DISPENSING AND PREPARATION APPARATUS FOR POWDERED FOOD OR BEVERAGE PRODUCTS.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispensing and preparation apparatus for powdered food or beverages. The apparatus comprises a dispensing device (60) and an associated preparation or extraction device (70). The dispensing device (60) comprises one or more housings for receiving one or more containers (10, 20) containing a powdered food or beverage product. The dispensing device (60) comprises a reader (62) for obtaining product parameter information from the powdered food or beverage product in the container or plurality of containers (10, 20). The dispensing device (60) further comprises a control unit configured to dispense a certain quantity of powdered food or beverage product from each container (10, 20) according to these product parameters and / or according to a recipe database (64) as a function of the beverage to be prepared.The dispensing device (60) further comprises an encoder (63) for encoding beverage information on programmable identification means (65) on a product carrier (61) in the dispensing device (60), where the dispensed powdered product or powdered beverage is sent;The preparation or extraction device (70) is configured to receive the product carrier (61) and comprises reading means (72) for identifying the beverage information on the identification means of the product carrier (65). The extraction device (70) further comprises a control unit for extracting the beverage according to the beverage information retrieved from the product carrier (61) and / or the beverage information retrieved from a beverage database in this control unit. The invention further relates to a method for dispensing food products or powdered beverages and preparing a beverage from them using a dispensing and extraction apparatus as described. The invention also relates to the use of a dispensing and extraction apparatus as described for supplying a specific beverage from food products or powdered beverages.

Claims

1. Dispensing and preparation apparatus for powdered food or beverage products, the apparatus comprises a dispensing device (60) and an associated preparation or extraction device (70); the dispensing device (60) comprises one or more housings for receiving one or more containers (10, 20) containing a powdered food or beverage product; the dispensing device (60) comprises a reader (62) for obtaining product parameter information from the powdered food or beverage product in the container or plurality of containers (10, 20); the dispensing device (60) further comprises a control unit configured to dispense a certain quantity of powdered food or beverage product from each container (10, 20) according to these product parameters and / or according to a recipe database (64) as a function of the beverage to be prepared;The dispensing device (60) further comprises an encoder (63) for encoding beverage information on programmable identification media (65) in a product carrier (61) in the dispensing device (60), to which the dispensed powdered product or powdered beverage is sent; the preparation or extraction device (70) is configured to receive the product carrier (61) and comprises reading means (72) for identifying the beverage information on the identification media of the product carrier (65); the extraction device (70) further comprises a control unit for extracting the beverage according to the beverage information retrieved from the product carrier (61) and / or the beverage information retrieved from a beverage database in this control unit.

2. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to claim 1, characterized in that the product parameters comprise one or more of the following data: product type, product origin, production date, production data, list of ingredients, expiry date, company data and / or marketing information.

3. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of claims 1-2, characterized in that the beverage information comprises one or more of the following data: beverage type and associated preparation process (dissolving, infusing...), beverage volume, beverage temperature and / or extraction pump profile.

4. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the product support (61) comprises connection means that quickly connect and / or disconnect to the dispensing device and the extraction device so that they can be freely interchanged (plug & play).

5. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the product holder (61) is locked in the dispensing device (60) and in the extraction device (70) to allow a firm fixation of the product during dispensing and extraction operations, respectively.

6. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the containers (10, 20) with the powdered food products or beverages comprise identification means (21) with the characteristics of these powdered food products or beverages, to be read by the reading means (62) in the dispensing device (60), these identification means (21) being optical, such as a barcode, OID and / or a QR code, and / or electromagnetically readable identification means such as an RFID tag.

7. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container or plurality of containers (10, 20) have an integrated dosing device for dispensing only the required amount of the powdered food product or beverage into the product holder (61).

8. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container or plurality of containers (10, 20) are barriers to oxygen and / or moisture and / or light during storage and / or dispensing.

9. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container or plurality of containers (10, 20) are airtight, which does not allow the exchange of air with the product during storage and / or dispensing.

10. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food or beverage products according to claim 7 characterized in that the dispensing device (60) comprises a motor and a unit for controlling the incorporated dosing device of the container or plurality of containers (10, 20) to dispense only the required dose of the powdered food or beverage product into the product holder (61).

11. Dispensing and extraction apparatus for powdered food products or beverages according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dispensing device (60) comprises an RFID label reader (62) for obtaining product parameter information from the powdered food products or beverages in one or more containers (10, 20) connected thereto.

12. A method for dispensing powdered food products or beverages and preparing a beverage from them using a dispensing and extraction apparatus according to any of claims 1-11, the method comprising the following steps: reading the product parameters on the container or plurality of containers (10, 20); dispensing a certain quantity of powdered food product or beverage from a container or plurality of containers (10, 20) connected to the dispensing device (60); performing the dispensing in terms of the dispensed quantity according to the read product parameters and / or according to a recipe database; encoding the beverage information on the product holder (61) in the dispensing device (60); transferring the product holder (61) to the extraction device (70) manually or automatically;read the beverage information from the product holder (61) using the extraction device (70) and extract the beverage according to the retrieved beverage information and / or the beverage information retrieved from a beverage database.; 13. Use of a dispensing and extraction apparatus according to any one of claims 1-11 for supplying a specific beverage from food products or powdered beverages.

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