Cover for an ingredient inlet with moisture management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10028612-B2
Application number	US-201314381824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2013
Priority date	Feb 28, 2012
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A machine (1) for preparing a beverage from at least one ingredient (2) comprises: an ingredient processing module (30); an ingredient passage (40) for inserting an ingredient from outside such machine into the ingredient processing module; and a cover (10) that is movable between a position covering the ingredient passage and a position uncovering the ingredient passage. The cover (10) is slidable, in particular translationally and/or manually slidable, from the covering to the uncovering positions and/or vice versa. The cover (10) is associated with at least one fluid-escape opening (10a, 10b, 10b) through which vapor and/or steam can escape from the passage (40) when the cover is in the covering position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for preparing a beverage from at least one ingredient, the machine comprising:
an ingredient processing module having a processing configuration for processing the at least one ingredient and also having an ingredient transfer configuration for at least one operation selected from the group consisting of: (a) inserting the at least one ingredient into the ingredient processing module and (b) removing the at least one ingredient from the ingredient processing module;
an ingredient passage extending from a top face of the machine toward a bottom of the machine configured to rest on a support surface;
a cover that is movable between a covering position covering a mouth of the ingredient passage and an uncovering position uncovering the mouth, the cover is linearly slidable in a first direction from the covering position to the uncovering position and in a second direction from the uncovering position to the covering position, one direction of the first and second directions is toward a first lateral face of the machine and away from a second lateral face of the machine, the other direction of the first and second directions is toward the second lateral face of the machine and away from the first lateral face of the machine, and the mouth defines at least one fluid-escape opening through which at least one of vapor or steam can escape from the ingredient passage when the cover is in the covering position; and
a motor configured for at least one action selected from the group consisting of: (i) driving the ingredient processing module from the processing configuration to the ingredient transfer configuration when the cover is moved into the uncovering position and (ii) driving the ingredient processing module to the processing configuration from the ingredient transfer configuration when the cover is moved into the covering position.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid-escape opening extends through the cover along a periphery of the cover.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid-escape opening is defined by a peripheral edge of the cover and by the mouth of the ingredient passage which are spaced apart to form the at least one fluid-escape opening when the cover is in the covering position.

4. The machine of claim 3 , having at least one arrangement selected from the group consisting of:
an edge of the cover is spaced above the mouth to form the at least one fluid-escape opening; and
a minor fraction of the mouth remains uncovered by the cover to form the at least one fluid-escape opening between the cover and an edge of the mouth when the cover is in the covering position.

5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid-escape opening is elongated to extend (i) across a predominant part of the cover and of the mouth or (ii) along a predominant part of an edge of the cover and of the mouth.

6. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the at least one fluid-escape opening has a length to width ratio of at least 5.

7. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cover forms a user-handle that is manually movable between the covering position and the uncovering position.

8. The machine of claim 1 , comprising an outer housing comprising the top face, wherein the ingredient passage extends from the top face of the outer housing to the ingredient processing module.

9. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cover is associated with an automatic return device configured to drive the cover into a stable position.

10. The machine of claim 1 , comprising a control unit, the cover forms or is part of a user-interface in data communication with the control unit.

11. The machine of claim 10 , wherein the control unit comprises a power management module arranged to power the control unit.

12. The machine of claim 1 , comprising a control unit that is arranged for at least one function selected from the group consisting of:
control the ingredient processing module and initiate automatically beverage preparation when the at least one ingredient is inserted into the ingredient processing module and the cover is moved into the covering position; and
initiate automatically at least one process selected from the group consisting of a shut-down process, a standby process and a service process, when no ingredient is inserted in the ingredient processing module and the cover is moved into the covering position.

13. The machine of claim 1 , comprising an outer housing comprising the top face, wherein the ingredient passage extends from the top face of the outer housing to the ingredient processing module, the cover is slidable in parallel along the top face of the outer housing, the top face of the outer housing having a guiding arrangement for guiding the cover between the covering position and the uncovering position, the guiding arrangement comprising at least one of a guiding recess or a guiding rail extending from the ingredient passage or from adjacent to the ingredient passage.

14. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cover is associated with an automatic return device for driving the cover into at least one of the covering position or the uncovering position.

15. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cover is manually movable and prevented from being moved into the uncovering position when the ingredient processing module is processing the at least one ingredient, the cover is locked in the covering position or movable into an intermediate position for manually interrupting processing of the at least one ingredient.

16. The machine of claim 1 , comprising a control unit for controlling the ingredient processing module, and the cover forms or is part of a user-interface in data communication with the control unit, the cover comprising or associated with a sensor connected to the control unit for sensing a position of the cover, the sensor selected from the group consisting of an electro-mechanical switch sensor, a magnetic sensor, an electromagnetic sensor and an optical sensor.

17. The machine of claim 10 , wherein the control unit comprises a power management module arranged to power the control unit and further electric components.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Mori Peter
• Besson Francois
• Cahen Antoine

Classifications

• A47J31/4407 Primary

  Lids, covers or knobs · CPC title

• A47J31/44 Primary

  Parts or details {or accessories} of beverage-making apparatus (filters or strainers A47J31/06) · CPC title

• A47J36/38

  for withdrawing or condensing cooking vapors from cooking utensils · CPC title

• A47J31/407

  with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means · CPC title