Hybrid beverage preparation device with removable beverage substrate container

Abstract

The invention relates to a beverage preparation device (01), comprising a beverage substrate container (03) which can be removed from a receiving area (02). The device has a brewing head (12) which can be adjusted in a vertical direction (V) and which is designed and arranged relative to the receiving area (02) and the beverage substrate container (03) received therein such that the beverage substrate container (03) can be inserted into and removed from the receiving area (02) in an upper position of the brewing head (12), closes and / or seals a brewing chamber formed by the brewing head (12) and the beverage substrate container (03) in a first lower position, and vertically presses against a beverage substrate (22) in the beverage substrate container (03) in a second lower position. The adjustable brewing head (12) is designed to interact with a mechanical adjusting unit (13), in particular an adjusting unit which can be manually operated, in order to be converted at least into the upper, first lower, and second lower position. According to the invention, the adjusting unit (13) allows a continuous locking of the brewing head (12) in the vertical direction (V) solely below a first lower position.

Description

[0001] Hybrid beverage preparation device with removable beverage substrate holder

[0002] The present invention relates to a beverage preparation device, in particular a coffee and / or espresso machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0003] Various beverage preparation devices, particularly coffee and / or espresso machines, are already known from the state of the art. Generally, a distinction is made between different types of devices.

[0004] On the one hand, so-called fully automatic machines are known in which all process steps for producing and dispensing a corresponding beverage, in particular a hot beverage, from grinding a beverage substrate, for example, coffee beans, through filling a brewing chamber, and brewing the beverage substrate, in particular ground coffee, to ejecting or discharging the leached or brewed substrate or grounds, take place within a single device or in a device bounded by a common housing. For this purpose, the device may also include a water tank for storing fresh water, collecting or drip trays for storing or storing residual water, and grounds containers for collecting brewed or leached substrate cake or grounds.With such fully automatic machines, there is a greater risk that the presence of organic beverage substrate, in particular coffee bean grounds, as well as the presence of water, hot water, steam, water condensate, dripping water or the like, will lead to hygienically problematic conditions inside the device, which can lead in particular to the formation of germs or mold if the organic substances, in particular the beverage substrate and / or grounds residues, are not removed regularly and conscientiously.

[0005] Furthermore, various embodiments of so-called portafilter machines already exist in the prior art. In these, a beverage substrate holder or portafilter is designed to be removable and / or insertable into a receptacle. This allows the beverage substrate, in particular the ground coffee beans, to be obtained from an external storage or production unit, for example an external grinder, and filled into the removed beverage substrate holder. Subsequently, in particular to improve the quality of the beverage to be produced, in particular brewed, the beverage substrate can be pre-compacted in the beverage substrate holder. In conventional portafilter machines, this can also take place externally to the beverage preparation device, for example, manually.After this pre-compaction, known as tamping, the prepared beverage substrate holder is inserted into the receptacle or connected to the receptacle, for example, using a bayonet lock or similarly designed connecting means. To brew the beverage, a brewing fluid can then be dispensed via a brewing head while the beverage substrate holder is inserted or fastened. This brewing fluid enters a brewing chamber, which is usually formed or delimited by the brewing head and the inserted or fastened beverage substrate holder, in particular the portafilter. The pressurized and / or provided brewing fluid leaches the beverage substrate as it flows through it as evenly as possible, or brews the beverage substrate and flows to an outlet on the beverage substrate holder, from which the prepared beverage emerges.Portafilter machines or devices based on the portafilter machine concept have the advantage that no or only minimal amounts of beverage substrate or pulp remain on or in the device, thus reducing the amount of organic material that can contribute to unhygienic conditions under the influence of moisture and heat. However, devices based on the portafilter machine principle have the disadvantage that the external supply of the beverage substrate sometimes leads to the discharge of beverage substrate and / or pulp in the vicinity of the beverage preparation device and / or an external grinder, which also requires cleaning.

[0006] Hybrid device concepts are also already known in the prior art, in which attempts are made to combine a removable beverage substrate holder or portafilter with an integrated beverage substrate feed, for example, a feed chute, and / or with integrated grinders for producing the beverage substrate, for example, from coffee beans. Such devices are known, for example, from EP 2 811 876 A1.In this hybrid approach to a beverage preparation device, different embodiments provide for not only the filling of a removable beverage substrate holder or portafilter by a feed device integrated into the device, which may be designed to interact with a grinder, but also the pre-compression or tamping of the beverage substrate filled into the beverage substrate holder prior to brewing by means of hydraulic or mechanical solutions by means of a brewing head which is mounted so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction and which is also used as a pressing surface or contact surface with the beverage substrate.

[0007] The mechanical pre-compaction of the beverage substrate described in this approach also requires a subsequent mechanically operated and controlled brewing process. However, this leads to inconsistent results in terms of the produced or dispensed beverage for operators who are not very experienced and / or well-trained. Furthermore, with the mechanical adjustment of the brewing head described there, the pre-compaction also depends on the user's operation and is therefore only possible in a highly reproducible manner for appropriately skilled and experienced users.Since the brewing process in particular, with its operating parameters and, to a certain extent, the correct pre-compression, also depends on the quantity of beverage substrate used in order to enable an optimal and reproducible result of the produced beverage, the mechanical solution of EP 2 811 876 A1 offers the possibility of effective use only for very experienced operators, for example in the catering sector.

[0008] The hydraulic or electrical drive options for adjusting the brewing head and / or for tamping the beverage substrate, also described in EP 2 811 876 B1, lead to an undesirably high level of complexity of the beverage preparation device from a technical perspective and thus to components and assemblies that are prone to errors and may require maintenance and care.

[0009] WO 2022 / 033908 A1 discloses a mechanical brewing group for use in an espresso or coffee machine. The brewing group operates with a portafilter, and the vertical movement of the brewing piston from an open position to a pressure-tight, closed position is controlled by a hand lever.

[0010] EP 0 978 245 A1 discloses a coffee brewing device for use in a fully automatic coffee machine. The extensive electrical system includes a position switch for determining the position of a cam on a camshaft to control a lever mechanism. This lever mechanism affects both the tamping of coffee powder in a brewing chamber and the pressure buildup in a water-filled cylinder for pressurized water delivery into the brewing chamber.

[0011] DE 20 2014 002 225 U1 shows a portafilter coffee machine in which the existing elements for locking the portafilter—i.e., lugs or projections on the circumference—are used for presence detection and type recognition by means of suitable sensors / switches. This serves to prevent piston movement or water dispensing when no portafilter is inserted and to select the brewing parameters according to the portafilter used.

[0012] DE 10 2009 001 198 A1 discloses a coffee machine for coffee pods, which includes a bypass for releasing any remaining pressure in the brewing chamber after the coffee has been drawn. This bypass is opened by a valve, which can be mechanically controlled. The valve is coupled to the opening movement of the brewing chamber in such a way that, when manually operated, the bypass valve opens first, followed by the brewing chamber.

[0013] The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the described problem based on the prior art, in particular to propose a hybrid beverage preparation device which, for a mechanical actuating unit for adjusting a movable brewing head, enables an improved or optimal result of the produced beverage, in particular also for inexperienced or untrained users.

[0014] The object of the present invention is achieved with a beverage preparation device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the following description, the description of the figures, and the figures. In principle, all features and properties disclosed in terms of the device are also to be considered as correspondingly disclosed and claimable in terms of the method, and vice versa.

[0015] The beverage preparation device according to the invention, in particular a coffee and / or espresso machine with a beverage substrate holder, in particular a portafilter, which can be removed from a receptacle, accordingly provides for a brewing head which is adjustable in the vertical direction and is arranged and designed relative to the receptacle and the beverage substrate holder received therein such that, in an upper position - for example, a grinding position - of the brewing head, the beverage substrate holder can be removed from and inserted into the receptacle, and in a first lower position of the brewing head, a closing and / or sealing of a brewing chamber formed by the brewing head and the beverage substrate holder is achieved, wherein, in a second lower position, which is preferably at the same height as or below the first lower position, the brewing head is pressed vertically against a beverage substrate in the beverage substrate holder.in particular provided that a minimum amount of beverage substrate is accommodated in the beverage substrate holder, wherein the brewing head is fluidically connected to a brewing water supply in order to dispense brewing fluid and / or introduce it into the brewing chamber, and wherein the beverage preparation device additionally has a feed shaft for providing beverage substrate, which at one end is arranged and designed such that the beverage substrate can be filled from the feed shaft into the beverage substrate holder inserted into the receptacle, preferably only under the influence of weight, and preferably at the other end forms a transition to a grinder comprised by the beverage preparation device, wherein the adjustable brewing head is designed to cooperate with a mechanical, preferably purely mechanical, in particular manually operable, adjusting unit in order to adjust the brewing head at least in the upper,first lower and second lower positions. According to the invention, the adjusting unit enables stepless locking of the brewing head in the vertical direction exclusively below a first lower position.

[0016] The stepless locking of the brewing head via the mechanical adjustment unit offers several advantages. On the one hand, it allows for the desired and, if necessary, pre-compaction of the beverage substrate in the second, lower position, regardless of the quantity or volume of the beverage substrate used. This forms the basis for achieving reproducible tamping regardless of the quantity or volume of the beverage substrate, thus providing the starting point for a reproducible brewing process.

[0017] The stepless locking of the brewing head via the adjusting unit also has the advantage that, unlike sealing agents, for example, at the transition between the brewing head and the beverage substrate holder, these are not subject to wear or only to imperceptible wear, so that even after a correspondingly high number of operating processes, the stepless locking can be reliably generated and can also be safely maintained during the subsequent internal pressure within the brewing space or the brewing chamber during the brewing process.

[0018] Furthermore, the stepless locking of the brewing head via the actuating unit enables the pre-compression pressure or the contact pressure of the tamper to be maintained continuously or continuously after the brewing head has been locked, particularly until the brewing fluid flows in. In addition, following the brewing head has been locked, the introduction of the brewing fluid can take place using a well-defined brewing profile that is easy to manage via control loops, so that in addition to the more reproducible tamping or pre-compression of the beverage substrate, the subsequent brewing process can also be carried out with very high precision and reproducibility.

[0019] According to a first advantageous embodiment, it can be provided that the actuating unit has a rod which is movable together with the brewing head and a locking bushing which is stationary in the vertical direction and which encloses the rod, at least in sections, wherein the rod is designed such that in a first lower section of the rod, fixing via the locking bushing is impossible and in a second upper section the rod is designed such that an interruption of a vertical downward movement of the rod, in particular relative to the locking bushing, leads to a locking frictional connection between the locking bushing and the rod, which, preferably over the entire second section, effects or at least supports the locking of the brewing head by blocking the movement of the rod relative to the locking bushing.

[0020] The lower section and the upper section of the rod can advantageously be designed differently due to their external geometry, for example due to their cross-sections or the like, so that the brewing head cannot be locked in the lower section of the rod, for example due to a smaller cross-section. This is particularly advantageous in order to enable the user to cancel or interrupt the adjustment process in a first area or in a first section of the brewing head adjustment, for example from a grinding position to a tamping position or brewing position, without the brewing head automatically being locked. The upper section of the rod, on the other hand, which can be designed or extend in such a way with regard to the brewing head adjustment path and / or with regard to the arrangement relative to the locking bushing, that locking of the brewing head is only possible,When the latter has reached the first lower position and the brewing chamber or the brewing space comprising the beverage substrate holder and the brewing head is closed and sealed accordingly, it enables a locking mechanism to be achieved and maintained in any continuously variable position or position of the brewing head relative to the beverage substrate holder and thus essentially independent of the quantity or volume of the beverage substrate filled in the beverage substrate holder. This locking mechanism is purely mechanical in nature but does not depend on the interaction of the brewing head and the beverage substrate holder, but is achieved independently of them via the actuating unit, in particular via the interaction of the rod and the locking bushing.

[0021] According to a further, particularly advantageous embodiment, a second locking mechanism, preferably a toggle lever mechanism, can be designed such that the locking of the brewing head is achieved and / or supported via the second locking mechanism in addition to the locking bushing. Particularly preferably, the second locking mechanism, in particular the toggle lever mechanism, can also be designed as part of the mechanical, preferably manually operable, actuating unit.For example, it can be provided that the toggle lever mechanism, as an exemplary or preferred second locking mechanism, is also actuated by an operator-operated operating or adjusting lever and is designed such that, after the brewing head has been locked by locking the locking bushing on the movable rod, a dead center of the toggle lever mechanism is overcome, which then prevents an unintentional or undesired release of the locking bushing. Particularly preferably, it can also be provided that, when the brewing head is locked, the second locking mechanism is first released, if necessary again via a corresponding, in particular reversed, operation of the operating or adjusting lever, before the locking bushing is released from the rod or the corresponding locking is released.

[0022] In a further, particularly advantageous embodiment of the beverage preparation device, it can be provided that a contact surface of the brewing head, in particular a wetting or brewing sieve, is designed to be movable in the vertical direction against an elastic or elastically deformable pretensioning device, preferably a spring element, relative to the adjusting unit and / or the other brewing head, so that upon vertical adjustment of the adjusting unit and / or the brewing head from the point at which a beverage substrate arranged in the beverage substrate holder comes into contact with the contact surface, the further movement of the adjusting unit and / or the other brewing head leads to a reduced movement of the contact surface in the vertical direction and to a corresponding contact force on the beverage substrate, which is limited or reduced in particular by an elastic deformation of the pretensioning device.In this context, it is particularly preferred that the pretensioning device be designed such that a substantially constant contact pressure of the contact surface is exerted on the beverage substrate independently or largely independently of the elastic deformation of the pretensioning device. This can be achieved particularly advantageously if a means, for example a spring or a spring assembly, is used as the pretensioning device, which has a constant spring constant or a spring constant that is independent of the deformation over a wide range of deformation.This achieves in a particularly advantageous manner that the pre-compaction / tamping of the beverage substrate takes place with a constant force or a constant pressure regardless of the filling quantity or filling height of the beverage substrate holder, in particular the sieve holder, so that on this basis the brewing process can be made more reproducible if it is ensured that a largely identical or identical pre-compaction of the beverage substrate has taken place in each brewing process.

[0023] A further advantage of the elastic pretensioning device can be that the adjusting unit, in particular an operating or adjusting lever directly operated by the operator, is moved into one and the same end position during each brewing process or during the preparation of each brewing process, wherein from the moment the brewing head, in particular the contact surface of the brewing head, comes into contact with the beverage substrate, there is essentially an elastic deformation of the pretensioning device until the adjusting lever of the adjusting unit has been moved into the end position, without this causing a noticeable or significant further adjustment of the brewing head in the vertical direction.

[0024] Alternatively, the advantageous, unambiguous, and essentially independent of the fill level of the beverage substrate holder, end position of an operating or adjusting lever directly operated by the operator can also be achieved by interrupting or decoupling the power transmission of the adjusting unit. More preferably, the two end positions are determined by the geometry of mechanical stops provided for this purpose. These can be incorporated into the respective mechanical component, for example, in a toggle mechanism or a movement mechanism.

[0025] In a further, particularly advantageous embodiment of the beverage preparation device, a sensor device is provided for determining the position, in particular for determining the vertical position, of the brewing head and / or the contact surface in a locked position of the brewing head. The sensor device is operatively connected to a control unit of the beverage preparation device, so that operating parameters of the beverage preparation device, in particular parameters of a fluid pump included in the device for conveying brewing fluid, can be specified and / or adjusted by the control unit depending on the determined position. The sensor device can be designed, for example, as an optical sensor in the visible spectral range, preferably as a light barrier.In addition to a direct measurement of the brewing head and / or the contact surface of the brewing head in the locked position, an indirect measurement can also be taken, for example via parts of the actuating unit, such as the position of a rod that can be moved vertically together with the brewing head, in order to deduce the position of the brewing head and / or the contact surface. In this case, it can be particularly advantageous if, if an elastically deformable pretensioning device is implemented, the sensor device is also configured to detect the deformation state of the pretensioning device, since the end position or end position of the brewing head and / or the contact surface then depends on both the position of the actuating unit and the position or state of the pretensioning device.It can also be advantageously provided, in particular if the actuating unit is always brought into one and the same end position or end position during the vertical movement of the brewing head, that the sensor device only detects the deformation state of an elastic pretensioning device and, on this basis, concludes the position of the brewing head and / or the contact surface.

[0026] The operating parameters of the beverage preparation device controlled and influenced by the control unit can, in principle, be arbitrary. For example, the control of the operating parameters can go so far that operation of the beverage preparation device is completely prevented if the sensor device detects that the brewing chamber or the brewing space is not yet closed. Operation or the execution of a brewing process can also be prevented by the control device if the position of the brewing head and / or the contact surface suggests that a minimum amount of beverage substrate is not present in the beverage substrate holder. With such position detection, it can alternatively be provided that the control unit only enables the execution of a cleaning and / or rinsing process.If, however, a position of the brewing head is detected by the sensor device which detects or records a filling of the beverage substrate holder between a minimum filling and a maximum filling, the operating parameters of a subsequent brewing process can be influenced by the active connection and the resulting control loop with the control unit, depending on the detected state or the detected position of the brewing head.

[0027] For example, the grinding speed of the grinder can be regulated to the beverage substrate discharge performance of the grinder resulting from a bean selection and a set grinding level of the grinder in such a way that the filling of the beverage substrate holder lies within the intended minimum or maximum volume and the beverage substrate quantity can be adjusted stepwise or continuously between these limits depending on the desired beverage strength.

[0028] Furthermore, for example, delivery rates of a fluid pump, the steepness and length of corresponding ramps in the control of a fluid pump as well as the correspondingly parameterized control of heating devices, in particular thermoblocks for tempering brewing fluid, can be influenced accordingly. According to a further, particularly advantageous embodiment of the beverage preparation device, it can be provided that the brewing head is designed such that, upon vertical adjustment from a third lower position, a mechanical locking of the beverage substrate holder on and / or in the receptacle is achieved. This can ensure that unintentional movement or unintentional removal of the beverage substrate holder is avoided. The designation as a third lower position is not intended to imply a mandatory arrangement or orientation in the vertical direction, in particular with respect to the second lower and / or first lower position.For example, it can advantageously be provided that the third lower position is arranged vertically above the first lower position, so that a mechanical locking of the beverage substrate holder on or in the receptacle already occurs before the brewing space or the brewing chamber is closed. Alternatively, it can also be provided that the locking occurs simultaneously with the closure of the brewing space or the brewing chamber. Further alternatively, it can also be provided that locking takes place only after the brewing head has been closed and / or sealed on or in the beverage substrate holder, which then means that the third lower position is arranged below the first lower position.

[0029] According to a further, equally advantageous embodiment, it can also be provided that a contact, preferably as part of a microswitch, is provided, with which the position and / or presence of the beverage substrate holder on or in the receptacle is determined or can be checked. Particularly preferably, it can be provided that the contact, similar to the sensor device already described above, is operatively connected to a control device in such a way that certain functions of the beverage preparation device, in particular the execution of a brewing process and / or the lowering of the brewing head via the actuating unit, can only be carried out or can only be successfully initiated by the operator if said contact detects the presence and / or correct positioning of the beverage substrate holder on or in the receptacle.The contact can preferably be formed on the receptacle, in particular projecting over a surface of the receptacle against which the beverage substrate holder comes into contact.

[0030] In a further, particularly preferred embodiment of the beverage preparation device, the brewing head can further comprise an upper part and a lower part, which are mounted so as to be movable relative to one another in the vertical direction. A mechanically actuated valve is formed in the brewing head such that a relative movement of the upper part and lower part away from one another opens the valve and, in particular, enables ventilation of the brewing chamber even below the first lower position of the brewing head. This can particularly advantageously enable ventilation of the brewing chamber or the brewing chamber after a brewing process has been completed.Otherwise, there is a risk that when the brewing head is raised relative to the beverage substrate holder, especially the portafilter, a negative pressure will build up in the brewing chamber or the brewing area after the brewing process. This negative pressure will then be suddenly or abruptly released when the brewing head passes the first lower position in a vertical upward direction. This can lead to unwanted splashing of grounds or brewed beverage substrate and / or liquid.The two-part design of the brewing head and the corresponding implementation of a mechanically actuated valve mean that after the brewing process, during the initial vertical adjustment of the actuating unit with the aim of adjusting the brewing head vertically upwards, the two parts, in particular the upper part and the lower part of the brewing head, initially move away from each other, whereby the mechanically actuated valve is then initially opened and a fluid connection is created between the environment and the interior of the brewing space or the brewing chamber, which ensures that no negative pressure is built up in the brewing chamber or the brewing space during the further movement or adjustment of the actuating unit and thus of the brewing head.

[0031] Conversely, when closing and / or compressing the beverage substrate prior to a brewing process, the two-part design of the brewing head with an upper and lower part and the vertically movable mounting of the upper and lower parts in conjunction with a correspondingly mechanically actuated valve can ensure that no air cushion or air pocket forms above the beverage substrate and below the brewing head during pre-compression of the beverage substrate. This is because as long as the upper and lower parts of the brewing head are in a state with a larger vertical relative distance from one another, for example, achieved through appropriate pre-tensioning, the mechanically actuated valve can be held in an open state, which then also enables venting of the brewing chamber.The mechanically actuated valve is only closed when, for example, a corresponding counterpressure on the brewing head from the beverage substrate or the beverage substrate holder exerts a force on the brewing head, causing the upper and lower parts of the brewing head to approach each other, thus closing the valve. The closed valve position is again advantageous in enabling and maintaining the most airtight design of the brewing chamber during the brewing process.

[0032] According to a further, particularly advantageous embodiment of the beverage preparation device, it can be provided that the upper part and the lower part of the brewing head are connected to one another by a radially circumferential profile seal, which, upon a relative movement of the upper part and lower part in the vertical direction towards one another, causes a radial enlargement or bulging of the profile seal, whereby, below the first lower position, the profile seal can be pressed against an inner wall of the beverage substrate holder. This embodiment, particularly together with the design of the brewing head with an upper part and a lower part that are mounted so as to be movable relative to one another in the vertical direction, not only ensures the advantageous ventilation and deaeration of the brewing space or chamber, as already described above.In addition, an improved sealing effect of the brewing head on the beverage substrate holder and / or reduced wear of the corresponding seal can be achieved, since the sealing effect is only created or improved by the fact that the relative movement of the upper part of the brewing head towards the lower part causes a radial bulging of the profile seal and thus a pressing against the inner wall of the beverage substrate holder.

[0033] The profile seal can also be provided in a particularly advantageous manner, since it can provide a corresponding restoring force that forces the upper part of the brewing head away from the lower part of the brewing head and can thus ensure that the mechanically actuated valve remains in an open position (normally open) as long as the distance between the upper part of the brewing head and the lower part of the brewing head does not fall below a limit value or the upper part and the lower part approach each other to a certain extent.

[0034] Advantageous embodiments and details of the beverage preparation device according to the invention will be explained below using purely schematic representations of exemplary embodiments. Identical components of the device or parts with the same function are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0035] Showing:

[0036] Fig. 1: a section through parts of a beverage preparation device according to the invention in a grinding or filling position of the actuating unit;

[0037] Fig. 2: a section through parts of a beverage preparation device according to the invention in an intermediate position of the actuating unit;

[0038] Fig. 3: a section through parts of a beverage preparation device according to the invention in an end position or brewing position of the actuating unit;

[0039] Fig. 4: a sectional view to illustrate the locking of the brewing head using a sectionally continuously self-locking or self-locking locking bush;

[0040] Fig. 5a: a detailed view illustrating the locking of the locking bushing;

[0041] Fig. 5b: a detailed view to illustrate the interaction of the locking bushing with the other actuating unit;

[0042] Fig. 6: a detailed view of a brewing head with an upper part and a lower part.

[0043] Fig. 1 shows a section through a beverage preparation device 01, wherein, for reasons of clarity, parts or components of the beverage preparation device 01 are not shown. Essentially, the section in Fig. 1 shows a beverage substrate holder 03 in the form of a portafilter inserted into a receptacle 02. The beverage substrate holder 03 comprises an inner wall 04, a bottom-side portafilter 05, and an outlet 06 formed below the portafilter 05 for dispensing or delivering a brewed beverage.

[0044] Above the receptacle 02, a feed chute 07 is formed, which serves to provide beverage substrate, in particular ground coffee beans. At one end 08, the feed chute 07 is arranged and designed such that the beverage substrate can be filled, preferably solely under the influence of weight, from the feed chute 07 into the beverage substrate holder 03 inserted into the receptacle 02. At a second end 09, the feed chute 07 forms a transition 10 to a grinder 11, which is preferably included in the beverage preparation device 01. The beverage preparation device 01 also comprises a brewing head 12, which is guided within a housing part 35 for movement in the vertical direction V and which forms a contact surface 36, preferably in the form of a sieve 05, at the lower end. The brewing head 12 is connected to an actuating unit 13, which also includes an operating or adjusting lever 14.Based on the application of force and / or a corresponding movement of the operating or adjusting lever 14, the brewing head 12 is moved up or down in the vertical direction V by a corresponding movement or adjustment of the adjusting unit 13. In the illustration in Fig. 1, the brewing head 12 is shown in a first, upper position, in which the beverage substrate holder 03 can be removed from the receptacle 02 and inserted into the receptacle 02, for example in order to remove or remove brewed and leached beverage substrate or grounds from the beverage substrate holder 03. In the illustration in Fig. 1, it can already be seen that the adjusting unit 13 driven by the operating or adjusting lever 14 has a rod 15 with a lower section 16 and an upper section 17, wherein the rod 15 is at least partially enclosed by a locking bushing 18. The rod 15 and the locking bushing 18 will be discussed in more detail below.However, it is already apparent that the lower section 16 of the rod 15 has a smaller cross-section than the upper section 17 of the rod 15.

[0045] The illustration in Fig. 1 also shows a connection 19, which is preferably connected to a hose and can be used to dispense brewing fluid, in particular brewing water, for brewing beverage substrate via the brewing head 12, in particular the contact surface 36. The conduit means between the connection 19 and the contact surface 36 are not shown in detail in the sectional illustration in Fig. 1.

[0046] Fig. 1 shows, in addition to the rod 15, which is partially enclosed by the locking bushing 18 and arranged eccentrically to the brewing head 12, a further guide rod 20. In the following sectional views, the centrally arranged guide rod 20 is not visible. According to the invention, the rod 15 can either be provided in addition to the eccentric guide rod 20. However, it can also be provided that the functionality of the rods 15 and 20 is integrated into a common rod 15, thus reducing the number of rods 15 and 20 by one.

[0047] Above the grinder 11, an inlet opening 21 is formed, which can, for example, form the transition to a storage container, in particular a coffee bean storage container, arranged above the grinder 11. The illustrations in Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate how the actuating unit 13, starting from the position shown in Fig. 1, is moved into a position in which a brewing process of the beverage preparation device 01 is initiated, starting with the actuation of the operating or adjusting lever 14 of the actuating unit 13.

[0048] In Fig. 2 it can already be seen that lowering or pressing down the operating or adjusting lever 14 via a corresponding, purely mechanical transmission kinematics of the adjusting unit 13 results in the brewing head 12 being lowered relative to the beverage substrate holder 03 and the receptacle 02. In the intermediate position in Fig. 2 the brewing head 12 is still slightly above the upper edge of the inner wall 04 of the beverage substrate holder 03. This means that the brewing space or the brewing chamber is not yet closed, which means that the first lower position of the brewing head 12 in the vertical direction V has not yet been reached. However, it can already be seen that the adjustment of the brewing head 12 has caused a relative movement of the rod 15 relative to the locking bushing 18, wherein the locking bushing 18 is arranged in the beverage preparation device 01 so as to be essentially immobile in the vertical direction V.

[0049] However, the part of the locking bushing 18 that encompasses the rod 15 is still located in the lower section 16 of the rod 15. Due to the smaller cross-section of the lower section 16 of the rod 15, the locking bushing 18 cannot yet inhibit or lock the rod 15 relative to the locking bushing 18 in the position shown in Fig. 2. This means that if the actuating process or adjusting process of the adjusting unit 13 were to be interrupted in the position shown in Fig. 2 and the operating or adjusting lever 14 were to be returned to the starting position shown in Fig. 1, the rod 15 would not be blocked relative to the locking bushing 18, which in other words means that a return transfer would be possible without the locking effect of the locking bushing 18 first having to be overcome or canceled.

[0050] In the illustration in Fig. 3, the operating or adjusting lever 14 has been moved into a lower end position. This position is preferably identical for each brewing process and preferably regardless of the amount of beverage substrate. This has led to a further vertical displacement of the rod 15 relative to the locking bushing 18, so that the locking bushing 18 now engages around the rod 15 in the upper section 17 of the rod 15 or at least engages around it in sections, wherein the upper section 17 has a correspondingly larger cross-section. As will be explained in more detail with reference to Fig. 4, in the upper section 17 of the rod 15, the locking bushing 18 can be locked relative to the rod 15 in any desired position and thus accordingly continuously, and thus also the brewing head 12 can be locked in a second, lower position, which is brought about solely by the adjusting unit 13.Particularly preferably, it can be provided that the brewing head 12, in particular the contact surface 36, is prestressed by an elastic prestressing device, which is not shown in detail in Figs. 1 to 3, such that from the time the contact surface 36 comes into contact with the beverage substrate 22, essentially only an elastic deformation of the prestressing device takes place and otherwise no or only a minimal movement of the contact surface 36 relative to the beverage substrate holder 03 takes place and otherwise a contact force that is as constant as possible or essentially constant is exerted on the beverage substrate 22 via the elastic prestressing device.

[0051] With a sensor device, also not shown in detail, the position of the contact surface 36 when the end position or end position of the actuating lever 14 is reached can be determined and communicated to a control unit, also not shown, in order to control or influence the operating parameters of the beverage preparation device 01 based thereon, in particular for a subsequent brewing process.

[0052] Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the interaction between the rod 15 and the locking bushing 18. The locking bushing 18 is designed and aligned, both with regard to the shape of an internal opening and with regard to the alignment and any pretension or application of force, so that the rod 15 can enter the locking bushing 18 during the transition from the first, lower section 16 to the second, upper section 17. As soon as a force is generated vertically upwards by the contact surface 36, for example by pressing against the beverage substrate 22 or by internal pressure in the brewing space or chamber, the upwardly directed force, unless overcompensated by a greater force directed vertically downwards, results in a holding force of the rod 15 on or in the locking bushing 18, which thus effects the stepless locking of the brewing head 12 purely mechanically and within the actuating unit 13.The corresponding forces are shown in Fig. 4 by arrows. The locking bushing 18 interacts with a holder 23, which aligns the locking bushing 18 and by means of which the locking of the locking bushing 18 can be released again.

[0053] Fig. 5a shows a part of the said holder 23, which is designed to interact with a clamping lever 24. The clamping lever 24 is subjected to force by a spring 25 against a control link 26, which is guided on a rotatable shaft 27, the movement of the control link 26 being limited by an internal cam 28. Fig. 5a shows the locking position of the locking bushing 18 as well as of the holder 23 and the clamping lever 24. Rotation of the control link 26 about the shaft 27 causes the clamping lever 24 to pivot against the pretension of the spring 25, which in turn causes the holder 23 to rotate / pivot together with the clamping lever 24. This leads to a tilting of the locking bushing 18, which in turn releases the locking of the rod 15 in the upper section 17 by increasing the effective cross-section of the inner opening of the locking bushing and releasing the clamping on the rod 15.The control link 26 can interact with the operating or adjusting lever 14 and the adjusting unit 13 in such a way that when the actuating lever 14 is raised, starting from the lower end position, the link 26 actuates the tensioning lever 24 and releases or releases the locking bushing 18 via the holder 23.

[0054] In a plane arranged above the drawing plane of Fig. 5a, a toggle lever mechanism, which is sketched in Fig. 5b, can also be provided. The toggle lever 29 can also be designed to interact with the actuating unit 13 in such a way that the toggle lever movement is caused and / or controlled by the operating or actuating lever 14. In the illustration in Fig. 5b, the toggle lever 29 serves as an additional safeguard for locking the brewing head 12 via the purely mechanical, stepless fixing of the rod 15 relative to the locking bushing 18, by preventing movement of the link 26 and thus release of the locking bushing 18 via the clamping lever 24 and the holder 23 in the position shown beyond the dead center of the toggle lever 29.When releasing the locking of the brewing head 12, which is initiated by an upward movement of the operating or adjusting lever 14, the mechanism can be designed in such a way that first the dead center of the toggle lever 29 is overcome and thereby the link 26 is released and by rotating around the cam 28 the link 26 can adjust the tensioning lever 24 against the spring 25.

[0055] Thus, the toggle lever mechanism together with the toggle lever 29 serves as a second locking mechanism in addition to ensuring the stepless locking of the brewing head 12. The movement of the link 26 about the shaft 27 as well as the movement of the toggle lever 29 can preferably be effected by corresponding power transmissions, transmissions and / or reductions which emanate from a central drive shaft 30, wherein the central drive shaft 30 can be designed to interact directly or indirectly with the operating or adjusting lever 14.

[0056] Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of a brewing head 12. The brewing head is located in a beverage substrate holder 03. In particular, the brewing head 12 is arranged inside a volume delimited by the inner wall 04. Also shown is the end section of the central guide rod 20. The brewing head 12 comprises a lower part 31 and an upper part 32, which are mounted so as to be movable relative to one another in the vertical direction V and which are connected to one another via the circumferential profile seal 33.

[0057] Also integrated into the brewing head 12 is a mechanically actuated valve 34 which, when the upper part 32 and the lower part 31 move closer together, enables ventilation and venting of the brewing space or chamber through the contact surface 36, whereas the mechanically controlled valve 34 closes or changes into a closed state when the upper part 32 moves relatively far away from the lower part 31. The profile seal 33 can be provided to preload the upper part 32 and the lower part 31 into a state in which they are moved away from one another, so that the valve 34 is designed as a normally open valve and only closes when the upper part 32 and the lower part 31 are moved towards one another and, at the same time, the profile seal 33 bulges radially outwards, which only occurs when a resulting force acts or is present that causes the upper part and the lower part to move closer together.It can be provided particularly advantageously that when the brewing head 12 is released from the stepless locking via the adjusting unit 13, both the design of the brewing head 12 according to Fig. 6 and the implementation of the locking, as for example with reference to Fig.

[0058] 5a and 5b, the beverage substrate 22 is first compressed again or a corresponding compressive force is exerted on the beverage substrate 22 before the brewing head 12 is moved vertically upward. This can achieve additional pressing of the grounds or the beverage substrate 22 before it is removed from the beverage preparation device 01 with the beverage substrate holder 03.

[0059] Reference symbol

[0060] 01 Beverage preparation device

[0061] 02 Recording

[0062] 03 Beverage substrate holder

[0063] 04 Interior wall

[0064] 05 Sieve

[0065] 06 Outlet

[0066] 07 Feed chute

[0067] 08 1 . End

[0068] 09 2. End

[0069] 10 Transition

[0070] 11 Grinder

[0071] 12 Brewing head

[0072] 13 Actuating unit

[0073] 14 operating lever

[0074] 15 bars

[0075] 16 lower section

[0076] 17 upper section

[0077] 18 Locking bush

[0078] 19 Connection

[0079] 20 additional guide rods

[0080] 21 Entrance opening

[0081] 22 Beverage substrate

[0082] 23 holders

[0083] 24 clamping levers

[0084] 25 spring

[0085] 26 Tax backdrop

[0086] 27 Wave

[0087] 28 cam

[0088] 29 Knee lever 30 Drive shaft

[0089] 31 Lower part

[0090] 32 top

[0091] 33 Profile seal 34 Valve

[0092] 35 Housing part

[0093] 36 contact surface

[0094] V direction

Claims

Claims 1. Beverage preparation device (01), in particular a coffee and / or espresso machine, with a beverage substrate holder (03), in particular a portafilter, which can be removed from a receptacle (02), wherein the device has a brewing head (12) which is adjustable in a vertical direction (V) and is arranged and designed relative to the receptacle (02) and the beverage substrate holder (03) received therein such that, in an upper position of the brewing head (12), the beverage substrate holder (03) can be removed from and inserted into the receptacle (02), and in a first lower position, a closing and / or sealing of a brewing chamber formed by the brewing head (12) and the beverage substrate holder (03) is achieved, and in a second lower position, a vertical pressing against a beverage substrate (22) in the beverage substrate holder (03) takes place, wherein the brewing head (12) is fluidly connected to a brewing water supply,to dispense brewing fluid and / or to introduce it into the brewing chamber, and wherein the beverage preparation device (01) further comprises a feed shaft (07) for providing beverage substrate (22), which is arranged and aligned at one end such that the beverage substrate (22), preferably only under the force of weight, can be filled from the feed shaft (07) into the beverage substrate holder (03) inserted into the receptacle (02) and preferably at the other end forms a transition to a grinder (11) comprised by the beverage preparation device (01), wherein the adjustable brewing head (12) is designed to cooperate with a mechanical, in particular manually operable, adjusting unit (13) in order to be transferred at least into the upper, first lower and second lower positions, characterized in that that the adjusting unit (13) enables a stepless locking of the brewing head (12) in the vertical direction (V) exclusively below a first lower position.

2. Beverage preparation device according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjusting unit (13) has a rod (15) which is movable together with the brewing head (12) and a locking bushing (18) which is stationary in the vertical direction (V) and encloses the rod (15), wherein the rod (15) is designed such that in a first lower section (16) it is impossible to fix it via the locking bushing (18) and in a second upper section (17) it is designed such that an interruption of a vertical downward movement of the rod (15) leads to a locking frictional connection between the locking bushing (18) and the rod (15), which causes or supports the locking of the brewing head (12).

3. Beverage preparation device according to claim 2, characterized by a second locking mechanism, preferably a toggle lever mechanism, designed such that the locking of the brewing head (12) is achieved and / or supported via the second locking mechanism in addition to the locking bushing (18).

4. Beverage preparation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a contact surface of the brewing head (12), in particular a wetting or brewing sieve, is movable in the vertical direction (V) against an elastic pretensioning device relative to that of the adjusting unit (13) and / or the other brewing head (12), so that during a vertical adjustment of the brewing head (12) from the point at which the beverage substrate (22) comes into contact with the contact surface (36), the further movement of the adjusting unit (13) and / or the other brewing head (12) leads to a reduced movement of the contact surface (36) and to a contact force on the beverage substrate (22).

5. Beverage preparation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a sensor device for determining the position of the brewing head and / or the contact surface in a locked position of the brewing head (12), wherein the sensor device is designed in operative connection with a control unit of the beverage preparation device (01), so that operating parameters of the beverage preparation device (01), in particular parameters of a fluid pump for conveying brewing fluid, can be specified and / or adapted by the control unit depending on the determined position.

6. Beverage preparation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the brewing head (12) is designed such that when it is adjusted from a third lower position, a mechanical locking of the beverage substrate holder (03) is achieved.

7. Beverage preparation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a contact, preferably as part of a microswitch, with which the position of the beverage substrate holder (03) on or in the receptacle (02) is determined or can be checked.

8. Beverage preparation device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the brewing head (12) has an upper part (32) and a lower part (31) which are mounted so as to be movable relative to one another in the vertical direction (V), wherein a mechanically actuable valve (34) is designed in the brewing head (12) such that a relative movement of the upper part (32) and lower part (31) away from one another opens the valve (34) and in particular also enables ventilation of the brewing chamber below the first lower position of the brewing head (12).

9. Beverage preparation device according to claim 8, characterized in that the upper part (32) and the lower part (31) are connected to one another by a radially circumferential profile seal (33) which, when the upper part (32) and lower part (31) move relative to one another, causes the profile seal (33) to radially enlarge or bulge, whereby, below the first lower position, the profile seal (33) can be pressed against an inner wall (04) of the beverage substrate holder (03).

Images