Brewing chamber and machine suitable for use with the brewing chamber

Abstract

The invention relates to a brewing chamber (1) having at least one identifier and a machine (10) suitable for identifying such a brewing chamber. The brewing chamber (1) of the invention comprises at least one chamber connector (2) having at least one terminal (21) and at least one data pin (22), and at least one first resistor (3), one pin of the at least one first resistor being connected to the terminal (21) of the chamber connector (2) and the other pin being connected to the data pin (22) of the chamber connector (2). At the same time, the machine (10) comprises at least one machine connector (11) having at least one terminal counterpart (111) and at least one sensing pin (112), and at least one second resistor (12), one pin of the at least one second resistor being connected to the sensing pin (112) of the chamber connector (2) and the other pin being connected to a power supply.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a brewing chamber suitable for preparing particularly hot beverages and a machine suitable for identifying a brewing chamber. Background Art

[0002] Food and hot drinks, particularly coffee, can be prepared using a machine having a brewing chamber. The brewing chamber typically includes a heater, which is connected to another connector on the machine via a connector. Furthermore, a sensor for sensing temperature and a stirrer for stirring the ingredients in the chamber may also be present on the brewing chamber. Electrical connection between these components and the main machine is provided via the connector.

[0003] Current product ranges include coffee machines with multiple cooking chambers. However, because various components, such as heaters and temperature sensors, can have different tolerances, as discussed above, different brewing chambers can have different characteristic curves. Thus, for example, while one brewing chamber measures the temperature of the material inside at 90°C, another brewing chamber may measure the same temperature at 95°C. Therefore, machines with different brewing chambers need to be calibrated.

[0004] In the background of the present invention, European patent document EP2619511 discloses a system for sensitively controlling the temperature in consumer products. The system can calibrate a temperature sensor using a known temperature value (such as the boiling point of water).

[0005] In the prior art, there is no brewing chamber with a different identifier, nor a suitable machine for identifying the brewing chamber. However, there is a need for such a brewing chamber and a machine suitable for use with such a brewing chamber. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a brewing chamber having at least one identifier and a machine suitable for identifying said brewing chamber.

[0007] A brewing chamber for achieving the object of the invention and a machine suitable for identifying said brewing chamber are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a brewing chamber of the present invention and a machine suitable for identifying the brewing chamber;

[0009] Figure 2 Electrical equivalent diagrams for embodiments where the first resistor is chosen to be zero (A) and infinite (B);

[0010] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment using a grid line.

[0011] The components shown in the figure are individually numbered and the corresponding relationships between these numbers are as follows:

[0012] 1. Brewing Room

[0013] 2. Chamber connector

[0014] 21. Terminal

[0015] 22. Data pin

[0016] 3. First resistor

[0017] 10. Machine

[0018] 11. Machine connector

[0019] 111.Terminal counterparts

[0020] 112.Sensing pin

[0021] 12. Second resistor DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] A brewing chamber 1 with at least one identifier, mainly comprising:

[0023] At least one chamber connector 2 for achieving electrical connection of at least one of a heater and / or a temperature sensor, the at least one chamber connector 2 having at least one terminal 21 and at least one data pin 22;

[0024] At least one first resistor 3 has one pin connected to the terminal 21 of the compartment connector 2 and another pin connected to the data pin 22 of the compartment connector 2 directly and / or through other elements.

[0025] The terminal 21 can be connected to a phase line, a neutral line, or a ground line of a mains power source. The terminal 21 can also be connected to a ground line or a power line of another circuit. The compartment connector 2 can include separate pins for connecting to a phase line, a neutral line, and / or a ground line of a mains power source.

[0026] The brewing chamber 1 of the present invention comprises at least one first resistor 3 , one pin of which is electrically connected to the terminal 21 of the chamber connector 2 and the other pin of which is electrically connected to the data pin 22 of the chamber connector 2 .

[0027] The first resistor 3 may be any element having a resistance ohm value between zero and infinity. In other words, the first resistor 3 also defines whether the electrical connection between the terminal 21 and the data pin 22 is provided by a wire or the connection between the terminal 21 and the data pin 22 is open.

[0028] In an embodiment of the present invention that can be used with other embodiments, the first resistor 3 can be a variable resistor, such as a potentiometer or a trimmer resistor. In this embodiment, the first resistor 3 can be positioned where a user can access and manipulate it. The position can be, but is not limited to, a handle of the brewing chamber 1.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention that can be used with other embodiments, the brewing chamber 1 may include a multi-position switch and a plurality of first resistors 3 connected to different positions of the multi-position switch; wherein the multi-position switch is such as a commutator or a rotary switch.

[0030] A machine 10 suitable for identifying a brewing chamber 1 having at least one identifier, comprising:

[0031] at least one machine connector 11 for reciprocating the chamber connector 2 when the brewing chamber 1 is placed to perform a brewing process, the machine connector 11 having at least one terminal counterpart 111 and at least one sensing pin 112;

[0032] At least one second resistor 12 has one pin connected to the sensing pin 112 of the room connector 2 and the other pin connected to the phase line, neutral line, ground line or power line of the power supply.

[0033] A machine 10 adapted to identify a brewing chamber 1 having at least one identifier mainly comprises: at least one machine connector 11, which, when the brewing chamber 1 is placed, reciprocates the chamber connector 2 to perform the brewing process. The machine connector 11 comprises at least one terminal counterpart 111 adapted to be connected to the terminal 21 of the chamber connector 2, and at least one sensing pin 112 adapted to be connected to the data pin 22 of the chamber connector 2.

[0034] The machine 10 of the present invention includes at least one second resistor 12, one pin of which is connected to the sense pin 112 of the machine connector 11 and the other pin of which is connected to the phase line, neutral line, ground line or power line of the power supply or a separate power supply capable of rectifying and / or limiting the voltage. (In Figure 3 An example of this embodiment is given in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. The second resistor 12 is a pull-up or pull-down resistor. This prevents the data pin 22 from floating in embodiments where the first resistor 3 is infinitely large, and prevents a power supply short circuit in embodiments where the first resistor 3 is zero. For other values ​​of the first resistor 3, the first resistor 3 and the second resistor 12 together form a voltage divider.

[0035] The sensing pin 112 of the machine 10 of the present invention is electrically connected to one of the digital and / or analog inputs of the control unit. In this way, the control unit can obtain information about the presence, absence, and / or value of the first resistor 3. A separate resistor may also be present between the sensing pin 112 and the digital and / or analog input.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, consider using one brewing chamber 1 in which a wire is used as the first resistor 3 and terminal 21 is connected to the ground line (for convenience, this brewing chamber will be referred to as the first brewing chamber), and using another brewing chamber 1 in which the connection between terminal 21 and data pin 22 is open, as with the first resistor 3 (for convenience, this brewing chamber will be referred to as the second brewing chamber). If terminal 21 of brewing chamber 1 is connected to the ground line of the power supply, and the pin of the second resistor 12 on the machine 10 that is not connected to the sense pin 112 is connected to the positive (+) line of the power supply, when the first brewing chamber is placed on the machine 10, the control unit reads a voltage value of zero or near zero. When the second brewing chamber is placed on the machine 10, the control unit reads the voltage value of the power supply to which the pin of the second resistor 12 that is not connected to the sense pin 112 is connected. In this way, the machine 10 can distinguish between two different brewing chambers. The brewing chambers 1 and the machine 10 are equivalent in Figure 2 A and Figure 2 Given in B.

[0037] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, n brewing chambers 1 can be assumed, each having a first resistor 3 having a different value. In this embodiment, when a brewing chamber 1 is placed on the machine 10, a control unit reads the different values ​​of each brewing chamber 1 based on the values ​​of the first resistor 3 and the second resistor 12. In this embodiment, the sensing pin 112 is connected to an analog input of the control unit. The number of identifiable brewing chambers 1 depends on the resolution of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) connected to the analog input.

[0038] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is considered that one brewing chamber 1 is used, in which a variable resistor whose maximum value is less than the value of the second resistor 12 is used as the first resistor 3 (for convenience, this brewing chamber will be named the first brewing chamber), and another brewing chamber 1 is used, in which a variable resistor whose minimum value is greater than the value of the second resistor 12 is used as the first resistor 3 (for convenience, this brewing chamber will be named the second brewing chamber). As above, the variable resistor can be formed by a potentiometer, a trimming resistor and / or a multi-position switch and a plurality of first resistors (3) connected to different positions of the switch. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a total of 5 V is dropped across the first resistor 3 and the second resistor 12; when the first brewing chamber is placed on the machine 10, data between 0 V and 2.5 V will be obtained from the sensing pin 112, and when the second brewing chamber is placed on the machine, data between 2.5 V and 5 V will be obtained from the sensing pin 112. When the data is lower than 2.5 V, the control unit recognizes that the first brewing chamber is placed, and when the data is higher than 2.5 V, the control unit recognizes that the second brewing chamber is placed. In this way, the control unit can identify the brewing chamber 1, and the user can adjust the brewing chamber 1. The voltage range is only an example, and by selecting an appropriate resistance value, the voltage range can be limited to the desired voltage range. For example, the minimum and maximum values ​​of the first resistor 3 of the brewing chamber can be selected so that the output of the voltage divider varies between 0 V to 1 V, 1 V to 2 V, 2 V to 3 V, 3 V to 4 V, and 4 V to 5 V. In this example, five different brewing chambers 1 can be identified. In this embodiment, the first resistor 3 can adopt a constant resistor and a variable resistor connected in series with the constant resistor, however, the resistor combination that can be formed is not limited to this.

[0039] In an embodiment of the invention, which may be used with other embodiments, the machine 10 is adapted for use with more than one brewing chamber 1 simultaneously.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, which may be used with other embodiments, the machine 10 identifies the brewing chamber based on data received from the brewing chamber 1 and provides visual and / or audible feedback to the user regarding the type of brewing chamber 1. This feedback may be provided by any method, such as, but not limited to, changing the display, activating a sound generator, and / or providing a mobile phone notification. For example, when the user adjusts the brewing chamber 1 to prepare sweetened coffee, the machine 10 may turn on an LED to indicate that sweetened coffee is being prepared, display the indication "Sweetened Coffee" on the display, emit a sound from a speaker to indicate that sweetened coffee is being prepared, and / or send a notification to a device such as a mobile phone or tablet. This feedback is controlled by a control unit.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, which can be used with other embodiments, the machine 10 stores calibration values ​​associated with more than one brewing chamber 1 in a memory unit. In this embodiment, a liquid with a previously known boiling point, such as water, is poured into the brewing chamber 1. When the calibration process begins, the control unit activates the heater, which heats the liquid within the brewing chamber 1. Once the temperature of the liquid stops rising, the boiling point of the liquid has been reached. Data received from the temperature sensor at the boiling point of the liquid is stored in the memory unit as the boiling point data (i.e., calibration data) along with data received from the sensing pin 112. The data received from the temperature sensor can be, but is not limited to, the output voltage of a voltage divider formed using the temperature. When a calibrated brewing chamber 1 is placed on one of the machine connectors 11, the control unit receives data associated with the brewing chamber 1 from the sensing pin 112 and, based on this data, receives calibration data from the memory unit. This allows the control unit to determine which value it should read from the temperature sensor at the boiling point of the liquid within the brewing chamber 1 and activate the heater until the material within the brewing chamber 1 reaches that temperature. Thus, for example, in a machine 10 in which two brewing chambers 1 can be used simultaneously, the boiling point of the liquid inside the brewing chamber 1 is known regardless of which brewing chamber 1 is placed on which machine connector 11 .

[0042] In an embodiment of the present invention that can be used with other embodiments, data regarding the heating mode is also stored in the memory unit. This allows the control unit to drive the brewing chamber 1 in different ways for preparing different types of beverages. For example, the brewing chamber 1 used for preparing milk, sweetened Turkish coffee, and / or regular Turkish coffee can be heated in different ways. The heating mode data may include, but is not limited to, data indicating the operating power and operating duration of the heater.

Claims

1. A machine (10) adapted for use with a brewing chamber (1), said brewing chamber (1) having at least one identifier comprising: at least one chamber connector (2), the chamber connector (2) being used to achieve electrical connection of at least one of a heater and / or a temperature sensor; the chamber connector (2) having at least one terminal (21) and at least one data pin (22); and at least one first resistor (3), one pin of which is connected to the terminal (21) of the chamber connector (2) and the other pin of which is connected directly and / or through other elements to the data pin (22) of the chamber connector (2); in, The first resistor (3) is a variable resistor; A multi-position switch, wherein different positions of the multi-position switch are connected to a plurality of the first resistors (3); characterized in that: The machine (10) comprises: at least one machine connector (11) for reciprocating the chamber connector (2) to perform a brewing process when the brewing chamber (1) is placed; The machine connector (11) has at least one terminal counterpart (111) and at least one sensing pin (112); and at least one second resistor (12), one pin of which is connected to the sensing pin (112) of the chamber connector (2) and the other pin of which is connected to the phase line, neutral line, ground line or power line of the power supply, a control unit having at least one digital and / or analog input, wherein at least one of the digital and / or analog input is electrically connected to the sensing pin (112); at least one temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the material in at least one of the brewing chambers (1) or a value representing the temperature, and comprising at least one memory unit for storing calibration data associated with at least one of the brewing chambers (1); The control unit is adapted to run the calibration process as follows: When the calibration process starts, the control unit drives the heater, and the heater heats the liquid in the brewing chamber (1); Data received from the temperature sensor at the boiling point of the liquid is stored in the memory unit as calibration data together with data received from the sensing pin (112); When the calibrated brewing chamber (1) is placed on one of the machine connectors (11), the control unit receives data related to the brewing chamber (1) from the sensing pin (112), and then, corresponding to this data, the control unit receives calibrated data from the memory unit.

2. The machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The machine (10) is suitable for use with more than one brewing chamber (1) at the same time.

3. The machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The memory unit is suitable for storing heating mode data associated with at least one of the brewing chambers (1).

4. The machine (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that When the brewing chamber is placed on the machine connector (11), the control unit is adapted to receive the heating mode data corresponding to the brewing chamber (1) from the memory unit and to drive the heater according to the heating mode data.

5. The machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The control unit is adapted to identify the brewing chamber (1) by means of data it receives from the brewing chamber (1) and to provide a user with visual and / or audible feedback on the type of the brewing chamber (1).

6. A brewing chamber (1) suitable for being identified by a machine (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The brewing chamber (1) has at least one identifier comprising: at least one chamber connector (2), the chamber connector (2) being used to achieve electrical connection of at least one of a heater and / or a temperature sensor; the chamber connector (2) having at least one terminal (21) and at least one data pin (22); and at least one first resistor (3) having one pin connected to the terminal (21) of the chamber connector (2) and another pin connected directly and / or through other elements to the data pin (22) of the chamber connector (2), Wherein, the first resistor (3) is a variable resistor; A multi-position switch, wherein different positions of the multi-position switch are connected to a plurality of the first resistors (3).

7. The brewing chamber (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The first resistor (3) is positioned such that it can be touched and manipulated by a user.

8. The brewing chamber (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that The multi-position switch is positioned so that it can be reached and manipulated by a user.

9. The brewing chamber (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that The first resistor (3) is any element having a resistance ohmic value between zero and infinity.

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