Device and method for preparing a drink from a food substance contained in a capsule

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of wetting and/or dissolving a substance contained in a capsule for producing a beverage consisting, by means of a piercing and injection element, in piercing the capsule and injecting a liquid under pressure into the capsule to wet and/or dissolve the substance; the piercing and injection element being arranged so as to inject the liquid into the capsule in the form of at least one thin layer extending in a continuous, divergent and multidirectional manner, covering a spray surface in an arc of a circle inside the capsule. The invention also relates to a device comprising a flow channel and a valve designed to close off the channel in a first position, called the rest position, and to open under the effect of the pressure from the liquid against an elastic element so as to free a passage as a function of the pressure and thus create the thin layer of liquid.

The invention is claimed as follows: 
     
         1 . A device for preparing a beverage from a food substance contained in a capsule, the device comprising a housing for receiving the capsule, at least one piercing and injection element having a channel for receiving a liquid under pressure, the piercing and injection element being so constructed and arranged to project into the housing and pierce a face of the capsule in at least one position of operation of the device so as to allow a liquid to be introduced into the capsule from the channel, the piercing and injection element having a distal end arranged in the form of a valve having a closure means with an end, the valve being designed to close off the channel in a first position and to open under the effect of the pressure from the liquid against an elastic element so as to free a passage as a function of the pressure and thus create a layer of liquid sprayed through the passage in a second position. 
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the piercing and injection element is located substantially at the centre of the capsule housing and is designed to produce a multidirectional divergent spray in the form of at least one layer of liquid. 
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the thin layer extends continuously around the periphery of the pointed part and sprays the substance contained in the capsule in a substantially circular manner. 
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pointed end comprises an external peripheral surface lying in the extension of the external peripheral surface of the tubular body. 
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid layer has a thickness of less than or equal to 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid layer has a thickness of less than or equal to 0.3 mm. 
     
     
         7 . A device for preparing a beverage from a food substance contained in a capsule, the device comprising a housing for receiving the capsule, at least one piercing and injection element having a channel for receiving a liquid under pressure, the piercing and injection element being designed to project into the housing and pierce a face of the capsule in at least one position of operation of the device so as to allow a liquid to be introduced into the capsule from the channel, the piercing and injection element has at least one slot that is transverse to the piercing and injection element, the slot being arranged so as to inject the liquid into the capsule in the form of at least one thin layer extending in a continuous, divergent and multidirectional manner, covering a spray surface in an arc of a circle inside the capsule, wherein the slot extends over an angular sector of between 30 and 180 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 7 , wherein the piercing and injection element also comprises a second transverse slot. 
     
     
         9 . A method of wetting a substance contained in a capsule for producing a beverage having a piercing and injection element, for piercing the capsule and injecting a liquid under pressure into the capsule to wet the substance,
 the piercing and injection element is arranged so as to inject the liquid into the capsule in the form of at least one thin layer extending in a continuous, divergent and multidirectional manner, covering a spray surface in an arc of a circle inside the capsule, wherein the thin layer covers a spray surface of between 30 and 360 degrees inside the capsule.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the thin layer covers a spray surface of between 120 and 360 degrees inside the capsule. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the thin layer has a thickness of less than or equal to 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the slot is fixed. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the layer has a thickness of less than 0.3 mm. 
     
     
         14 . A method of wetting a substance contained in a capsule for producing a beverage having a piercing and injection element, for piercing the capsule and injecting a liquid under pressure into the capsule to wet the substance,
 the piercing and injection element is arranged so as to inject the liquid into the capsule in the form of at least one thin layer extending in a continuous, divergent and multidirectional manner, covering a spray surface in an arc of a circle inside the capsule, wherein the slot is opened only in response to the injection of fluid under pressure into the injection and piercing element.