Motorized brewing unit

Abstract

To provide a motorized brewing unit for preparing beverages from a powdered product.SOLUTION: A motorized brewing unit 10 for preparing beverages from a powdered product P comprises: a dispensing assembly having a first assembly part 12 provided with a receptacle 13 adapted to receive the powdered product, and a second assembly part 14, relative to which the first assembly part is movable between an open position and a closed position, where the first assembly part and the second assembly part are coupled to each other to define a brewing chamber therebetween; an electric motor 16 adapted to control movement of the first assembly part between the open position and the closed position; and a readout device 40 for a digital image of the powdered product. The readout device includes an optical sensor such that the receptacle faces the optical sensor in a detection position between the open position and the closed position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric brewing unit for a machine for preparing a beverage by using a powder product containing one or more components, in particular coffee.

[0002] In the following description, for the sake of simplicity, reference is made to the use of compressed tablets, but the present invention is not limited to a brewing unit operable with tablets, but rather is clearly applicable more generally to brewing units using capsules or alternatively pods, or powder products.

Background Art

[0003] Machines for preparing beverages including an electric brewing unit are known. The brewing unit includes two parts adapted to define a brewing chamber and an electric motor. The electric motor is designed to control the relative movement of the two parts between an open position where the two parts are separated by a drive mechanism to allow insertion of a capsule and a closed position where the two parts are joined together to surround the brewing chamber by the drive mechanism.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric brewing unit.

[0005] This object and other objects are fully achieved according to the present invention by a brewing unit as defined in appended independent claim 1. The present invention further relates to a process for preparing a beverage as defined in appended independent claim 13.

[0006] Advantageous embodiments of the brewing unit according to the present invention and advantageous aspects of implementing the method according to the present invention are defined in the dependent claims, the content of which should be understood as an integral part of the following description.

[0007] Briefly, the present invention is an electric brewing unit for preparing a beverage from a powder product comprising at least one component, a first assembly part having a receptacle adapted to receive said powder product, and a second assembly part, said first assembly part being movable between an open position in which the first and second assembly parts are spaced apart from each other to allow insertion of the powder product, and a closed position in which the first and second assembly parts are joined to each other to define a brewing chamber therebetween, and a dispensing assembly having an electric motor adapted to control the movement of the first assembly part relative to the second assembly part between said open and closed positions, said dispensing assembly further comprising reading means adapted to make available a digital image of said powder product, said reading means comprising an optical sensor facing the receptacle at an intermediate detection position between said open and closed positions, being an electric brewing unit.

[0008] Thus, in the unit described above, the optical sensor does not face the brewing chamber formed when the dispensing assembly is closed, and thus there is no need to provide special means to prevent residues generated by the brewing process from interfering with the correct functioning of the optical sensor. As a result, clear advantages are obtained from the point of view of the design of the brewing unit, and more particularly of the brewing chamber.

[0009] Preferably, the brewing unit further comprises an electronic control unit configured to adjust brewing parameters based on said digital image of the powder product.

[0010] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, given purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Referring to FIG. 1, a brewing unit for a machine for preparing a beverage, particularly coffee, from one or more components, in particular compressed tablets containing coffee powder, is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

[0013] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the use of a component or compressed tablets containing a plurality of components for the preparation of a beverage, but is not limited to a brewing unit suitable for operating with tablets. Rather, it is understood to include the case of providing a dosage of powder contained in a capsule, pod, or other similar package suitable for the preparation of a beverage by brewing, instead of a tablet. Therefore, for the purposes of the present invention, the term "powder product" covers both bulk powder products and powder products packaged in the form of capsules or pods or compressed in the form of tablets.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 2, the brewing unit 10 basically includes a dispensing assembly including a first movable component 12 and a second stationary component 14, an electric motor 16 adapted to drive the relative movement of the first component 12, a drive mechanism 18 interposed between the electric motor 16 and the first component 12, and a support structure 20 supporting the first component 12, the second component 14, the electric motor 16, and the drive mechanism 18.

[0015] The second component 14 is stationary, i.e., fixed to the support structure 20, while the first component 12 is movable through a plurality of intermediate positions (shown in FIGS. 2 to 5), particularly along curved and straight sections, between an open position (shown in FIG. 2) in which the first component 12 is spaced from the second component 14 to allow the introduction of the tablet P and a closed position (shown in FIG. 4) in which the first component 12 is joined to the second component 14 thereby jointly defining a brewing chamber.

[0016] The first part 12 has a receptacle 13 adapted to receive the tablet P and to form a brewing chamber together with the second part 14.

[0017] As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first assembly part 12 in the open position is arranged substantially vertically to facilitate the insertion of the tablet P into the receptacle 13, while in the closed position it is arranged substantially horizontally in alignment with the second assembly part 14. When moving between the open position and the closed position, the first assembly part 12 thus rotates by an angle of approximately 90°. The axis of rotation of the first assembly part 12 is indicated by the reference sign x in the figures.

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the first assembly part 12 is illustrated. The first assembly part 12 has a hydraulic cylinder 121, inside which a plunger 123 is mounted to slide along a rectilinear direction. In FIGS. 6 and 7, an inlet 121a is shown, from which liquid, in particular water, can be supplied to the hydraulic cylinder 121 via a duct (not shown) to control the forward movement of the plunger 123 from the storage position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This forward movement is counteracted in particular by elastic means 124 consisting of a coil spring and interposed between the plunger 123 and the bottom face of the hydraulic cylinder 121. Thus, such elastic means 124 are arranged to bias the plunger 123 towards its storage position.

[0019] A receptacle 13 is attached to the plunger side of the hydraulic cylinder 121, whereby the plunger 123 can slide within the receptacle 13. A brewing head 125 integrated with the plunger 123 is disposed on the plunger 123. As will be described later, the brewing head 125 is provided with a duct for injecting water into the brewing chamber. Further, a brewing interface 126 for the purpose of contacting the tablet P is disposed on the brewing head 125. In the illustrated example, the brewing interface 126 is configured as a filter and is hereinafter referred to as the "inlet filter". When the brewing unit is intended for operation with a capsule, the brewing interface can be configured as an element provided with a tip for penetrating the casing of the capsule.

[0020] The duct of the brewing head 125 is connected to a central duct 123a formed via the plunger rod 123, and this duct is adapted to be connected to a water supply duct (not shown).

[0021] A gasket 127 is disposed integrally with the brewing head 125 between the brewing head 125 and the inner lateral surface 131 of the receptacle 13, and thus is in contact with the inner lateral surface 131 of the receptacle 13 and is slidable. Advantageously, the gasket 127 exerts a scraping and cleaning action on the inner lateral surface 131 of the receptacle 13 during the sliding of the brewing head 125.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 8, the brewing head 125 is releasably attached to the plunger 123, and the receptacle 13 is releasably attached to the hydraulic cylinder 121. In particular, FIGS. 9a and 9b show that the receptacle 13 is attached to the hydraulic cylinder 123 by a bayonet coupling. Accordingly, the receptacle 13 has a pair of engaging teeth 13a that project radially inward and are inserted into respective L-shaped grooves 121a formed in the radially outer surface of the hydraulic cylinder 121. The brewing head 125 is fitted into the plunger 123. FIG. 10 shows that a plurality of restraint teeth 13b are further formed on the inner surface of the receptacle 13 and engage with respective axial grooves 125a formed in the radially outer surface of the brewing head 125 when the plunger 123 and the brewing head 125 are in the storage position.

[0023] The first assembly part 12 extends from the hydraulic cylinder 121 and further includes a pair of line blocks 128 in which respective rectangular guide grooves 129 are formed. The guide grooves 129 extend along a direction parallel to the sliding direction of the plunger 123.

[0024] Returning to FIGS. 2-5, the drive mechanism 18 is disposed between the electric motor 16 and the first assembly part 12 and transmits the motion generated by the electric motor 16 to the assembly part, whereby when a predetermined voltage is supplied to the electric motor 16, the first assembly part 12 moves in a direction from the open position to the closed position with respect to the second assembly part 14. On the other hand, when a voltage opposite to the previous one is supplied to the electric motor 16, the first assembly part 12 moves in the opposite direction with respect to the second assembly part 14, that is, in a direction from the closed position to the open position.

[0025] The drive mechanism 18 has a speed reduction assembly 26 and a motion conversion assembly 28.

[0026] Referring also to FIGS. 11 to 13, the reduction assembly 26 is preferably formed as a gear reduction assembly including a pinion 30 fitted onto the shaft of the electric motor 16 and rotationally driven by the motor, and a gear wheel 32 (a gear wheel sector as in the illustrated embodiment) meshing with the pinion 30. Note that one or more intermediate gear wheels may be interposed between the pinion 30 and the gear wheel 32.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6 and 13 to 14, the motion conversion assembly 28 is configured to convert the rotational motion of an end element (driven gear wheel) of the reduction assembly 26 into the rotational motion and translational motion of the first assembly part 12. In the illustrated example, the motion conversion assembly 28 includes a toggle mechanism having a first toggle member 281 and a second toggle member 282 hinged to each other. The first toggle member 281 is integrally rotatable with a shaft 283, and this shaft 283 is integrally rotatable with the gear wheel 32. Accordingly, the shaft 283 defines the rotation axis x of the first assembly part 12 and the gear wheel 32. The shaft 283 is received in a guide groove 129 of a line block 128 of the first assembly part 14. The second toggle member 282 is hinged to the first assembly part 12, more specifically, to the hydraulic cylinder body 121, via a hinge pin 284. The extension of the hinge pin 284 engages with a guide slot 285 formed in the side wall 202 of the support structure 20 as shown in FIG. 24.

[0028] With the above-described arrangement, the angular position of the gear wheel 32 is associated with the relative position of the first assembly part 12 with respect to the second assembly part 14.

[0029] The second assembly part 14 is attached to the support structure 20 and has a system of beverage dispensing ducts, which flow into a main dispensing duct 141 in which a pre-brewing valve 142 with pre-pressure is arranged. An outlet filter 143 is arranged on the second assembly part 14, which functions as an interface between the second assembly part 14 and the brewing chamber. A radial gasket 145 is arranged around one end of the second assembly part 14. In the closed state of the dispensing assembly, the radial gasket 145 exerts a seal against the radial inner surface 131 of the receptacle 13.

[0030] Specifically referring to FIG. 11, the brewing unit 10 further comprises a microswitch 34, whose operating state is operatively related to the angular position of the gear wheel 32. In particular, the operating state of the microswitch 34 can be switched between two values or states, namely the ON operating state and the OFF operating state, respectively, for example by the mechanical action of a probe member 36 associated with the gear wheel 32.

[0031] More specifically, according to the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, the brewing unit 10 comprises a cam member 38 having a profile with a plurality of protrusions and recesses arranged alternately with each other, each step being related to moving the first assembly part 12 relative to the second assembly part 14 between an open position and a closed position. The cam member 38 is integrally rotatably connected to the gear wheel 32, whereby the angular position of the cam member 38 is uniquely related to the angular position of the gear wheel 32.

[0032] The various positions of the gear wheel 32 respectively correspond to the positions of the first assembly part 12 depicted in FIGS. 2 to 5. In the illustrated example, the profile of the cam member 38 has four protrusions and three recesses arranged alternately, namely a first protrusion 38a, a first recess 38b, a second protrusion 38c, a second recess 38d, a third protrusion 38e, a third recess 38f, and a fourth protrusion 38g. Of course, the number of protrusions and recesses may also be different.

[0033] Specifically, according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 15 to 18, the cam member 38 is disposed radially outside the gear wheel 32. In this case, the recess is located at a first radial distance from the rotation center of the gear wheel 32, while the protrusion is located at a second radial distance greater than the first radial distance from the rotation center of the gear wheel 32.

[0034] Due to the configurations of the microswitch 34, the probe member 36, and the cam member 38 described above, the operating state of the microswitch 34 switches between ON and OFF during the rotation of the gear wheel 32. Substantially, as the gear wheel 32 rotates, when the probe member 36 contacts a subsequent protrusion or recess, the operating state O of the microswitch 34 changes from ON to OFF, or vice versa.

[0035] The brewing unit 10 further includes an electronic control unit ECU (shown schematically only in FIG. 2) designed to control the electric motor 16.

[0036] In particular, the electronic control unit ECU associates the achievement of a subsequent step of moving the first assembly part 12 relative to the second assembly part 14 with each switching of the operating state of the microswitch 34, and is programmed to control the electric motor 16 according to a predetermined speed profile in response to the achieved movement step.

[0037] The brewing unit 10 may further include an optical sensor 40, which is only schematically shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. The optical sensor 40 is housed in a seat portion 201 formed in the support structure 20. The optical sensor 40 is positioned such that the receptacle 13 faces it when the first assembly part 12 is in a detection position intermediate between the open position and the closed position and as depicted in FIGS. 3 and 16. At the detection position, the inside of the receptacle 13, and thus the tablet P therein, falls within the field of view of the optical sensor 40. The optical sensor 40 is connected to a circuit 41 controlled by an electronic control unit ECU and cooperates with it to enable a digital image of the tablet P. Thus, the electronic control unit ECU is programmed to perform recognition of the product housed in the receptacle 13, for example, by reading an identification code or drawing affixed to the product, or other surface features of the product. In the case of bulk products or compressed tablets, the reading may consist of recognition of blend, roast, and grind types based on the color and grains of the powder. The reading may be performed dynamically, thus without stopping at the detection position, with the first assembly part 12 detected. In an alternative embodiment, the reading may be performed statically with the first assembly part 12 instantaneously stopped at the detection position.

[0038] If the recognition of the tablet is successful, the ECU is programmed to advance the first assembly part 12 and adjust the brewing parameters based on the recognized tablet. These parameters may be, for example, the amount of water to be injected into the brewing chamber or the stroke imparted to the plunger 123 before the brewing stage, as described later.

[0039] If the recognition fails, repeated readings are envisaged. In the case of dynamic reading, this repetition may be performed at a slower speed. If the recognition fails after a predetermined number of reading attempts, it may be provided to advance the first assembly part 12 or return it to the open position nevertheless.

[0040] Referring particularly to FIGS. 19 to 22, the brewing unit further includes a movable blade member 51 rotatably disposed facing the second assembly part 14. The blade member 51 is thereby attached to a support structure 20 rotatable about an axis orthogonal to the output filter 143 indicated by y in the figure. The blade member 51 carries a first scraping member 52 on the side facing the second assembly part 14, and a second scraping member 53 on the side facing away from the second assembly part 14. The first scraping member 51 is used to scrape the second assembly part 14, and the second scraping member 53 is used to scrape the receptacle 13 of the first assembly part 12.

[0041] Particularly, FIGS. 19 to 22 clarify the synchronization between the movement of the first assembly part 12 and the movement of the blade member 51. The blade member 51 is hereinafter referred to as the lowered position, for example, the first corner end position shown in FIG. 19, and hereinafter referred to as the raised position, for example, the second corner end position shown in FIG. 22, and can oscillate between them. In the lowered position, the blade member 51 is located below the second assembly part 14, and in the raised position, the blade member 51 is located on one side of the second assembly part 14. The blade member 51 is configured to rotate from the lowered position to the raised position or vice versa during the rotational movement of the first assembly part 12, while remaining stationary during the translational movement of the first assembly part 12. Thereby, interference between the two members is prevented during the operation of the brewing device 10.

[0042] The movement of the blade member 51 is controlled by the movement of the first assembly part 12, which is connected to the drive mechanism 18 and, for example, via the auxiliary transmission 54 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. The auxiliary transmission 54 has a control plate 55 slidably mounted horizontally on the support structure 20 (see also FIGS. 23 and 24). As shown in FIG. 24, the control plate 55 is arranged on the opposite side of the transverse wall 202 with respect to the first assembly part 12. The control plate 55 carries a cam groove 56, which is sequentially engaged by a hinge pin extension 284 between the second toggle member 282 and the first assembly part 12. A rod 58 integral with the control plate 55 is connected to the blade member 51 by a helical coupling 99, which is configured to convert the translational movement of the rod 58 into a rotational movement of the blade member 51. It should be noted that the blade member may be associated with a first movable assembly part having a movement different from that described above, and thus the associated auxiliary drive device may have a configuration different from that described above.

[0043] The brewing unit 20 further comprises a stationary scraping member 61 arranged to shield the receptacle 13 during the movement of the first assembly part 12 between the open position and the closed position. The stationary scraping member 61 is attached to the support structure 20 above the seat 201 where the optical sensor 40 is arranged.

[0044] Next, an example of the operation of the brewing device 10 described above will be described in detail.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the working procedure of the machine can be specified as follows. 1. Introduction of the tablet P into the receptacle 13. 2. Electrical movement of the first assembly part 12. 3. Reading position and recognition of the tablet P. 4. Sweeping the outlet filter 143 when closing the assembly. 5. Completion of the closing of the assembly. 6. Advancing the tablet P to the outlet filter 143. 7. Steps of pre-brewing, standby, brewing, and compression of tablet P. 8. Step of opening the assembly again and discharging tablet P. 9. Clean the filters at the inlet 126 and the outlet 143. 10. Reposition the receptacle 13 for the next cycle. A. Disassemble the receptacle 13 for cleaning. B. Cleaning cycle with the water flow of the filter reversed.

[0046] As will be made clear below, the above steps are not necessarily sequential and some may overlap with each other in their time development.

[0047] In step 1, the first assembly part 12 having the receptacle 13 is arranged vertically (see, for example, FIGS. 2 and 6). With this arrangement, the product, particularly the compressed tablet P, is inserted into the receptacle 13 by simple vertical drop insertion. Due to the fact that the spring 124 holds the plunger 123 having the brewing head 125 in the storage position within the receptacle 13, it is possible to accommodate tablets of different heights within the receptacle 13.

[0048] The electrical movement of the assembly (step 2) is performed by the electric motor 16 arranged at the lower part of the machine. This movement is transmitted via a gear mechanism consisting of gear wheels 30, 32 to toggle mechanisms 281, 282 (FIGS. 3, 4) that enable a 90° rotation and a linear stroke of the receptacle 13. The cam member 38 arranged on the secondary gear wheel 32 can activate the position sensor 34, which signals the electronic control unit ECU the timing to stop the motor 16 for performing other operations of the operating cycle.

[0049] During the movement from the open position to the closed position, the first assembly part 12 reaches the reading and recognition position of the tablet P (step 3). This position is necessary for the system to recognize the presence of the tablet P in the receptacle 13 and the type of the inserted tablet and to adapt the timing of compression and dispensing before completing the closing of the dispensing assembly.

[0050] The detection / recognition position is detected by the protrusion 38c of the cam member 38 existing on the secondary gear wheel 32, and the position sensor / microswitch 34 is actuated. At this position, the electronic control unit ECU stops the rotation of the electric motor 16 and the unit for the time required for the system to recognize the presence and type of the tablet.

[0051] During the movement of the first assembly part 12 from the open position to the closed position, the outlet filter 143 (step 4) is swept by the blade member 51. The dimensions of the helical coupling 59 and the guide groove 56 of the control plate 55 make it possible to adjust the operating timing of the blade member 51 according to the position of the first assembly part 14. The same mechanism tasks the reverse rotation of the blade member 51 to sweep the outlet filter 143 also in the steps following dispensing (discharge of the used tablet) while the first assembly part 12 having the receptacle 13 is returned to the open position for the next cycle.

[0052] At the end of the rotating part of the movement of the first assembly part 14, this first assembly part 14 comes to rest on the slide block 203 arranged at the bottom of the support structure 20. From this point until reaching the closed position, the first assembly part 14 is restricted to performing only a translational movement. The closed position of the dispensing assembly is identified through the protrusion 38g of the cam member 38 dedicated to this position and exists on the secondary gear wheel 32 (Figs. 4 and 17). At this position, the receptacle 13 is fitted into the second assembly part 14. This position is maintained by stopping the motor 16 and placing the toggle mechanism at its dead center (irreversible state) during the steps constituting the beverage discharge.

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26, the approach movement to the outlet filter 143 of the tablet P and the automatic adjustment according to the height of the tablet (step 6) are generated by the hydraulic cylinder 121 and the hot water inlet filter 126 located at the rear of the receptacle 13.

[0054] Compression is performed by pumping cold water CW from a tank (not shown) to the hydraulic cylinder 121, and the pressure will be maintained until the used tablet P is discharged. The tablet P is considered to be substantially the same as the discharge filter 143 as the pressure of the cold water CW sent to the hydraulic cylinder 121 increases.

[0055] When the height of the tablet is different, the amount of water sent to the hydraulic cylinder 121 is also different. For this reason, the operation time of the pump is measured to define the volume of water sent into the hydraulic cylinder. Alternatively, volumetric measurement may be performed using a flow meter.

[0056] More generally, it is possible to use different dosages of powder products in different forms (compressed tablets, capsules, or simple bulk products) and different sizes for different preparations (espresso, long, double, filter). The recognition system provided by the sensor 40 and the control unit ECU may be configured to set different extraction parameters according to the dosage size and, in some cases, skip one or more steps in the extraction, as will be clarified below.

[0057] Referring to FIGS. 27 to 29, the preparation of the beverage usually, but not necessarily, consists of three different sub-steps: pre-brewing and waiting, brewing, and compression of the tablet (step 7).

[0058] In the pre-brewing and standby step (Figure 27), initially a small amount of warm water HW is sent through the central duct 123a of the plunger 123 to the brewing chamber in an amount that cannot open the pre-brewing valve 142. By injecting this small amount of water and then waiting, it wets the tablet P and serves to prepare for the brewing step.

[0059] In the brewing step (Figure 28), a second amount of hot water HW is sent to the tablet P, thereby enabling the pre-brewing valve 142 to be opened. In this step, the amount of hot water is much larger than in the previous step and is used to discharge the correct amount of beverage according to the tablet inserted into the receptacle 13. The pressure exerted by the plunger 123 of the hydraulic cylinder 121 is maintained throughout the pre-brewing step and the brewing step.

[0060] In the compression step (Figure 29), the hot water outlet is closed and cold water is sent to the hydraulic cylinder 121 to compress and discharge the hot water remaining in the used tablet.

[0061] During all of the above sub-steps, the assembly is in the closed position while the motor is stopped and the toggle mechanism is maintained at its dead center.

[0062] Depending on the type of powder product used, one or more of the above steps may be absent. In particular, for filter preparation or soluble coffee, the compression step and the pre-brewing step are omitted. In other cases, post-compression may not be necessary. In this regard, the control unit ECU may be configured to selectively enable or disable one or more of the above steps based on the recognition of the product type performed after processing the digital image captured by the sensor 40.

[0063] The compaction step is provided by the action of the pre-brewing valve 142. By not performing the compaction step, it is possible to selectively provide removal or bypass of this valve in order to perform dispensing without actuating the pre-brewing valve 142 (for example, when using filter preparation).

[0064] When the dispensing of the beverage is completed, it is necessary to discharge the used tablet P so that a new tablet can be inserted into the receptacle 13 for the next dispensing (step 8).

[0065] For this purpose, the electric motor 16 is rotated in the reverse direction to bring the first assembly part 12 to the discharge position (injection and discharge position) (Figs. 5, 18). The discharge position is specified by the projection 38e of the cam member 38 dedicated to that position and exists on the gear wheel 32. At this position, the electric motor 16 is stopped, and additional cold water CW is supplied to the hydraulic cylinder to advance the plunger 123 to the end stroke position (Fig. 30), at which position the discharge filter 126 is substantially horizontal with the edge of the receptacle 13. The pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 123 is maintained until the open position of the first assembly part 12 is reached.

[0066] Cleaning after beverage discharge is performed on both filters 126 and 143 by the blade member 51 and the scraping member 61. In the step of opening the dispense assembly again, the blade member 51 performs a rotational movement opposite to that described above. Therefore, in addition to sweeping the discharge filter 143, the blade member 51 interferes with the used tablet P, peels it off, and drops it into the lower compartment (Fig. 31).

[0067] Continuing the rotational movement to return to the open position, the receptacle 13 with the inlet filter 126 at the maximum forward position is swept against the scraping member 61 (Fig. 32).

[0068] With the above-described device, dust that has settled on filters 126 and 143 and does not remain attached to the used tablets during the compression step is removed and dropped into the used tablet collection compartment.

[0069] After passing through the fixed scraping member 61 for cleaning the inlet filter 126, the cold water present in the hydraulic cylinder 121 is returned to the tank for use in subsequent cycles. Due to some friction by different gaskets attached to the first assembly part 12, the spring 124 enables the inlet filter 126 to return to its position for the next cycle, i.e., the position in Fig. 6, when the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 121 is released.

[0070] Also in this case, the determination that the open position has been reached is made by the protrusion of the cam member 38, i.e., the protrusion shown as 38a in Fig. 15, whereby the motor 16 can be stopped at the correct position.

[0071] The receptacle 13 can be disassembled only when the assembly is in the open position together with the brewing head 125. To disassemble, it is necessary to rotate the receptacle 13 by a certain angle (the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 9b) and move the tooth 13a to the open position. Once this is done, the receptacle 13 and the brewing head 125 can slide down integrally.

[0072] The brewing head 125 is removed together with the receptacle 13 by the restraining tooth 13b (Fig. 10) located radially inside the receptacle 13, blocks the rotation of the brewing head 125, and restrains the brewing head to the receptacle 13 at the open position of the first assembly part 12. After sliding the receptacle 13, the brewing head can be slid there and removed from the receptacle 13.

[0073] After cleaning the brewing head 125 with the inlet filter 126, the components can be reassembled by retracing the disassembly steps in reverse and keeping the brewing head 125 at the end of the stroke. The proper assembly of the brewing head 125 is confirmed by a clicking sound when it is reinstalled on the plunger 123.

[0074] An alternative for cleaning the filter is to reverse the normal flow of water from the inlet filter 126 to the outlet filter 143. In this case, the dispensing unit is motorized to the closed position with no tablet present in the receptacle 13. When the closed position is reached, cold water is sent through a secondary passage 144 that is present on the second assembly part 14 (see Figure 33). This passage allows the water to pass through the outlet filter 143 (where most of the dust accumulates) in the reverse of normal operation, removing the accumulated dust. A predetermined amount of water required for cleaning both filters 126, 143 is sent, but without pressurizing the brewing chamber (Figures 33, 34), the tray 13 is fully retracted to create a small opening at the bottom and the water used for cleaning is directly conveyed to the used tablet collection section. In Figures 33 and 34, the path of the cleaning water is represented by dashed arrows.

[0075] Of course, without detracting from the principles of the present invention, the details of the embodiments and structures can be widely varied with respect to those described and illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electric brewing unit (10) for preparing a beverage from a powder product (P) comprising at least one component, said brewing unit (10) comprising: A dispensing assembly comprising: A first component (12) having a receptacle (13) adapted to receive said powder product, and A second component (14), said first component (12) being movable between an open position spaced apart from each other to allow said first component (12) and said second component (14) to be inserted into said receptacle, and a closed position in which said first component (12) and said second component (14) are joined together to define a brewing chamber between said first component (12) and said second component (14); and a dispensing assembly comprising a second component (14) movable therebetween, An electric motor (16) adapted to control the movement of said first component (12) relative to said second component (14) between said open position and said closed position, Reading means (40, 41) adapted to provide a digital image of said powder product, Said reading means comprising an optical sensor (40) facing said receptacle (13) at an intermediate detection position between said open position and said closed position. A brewing unit.

2. The brewing unit according to claim 1, wherein said optical sensor is capable of detecting said powder product statically or dynamically.

3. The brewing unit according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an electronic control unit (ECU) configured to adjust brewing parameters based on said digital image of said powder product.

4. The brewing unit according to claim 3, wherein said electronic control unit (ECU) is configured to determine a dosage size of said powder product from said digital image and to adjust said brewing parameters as a function of said dosage size.

5. Said first component (12) further comprises a plunger (123) operable hydraulically and slidable within said receptacle (13), Said plunger carrying a brewing head (125) adapted to inject water into said brewing chamber. The brewing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a gasket (127) that slidably seals against the radially inner surface (131) of the receptacle (13) is disposed on the brewing head (125).

6. further comprising elastic means (124), the elastic means being interposed between the plunger (123) and a hydraulic cylinder (121) fixed to the receptacle (13), the brewing unit according to claim 5, wherein the elastic means is adapted to bias the plunger (123) toward the storage position.

7. further comprising a drive mechanism (18) interposed between the electric motor (16) and the first assembly part (12), the brewing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the drive mechanism (18) is in a dead center position in the closed position.

8. the drive mechanism (18) rotates the first assembly part (12) about a horizontal axis (x) during a first section movement between the closed position and the open position, the brewing unit according to claim 7, wherein the drive mechanism (18) is configured to cause the first assembly part (12) to perform a translational movement along a direction orthogonal to the horizontal axis during a second section movement between the closed position and the open position.

9. The unit according to claim 8 in combination with claim 6, the brewing unit according to claim 8 in combination with claim 6, wherein in the closed position of the first assembly part (12), the plunger (123) is slidable along a direction parallel to the direction of the translational movement of the first assembly part (12).

10. The brewing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a blade member (51) rotatably disposed facing the second assembly part (14).

11. The brewing unit according to claim 10, wherein the blade member (51) is connected to the drive mechanism (18) via an auxiliary transmission (54).

12. the blade member is rotatable between a first end angle position which is a lowered position and a second end angle position which is a raised position, in the lowered position, the blade member (51) is below the second assembly part (14), The brewing unit according to claim 11, wherein at the ascending position, the blade member (51) is aligned with the second assembly part (14).

13. The blade member (51) is configured to rotate from the descending position to the ascending position or vice versa during the first interval movement of the first assembly part (12), and to be stationary during the second interval movement of the translational movement of the first assembly part (12). The brewing unit according to claim 11.

14. The blade member (51) is configured to remove the powder product from the receptacle (13) following the brewing step, with the first assembly part (12) moving away from the second assembly part (14) and the powder product being carried to the edge of the receptacle (13). The brewing unit according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

15. The blade member (51) is configured to rub or sweep the inlet filter (126) of the first assembly part (12) and / or the outlet filter (143) of the second assembly part (14) following the brewing step, with the first assembly part (12) moving away from the second assembly part (14) and the inlet filter (126) being carried to the edge of the receptacle (13). The brewing unit according to any one of claims 10 to 14.

16. The brewing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a stationary scraping member (61) arranged to block the receptacle (13) during the movement of the first assembly part (12) between the open position and the closed position.

17. A method for preparing a beverage from a powder product (P) containing at least one ingredient, comprising the brewing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 16, a) advancing the plunger (123) with the first assembly part (12) in the closed position and supplying cold water to the hydraulic cylinder (121) to carry the powder product (P) to the second assembly part (14); b1) supplying a first quantity of heated water into the brewing chamber through the plunger (123) and the brewing head (125) to moisten the powder product (P); b2) waiting for a predetermined time; c) supplying, via the plunger (123) and the brewing head (125), a second quantity of heated water, which is greater than the first quantity, to the brewing chamber to prepare a beverage; d) further supplying cold water to the hydraulic cylinder (121) to further advance the plunger (123) and compress the used powder product (P) against the second component (14). **Claim 18** A method for preparing a beverage with a brewing unit according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the electronic control unit (ECU) is configured to selectively enable or disable at least one of steps b1, b2, and d based on the digital image of the powder product. **Claim 19** translating the first component (12) to space it apart from the second component (14); The method according to claim 17 or 18, further comprising further supplying cold water to the hydraulic cylinder (121) to further advance the plunger (123) and remove the used powder product (P) outside the receptacle (13).

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