Coffee machine

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of coffee machines. The coffee machine is provided with a brewing spoon with a brewing cup part and a handle part. The brewing cup part comprises a bottom part, and the bottom part is provided with an outlet hole for extracting coffee. The coffee machine further comprises a water outlet head used for supplying hot water to the brewing cup and a closing and / or powder pressing system which enables relative movement between the brewing cup and the water outlet head. The system includes a chamber accessible through an opening in the side of the coffee machine, allowing the brewing spoon to be placed into a brewing position by a linear sliding motion. In the brewing position, the brewing cup portion is aligned below the water outlet head and its outlet aperture is aligned with the coffee outlet aperture at the bottom of the chamber. The design of the bottom of the cavity can prevent coffee grounds or residues on the outer side of the outflow hole from being discharged, and therefore efficient and clean operation is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of coffee machines, in particular to a coffee machine for brewing coffee drinks. Background Art

[0002] A coffee machine according to the preamble of independent claim 1 is known from WO2024003364A1, which describes a machine unit comprising a brewing piston movably mounted between a starting position and a brewing position. In particular, a coffee handle can be inserted into the filling position, in which the coffee handle is arranged below the grinder. After the coffee receiving space of the coffee handle is filled with coffee powder, the coffee handle is retracted into the brewing position in a linear motion via a linear guide. A brewing unit comprises a brewing piston with a piston shaft, which is guided in a piston shaft housing, and a piston rod 6 arranged at the lower end (i.e. the end facing the coffee handle), which is guided in a piston rod guide housing. To start the brewing process, the brewing piston is moved downward from its starting position in the direction of gravity to the coffee receiving space of the coffee handle by a piston drive. The piston rod moves into the coffee receiving chamber and compacts the coffee powder. Hot brewing water is delivered to the brewing chamber under pressure via a brewing water feed channel guided through the piston rod.

[0003] European Patent No. 4081081 discloses a coffee machine, which includes a water reservoir, a water heater, a water pump, a coffee container for containing ground coffee, and a water delivery system having a water outlet for delivering heated water to the coffee container. A sealing and / or pressing system is used to compact the ground coffee in the coffee container by generating relative movement between the water outlet and the coffee container.

[0004] There are also some coffee machines that use coffee capsules or coffee pods to make coffee. These coffee machines are relatively small in size, but the quality of the coffee they make is lower than that made by the above coffee machines. On the other hand, compared with coffee machines that use coffee capsules or coffee pods, the above coffee machines are relatively large in size. In addition, used coffee capsules or coffee pods generate a large amount of waste that is difficult to recycle. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved coffee machine to at least solve some of the disadvantages of the above coffee machines.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by a coffee machine having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are achieved by the measures specified in the dependent claims.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a coffee machine is provided, comprising: a spoon-shaped brewing cup, comprising a brewing cup portion and a handle portion, wherein the brewing cup portion has a bottom with an outlet hole; a water outlet for supplying hot water to the brewing cup portion; a sealing and / or pressing system for sealing the brewing cup portion and / or pressing the ground coffee in the brewing cup portion by generating relative movement between the water outlet and the brewing cup. The sealing and / or pressing system also includes a chamber, the structure of which enables the spoon-shaped brewing cup to be placed in a brewing position by sliding linearly through an opening on one side of the coffee machine, the opening providing access to the chamber. In the brewing position, the brewing cup portion is located below the water outlet. The chamber comprises a bottom with a coffee outflow hole, wherein when the spoon-shaped brewing cup is in the brewing position, the outlet hole of the brewing cup portion is located above the coffee outflow hole. In addition, the shape of the chamber bottom is designed so that coffee grounds or residues falling from the water outlet to the bottom outside the coffee outflow hole will not be discharged through the coffee outflow hole.

[0008] The core idea of ​​the invention is to create a coffee machine that is compact and comparable to coffee machines using coffee capsules or coffee bags, but does not generate waste that is difficult to recycle. It is also desired that the quality of the brewed coffee is comparable to that of coffee machines used by professional baristas. In order to minimize the depth of the device, it is not practical to place a cup or mug directly under the outlet hole of the spoon-shaped brewing cup, so a channel is required to guide the coffee forward. This makes it difficult to reach the water head. Since the water head comes into contact with the ground coffee, it is important to be able to clean it. However, any dirt that is cleaned from the water head should not get into the next cup of coffee. To solve this problem, we have designed a chamber with the characteristics described in the claims. The structure of the chamber ensures that it is almost impossible for dirt on the water head to get into the coffee cup. The dirt mainly accumulates at the bottom of the chamber and cannot flow into the cup through the outlet hole at the bottom.

[0009] In one embodiment, the bottom of the chamber includes one or more additional outflow holes configured to drain coffee grounds or residue that fall and accumulate at the bottom. These features allow the water spout to be cleaned periodically by allowing a small amount of water to flow through the water spout when the spoon-shaped brewing cup is removed from the chamber. The water falls to the bottom of the chamber around the outlet hole along with the coffee grounds and then flows through the additional outflow holes to, for example, a drainable container.

[0010] In one embodiment, a cleaning wipe mechanism is provided that wipes along the water spout as the scoop-shaped brew cup slides in and out of the chamber. This feature provides an alternative or additional way to clean coffee residue from the water spout to prevent severe contamination.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the cleaning wipe mechanism is made of an elastic material extending from one side of the chamber to the opposite side. When the brewing cup slides into the brewing position, the elastic material is stretched, and when the brewing cup slides out of the brewing position, the elastic material is contracted. In another alternative embodiment, the cleaning mechanism is a flexible arm pivotable about a rotation axis located on the side wall of the chamber. When the brewing cup slides into the brewing position in the chamber, the flexible arm moves about the rotation axis; when the brewing cup slides out of the chamber, the flexible arm is reset by a spring mechanism.

[0012] In one embodiment, the bottom and side walls of the chamber constitute a removable container of the closed and / or tamped system, which is configured to slide into and out of the body of the closed and / or tamped system. This feature allows easy cleaning of the walls and bottom of the chamber if they become dirty due to residual residues. This feature also allows the chamber to collect coffee dirt only at the bottom, without the need for an opening to direct the collected dirt to a large waste collection box inside the coffee machine.

[0013] In one embodiment, the cleaning mechanism comprises a wiping element, which is located on the rear wall of the chamber, opposite to the opening of the chamber. When the removable container is slid into or out of the closed and / or pressed powder system, the wiping element is configured to wipe along the water outlet. The advantage of this embodiment is that no force is applied to the spoon-shaped brewing cup when the spoon-shaped brewing cup is placed in the chamber and taken out of the chamber.

[0014] In one embodiment, the water outlet includes a delivery component and a detachable head component. The delivery component delivers hot water to the detachable head component, which then delivers the hot water to the brewing cup, and a seal between the delivery component and the detachable head component closes the gap between the delivery component and the detachable head component to prevent hot water from leaking. These features enable the coffee machine to be designed in such a way that all components that come into contact with coffee residues can be cleaned outside the coffee machine.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the removable container comprises a cavity for receiving the removable head part, so that the removable head part can be separated from the delivery part when the removable container is slid into or out of the closure and / or tamping system. These features make it possible to remove the removable head part of the chamber and the water outlet from the coffee machine for cleaning at one time.

[0016] In one embodiment, the chamber provides a support structure to support the brewing cup portion when the water delivery head applies force to the ground coffee in the brewing cup. This enables brewing coffee at high pressure.

[0017] In a further embodiment, the brewing cup comprises a protruding edge and the support structure comprises a horizontal groove along the side wall of the chamber to guide the brewing cup portion from the opening to the brewing position. This makes it easy to place the spoon-shaped brewing cup under the water spout.

[0018] In a further embodiment, the horizontal groove is provided with one or more elastic positioning protrusions. The elastic positioning protrusions ensure that the user can feel when the spoon-shaped brewing cup is fully inserted into the chamber, and they can also prevent the spoon-shaped brewing cup from sliding out of the chamber by itself, so that it is fixed in the position below the water outlet.

[0019] In one embodiment, the spoon-shaped brewing cup further comprises a sieve-shaped cover, which is configured to enclose the brewing cup portion and is configured to form a seal when the brewing cup portion and the water outlet head are relatively moved close to each other. The spoon-shaped brewing cup with a cover has the advantage that the ground coffee does not come into contact with the solid parts of the coffee machine. In this case, the water outlet head does not need to be cleaned, and the bottom of the chamber only needs to receive water drops dripping from the water outlet head, which will hardly cause pollution after evaporation, so there is no need to clean it.

[0020] In one embodiment, the screen cover is pivotally connected to the brew cup portion. This feature prevents the cover from being lost.

[0021] Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, various features of various embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the coffee machine of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 Showing the cross-section of a coffee machine.

[0025] Figure 3 An exploded perspective view of several key components used to brew coffee is presented.

[0026] Figure 4 The combined state of the brewing spoon, the chamber and the closing and / or powder pressing mechanism in the brewing position is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view.

[0027] Figure 5 Also in the form of a schematic cross-sectional view, an embodiment of the combination of the brewing spoon, the chamber and the sealing and / or pressing mechanism is shown. Figure 4 The cross sections shown are perpendicular to each other.

[0028] Figure 6 For Figure 4 A similar schematic cross-section view, but showing the system with the components in a released position.

[0029] Figure 7 The detailed process of disassembling the chamber from the closure and / or tamping mechanism is demonstrated.

[0030] Figure 8 Shows the cross-section of the brewing spoon with lid.

[0031] Fig. 9 For Figure 4 Similar schematic cross-section diagram, but using Figure 8 Brewing cup shown with lid.

[0032] Fig.10 The structure of the water outlet head, which consists of two detachable parts, is shown in the form of a schematic cross-sectional diagram. This diagram clearly shows the specific form and connection method of each part of the water outlet head, which helps to understand the working principle of the water outlet head and the key points of operation during disassembly and maintenance.

[0033] Fig.11 A perspective schematic diagram of a removable container forming a cavity for accommodating a brewing spoon is shown.

[0034] Fig.12 Shown along Fig.11 Cross-sectional view along line XII-XII.

[0035] Fig.13 Shown along Fig.11 Cross-sectional view along line XIII-XIII.

[0036] Fig.14 A schematic top view of a first embodiment of a cleaning mechanism is shown before a brewing cup is inserted.

[0037] Fig.15 A schematic top view of a first embodiment of the cleaning mechanism is shown when the brewing cup is in the brewing position.

[0038] Fig.16 A schematic top view of a second embodiment of a cleaning mechanism is shown.

[0039] Fig.17 A perspective schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a cleaning mechanism is shown.

[0040] Fig.18 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a cleaning mechanism is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] In this specification, the term "brewing spoon" refers to a spoon-shaped brewing cup 30, which includes a handle portion 30A and a brewing cup portion 30B. The brewing cup portion forms a coffee compartment 31, which is designed to contain ground coffee.

[0043] Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of a coffee machine 10 according to the subject technology is shown. The coffee machine includes a housing member 12, which forms a portion of the top, left and right sides of the coffee machine. The front of the coffee machine consists of two parts, namely an upper front part 14 and a lower front part 16.

[0044] The upper front portion is provided with an opening 20, and the configuration of the opening 20 allows a brewing spoon 30 to be inserted into the coffee machine. The brewing spoon 30 includes a handle portion 30A and a brewing cup portion 30B.

[0045] The lower front portion 16 is provided with a water receiving tray 18 for placing a coffee cup below the beverage outlet 28. An operating lever 22 is provided on the top side of the coffee machine for moving the water outlet head up and down, thereby opening or closing the coffee compartment 31 when the brewing spoon is placed in the coffee machine.

[0046] A water storage container 24 is provided at the rear of the coffee machine. A control panel 26 is provided on the top side for operating and controlling the coffee machine.

[0047] Figure 2 The coffee maker is shown in a cross-sectional view. The brewing spoon 30 is placed in the brewing position through the opening 20 on the front side of the coffee maker by linear sliding. The opening 20 can be connected to the chamber 21. The bottom of the brewing cup part of the brewing spoon 30 is provided with an outlet hole 34.

[0048] The coffee machine comprises a main support structure 70, which provides stability for the coffee machine and connects various components of the coffee machine. The water reservoir 24 is equipped with a compartment 25 for storing water and is detachably arranged at the rear of the coffee machine.

[0049] The lower front part 16 forms a waste collection compartment 17 for collecting residues generated during the brewing process, such as water drops and coffee drops dripping from the beverage dispensing opening 28 onto the drip tray 18. The drip tray 18 guides the water drops and coffee drops into the waste collection compartment 17. The lower front part 16 can be removed by horizontal linear sliding.

[0050] A sealing and / or pressing system 40 is provided, which seals the brewing cup portion and / or presses the ground coffee in the brewing cup portion by causing a relative movement between the water outlet head 44 and the brewing spoon. The relative movement direction of the water outlet head is perpendicular to the linear sliding direction of the brewing spoon 30 in the chamber 21.

[0051] The water outlet 44 is used to supply hot water to the brewing cup portion and includes a brewing water supply device 58 . Figure 2 The water pump unit, water heating element and connecting pipes are not shown. These components work together to draw water from the water reservoir 25, guide the water through the water heating element, and transport the hot water under pressure to the brewing water supply device 58 of the water outlet head 44 through the pipe, and then guide the hot water to the ground coffee in the brewing spoon through the water outlet head.

[0052] Furthermore, a processor unit for controlling the water heating element and the water pump unit according to instructions input through the control panel 26 is also not shown in the figure.

[0053] The closing and / or tamping system 40 comprises a slider frame 42 in which a water outlet head 44 can move up and down. In the design shown, the slider frame 42 is arranged in a cavity of the main support structure 70. However, the functionality of the slider frame can also be integrated into the main support structure.

[0054] By means of a lever mechanism consisting of the operating rod 22 , a pivot arm 54 vertically connected to the operating rod 22 , and the intermediate arm 52 , the rotational movement of the operating rod 22 is converted into a linear movement of the water outlet head in the piston housing 44 .

[0055] One side of the intermediate lever arm 52 is pivotally connected to a pivot arm 54 vertically connected to the operating rod 22 around an axis 56. The other side of the intermediate lever arm 52 is pivotally connected to the water outlet head 44, and its rotation axis can alternately move linearly up and down in the elongated opening 43 of the slider frame 42 on both sides of the water outlet head 44.

[0056] The chamber 21 is formed by a component of a closed and / or tamping system. A coffee outlet hole 48 is provided at the bottom of the chamber 21, and when the brewing spoon 30 is in the brewing position and placed in the chamber 21, the coffee outlet hole 48 is located below the outlet hole 34 of the brewing spoon 30. The brewed coffee in the coffee cup flows through the outlet hole 48 and flows to the coffee dispensing port 28 located at the front of the coffee machine via the discharge channel.

[0057] The edge of the outlet hole 48 is higher than the bottom surface around it. In other words, the bottom area around the outlet hole 48 is lower than the level of the outlet hole. This design ensures that the droplets, coffee grounds or residues falling from the water outlet head 44 mainly fall on the bottom surface next to the coffee outlet hole and can no longer be discharged through the coffee outlet hole into the mug placed below the coffee dispensing port 28.

[0058] The bottom of the chamber 21 is provided with one or more drainage holes 49 for draining the liquid droplets and coffee residues falling from the water outlet 44 to the bottom of the chamber 21 into the waste collection compartment 17. Therefore, the bottom surface is gradually inclined toward the drainage holes 49. To achieve this, the bottom surface is gradually inclined toward the drainage holes 49.

[0059] Furthermore, an optional sealing element 50 may be disposed in the outlet hole 48. When the brewing spoon 30 is in the brewing position, the bottom of the coffee cup applies downward pressure to the sealing element 50, so that the outlet hole 48 is opened. When the spoon-shaped coffee cup 30 is removed from the chamber 21, the sealing element 50 is reset under the action of the spring member, closing the outlet hole 48.

[0060] When the upper front part 14 and the lower front part 16 are disassembled, the inner wall member 60 temporarily serves as the front structure of the coffee machine. The inner wall member 60 is provided with an inclined portion 61, which is used to guide the water or coffee residues discharged through the drainage hole 49 at the bottom of the chamber 21 to the rear of the discharge channel 62, and then the residues fall into the waste collection compartment 17 as a part of the lower front part 16 through the discharge channel.

[0061] Figure 3 A partially exploded perspective view of several components for brewing coffee is presented, including a brewing spoon 30, an upper front part 14, a container 46 constituting a chamber 21, an inner wall element 60, a water outlet 44, and a lever mechanism consisting of an operating lever 22, a pivot arm 54, and a lever arm 52. In this embodiment, the upper front part 14, the container 46, the beverage dispensing opening 28, and a passage connecting the coffee outlet hole 48 of the chamber 21 and the beverage dispensing opening 28 together constitute a detachable component of the coffee machine.

[0062] Figure 4 The combination of the brewing spoon, the chamber and the closing and / or tamping mechanism in the brewing position is shown in the form of a schematic cross-sectional view. In this figure, the brewing spoon 430 is located in the brewing position in the chamber 421. The water outlet 444 moves up and down in the coffee compartment 431 of the coffee cup via a lever mechanism consisting of an operating rod 422, an arm 454 and an intermediate arm 452. When the water outlet is lowered, the ground coffee in the coffee compartment 431 of the brewing spoon 430 is compacted. At the same time, an O-ring-shaped seal 464 ensures a tight seal, so that hot water at a pressure of up to 15 bar can be pressed into the coffee compartment through the inlet 458 and the channel 460 of the water outlet 444.

[0063] The disc 462 disposed at the end of the channel 260 is used to evenly disperse the hot water onto the porous diffusion screen 466 to ensure that the hot water can evenly cover the top of the compacted ground coffee and penetrate through the ground coffee.

[0064] A brewing filter 436 is disposed at the bottom of the brewing spoon 430, and a labyrinth structure 432 is disposed below the brewing filter 436. The brewed coffee flows through the labyrinth structure 432 to the opening 434 of the brewing spoon 430. When in the brewing position, the opening 434 is located above the coffee outlet hole 448 of the chamber 421. A brewing plug 450 equipped with an O-ring seal is disposed in the coffee outlet hole 448. When the brewing spoon moves to the brewing position, the bottom of the brewing spoon applies a downward force to the brewing plug 450, thereby opening the coffee outlet hole 448, so that the brewed coffee can flow through the channel to the beverage dispensing port 428.

[0065] Figure 4 Also shown is a drainage hole 449 of the chamber 421, which is used to drain liquid drops and coffee residues that fall from the water outlet head.

[0066] The lever mechanism includes three pivot axes, 441, 456 and 453. Under the operation control of the operating lever 422, the above pivot axes rotate when the water outlet head 444 moves up and down. The operating lever 422 and the arm 454 rotate around the pivot axis 441. The pivot axis 456 enables the arm 454 and the intermediate arm 452 to rotate relative to each other. Finally, the pivot axis 453 rotates and slides in the elongated opening 443 of the slider frame 442. When the operating lever 442 is operated, the pivot axis moves up and down in the elongated opening 443, thereby causing the water outlet head to move up and down in the slider frame.

[0067] Figure 5 An embodiment of a brewing spoon, a chamber and a sealing and / or pressing mechanism combination is shown in the form of a schematic cross-sectional view. Figure 4 The cross sections shown are perpendicular to each other.

[0068] The figure also shows that the container 446 is provided with two parallel grooves 504, and the flange 30C extending outwardly of the brewing spoon can slide along the two parallel grooves 504 when the brewing spoon moves into or out of the chamber 421. In addition, the slider frame 442 is equipped with two parallel grooves 512 with sliding surfaces 510, so that the side edges extending outwardly of the container 446 can slide therein. Such a design facilitates the removal of the container 446 from the slider frame 442 for cleaning operations.

[0069] Due to the arrangement of the parallel grooves 512 and the outwardly extending sides of the container 446, the container 446 cannot move up and down relative to the slider frame 442. Similarly, the arrangement of the parallel grooves 504 and the outwardly extending flange 30C of the brewing spoon can prevent the brewing spoon 30 from moving up and down relative to the container 446. This design allows the water outlet head to be pressed into the brewing spoon with a large force, and conversely, it can also be pulled out of the brewing spoon with a large force. When the water outlet head applies force to the ground coffee in the brewing spoon, the parallel grooves 512 of the chamber can provide a support structure to support the brewing cup portion. In addition, the horizontal parallel grooves arranged along the side walls of the chamber guide the brewing cup portion from the opening to the brewing position by pushing the brewing cup portion to the rear of the chamber 421.

[0070] Figure 6 A structure is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view, which is Figure 4 The cross section shown is similar, but in the release position. In the release position, the brewing spoon 30 and the container 446 can be removed from the coffee machine. When the control lever 422 moves from the brewing position to the release position, the control lever 422 rotates upward about the pivot 441. As the pivot 456 moves along an upward arc, the end of the intermediate arm 454, which is pivotally connected to the arm 454, moves upward, causing the pivot 453 to move upward through the elongated opening in the slider frame 442. Since the water head is suspended from the pivot point 453, the water head also moves upward.

[0071] Figure 7 The operation process of removing the chamber from the closing and / or tamping mechanism is demonstrated.

[0072] exist Figure 6 and Figure 7 It can be observed that when the brewing spoon is taken out, the sealing plug 450 is pushed upward by an elastic element such as a coil spring. The O-ring 451 around the sealing plug 450 is used to seal the coffee outlet hole 448.

[0073] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a brewing spoon with a lid 832 is shown, and Fig. 9 A structure is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view, which is Figure 4 Similar, and Fig. 9 The brewing spoon used in Figure 8 Brewing spoon shown.

[0074] The lid 832 is hingedly connected to the brewing spoon. When the compartment 831 in the brewing cup part 30B is filled to the brim with ground coffee and the lid is closed, the ground coffee in the compartment is compacted. The lid is bowl-shaped with a porous screen portion 834, which presses on the ground coffee when the lid closes the compartment 831 of the brewing cup part 830B. In addition, an O-ring 836 is used to seal any gaps between the brewing head parts. The bottom of the brewing cup part is provided with a brewing filter 842, a maze structure 840 and a coffee outlet hole 838 for the brewing spoon.

[0075] The advantage of this brewing spoon is that the ground coffee will not come into contact with the internal parts of the coffee machine. Therefore, the surface of the brewing filter 466 at the bottom of the water outlet 444 can be kept clean. The only thing that may fall from the water outlet is water drops, which will not directly contaminate the coffee machine.

[0076] If only water drops fall from the water outlet 444, the chamber 421 may not be provided with the drainage hole 490. The water dripping on the bottom can evaporate, and very little residual material is left after evaporation, so there is no need to drain the collected water or clean the bottom of the chamber 421. In another optional embodiment, the cover is a component that is not connected to the brewing spoon.

[0077] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of a water spout consisting of two separable parts is shown in schematic form. The water spout includes an adapter part 444B and a removable head part 444A. The adapter part 444B transfers hot water to the removable head part 444A. The removable head part includes a similar structure for evenly pushing hot water to brew the ground coffee in the brewing cup portion. A seal 490 between the adapter part 444B and the removable head part 444A closes the gap between the two parts, thereby preventing hot water from leaking when brewing coffee under pressure.

[0078] The container includes a cavity for receiving the removable head component 444A, which allows the removable head component to be separated from the adapter component when the removable container 1046 is slid into or out of the closed and / or compressed powder system. The O-ring seal 464 ensures that the removable head component is gently clamped in the opening at the top of the container 1046.

[0079] The adapter member 444B includes parallel internal grooves into which the protruding flanges of the removable head member 444A slide. These parallel internal grooves also extend parallel to the grooves in the slider frame.

[0080] Fig.11 A perspective view of a removable container 46 forming a cavity for receiving a brewing scoop is shown. Fig.12 Shown along Fig.11The cross-section diagram along line XII-XII, Fig.13 Shown along Fig.11 Cross-sectional view along line XIII-XIII.

[0081] These figures clearly show that the bottom of the chamber slopes from the coffee outlet hole 1148 towards the drainage hole 1149.

[0082] The horizontal groove 504 is provided with one or more resilient retaining projections 1200. These resilient retaining projections are flexible arms that bend outwardly when the outwardly extending flange 30B of the brew cup portion slides along them. Once the widest part of the brew cup portion passes over the resilient retaining projections, the opposing flexible arms will spring back toward each other, thereby fixing the brewing spoon in place and preventing it from sliding out of the rear of the chamber on its own.

[0083] Fig.14 A top view of a first embodiment of the cleaning mechanism 1400 is shown before the brewing spoon 30 is inserted. Fig.15 A top view of a first embodiment of the cleaning mechanism when the brewing spoon is in the brewing position is shown. The cleaning wipe mechanism 1400 is made of an elastic material that extends from one side of the chamber to the opposite side. When the brewing spoon slides into the brewing position, the elastic material is stretched, and when the brewing spoon slides out of the brewing position, the elastic material contracts.

[0084] The cleaning mechanism moves along the underside of the porous dispensing screen, wiping the water droplets and / or ground coffee particles off the screen, which then fall to the bottom of the chamber.

[0085] Fig.16 A top view of a second embodiment of the cleaning mechanism is shown. The cleaning mechanism is a flexible arm that can rotate around a rotation axis located on the side wall of the chamber. When the brewing spoon 30 slides into the brewing position in the chamber, the flexible arm rotates around the rotation axis; when the brewing spoon slides out of the chamber, the flexible arm is reset by a spring mechanism.

[0086] Fig.17 A perspective view showing a third embodiment of the cleaning mechanism, Fig.18 A cross-sectional view of this third embodiment is shown. The cleaning mechanism includes a wiping element 1700, which is arranged on the rear wall of the container 46, opposite the opening of the chamber. When the removable container 46 slides into or out of the slider frame of the closed and / or pressed powder system, the wiping element 1700 is configured to wipe along the water outlet.

[0087] Although the present invention has been described by several embodiments, it is expected that alternatives, modifications, variations and equivalents thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification and studying the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Various changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A coffee machine, comprising: a spoon-shaped brewing cup comprising a brewing cup portion and a handle portion, wherein the brewing cup portion has a bottom with an outlet hole; A water outlet for supplying hot water to the brewing cup portion; A closing and / or compacting system for closing the brewing cup portion and / or compacting the ground coffee in the brewing cup portion by generating a relative movement between the water discharge head and the brewing cup portion; characterized in that: The closed and / or tamped powder system also includes a chamber configured so that a spoon-shaped brewing cup can be placed in a brewing position by a linear sliding movement through an opening in a side of the coffee machine, the opening providing access to the chamber; Wherein, in the brewing position, the brewing cup is located below the water outlet; and The chamber has a bottom with a coffee outflow hole. When the spoon-shaped brewing cup is in the brewing position, the outlet hole of the brewing cup part is located above the coffee outflow hole, and the shape of the chamber bottom is designed so that coffee grounds or residues falling on the outer bottom of the coffee outflow hole will not be discharged through the coffee outflow hole.

2. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The bottom of the chamber includes one or more additional outflow holes configured to discharge coffee grounds or residues that fall onto the bottom and accumulate.

3. The coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that A cleaning and wiping mechanism is also provided, and when the spoon-shaped brewing cup slides into and out of the chamber, the cleaning and wiping mechanism wipes along the water outlet head.

4. The coffee machine according to claim 3, characterized in that The cleaning wipe mechanism is made of an elastic material, which extends from one side of the chamber to the opposite other side. The elastic material is stretched when the spoon-shaped brewing cup slides into the brewing position, and the elastic material is contracted when the spoon-shaped brewing cup slides out of the brewing position.

5. The coffee machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cleaning mechanism is a flexible arm pivotable about a rotation axis located on the side wall of the chamber, the flexible arm moves about the rotation axis when the brewing cup portion slides into the brewing position in the chamber, and the flexible arm is reset by a spring mechanism when the brewing cup portion slides out of the chamber.

6. The coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The bottom and the side walls of the chamber form a removable container of the closed and / or compressed powder system, the removable container being configured to slide into and out of the body of the closed and / or compressed powder system.

7. The coffee machine according to claim 6, characterized in that The cleaning mechanism comprises a wiping element located on a rear wall of the chamber, the rear wall being opposite to the opening of the chamber, the wiping element being configured to wipe along the water outlet when the removable container is slid into or out of the closed and / or pressed powder system.

8. The coffee machine according to any one of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that The water outlet head includes a delivery part and a detachable head, the delivery part delivers hot water to the detachable head, the detachable head delivers hot water to the brewing cup part, and a seal between the delivery part and the detachable head closes a gap between the delivery part and the detachable head to prevent hot water leakage.

9. The coffee machine according to claim 8, characterized in that The removable container comprises a cavity for receiving the removable head, so that the removable head can be separated from the delivery portion when the removable container is slid into or out of the closed and / or compressed powder system.

10. The coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that When the water discharge head applies force to the ground coffee in the brewing cup, the chamber provides a supporting structure to support the brewing cup portion.

11. The coffee machine according to claim 10, characterized in that The brew cup portion includes a protruding rim and the support structure includes a horizontal groove along the chamber sidewall to guide the brew cup portion from the opening to the brewing position.

12. The coffee machine according to claim 11, characterized in that The horizontal groove is provided with one or more elastic positioning protrusions.

13. The coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that The spoon-shaped brewing cup further comprises a sieve cover, which is configured to close the brewing cup portion and to form a seal between the brewing cup portion and the water spout when the brewing cup portion and the water spout move relative to each other.

14. The coffee machine according to claim 13, characterized in that The screen cover is pivotably connected to the brew cup portion.

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