US 11,744,397 B2
Beverage machines with modularity
Sergio Chioda, Lausanne (CH); Marco Restelli, La Tour-de-Peilz (CH); and Laurent Sache, Allinges (FR)
Assigned to Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., Vevey (CH)
Appl. No. 16/649,690
Filed by SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A., Vevey (CH)
PCT Filed Sep. 14, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/074849
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 23, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/057619, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 28, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 17192919 (EP), filed on Sep. 25, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0315393 A1, Oct. 8, 2020
Int. Cl. A47J 31/44 (2006.01); A47J 31/36 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 31/4403 (2013.01) [A47J 31/3633 (2013.01); A47J 2201/00 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A beverage machine comprising:
an external housing;
a plurality of movable beverage preparation modules, each movable beverage preparation module configured to process a beverage and/or a beverage ingredient to be dispensed via at least one beverage dispensing outlet to a user-cup or a user-mug;
wherein the external housing has a front opening and forms a cavity configured for housing the plurality of movable beverage preparation modules, each movable beverage preparation module being insertable as a unit into an operative position into the cavity and removable out of the cavity via the front opening independently of another movable beverage preparation module of the plurality of movable beverage preparation modules present inside the cavity and in an operative position;
wherein at least one of the plurality of movable beverage preparation modules comprises a module cavity configured to contain a liquid to be dispensed, and wherein the plurality of movable beverage preparation modules comprises a milk-based beverage dispenser module comprising a milk cavity for containing milk to be dispensed;
a removable or non-removable liquid reservoir module comprising a liquid reservoir cavity for containing a further liquid to be dispensed; and
a front door comprised by the milk-based beverage dispenser module and/or the removable or non-removable liquid reservoir module for accessing the respective milk cavity and/or the liquid reservoir cavity.