Filter holder for coffee machines and related ejector for pods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filter holder (1), particularly for coffee machines, comprising a main body (2) open at the top to be mounted in a dispensing assembly (3) of a coffee machine, an ejector (12) positionable within the main body (2) and configured to accommodate a pod (18) containing a powdered substance and axially movable within the reducer (8) between a first position, wherein the ejector (12) is close to the lower portion (6) of the main body (2), and a second position wherein the ejector (12) is away from the lower portion (6) of the main body (2) to allow for a facilitated ejection of the pod (18) by a user at the end of coffee dispensing.

Description

[0001] FILTER HOLDER FOR COFFEE MACHINES AND RELATED

[0002] EJECTOR FOR PODS

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to a filter holder for coffee and hot beverage machines, preferably but not exclusively for household use. Additionally, the present invention relates to an ejector for the simplified removal of pods generally usable in filter holders for coffee machines.

[0005] Background Art

[0006] Nowadays, it is widely popular to use coffee machines in home environments that allow for an experience that comes remarkably close to that offered by professional coffee machines. These machines generally comprise a heating assembly to generate pressurized hot water and a dispensing assembly for the insertion of the handle filter holder, very similar to that used in professional coffee machines.

[0007] Usually, the filter holder consists of a main metal body which houses the various components to receive the powdered substance, including in pod form, and a handle to facilitate coupling to the dispensing assembly. The components within the filter holder play key roles in ensuring the proper operation of the coffee machine, including the hydraulic sealing, filtering process, beverage delivery, etc. A still unfixed issue with coffee machines, both home and industrial, is the procedure of ejecting the powder and / or pods from the filter holder. Generally, the user or barkeeper turns the filter holder upside down in an attempt to get the coffee pod or powder out, but often without success. In the case of using very compacted coffee powder, once the beverage has been dispensed, the most common solution is to vigorously hit the edge of a basket with the filter holder. A procedure that is, however, absolutely inconvenient in the home environment. Similarly, in the case of using coffee pods, once the coffee has been dispensed, the ejection of the pod is rather complicated because the latter remains at least partly adhered to the walls of the adapter forcing the user to operate with his or her fingers with frequent risk of bums or scalds.

[0008] Description of the Invention By virtue of the foregoing, the main aim of the present invention is to make a filter holder which allows facilitating the ejection of coffee powder and / or pod from the filter holder after the beverage has been dispensed, thus remedying the drawbacks described above.

[0009] An additional object of the present invention is to minimize wear and tear on the filter holder components.

[0010] This and other objects are achieved by a filter holder for coffee machines having the characteristics set forth in claim 1.

[0011] According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to an ejector for pods usable in filter holders for coffee machines according to claim 11.

[0012] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a filter holder for coffee machines and a relevant ejector, illustrated by way of an indicative yet non-limiting example in the accompanying tables of drawings in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a sectional view of the filter holder according to the invention;

[0015] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ejector forming part of the filter holder according to the invention;

[0016] Figure 3 is a sectional view of the filter holder wherein the ejector is at a position suitable for dispensing a coffee;

[0017] Figure 4 is a sectional view of the filter holder wherein the ejector is at the ejection position for ejecting the coffee powder and / or pod;

[0018] Figure 5 is an exploded view of the components of the filter holder according to the invention.

[0019] Embodiments of the Invention

[0020] With particular reference to these figures, reference numeral 1 globally denotes a filter holder for coffee machines comprising a main body 2 preferably having a cup shape with substantially cylindrical development with respect to a longitudinal axis X-X. The main body 2, open at the top, fits into a dispensing assembly 3 of a coffee machine according to techniques known in themselves and is generally made of metal material, preferably chrome-plated. The filter holder

[0021] 1 also has an attachment 4 for one handle and two or more protrusions 5 extending radially and arranged on the outer surface of the main body 2 for bayonet fitting of the latter into the dispensing assembly 3.

[0022] In the context of this disclosure, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “vertical” and “horizontal” are meant to refer to the conditions of normal use of the filter holder 1, i.e., those shown in the figures.

[0023] As shown, there is a through opening 7 on the lower portion 6 of the main body

[0024] 2 which opening allows, as detailed later in this description, creating a passage between the dispensing assembly 3 and the components of the filter holder 1 to dispense the beverage into one or more cups.

[0025] The filter holder 1 also comprises a reducer 8 positioned at least partly within the main body 2. The reducer 8 also has a hole 9 located on its own bottom 10, arranged along the longitudinal axis X-X and, in use, aligned with the through opening 7 of the main body 2.

[0026] The reducer 8 has a substantially cylindrical shape bounding a compartment 11 specially created to accommodate an ejector 12 for pods 18.

[0027] As shown in the example in figure 2, the ejector 12, preferably made of a polymeric material, such as e.g. PVC, PP, etc., through common molding techniques, has a base 15 from which a side wall 16 extends, preferably cylindrical and at least partly tapered downwards, which defines an upper mouth 17 configured to house a pod 18 containing a powdered substance, preferably coffee.

[0028] Advantageously, in order to allow for a facilitated ejection of the pods 18 at the end of coffee dispensing, the filter holder 1 has been designed to allow the ejector 12 to move axially within the reducer 8 in a completely simplified maimer, preferably when not associated with the dispensing assembly 3 of the coffee machine. In detail, the ejector 12 is able to move between a first position wherein it is moved closer to the reducer 8 (figure 3), and a second position wherein it is spaced away from the reducer 8 (figure 4) thus allowing to bring the pod 18 as high as possible with respect to the reducer 8 so that, with a simple lifting operation of the ejector 12 upwards the pod is easily removed from the filter holder 1. Even more in detail, at the first position, the surface opposite the base 15 of the ejector 12 (the one facing the bottom 10) is moved closer to the bottom 10 of the reducer 8 while, at the second position, the surface opposite the base 15 of the ejector 12 is spaced away from the bottom 10 of the reducer 8 by a predetermined distance.

[0029] For this purpose, the ejector 12 is provided with a conveyor 20 axially extended downwards and passing at least partly through the hole 9 of the reducer 8, overlapping the latter from the opposite side to the bottom 10. In this way, the user, after disengaging the filter holder 1 from the coffee machine and keeping it grasped by the handle with one hand, can easily remove the pod 18 by lifting the ejector 12 taking advantage of the conveyor 20. For example, one of the procedures for ejecting the pod 18 may be carried out by resting the conveyor 20 on a plane serving as an abutment to lower the filter holder 1 so that the mutual position between the reducer 8 and the ejector changes by exposing the pod 18 upwards. Or, by applying a bottom-up push from underneath the conveyor 20 to lift the ejector 12 and remove the pod 18 with ease. It follows that, with such a solution, the complete overturning of the filter holder and / or the action of vigorously hitting the latter against the edge of a basket is no longer necessary to eject the pods.

[0030] Advantageously, the interaction of each component of the filter holder 1 according to the invention has separate functions which will be described in more detail below.

[0031] With reference to the reducer 8, it is preferably provided with an annular seat 13 obtained in the bottom 10 to accommodate a gasket 14. The gasket 14 is configured to engage tightly with the base 15 of the ejector 12 and to prevent any leakage of liquid through the contact surfaces. It cannot however be ruled out that the hydraulic sealing can be achieved by different placements of the gaskets. In one embodiment not shown, the gasket 14 could e.g. be fitted on the conveyor 20. As visible in Figure 1, the dispensing assembly 3 is configured to receive, by shape coupling, the reducer 8 so as to define an infusion chamber 23 when joined to the dispensing assembly 3. Specifically, the dispensing assembly 3 comprises a housing 24 which extends cylindrically along the longitudinal axis X-X and having a lateral wall 25 intended to adhere, at least partly, to the outer wall 22 of the reducer 8 when fitted onto the dispensing assembly 3.

[0032] In order to ensure the hydraulic sealing of the infusion chamber 23, a sealing ring 27, preferably of the O-ring type, is arranged and can be inserted within a recess 26 made in the lateral wall 25 of the dispensing assembly 3.

[0033] To prevent the axial displacements along X-X between the body 2 of the filter holder 1 and the reducer 8, for example during the rotation of the filter holder 1 on the dispensing assembly 3 when engaging to and disengaging from the dispensing assembly, there are axial blocking means 51, preferably made of metal, positioned within an annular slit 29 cut between the inner wall 30 of the main body 2 and the outer wall 22 of the reducer 8. Preferably, the slit 29 is cut in the upper portion of the walls 22, 30. It cannot, however, be ruled out that the slit 29 may be placed at different heights along the walls 22, 30 or be cut on only one of the two walls 22, 30. The axial blocking means 51 may preferably comprise an elastic retaining ring, e.g. made of metal.

[0034] It should be specified that the reducer 8 is also capable of rotating around the longitudinal axis X-X, thus reducing friction between the dispensing assembly 3 during rotation to engage and disengage the filter holder 1.

[0035] Referring to the example shown in figure 2, in order to direct the flow of the beverage towards the conveyor 20, the base 15 of the ejector 12 has a central hollow 31 from which a duct 32 extends downwards which is made around a blind hole 35 central to the ejector 12 and communicating with the conveyor 20. The blind hole 35 is intended to accommodate connecting means 21, preferably a pin or a screw, for attaching a screen 36 positioned at the upper mouth 17 to hold the pod 18 during beverage infusion.

[0036] Advantageously, in order to optimize the collection and facilitate the descent of the beverage towards the conveyor 20, the ejector 12 has at least one groove 37 cut within the base 15 at the top portion of the duct 32 that helps to collect and direct the beverage towards the duct 32 and consequently to the upper portion 50 of the conveyor 20.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the base 15 of the ejector 12 preferably has three grooves 37, 38 and 39 each connected to a respective duct 32, 33 and 34 in a fluid-operated maimer and with the latter, in turn, connected to the conveyor 20, in particular to the axial opening 40 cut within it.

[0038] Preferably, the grooves 37, 38 and 39 are arranged on the base in a trefoil configuration and arranged equidistant around the blind hole 35 to ensure even collection of the beverage. Consequently, the ducts 32, 33, and 34 branch towards the upper portion 50 from the conveyor 20 in an oblique direction towards the respective grooves 37, 38, and 39 offering more control over the flow of the beverage and reducing liquid loss when dispensing different types of beverages, such as a short espresso or long coffee. For this purpose, the ducts 32, 33 and 34 are connected to the conveyor 20, specifically to the axial opening 40 cut centrally to the conveyor 20.

[0039] Usefully, the conveyor 20 extends by a predetermined length so as to ensure both optimal distribution of the beverage and to make an appendage that can be easily placed on a plane or grasped by the fingers of a user to change the mutual positioning between the reducer 8 and the ejector 12 thus facilitating the ejection operations of the pod 18.

[0040] As can be observed in the figures, the filter holder 1 is also provided with a spout 41 which can be connected to the free end 45 of the conveyor 20 in order to direct the beverage outlet. In particular, the spout 41 has a folded lower end 42 for diverting the flow of the beverage from the conveyor 20. By way of an example, the lower end 42 can be folded by an angle of between 30° and 150°, preferably of 90°. Even more in detail, the folded ending part 46 of the lower end 42 ends up in a chute 47 with opposite sidewalls 48, 49 to prevent dripping and preferably having a wavy downward shape.

[0041] In accordance with one variant, the spout 41 connects by interlocking to the conveyor by shape coupling and, for this purpose, preferably has an outer diameter of the upper end 44 which is larger than the outer diameter of the free end 45 of the conveyor 20. It should be specified that in order to prevent the ejector 12 from completely protruding from the reducer 8 as a result of an overturning of the main body 2 of the filter holder 1 during the ejection of the pod 18, the outer diameter of the upper end 44 of the spout 41 is slightly increased with respect to the diameter of the hole 9 of the reducer 8 so that, when the ejector 12 is at the second lifted position, the spout 41 interferes with the portion of the surface (around the hole 9) opposite the bottom 10 of the reducer 8. In this way, the upper portion of the ejector 12 will be substantially flush with the upper portion of the reducer 8 without the possibility of lifting further upwards thus facilitating the grasp of the pod by a user.

[0042] In one embodiment not shown, the conveyor 20 and the spout 41 can be built into each other and / or made in a single body piece. In this context, the conveyor 20 may be separable from the ejector 12, e.g., by means of interlocking coupling / uncoupling systems, screwable connections, etc.

[0043] In accordance with one variant, the user can use the spout 41 as a grip to push the ejector 12 upwards in order to eject the pod 18.

[0044] Finally, it should be specified that an ejector 12 as described above can easily be adapted for use in filter holders of different shapes, e.g., even not necessarily of the handle type but still intended to be associated with both home and industrial coffee machines.

[0045] The operation of the filter holder 1 according to the invention is as follows.

[0046] The reducer 8, normally pre-inserted by interlocking shape coupling into the main body 2, is axially interlocked to the latter thanks to the presence of the ring 51. This ensures, at the same time, that the body 2 of the filter holder 1 is always free to rotate with respect to the reducer 8 in the coupling and uncoupling operations of the filter holder 1 to / from the dispensing assembly 3.

[0047] To proceed with coffee dispensing, the ejector 12 is inserted into the reducer 8 from the conveyor 20 so that the bottom surface of the base 15 contacts the gasket 14 of the reducer 8. Blocking of the ejector 12 is then done by fitting the spout 41 on the conveyor 20. At this point a pod 18 can be inserted within the reducer 8 by making it adhere to the upper surface of the base 15 of the ejector 12.

[0048] The user can then attach the filter holder 1 to the dispensing assembly 3 of the coffee machine by rotating and bayoneting it around the longitudinal axis X-X and activate the machine to dispense the coffee.

[0049] Once dispensing has been finished, the user can uncouple the filter holder 1 from the dispensing assembly 3 and, keeping it gripped by the handle with one hand, change the mutual position between the ejector 12 and the reducer 8 by operating on the spout 41 connected to the conveyor 20. In this way, the ejection of the pod 18 is very easy: for example, it will be enough to rotate the filter holder 1 slightly or to overturn it even partly over a basket for the pod to slip or fall easily by gravity.

[0050] Periodically, the ejector 12 and the spout 41 can be easily separated from the reducer 8 to allow it to be rinsed or washed, even in a dishwasher.

[0051] It has in practice been ascertained that the filter holder according to the invention fully accomplishes its intended aim and object since it allows the pod to be easily ejected from the filter holder after the beverage has been dispensed, thus remedying the drawbacks described above.

[0052] In addition, a new ejector was devised with the invention that could potentially be used with any type of filter holder associable with a dispensing assembly of a coffee machine.

[0053] The kind of structural combinations of the filter holder and of the ejector are potentially infinite and obviously a branch engineer, in order to meet contingent and specific needs, may make numerous modifications and variations to the examples of embodiments described above, all of which, however, are contained within the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1) Filter holder (1), particularly for coffee machines, comprising: a main body (2) having a substantially cylindrical development with respect to a longitudinal axis (X-X), the main body (2) being open at the top to be mounted in a dispensing assembly (3) of a coffee machine and having a through opening(7) arranged at the lower portion (6) of the main body (2), an ejector (12) positionable within the main body (2) and configured to accommodate a pod (18) containing a powdered substance, the ejector (12) comprising a beverage conveyor (20) mainly extended axially downwards and passing, at least partly, through the hole (9) of the main body (2), characterized by the fact that the ejector (12) is axially movable within the reducer(8) between a first position, wherein the ejector (12) is close to the lower portion (6) of the main body (2), and a second position wherein the ejector (12) is away from the lower portion (6) of the main body (2) to allow for a facilitated ejection of the pod (18) by a user at the end of coffee dispensing.2) Filter holder (1) according to the preceding claim, comprising: a reducer (8) positionable at least partly within the main body (2) and bounding a compartment (11), the bottom (10) of which has a through hole (9), said ejector (12) being insertable within said reducer (8) so that said conveyor (20) passes through, at least partly, the hole (9) of said reducer (8), and wherein the ejector (12) comprises: a side wall (16) defining an upper mouth (17), a base (15) having a central hollow (31) provided with at least one duct (32, 33, 34) for conveying the beverage towards the conveyor (20).3) Filter holder (1) according to claim 2, wherein the central hollow (31) has at least one groove (37) communicating with the duct (32, 33, 34) to facilitate the descent of the beverage towards the conveyor (20).4) Filter holder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ejector (12) has a blind hole (35) arranged axially on the base (15) to receive connecting means (21) for accommodating a shower (36) intended to be arranged where the upper mouth (17) of the ejector (12) is located.5) Filter holder (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the base (15) comprises a plurality of grooves (37, 38, 39) arranged equidistant around the blind hole (35), each groove (37, 38, 39) having a respective duct (32, 33, 34).6) Filter holder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor (20) extends by a predetermined length so as to be easily graspable by a user and provided with an axial opening (40) extending between an upper portion (50) communicating with respective ducts (32, 33, 34) and a free end (45) for the beverage to come out.7) Filter holder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a gasket (14) arranged between the reducer (8) and the ejector (12) to make a hydraulic seal between the reducer (8) and the ejector (12).8) Filter holder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the main body (2) comprises axial blocking means (51) positioned where an annular slit (29) is located which is arranged between the inner wall (30) of the main body (2) and the outer wall (22) of the reducer (8) to prevent the reducer (8) from vertically displacing with respect to the main body (2).9) Filter holder (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a spout (41) connectable to the conveyor provided with an upper end (44) intended to be connected, by shape coupling, to the free end (45) of the conveyor (20), and a lower end (42) intended to deflect the beverage coming out of the conveyor (20) by an angle of between 20° and 90°.10) Filter holder (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the upper end(44) of the spout (41) has a larger outer diameter than the diameter of the free end(45) of the conveyor (20) so as to be fitted on the latter and substantially, corresponding to the diameter of the hole (9) of the reducer (8) to prevent the ejector (12) from coming out of the reducer (8) as a result of an overturning of the main body (2) of the filter holder (1).11) Ejector (12) for pods (18) associable with a filter holder (1) of a coffee machine, comprising: a base (15) from which a side wall (16) extends which defines an upper mouth (17) configured to house a pod (18) containing a powdered substance,a beverage conveyor (20) in fluidic communication with said ejector and extending axially from said base (15) and passing, at least partly, through a through opening (7) arranged at the lower portion (6) of said filter holder (1), characterized by the fact that the ejector (12) is axially movable within said filter holder between a first position, wherein the base (15) of the ejector (12) is close to the lower portion (6) of said filter holder (2) and a second position wherein the base (15) of the ejector (12) is away from the lower portion (6) of said filter holder (1) to allow the pod (18) to be lifted from the filter holder for facilitated ejection of said pod by a user.

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