WO2011018363A1

WO2011018363A1 - System, capsule, percolating machine, and method for making a brewed beverage of user-selectable concentration

Info

Publication number: WO2011018363A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/061109
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lorenzo Ruscello
Original assignee: Lorenzo Ruscello
Priority date: 2009-08-14
Filing date: 2010-07-30
Publication date: 2011-02-17
Also published as: ITTO20090646A1

Abstract

A system (1) for preparing a brewed beverage from a capsule (9) comprising a bed (10) of an infusible food substrate, having an elastically deformable bottom wall (91), and further comprising an inlet (41) that may be fed with an adjustable flow of pressurised water vapour for preparing an infusion beverage and an outlet duct (107) for the percolated flow through said bed (10); the duct (107) comprising a segment having a variable free section (105); the free section (105) having an elastically variable area, the system comprising: a pressure device (20) for applying on said bottom wall (91) a bending load directed along a respective axis (H) for varying the area of said free section (105); and means for selectively applying a load on said device (20), which are operatively connected with said device (20), said applying means comprising elastic means (21; 33) which are selectively pre-loadable.

Description

SYSTEM, CAPSULE, PERCOLATING MACHINE, AND METHOD FOR MAKING A BREWED BEVERAGE OF USER-SELECTABLE CONCENTRATION TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a system, capsule, percolating machine, and method for making a brewed beverage . BACKGROUND ART

Numerous systems for making brewed beverages, such as coffee, tea, herbal and fruit brews, etc., are known which employ a capsule containing a bed of more or less fine, infusible material, such as ground coffee, tea, herbs and/or fruit, etc.

Such systems normally operate by feeding water in the form of pressurized steam into the capsule, then forming an opening in the capsule (e.g. by piercing a bottom wall) through which the liquid percolating through the infusible material and forming the beverage flows out.

Most of these systems, however, are only designed to produce one type of beverage, on account of the exchange of matter during the infusion process depending solely on the physical and organoleptic characteristics of the infusible material. In other words, a beverage of different characteristics can only be obtained by altering the distribution of the infusible material inside the capsule, e.g. by using a finer or more firmly compacted material to reduce the gaps and form a more tortuous path through the infusible material, and so reduce the volume of steam condensing and coming into contact with the particles of the material for a given infusion/percolation time.

Strong coffee, for example, is known to be made using special capsules with a given ground coffee distribution designed to produce a higher concentration of extract in the beverage.

Alternatively, in some known coffee machines, the beverage concentration from a given capsule can be altered by compacting the bed of infusible material, or using valve systems and/or flow control systems downstream from the capsule and forming part of the machine .

As described, for example, in EP1125535, a counterpressure is usually created in the percolating chamber of a coffee machine to lengthen the time the ground coffee remains in contact with the water, the flow of which through the bed of infusible material is slowed by narrowing the flow section of the outlet conduit, which is fitted with an adjustable nozzle.

Having to use special capsules for high- concentration beverages, however, seriously limits consumer choice, by forcing the consumer to choose between several specific marketed concentrations and to stock up with different types of capsules, with no possibility of making minor adjustments to the beverage to suit personal taste.

Known systems designed to alter the beverage by compacting the bed of infusible material by compressing the capsule, or by altering the volume of the percolating chamber, are also affected by variations in the normally uneven distribution of the infusible material, with the result that the beverage concentration is normally highly variable and unpredictable.

A need is therefore felt within the industry for a system which allows the user to freely and repeatably adjust the concentration of a brewed beverage, regardless of the characteristics of the bed of infusible material and/or the thickness of the capsule walls .

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for making a brewed beverage from a capsule, and designed to achieve at least one of the above goals in a straightforward, low-cost manner.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there are provided a system as claimed in Claims 1 and 16, a percolating machine as claimed in Claim 11, a capsule as claimed in Claim 12, and a method as claimed in Claim BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :

Figure 1 shows a lateral section of a system for making a brewed beverage in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the system according to the invention;

Figure 3 shows a lateral section of a capsule for making a brewed beverage in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 shows a lateral section of a second embodiment of the capsule of Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a schematic side view of a third embodiment of the system according to the invention;

Figure 6 shows a lateral section of a fourth embodiment of the system according to the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Number 1 in Figure 1 indicates as a whole a system for making a brewed beverage from a capsule. The system comprises a water tank 2 connected hydraulically to a pump 3, e.g. an electric vibratory pump, for pumping pressurized water to a first hot-water line 4 fitted with a water-heating boiler 5, and to a second service line 6. The system comprises a casing 30 - in the example shown, a substantially cylindrical casing, for the sake of simplicity - in which a capsule cup 8 is formed along a central axis H to house a capsule 9 containing a bed 10 of infusible material.

A capsule 9 (Figures 3 and 4) for use in conjunction with the system according to the invention comprises a casing 90 preferably made of thermoplastic material, such as PP, and having a bottom wall 91 and a lateral wall 92; a lid 93 or sealing film opposite the bottom wall, the lid 93 ensuring perfect sealing of capsule 9; and an inner filtering insert 94 also made of thermoplastic material and in turn comprising a disk 95 with a top face 95a and a bottom face 95b.

Disk 95 is preferably heat sealed/welded along its edge 96 to lateral wall 92 of casing 90, and has, on its top face, a number of grooves 97 into which fluid percolates, and which conduct the fluid to a central portion of the disk having a through hole.

A first chamber 100 is defined inside the capsule, above top face 95a of disk 95, is bounded peripherally by lateral wall 92 of casing 90 of the capsule, extends between lid 93 and disk 95 of filtering insert 94, and houses bed 10 of infusible material, such as ground coffee, tea, herbs or fruit, etc.

A disk of filter paper (not shown) is preferably interposed between bed 10 of infusible material and top face 95a of disk 95 in which grooves 97 are formed, to prevent particles of the infusible material from being flushed out by the water/steam percolating through bed 1 0 .

Filtering insert 94 also comprises a cup-shaped passage 101 preferably located at the central portion of the insert, and which projects along central axis H from the bottom face of the disk to form a spout. The cup- shaped passage connects first chamber 100 of capsule 9 fluidically to a percolating chamber 102, which extends between disk 95 and bottom wall 91 of the capsule, and is bounded peripherally by the lateral wall 103 of cup- shaped passage 101, the bottom edge 104 of which is not heat sealed to bottom wall 91.

A substantially annular outflow section 105 is thus defined between bottom edge 104 of lateral wall 103 of cup-shaped passage 101 and bottom wall 91 of capsule 9, and connects percolating chamber 102 fluidically to a substantially annular catch chamber 106 extending between bottom face 95b of disk 95 and bottom wall 91 of capsule 9.

Bottom wall 91 of capsule 9 being flexible inwards, e.g. when subjected from the outside to pressure along axis H, the position of bottom wall 91 with respect to bottom edge 104 of lateral wall 103 can be altered selectively to produce a corresponding variation in the area of outflow section 105 and so define inside capsule 9 an outlet conduit 107 for the fluid percolating through bed 10. More specifically, outlet conduit 107 comprises a portion 108 comprising elastically variable outflow section 105. Inward flexing of bottom wall 91 of capsule 9, in fact, produces a constriction of outflow section 105, which is equivalent, in use, to applying a counterpressure in opposition to the pressure of the water/steam fed into the capsule.

In actual use, the counterpressure determines the outflow speed from percolating chamber 102 into catch chamber 106, and therefore also the concentration of the percolated beverage, depending on how long the percolating fluid remains in contact with the particles in bed 10 of infusible material. For example, in the case of a coffee beverage, a higher counterpressure produces a high-concentration coffee (espresso or strong coffee) , and a lower counterpressure produces a weaker coffee.

In an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 3, filtering insert 94 also comprises a pin 110 extending along central axis H from the bottom face 95b of disk 95, which forms a top wall 101b of cup-shaped passage 101; and a plate 111 having a substantially cylindrical central seat 112, which clicks onto and is retained in sliding manner on pin 110.

In this case, outflow section 105 between percolating chamber 102 and catch chamber 106 is defined between the periphery of plate 111 and bottom edge 104 of cup-shaped passage 101, so that filtering insert 94, complete with sliding plate 111, substantially functions in the same way as a valve. As in the Figure 4 embodiment, the area of outflow section 105 can be altered selectively by exerting external pressure along axis H on the capsule, to flex bottom wall 91 of capsule 9 inwards and slide plate 111 - which rests on bottom wall 91 when idle - along pin 110, so that the periphery of plate 111 moves closer to bottom edge 104 of cup-shaped passage 101, thus narrowing outflow section 105.

System 1 also comprises a pressure device 20 for exerting a given user-selectable external pressure on bottom wall 91 of capsule 9, so as to flex wall 91 inwards of the capsule and subject the fluid percolating through bed 10 of infusible material to a counterpressure resulting in a corresponding reduction in the area of outflow section 105 between percolating chamber 102 and catch chamber 106 in capsule 9.

The counterpressure applied should be independent of the thickness of bottom wall 91 of capsule 9 and the pressure of the steam fed into capsule 9, should be selectable easily and repeatably by the user, and should remain unchanged through numerous beverage-brewing cycles .

System 1 advantageously also comprises elastic means 21 defined, for example, by a coil spring or appropriately designed rubber member, and which are connected functionally to device 20 and preloadable selectively by the user.

More specifically, elastic means 21 extend between and cooperate with pressure device 20 and a lever 22, which can be rotated with respect to device 20 in a plane crosswise to axis H to adjust the preload of elastic means 21.

System 1 comprises a cup-shaped body 23 housing elastic means 21; and pressure device 20 slides, inside the cup-shaped body, between a first limit position defined by a shoulder 23a of cup-shaped body 23, and a second limit position defined by a first end 21a of elastic means 21.

Lever 22 is screwed to cup-shaped body 23 by a thread 25, and, when rotated about axis H, adjusts the preload of elastic means 21 in cup-shaped body 23, and therefore the pressure exerted by elastic means 21 on pressure device 20. If elastic means 21 are defined by a coil spring, the pressure exerted on device 20 is proportional (through the elastic constant of the spring) to compression of the spring.

An angular slot 24, in which to rotate lever 22, is formed in casing 30 of system 1, and is of such a height as to move device 20, cup-shaped body 23, and lever 22 as a whole to and from capsule 9 along axis H inside a recess 26 formed in casing 30.

A rib (not shown) is formed on the outer surface of the lateral wall of cup-shaped body 23, and engages a corresponding groove (not shown) in the wall of recess 26 to prevent cup-shaped body 23 from rotating about axis H when lever 22 is rotated. System 1 comprises a receiving chamber 32 formed in casing 30, on the opposite side of recess 26 to capsule cup 8, and connected fluidically to service line 6.

Receiving chamber 32 houses in fluidtight manner an elastically deformable body 33, e.g. a membrane, which cooperates with lever 22.

A cavity 34, formed in casing 30 on the opposite side to receiving chamber 32, houses elastic means 35, which are movable inside cavity 34 and are adapted to rest against a shoulder 34a of cavity 34.

Elastic means 35 are designed to keep cup-shaped body 23, pressure device 20, and lever 22 as a whole in a first rest position, in which there is no interaction between pressure device 20 and bottom wall 91 of the capsule.

When pressurized fluid is fed into receiving chamber 32, deformation of body 33 overcomes the opposition of elastic means 35 and causes lever 22, cup- shaped body 23, and device 20 to translate along axis H inside recess 26, so pressure device 20 rests against bottom wall 91 of capsule 9, and so exerts on the bottom wall the counterpressure defined by the preload of elastic means 21.

System 1 may advantageously comprise a system, e.g. a screw (not shown) inserted into the bottom of cup- shaped body 23, for calibrating preloadable elastic means 21 compatibly with the rotation allowed of lever 22 by angular cavity 24. System 1 also comprises first piercing means 40 for piercing lid 93 of capsule 9 to form at least one steam/water inlet 41; and second piercing means 42 for piercing the peripheral portion of bottom wall 91 of capsule 9 defining the bottom wall of catch chamber 106, to form at least one outlet 43 for the percolated beverage from capsule 9.

Conduits (not shown) formed in casing 30 connect beverage outlet 43 fluidically to an outlet in casing 30, from which the percolated beverage may be made to flow (i.e. may be poured) into a container, e.g. a cup.

System 1 as described may be used in horizontal or vertical beverage percolating machines, in which the capsule containing the infusible material is inserted inside a seat formed in a dispenser.

In a second embodiment shown in Figure 2, a similar system 1' may be used in beverage percolating machines, in which the capsule is placed inside a capsule cup separate from the main body of the machine and which, in use, is fixed removably to the machine. In Figure 2, any parts identical or corresponding to those of system 1 in Figure 1 are indicated using the same symbols.

System 1' comprises a similar cup-shaped body 23 housing preloadable elastic means 21, a lever 22, and a first pressure device 20.

To allow for the different geometry and arrangement of capsule cup 8 with respect to cup-shaped body 23, which are necessarily not aligned, system 1 ' differs from system 1 by comprising a mechanism 60, in turn comprising a transmission pin 61, a second pressure device 62, and a rocking lever 63 hinged to the arm 64 of capsule cup 8 ' . Rocking lever 63 engages transmission pin 61 and second pressure device 62 to transmit the translational movement of cup-shaped body 23 to second pressure device 62, and so flex bottom wall 91 inwards of capsule 9 in exactly the same way as in the first embodiment. A counterpressure is thus exerted on bottom wall 91 to oppose outflow of the pressurized fluid through outflow section 105 in capsule 9, and in this case, too, is substantially defined by the preload of elastic means 20.

In a third embodiment indicated I'¹ in Figure 5, elastically deformable body 33 preloadable selectively by the user cooperates with device 20 to flex bottom wall 91 of capsule 9, and in the example shown is defined by a membrane. More specifically, elastically deformable member 33 is housed in fluidtight manner inside a receiving chamber 32 ' designed to receive a service fluid, and cooperates with device 20 to move it to and from capsule 9 along axis H.

In this case, the preload of elastically deformable body 33 is adjusted by injecting fluid at a pressure selectable directly by the user. For which purpose, device 20 advantageously comprises a cylindrical portion that slides in fluidtight manner inside receiving chamber 32', which may be formed inside a casing 30'. Receiving chamber 32 ' is supplied with a service fluid, typically cold water, the pressure of which is adjustable selectively by the user by means of a flow/pressure regulator 50 located upstream from receiving chamber 32', along service line 6.

Device 20 being connectable functionally to bottom wall 91 of capsule 9, a counterpressure can be exerted on bottom wall 91 to oppose outflow of the pressurized fluid through outflow section 105 in capsule 9, and in this case is substantially defined by the pressure of the service fluid in receiving chamber 32 ' .

Figure 6 shows a fourth embodiment, indicated 1"', of the system according to the invention, in which pressure device 20 for flexing bottom wall 91 of capsule 9 is operated and adjustable selectively, e.g. by the user, by means of electric or electromagnetic actuating means, which may comprise at least one of a linear electric motor, an electromagnet, or a piezoelectric device .

In Figure 6, any parts identical or corresponding to those of system 1 in Figure 1 are indicated using the same symbols. More specifically, system 1"' comprises a pressure device 20 for flexing bottom wall 91 and substantially similar to that of system 1.

System 1"' differs from system 1 by comprising, instead of preloadable elastic means 21, actuating means 70"' adjustable selectively by the user to adjust the flexing pressure transmitted to bottom wall 91 of capsule 9 by device 20.

Actuating means 70"' may, for example, comprise a torque-adjustable linear electric motor; or an electromagnet, excitation of which can be adjusted by adjusting its electric current supply; or a piezoelectric device, deformation of which can be adjusted by adjusting the voltage applied.

In actual use, after piercing lid 93 of capsule 9 using piercing means 40, steam from boiler 3 is fed along line 4 into capsule 9 to steep the particles forming bed 10 of infusible material and produce the exchange at the basis of the infusion process.

The liquid percolating through bed 10 of infusible flows along grooves 97 in the top face of the disk towards the central portion of the disk and through the through hole into the cup-shaped passage to the percolating chamber.

Service water is fed along line 6 into receiving chamber 32 in time with, i.e. in coordination with, the steam supply along line 4 to capsule 9 (e.g. when a given set-point pressure is exceeded) , so as to deform elastically deformable body 33 and move lever 22, cup- shaped body 23, and pressure device 20 inside casing 30 into a work position, in which pressure device 20 rests against bottom wall 91 of capsule 9, and flexes it inwards of capsule 9 to choke outflow section 105.

To flow into catch chamber 105, the liquid percolated through bed 10 of infusible material therefore has to overcome the counterpressure produced by choking outflow section 105 and corresponding to the preload of elastic means 21, which is selected by the user adjusting the angular position of lever 22 inside angular cavity 24, e.g. before steam is fed into the capsule .

Since elastic means 35, in the rest position, restore cup-shaped body 23, lever 22, and pressure device 20 as a whole to the rest position, receiving chamber 32 fills up at each beverage-making cycle.

Pressure device 20 may be operated after a delay defined by the time taken to fill receiving chamber 32 to deform elastically deformable body 33, and which may be used to advantage to ensure bed 10 of infusible material in capsule 9 is filled with steam.

The advantages of system 1, 1', 1", 1"' according to the present invention will be clear from the above description .

Using the system described, it is no longer necessary to alter the particle distribution of the infusible material to obtain beverages of different concentrations, on account of the time the steam remains in contact with the infusible material being adjusted by the preload of elastic means 21, which is selected by the user simply adjusting the angular position of lever 22, or, in the case of system 1", by adjusting flow/pressure of the service fluid in receiving chamber 32'. In system 1"', the preload exerted on device 20 is advantageously adjusted by electrically/electromagnetically adjusting actuating means 70' ' ' .

Moreover, the counterpressure opposing outflow of the percolated liquid to adjust the beverage concentration is formed with no need for delicate valve systems forming part of the percolating machine, and which, in the event of a malfunction, would call for dismantling at least part of the system to carry out repairs.

The counterpressure, in fact, is advantageously adjusted using the internal structure of capsule 9, which is deformed by interaction with pressure device 20.

The capsule, system, percolating machine, and method according to the invention therefore obviously enable considerable cost saving, by not having to produce different specific capsules for different beverage concentrations, and also allow much greater freedom to adjust the beverage to suit personal taste.

Because the counterpressure applied substantially depends solely on the preload of elastic means 21

(elastically deformable body 33) , the beverage-making process using system 1 (1") according to the invention is highly repeatable. The same also applies to system 1"', in which the counterpressure applied substantially depends solely on the electric quantity activating actuating means 70''' . Moreover, in this case, maintenance time and frequency are reduced as compared with system 1 or 1".

Clearly, changes may be made to system 1, 1', 1", 1"' as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the protective scope of the accompanying Claims.

Claims

1. A system (1) for making a brewed beverage from a capsule (9) comprising a bed (10) of an infusible food substrate and having an elastically deformable bottom wall (91), the capsule (9) further comprising an inlet

(41) that may be fed with an adjustable flow of pressurised water vapour for making a brewed beverage and an outlet conduit (107) for the percolated flow through said bed (10), the conduit (107) comprising a portion having a variable free section (105);

said free section (105) having an elastically variable area, the system further comprising:

a pressure device (20) for exerting on said bottom wall (91) a bending load directed along a respective axis (H) for varying the area of said free section (105); and

means for applying a load selectable by a user on said device (20), which are operatively connected with said device (20), characterised in that said applying means comprise elastic means (21; 33) which are selectively pre-loadable by said user.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterised in that said elastic means (21) are comprised between, and cooperating with, said applying device (20) and a lever element (22) which is angularly mobile with respect to the device (20) in a plane transversal with respect to said axis (H) for varying the pre-load of said elastic means (21).

3. The system according to claim 2, characterised by comprising a cup-shaped body (23) , said elastic means (21) being housed within said cup-shaped body (23), said applying device (20) being slideable within said cup- shaped body (23) between a first and a second stroke end along said axis (H) .

4. The system according to claim 3, characterised in that said lever element (22) is coupled by means of a thread (25) to said cup-shaped body (23) .

5. The system according to claim 3 or 4, characterised by comprising a housing casing (30) of said cup-shaped body (23) and said device (21), said casing defining a receiving chamber (32) for a flow of pressurised liquid to move said cup-shaped body (23) and said device (20) from and towards said capsule (9) along said axis (H) .

6. The system according to claim 5, characterised by comprising an elastically deformable body (33) fluid- sealingly housed within said reception chamber (32) and cooperating with said lever element (22).

7. The system according to claim 6, characterised in that said casing (30) comprises a cavity (34) on the side opposite to said receiving chamber (32), said cup- shaped body (23) carrying second elastic means (35) displaceable within said cavity (34) and adapted to abut against a shoulder (34a) thereof.

8. The system according to claim 1, characterised in that said elastic means (33) comprise an elastically deformable body fluid-sealingly housed within a receiving chamber (32') and cooperating with said pressure device (20) to move said device (20) from and towards said capsule (9) along said axis (H), the system further comprising:

a fluidic circuit (6) through which a service fluid may flow;

a flow adjuster (50) interposed along said circuit (6);

said reception chamber (32') being adapted to receive said service fluid and arranged downstream of said flow adjuster (50); said device (20) facing within said reception chamber (32').

9. The system according to claim 8, characterised by comprising a cup-shaped body (23) , said receiving chamber (32') being at least partially defined on the inside of said cup-shaped body (23) , said pressure device (20) being slideable within said cup-shaped body (23) between a first and a second stroke end along said axis (H) .

10. The system of Claim 9, characterised by comprising a casing (30) of said cup-shaped body (23) and said device (21), the casing (30) internally defining a cavity (34) on the side opposite to said receiving chamber (32'), said cup-shaped body (23) carrying second elastic means (35) displaceable within said cavity (34) and adapted to abut against a shoulder (34a) thereof.

11. A percolating machine for making a brewed, comprising a system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A capsule (9) that may be fed with an adjustable flow of pressurised water vapour for making a brewed beverage, the capsule comprising a bed (10) of an infusible food substrate and an outlet conduit (107) for the percolated flow through said bed, said conduit (107) comprising a portion having a free section (105) having an elastically variable area, the capsule (9) comprising a bottom wall (91) adapted to bend inward with respect to the capsule (9) so as to vary the area of said free section (105); and characterised by comprising a cup- shaped body (103), fixed therein, comprising a base wall (101b), a side wall (103) and a central pin (110) which extends from said base wall (101b); and by comprising a plate element (111) slideable along said pin (110), the plate element (111) being operatively coupled with the inner surface of said bottom wall (91), said segment having a variable free section (105) being defined on opposite sides by said plate element (111) and by said side wall (103) .

13. A method for making a brewed beverage, comprising the steps of:

a) feeding an adjustable flow of pressurised water vapour to a capsule (9) comprising a bed (10) of an infusible food substrate, an elastically deformable bottom wall (91) and an outlet conduit (107) for the percolated flow through said bed having a variable free section (105) ;

b) extracting a flow of infusion through said outlet conduit (107) having a variable free section (105) ;

c) applying on the bottom wall (91) of the capsule (9) a load adapted to bend said wall (91) inward with respect to the capsule (9) so as to elastically induce a variation of said free section (105); and characterised by further comprising a step d) of selecting and adjusting the extent of said bending load by modifying the degree of pre-load of elastic means (21) acting on a pressure device (20) which may operatively be coupled with said bottom wall (91), the step d) being performed by rotating a lever element (22) elastically connected to the applying device (20) .

14. A method for making a brewed beverage, comprising the steps of:

a) feeding an adjustable flow of pressurised water vapour to a capsule (9) comprising a bed (10) of an infusible food substrate, an elastically deformable bottom wall (91) and an outlet conduit (107) for the percolated flow through said bed having a variable free section (105) ; b) extracting a flow of infusion through said outlet conduit (107) having a variable free section (105) ;

c) applying on the bottom wall (91) of the capsule (9) a load adapted to bend said wall (91) inward with respect to the capsule (9) so as to elastically induce a variation of said free section (105); and characterised by further comprising a step d) of selecting and adjusting the extent of said bending load by modifying the degree of pre-load of elastic means (33) acting on a pressure device (20) which may operatively be coupled with said bottom wall (91), the step d) being performed by varying the pressure or flow rate of a flow of a working fluid cooperating with said elastic means (33) .

15. A system (1) for making a brewed beverage from a capsule (9) comprising a bed (10) of an infusible food substrate and having an elastically deformable bottom wall (91), the capsule (9) further comprising an inlet

(41) that may be fed with an adjustable flow of pressurised water vapour for making a brewed beverage and an outlet conduit (107) for the percolated flow through said bed (10), the conduit (107) comprising a segment having a variable free section (105);

actuating means for applying a selectively adjustable load on said device (20), which are operatively connected with said device (20), characterised in that said actuating means may be electrically or electromagnetically driven.

16. The system according to Claim 15, wherein said actuating means comprise at least one of an electric linear motor or an electromagnet or a piezoelectric device .