US 12,268,324 B2
Beverage machine with a partly closed dispensing face
Nicolas Obliger, Franey (FR)
Assigned to Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., Vevey (CH)
Appl. No. 16/980,032
Filed by SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A., Vevey (CH)
PCT Filed Mar. 13, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/056268
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 11, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/175231, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 19, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 18161841 (EP), filed on Mar. 14, 2018; and application No. 18214475 (EP), filed on Dec. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0000288 A1, Jan. 7, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47J 31/36 (2006.01); A47J 31/46 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 31/3628 (2013.01) [A47J 31/46 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A machine for preparing a beverage from an ingredient, the machine comprising:
an extraction unit having an ingredient extraction seat;
an inlet arrangement for guiding water into the ingredient extraction seat; and
a dispensing arrangement for guiding the beverage out of the ingredient extraction seat, the dispensing arrangement comprising a face delimiting a downstream part of the ingredient extraction seat and having a flow-through portion configured such that the beverage flowing out of the ingredient extraction seat flows through the flow-through portion towards a beverage dispensing area,
the face further having a flow-inhibiting portion that is at least substantially flush with the flow-through portion so as to delimit the ingredient extraction seat, the flow-inhibiting portion being configured such that the beverage flowing out of the ingredient extraction seat is inhibited from passing through the flow-inhibiting portion, wherein the flow-through portion and the flow-inhibiting portion have a surface area ratio in the range of 0.66 to 1.5;
wherein the dispensing arrangement has a wall forming the face, the wall having an opened, cut-away, or interrupted part forming or delimiting the flow-through portion and the wall having the flow-inhibiting portion being formed by a closed part of the wall.