Machine for dispensing drinks and emulsions, in particular coffee, coffee cream, concentrated coffee, milk and dairy products, flavorings, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, or powders, equipped with a fluid connection system

Abstract

A machine (100) is described for dispensing drinks and emulsions, in particular coffee, coffee cream, concentrated coffee, milk and derivatives, flavorings, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, or powders, comprising at least one dispensing block (102) equipped with at least one fluid connection system (1) which is made in a block (2) of solid material and is equipped with valves (5) or pumps (7) or connection elements (9) or dispensing devices (11), and with a plurality of holes (3) connected to respective paths (4) obtained inside it, the holes (3) being designed to allow the connection of the fluid connection system (1) to such valves (5) or pumps (7) or connection elements (9) or dispensing devices (11); each dispensing block (102) is also equipped with at least one dispensing circuit.

Description

[0001] MACHINE FOR DISPENSING DRINKS AND EMULSIONS, IN PARTICULAR COFFEE, COFFEE CREAM, CONCENTRATED COFFEE, MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS, FLAVORINGS, ALCOHOLIC AND NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS, OR POWDERS, EQUIPPED WITH A FLUID CONNECTION SYSTEM

[0002] The present invention refers to a machine for dispensing drinks and emulsions, in particular coffee, coffee cream, concentrated coffee, milk and derivatives, flavorings, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, or powders, equipped with an innovative fluid connection system.

[0003] Normally, a coffee machine (or one for dispensing similar drinks or creams and emulsions, liquid and also powdered) has a very large series of pipes that connect to valves and then to pumps and tanks and probes and flow meters and many other different devices, to allow the final dispensing of the coffee drink starting from beans, liquids or coffee powder.

[0004] All this branching obviously creates parts that have to be filled with hot and cold liquids and that in many cases would also have to be cleaned afterwards .

[0005] Furthermore , each connection is subj ect to gaskets and leaks due to consumption, especially i f the liquids are very hot and therefore cause the gaskets to expand .

[0006] Finally, managing thermals becomes very complicated because the liquids lose heat and therefore it is not possible to obtain and maintain the right thermals .

[0007] Obj ect of the present invention is solving the aforementioned prior art problems , providing a dispensing machine equipped with a fluid connection system that replaces the connections currently present with a single perforated block to which valves , pumps and other connection elements are connected, to allow the same final operation of the machine in which such connection system is inserted, such single perforated block containing paths which are capillary tubes , namely tubes whose internal diameter ranges from 0 . 8 to 3 mm .

[0008] The above and other obj ects and advantages of the invention, as will result from the following description, are achieved with a dispensing machine as described in claim 1 . Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variants of the present invention form the subj ect matter of the dependent claims .

[0009] It is understood that all attached claims form an integral part of this speci fication .

[0010] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments , provided by way of example and not by way of limitation, with reference to the attached drawings , in which :

[0011] - Figures 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views , from two di f ferent sides , of a possible embodiment of the fluid connection system to be used in the machine according to the present invention;

[0012] - Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views , from two dif ferent sides , of a possible conformation of the pipes contained in the system of Figure 1 ;

[0013] - Figure 5 is a perspective view of the system of Figure 1 in a possible valve connection configuration;

[0014] - Figure 6 is a top view of the system of Figure 5 ;

[0015] - Figure 7 is a top view of the system of Figure 1 in another possible connection configuration with pumps ; - Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views , from two dif ferent sides , of the system in Figure 7 ;

[0016] - Figures 10 and 11 are schematic perspective views , from two di f ferent sides , of the system of Figure 1 in another possible connection configuration;

[0017] - Figure 12 is a perspective view of a possible embodiment of a dispensing block of the machine of the present invention;

[0018] - Figure 13 is a rear view of an embodiment of the machine of the present invention containing within it two dispensing blocks similar to that of Figure 12 ; and

[0019] - Figure 14 is a detail view of Figure 13 illustrating a possible form of connection between the two dispensing blocks .

[0020] With reference to the Figures , a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated and described . It will be immediately obvious that countless variations and modi fications ( for example , relating to shape , dimensions , various colors , and parts with equivalent functionality) may be made to the description without departing from the scope o f the invention as indicated in the appended claims . According to the Figures, the machine 100 of the present invention is used for dispensing beverages and emulsions, in particular coffee, coffee cream, concentrated coffee, milk and derivatives, flavorings, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, or powders.

[0021] Such machine 100 comprises at least one dispensing block 102, wherein each of the dispensing blocks 102:

[0022] - is equipped with at least one fluid connection system 1 that:

[0023] * it is made of a solid material block 2

[0024] * is equipped with valves 5 or pumps 7 or connection elements 9 or dispensing devices 11

[0025] * it is equipped with a plurality of holes 3 connected to respective paths 4 obtained inside it, the holes 3 being designed to allow the connection of the fluid connection system 1 to such valves 5 or pumps 7 or connection elements 9 or dispensing devices (such as for example a coffee dispensing device 11 or coffee cream dispensing devices, not illustrated) ; such pumps 7 are controlled on the flow rate rather than on the pressure or even just on a fixed on and off regime; - is equipped with at least one of the following circuits :

[0026] * cold milk circuit with relative cold milk connection 50 and cold milk pipe 52 ;

[0027] * circuit for limescale removal liquid with relative outlet connection 54 and limescale removal liquid outlet pipe 56 and relative inlet connection 58 and limescale removal liquid inlet pipe 60 connected to a limescale removal liquid tank 62 ;

[0028] * hot water recirculation circuit with related hot water connection 64 and hot water pipe 65 ;

[0029] * hot water outlet circuit with related hot water outlet connection 66 and hot water outlet pipe 68 ;

[0030] * hot water inlet circuit with relative hot water inlet connection 70 and hot water inlet pipe 72 ;

[0031] * cold water inlet circuit with relative cold water connection 74 and cold water pipe 76 connected to a cold water tank 78 ;

[0032] * steam regulation circuit 79 ; and

[0033] * liquid / concentrate cof fee circuit with relative liquid / concentrate cof fee connection 80 and liquid / concentrate cof fee pipe 82 ;

[0034] - wherein the paths 4 are made up of capillary tubes, i.e. tubes whose internal diameter varies from 0.8 to 3 mm.

[0035] According to preferred embodiments, and depending on the applications, two possible values of the capillary tubes 4 are: internal diameter of 1 mm and external diameter of 1.5 mm internal diameter of 3 mm and external diameter of 3.45 mm.

[0036] Such machine 100 can therefore comprise a plurality of dispensing blocks 102 connected in a fluid manner to each other (Figures 13 and 14 illustrate a possible configuration in which such dispensing blocks 102 are two) .

[0037] The holes 3 preferably have a diameter of 2 mm, and can optionally be closed with grains or other even sticky material.

[0038] In particular, the solid material of which system 1 of the invention is made can be aluminum, or a semi-crystalline thermoplastic, in particular acetal or polyoxymethylene, POM.

[0039] Valves 5 and pumps 7 are commonly flanged. Furthermore, the valves 5 can be of the two-way or the three-way type. The pumps 7, on the other hand, can be gear-type, with an inlet and an outlet, and can preferably be pulse-width modulated ( PWM) , or have a fixed flow rate or pressure .

[0040] This fluid connection system 1 is thus used both as a support for all valves 5 and pumps 7 , and for the connections .

[0041] All possible pipe connections are inserted inside the system 1 , which, in a preferred but obviously not limiting embodiment , can be in the shape of a parallelepiped, in which the original pipes have been trans formed into paths 4 dug inside a solid block 2 of material and which end in exit holes 3 from the block 2 .

[0042] Obviously, a 2 mm hole costs much less than a metal or composite pipe , normally 4 or 10 mm or larger, and it also does not break or leak .

[0043] The connection between the holes 3 and the valves 5 or the pumps 7 or other connecting elements 9 is easy, as the flanges with which both the valves 5 and the pumps 7 are equipped already have a sealing O-Ring .

[0044] Practically, the inventive system 1 contains and replaces 90 / 95% of the circuits of a machine dispensing drinks or creams or emulsions or drinks : only the cold water, the anti-scale liquid and then in the future , perhaps other fluids (milk, flavorings, etc.) will come from outside, but they will connect to the inventive system 1 very simply with common quick couplings.

[0045] In practice, assembling a beverage dispensing machine takes less time than hours, and maintenance and repairs are simply a matter of replacing a complete unit that will then be regenerated.

[0046] The system 1 is also able to treat the coffee extracted with the filter holder, with a special device that instantly recirculates it and can emulsify, mix, heat or cool it to obtain products different from those normally extracted.

[0047] Furthermore, the system 1 can emulsify, mix, heat or cool milk and its derivatives (even nonanimal derived) , coffee cream, concentrated coffee, flavorings based on alcohol, glycol or other.

[0048] The system 1 can also suck up any liquid product directly from an external source for later use as already explained.

[0049] The system 1 also manages a descaling liquid completely autonomously or on request or by time or other means, which can be used either hot or cold, or mixed with water.

[0050] Cleaning of every part of the system 1 is guaranteed both automatically and on demand. The system 1 also uses components from Ferro Techniek BV, connected either in series or in parallel, fixed under the cup holder to heat it by exploiting their residual and latent heat.

[0051] The system 1 does not have boilers or water reserves (hot or cold) , but, if necessary, it can exploit a "backbone" of recirculating pipes with water at the desired temperature and which can act as a thermal flywheel.

[0052] Furthermore, through fixed or mobile systems operating on the principle of refrigerators, pressurized gases, Peltier cells, or other methods, it is possible to cool the liquid exiting from various systems: filter holders, pumps, mixers, or other, in order to improve the organoleptic qualities of the product.

[0053] Some preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above: obviously, numerous variants and modifications, functionally equivalent to the previous ones, will be immediately evident to those skilled in the art, which fall within the scope of the invention as highlighted in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Machine (100) for dispensing drinks and emulsions, in particular coffee, coffee cream, concentrated coffee, milk and derivatives, flavorings, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, or powders, characterized in that it comprises at least one dispensing block (102) , wherein each of said dispensing blocks (102) :- is equipped with at least one fluid connection system (1) which:* is made of a single block (2) of solid material* is equipped with valves (5) or pumps (7) or connection elements (9) or dispensing devices (11)* is equipped with a plurality of holes (3) connected to respective paths (4) obtained inside it, said holes (3) being designed to allow the connection of said fluid connection system (1) to said valves (5) or said pumps (7) or said connection elements (9) or said dispensing devices (11) ; and- is equipped with at least one of the following circuits :* cold milk circuit with relative cold milkconnection (50) and cold milk pipe (52) ;* circuit for limescale removal liquid with relative outlet connection (54) and limescale removal liquid outlet pipe (56) and relative inlet connection (58) and limescale removal liquid inlet pipe (60) connected to a limescale removal liquid tank ( 62 ) ;* hot water recirculation circuit with related hot water connection (64) and hot water pipe (65) ;* hot water outlet circuit with relative hot water outlet connection (66) and hot water outlet pipe ( 68 ) ;* hot water inlet circuit with relative hot water inlet connection (70) and hot water inlet pipe (72) ;* cold water inlet circuit with relative cold water connection (74) and cold water pipe (76) connected to a cold water tank (78) ; steam regulation circuit (79) ; and liquid / concentrate coffee circuit with relative liquid / concentrate coffee connection (80) and liquid / concentrate coffee pipe (82) .

2. Machine (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said capillary tubes (4) have an internal diameter of 1 mm and an external diameter of 1.5 mm.

3. Machine (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said capillary tubes (4) have an internal diameter of 3 mm and an external diameter of 3.45 mm.

4. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of dispensing blocks (102) fluidly connected to each other.

5. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holes (3) have a variable diameter.

6. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holes (3) are closed by grains or other fixed or removable systems, such as plastic, rubber, sealant, glue elements or other systems capable of permanently or temporarily closing all or part of the holes (3) .

7. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said solid material is aluminum or steel, or even divided into fractions of different materials suitable for being cooled or heated as needed.

8. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said solid material is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic, inparticular acetal or polyoxymethylene, POM.

9. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valves (5) and the pumps (7) are flanged.

10. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valves (5) are two-way or three-way types.

11. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pumps (7) are gear pumps or operate with vibration, peristaltic, rotational, hydraulic or piston systems, with an entry point and an exit point.

12. Machine (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pumps (7) are pulse width modulated, PWM.

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