WO2013117884A1

WO2013117884A1 - Holder for pods for use in a hot beverage making machine

Info

Publication number: WO2013117884A1
Application number: PCT/GB2013/000048
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sean Rones
Original assignee: SACH, Greg
Priority date: 2012-02-08
Filing date: 2013-02-08
Publication date: 2013-08-15

Abstract

A base unit upon which a hot beverage making machine is able to stand. The base unit comprises a housing in which there is disposed a holder for holding a plurality of pods for use in the hot beverage making machine for making the hot beverage. The base unit comprises a carousel mounted to an openable and closeable drawer. The drawer is openable and closeable relative to the housing. The carousel moves in the opening and closing direction with the drawer. The carousel comprises sockets for respectively receiving and holding a pod. The carousel is manoeuvrable relative to the drawer to allow certain pod receiving sockets to be brought from a more rearward position in the drawer to a more forward position in the drawer, while causing certain other pod receiving sockets to move from a more forward position in the drawer to a more rearward position in the drawer.

Description

Holder for pods for use in a hot beverage making machine

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for multiple pods. The pods are for use in making drinks in a hot beverage, making machine. In particular, the hot beverage making machine is a coffee making machine. Such pods sealingly contain coffee, tea, cocoa, milk and the like for brewing in the beverage making machine to make hot drinks. The pod is inserted in a pod receptacle of the hot beverage machine. The machine perforates the pod and a hot drink is automatically brewed and poured into a cup by the machine. These pods are also referred to in the field as capsules or cups . Background to the invention

[0002] It is known to package the pods in an end to end stack in an oblong shaped tube. These tubes are not

particularly aesthetically pleasing as a dispenser and holder of the pods, which is an important consideration particularly when the importance given to the design of the hot beverage making machine is accounted for. These machines are high-end consumer products for which a high quality, professional looking, sleek design is paramount. The cardboard box packaging of ^'the pods is somewhat out of place next to the hot beverage making machine.

[0003] Proposals have been made for dealing with the above issues. In US design 609,075 a coffee pod tree carousel is disclosed having a cylindrical frame formed by individual pod holding rings. The rings are distributed circumferentially and axially around the cylindrical frame to provide 35 pod holding rings. The frame is rotatable to bring different columns of pod holding rings into a user's view, i.e. to bring a particular pod to a front of the tree carousel relative to a user. A stem is. provided with a bulbous end for grasping by a user to rotate the frame. This design is, in at least some respects, advantageous over the oblong shaped packaging described above in terms of looks and also because it allows a number of types of pods to be stored and easily accessed by a- user. For example, a user could divide the pod holding rings so that one group held one type of coffee pods, another group held another type of coffee in the pods, another group held milk pods, etc.. The user would simply have to appropriately rotate the frame to access a desired pod type.

[0004] The design of US 609,075 is not particularly

economical in terms of work area. It will form a certain footprint on a work surface in addition to the hot beverage making machine and also extends upwards from the work surface by a not insignificant amount. For, as an example, kitchens with limited space and work surface, the tree carousel of US 609,075 is not ideal. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a more space efficient design.

[00.05] Another proposal is disclosed in US Design 628, 444 of a countertop coffee pod drawer. A flat housing is provided having a height of marginally greater than one coffee pod. A tray-like drawer is disposed in the housing and is divided into six compartments extending from a front to a back of the drawer, each compartment having a width for holding a pod upright and having a length for holding multiple pods in a line from front to back. This design has the advantage of not taking up as much countertop space in a height direction as the tree carousel described above, but does take up a greater footprint on the work top. Another downside of this drawer design is that while the pods should be supported when the drawer is full, as the drawer empties, there is a likelihood that the pods will fall over when the drawer is opened or closed. As well as the undesirability of having the pods kept in an untidy way, if a pod tips onto its side, a user is not able to immediately see what type of pod it is.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder for a number of pods that can save work space, particularly which is efficient in terms of countertop footprint .

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder for a number of pods that allows the pods to be stored in an organised way. In particular when there is more than one type of pod, the user should be able to spatially group different types of pods and allow easy access to respective groups.

[0008] In another object of the present invention, the pods should be held in a secure way to prevent tipping of the pods.

Summary of the invention

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention provides a base unit upon which a hot beverage making machine is able to stand, the base unit comprising a housing in which there is disposed a holder for holding a plurality of pods for use in the hot beverage making machine for making the hot beverage.

[0010] The above aspect of the present invention is

advantageous in that the hot beverage making machine and the pods holder share the same footprint on a countertop by way of the fact that the pods holder is stowed in a base unit for the hot beverage making machine. This offers a countertop space saving design and which allows the pods to be stored in a housing complementing a design of the hot beverage making machine. [0011] The base unit is required to be able to withstand the weight of a hot beverage making machine. This implicitly requires a certain strength of the load carrying components of the base unit so that the base unit is not structurally or functionally compromised by the weight of the hot beverage making machine. For example, the Nespresso Pixie coffee making machine weighs about 5kg without water and has a 1 litre water tank, while the Keurig B40 weighs about 7kg and has a 1.5 litre water tank. So as to be compatible with at least these machines, the base unit should be able to support a hot beverage making machine having a full tank that together, eighs at least 8.5kg.

[0012] Of relevance here is the fact that US Design 628,44 is not described as being suitable for having a hot beverage making machine placed on it and thus is not described as being suitable for forming a base unit upon which a hot beverage making machine is able to stand. The images in this design patent suggest that a wire frame is used to make the drawer which would buckle and bow under the weight of a hot beverage making machine, preventing the drawer from being opened such that this cannot be described as structurally and functionally withstanding the weight of a hot beverage making machine.

[0013] In an embodiment, an opening and closing mechanism is included in the base unit to provide access to at least one pod in the holder when open and to enclose the pods in the housing when closed.

[0014] This feature allows the pods to be stored in a protected and potentially concealed way, beneath the coffee machine. When it is desired to use the pods, the mechanism can be opened to reveal one or more pods for removal from the holder and insertion in the hot beverage making machine.

[0015] In an embodiment, a drawer is included that is openable and closeable relative to the housing and the pods are held in the drawer. There is only so much space

available in the footprint of a hot beverage making machine and thus in the base unit of the present invention. Ά drawer solution, however, allows this space to be filled with pods and these pods can be easily accessed depending upon the degree to which the drawer is opened.

[0016] In an embodiment, a runner and guide mechanism is provided for enabling the opening and closing movement of the drawer. In an embodiment, the runner and guide mechanism is provided between an underside of a drawer base of the drawer and a top side of a base of the housing.

[0017] In an embodiment, the drawer is moveable

longitudinally or backwards and forwards by way of the drawer runner being slideable on one or more housing rails disposed in the guide for bearing thereon a surface of the runner.

[0018] The above runner and guide construction provides a low friction solution for enabling the drawer movement, while also assuring sufficient vertical support for the drawer.

[0019]. In an embodiment, pod receiving receptacles are provided to inhibit or prevent the pods from falling over.

This feature is particularly advantageous in combination with the above drawer feature, since the opening and closing movement of the drawer could otherwise cause the pods to tip. One form for the pod receiving receptacles is to provide a wall that majorly, substantially or entirely surround a pod to support the pod from most, substantially all or all sides to prevent tipping. As the pod receiving receptacles are individualised for each pod, the pods are prevented from falling over irrespective of how full the holder is. [0020] In an embodiment, the pod receiving receptacles are provided as through holes in the holder. The pods generally comprise an upper lip extending around a periphery of a depending bowl portion, wherein the depending bowl portion contains contents for making a hot beverage. The contents may be coffee, cocoa, milk, tea, and the like that are to be mixed with hot water in the hot beverage making machine to make the hot drink. The through holes are sized so that the bowl portion passes through the hole, while the upper lip rests on the holder wall surrounding the through hole. In this way, the upper lip portion and a bridging substrate is presented for ease of viewing by a user at the top of the through hole. The bridging substrate generally carries product identifying information.

[0021] In an embodiment, a carousel is provided to allow pods held therein to be brought into a more accessible position for removal from the holder. Likewise, the carousel allows empty pod holding space of the pod holder that is positioned relatively deeply in the housing to be brought " into an easier access position for filling with one or more pods. This feature allows the useable volume of the base unit for storing pods to be maximised, while still allowing easy access for each pod as pods may be stored deep in the housing and brought into a forward position relative to the user by moving the carousel. Any mechanism allowing pods or . pod holding space to be revolved from a retracted position in the housing to a more accessible position of the housing relative to the user may be implemented as the carousel. [0022] In an embodiment, the drawer and the carousel are provided in combination in that the carousel is mounted to a drawer base so that opening and closing of the drawer base relative to the housing moves the carousel- correspondingly . In this way, the drawer only has to be partially opened relative to the housing and the carousel can be manipulated to provide access to all pods and pod receiving space in the holder. As such, footprint of the countertop used up by the base unit and the coffee machine is conserved even when the drawer is open. [0023] In an embodiment, the carousel includes a- turntable. The turntable has pod receiving receptacles formed in it. The turntable is mounted to the drawer so that it can be opened and closed relative to the housing. [0024] In an embodiment, the drawer comprises a drawer base having a spindle and the holder has a pivot that engages the spindle so that the holder rotates relative to the drawer base. In this instance, the holder forms^' a turntable for holding the pods . [0025] The base unit may be a separate module relative to the hot beverage making machine. Alternatively, the hot beverage making machine may have such a base unit supplied and made therewith. In the latter case, the base unit will be an integrated module that is not intended to be readily separated from the hot beverage making machine.

[0026] In an embodiment, the hot beverage making machine is a coffee making machine, which may also have additional hot drinks making functionality such as hot chocolate, tea, etc..

[0027] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the base unit described above in combination with the pods, perhaps in which the holder is loaded with the pods .

[0028] The above embodiments are all combineable with any one or more of the other embodiments.

Brief description of the figures

[0029] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a base unit of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The base unit comprises a top surface forming a seat for receiving a hot beverage machine. The base unit also comprises a drawer that is openable and closeable for respectively providing access to pods stored in the base unit and for enclosing the pods in the base unit.

[0030] Figure 2 shows the base unit of figure 1 having the hot beverage making machine stood on the top surface of the base unit, such that the base unit is positionable between a countertop surface and a bottom surface of the hot beverage making machine.

[0031] Figure 3 shows the base unit of the preceding figures with the drawer in an open position. In the open position, pods are moved out of being enclosed by. a housing of the base unit to a position in which pods or pod holding receptacles are accessible by a user. In the open position, only part of the pod holder is revealed so that part of the pod holder and associated pod receptacles remain inside the housing of the base unit. The carousel is moveable so as to move part of the pod holder from being inside of the housing to outside of the housing and to move an outside part of the pod holder to inside of the housing. A user may move the carousel by hand when the drawer is in the open position. [0032] Figures 4(a) shows a base part of the housing of the base unit defining a flat bottom surface for positioning against a countertop.

[0033] Figure 4 (b) also shows sliding bearing surfaces in the form of rails upon which a runner on the bottom of the drawer will slide.

[0034] Figure 4(c) shows a guide for slideably receiving therein the runner of the drawer. The guide is such as to constrain upward movement of the runner and to constrain side to side movement of the runner, while allowing the runner to move backwards and forwards in the guide upon the sliding bearing surfaces of figure 4 (b) .

[0035] Figure 5(a) shows a drawer base in plan view

providing a front cover for- the base unit. The drawer base is moveable relative to the base part of the base unit to open and close the drawer.

[0036] Figure 5(b) shows a cross-section of the drawer base in which an axle can be seen that cooperates with the pod holder to allow rotation of the pod holder relative to the drawer base.

[0037] Figure 6(a) shows the pod holder including through holes for defining a number of pod receiving receptacles. The receptacles each support a pod in a shape conforming way to prevent tipping of the pods when the drawer is opened or closed or when the holder is rotated.

[0038] Figure 6(b) shows a cross-section of the pod holder having an axle receiving part forming a bearing allowing rotation of the pod holder about the axle. [0039] Figure 7 shows a side wall of the housing of the base unit that extends between and connects the base part of figure 4 and the top part of figure 8 to provide height to the base unit for receiving the drawer and upstanding pods therein. [0040] Figure 8 shows a top part of the housing of the base unit forming a flat upper surface for providing a seat for receiving the base surface of a hot beverage making machine.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention [0041] Referring to figure 1, there is shown a holder for pods for making coffee, tea, hot chocolate and the like. The holder provides a base unit 1 for placement between the hot beverage making machine 100 (figure 2) and a countertop. The base unit 1 includes a top surface 2 upon which a base surface of the hot beverage making machine 100 is placed. The top surface 2 has an upwardly extending lip positioned around its periphery for assisting lateral placement of the hot beverage making machine. The base unit 1 includes a base surface 3 for facing the countertop surface. The base surface 3 may directly contact the countertop surface or it may include rubber-like feet for contacting the countertop surface. For the purpose of serving as a base unit, the top surface 2 and the base surface 3 are parallel with one another and flat.

[0042] The base unit includes a housing 10 defined by a top wall 4, a bottom wall 5 and a sidewall 6 extending between and connecting the top and bottom walls 4, 5. The housing 10 defines a crescent shaped entrance opening 7 (figure 3) and a hollow interior. The hollow interior is sized to receive a drawer 8 as shown in figure 3. The drawer 8 includes a front panel 9 that fits in the entrance opening 7 by mating with the side wall 6 and the bottom and top walls 4, 5 at side and top and bottom edges of the front- panel 9. When the drawer 8 is in- the closed position, the front panel 9 of the drawer 8 closes the entrance opening 7 and when the drawer 8 is in the open position, the front panel 9 is advanced relative to the entrance opening 7.

[0043] The front panel 9 includes a handle 11 that is shown in figures 1 to 3 to be in the form of a depression in the front panel 9.

[00.44] The drawer 8 supports a holder 12 for multiple pods 16,. e.g. at least 5, 10, 15, 20 pods, etc.. The holder 12 moves between extended and retracted positions along with corresponding movement of the drawer 8. The holder 12 is provided by a turntable 13 rotatably mounted relative to the drawer 8. A table portion 14 of the turn table 13 includes through holes 15 providing receptacles for receiving and supporting therein pods 16. In the open position of the drawer 8, only some of the through holes 15 are revealed. The turn-table 13 has to be rotated to allow all of the through holes 15 to be accessed. In the closed position of the drawer 8, the pods 16, the through holes 15 and the turntable 13 are disposed in an interior of the housing 10 and hidden from view as the front panel 9 of the drawer 8 closes the entrance opening 7.

[0045] The drawer 8 may be opened by a user grasping the handle so as to move into an extended position (figure 3) relative to the housing 10 and closed so as to move into a retracted position (figure 1) relative to the housing 10. In the open position, the turntable 13 is revealed and can be accessed by the user. The turntable 13 will have empty through holes 15 or through holes respectively containing a pod 16. One or more pods 16 may be loaded into the empty through holes 15 or one or more pods 16 may be removed from the respective through holes 15 for use in the hot beverage making machine 100. When the drawer 8 is open, the table portion 14 of the turntable 13 remains partly covered by the top wall 4 of the housing 10 such that only some of the pods 16 or through holes 15 are extended relative to the housing 10. The user may spin the turntable 13 to provide access to the previously hidden through holes 15 or pods 16. [0046] If the user has removed a pod 16, it can be inserted into a pod receiving receptacle of the hot beverage making machine 100 to brew or make the hot beverage associated with the pod 16. For example, the pod may have contained therein coffee making contents, hot chocolate making contents or tea making contents.

[0047] Figures 4 to 8 show the various parts mentioned above in greater detail, in addition to detailing the drawer opening and closing mechanism.

[0048] Figures 4(a), 7 and 8 respectively show the bottom wall 5, the sidewall 6 and the top wall 4 making up the housing 10. The side wall 6 is U shaped . in _. the plan view shown in figure 7, with the gap between the legs of the U shape providing the entrance opening 7. That is, the sidewall 7 extends a majority of the way around a periphery of the bottom wall 5 and the top wall 4, but not all the way around to define the entrance opening 7.

[004^'9] The sidewall 7 and the bottom wall 5 include holes^' to allow them to be screwed or otherwise fastened together, while the ribs 20 on the sidewall 6 include slots extending part of the way therethrough in the top to bottom direction to receive a peripheral lip 21 of the top wall 4. In this way, the side wall 6 mechanically inter-fits with the top wall 4. The top wall 4 and the side wall 6 are also adhered to one another to ensure the connection.

[0050] The bottom wall 5 and the top wall 4 both include a grid-like network of reinforcing ribs 22, 23, while the side wall 6 includes ribs 20 extending in a bottom to top

direction. Reinforcing ribs 20, 22, 23 are provided in the housing 10 as it allows sufficient strength for the injection moulded walls 4, 5, 6 to be achieved so that sufficient bow and compression resistance are given to the housing 10 to support a hot beverage making machine filled with water that weighs at least 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 kg. [0051] Referring now to figure 5(a), the drawer 8 is shown in plan view. The drawer 8 includes a drawer base 30 and the front panel 9 extending upwardly from the drawer base 30. The drawer base 30 also has extending upwardly thereform a rod 34 forming an axle about which the pods holder 14 will rotate.

[0052] The pods holder 12 can be seen in figures 6(a) and 6(b) and includes a table portion 14 and a bearing tube 35 depending downwardly from the table portion 14. The table portion 14 has through holes 15 for receiving pods therein. The through holes 15 are distributed with some having their centre on an imaginary inner ring 36, some having their centre on an imaginary outer ring 38 and some having their centre on an imaginary middle ring 37 (the rings 36, 37, 38 being- concentric, and centred on a rotation axis of the. turntable 13) . The through holes 15 are circular and sized to support known pods therein on an individual basis (one pod per hole) and with relatively little jiggle room. The known pods generally have a shape including a laterally enlarged top lip portion and a depending bowl portion that

substantially holds the drink making contents. The bowl portion is able to pass through the holes, while the top lip part is not able to pass through and thus rests on the table 13. [0053] The bearing tube 35 of the pods holder 12 slides over the rod 34 of the drawer 8 and provides a rotation bearing allowing the pods holder 12 to spin freely relative to the drawer 8, while being spatially secured together so that the holder 12 moves backwards and forwards with the opening and closing of the drawer 8.

[0054] In figures 4(a) and 4(b), there can be seen bearing rails 40 protruding upwardly, the upper edge of which form sliding bearing surfaces upon which a corresponding sliding - bearing surface of the drawer 8 slides. Also shown in figures 4(a) and 4(b) are first mouting rails 41 and second mounting rails 42^" extending on either side of the bearing rails 40. The first and second mounting rails 41, 42 provide mounting surfaces upon which first and second guide bars 43, 44 are respectively mounted as shown in figure 4(c). Figure 4(c) is an enlarged version of figure 4(b)with the mounting bars 43, 44 in place.

[0055] A runner 46 is attached to an underside of the drawer base 30 as shown in figure 5(b) . The runner 46 extends in a front to back direction of the drawer 8 from a central location to a back of drawer 8 and is attached to the drawer base 30 by fasteners provided at holes 33 through the drawer base 30 as shown in figure 5(a).. The runner 46 includes a narrow portion 47 and a broader portion 48. [0O56] Referring to figures 4(c) and 5(b), the guide beams 43, 44 and the bearing rails 40 define a space 49 for receiving the runner 46. The guide beams 43, 44 include upper parts that are spaced apart so as to slidingly receive the narrow part 47 of the runner 46, while lower parts of the guide beams 43, 44 are spaced further apart than the upper parts to slidingly receive the broader part 48 of the runner 46. The braoder part 48 of the runner 46 is too wide to be able to be moved upwardly between the gap between the upper parts of the guide beams 43, 44. Further, the guide beams 43, 44 fittingly receive the runner 46 in the space 49 to restrict lateral movement of the runner 46. Yet further, the under surface 50 of the runner bridges the bearing rails 40 and rests on them. In this way, the runner 46 is only able to move along a front to back axis and is not able to move laterally or upwards or downwards, as a result of the guiding function provided by the guide beams 43, 44 and the bearing rails 40.

[0057] Referring now to figures 4(a) and 5(a), a force bump mechanism 31, 60 can be seen that provides a user noticeable bump in the force required to close and open the drawer 8 as compared to the rest of the opening and closing motion for the drawer 8. The force bump mechanism is positioned so as to indicate and define a closed position of the drawer 8 relative to the housing 10. In the shown embodiment, the drawer includes a deflection member 31 (opposed deflection members 31 in the shown form) and the housing includes a catch member 60 (opposed . catch members 60 in the shown form) that are shaped so that the catch member 60 deflects the deflection member_.31 as the drawer 8 is being closed and allows the deflection member to resiliently reform, once the closed position of the drawer has been achieved. The reverse process of transitioning from the resiliently reformed state to the deflected state occurs when the drawer 8 is being opened. [0058] The open position of the drawer 8 is defined by a part of the drawer 8 abutting against an abutting surface of the housing 10. In the shown embodiment, a front of the runner 46 abuts against a front edge of the housing bottom wall 5.

[0059] A preferred embodiment has been given above with respect to the drawings. The skilled person would be able to conceive alternatives to this specific configuration, and such alternatives are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

[0060] For example, the drawer runner and guide mechanism could be alternatively formed between the housing ^"and the . drawer. Any known drawer bearing mechanism could be used. One such example would be to provide first and second runner and guide mechanisms located on opposed sides of the drawer, between the drawer and the sidewall. However, such an alternative may increase material costs and not be able to provide as much vertical support to the drawer.

[0061] Another alternative is that the carousel is not necessarily in a turntable form. In fact classic rotation of the carousel about a single axis may not be included. One alternative would be to have a track and hanger system that allows the holder to be hung on a track and moved by a user about the track. For example some hot beverage machines may be shaped such that a simple turntable system would not be spatially efficient. It may be that a non- circular/rotational carousel movement is required.

[0062] In another alternative, the depression type handle shown in figure 1 may be replaced by a more conventional protruding handle that is attached (e.g. fastened, e.g.

screwed) to the front panel. This allows the undercut for forming the depression handle to be dispensed with. [0063] In another alternative, the spinning mechanism for the turntable could be formed differently. For example, instead of the tube receiving the rod as described above, a shaft depending from the table or holder could be buried in a recess in the drawer base to provide a pivot bearing.

[0064] Another alternative could be to allow the drawer to be fully opened so that all of the empty pod receptacles or pods can be seen when the drawer is open, as opposed to the drawer mechanism shown in the figures in which only a partial opening of the drawer is possible so that only some of the pods/pod receiving receptacle are exposed from the housing in the open position. This alternative will, however, take up more countertop footprint in the open condition of the drawer. · [0065] A yet further alternative would be to have recesses in place of the through holes and a holder that has a shallower profile in the drawer. The recesses would still be able to support standing pods on a one by one basis, although they may not be held as securely as with the though hole system described above.

Claims

1. A base unit upon which a hot beverage making machine is able to stand, the base unit comprising a housing in which there is disposed a holder for holding a plurality of pods for use in the hot beverage making machine for making the hot beverage.

2. The base unit of claim 1, comprising an opening and closing mechanism in the base unit to provide access to one or more pods in the holder when open and to enclose the pods in the housing when closed.

3. The base unit of claim 1, wherein a drawer is included that is openable and closeable relative to the housing and the pods are to be held in the drawer.

4. The base unit of claim 1, comprising pod receiving receptacles, each for supporting and holding its own pod and to inhibit or prevent a pod from falling over.

5. The base unit of claim 1, wherein pod receiving

receptacles are provided as through holes in the holder, so that a bowl portion of a pod is able to pass through the hole, while a top lip portion of the pod rests on the holder about the hole.

6. The base unit of claim 1, comprising a carousel in which pods are to be held, the carousel allowing a pod or an empty pod holding space to be moved relative to the housing to provide for easier access for removal or loading of the pod.

7. The base unit of claim 1, comprising a carousel mounted to a drawer base, the drawer base openable and closeable relative to the housing to provide an access area for

removing or loading one or more pods in the holder and the carousel operable to move one or more pods held deeper in the housing into the access area.

8. _. The base unit of claim 1, comprising a carousel mounted to an openable and closeable drawer, the opening and closing of the drawer being relative to the housing, wherein the carousel moves in the opening and closing direction with the drawer, comprises sockets for respectively receiving and holding a pod, and is manoeuvrable to allow certain pod receiving sockets to be moved from a more rearward position in the drawer to a more forward position in the drawer, while causing certain other pod receiving sockets to move from a more forward position in the drawer to a more rearward position in the drawer.

9. The base unit of claim 1, comprising a turntable that has pod receiving receptacles formed in the turntable for respectively receiving a pod in the receptacle, wherein the turntable is mounted to the drawer so that it can be opened and closed relative to the housing.

10. The base unit of claim 1, comprising a drawer in which the pods are to be held, the base unit further comprising a runner and guide mechanism for enabling an opening and closing movement of the drawer, wherein the runner and guide mechanism is located between an underside of a drawer base of the drawer and a top side of a base of the housing.

11. The base unit of claim 1, comprising a drawer, in which the pods are held and which is openable and closeable relative to the housing, and a force bump mechanism that provides a user noticeable bump in the force required to close and open the drawer as compared to the rest of the opening and closing motion for the drawer, wherein the force bump mechanism is positioned so as to indicate and define a closed pos.ition of the drawer relative to the housing.

12. The base unit of claim 1 for use with a coffee making machine in combination with coffee pods.

13. A coffee machine comprising a base unit according to claim 1 as an integrated or separate module.