Methods for separating vapor from liquid-gas mixtures and vapor separators, hot water dispensers, methods for cleaning vapor separators, and use of vapor separators.

Abstract

The present invention generally proposes a steam separator (1), a hot water dispenser (18) and a method for separating steam from a liquid-gas mixture (2), comprising collecting a liquid portion (3) of the liquid-gas mixture (2) and directing a gas portion (4) above the collected liquid portion (3), in particular the gas portion (4) being the gas phase of the liquid portion (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for separating vapor from a liquid-gas mixture.

[0002] The present invention further relates to a vapor separator having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a chamber disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, wherein at least one vent pipe terminating above a height defined by the fluid inlet is provided in the chamber, a partition is formed between the fluid inlet and the vent pipe, and the partition preferably extends from above at least to the lower side of the height defined by the fluid inlet.

Background Art

[0003] A liquid-gas mixture may occur particularly when the liquid is heated and / or when the liquid is transported in a heated state. That is, for example, water may form vapor at a predetermined temperature or higher, thereby generating a two-phase water-vapor mixture.

[0004] A water-vapor mixture may be a problem when it is desired to cause water or a liquid containing water to flow out of an opening according to the purpose, for example, so that it can be divided into portions such as portions. For example, in a fully automatic coffee maker, when a coffee-vapor mixture flows out of the device, there is a possibility of generating droplets due to the vapor portion, which is inconvenient. The higher the selected temperature stage, for example, the extraction stage, the greater the formation of the vapor portion and thus the droplets. Therefore, in many fully automatic coffee makers, the maximum temperature stage is limited, which may reduce the quality of the coffee beverage.

[0005] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a hot water dispenser, particularly a fully automatic coffee maker.

[0006] The present invention further relates to a method for cleaning a vapor separator.

[0007] Finally, this invention relates to the use of a steam separator. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The fundamental problem underlying this invention is to improve the separation of steam from liquid, particularly during operation by a hot water dispenser, preferably a fully automatic coffee maker. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides the feature of claim 1. Therefore, in particular to solve the above problems in the type of method described at the beginning, the present invention proposes to collect the liquid portion of a liquid-gas mixture and lead the gas portion above the collected liquid portion, and in particular this gas portion is the gas phase of the liquid portion. As described below or as claimed, by collecting the liquid-gas mixture, preferably in a chamber, a predetermined volume of the liquid portion can be separated from the gas portion. Collection of the liquid-gas mixture can be particularly advantageous when the liquid portion needs to be divided into portions. Furthermore, the method according to the present invention is advantageous in that the separation of the gas portion from the liquid portion is particularly efficient by collecting the liquid-gas mixture. This can improve, for example, the operation of a hot water dispenser.

[0010] In the method according to the present invention, the gas portion is advantageously introduced above the collected liquid portion. This allows the gas portion, such as water vapor, to be introduced easily and preferably without further method steps or introduction devices. This is particularly beneficial in hot water dispensers, especially fully automatic coffee makers, where water is heated to produce water vapor, i.e., the gas portion is the gas phase of the liquid portion. Particularly advantageous is that the gas portion introduced above the collected liquid portion does not hinder the flow of the liquid portion, especially its introduction.

[0011] The method according to the present invention is preferably carried out by a steam separator. Particularly preferably, a steam separator such as those claimed herein and described below may be used.

[0012] In an advantageous configuration, the supply section for the liquid-gas mixture and the outlet section for the collected liquid portion may be sized such that a predetermined water level is formed in the liquid portion. The advantage of forming a predetermined water level is that a surface area of ​​the liquid portion can be maintained at a predetermined height. This can particularly improve the efficiency of separating the gas portion from the liquid portion.

[0013] In an advantageous configuration, the downstream liquid-gas mixture may be supplied to the collected liquid portion, and in particular—at least for the gas portion below a threshold—to a lower level. This allows for a continuous supply of the liquid-gas mixture to the liquid portion, thereby maintaining, forming, or even raising the level. Thus, the efficiency of separating the gas portion from the liquid portion can be stabilized and / or adjusted. Furthermore, supplying from below the level has the advantage of avoiding bubbles and vortices in the liquid portion. Thus, the method can be advantageously adapted to various temperature stages. As the gas portion increases, the level often decreases. Therefore, when there is a large gas portion, introduction to above the level may be performed. Conversely, in cleaning modes with a very small or no gas portion, introduction to below the level is performed.

[0014] In an advantageous configuration, the cleaning step may involve increasing the supply of the liquid-gas mixture so that it is injected into the outlet for the gas portion, and / or reducing the outflow of the collected liquid portion. Thus, during the cleaning step, the liquid can be guided through the outlet for the gas portion, for example, the air vent described below and / or claimed, thereby also cleaning the outlet. Thus, for example, lime deposits can be removed, thereby reducing or avoiding clogging of the outlet in particular. Thus, overall, it is preferable that the steam separator be cleaned as described below or claimed, thereby giving the steam separator a particularly long service life.

[0015] In this case, it may be assumed that the temperature of the liquid-gas mixture is lowered so that the gaseous portion is reduced or approaches zero. Therefore, the cleaning step can be carried out without the generation of bubbles in the liquid portion, thereby enabling particularly uniform cleaning.

[0016] In an advantageous configuration, the supply of the liquid-gas mixture may be controlled by the phase angle of the pump. For example, the pump may be used to adjust the volumetric flow rate of the supply section. That is, it may be used to fill the apparatus in which a method for vapor separation of the liquid-gas mixture is carried out, in particular a vapor separator as described or claimed below, with the maximum supply rate. This may be intended for cleaning the apparatus. The shorter the downtime of the pump, the greater the supply rate over the entire duration of the cleaning process. Thus, for example, the supply rate of the liquid-gas mixture can be increased via the pump or by the pump's clock cycle, so as to be injected into the outlet for the gas portion, as described above. Thus, different operating modes can be advantageously realized via the pump.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, to solve the above problems, the present invention provides features of a steam separator, which are parallel independent claims. In particular, to solve the above problems, in the steam separator of the type described at the beginning, the present invention proposes that the partition wall has discharge openings in one or more regions located higher than the air vent pipe. The discharge openings prevent the chamber from being divided into two separate regions. This prevents overpressure in the steam separator. This allows the liquid flow to be gentler or foaming of the liquid to be reduced. Furthermore, the discharge openings allow the gas portion separated from the liquid along the partition wall to be guided to the air vent pipe. Therefore, the separation of the gas portion from the liquid can be improved.

[0018] Furthermore, the steam separator according to the present invention can heat liquids particularly strongly. That is, according to the present invention, it has been recognized that by using the steam separator, gas separation or steam separation can heat a liquid, such as water, up to 100°C, preferably 97°C, without impairing the outflow of liquid from the steam separator. This advantageously allows for higher operating temperatures of hot water dispensers as described herein and / or claimed.

[0019] The steam separator according to the present invention is further suitable for use in the manner described and / or claimed in the present invention. Therefore, steam separation can be carried out particularly efficiently, especially when the steam separator is located in a hot water dispenser as described and / or claimed below.

[0020] In the steam separator according to the present invention, the vent pipe terminates above a height defined by the fluid inlet of the chamber, allowing a particularly large volume of liquid-gas mixture to flow into the chamber from the fluid inlet or to form a water level. Therefore, a large proportion of gas can be separated from the liquid relatively quickly.

[0021] The separation preferably takes place at a partition wall that acts as an impact surface upon which the incoming liquid-gas mixture collides. The impact with the partition wall is particularly effective because the partition wall extends from above to at least below a height defined by the fluid inlet. In this case, a particularly large impact surface can be formed by the partition wall. After the impact has occurred, the separated gas portion can be collected in the chamber so that the gas portion does not obstruct the flow of the liquid portion exiting the fluid outlet. Therefore, the outflowing liquid can be formed without containing gas, for example, bubbles. This is particularly advantageous when the steam separator is installed in a hot water dispenser, especially in a fully automatic coffee maker.

[0022] In an advantageous configuration, the fluid inlet may be assumed to be preferably oriented laterally to the partition wall. This is advantageous because the incoming liquid-gas mixture can collide with the partition wall, thereby enabling particularly efficient separation of the gaseous and liquid portions.

[0023] In an advantageous configuration, the partition wall may be assumed to be tightly connected horizontally to the chamber wall of the chamber. Thus, connecting openings, in particular connecting openings as described herein, can be formed, thereby advantageously allowing the liquid portion to flow through the chamber. In particular, the liquid portion can flow through both the large and small portions of the chamber. Thus, the flow of the liquid portion through the steam separator can be advantageously realized.

[0024] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that the fluid outlet has a larger opening cross-section than the fluid inlet. This ensures that the liquid is discharged faster than it can flow in, which is particularly advantageous when the gas portion is separated from the liquid portion by collision of the liquid-gas mixture with the partition wall. The high-speed discharge of the liquid portion prevents the separated gas portion from mixing with the liquid portion again.

[0025] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that the partition wall is preferably integrally connected to the chamber cover. The chamber cover can be formed as the wall of the chamber, and thereby advantageously the chamber can be closed by the chamber cover. Due to the integral connection between the chamber cover and the partition wall, additional components, such as connection elements, are not required for the configuration of the chamber. Furthermore, by attaching the chamber cover to the chamber, the advantage is obtained that the partition wall is accurately positioned within the chamber.

[0026] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that the partition wall is supported by the air vent pipe. Thereby, the partition wall can be advantageously stabilized along the air vent pipe. Also, especially when the partition wall is integrally connected to the chamber cover as described herein, the partition wall can be guided by the air vent pipe even when being installed into the chamber. Thus, overall, the assembly of the steam separator can be simplified.

[0027] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that the fluid outlet opens into the chamber at a height lower than the fluid inlet. Thereby advantageously, the liquid part that is present within the chamber and is preferably separated from the gas part can preferably flow out of the chamber by gravity. Thus, the outflow of the liquid separated from the gas part is possible without additional devices.

[0028] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that the partition wall has at least one connection opening at a height below the fluid inlet. That is, the connection opening can be formed at least partially by the partition wall. Such a connection opening enables the flow-through of the liquid through the chamber, so that preferably the liquid part separated from the gas part can be guided, for example, to the fluid outlet.

[0029] The connection opening may, in this case, extend over the longitudinal extent of the bottom surface of the chamber, for example over its diameter. Thereby, in particular, a liquid portion of relatively large volume can flow through the chamber. Alternatively, preferably, at least two connection openings may be formed over this longitudinal extent.

[0030] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that the cross-sectional opening of the connection opening is larger than that of the fluid outlet, for example the cross-sectional opening described above. Thus, a larger liquid portion than the liquid portion that can flow out through the fluid outlet can be guided in the direction of the fluid outlet. Thus, a water level can be formed or maintained in the chamber region where the fluid inlet is not open. Thus, a total water level occupying a particularly large area can be formed, whereby advantageously a particularly large gas portion can be separated per unit time.

[0031] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that the cross-sectional opening of the connection opening, for example the cross-sectional opening described above, is larger than that of the fluid inlet, for example the cross-sectional opening described above. Thus, a water level can be formed in the chamber region where the fluid inlet is open. Thereby, a total water level occupying a particularly large area can be formed, whereby advantageously a particularly large number of gas portions can be separated per unit time.

[0032] Particularly preferably, if the cross-sectional opening of the connection opening, for example the cross-sectional opening already described, is larger than that of the fluid inlet, for example the cross-sectional opening described above, and larger than that of the fluid outlet, for example the cross-sectional opening described above, a water level can be formed, and thus the separation of the gas portion can be efficiently achieved.

[0033] In an advantageous configuration, the fluid inlet may be assumed to open in the upper half of the chamber. This allows the chamber to be filled with a particularly large volume of liquid, preferably at least half the chamber volume. Thus, a particularly large volume of liquid can be separated from the gaseous portion and then divided into portions. Furthermore, the fluid inlet located in the upper half of the chamber allows for a particularly large opening cross-section of the connection opening, as described herein. This further improves the separation of the gaseous portion from the liquid.

[0034] In an advantageous configuration, the partition wall may be assumed to extend from the top to the lower half of the chamber. This allows the connection opening described herein to be located near the bottom of the chamber and / or near the fluid outlet. This allows the flow of the liquid portion from one part of the chamber to the other part of the chamber away from the discharge opening described herein. Therefore, injection into the vent pipe can be prevented.

[0035] In an advantageous configuration, the partition wall may be assumed to extend from above to a height at least equal to the internal dimension of the fluid inlet, below the fluid inlet. This ensures that the entire volume of the liquid-gas mixture flowing in from the fluid inlet collides with the partition wall. This advantageously separates the entire liquid portion from the gaseous portion.

[0036] Alternatively and / or additionally, the partition may be assumed to extend from above to a height below the fluid inlet by at least the distance between the fluid inlet and the partition. This advantageously prevents the liquid-gas mixture from colliding with the partition and returning to the fluid inlet, and / or preventing the liquid portion and / or gas portion from flowing through the fluid inlet.

[0037] In an advantageous configuration, the internal dimensions of the chamber in the height direction may be assumed to be larger than the internal dimensions in the lateral direction. Therefore, the chamber may be advantageously narrow, for example, formed as a cylinder. A narrow configuration of the chamber or steam separator may be particularly advantageous, for example, when the steam separator should be made narrow to take up as little space as possible in a hot water dispenser, especially in a fully automatic coffee maker.

[0038] In an advantageous configuration, the partition wall may be assumed to divide the chamber into a large and a small portion. By dividing the chamber into a large and a small portion, the formation of the liquid level can be optimized. Furthermore, if the small portion of the chamber is located between the fluid inlet and the partition wall, the separation of the gas portion can be made particularly efficient. Thus, the path of the liquid-gas mixture from the fluid inlet to the partition wall can be made short, so that the liquid-gas mixture collides with the partition wall at high pressure, thereby enabling good separation.

[0039] In an advantageous configuration, the discharge opening may be assumed to extend from the underside of the chamber cover to a height at least equal to the internal dimension of the fluid inlet, above the fluid inlet. This allows for a sufficient area to be formed between the point of impact of the liquid-gas mixture against the partition wall and the discharge opening, so that little or no liquid flows through the discharge opening after the impact of the liquid-gas mixture. This prevents the liquid from reaching the air vent pipe.

[0040] In an advantageous configuration, it may be assumed that at least a large portion of the internal dimensions of at least one discharge opening does not extend along the partition wall, preferably along the vertical axis of symmetry. In such a configuration, at least one discharge opening can be positioned laterally to the partition wall so that after the collision of the liquid-gas mixture, the liquid is prevented from overflowing through the discharge opening.

[0041] It is assumed that at least two discharge openings are located adjacent to each other in the partition wall, and in particular that the internal dimensions of these discharge openings do not extend along the vertical axis of symmetry of the partition wall. This further prevents liquid from entering the air vent pipe.

[0042] Alternatively or additionally, to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a feature of a claim relating to a hot water dispenser, which is a parallel independent claim. In particular, to solve the above problems in the type of hot water dispenser described at the beginning, the present invention proposes that the hot water dispenser be provided with a heating unit for preparing hot water and a steam separator, as described herein and / or claimed, which is fluidly connected to the heating unit. Thus, the hot water dispenser can dispense hot water without splashing. By using the steam separator described herein and / or claimed, the heating unit can lead hot water and / or hot water beverages (e.g., for coffee preparation) up to 100°C, preferably up to 97°C, to the steam separator, so that the hot water dispenser can supply particularly hot water and / or hot water beverages without splashing.

[0043] In particular, it is conceivable that the hot water dispenser be integrated into a fully automatic coffee maker. The high operating temperature allows for the preparation of especially aromatic and delicious coffee.

[0044] Alternatively or additionally, to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a feature of a claim for a method of cleaning a steam separator, which is a parallel independent claim. In particular, to solve the above problems in a method for cleaning a steam separator of the type described at the beginning, the present invention proposes that in a steam separator as described herein and / or claimed, water be poured into the chamber until water flows out of the vent pipe. This allows the entire steam separator to be cleaned in the cleaning method. For example, in a regular steam separation process by a steam separation method as described herein and / or claimed, the vent pipe of the steam separator may become contaminated with deposits. Such deposits may impair the venting function of the vent pipe and, consequently, the performance of the steam separator. Therefore, it is particularly advantageous that the cleaning method according to the present invention can also clean the vent pipe and remove deposits, such as lime deposits.

[0045] Alternatively or additionally, to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a feature of a claim relating to the use of a steam separator, which is a parallel independent claim. Therefore, in particular to solve the above problems in the form of use described at the beginning, the present invention proposes that the fluid inlet forms a supply section for a liquid-gas mixture and / or collects the liquid portion in the chamber and / or discharges the gas portion through an air vent pipe and / or the fluid outlet forms an outlet for the collected liquid portion. Thus, the separation of steam from liquid can be carried out with particular improvement. This is particularly advantageous when the steam separator is used in the fully automatic coffee maker described above. This makes it possible to provide a particularly delicious coffee preparation without splashing.

[0046] Next, the present invention will be described in detail with respect to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Other examples can be obtained by combining the features of individual claims or multiple claims with each other and / or with the features of individual claims or multiple examples. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0047] [Figure 1] This figure shows a steam separator according to the present invention during a steam separation process. [Figure 2] This figure shows the hot water dispenser according to the present invention, which is configured as a fully automatic coffee maker and equipped with the steam separator shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows the hot water pipe of the steam separator in Figure 1 according to the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows the chamber cover of the steam separator shown in Figure 1 according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0048] Figure 1 shows the steam separator 1 according to the present invention during the steam separation process. In this case, the steam separator 1 is incorporated into the hot water dispenser 18 according to the present invention, which is formed as a fully automatic coffee maker 19, as shown in Figure 2.

[0049] The steam separator 1 consists of a chamber cover 14 (Figure 4) and a hot water pipe 25 (Figure 3). Since the chamber cover 14 and the hot water pipe 25 are assembled in a way that they cannot be separated, the steam separator 1 is particularly robust and watertight, and therefore advantageously can prevent the outflow of water 21 and / or cleaning fluid from the steam separator 1.

[0050] The steam separator 1 in Figure 1 has a fluid inlet 7, a fluid outlet 8, and a chamber 9 positioned between the fluid inlet 7 and the fluid outlet 8, in which case the vent pipe 10 terminates above the height defined by the fluid inlet 7 in the chamber 9. Thus, as can be clearly seen in Figure 1, the water level 5 of the liquid portions 3,23 is formed above the opening of the fluid inlet 7 and below the opening of the vent pipe 10. For favorable outflow of the liquid portions 3,21, the fluid outlet 8 is positioned to open into the chamber 9 below the opening of the fluid inlet 7.

[0051] In this case, the chamber 9 of the steam separator 1 is formed such that its internal height dimension is greater than its internal lateral dimension. Therefore, the chamber 9 in the embodiment of Figure 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape. This allows the steam separator 1 to be formed compactly, preferably as an elongated tube, in order to be incorporated into a hot water dispenser 18, particularly into a fully automatic coffee maker 18,19 as shown in Figure 2, in a space-saving manner.

[0052] The liquid (solid arrow) and gas (dashed arrow) mixture 2, indicated by the double arrows (solid and dashed), enters the chamber 9 via the fluid inlet 7. The liquid-gas mixture 2 shown in Figure 1 has water 21 or an aqueous solution (e.g., coffee) as the liquid portion 3 and water vapor 24, i.e., the gas phase of heated water 21, as the gas portion 4. In this case, the supply unit 22 for the liquid-gas mixtures 2, 21, and 24 can be controlled or time-controlled by the phase angle of the pumps 6 of the hot water dispensers 18 and 19, which are located upstream of the heating unit 20 (see Figure 2).

[0053] The supplied liquid-gas mixtures 2, 21, and 24 collide with a partition wall 11 integrally connected to the chamber cover 14, which extends from above into the chamber 9 to a height below defined by the fluid inlet 7. This ensures that the entire inflow volume of the liquid-gas mixtures 2, 21, and 24 is separated into gaseous portions 4, 24 and liquid portions 3, 21.

[0054] Since the fluid inlet 7 is oriented laterally toward the partition wall 11, the liquid-gas mixture 2,21,24 collides with the partition wall, thereby particularly effectively separating the gaseous portion 4,24 from the liquid portion 3,21, as schematically shown in Figure 1 by the dashed arrows (4,24) and solid arrows (3,21) branching from the partition wall 11.

[0055] The partition wall 11 is supported by the air vent pipe 10, and preferably forms a contact area with the air vent pipe 10, thereby being optimally positioned within the chamber 9, so that the chamber 9 is divided into a large portion 16 and a small portion 17, with the large portion 16 connected to the fluid outlet 8 and the small portion 17 connected to the fluid inlet 7. This forms a relatively short path for the liquid-gas mixture 2,21,24 from the fluid inlet 7 to the partition wall 11, so that the separation of the gaseous portion 4,24 from the liquid portion 3,21 can be made particularly efficient.

[0056] The separated gas portions 4,24 can escape towards the vent pipe 10 through the discharge opening 12. The discharge opening 12 is located in one or more regions higher than the vent pipe 10. The discharge opening 12 further prevents overpressure from developing in the chamber 9. That is, if the discharge opening 12, for example as shown in Figure 1, is not provided in the partition wall 11, overpressure may develop in the chamber 9 that could at least damage the steam separator 1.

[0057] The discharge opening 12 extends from the underside of the chamber cover 14 to a height above the fluid inlet 7 by the internal dimension of the fluid inlet 7. This prevents the liquid portion 3,21 from entering the air vent pipe 10 through the discharge opening 12, particularly during the separation of the gas portion 4,24 from the liquid portion 3,21.

[0058] Alternatively or additionally, overflow of the liquid portion 3,21 into the vent pipe 10 can be prevented by ensuring that at least a large portion of the internal dimensions of at least one discharge opening 12 does not extend along the partition wall 11, preferably along the vertical axis of symmetry. Thus, for example, two discharge openings 12 can be positioned not in the middle, but, for example, at the edges of the partition wall 11 as described above (not shown).

[0059] For the flow of liquid portions 3,21 from a small portion 17 into the larger portion 16 of the chamber 9, the partition wall 11 has a connecting opening 15 at a predetermined height below the fluid inlet 7, having a larger opening cross-section than the opening cross-sections of the fluid inlet 7 and the fluid outlet 8. The connecting opening 15 is further partially formed by a chamber wall 13, preferably oriented horizontally, to which the partition wall 11 is tightly connected horizontally.

[0060] Figure 1 also shows that the fluid outlet 8 has a larger opening cross-section than the fluid inlet 7. Therefore, more liquid portions 3,21 can flow out through the fluid outlet 8 than can reach the chamber 9 from the fluid inlet 7, so the water levels 3,5,21 do not rise above the opening of the vent pipe 10 and are prevented from entering the vent pipe.

[0061] Possible methods for steam separation are described below. In this case, the steam separator 1 described herein, in particular the steam separator disclosed in Figure 1, is used in fully automatic coffee makers 18,19 as shown in Figure 2.

[0062] In the method for vapor separation, the liquid portion 3,21 of a high-temperature liquid-gas mixture 2,21,24 (preferably water in this case) at a maximum temperature of 100°C is collected in a chamber 9, the gas portion 4,24 is led out above the collected liquid portion 3,21, and then released from the vapor separator 1 through an air vent pipe 10 (Figure 1).

[0063] In this case, the supply section 22 for the liquid-gas mixtures 2, 21, and 24, and the outlet section 23 for the collected liquid portions 3 and 21, are sized such that a predetermined water level 5 of the liquid portions 3 and 21 is formed within the chamber 9 (Figure 1). This allows for optimal separation of the gas portions 4 and 24.

[0064] In this method, the liquid-gas mixtures 2, 21, and 24 are supplied to the collected liquid portion 3 and 21 below the water level 5. This prevents the downstream liquid-gas mixtures 2, 21, and 24 from colliding with the surface of the water level 5 of the collected liquid portion 3 and 21, creating splashes that, for example, reach the air vent pipe 10 from the discharge opening 12.

[0065] Overall, this method improves steam separation. Therefore, it is advantageous to prevent the liquid portion 3,21, e.g., water, to be released from the fully automatic coffee maker in a disorderly and / or splashy manner. Because the gaseous portion 4,24 is separated from the liquid portion 3,21 by the use of the steam separator 1 or by implementing the method described above, operating temperatures up to 100°C can be utilized. This allows for a better drinking experience at higher operating temperatures, as in the embodiments described herein, and can particularly improve the quality of coffee water products, e.g., Caffè Americano, or other hot beverages, e.g., tea.

[0066] The control of the supply section 22 for the liquid-gas mixtures 2, 21, and 24 is controlled by the phase angle in the pump 6. Therefore, for example, the volume flow rate per unit time can be adjusted via the fluid inlet 7. In the method for cleaning the steam separator 1, it is preferable that the supply section 22 for water 21 is controlled by the phase angle of the pump 6, thereby supplying water to the chamber 9 until the water 21 flows out of the vent pipe 10. This also allows the vent pipe 10 to be cleaned, and lime deposits can be removed. This allows the fully automatic coffee makers 18 and 19 to have a particularly long service life, which is particularly favorable to the customer.

[0067] The present invention generally proposes a steam separator 1, hot water dispensers 18, 19, and a method for separating steam from a liquid-gas mixture 2, wherein the method involves collecting the liquid portion 3 of the liquid-gas mixture 2 and introducing the gas portion 4 above the collected liquid portion 3, and in particular, this gas portion 4 is the gas phase of the liquid portion 3. The present invention is particularly important in the luxury goods industry, but is not limited to this field. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1. Steam separator 2. Liquid-gas mixtures 3 Liquid part 4. Gas portion 5 Water Level 6 pumps 7 Fluid inlet 8 Fluid outlet 9 Chambers 10 Air vent pipe 11 Bulkhead 12 Release aperture 13 Chamber Wall 14 Chamber Cover 15 connection openings 16 9 18 9 small part 18 Hot water dispenser 19 Fully Automatic Coffee Maker 20 Heating Units 21 water 22 2 supply unit Outlet section 23 3 24 Water vapor 25 Hot water pipe

Claims

1. A steam separator (1) having a fluid inlet (7), a fluid outlet (8), and a chamber (9) positioned between the fluid inlet (7) and the fluid outlet (8), wherein the chamber (9) is provided with at least one vent pipe (10) terminating above a height defined by the fluid inlet (7), and a partition wall (11) is formed between the fluid inlet (7) and the vent pipe (10), the partition wall extending from above to at least below the height defined by the fluid inlet (7), in the steam separator (1), The steam separator (1) is characterized in that the partition wall (11) has a discharge opening (12) in at least one region located higher than the air vent pipe (10).

2. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fluid inlet (7) is oriented laterally with respect to the partition wall (11).

3. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the partition wall (11) is tightly connected horizontally to the chamber wall (13) of the chamber (9).

4. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fluid outlet (8) has a larger opening cross-section than the fluid inlet (7).

5. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall (11) is integrally coupled to the chamber cover (14).

6. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall (11) is supported by the air vent pipe (10).

7. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fluid outlet (8) opens into the chamber (9) at a lower height than the fluid inlet (7).

8. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall (11) has at least one connecting opening (15) at a height lower than the fluid inlet (7).

9. The steam separator (1) according to claim 8, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the connection opening (15) is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid outlet (8).

10. The steam separator (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the connection opening (15) is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid inlet (7).

11. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fluid inlet (7) is open in the upper half of the chamber (9).

12. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall (11) extends from above to the lower half of the chamber (9).

13. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall (11) extends from above to a height below the fluid inlet (7) by at least the internal dimension of the fluid inlet (7) and / or by at least the distance between the fluid inlet (7) and the partition wall (11).

14. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the internal dimension of the chamber (9) in the height direction is greater than the internal dimension in the lateral direction.

15. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall (11) divides the chamber (9) into a large portion (16) and a small portion (17), the large portion (16) being connected to the fluid outlet (8) and / or the small portion (17) being connected to the fluid inlet (7).

16. The steam separator (1) according to claim 5, wherein the discharge opening (12) extends from the lower side of the chamber cover (14) to a height located at least by the inner dimension of the fluid inlet (7) above the fluid inlet (7).

17. The steam separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least a large portion of the internal dimensions of at least one discharge opening (12) does not extend along the vertical axis of symmetry of the partition wall (11).

18. A method for separating vapor from a liquid-gas mixture (2) using a vapor separator (1) according to claim 1, wherein the liquid portion (3) of the liquid-gas mixture (2) is collected, the gas portion (4) is introduced above the collected liquid portion (3), and the gas portion (4) is the gas phase of the liquid portion (3).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the supply section (22) for the liquid-gas mixture (2) and the outlet section (23) for the collected liquid portion (3) are sized such that a predetermined water level (5) is formed in the liquid portion (3).

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the downstream liquid-gas mixture (2) is supplied to the collected liquid portion (3).

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein in the cleaning step, the supply (22) of the liquid-gas mixture (2) is increased so as to be injected into the outlet for the gas portion (4), and / or the outflow (23) of the collected liquid portion (3) is reduced, in which case the temperature of the liquid-gas mixture (2) is lowered so as to reduce or approach zero the gas portion (4).

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the supply (22) of the liquid-gas mixture (2) is controlled by the phase angle of the pump (6).

23. A hot water dispenser (18), comprising a heating unit (20) for preparing hot water and a steam separator (1) according to claim 1, which is fluidly connected to the heating unit (20).

24. A method for cleaning the steam separator (1) according to claim 1, characterized by pouring water (21) into the chamber (9) until water (21) flows out of the air vent pipe (10).

25. A use of the steam separator (1) according to claim 1 in the method according to claim 18, wherein the fluid inlet (7) forms a supply section (22) for a liquid-gas mixture (2) and / or collects a liquid portion (3) in a chamber (9) and / or discharges a gas portion (4) through an air vent pipe (10) and / or the fluid outlet (8) forms an outlet section (23) for the collected liquid portion (3).

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