US 12,390,044 B2
Adaptive service unit of a beverage machine
Samer Abdo, Lonay (CH); Michael Fournier, Veysonnaz (CH); Bertrand Guyon, Pontarlier (FR); and Marco Magatti, Lausanne (CH)
Assigned to Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., Vevey (CH)
Appl. No. 17/280,287
Filed by SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A., Vevey (CH)
PCT Filed Sep. 27, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/076137
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 26, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/064982, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18197094 (EP), filed on Sep. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0031112 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. A47J 31/44 (2006.01); A47J 31/46 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 31/4403 (2013.01) [A47J 31/46 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A machine for preparing a beverage, the machine comprising:
a body comprising a seat and a beverage processing line extending from a liquid inlet to a beverage dispenser; and
a service unit configured to be removably received in the seat, wherein the service unit comprises a first part and a second removably received in the first part so as to be supported thereby, the first part having a bottom face such that, when the service unit is not received in the seat, the first part is configured to rest on an external horizontal support surface, and wherein the second configured to store un-used beverage ingredient, beverage liquid, cleaning fluid to be supplied to the beverage processing line, used beverage ingredient, waste beverage liquid, or used cleaning fluid collected from the beverage processing line,
wherein, when the second part is received in the first part, the second part is movable relative to the first part between a first position when the service unit rests on the external horizontal support surface and a second position when the service unit is received the seat, the first and second positions being different.