Coffee machine

Abstract

A domestic coffee machine comprising at least two steam distributors, at least one horizontal distributor of which is connected to a removable metal jug via a cover comprising a venturi effect milk frother, and at least one vertical distributor of which is connected to a steam wand for so-called "pull art" whipping.

Description

[0001] describe

[0002] The invention relates to an automatic coffee machine, in particular to a household manual coffee machine.

[0003] Coffee machines have been on the market for some time, which make it possible to obtain coffee-based and milk-based beverages, such as cappuccino, latte or macchiato, simply by pressing a button. In these machines, coffee is mixed with more or less frothy milk (in the present application, the term "milk" refers to any type of beverage commonly known as milk, whether of animal or vegetable origin), which is obtained by suction from a milk box connected to a steam source by means of the Venturi effect. These machines are known in the prior art, for example from patent applications EP3166454A1 and WO2005102126A2.

[0004] Instead, milk froth is usually obtained in dedicated machines with the help of a vertical dispenser of the stick type used by the operator in conjunction with a metal milk jug with a rounded flat surface. This type of milk frothing, commonly known as "latte art", makes it possible to obtain a decoration on the surface of the drink using the spout of the milk jug.

[0005] Although, in addition to automatic devices for producing milk froth (for example the machine described in patent application WO2011064702A1), there exist coffee machines with a steam dispensing lever in the prior art, such machines do not allow for obtaining latte art milk froth in a professional manner.

[0006] Specifically, the steam wand is in a fixed position and it allows insufficient manual dexterity in whipping the milk, forcing the user to perform inefficient operations.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to obtain satisfactory results, it is not possible to use the jug that is usually supplied with the machine, since it is made of plastic, not suitable for withstanding high temperatures and not able to quickly diffuse the heat during the whipping operation, resulting in insufficient milk temperature and a lack of foam production. Therefore, in order to use a steam wand, it is necessary to be equipped with a separate metal jug, which generates additional costs for the user and requires additional space to store this additional component. Finally, plastic jugs generally do not have a spout that facilitates pouring the milk into a cup, thus causing waste and mess. It is therefore desirable to provide a domestic coffee machine that enables fully automatic operation to dispense a mixed drink containing coffee and milk, and also enables the production of "pulled art" milk foam in a professional manner, while still maintaining the practical characteristics typical of domestic machines.

[0008] Therefore, the technical task of the present invention is to provide a household coffee machine which eliminates the above-mentioned technical defects of the prior art.

[0009] In the context of the present technical task, an object of the present invention is to provide a domestic coffee machine comprising at least two steam distributors.

[0010] The technical task and these and other purposes according to the invention are achieved by realizing a domestic coffee machine, which includes a body, at least one boiler, at least one water tank, at least one machine operation selection system, and at least one steam distribution system, which includes at least two steam distributors, characterized in that the first steam distributor extends horizontally from the body and is connected to a detachable metal pot through a cover including a Venturi effect milk frother; and the second steam distributor extends vertically from the body and is connected to a steam wand.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing a beverage containing coffee and milk by means of a domestic coffee machine comprising at least two steam distributors.

[0012] The technical task and these and other objects according to the invention are achieved by providing a method for making a beverage containing coffee and milk with a coffee machine comprising at least two steam distributors, the method comprising the following steps:

[0013] Add milk to the metal jug;

[0014] • Whipping the milk by selectively dispensing steam from the first dispenser or the second dispenser.

[0015] Other characteristics of the invention are further defined in the dependent claims.

[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a coffee machine according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of approximate and non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 shows a front view of the coffee maker with the pot and lid removed;

[0018] Figure 2 A front view of a manual coffee machine is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 A front view of a manual coffee machine is shown, wherein the jug is used for "pull art" whipping;

[0020] Figure 4 A vertical section of the pot is shown;

[0021] Figure 5 A vertical cross section of the pot, lid and venturi system is shown.

[0022] Reference Figure 1, a coffee machine is shown, which is indicated as a whole by the reference numeral 1.

[0023] Preferred applications are envisioned for domestic manual coffee machines, i.e. coffee machines with a retaining filter cup that can be engaged and disengaged from an infuser by hand, wherein the user is required to load the retaining filter cup with coffee grounds before engaging the retaining filter cup with the coffee machine infuser.

[0024] The coffee machine 1 comprises a body 2, at least one boiler for producing hot water and / or steam, at least one water tank, preferably at least one coffee storage device, a grinding and distribution system, at least one machine operation selection system 3, at least one steam distribution system, the at least one steam distribution system comprising at least two steam distributors: a first horizontal distributor 4 and a second vertical distributor 5. Thanks to the presence of these two steam distributors, it is possible to obtain milk froth in two ways, namely automatic and "pulling art" mode.

[0025] exist Figure 2 , the coffee machine is reproduced so as to show the metal jug 6 and the lid 7. In this position, it is possible to operate the machine completely automatically: by adding milk to the jug 6 and activating the machine by means of the machine operation selection system 3, the milk is whipped thanks to a venturi system (not shown in detail herein) present in the lid 7. The machine then mixes the frothed milk with the coffee. Moreover, this can be considered the "rest" position of the machine, in which the jug 6 and the lid 7 are placed within the outer dimensions of the machine, thus making it possible to increase the neatness obtained on the resting surface of the machine and to reduce the overall space required to operate the machine, since no space has to be provided outside the machine to store an additional metal jug.

[0026] Figure 3 The manual method of operation is shown. The jug 6 is separated from the lid 7 and, thanks to the stick 25 connected to the second dispenser 5, the whipping of the milk is carried out with a "latte art".

[0027] Also refer to Figure 4 The wand 25 is connected to the second steam distributor 5 by a swivel joint 26 which enables the wand 25 to be extracted from the shape of the body so as to enable the user to whip the milk more easily since the jug can be shaken freely in the space not occupied by the body.

[0028] Preferably, in order to move the wand 25 further away from the machine, the wand may be provided with at least one or more bends 30, in particular but not necessarily at 90°, separating the individual straight sections of the steam wand 25. In order to obtain simpler processing, the end of the wand 25 remote from the second steam distributor 5 may be substantially straight.

[0029] Preferably, the jug comprises stainless steel, to enable safe and hygienic handling of the milk.

[0030] Preferably, the jug has a circular cross section so as to enable dispensing with a circular movement of steam and to prevent any spraying of the contents during the typical movements for producing latte art.

[0031] Figure 4 There is shown a cross section of a metal kettle 6. In particular, it is possible to see the upper periphery 10 along the opening of the metal kettle, the inner surface 11, the outer surface 12, the handle 13 and the spout 14.

[0032] The metal kettle may further comprise a bracket 15 which may be used for a snap-fit ​​connection of the kettle 6 and the lid 7 .

[0033] The spout enables precise pouring of whipped milk and enables the typical latte art to be achieved.

[0034] exist Figure 5 , the snap-fit ​​connection of the lid 7 to the kettle 6 is shown in detail through a vertical section.

[0035] In particular, the bracket 15 is engaged by a rod 20 which may be integrated into the lid 7 to enable a more stable connection between the kettle and the lid.

[0036] Preferably, the lid is shaped to conform to the upper periphery 10 of the metal kettle so as to obtain a substantially sealed closure of the kettle and thus prevent steam or liquid from spilling out during operation.

[0037] Furthermore, the closure of the jug by means of the lid makes it possible to prevent the contents of the jug from coming into contact with external liquids, for example during refrigerated storage.

[0038] The operation of the coffee machine according to the invention is apparent from the description and the examples and is in particular substantially as follows.

[0039] In the method of making coffee using the coffee machine of the invention, it is possible to identify three consecutive steps, in particular:

[0040] Add milk to the metal jug;

[0041] Whipping milk by distributing steam;

[0042] Mix milk and coffee.

[0043] The second step can be carried out in automatic mode, when the jug is connected to the machine by the lid and the steam distribution is carried out by means of a horizontal distributor, or in manual mode, when the jug is separated from the lid and a vertical distributor is used to whip the milk.

[0044] In practice, it has been noted how the coffee machine according to the invention is particularly advantageous in that it allows mixed drinks containing milk and coffee of good quality and professional appearance to be obtained without sacrificing the practicality, simplicity of use and compactness typical of domestic coffee machines.

[0045] In particular, the metal jug is configured for correct milk frothing both automatically and manually.

[0046] Therefore, the jug is made of a metal material (e.g., steel) that can both resist thermal changes as the milk quickly climbs from a refrigerated low temperature (e.g., 4°C) to a high temperature (e.g., 70°C) during frothing, and slow down the heating process if the jug has been previously kept refrigerated.

[0047] At the same time, the truncated cone geometry of the metal jug ensures the incorporation of steam and the fusion of the milk foam due to the vortex effect, the handle ensures a secure grip and the spout ensures the correct pouring of the cream for making cappuccino.

[0048] The coffee machine as conceived herein is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept defined in the claims; moreover, all the details may be replaced by technically equivalent elements.

[0049] In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be determined according to requirements and the state of the art.

Claims

1. A domestic coffee machine (1), comprising a machine body (2), at least one boiler, at least one water tank, at least one machine operation selection system (3), at least one steam distribution system, the at least one steam distribution system comprising at least two steam distributors, characterized in that At least a first steam distributor (4) extends horizontally from the body and is connected to a removable metal kettle (6) through a cover (7) including a venturi effect milk frother; the metal kettle (6) has a truncated cone geometry and includes an upper periphery (10) along the opening of the metal kettle, an inner surface (11), an outer surface (12), a handle (13) and a spout (14), the cover (7) being shaped to conform to the upper periphery of the metal kettle (6), and at least a second steam distributor (5) extends vertically from the body and is connected to a steam wand (25).

2. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The metal kettle (6) comprises at least one bracket (15) arranged on the inner surface of the kettle.

3. The coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that The lid (7) comprises at least one connecting rod (20) engaging the at least one bracket arranged in the kettle (6).

4. Coffee machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The metal kettle (6) comprises stainless steel.

5. Coffee machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The metal pot (6) has a substantially circular cross-section.

6. Coffee machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The steam wand (25) is connected to the second steam distributor (5) by means of a swivel joint (26).

7. Coffee machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The steam wand (25) has a steam dispensing position in which the steam wand is pulled out of the shape of the fuselage.

8. Coffee machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The steam wand (25) comprises at least one curved portion (30).

9. A method for preparing a beverage containing coffee and milk with a coffee machine according to one of the preceding claims, the method comprising the following steps: Adding milk to the metal jug; • Whipping the milk by selectively distributing steam from the first steam distributor (4) or the second steam distributor (5).

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The step of whipping the milk by means of the first steam distributor (4) is automatically performed in the metal jug (6) connected to the coffee machine by means of the lid (7), while the step of whipping the milk by means of the second steam distributor (5) is performed manually in the metal jug (6).

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