Abstract: A cartridge for the preparation of a beverage consists of a lateral cylindrical surface (S) obtained by rolling of a sheet and welding thereof along a line (L), as well as a top base (T) and a bottom base (B) welded to the cylindrical surface (S) so as to close the apertures at the ends of the latter, both the cylindrical surface (S) and the bases (B, T) being made from a flexible and gastight material. In this way a cartridge is obtained with a regular shape and easy to manufacture that not only is cheaper, more efficient and more environmentally friendly than prior art cartridges, but it also allows to make a coffee machine that is cheaper, more practical and lighter and can even be totally automatic.

Abstract: In the area of beverage distributors, document FR 1 564 088 is known that discloses an automatic dispenser device suitable for preparing beverages of various kind. The beverages may be hot or cold ones obtained from liquid or concentrated products, solid and powderly products contained in hermetically closed capsules of troncoconical shape, in turn contained, stacked one on the top of the other, in certain tubular containes. The dispenser is provided with a number of groups of containers each of which contains a certain number of capsules of a certain product so that the dispenser may be activated by a user for delivering a desired beverage. The dispenser is such that the content of any capsule falls into a mixing chamber where it mixes with hot or cold liquid poured therein and is certainly not adapted to brew an aspresso coffee.

Abstract: A heavily foaming coffee fraction characterized by the following bands in the FT-IR spectrum: 3400 cm−1, 2900 cm−1, 1655 cm −1, 1524 cm−1 1000-1150 cm−1, 894 cm−1 and 876 cm−1 and a production process for the coffee fraction (1) defatting with an organic solvent and extracting with hot water, (2) filtrating the extract, (3) adding a precipitation agent to the extract and centrifugation of the obtained precipitate, (4) dissolving the precipitate in water or an aqueous alcohol, (5) dialysing the solution against water, (6) filtrating the non-dialysable solution and (7) freeze-drying the filtrate.

Abstract: A temperature sensor is associated with a dose-holder in the coffee machine and is adapted to detect the thermal status thereof. The temperature sensor is connected to a measurement device that measures the temperature sensed and a signaling device for signaling the measured temperature positioned to be visible for the user.

Abstract: A control device processes simultaneously the signals received from a temperature sensor and from a water delivery counter means to control instant by instant the pump delivery and the electricity feeding of the machine heat exchanger so as to maintain at the reference temperature the water exiting the heat exchaner;

Abstract: A conveyor system for a coffee grinder for taking ground coffee from the grinder to the packing machinery, and a laser test-meter used to analyze the granulometry of ground coffee test samples and compare them with a granulometric reference sample that are known. The system of the invention includes improvements which include a first device which continually receives undisturbed ground coffee samples and delivers these samples to a second device in which a gas stream blows a stream of coffee grains down a tube to the test-meter and a second stream of gas flowing at right-angles to the tube disperses any partially aggregated particles before they reach the test-meter. A third device creates a pressurized safety area around each lens of the laser test-meter. The area is partly closed so that laser beams can freely pass, and gas under pressure enters the area preventing coffee grains from entering the area and disturbing the lens.

Abstract: A coffee machine wherefrom an user may optionally request different coffees as to the volume of beverage and wherein the infusion water temperature in a heater (7) is made to lower as the quantity of the requested beverage increases; to this purpose, the machine is provided with a control means assembly comprising: a meter (12, 24) for the quantity of water moving to an extraction chamber (3), a temperature transducer (13) for sensing the temperatures the water achieves in the heater (7) and a calculator (14) adapted to receive the signals from said meter (12, 24) and temperature transducer (13) and control, according to a given algorithm, the water temperature in the heater (7) as a function of the moving water quantity.

Abstract: A method for making a ground coffee discoid pad for brewing an express coffee wherein a pressure means applies a pressure to a coffee pad placed in a pocket made of water and air permeable material and simultaneously rotates in contact with the coffee surface about an axis perpendicular to said surface and the applied pressure ranges from 22 to 65 atmospheres.

Abstract: The procedure includes observation of each grain by optic-electronic devices and consists of an initial stage during which several values, representing color signals, are extracted and read and are then processed by a computer to reduce all the signals to two numbers only, defining a pair of coordinates on a plane where the colorimetric characteristics of the grains are represented, and of a second stage in which each grain is automatically classified within an electronic grid, related to the above plane, wherein an operator has already assigned the squares for classes of unacceptable grains. The machine includes an analog-to-digital converter able to convert the analog signals received from the observation devices into binary form, two adapter circuits, a computer and a memory for controlling, sampling and analog-numerical conversion of the color signals, also for storing all samples obtained, as well as for executing the above first and second stages of the procedure.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring and analyzing a stream of powdered coal has an upright cylindrical vessel whose upper end receives the end portion of a conduit serving to deliver a stream of comminuted material in a gaseous carrier medium. The end portion of the conduit is coaxial with the vessel and is surrounded by a single annular nozzle or by an annulus of discrete nozzles serving to discharge first currents of compressed air into the vessel at a level above the discharge end of the conduit. The descending stream of comminuted material is traversed by several radial currents of compressed air close to the open lower end of the vessel and the thus treated stream of comminuted solid material descends into a second vessel wherein it is traversed and analyzed by a laser beam or a light beam.