Beverage machine with mechanical assembly and liquid dispenser

Abstract

A beverage machine, such as a coffee machine, is provided. The beverage machine comprises a mechanical assembly for effecting one or more mechanical operations of the beverage machine. The beverage machine further comprises a hydraulic system (112). The hydraulic system comprises a pump (113) and a valve assembly (122). The valve assembly comprises a valve member (122A) which is movable by fluid movement pumped by the pump to cause movement of at least a part of the mechanical assembly to effect at least one of the one or more mechanical operations. The valve assembly is arranged to provide a flow path for the fluid beyond the valve member before, during and / or after said movement of the valve member causes movement of at least a part of the mechanical assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage machine, such as a coffee machine, having mechanical components for performing one or more mechanical operations of the beverage machine and a liquid dispenser for dispensing liquid (e.g., heated water) into a brewing vessel. Background Technology

[0002] There are many different types of beverage machines on the market. The degree of user interaction required during the use of a beverage machine (such as a coffee machine) can vary.

[0003] In a manual espresso machine, the user fills the brewing vessel, contained in a portafilter, with ground coffee. The user then tamps the ground coffee down within the brewing vessel with sufficient pressure to form a coffee puck. The brewing vessel containing the coffee puck is then attached to the espresso machine, typically via a bayonet coupling. Next, the espresso machine drives hot water through the coffee puck, and the resulting coffee is dispensed through a nozzle usually integrated into the portafilter. After brewing, the user disconnects the portafilter from the espresso machine, empties it, and discards the used ground coffee.

[0004] There are also manual espresso machines with integrated grinders. In these machines, the handle can be moved by the user between a first position for receiving ground coffee and a second position for brewing coffee. Tamping can be done manually or via a manually operated lever.

[0005] In a fully automatic espresso machine, all the above steps are completed automatically within the same machine. This machine includes a coffee bean container and a grinder to prepare ground coffee. This ground coffee is delivered to the brewing vessel and automatically tamped by a piston that can be hydraulically or electrically driven. Next, hot water is forced through the ground coffee in the brewing vessel, the coffee is brewed and dispensed, and the used ground coffee is discharged from the brewing vessel into a waste bin within the machine. By automating these steps, a fully automatic espresso machine saves the user time. Furthermore, because the machine can perform these steps more repeatedly than the user, consistent results are achieved.

[0006] IT MI 972 377 A1 discloses an apparatus for preparing coffee extract. The apparatus includes a frame, a support for metering ground coffee, and a compression and extraction unit. The apparatus also includes a conveying device for moving the compression and extraction unit along a predetermined path from an initial position to a final position. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention is defined by the claims.

[0008] According to an example of one aspect of the invention, a beverage machine is provided, comprising: a mechanical assembly for performing one or more mechanical operations of the beverage machine; and a liquid dispenser having a liquid outlet and a hydraulic system for delivering liquid via the liquid outlet to a brewing vessel of a brewing vessel assembly, the hydraulic system including a pump and a valve assembly, the valve assembly including a valve member that can be moved by fluid pumped to cause movement of at least a portion of the mechanical assembly, thereby performing at least one of the one or more mechanical operations, the valve assembly being arranged such that the fluid provides a flow path beyond the valve member.

[0009] Providing a flow path for the fluid beyond the valve member can be provided before, during, and / or after the movement of the valve member causes at least a portion of the mechanical components to move.

[0010] The combination of hydraulic systems and mechanical components can help reduce the burden on beverage machine users, as he / she can participate less or even not at all in certain functions of using the beverage machine to brew and / or prepare beverages.

[0011] Furthermore, since the valve assembly is included in the hydraulic system of the liquid distributor, and the valve member moves accordingly by fluid (e.g., water) in the hydraulic system, this functionality can therefore be readily provided, for example, with minimal additional components, such as additional electronic components.

[0012] After the valve components move to induce mechanical operation, the downstream flow of fluid allowed by the valve assembly allows the liquid to flow through the valve assembly to achieve further functions, that is, functions other than inducing mechanical operation.

[0013] In some embodiments, the flow path is included in the pump's filling path along the fluid it can discharge.

[0014] For example, after the liquid reservoir containing the liquid being pumped by the pump has been emptied, the fluid can be pumped out along the filling path. In other words, the pump can be filled with air while the liquid reservoir is being emptied. In this case, the filling path provided by the valve assembly can assist the pump in resuming pumping liquid.

[0015] Valve components may include flow control elements, such as piston rings, which are arranged to provide a flow path before and / or during the movement of fluid discharged by a pump into the valve component.

[0016] In this embodiment, the valve assembly can be considered to provide controlled downstream leakage due to the inclusion of flow control elements.

[0017] For friction that hinders the movement of valve components, flow control elements (such as piston rings) can also be selected to provide only relatively little assistance.

[0018] It should be further noted that the filling path can be considered a low-pressure path.

[0019] This low-pressure path assists the pump in resuming pumping the liquid (e.g., water). During pump charging, the initial resistance to flow can be provided by the valve assembly. Therefore, the valve assembly can be configured to have the lowest possible opening pressure (in other words, the pressure at which the valve assembly begins to move).

[0020] The opening pressure of the valve assembly can be less than 0.5 bar, preferably less than 0.3 bar.

[0021] This relatively low opening pressure helps the valve assembly provide a charging path during pump charging.

[0022] Alternatively or additionally, the valve assembly opening pressure may be at least 0.2 bar, preferably at least 0.25 bar. In a non-limiting example, the valve assembly opening pressure is approximately 0.25 bar.

[0023] An opening pressure below 0.2 bar may mean that the valve assembly cannot close quickly enough. It should also be noted that friction can be provided by (at least) flow control elements such as piston rings.

[0024] By providing (i) controlled downstream leakage, (ii) relatively little assistance to friction that impedes the movement of valve components, and (iii) relatively low opening pressure of the valve assembly, the valve assembly can be advantageously configured in embodiments where the flow path is included in the pump's charging path.

[0025] In some embodiments, the beverage machine (or particularly the hydraulic system) includes additional valves, such as electronic valves, which are controlled to allow fluid in the filling path to be pumped back to the liquid reservoir.

[0026] Note that the design of the valve component is not particularly limited. In some embodiments, the valve component is in the form of a piston component.

[0027] In at least some embodiments, the valve assembly includes a biasing element (e.g., a spring), wherein the valve member can be moved by fluid in the hydraulic system against a bias provided by the biasing element. In such embodiments, the valve assembly can be considered a check valve assembly.

[0028] In some embodiments, the valve assembly includes a housing, and a valve member is movable within the housing by fluid in a hydraulic system, wherein the valve member includes: a sealing element for forming a seal between the valve member and the housing; and a flow control element.

[0029] In this embodiment, a space for receiving liquid can be defined between the valve member and the housing, the upstream end of which is defined by a sealing element, and the downstream end of which is defined by a flow control element. Therefore, the flow control element can be configured to provide at least partially a flow path extending beyond the valve member in a downstream direction away from the sealing element.

[0030] In this embodiment, the flow control element can control the flow of liquid out of the space in a downstream direction away from the sealing element.

[0031] Furthermore, including a flow control element can help increase the pressure drop compared to a situation where the sealing element is included in the valve assembly but the flow control element is omitted. In the latter case, the flow of liquid through the valve assembly can cause only a relatively small discharge (e.g., a fraction of a millimeter) of the valve member, and a balance can be achieved between the spring force of the biasing component and the pressure drop between the upstream and downstream sides of the valve member. The increased pressure drop provided by including a flow control element can help increase the stroke of the valve member (e.g., the piston member).

[0032] Generally speaking, flow control elements can provide a relatively small opening between the valve component and the housing.

[0033] In some embodiments, the flow control element includes piston rings, the gap of which at least partially defines the flow path extending beyond the piston member. In other words, the gap defines a liquid flow path exiting the space in a downstream direction away from the sealing element.

[0034] It should be noted that the flow control element should not be considered as limited to including piston rings or piston rings, and in other embodiments, the flow control element includes an O-ring or cup seal that provides controlled downstream leakage of liquid.

[0035] Brewing vessel components can be included in a beverage machine. For example, the brewing vessel components included in the handle can be included in a beverage machine.

[0036] It is also generally noted that the configuration of the mechanical components included in the beverage machine is not particularly limited, and various mechanical operations can be achieved through the movement of the mechanical components. In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more mechanical operations caused by the movement of the valve member includes the movement of the brewing vessel assembly. This can help reduce the burden on the beverage machine user, as he / she can participate less or even not at all in some movements of the brewing vessel assembly.

[0037] In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more mechanical operations caused by the movement of the valve member includes relative movement between the brewing vessel assembly and the liquid outlet, thereby enabling a brewing configuration in which the brewing vessel is arranged to receive liquid via the liquid outlet. Therefore, the user can switch to the brewing configuration with minimal or no involvement.

[0038] The beverage machine may include a damper system configured to control the deceleration of the brewing vessel assembly as it approaches the liquid outlet during the brewing configuration. This can help minimize or prevent particulate material within the brewing vessel from becoming unevenly distributed or overflowing during the transition to the brewing configuration.

[0039] In some embodiments, the beverage machine includes a granular material dispenser having a granular material outlet through which granular material can be dispensed into a brewing vessel.

[0040] In this embodiment, the brewing vessel assembly and the particulate material outlet can move relative to each other, thereby enabling a filling configuration in which the brewing vessel is arranged to receive particulate material via the particulate material outlet.

[0041] In some embodiments, the mechanical component includes a locking mechanism capable of locking to secure the brewing vessel assembly relative to the fill configuration with respect to the particulate material outlet, and unlocking in response to movement of the valve member caused by fluid pumped in. The locking mechanism can reduce the risk of relative movement away from the fill configuration as particulate material is delivered into the brewing vessel.

[0042] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism may include an engagement member, such as a pin, for releasably engaging an engagement element contained in the brewing vessel assembly.

[0043] For example, the engagement member can be moved by the movement of the valve member to release the engagement element, thereby enabling a switch from a filling configuration to a brewing configuration.

[0044] In some embodiments, an elastic member (such as a spring) can be arranged to bias to preferentially take the brewing configuration rather than the filling configuration. This can provide a relatively straightforward and implementable way to take the brewing configuration, since it is not necessary to rely solely on the valve assembly to move the brewing vessel assembly and the liquid outlet relative to each other to take the brewing configuration.

[0045] In this embodiment, due to the movement of the valve components, when the locking mechanism unlocks to release the brewing vessel assembly and the particulate material outlet from each other, the resilient member (e.g., a spring) can be arranged to force the brewing vessel assembly toward the liquid outlet.

[0046] In some embodiments, the position of the liquid outlet is fixed, and the brewing vessel assembly is movable toward the liquid outlet to enable a brewing configuration.

[0047] Alternatively or additionally, the beverage machine may include a guiding component configured to guide the movement of the brewing vessel assembly and the liquid outlet relative to each other during the brewing configuration, and / or guide the movement of the brewing vessel assembly and the particulate material outlet relative to each other during the filling configuration.

[0048] The guiding component can be configured in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the guiding component is configured to guide the brewing vessel assembly to a fixed position relative to the liquid outlet during the brewing configuration.

[0049] In some embodiments, the brewing vessel assembly includes a carrier for holding the brewing vessel.

[0050] In this embodiment, the guiding component may include a carrier movement component for guiding the carrier together with the brewing vessel toward the liquid outlet and / or toward the particulate material outlet.

[0051] In some embodiments, the motion guided by the guiding component includes translational motion of the brewing vessel assembly toward and away from the liquid outlet, such as translational motion between the particulate material outlet and the liquid outlet.

[0052] For example, translational motion can include linear translational motion and / or arcuate translational motion.

[0053] In some embodiments, the brewing vessel assembly can be manually movable, for example, by user movement to take a filling configuration in addition to being guided by a guide assembly.

[0054] For example, a beverage machine can be configured to allow a user to install an empty brewing vessel in the mounting position and manually move the thus-installed brewing vessel to a fixed position at the granular material outlet for filling. Note that installing the brewing vessel may, for example, require receiving the brewing vessel in a carrier.

[0055] In some embodiments, the installation location corresponds to the infill configuration.

[0056] Therefore, when the user initially installs the brewing vessel, a filling configuration can be adopted initially.

[0057] In some embodiments, the installation location corresponds to the brewing configuration.

[0058] Therefore, when users initially install the brewing vessel, they can therefore initially adopt the brewing configuration.

[0059] In other embodiments, the mounting location may correspond to an intermediate configuration located between the brewing configuration and the filling configuration.

[0060] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism is capable of locking when the user manually moves the brewing vessel assembly to take a filling configuration, thereby securing the brewing vessel assembly relative to the particulate material outlet in the filling configuration.

[0061] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control a hydraulic system to provide movement of fluid motion valve components within the hydraulic system.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the hydraulic system based on the operating state of the particulate material dispenser to provide the movement of the fluid motion valve components in the hydraulic system, thereby enabling the bubbling configuration to be adopted. This can help ensure that the particulate material is properly dispensed before the bubbling configuration is adopted.

[0063] In embodiments that include additional valves (e.g., electronic valves), the controller may be configured to control the additional valves such that the additional valves allow fluid in the filling path to be pumped back to the liquid reservoir.

[0064] In some embodiments, the beverage machine is a coffee machine.

[0065] In some embodiments, the particulate material dispenser includes a grinding component for grinding materials (e.g., coffee beans) to form particulate material (e.g., ground coffee).

[0066] In some embodiments, the beverage machine includes an external mounting port. In this embodiment, a brewing vessel assembly (or a component thereof, such as a brewing vessel) can be removably fitted to the external mounting port. More specifically, the brewing vessel assembly (or a component thereof) can be removably fitted to the external mounting port before brewing and removed therefrom after brewing for emptying.

[0067] In some embodiments, the brewing vessel assembly is a handle-type filter or includes a handle-type filter. The handle-type filter can be removably installed (e.g., manually installed) to an external mounting port of the beverage machine.

[0068] These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below, and will be illustrated with reference to those embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0069] To better understand the invention and to more clearly demonstrate how to implement it, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings by way of example only, wherein: Figure 1 A portion of a beverage machine, based on an example, is shown; Figure 2The hydraulic system of a beverage machine according to an example is shown; Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a valve assembly and a portion of a mechanical component of a beverage machine, based on an example, is provided. Figure 4 Provided Figure 3 An enlarged perspective internal view of a portion of the valve assembly shown. Figure 5 Provided Figure 3 A perspective view of the valve components included in the valve assembly shown. Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of an example valve assembly is provided; and Figure 7 A graph showing the pressure drop versus hydraulic diameter calculated using two different methods is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0070] The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0071] It should be understood that while the detailed description and specific examples indicate exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, system, and method, they are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus, system, and method of the present invention will be better understood from the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are merely schematic and not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that the same reference numerals are used in all the drawings to indicate the same or similar parts.

[0072] A beverage machine, such as a coffee machine, is provided. The beverage machine includes mechanical components for performing one or more mechanical operations of the beverage machine. The beverage machine also includes a hydraulic system. The hydraulic system includes a pump and a valve assembly. The valve assembly includes a valve member capable of being moved by fluid discharged by the pump to cause movement of at least a portion of the mechanical components, thereby achieving at least one of the one or more mechanical operations. The valve assembly is arranged to provide a flow path for the fluid beyond the valve member before, during, and / or after the movement of the valve member causes movement of at least a portion of the mechanical components.

[0073] Figure 1 A portion of a beverage machine 100 according to an example is shown. The beverage machine 100 may include a brewing vessel assembly 101. The brewing vessel assembly 101 itself includes a brewing vessel 102, in which particulate material and liquid can be received to brew a beverage.

[0074] The brewing vessel 102 may have a cavity 103 for receiving particulate material and liquid. The cavity 103 of the brewing vessel 102 may be defined by a wall 104 of the brewing vessel 102 extending around the cavity 103.

[0075] Regarding granular materials, it is specifically mentioned that granular materials include, for example, ground coffee, although in principle other types of granular materials can be combined with liquids (such as water) to brew beverages.

[0076] It is generally noted that the term "particulate material" as used in this article can refer to granular material or powder.

[0077] The beverage machine 100 may include a granule dispenser 105 having a granule outlet through which granule material (e.g., ground coffee) is dispensed into the brewing vessel 102.

[0078] The particulate material dispenser 105 may include a chute through which particulate material can be delivered, for example, at least partially by gravity.

[0079] This chute can terminate at a chute opening, which, for example, defines a particulate material outlet through which the particulate material can be delivered into the brewing vessel 102.

[0080] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the beverage machine 100 includes a compaction head 106, which is sized to fit into the brewing vessel 102, such that particulate material can be compressed between the brewing vessel 102 (particularly the wall 104 of the brewing vessel 102) and the compaction head 106.

[0081] Compressing (in other words, compacting) granular materials in this way can provide compressed granular material blocks through which liquids (such as water) can pass to prepare beverages.

[0082] Compared to the resistance provided by the granular material before compaction, the denser mass of granular material created by compaction (such as ground coffee) provides greater resistance to the liquid flowing through it.

[0083] In at least some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the brewing vessel 102 includes a filter support portion 107 for supporting the filter, which includes, for example, a perforated base on which particulate material can be supported when received in the cavity 103.

[0084] This type of filter can retain particulate material (such as ground coffee) but allow beverages (such as brewed coffee) to pass through it.

[0085] The brewing vessel 102 may also include a filter, such as a perforated base, on which the particulate material can be supported when received in the cavity 103.

[0086] In at least some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the brewing vessel 102 includes a nozzle 108 through which brewed coffee can be delivered, for example, to a cup or pot placed below the nozzle 108. This nozzle 108 can be arranged downstream of the filter.

[0087] The brewing vessel 102 may be, or at least contained in, a portable component that can be operated by a user independently of the rest of the beverage machine 100. For this purpose, the brewing vessel 102 may have a handle 109 to assist the user in operating the brewing vessel 102, for example, by moving the brewing vessel 102 toward and away from the rest of the beverage machine 100.

[0088] Note that the brewing vessel 102, which is a portable component and includes a filter support portion 107, can be regarded as a so-called handle.

[0089] Although the brewing vessel 102 (e.g., the handle) is Figure 1 While shown as being included in the beverage machine 100, the brewing vessel 102 is also envisioned to be provided to the user separately from the beverage machine 100 (e.g., the rest of the beverage machine 100) since it may be a portable component that can operate independently of other components of the beverage machine 100.

[0090] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The beverage machine 100 includes a liquid dispenser 110, such as a heated liquid dispenser 110. The liquid dispenser 110 has a liquid outlet 111 and a hydraulic system 112 for delivering liquid to a brewing vessel 102 via the liquid outlet 111. For example, the hydraulic system 112 may force liquid through a cavity 103 of the brewing vessel 102. For this purpose, the hydraulic system 112 includes a pump 113 for directing liquid toward and through the liquid outlet 111.

[0091] Note that the hydraulic system 112 can be considered a “hydraulic circuit” because the hydraulic system 112 may include a set of interconnected discrete components involved in the transport of liquids (e.g., water).

[0092] For example, liquid dispenser 110 can deliver liquid to particulate material, such as compacted particulate material, that has been received in the cavity 103 of brewing vessel 102.

[0093] In at least some embodiments, and referring to Figure 2 The liquid dispenser 110 (or more specifically, the hydraulic system 112 contained in the liquid dispenser 110) includes a heater 114 and a liquid flow path along which liquid is discharged through the heater 114 to heat the liquid and then delivered to the brewing vessel 102 via the liquid outlet 111.

[0094] In some embodiments, the liquid dispenser 110 is configured to dispense liquid into the brewing vessel 102 in response to a liquid pressure (e.g., water pressure) reaching or exceeding a threshold pressure (e.g., about 4 bar). For example, this threshold pressure may be set according to the type of beverage (e.g., coffee, such as espresso) intended to be brewed in the brewing vessel 102.

[0095] In this embodiment, one or more valves HV included in the hydraulic system 112 may open in response to reaching or exceeding a threshold pressure.

[0096] In some embodiments, the liquid dispenser 110 and the brewing vessel assembly 101 are configured to provide a fluid pressure of at least 5 bar, preferably at least 6 bar, for forcing liquid (e.g., heated water) through a cavity 103 containing particulate material.

[0097] In some embodiments, the liquid dispenser 110 and the brewing vessel assembly 101 are configured to provide a fluid pressure of 5 to 7.8 bar, preferably 6.0 to 7.8 bar, for forcing liquid (e.g., heated water) through the cavity 103.

[0098] This pressure range can promote brewing performance, such as the formation of an oil layer when brewing coffee, while also limiting the pressure to a safe level, for example, so as not to trigger the overpressure valve included in the beverage machine 100.

[0099] Alternatively or additionally, the beverage machine 100 may include a pressure control system that enables controlled pressure to be applied to the particulate material through the surface of the compaction head 106 during compaction.

[0100] The movement of the compaction head 106 for compaction can be achieved in any suitable manner, such as by hydraulic control, pneumatic control and / or motorization.

[0101] Therefore, in some embodiments, the beverage machine 100 includes a motorization system and a hydraulic system (such as...). Figure 1 and Figure 2 (as shown) and one or more of the pneumatic systems are used to drive the surface of the compaction head 106 onto the particulate material during compaction.

[0102] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the compaction head 106 is included in the liquid dispenser 110. In this embodiment, in addition to compacting the coffee, the compaction head 106 can also close the cavity 103 of the brewing vessel 102 to define a brewing chamber into which liquid can be delivered, for example, via one or more openings defined in the compaction head 106 that form the liquid outlet 111.

[0103] Alternatively or additionally, the hydraulic system 112 of the liquid dispenser 110 may be configured to control the movement of the compaction head 106 toward the particulate material received in the brewing vessel 102, for example, by descent.

[0104] To avoid any doubt, it should be noted that lowering the compactor head 106 into the brewing vessel 102 should not be considered limiting, and in other embodiments, the brewing vessel 102 may be raised toward the compactor head 106, in which case the compactor head 106 may be stationary. Alternatively, both the compactor head 106 and the brewing vessel 102 may move toward each other.

[0105] In this embodiment, liquid (e.g., water) can be delivered into the brewing chamber when the pressure inside the brewing chamber and in the hydraulic system 112 reaches or exceeds a threshold pressure (e.g., about 4 bar). Again, this pressure-responsive delivery of heated water can be achieved, for example, by opening valve HV in the hydraulic system 112.

[0106] In embodiments where the hydraulic system 112 of the liquid dispenser 110 is configured to control the movement of the compaction head 106, the liquid used for this purpose (e.g., water) may not be guided through the heater 114 that may be included in the liquid dispenser 110. This contrasts with the path defined for liquids (e.g., water) used for brewing beverages.

[0107] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As schematically shown, the brewing vessel assembly 101 includes an outlet member that defines an orifice 115 through which a brewed beverage in the brewing vessel 102 (e.g., in a cavity 103 of the brewing vessel 102) can be delivered.

[0108] This orifice 115 helps maintain elevated pressure in the brewing vessel 102 / brewing chamber, thereby aiding in the formation of an lipid layer when brewing coffee in the brewing vessel 102. This orifice 115 can also further help ensure that the brewing vessel 102 is completely emptied after brewing, and / or may help achieve the desired temperature for the brewed beverage received in the user's cup / pot 116.

[0109] In some embodiments, the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the orifice 115 used to determine the flow velocity through the orifice 115 is 0.03 to 0.5 mm. 2 Preferably, the diameter is 0.03 to 0.2 mm. 2 For example, approximately 0.09mm 2 The range of the minimum cross-sectional area of ​​the orifice 115 can help promote brewing performance, such as the formation of a lipid layer, and also facilitate the evacuation of the brewing vessel 102 after brewing.

[0110] For example, orifice 115 may have a circular cross-section, such as having a circular cross-section at all points along the flow path provided by orifice 115.

[0111] In embodiments where the orifice 115 has such a circular cross-section, the minimum diameter of the orifice 115 can be 0.2 to 0.5 mm, preferably about 0.34 mm.

[0112] In some embodiments, the orifice 115 is 0.03 to 0.5 mm. 2 Preferably 0.03 to 0.2 mm 2 The minimum cross-sectional area is provided in combination with a fluid pressure of 5 to 7.8 bar to force liquid (e.g., heated water) through the cavity 103 containing particulate material.

[0113] This combination can be particularly beneficial in terms of promoting brewing performance (such as the formation of a grease layer) while also helping to minimize the risk of pressure damaging the structural integrity of the outlet component.

[0114] More typically, the beverage machine 100 includes mechanical components for performing one or more mechanical operations of the beverage machine 100. The configuration of the mechanical components included in the beverage machine 100 is not particularly limited, and various mechanical operations can be performed by the movement of the mechanical components.

[0115] In some embodiments, and referring again Figure 1 At least one of the one or more mechanical operations includes movement of the brewing vessel assembly 101. This can help reduce the burden on the user of the beverage machine 100, as he / she can participate less or even not participate in some of the movements of the brewing vessel assembly 101.

[0116] In some embodiments, and still referencing Figure 1 The granule outlets of the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the granule dispenser 105 are movable relative to each other, thereby enabling a filling configuration in which the brewing vessel 102 is arranged to receive granule material via the granule outlet.

[0117] Alternatively or additionally, the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the liquid outlet 111 of the liquid dispenser 110 may be movable relative to each other, thereby enabling a brewing configuration in which the brewing vessel 102 is arranged to receive liquid via the liquid outlet 111.

[0118] For a brewing configuration, the nature of the relative motion between the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the liquid outlet 111 is not particularly limited, and for a filling configuration, the nature of the relative motion between the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet is not particularly limited. In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the brewing vessel assembly 101 can move toward the liquid outlet 111, for example, it can discharge in a horizontal plane, while the position of the liquid outlet 111 remains fixed, thereby enabling a brewing configuration.

[0119] Alternatively or additionally, the brewing vessel assembly 101 can move toward the particulate material outlet, for example, it can move in a horizontal plane, while the position of the particulate material outlet remains fixed, thereby enabling a filling configuration.

[0120] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the brewing vessel assembly 101 may be rotated, for example, about its central axis, during the brewing and / or filling configuration. Alternatively or additionally, the brewing vessel assembly 101 may be discharged upward or downward during the brewing and / or filling configuration, for example, while maintaining a fixed height at the respective outlet.

[0121] In other embodiments, the brewing vessel assembly 101 itself may not need to move in order to adopt a brewing configuration or a filling configuration. For example, the position of the brewing vessel 102 may be fixed, for example, statically mounted in the beverage machine 100 by the brewing vessel assembly 101, while at least a portion of the liquid dispenser 110 and / or at least a portion of the particulate material dispenser 105 are movable, for example, pivotable, in order to adopt a brewing configuration or a filling configuration.

[0122] This movement of at least a portion of the granule dispenser 105 can be achieved in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the chute of the granule dispenser 105 is pivotally mounted, wherein the chute pivots toward the brewing vessel 102 to take a filling configuration.

[0123] In this embodiment, the movement of the chute away from the filling configuration (e.g., pivoting) may be for purposes such as providing space for the compaction head 106 to approach the installed brewing vessel 102, thereby compacting the particulate material received in the brewing vessel 102.

[0124] In some embodiments, and referring again Figure 1 The beverage machine 100 includes a guide assembly 117 configured to guide relative movement between the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the liquid outlet 111 during a brewing configuration. This guide assembly 117 provides a convenient way to facilitate the arrangement of the liquid outlet 111 and the brewing vessel assembly 101 in the brewing configuration.

[0125] The guide component 117 can be configured in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the guide component 117 is configured to guide the brewing vessel assembly 101 to move relative to a fixed position of the liquid outlet 111 during the brewing configuration.

[0126] Alternatively, the guide assembly 117 may be configured to guide at least the liquid outlet 111 of the liquid dispenser 110 to move relative to a fixed position of the brewing vessel assembly 101 during the brewing configuration.

[0127] The guide component 117 can also be configured to guide relative movement between the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet during the filling configuration. Therefore, the guide component 117 can be configured to guide movement of the brewing vessel assembly 101 relative to the particulate material outlet and relative to the liquid outlet 111 to achieve switching between the filling and brewing configurations.

[0128] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the brewing vessel assembly 101 includes a carrier 118 for carrying the brewing vessel 102.

[0129] In this embodiment, the carrier 118 can move together with the brewing vessel 102 during the brewing and filling configurations.

[0130] The guide assembly 117 may include a carrier movement assembly for guiding the carrier 118 together with the brewing vessel 102 toward the liquid outlet 111 and / or toward the particulate material outlet.

[0131] In this embodiment, the carrier motion assembly may include a sliding member and / or a guide rail 119 for enabling sliding movement of the carrier 118.

[0132] The brewing vessel 102 can be received in the carrier 118 in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, one or more recesses 120 may be defined in the brewing vessel 102, for example, located in the outer surface of the brewing vessel 102, and the carrier 118 includes a protrusion 121 that engages with the recess 120 when the brewing vessel 102 is received in the carrier 118 in order to secure the brewing vessel 102 to the carrier 118.

[0133] Note that the groove 120 and the protrusion 121 can be included in a bayonet connection between the brewing vessel 102 and the carrier 118. Numerous alternatives for receiving and securing the brewing vessel 102 in the carrier 118 are conceivable, such as protrusions extending from the outer surface of the brewing vessel 102, which can be received within a groove defined in the carrier 118, etc.

[0134] In an alternative embodiment, the carrier 118 is omitted. For example, the brewing vessel 102 itself may slide along a slide and / or rail 119 included in the guide assembly 117.

[0135] More generally, any form of movement can be guided by the guiding component 117, provided that the brewing vessel assembly 101 and / or the liquid outlet 111 (e.g., and the particulate material outlet) can be guided to take a brewing configuration (e.g., and a filling configuration). In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the motion guided by the guide component 117 includes a translational motion of the brewing vessel assembly 101 between the particulate material outlet and the liquid outlet 111. This translational motion may include linear translational motion and / or arcuate translational motion.

[0136] In a non-limiting example, the guide assembly 117 includes a curved guide rail 119 forming a circular segment in a horizontal plane, wherein the center of curvature of the guide rail 119 is located distally relative to the circumference of the wall 104 of the brewing vessel 102. In this example, for a user standing in front of the guide assembly 117, the lateral movement of the carrier 118 with (slight) rotation between the brewing position corresponding to the brewing configuration and the filling position corresponding to the filling configuration can be readily apparent.

[0137] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the brewing vessel assembly 101 can be manually moved by the user to take a filling configuration.

[0138] In some embodiments, the beverage machine 100 is configured to allow a user to install an empty brewing vessel 102 in a mounting position and manually move the thus-installed brewing vessel 102 to a fixed position at the granular material outlet in order to adopt a filling configuration.

[0139] Note that installation of the brewing vessel 102 may require, for example, receiving the brewing vessel 102 in the carrier 118. Alternatively or additionally, manual movement of the installed brewing vessel 102 toward the fixed position of the particulate material outlet can be guided by the guide assembly 117.

[0140] In some embodiments, the installation position corresponds to the brewing configuration. Therefore, when the user initially installs the brewing vessel 102, the brewing configuration can be initially adopted. Figure 1 An example of this is shown in the figure.

[0141] In other embodiments, the installation location may correspond to an intermediate configuration located between the brewing configuration and the filling configuration.

[0142] As an alternative or addition to the brewing vessel assembly 101 to take a filling configuration by manual movement by the user, the beverage machine 100 may include a motion mechanism (e.g., an electric and / or hydraulic motion mechanism) for driving the brewing vessel assembly 101 and / or the granular material outlet toward each other to take a filling configuration.

[0143] More generally, and now referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The hydraulic system 112 includes a valve assembly 122, which includes a valve member 122A. The valve member 122A can be moved by fluid discharged by the pump 113 to cause movement of at least a portion of the mechanical components, thereby realizing at least one of the one or more mechanical operations.

[0144] The combination of hydraulic system 112 and mechanical components can help reduce the burden on the user of beverage machine 100 because he / she can participate less or even not participate in certain functions of using beverage machine 100 to brew beverages and / or prepare to brew such beverages.

[0145] Furthermore, this functionality can be conveniently provided, for example, since the valve assembly 122 is included in the hydraulic system 112 of the liquid distributor 110, and the valve member 122A moves accordingly by the liquid (e.g., water) in the hydraulic system 112, only minimal additional components, such as additional electronic components, are required.

[0146] In some embodiments, valve member 122A may be moved by fluid movement in hydraulic system 112 to cause the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet to move away from each other during a switch from filling configuration to brewing configuration.

[0147] This can help reduce the burden on beverage machine users, as they can be less involved or even not involved in switching from the filling mode to the brewing mode. It should also be reiterated that this functionality can be conveniently provided, for example, with only a minimal number of additional components.

[0148] In some embodiments, and referring to Figure 3 The beverage machine 100 (particularly the mechanical components included in the beverage machine 100) includes a locking mechanism 123, which is capable of locking to secure the brewing vessel assembly 101 relative to the granular material outlet in the filling configuration, and is capable of unlocking in response to movement of the valve member 122A via liquid movement in the hydraulic system 112. The locking mechanism 123 can reduce the risk of relative movement away from the filling configuration when granular material is delivered to the brewing vessel 102.

[0149] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism 123 may include an engagement member 124 (e.g., a pin) for releasably engaging an engagement element 125 contained in the brewing vessel assembly 101. The engagement member 124 may be moved by movement of the valve member 122A to release the engagement element 125, thereby enabling a switch from a filling configuration to a brewing configuration.

[0150] Note that the connecting element 125 may be included in the brewing vessel 102 and / or the carrier 118 (when the carrier 118 is included in the brewing vessel assembly 101).

[0151] In some embodiments, the elastic member (e.g., a spring) may be arranged to be biased to take a brewing configuration rather than a filling configuration.

[0152] In this embodiment, when the locking mechanism 123 unlocks to disengage the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet from each other, an elastic member (e.g., a spring) can be arranged to press the brewing vessel assembly 101 toward the liquid outlet 111 (in... Figure 3 (In the direction indicated by the middle arrow 126).

[0153] In some embodiments, and still referencing Figure 3 The free end 127 of the engagement member 124 may engage with the engagement element 125 (e.g., a tooth or multiple teeth provided in the brewing vessel assembly 101) to maintain the filling configuration and prevent the brewing vessel assembly 101 from moving toward the liquid outlet 111.

[0154] When a filling configuration is adopted (e.g., by the user manually moving the brewing vessel assembly 101 to adopt a filling configuration), the free end 127 of the engagement member 124 can engage with the engagement element 125.

[0155] In this embodiment, the engaging member 124 moves via the valve member 122A (in... Figure 3 When the engagement element 125 is released (in the direction indicated by the middle arrow 128), the elastic member can press the brewing vessel assembly 101 toward the liquid outlet 111 (in the direction indicated by the middle arrow 128). Figure 3 (In the direction indicated by the middle arrow 126).

[0156] In some embodiments, the beverage machine 100 includes a damper system configured to control deceleration of the brewing vessel assembly 101 as it approaches the liquid outlet 111 during the brewing configuration. This can help minimize or prevent particulate material in the brewing vessel 102 from becoming unevenly distributed or overflowing from the brewing vessel 102 during the conversion to the brewing configuration.

[0157] Valve assembly 122 can be implemented in any suitable manner. In at least some embodiments, and as... Figure 3 As best shown, valve member 122A includes a piston member that can be moved by a liquid (e.g., water) in hydraulic system 112.

[0158] Valve member 122A may be included in check valve assembly 122 together with biasing member 130 (e.g., spring). Valve member 122A (e.g., piston member) may be moved by fluid in hydraulic system 112 overcoming the bias provided by biasing member 130.

[0159] Valve member 122A can be discharged from its seat by the higher pressure of the liquid upstream of valve member 122A (compared to the pressure downstream of valve member 122A). In other words, the pressure drop between the upstream and downstream sides of valve member 122A can cause valve member 122A to be discharged.

[0160] The upstream portion of valve assembly 122 (e.g., check valve assembly) may be sealed with sealing member 131 (such as a lip seal) to ensure that liquid follows a single path to drive the movement of valve assembly 122A.

[0161] In this way, the liquid entering the inlet 132 of the valve assembly 122 can cause the valve member 122A (e.g., the central structure) of the valve assembly 122 to move in the downstream direction.

[0162] More typically, valve assembly 122 is arranged to provide the fluid with a flow path beyond valve assembly 122A (e.g., around one side thereof) before, during, and / or after the movement of valve member 122A causes movement of at least a portion of the mechanical assembly. This downstream flow of fluid permitted by valve assembly 122 before, during, and / or after the movement of valve member 122A causes mechanical operation can enable the liquid flowing through valve assembly 122 to perform further functions, in other words, functions beyond causing mechanical operation.

[0163] This could mean, and again refer to Figure 3 As shown in the non-limiting example, movement of valve member 122A in the downstream direction can open a downstream path for liquid toward at least one outlet 133, 134 of valve assembly 122.

[0164] Valve member 122A may include sealing element 135 for forming a seal between valve member 122A and housing 137 of valve assembly (in which valve member 122A may move).

[0165] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown, sealing element 135 forms a seal between valve member 122A and a narrower upstream portion inside housing 137, and flow control element 136 provides a controlled liquid flow path between valve member 122A and a wider downstream portion inside housing 137, wherein a space for receiving liquid is defined between valve member 122A and housing 137. The upstream end of this space is provided by sealing element 135, and the downstream end of this space is provided by flow control element 136.

[0166] Compared to a scenario where the sealing element 135 is included in the valve assembly 122 but the flow control element 136 is omitted, including the flow control element 136 can help increase the pressure drop. In the latter case, the liquid flowing through the valve assembly 122 can cause only a relatively small discharge (e.g., a fraction of a millimeter) to the valve member 122A, and a balance can be achieved between the spring force of the biasing member 130 and the pressure drop between the upstream and downstream sides of the valve member 122A.

[0167] The flow control element 136 can provide a relatively small opening between the valve assembly 122A and the housing 137, which allows for a greater pressure drop compared to when the sealing element 135 is included in the valve assembly 122 but the flow control element 136 is omitted.

[0168] The increased pressure drop provided by the flow control element 136 can help increase the stroke 138 of the valve component 122A (e.g., the piston component).

[0169] In some embodiments, and referring to Figure 4 The stroke 138 of the valve component 122A (e.g., piston component) is 2 to 3 mm.

[0170] The first sealing element 135 may be, for example, an O-ring, such as an O-ring formed of an elastomeric material.

[0171] Alternatively or additionally, and refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The flow control element 136 may be a piston ring. For example, such a piston ring may have a defined gap 139 for defining an opening between the valve member 122A and the housing 137.

[0172] The clearance of 139 helps the piston rings adapt to tolerances.

[0173] The width of the gap 139 can be, for example, 0.5 to 2.2 mm. Alternatively or additionally, the groove height 140 can be 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

[0174] In a specific, non-limiting example, the width of the gap 139 is 1.32 ± 0.115 mm; and the height of the groove is 0.155 ± 0.81 mm.

[0175] To verify proper operation of valve assembly 122, calculations were performed to estimate the pressure drop generated across the entire valve member 122A (in other words, the entire central moving part of valve assembly 122). In this non-limiting example, this could be the pressure drop at the throttling point provided by the flow control element 136 (e.g., a piston ring). By taking into account the tolerances of the relevant components of valve assembly 122 (and in this particular case, the piston member 122A, the flow control element 136 in the form of a piston ring, and the housing 137), the nominal and maximum dimensions of the opening through which liquid can flow were estimated.

[0176] The opening was approximated as having a rectangular cross-sectional shape and converted to a hydraulic diameter, from which the pressure drop was calculated for a flow rate of 3 mL / s. Figure 7 Graphs 141 and 142 show pressure drop versus hydraulic diameter calculated using two common methods (Idelchik 141 and Bernoulli 142), which provide very similar values. These results indicate that the desired pressure drop can be achieved using an opening of readily available size (e.g., via a flow control element 136 in the form of a piston ring).

[0177] Note that when switching from the filling configuration to the brewing configuration (e.g., when the valve assembly 122 is operated to unlock the locking mechanism 123, thereby releasing the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet from each other), a flow rate of approximately 3 mL / s can be taken.

[0178] It will be understood that when the pressure drop is higher than the opening pressure of the valve assembly 122, it can be ensured that the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet release each other.

[0179] Note that valve assembly 122 can be designed with a relatively large surface area, which can generate a relatively large force, even when there is a moderate pressure drop on valve assembly 122.

[0180] It should also be noted that the flow control element 136 should not be considered as limited to including piston rings or piston rings, and in other embodiments, the flow control element 136 is an O-ring or cup seal that provides controlled downstream leakage of liquid.

[0181] Movement of at least a portion of a mechanical component (such as locking mechanism 123) can also be triggered in other ways, such as by a valve assembly 122 including a diaphragm whose expansion due to pressure exerted by the liquid in the hydraulic system 112 (e.g., discharge including about 2 mm of the diaphragm) causes locking mechanism 123 to release brewing vessel assembly 101.

[0182] The housing 137 can be configured such that a wider opening defined by the housing 137 is provided at the end of the stroke 138 of the valve member 122A (e.g., at the end of the 2 to 3 mm stroke 138 of the valve member 122A).

[0183] This helps ensure that the full stroke of valve member 122A is achieved. Once valve member 122A is discharged into a wider opening, liquid can be allowed to flow around valve member 122A.

[0184] In some embodiments, and as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the housing 137 includes a serrated structure 143 with a wide opening.

[0185] The serrated structure 143 provides a flow path for liquid between the serrations, but the serrations remain in contact with the valve component 122A (e.g., its flow control element 136 / piston ring).

[0186] Therefore, the serrated structure 143 can help minimize the risk of expansion of the valve member 122A (e.g., its flow control element 136 / piston ring). In this way, the serrated structure 143 can help ensure that the valve member 122A is eventually able to return to its valve seat, for example, through the action of the biasing member 130.

[0187] In some embodiments, and as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As best shown, at least one outlet 133, 134 of valve assembly 122 includes outlet 134 from which liquid is delivered to compaction head 106, for example to hydraulic piston 144 that drives compaction head 106 to compact particulate material received in brewing vessel 102.

[0188] Alternatively or additionally, at least one outlet 133, 134 may include (another) outlet 133 from which liquid is delivered to an electronic valve 145, which can control the delivery of liquid back to a liquid reservoir 146 (e.g., a water tank).

[0189] When the valve assembly 122 causes the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet to move away from each other during the switching from the filling configuration to the brewing configuration, the electronic valve 145 can open to allow liquid delivery back to the liquid reservoir 146.

[0190] This allows flow without activating the hydraulic piston 144 that drives the compaction head 106 to move.

[0191] The valve assembly 122 described herein is designed to, for example, use only a few milliliters of water to initiate a switch from a filling configuration to a brewing configuration, while allowing little or no pressure buildup. The latter, for example, can help prevent premature movement of the hydraulic piston 144.

[0192] Note that even without the function of valve assembly 122 causing the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the particulate material outlet to move away from each other during the switch from the filling configuration to the brewing configuration, the two outlets 133, 134 of valve assembly 122 can be configured to allow the hydraulic piston 144 to be emptied when brewing is complete.

[0193] It is also noted that in some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, valve assembly 122 provides a charging path for pump 113.

[0194] When the liquid reservoir 146 is emptied, the pump 113 can be filled with air. In this case, when the electronic valve 145 is open, the valve assembly 122 can provide a filling path, in other words, a low-pressure path.

[0195] This low-pressure path assists pump 113 in resuming pumping of liquids, such as water. When electronic valve 145 opens, the initial resistance to flow is provided by valve assembly 122. Valve assembly 122 can be configured to have the lowest possible opening pressure.

[0196] The opening pressure of valve assembly 122 can be less than 0.5 bar, preferably less than 0.3 bar.

[0197] This relatively low opening pressure helps valve assembly 122 provide a charging path during pump 113 charging.

[0198] Alternatively or additionally, the opening pressure of valve assembly 122 may be at least 0.2 bar, preferably at least 0.25 bar. In a non-limiting example, the opening pressure of valve assembly 122 is approximately 0.25 bar.

[0199] An opening pressure below 0.2 bar (e.g., an opening pressure determined at least in part by the strength of the spring defining the biasing member 130) could mean that the valve assembly 122 cannot close quickly enough. It is also noted that friction can be provided by the first sealing element 135 and the flow control element 136 (e.g., a piston ring).

[0200] For the filling of pump 113, piston rings may be a favorable choice for flow control element 136 because there is relatively low friction between piston rings and housing 137.

[0201] In some embodiments, the beverage machine 100 includes a controller configured to control a hydraulic system 112 to provide fluid in the hydraulic system 112 to cause the valve member 122A to move.

[0202] For example, the controller can control the pump 113 and the electronic valve 145 included in the hydraulic system 112.

[0203] Alternatively or additionally, the controller may be configured to control the hydraulic system 112 based on the operating state of the particulate material dispenser 105, to provide the fluid in the hydraulic system 112 to cause the valve member 122A to move.

[0204] In some embodiments, the particulate material dispenser 105 includes a grinding assembly for grinding materials to form particulate materials.

[0205] Therefore, the grinding assembly can provide particulate material that can be delivered via a particulate material outlet. In this embodiment, the particulate material outlet may be arranged below the grinding assembly so that the particulate material provided by the grinding assembly can be at least partially distributed into the brewing vessel 102 by gravity.

[0206] In this embodiment, the operating state of the particulate material dispenser 105 may include the grinding operation state of the grinding assembly. For example, the controller may be configured to control the hydraulic system 112 in response to the completion of the grinding operation of the grinding assembly, to provide fluid in the hydraulic system 112 to cause the valve member 122A to move.

[0207] The controller can be configured to operate / activate the grinding component for a fixed period of time, such as 8 to 10 seconds. This fixed period can be determined empirically. Alternatively or additionally, the beverage machine 100 may include additional sensors, such as optical sensors, such as shutter-type sensors, for providing feedback on the grinding process. In this embodiment, the controller can adjust the amount of time for activating the grinding component based on the feedback.

[0208] In this way, variations related to the grinding components and / or materials (such as coffee beans) can be taken into account, which can lead to inaccurate dosages.

[0209] In some embodiments, the beverage machine 100 includes a sensing system arranged to detect a take-up or proximity to a take-up filling configuration, wherein a controller is configured to activate a grinding assembly to grind a material, such as coffee beans, based on the sensor detecting such a take-up or proximity to a take-up filling configuration.

[0210] In this embodiment, the brewing vessel 102 or the carrier 118 may include a magnet, wherein the sensing system includes a Hall sensor for detecting the approach of the brewing vessel 102 and / or the carrier 118 toward the filling position by detecting the magnetic field of the magnet.

[0211] In some embodiments, the controller can be triggered by a signal from a sensing system (e.g., a Hall sensor) to activate the grinding assembly to grind materials (e.g., coffee beans), but a delay exists to allow the brewing vessel 102 and / or the carrier 118 to reach the filling position. For example, a delay of 0.5 to 1 second can be achieved by the controller.

[0212] When the brewing configuration is adopted, this can be detected by an additional sensing system (e.g., an additional Hall sensor). The signal from the additional sensing system indicating the adoption of the brewing configuration can be used by the controller as the basis for operating (e.g., continuing operation) the pump 113.

[0213] In some embodiments, and referring to Figure 2 The controller controls the pumping time for delivering liquid to the brewing vessel 102 based on information received from the flow meter 147.

[0214] Pump 113 may be stopped once the desired volume of liquid (e.g., as indicated by information received from flow meter 147) has been pumped into the brewing chamber.

[0215] The controller can be configured to control the electronic valve 145 to allow the liquid used to move the compaction head 106 to flow back to the liquid reservoir 146. In this way, as previously described, the pressure exerted by the compaction head 106 on the particulate material in the brewing vessel 102 can be released.

[0216] In this embodiment, the retraction of the compaction head 106 can be assisted by the recovery of an elastic element (e.g., a spring) that pretensions the compaction head 106 by causing an initial movement of the compaction head 106, which is compacted by the particulate material received in the brewing vessel 102.

[0217] The controller can be configured to implement a time delay, for example, about 10 seconds, between stopping the delivery of liquid to the brewing chamber and controlling the electronic valve 145 to allow the liquid flow for moving the compaction head 106 back to the liquid reservoir 146. In addition to allowing time for pressure to drop in the brewing chamber, this time delay also allows water to be released / expelled from the particulate material cake. Note that the aforementioned 10-second time delay was determined empirically.

[0218] The brewing vessel 102 can then be emptied to begin a new brewing cycle. For example, the brewing vessel 102 (e.g., the handle) can first be removed from the external mounting port of the beverage machine 100 and the used granular material emptied from it.

[0219] In some embodiments, and referring again Figure 1 The particulate material dispenser 105 includes a baffle 148 that is movable between an open position that allows particulate material to be delivered via the particulate material outlet and a closed position that blocks particulate material from being delivered via the particulate material outlet.

[0220] When in the closed position, the ability of the baffle 148 to block the particulate material outlet (e.g., chute opening) helps to minimize or prevent residual particulate material from accidentally flowing out of the particulate material dispenser 105 and the resulting particulate material pollution to the surrounding environment.

[0221] Any residual particulate material collected on baffle 148 when baffle 148 is in the closed position can be delivered to brewing vessel 102 when baffle 148 is subsequently in the open position.

[0222] Note that the baffle 148 can further assist in limiting steam entry into the particulate material dispenser 105, such as into the aforementioned grinding assembly. By limiting moisture entry into the particulate material dispenser 105 in this way, the reliability of particulate material delivery can be enhanced.

[0223] For this purpose, the particulate material dispenser 105 may include a sealing member, such as a gasket made of an elastomeric material (e.g., silicone rubber), which is arranged to provide a seal between the baffle 148 and the groove of the particulate material dispenser 105 when the baffle 148 is in the closed position.

[0224] In at least some embodiments, and still referring to Figure 1 The particulate material dispenser 105 includes a biasing element 149 arranged to bias the baffle 148 to a closed position.

[0225] Therefore, the default position of the baffle 148 can be the closed position. In this way, when the particulate material dispenser 105 is not used to dispense particulate material into the brewing vessel 102, accidental leakage of residual particulate material from the particulate material dispenser 105 and, for example, steam entering the particulate material dispenser 105 can be minimized or prevented.

[0226] Any suitable type of biasing element 149 is conceivable for biasing the baffle 148 to the closed position. In some embodiments, for example... Figure 1 As shown, the bias element 149 includes, for example, a bias element in the form of a spring.

[0227] The spring used as the biasing element 149 can be of any suitable type. In some embodiments, the spring is a torsion spring. Such a torsion spring is used in embodiments where the baffle 148 can pivot between an open position and a closed position (e.g., Figure 1 (As shown) is particularly applicable.

[0228] In some embodiments, the position determining element 150 may be arranged to be triggered by taking a filling configuration, wherein the baffle actuator 151 is arranged to move the baffle 148 from a closed position to an open position in response to the position determining element 150 taking the filling configuration.

[0229] Therefore, the delivery of particulate material via the particulate material outlet can be achieved based on a defined (e.g., preset) spatial relationship between the particulate material outlet and the brewing vessel assembly 101.

[0230] This helps to achieve the desired delivery of particulate material to the brewing vessel 102, thereby achieving the desired distribution of the particulate material in the brewing vessel 102.

[0231] Furthermore, since the movement of the baffle 148 from the closed position to the open position depends on the filling configuration, the contamination of particulate material on the environment surrounding the particulate material dispenser 105 can be reduced.

[0232] In some embodiments, the filling configuration includes the alignment of a wall 104 extending around the cavity 103 with another wall of a particulate material dispenser 105 defining a particulate material outlet, such that the wall 104 and the other wall guide the particulate material into the cavity 103.

[0233] This alignment between wall 104 and the other wall helps to minimize or prevent particulate material from contaminating beverage machine 100 and / or the area surrounding beverage machine 100.

[0234] When the filling configuration is adopted (or the "grinding configuration" in the embodiment where the grinding assembly is included in the granular material dispenser 105), the baffle 148 can be fully opened, and once the brewing vessel assembly 101 and / or the granular material outlet is disengaged from (in other words, deviated from) the filling configuration, the baffle 148 is fully closed.

[0235] In some embodiments, the brewing configuration includes alignment of the central heating water delivery axis of the liquid dispenser 110 extending through the center of the liquid outlet 111 or the center of the compaction head 106 with the central axis of the brewing vessel 102 extending through the center of the cavity 103.

[0236] In the brewing configuration, or in any other arrangement in which the brewing vessel 102 is spatially separated from the particulate material outlet, the baffle 148 may remain closed, for example, due to the biasing element 149 biasing the baffle 148 to the closed position.

[0237] The steering position determining element 150 and the baffle actuator 151 can have any suitable design, provided that the position determining element 150 is triggered by the granular material outlet and the filling configuration of the brewing vessel assembly 101, in other words, triggered in response to this, and the baffle actuator 151 is able to move the baffle 148 from the closed position to the open position in response to the triggering of the position determining element 150.

[0238] In some embodiments, the position determining element 150 includes a sensor for sensing the filling configuration, wherein the controller is adapted to control a baffle mover 151, such as an electromechanical baffle actuator, to move the baffle 148 from a closed position to an open position based on data from the sensor indicating the filling configuration.

[0239] In this embodiment, any suitable sensor can be used for the position determining element 150. For example, an optical sensor arranged to optically sense the filling configuration, such as a light beam, interrupted by reaching the brewing vessel assembly 101 and / or the particulate material outlet corresponding to the position of the filling configuration.

[0240] In other embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the position determining element 150 and the baffle actuator 151 are arranged to mechanically determine the filling configuration and move the baffle 148 from the closed position to the open position. This mechanically implemented position determining and baffle 148 actuation can be more cost-effective in practice than the solutions described above, for example, those utilizing the position determining element 150 and electromechanical baffle actuators included in sensors and controllers.

[0241] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the position determining element 150 includes a lever member 152. In this embodiment, the baffle actuator 151 can be arranged to cause the baffle 148 to move from a closed position to an open position in response to movement of the lever member 152 caused by taking a filling configuration. This can provide a relatively simple and cost-effective way to apply the position determining element 150 and the baffle actuator 151.

[0242] In some embodiments, the contact portion 153 may be included in the carrier 118 and arranged to abut against the lever member 152 when the carrier 118 carrying the brewing vessel 102 reaches the position where the particulate material outlet and the brewing vessel assembly 101 takes a filling configuration.

[0243] In an alternative embodiment, the contact portion 153 may be included within the brewing vessel 102 itself. In this embodiment, when the brewing vessel 102 is positioned such that the particulate material outlet and the brewing vessel assembly 101 are in a filling configuration, the contact portion included in the container may abut against the activation point of the lever member 152.

[0244] In some embodiments, the baffle actuator 151 includes a pivot 154 arranged to pivot the baffle 148 to open and close the particulate material outlet. This can provide a relatively straightforward and reliable way to move the baffle 148.

[0245] As previously described, the biasing element 149 (e.g., a spring) can be arranged to bias the baffle 148 to the closed position. In this embodiment, the position determining element 150 and the baffle actuator 151 can be arranged to overcome the bias when the particulate material outlet and the brewing vessel assembly 101 are in a filling configuration.

[0246] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, a biasing element 149 (e.g., a spring) is arranged to bias such that the baffle 148 rotates about a pivot 154 to a closed position. In this embodiment, the bias of the baffle 148 to the closed position can be overcome by movement of a lever member 152, for example, when the contact portion 153 abuts against the lever member 152. This movement of the lever member 152 can cause the baffle 148 to pivot about the pivot 154 against the bias provided by the biasing element 149, thereby exposing the particulate material outlet.

[0247] When the baffle 148 is in the open position, as previously described, particulate material can be delivered into the brewing vessel 102. In some embodiments, the particulate material dispenser 105 includes a lower chute element 155 disposed between an upper chute element of the particulate material dispenser 105 and the brewing vessel 102 (in the filling configuration).

[0248] The lower chute element 155 can assist in guiding the particulate material into the brewing vessel 102.

[0249] As an alternative to or addition to the lower chute element 155, the particulate material dispenser 105 may include a contamination shield 156 arranged around the chute near the particulate material outlet.

[0250] The contamination shield 156 can act as a physical barrier for particulate material to prevent any particulate material that has escaped from the particulate material outlet but has not been received by the brewing vessel 102 from being delivered too far away from the particulate material dispenser 105.

[0251] In some embodiments, in order to prepare a beverage using the beverage machine 100, the user needs to perform two actions. In this embodiment, the first action may be to install the brewing vessel assembly 101 (or brewing vessel 102) into the external mounting port of the beverage machine and manually move the brewing vessel assembly 101 (or brewing vessel 102) to take a filling configuration, and the second action is to select a recipe via a user interface (e.g., one or more buttons and / or a touch screen included in the beverage machine 100).

[0252] During the first action, the brewing vessel assembly 101 (e.g., the brewing vessel assembly 101 included in the handle) can be locked in place by the locking mechanism 123.

[0253] After these two actions are completed, the processes of dispensing (e.g., including grinding) granular material and brewing can be performed without user intervention. First, the granular material is dispensed (e.g., ground) in the filling configuration, and then the brewing vessel assembly 101 and the granular material outlet are released from each other to take the brewing configuration as described above.

[0254] To begin a new brewing cycle, it may be necessary to re-adopt the filling configuration, for example by manually moving (e.g., sliding) the brewing vessel assembly 101 back to the granular material outlet.

[0255] In some embodiments, the blocking mechanism is arranged to block the refill configuration immediately after the brewing configuration has finished brewing, but allows the refill configuration to be carried out on the condition that the brewing vessel assembly 101 (or brewing vessel 102, such as the handle) is removed and the brewing vessel assembly 101 (or brewing vessel 102) is reinstalled in the beverage machine 100.

[0256] In this way, users can be prompted to empty the used particulate material (such as ground coffee) from the brewing vessel 102 before starting a new brewing cycle.

[0257] When practicing the claimed invention, those skilled in the art can understand and implement variations of the disclosed embodiments by studying the accompanying drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plural.

[0258] The fact that certain measures are described only in mutually different dependent claims does not mean that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.

[0259] If the term “suitable” is used in the claims or specification, note that the term “suitable” is intended to be equivalent to the term “configured to”.

[0260] Any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

[0261] The following embodiments are also disclosed: 1. A beverage machine (100), comprising: Mechanical components, said mechanical components for performing one or more mechanical operations on the beverage machine; and A liquid dispenser (110) having a liquid outlet (111) and a hydraulic system (112) for delivering liquid via the liquid outlet to a brewing vessel (102) of a brewing vessel assembly (101), the hydraulic system including a pump (113) and a valve assembly (122) including a valve member (122A) capable of causing movement of at least a portion of the mechanical assembly by fluid movement discharged downstream by the pump, thereby enabling at least one of the one or more mechanical operations, the valve assembly being arranged to provide a flow path for the fluid beyond the valve member in the downstream direction.

[0262] 2. The beverage machine (100) according to Embodiment 1, wherein the flow path is included in the filling path of the pump (113), and after the liquid reservoir (146) for holding the liquid pumped by the pump is emptied, the fluid can be pumped along the filling path by the pump.

[0263] 3. The beverage machine (100) according to embodiment 2 includes an additional valve (145) that can be controlled to allow fluid in the filling path to be pumped back to the liquid reservoir (146) via the pump (113).

[0264] 4. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the valve assembly (122) includes a biasing member (130), and the valve member (122A) is movable by means of fluid in the hydraulic system (112) overcoming the bias provided by the biasing member.

[0265] 5. A beverage machine (100) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the valve assembly (122) includes a housing (137), and the valve member (122A) is movable within the housing by fluid in the hydraulic system (112), the valve member comprising: A sealing element (135) for forming a seal between the valve member and the housing (137); and A flow control element (136) defines a space for receiving the liquid between the valve member and the housing, the upstream end of the space being defined by the sealing element and the downstream end of the space being defined by the flow control element, the flow control element being configured to provide at least partially a flow path beyond the valve member in a downstream direction away from the sealing element.

[0266] 6. The beverage machine (100) according to embodiment 5, wherein the valve member (122A) is in the form of a piston member, and the flow control element (136) is in the form of a piston ring, the gap of the piston ring at least partially defining the flow path beyond the piston member.

[0267] 7. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the one or more mechanical operations caused by the movement of the valve member (122A) includes the movement of the brewing vessel assembly (101).

[0268] 8. A beverage machine (100) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the one or more mechanical operations caused by the movement of the valve member (122A) includes movement of the brewing vessel assembly (101) and the liquid outlet (111) relative to each other, thereby enabling a brewing configuration in which the brewing vessel (102) is arranged to receive the liquid via the liquid outlet (111).

[0269] 9. The beverage machine (100) according to embodiment 8 includes a damper system configured to control deceleration of the brewing vessel assembly (101) as the brewing vessel assembly approaches the liquid outlet (111) during the adoption of the brewing configuration.

[0270] 10. A beverage machine (100) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 9, comprising a particulate material dispenser (105) having a particulate material outlet through which particulate material can be dispensed into the brewing vessel (102), wherein the brewing vessel assembly (101) and the particulate material outlet are movable relative to each other, thereby enabling a filling configuration in which the brewing vessel is arranged to receive the particulate material via the particulate material outlet.

[0271] 11. The beverage machine (100) according to embodiment 10, wherein the mechanical component includes a locking mechanism (123) capable of locking in the filling configuration such that the brewing vessel assembly (101) is fixed relative to the particulate material outlet, and capable of unlocking in response to the movement of the valve member (122A) caused by fluid discharged by the pump (113).

[0272] 12. The beverage machine (100) according to Embodiment 10 or Embodiment 11, wherein the brewing vessel assembly (101) can be manually installed in an external mounting port of the beverage machine and / or can be manually moved by a user to take the filling configuration.

[0273] 13. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 12 includes a guiding assembly (117) configured to guide movement of the brewing vessel assembly (101) and the liquid outlet (111) relative to each other; optionally, the movement guided by the guiding assembly includes translational movement of the brewing vessel assembly toward and away from the liquid outlet.

[0274] 14. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of embodiments 1 to 13 includes a controller configured to control the hydraulic system (112) to provide fluid in the hydraulic system with the movement of the valve member (122A).

[0275] 15. A beverage machine (100) according to Embodiment 14 of Embodiment 3, wherein the controller is configured to control the additional valve (145) such that the additional valve allows fluid in the filling path to be pumped back to the liquid reservoir (146) via the pump (113).

Claims

1. A beverage machine (100), comprising: Mechanical components for performing one or more mechanical operations on the beverage machine; as well as A liquid dispenser (110) having a liquid outlet (111) and a hydraulic system (112) for delivering liquid via the liquid outlet to a brewing vessel (102) of a brewing vessel assembly (101), the hydraulic system including a pump (113) and a valve assembly (122) including a valve member (122A) capable of causing movement of at least a portion of the mechanical assembly by fluid movement discharged downstream by the pump, thereby enabling at least one of the one or more mechanical operations, the valve assembly being arranged to provide a flow path for the fluid beyond the valve member in the downstream direction.

2. The beverage machine (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The flow path is contained in the filling path of the pump (113), and fluid can be pumped along the filling path after the liquid reservoir (146) for holding the liquid pumped by the pump is emptied.

3. The beverage machine (100) according to claim 2, comprising an additional valve (145) controllable to allow fluid in the filling path to be pumped back to the liquid reservoir (146) via the pump (113).

4. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The valve assembly (122) includes a biasing component (130), which enables the valve member (122A) to move by means of fluid in the hydraulic system (112) over an offset provided by the biasing component.

5. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The valve assembly (122) includes a housing (137), and the valve member (122A) is movable within the housing by fluid in the hydraulic system (112), the valve member comprising: A sealing element (135) for forming a seal between the valve member and the housing (137); and A flow control element (136) for receiving the liquid is defined between the valve member and the housing, the upstream end of the space being defined by the sealing element and the downstream end of the space being defined by the flow control element, the flow control element being configured to provide at least partially a flow path beyond the valve member in a downstream direction away from the sealing element.

6. The beverage machine (100) according to claim 5, wherein, The valve member (122A) is in the form of a piston member, and the flow control element (136) is in the form of a piston ring, the gap of which at least partially defines the flow path beyond the piston member.

7. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, At least one of the one or more mechanical operations caused by the movement of the valve member (122A) includes the movement of the brewing vessel assembly (101).

8. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, At least one of the one or more mechanical operations caused by the movement of the valve member (122A) includes movement of the brewing vessel assembly (101) and the liquid outlet (111) relative to each other, thereby enabling a brewing configuration in which the brewing vessel (102) is arranged to receive the liquid via the liquid outlet (111).

9. The beverage machine (100) of claim 8, comprising a damper system configured to control deceleration of the brewing vessel assembly (101) as the brewing vessel assembly approaches the liquid outlet (111) during the adoption of the brewing configuration.

10. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a particulate material dispenser (105) having a particulate material outlet through which particulate material can be dispensed into the brewing vessel (102), wherein the brewing vessel assembly (101) and the particulate material outlet are movable relative to each other, thereby enabling a filling configuration in which the brewing vessel is arranged to receive the particulate material via the particulate material outlet.

11. The beverage machine (100) according to claim 10, wherein, The mechanical component includes a locking mechanism (123) capable of locking in the filling configuration such that the brewing vessel assembly (101) is fixed relative to the particulate material outlet, and capable of unlocking in response to the movement of the valve member (122A) caused by fluid discharged by the pump (113).

12. The beverage machine (100) according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein, The brewing vessel assembly (101) can be manually installed in the external mounting port of the beverage machine and / or can be manually moved by the user to take the filling configuration.

13. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a guiding assembly (117) configured to guide movement of the brewing vessel assembly (101) and the liquid outlet (111) relative to each other; optionally, wherein the movement guided by the guiding assembly includes translational movement of the brewing vessel assembly toward and away from the liquid outlet.

14. The beverage machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising a controller configured to control the hydraulic system (112) to provide fluid in the hydraulic system with the movement of the valve member (122A).

15. The beverage machine (100) according to claim 14 as claimed in claim 3, wherein, The controller is configured to control the additional valve (145) such that the additional valve allows fluid in the filling path to be pumped back to the liquid reservoir (146) via the pump (113).

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