the rotational symmetry axis. The flange is in particular closed and circumferential. The free, outer end of the flange preferably has a bead, a flange or a so-called rolled edge to prevent injury to the user from the sharp-edged end.

[0023] The single-serve capsule may contain one or more beverage substances. The one or more beverage substances may be a liquid, a syrup, a solid, a powder, coffee or cocoa grounds, tea leaves, or a combination thereof. The one or more beverage substances may be diluted or extracted in a beverage manufacturing machine and / or beverage system to produce a beverage.

[0024] The portion capsule may include any of the optically detectable features and / or elements described and / or depicted herein. Any of the features and / or elements described herein may be combined to produce a portion capsule. Any of the features and / or elements described herein may be duplicated to produce a portion capsule. Any of the features and / or elements described herein may be eliminated or omitted to produce a portion capsule. Any of the features disclosed herein may be rearranged on any of the elements or surfaces listed herein. For example, a feature or element indicated as being located on the flange of the portion capsule may also or instead be located on the lid or the base member.

[0025] The portion capsule may have a body or a base member. The body or base member may be a container or form one or more cavities in which the beverage substance and / or one or more elements are received and / or stored. The body or base member may have a side wall with rounded, curved, or hemispherical surfaces. The body or base member may have a side wall with straight, flat, or tapered surfaces. The body or base member may have a side wall with surfaces forming a hemisphere, a dome, a cone, or a truncated cone. The base member may have a bottom surface. The bottom surface may be rounded or hemispherical. The bottom surface may be generally flat or planar. The bottom surface may have one or more indentations.If the base has more than one recess, the two or more recesses may be concentric or nested within each other. The base surface may be angled or inclined relative to the side wall.

[0026] The portion capsule may have a flange. The flange and the base member may be made of one or more integral materials. The flange and the base member may be formed from one or more separate materials and then joined together by a joining process. For example, the flange and the base member may be joined using an adhesive, a gasket, or other suitable joining method. The flange may be made of the same material as the base member and / or the lid. The flange may be made of a different material than the base member and / or the lid. The flange may have an annular shape that extends at least partially around the entire circumference of the base member. However, in certain embodiments, the flange may extend only around a portion of the circumference of the base member.In some cases, the flange may consist of two or more tabs extending from the base member. The flange may extend or protrude outward from the base member or the sidewall of the base member. The flange may extend at an angle from the base member such that an angle between the top surface of the flange and the sidewall of the capsule is an acute angle (less than 90 degrees). The flange may extend at an angle from the base member such that an angle between the top of the flange and the sidewall of the capsule is an obtuse angle (less than 90 degrees). The flange may extend at an angle from the base member such that an angle between the top of the flange and the sidewall of the capsule is approximately a right angle (approximately 90 degrees).

[0027] The flange can be located on the top of the base element. The flange can be located on the bottom of the base element. The flange can be located in an area between the bottom surface and the bottom surface of the base element. The flange can be closer to the top than to the bottom of the base element, or vice versa.

[0028] The portion capsule may be provided with a lid (also called a capsule lid). The lid may close or seal the cavity or base member after the beverage ingredient has been added or introduced into the cavity. The lid may create an airtight or hermetic seal to help preserve the freshness of the beverage ingredient. The lid may create a non-airtight or non-hermetic seal. The lid may create a seal such that air and moisture are prevented from entering and / or leaving the cavity or capsule. The lid may be attached to the portion capsule, the base member, the top of the base member, the bottom of the base member, the flange, the top of the flange, the bottom of the flange, or a combination thereof. The lid may be attached by gluing, welding, or any other suitable attachment method or device.The cover may be made of the same material as the base member and / or the flange. The cover may be made of a different material than the base member and / or the flange. The cover, the flange, and / or the base member may be made of one or more integral materials. The cover, the flange, and / or the base member may be made of one or more separate materials and then joined together by a joining process. For example, the cover, the flange, and / or the base member may be joined using an adhesive, a gasket, a welding process, or another suitable joining method.

[0029] The portion capsule, body or base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a material suitable for making a beverage and / or for storing ingredients for making a beverage. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a non-metal. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a recycled material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a recyclable material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a biodegradable material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a paper material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a compostable material.The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made from a cellulosic material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made from a material containing polylactic acid. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made from a material that can withstand deformation, dissolution, and collapse at temperatures up to at least 120°C or more or less. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made from a material derived from corn. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made from a plant-based material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made from a material that is free of polystyrene.The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a food-safe material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be manufactured by injection molding, thermoforming, drawing, or the like. The base member, flange, and / or lid may be laminated. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of an electrically conductive material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of an electrically non-conductive material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a fabric material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a rubber material.The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a plastic material. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of aluminum. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a material that is elastic or deformable. The base member, flange, and / or lid may be made of a deformable material that can withstand different liquid temperatures (hot and cold) and pressures without deterioration (i.e., without the base member, flange, and / or lid cracking or breaking in undesirable areas). The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may have generally the same wall thickness. The portion capsule, base member, flange, and / or lid may have different wall thicknesses.For example, the portion capsule, base element, flange and / or lid may have a thicker wall thickness in certain areas to prevent destruction of the portion capsule during handling and / or use.

[0030] The portion capsule may include one or more capsule features. The one or more capsule features may be one or more projections, ridges, bumps, and / or convexities extending from or beyond the outer surface of the base member. The one or more capsule features may be one or more channels, grooves, depressions, valleys, or concavities extending or projecting from the outer surface into the base member. The one or more capsule features may extend around the entire circumference of the body or base member. The one or more capsule features may also extend around only a portion or region of the circumference of the body or base member. The one or more surface capsule features may extend continuously around the body or base member.The one or more encapsulating features may extend intermittently (beginning and ending) around the body or the base member. The one or more encapsulating features may be located only on the base member. The one or more encapsulating features may be located only on the lid. The one or more encapsulating features may be located only on the flange. The one or more encapsulating features may not be located on the body, the flange, the lid, or a combination thereof. The one or more encapsulating features may be located on the inner surface of the base member. The one or more encapsulating features may be located on the outer surface of the base member. The one or more encapsulating features may be located on the top surface of the flange, the bottom surface of the flange, the side surface of the flange, or a combination thereof.The one or more capsule features may be one or more rings that extend around all or part of the circumference of the portion capsule. The one or more features of the portion capsule may be diagonal or extend at a diagonal or angle relative to a central longitudinal axis of the portion capsule. The one or more capsule features may have irregular shapes, such as curls or swirls. The one or more capsule features may be vertically oriented (from the top to the bottom of the base member). The one or more capsule features may extend onto the flange (top, bottom, and / or side surface of the flange). The one or more capsule features may not extend onto the flange. The one or more capsule features may extend from the flange to the bottom surface of the base member.The one or more capsule features may extend from the flange toward the bottom surface of the base member, but may not extend to the bottom surface. The one or more capsule features may extend from the bottom surface of the base member to the top surface of the base member, but may not extend to the top surface. The spacing between adjacent capsule features may be uniform. In other words, the spacing between some or all of the capsule features may be substantially the same. The spacing between adjacent capsule features may be different. In other words, the spacing between some or all of the capsule features may be different. The one or more capsule features may have a zebra shape or a zebra print.This may mean that the one or more capsule features extend along at least a portion (or all) of the body or the base member, the lid, and / or the flange. The one or more capsule features may fade or be less visible in certain areas while being more intense or more visible in other areas. For example, the visibility of the one or more capsule features may change. For example, the depth of a depression or groove may become shallower or deeper in certain areas of the base member, the lid, and / or the flange. For example, the height or projection of a rib or ridge may be greater or lesser in certain areas of the base member, the flange, and / or the lid than in other areas of the base member, the flange, and / or the lid.

[0031] The one or more encapsulating features may be located only on the outer surface of the sidewall or body. The one or more encapsulating features may be located only on the inner surface of the sidewall or body. The one or more encapsulating features may be located on both the inner and outer surfaces of the sidewall or body. The one or more encapsulating features located on the outer surface may correspond to the one or more encapsulating features located on the inner surface of the encapsulating body. For example, a groove on the outer surface of the encapsulating body may form a ridge or protrusion on the inner surface of the sidewall, or vice versa. For example, a groove on the top side of the flange or lid may form a ridge or protrusion on the bottom side of the flange or lid, or vice versa.

[0032] The one or more capsule features located on an interior surface of or within the cavity can serve to alter or interrupt the flow of liquid of the beverage into and / or through the base member. The one or more capsule features can serve to cause or create turbulent liquid flow into and / or through the capsule. The one or more capsule features can serve to cause or create laminar liquid flow into and / or through the capsule. The one or more capsule features can serve to create a vortex of liquid in and / or through the capsule. The one or more capsule features can cause liquid flowing into and through the capsule to move upwardly and / or downwardly to extract and / or dissolve the beverage ingredient in the capsule.

[0033] The portion capsule can be coated with an ink, with a material that gives the portion capsule a metallic appearance, which can be made from an ink or metallic flakes or metallic particles or pigments. The particles can be suspended or dispersed in an aqueous medium and then applied to the base member, the lid and / or the flange. It is possible for the particles or pigments to be incorporated into the plastic when the plastic is in a molten or softened state to provide the metallic. For example, an aluminum flake material can be added to the plastic to give it a unique appearance and / or to conceal manufacturing swirls or defects that may have occurred as a result of

[0034] The one or more capsule features may be integrally formed on the capsule body or the base, the lid, and / or the flange. The one or more capsule features may be added to the capsule body or the base, the lid, and / or the flange. The one or more capsule features may be printed or affixed to the capsule body or the base, the lid, and / or the flange. The one or more capsule features may be molded or manufactured from the same material as the capsule body, the flange, and / or the lid. The one or more capsule features may be molded or manufactured from a different material than the capsule body, the flange, and / or the lid. The one or more capsule features may be printed, embossed, etched, glued, or affixed to the capsule body, the flange, and / or the lid.

[0035] The one or more capsule features may be glued, welded, or otherwise attached to the capsule base.

[0036] The one or more capsule features may also be the one or more visually recognizable features. In this regard, the one or more capsule features may serve one or more purposes or functions disclosed herein. Alternatively, the one or more capsule features may only serve the function or purpose of a visually recognizable feature.

[0037] The portion capsule may include one or more optically detectable features. The one or more optically detectable features may be located on the portion capsule, the body or base member, the sidewall, the outer surface of the sidewall, the inner surface of the sidewall, the flange, the top of the flange, the bottom of the flange, the side surface of the flange, the lid, the top of the lid, the bottom of the lid, the side surface of the lid, or a combination thereof.

[0038] The one or more optically detectable features can be read, detected, recognized, and / or identified by one or more detectors of the beverage machine and / or the system. The one or more detectors can be one or more lasers, lights, light curtains, scanners, readers, eyes, cameras, barcode readers, bitcode readers, or a combination thereof. After the portion capsule is inserted into the beverage machine, the one or more detectors can be disposed above the portion capsule, below the portion capsule, adjacent to the portion capsule, or a combination thereof. The one or more detectors can include or be in electronic communication with one or more processors, memories, programs, hard drives, RAM, or other computer hardware and software.The one or more detectors may be operable to read, identify, and / or correlate the one or more optically detectable features with one or more stored references. One or more of the read optically detectable features may be stored on a hard drive, in memory, or in a cloud of the detector, the beverage machine, or both. The one or more detectors may be operable to read, identify, and / or correlate the one or more optically detectable features with one or more stored references to determine the type of portion capsule. For example, the one or more detectors may detect whether the portion capsule contains coffee, espresso, cocoa, alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage ingredients, or machine cleaning ingredients.For example, the one or more detectors may detect whether the portion capsule requires warm, cold, or ambient water or another liquid (milk, juice, etc.) to produce the desired beverage. For example, the detector(s) may determine the machine parameters for producing the desired or intended beverage, such as the liquid temperature, liquid pressure, liquid quantity, heating or cooling time and / or temperature, whether additional ingredients or liquids need to be mixed with the beverage, or whether they need to pass through the portion capsule. The one or more detectors may be capable of identifying the machine parameters for cleaning the beverage machine if the detector detects that the capsule is intended for machine cleaning.The one or more detectors may be operable to detect an incompatible optically detectable feature when a portion capsule is inserted into the machine that is not intended for use in the machine. This may advantageously prevent an error from occurring, damage to the machine, and / or injury to an operator or bystander.

[0039] The one or more optically detectable features may be one or more of: colors, patterns, logos, barcodes (2-dimensional and / or 3-dimensional), bit codes, binary code, depressions, indentations, bumps, protrusions, bumps. The one or more optically detectable features may be visible to the human eye. The one or more optically detectable features may be invisible to the human eye. The one or more optically detectable features may include ridges, protrusions, bumps, nubs, spacers, barbs, openings, holes, depressions, grooves, and indentations. The one or more optically detectable features may be one or more of images, patterns, lines, or grooves. The one or more optically detectable features may be flat or one-dimensional. The one or more optically detectable features may be three-dimensional.

[0040] The beverage machine may include one or more detectors. The one or more detectors may be electrically connected (wired or wirelessly) to a system network. The one or more detectors may transmit information about the use of the portion capsule in the machine to the system network.

[0041] The information can be collected from one or more visually detectable features and / or the machine and then transmitted to a system network. The collected and transmitted information can help a supplier or manufacturer of the portion capsules and / or machines, or a service technician, identify problems with the portion capsule and / or machine. The collected and transmitted information can help a supplier or manufacturer of the portion capsules and / or machines predict consumer habits, determine consumption, create orders, manage inventory, create a customer loyalty program, gather information about consumer preferences, generate and analyze data, and predict production, manufacturing, and shipping based on consumer consumption.The system network can be located anywhere in the world, including in the same state or country as the beverage machine and / or user, or in a different state or country.

[0042] The present teaching provides a method for recovering and / or composting a portion capsule, the lid, the filter, or a combination thereof. The method may comprise separating one or more elements (if present) from the portion capsule, separating the lid from the portion capsule, and composting one or more of the base elements and / or the lid. The method may comprise a step of composting the entire portion capsule, including the lid, the filter (if present), and / or the base.

[0043] Further details, features, and advantages of the portion capsule will become apparent from the drawings, as well as from the following description of preferred embodiments based on the drawings. The drawings merely illustrate exemplary embodiments of the portion capsule, which do not limit the essential concept of the invention. Short description of the drawings

[0044] Figure 1a shows a schematic sectional view of a portion capsule according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1b shows a schematic plan view "from above" of the portion capsule according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1c shows a schematic plan view "from below" of the portion capsule according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Embodiments of the invention

[0045] In Figure 1a schematic side view of a portion capsule 10 for preparing a beverage is disclosed.

[0046] The portion capsule 10 has a base element 12 (also referred to as the body). The body or base element 12 comprises a side wall 14 (also referred to as the capsule wall). The side wall 12 extends from a bottom region 22 (also referred to as the capsule bottom) to a circumferential flange 26, which projects laterally and is in particular circumferential. The base element 12 defines a cavity 20, which is provided for receiving beverage raw material. On the side facing away from the bottom region 22, the base element has a filling opening through which the cavity 20 can be filled with the beverage raw material.

[0047] The portion capsule 10 comprises, for example, a spherically shaped base element 12, which has the capsule base 22 (which can be curved and need not be flat) on its closed side and a circumferential flange 26 on its open side. The capsule wall 14 extends around the cavity 20 between the capsule base 22 and the flange 26. The portion capsule 10 is rotationally symmetrical about its central longitudinal axis. In the radial direction to the central axis of rotational symmetry, the flange 26, which is circular and thus circumferentially circumferential, protrudes outward beyond the capsule wall 14.

[0048] The flange 26 is firmly connected to a capsule lid 33 (also referred to as a lid or membrane) in the form of a particularly circular lid film, which closes the cavity 20 on the open side of the base element 12. For this purpose, the flange 26 preferably has a sealing plane facing the capsule lid 33, which extends approximately at right angles to the axis of rotational symmetry. The capsule lid 33 is sealed, welded, or glued in its edge region to the flange 26 and in particular to the sealing plane. Formed within the base element 12 is the cavity 20, which is filled with the beverage raw material, for example, coffee roast granules, instant coffee, chocolate powder, tea blend, milk powder, and / or the like (not illustrated for reasons of clarity), and which is closed by the capsule lid 33.

[0049] The portion capsule 10 is intended to be inserted into a brewing unit of a beverage production machine to produce a beverage. The brewing unit comprises a first brewing chamber part and a second brewing chamber part, wherein the first or second brewing chamber part is movable, in particular pivotable or displaceable, relative to the other brewing chamber part between an approximate position in which the first and second brewing chamber parts form a closed brewing chamber, and an open position in which the first and second brewing chamber parts are spaced apart from one another for inserting or ejecting the portion capsule 10.

[0050] In the closed position, the capsule lid 33 and / or the capsule base 22 are perforated to create perforation openings for introducing brewing liquid or for discharging the produced beverage. The brewing liquid is introduced into the cavity 20 under pressure. The interaction between the brewing liquid and the beverage raw material creates the desired beverage, which leaves the portion capsule 12 through the perforation openings and is fed into a beverage container. An optional filter medium can filter any particles of the beverage raw material from the beverage and retain them in the portion capsule 10. Preferably, however, the multi-perforated capsule lid 33 functions as the filter element.

[0051] The portion capsule 10 now has a feature 34 that is optically detectable, in particular by a detector of the beverage production machine. This feature 34 preferably serves to identify the portion capsule 10 in the beverage production machine or to control brewing parameters. Thus, the beverage production machine can, for example, verify whether the portion capsule 10 located in the brewing chamber is a system-compatible portion capsule 10, and / or automatically select and start a suitable brewing program for the beverage raw material located in the portion capsule 10. It is also conceivable that specific brewing parameters to be used are embedded in the optically detectable feature 34 and read out by the detector.

[0052] The optically detectable feature 34 is, in particular, a machine-readable code in the form of a one-dimensional or multi-dimensional bit or barcode applied to the lidding film 33. The bit or barcode is designed to encircle completely or partially as a circle or partial circle around the rotational symmetry axis of the portion capsule 10. The individual adjacent lines from which the, in particular, two- or multi-color bit or barcode is constructed then preferably extend in a radial direction relative to the rotational symmetry axis. The code is applied to an upper side 28 of the lidding film 33, which faces away from the flange 26. The code is located, in particular, in a circumferential edge region 38 of the lidding film 33, wherein, in particular, that part of the lidding film 33 which is attached to the flange 26 and / or is in direct contact with the flange 26 is referred to as the edge region 38.

[0053] The code is either printed directly on the edge area of ​​the top side 28 or applied to a ring (not shown) which is glued to the top side 28.

[0054] To ensure that the code can be read by a detector of the beverage preparation machine, which is directed "from below," i.e., along a direction from the base element 12 toward the lid film 33, in particular parallel to the rotational symmetry axis, onto the flange 26 of the portion capsule 10 (illustrated by the arrow 50), the lid film 33 is transparent at least in the edge region 38 and the capsule body 12 is transparent at least in the region of the flange 26. The term "optically transparent" means that the materials are at least translucent enough (also referred to as translucent or partially transparent) for the detector to optically read the code. For this purpose, the code can be backlit in the beverage preparation machine.

[0055] It is conceivable that the entire cover film 33 is transparent or only in the edge region, so that in a central region which lies radially within the edge region 38, the cover film can be printed with a logo, product names, labels and the like.

[0056] Likewise, either the entire base element 12 can be transparent or only the flange 26 of the base element 12.

[0057] In order to achieve an at least partially optically transparent base element 12 and an at least partially optically transparent lidding film 33, the base element 12 and the lidding film 33 are preferably made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), polyphenylene ether (PPO), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The cup-shaped or spherical configuration of the base element 12 is preferably produced by thermoforming, for example, deep drawing using negative pressure, positive pressure, and / or a movable die. Alternatively, the portion capsule 10 is manufactured by injection molding, in particular using a single-component, multi-component, or in-mold process. As a further alternative, it would be conceivable for the base element 12 to be made entirely or partially from a biodegradable material, in particular from cellulose fibers, which can be embedded in a resin matrix.

[0058] In Figure 1b A schematic plan view "from above" of the portion capsule 10 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plan view is taken along the Figure 1a shown arrow 60. In this respect, one looks at the upper side 28 of the cover film 33 and can see the code applied to the cover film 33 and representing the optically detectable feature 34.

[0059] To illustrate the bit or barcode, a portion 70 of the code is enlarged and illustrated as an example. It can be seen that this is an example of a bit or barcode with quasi-parallel bars in a radial direction.

[0060] In Figure 1c is a schematic plan view "from below" of the portion capsule according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The plan view is taken along the Figure 1ashown arrow 61. In this perspective, the capsule body 12 and the flange 26 can be seen in particular. Due to the fact that at least the flange 26 is transparent, one is looking at a bottom 30 of the cover film 33 opposite the top side 28. However, because at least the edge region 38 of the cover film 33 is also optically transparent, in this perspective one can also recognize the code "from below" through the flange 26 and the cover film 33, so that the detector can also detect the code from this perspective (see arrow 50 in Figure 1a ) can be read. List of reference symbols

[0061] 10 Portion capsule 12 Base element 14 Side wall of the base element 20 Cavity for beverage raw material 22 Bottom area of ​​the base element 26 Flange of the base element 28 Top of the lidding film 30 Bottom of the lidding film 33 Capsule lid / lidding film 34 Optically detectable feature 38 Edge area of ​​the lidding film 50 Detection direction of a detector 60 View from above 61 View from below 70 Partial area of ​​the code

Claims

1. Portion capsule (10) for preparing a beverage with the aid of a beverage production machine, wherein the portion capsule (10) has a base element (12) with a cavity (20) for receiving a raw beverage material and a capsule lid (33) closing the cavity (20), wherein the base element (12) comprises a capsule base (22), a circumferential flange (26) and a capsule wall (14) extending from the capsule base (22) to the circumferential flange (26), wherein the capsule lid (33) is attached to the flange (26), wherein the portion capsule (10) has a feature (34) which can be optically detected, in particular by a detector of the beverage production machine, wherein the optically detectable feature (34) is arranged on a side of the capsule lid (33) facing away from the flange (26), characterised in that the flange (26) and the capsule lid (33) are optically transparent at least in the region of the optically detectable feature.

2. portion capsule (1) according to claim 1 , wherein only an edge region of the capsule lid (33) or the entire capsule lid (33) is optically transparent.

3. portion capsule (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an adhesive layer is arranged between the edge region of the capsule lid (33) and the flange (26), by means of which adhesive layer the edge region and the flange (26) are bonded to one another in a material-locking manner, wherein the adhesive layer is optically transparent.

4. portion capsule (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the optically detectable feature (34) is arranged in an edge region of the capsule lid (33) with respect to a main plane of extension of the capsule lid (33).

5. portion capsule (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the portion capsule (10) has a ring (44), wherein the optically detectable feature (34) is arranged, in particular printed, on the ring (44), wherein the ring (44) is arranged on a side of the capsule lid (33) facing away from the flange (26), in particular is glued onto the capsule lid (33), wherein the ring (44) is preferably optically transparent.

6. portion capsule (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base element (12) is completely optically transparent.

7. portion capsule (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the base element (12) is constructed in two parts from a base part and a flange part, wherein only the flange part is optically transparent, wherein the base part and the flange part are connected to one another.

8. portion capsule (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the optically detectable feature (34) is a machine-readable code, preferably a one-dimensional or multidimensional bit or bar code.

9. use of a portion capsule (10) according to one of the preceding claims for the preparation of a beverage by means of a beverage making machine.