Hot drink maker with automatic cleaning device

Abstract

Hot beverage maker (1), such as a fully automatic coffee machine or fully automatic tea machine, comprising at least one flow line system (2) which comprises at least one water container (14) containing or fillable with water (2a) or a water connection, at least one pump (8) for conveying the water (2a) through line sections (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) and components of the flow line system (2), at least one heating device (9) for heating the water (2a), at least one valve arrangement (V3, V4) and at least one withdrawal device (21, 22), a brewing unit 40 with a brewing chamber (41) for receiving the substance to be brewed, such as coffee or tea, a fluid inlet (L4) and a fluid outlet (L5) as part of the flow line system (2) and a control device (18) for controlling the pump (8) integrated in the flow line system (2), the heating device (9) and valves (V3, V4) for preparing a selected beverage, further comprising a cleaning device (50) with a storage container (51) for cleaning agent (54) or cleaning concentrate (52) and a valve arrangement (V1, V2) for automatically and as needed feeding the cleaning agent (54) into the flow line system (2), characterized by that the control device (18) is further configured to operate the valves (V1, V2) of the cleaning device (50) and the pump (8) in such a way that cleaning fluid (54) reaches the brewing chamber (41) and the brewing chamber (41) moves into the infusion position (B) during or at the beginning of the cleaning phase in order to completely flood the brewing chamber (41) in said position (B) and to allow the cleaning fluid (54) to remain in the brewing chamber (41) for a defined exposure time.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a hot beverage maker, such as a fully automatic coffee machine or fully automatic tea maker, comprising a flow line system, which comprises at least one water container containing or fillable with water or a water connection, at least one pump for conveying the water through line sections and components of the flow line system, at least one heating device for heating the water, at least one valve arrangement and at least one dispensing device, a brewing unit with a brewing chamber for receiving the substance to be brewed, such as coffee or tea, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet as part of the flow line system and a control device for controlling a pump integrated in the flow line system, a heating device and valves for preparing a selected beverage,further comprising a cleaning device with a storage container for cleaning agent or cleaning concentrate and a valve arrangement for automatically and as needed supplying the cleaning agent into the flow line system.

[0002] Automatic hot drink makers are characterized by the fact that they prepare a beverage with a simple operation, which requires several preparation steps. All preparation steps are carried out within the device. For example, in a coffee machine, after the beverage is requested, the required amount of coffee is first ground for one shot. This is then transported to the brewing chamber. Water is then heated and pressed by a pump through the brewing chamber or through powder inserted in the brewing chamber and directed through a spout into a cup. Since dirt or coffee residue buildup on the pipes or in the brewing chamber is unavoidable, these components must be cleaned from time to time. For this purpose, maintenance must be carried out after a period of use of, for example, two weeks, which is only partially automated.The user typically has to add a cleaning agent to a water reservoir or the brewing chamber to start a cleaning program. In this cleaning program, water is then added to the cleaner, thereby cleaning the brewing chamber. This process typically takes 30 minutes to an hour and can be annoying, especially if beverages are required immediately.

[0003] DE 10 2013 105 162 A1 discloses a hot beverage maker with an automatically activated cleaning device designed to independently supply cleaning agent to the flow line system during cleaning phases. In this case, cleaning agent is supplied from a storage cartridge to the water in the flow line system and the brewing chamber, with the cleaning fluid remaining in the line system and the brewing chamber for a certain time, thus acting on the deposits.

[0004] EP 0 658 330 A1 discloses a beverage maker in which the brewing chamber can be rinsed after each brew. The brewing chamber is moved into a rinsing position to allow the water flowing through the chamber to drain away immediately. DE 20 2012 010 101 U1 discloses a beverage maker in which the brewing sieve is rinsed by backflushing.

[0005] However, it was discovered that cleaning the brewing chamber was not always carried out to complete satisfaction. Due to its geometry and the multitude of individual components, such as the pressure valve, the upper sieve on the plunger, and the lower sieve, they are difficult or even impossible to reach during automatic cleaning.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a hot beverage maker with an improved cleaning device for automatically cleaning the components, in particular with improved and reliable cleaning of the brewing chamber.

[0007] According to the invention, this object is achieved, among other things, by a hot beverage maker having the features of independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the following dependent claims.

[0008] One advantage achievable with the invention is that it provides a simple, reliable and thorough cleaning of all components inside the brewing chamber during an automatic or controlled cleaning phase. For this purpose, the control device is configured to operate, i.e. switch, activate and deactivate, the valves of the cleaning device and the pump in such a way that the cleaning fluid reaches the brewing chamber, with the brewing chamber moving into the infusion position during or at the beginning of the cleaning phase. This ensures that the brewing chamber is in the state it is in for the infusion. The chamber cylinder is moved into the position that the plunger located in the upper area protrudes into the cylinder and seals the chamber with the upper cover.The chamber can now be completely flooded and even pressurized until cleaning fluid exits the outlet valve or at least reaches the valve. This ensures that the cleaning fluid works precisely where oily deposits, among other things, are located. During the brewing process, the oily and aroma-bearing substances are extracted from the coffee grounds or tea crumbs and, dissolved in the water, are directed through the outlet to the cup.

[0009] In a practical design, the brewing chamber is defined in the infusion position by an inner wall of the chamber cylinder, a front-end sieve, and a ram base designed as a sieve that protrudes into the cylinder. The control device is configured to completely flood the brewing chamber with cleaning fluid in this position. This ensures that all components involved in the brewing process, such as the lower sieve, upper sieve, ram base, and the inner wall of the chamber's cylinder jacket, are wetted with the cleaning fluid or are completely immersed in it. All parts in the brewing chamber that come into contact with the brewing substance are reached by the cleaning fluid and are therefore reliably and thoroughly freed of deposits and buildup.

[0010] In a practical embodiment, the control device is configured to allow the cleaning fluid to remain in the brewing chamber for a defined exposure time. In an advantageous further development, a value in the range of 2 seconds to 4 minutes is stored in a memory of the control device as the exposure time. The defined exposure time ensures that the greasy deposits and coatings are reliably removed or dissolved from the components inside the brewing chamber. After the exposure time has elapsed, the used cleaning fluid is drained or pumped out of the brewing chamber, preferably into a collecting container.

[0011] In an overall advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control device is further configured to pour, direct, or flow the cleaning fluid into the grounds container after the contact time has elapsed. This prevents the drip tray from filling with used cleaning fluid, which would then require the user to empty it during cleaning. The grounds container can hold a large portion of the used cleaning fluid and is also more convenient for manual emptying.

[0012] In a further, overall expedient embodiment of the invention, the control device is further configured to operate the valves of the cleaning device and the pump such that, after the cleaning fluid has been removed from the brewing chamber, the brewing chamber is completely filled with water one or more times for rinsing, with the brewing chamber moving into the brewing position during or at the beginning of the rinsing phase. This ensures that any residues of cleaning fluid are completely removed from all components within the brewing chamber.

[0013] In an advantageous development of the invention, the control device is further configured to completely flood the lines and components of the flow line system and the brewing chamber with cleaning fluid and to remove any cleaning fluid. In this case, it is only necessary to ensure that the grounds container and / or the drip tray have sufficient volume to completely absorb the used cleaning fluid.

[0014] Overall, it is advisable for the concentration of the cleaning fluid to be in the range of 20 mmol / l to 60 mmol / l. This value is adjusted by dosing the cleaner, stored as a concentrate, into the water in the flow line system. A cleaning fluid with the specified concentration can also be stored and then pumped or introduced undiluted into the flow line system and the brewing chamber.

[0015] An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. Fig. 1: a hot drink maker in a partially schematic sectional view and Fig. 2: a preferred embodiment of the flow line system in a schematic view.

[0016] The Fig. 1 shows the example of a freestanding hot beverage maker 1 with all the relevant components for preparing a hot beverage. The beverage maker 1 comprises, among other things, a housing 11 containing the coffee bean storage container 71 with a grinder and motor mounted underneath, the water container 14, and the option of accommodating the flow line system 2 and a cleaning device 50 with a storage container 51 for storing a cleaning agent in such a hot beverage maker 1. In the embodiment shown, a cleaning device 50 with a storage container 51 is arranged laterally in the housing 15 of the hot beverage maker 1. In the front area of ​​the hot beverage maker 1, it has a height-adjustable outlet 20 in which several dispensing devices, here outlet nozzles 21, 22, are accommodated.In this case, the dispensing device 22 is a steam nozzle for dispensing hot steam or hot water, for example, to dilute a ready-made coffee or to prepare a tea beverage. The dispensing device 21 represents a dispensing line or dispensing nozzle 21 for dispensing coffee beverages. A brewing unit 40 with a brewing chamber 41 inside the device 1 serves to prepare the beverage. The coffee powder is introduced into the brewing chamber 41 and then flooded with hot water, so that the finished coffee beverage is dispensed to the dispensing line and through the dispensing nozzle 21. In this embodiment, the dispensing nozzles 21, 22 are arranged so that they can be adjusted in height so that they can be adjusted to the height of a drinking vessel placed on the storage surface 33 without any splashing occurring when the beverage is dispensed.The upper end of the storage surface 33 is formed by a drip tray 32, which is provided with openings and slots for draining liquid residues into a collecting tray 34 located below the drip tray 32. Furthermore, the hot beverage maker 1 comprises a grounds container 35, into which the used substance, for example, coffee cake, is thrown after the beverage preparation is complete. The device 1 further comprises a control device 18, which is configured to control the individual functional assemblies, such as pumps 8, valves V1 to V4, heating device 9, and grinder 70, if present, as necessary for the preparation of the respectively selected beverage. The control device 18, which is designed as a microcontroller uC with an associated memory MEM (. Fig. 2), in this embodiment is further configured to control the valves V1, V2 of the flow line system 2 in such a way that a fully automatic cleaning of the brewing chamber 41, in particular of the brewing sieves 42, 43 contaminated with deposits and / or inner walls of the brewing chamber 41, takes place.

[0017] Fig. 2 shows a simplified circuit diagram of a flow line system 2 within a beverage vending machine 1. The flow line system 2 is supplied with fresh water from a water source 14, in this example a water tank. The flow line system 2 comprises two parts, a first part serving for preparing beverages and the other part branching off from this first part of the flow line system 2 as a bypass 4. The bypass 4 contains the storage container 51 with the cleaning agent 60 contained therein, which is suitable for use in the flow line system 2 and the brewing unit 40 and is designed as a liquid, powder, granular, or water-soluble block.Pill / ball designs, optionally with a coating to prevent sticking under steam exposure, are suitable as water-soluble blocks. These can be activated by means of valves V1 and V2, so that this line section 4 with the container 51 forms the cleaning device 50, which can be connected to the water-carrying part of the flow line system 2 as needed by switching valves V1 and V2. To connect the bypass 4 to or separate the bypass 4 from the first part of the flow line system 2, the multi-way valve V1 is used on the inlet side of the bypass 4, and the multi-way valve V2 is used on the outlet side, to line section L1. A pump 8 is used to generate the flow within the flow line system 2 and to build up the required pressure.In addition, the part of the flow line system 2 used for preparing beverages has a heating device 9 for heating the water 2a, as well as several dispensing devices 21, 22, and line sections L1, L2, L3, L3 for connecting the individual components to one another, wherein the steam nozzle 22 is provided for dispensing steam and hot water and / or the coffee nozzle 21 is provided for dispensing the prepared coffee beverage or tea beverage, depending on which powder or substrate was fed to the brewing chamber 41. The multi-way valves V3 and V4, which are arranged upstream of the dispensing devices 21 and the brewing chamber 41 in the direction of flow, serve to selectively control the dispensing devices 21, 22.Furthermore, the flow line system 2 can include a volume flow measurement device, referred to as a flowmeter 10, which is helpful for determining the exact amount of fresh water required to prepare a beverage. Furthermore, such a measuring device 10 can also be used to determine the number of beverages produced.

[0018] A control device 18 with a microcontroller uC and a memory device MEM serves to carry out a beverage preparation, whereby the activation of the heating device 9, the valves V1, V2, V3 and V4 as well as the pump 8, the brewing chamber 40 and, if necessary, further components, such as a grinder 70, takes place through corresponding signal connections 31. In Fig.Figure 2 shows a rough outline of the signal connection 19 to the motor of pump 8 and to the other components to be controlled. The pump 8 is preferably controlled in such a way that different flow rates can be set. The control device 18 is further programmed to perform automatic cleaning of the brewing chamber 41 and / or the flow line system 2. In summary, the process is as follows:

[0019] Preferably, the cleaner 54 is generated in the system (block cleaner 52 including spray unit 53). The valves V2, V4 in system 2 open in the direction of the brewing unit 41. The brewing unit 40 moves from the grinding position M to the brewing position B and the water including cleaner 54 flows into the brewing chamber 41. As much water including cleaner 54 is sent towards the brewing unit 41 until the brewing chamber 41 is filled. This is approximately 40 to 60 ml. Instead of the usual way, the brewing unit 41 does not move back to the grinding position M, but remains in the brewing position B. This means that the cleaner 54 remains in the brewing chamber 41 and the sieves 43, 42 are also sufficiently located in the cleaner 54 or are immersed in it so that the grease can be dissolved.After a contact time of between 30 seconds and 2 minutes, the brewing unit 41 moves to the grinding position M and the used cleaner E flows via the drainage into the grounds container 35 and / or into the drip tray 34. This is followed by the rinsing process, which is already common practice today, to remove residues of the cleaner 54 from the system 2, 40. Overall, the concentration level is set (approx. 30 - 50 mmol / l) so that this process occurs automatically after every 20 to 60 brewings and the brewing unit 40, 41 is thoroughly cleaned with a single cleaning process.

Claims

[1] Hot beverage maker (1), such as a fully automatic coffee machine or fully automatic tea machine, comprising at least one flow line system (2) which comprises at least one water container (14) containing or fillable with water (2a) or a water connection, at least one pump (8) for conveying the water (2a) through line sections (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) and components of the flow line system (2), at least one heating device (9) for heating the water (2a), at least one valve arrangement (V3, V4) and at least one withdrawal device (21, 22), a brewing unit 40 with a brewing chamber (41) for receiving the substance to be brewed, such as coffee or tea, a fluid inlet (L4) and a fluid outlet (L5) as part of the flow line system (2) and a control device (18) for controlling the pump (8) integrated in the flow line system (2), the heating device (9) and valves (V3, V4) for preparing a selected beverage, further comprising a cleaning device (50) with a storage container (51) for cleaning agent (54) or cleaning concentrate (52) and a valve arrangement (V1, V2) for automatically and as needed feeding the cleaning agent (54) into the flow line system (2), characterized by , that the control device (18) is further configured to operate the valves (V1, V2) of the cleaning device (50) and the pump (8) in such a way that cleaning fluid (54) reaches the brewing chamber (41) and the brewing chamber (41) moves into the infusion position (B) during or at the beginning of the cleaning phase in order to completely flood the brewing chamber (41) in said position (B) and to allow the cleaning fluid (54) to remain in the brewing chamber (41) for a defined exposure time. [2] Hot beverage maker (1) according to claim 1, wherein the brewing chamber (41) is defined in the infusion position (B) by an inner wall of the chamber cylinder (44), by a front-side sieve (42) and by a plunger base (43) projecting into the cylinder and designed as a sieve. [3] Hot drink maker (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat a value in the range of 2 seconds to 4 minutes is stored as the exposure time in a memory (MEM) of the control device (18, uC). [4] Hot beverage maker (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the control device (18) is further configured to pour out or direct the cleaning fluid (54) into the pomace container (35) after the exposure time has elapsed. [5] Hot beverage maker (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the control device (18) is further configured to operate the valves (V1, V2) of the cleaning device (50) and the pump (8) in such a way that, after the cleaning fluid (54) has been removed from the brewing chamber (41), the brewing chamber (41) is completely filled with water (2a) once or several times for rinsing, the brewing chamber (41) moving into the infusion position (B) during or at the beginning of the rinsing phase. [6] Hot beverage maker (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control device (18) is configured to completely flood the lines and components of the flow line system (2) and the brewing chamber (41) with cleaning fluid (54) and to free them of cleaning fluid (54). [7] Hot beverage maker (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the concentration of the cleaning fluid (54) has a value in the range of 20 mmol / I to 60 mmol / I.

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