Beverage preparation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10143328-B2
Application number	US-201214118938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2012
Priority date	May 26, 2011
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A beverage preparation machine includes (i) a reservoir for a fluid, (ii) a brewing head adapted for receiving at least one ingredient capsule, (iii) a pump for pumping a predetermined volume of the fluid from the reservoir to the brewing head, (iv) a heating element for optionally heating the fluid pumped from the reservoir before it enters the capsule, (v) an electronic control board able to receive commands from a control panel of the machine. The control panel includes in combination: —a rotating wheel which is linked to the control board such that by rotating and/or pressing the wheel, a beverage preparation parameter is set in the control board, and —illuminated means, at least a portion of which has the shape of a schematic cup, which is linked to the control board such that the state of the beverage preparation parameter within the control board is represented on the means.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage preparation machine comprising:
a reservoir for a fluid;
a brewing head adapted for receiving at least one ingredient capsule containing an ingredient;
a pump for pumping a predetermined volume of the fluid from the reservoir to the brewing head, such that the fluid can be injected into the at least one ingredient capsule to mix with the ingredient under pressure and produce a predetermined volume of beverage;
an electronic control board able to receive commands from a control panel of the beverage preparation machine and actuate operation of at least one component selected from the group consisting of the pump, the control panel, the brewing head,
the control panel comprising in combination:
a rotating wheel which is linked to the electronic control board such that by rotating or and/or pressing the rotating wheel, a beverage preparation parameter is set in the electronic control board, and
an illuminated or colored member selected from the group consisting of (i) a screen that is a black and white Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen, a color LCD screen, an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screen, or an Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode (AMOLED) screen, (ii) a plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps, the plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps comprising a first bar, a second bar, and a third bar, the second bar located between the first bar and the third bar, the first bar is shorter than the second bar and is shorter than the third bar, and the second bar is shorter than the third bar and is longer than the first bar, and (iii) a plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps, the plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps having a shape that is frustoconical,
at least a portion of the illuminated or colored member has a shape of a schematic cup having a total volume, the illuminated or colored member is linked to the electronic control board such that a state of the beverage preparation parameter within the electronic control board is represented on the illuminated or colored member, the beverage preparation parameter comprises a volume to be pumped from the reservoir and to be represented on the illuminated or colored member as a fraction of the total volume of the schematic cup total volume,
each fraction of a volume range that can be selected manually with the rotating wheel is displayed on the illuminated or colored member as a corresponding illuminated or colored fraction of the schematic cup, such that for each additional volume fraction that is selected by rotating or pressing the rotating wheel, one corresponding additional fraction of the schematic cup is illuminated or colored on the illuminated or colored member.

2. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein a number of fractions for a full selectable volume range is at least 3 but not higher than 30.

3. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the schematic cup total volume corresponds to a volume of prepared beverage between 10 and 400 ml.

4. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating wheel comprises a press-button degree of liberty, so that a consumer can press the rotating wheel as a push button.

5. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 4 , wherein the rotating wheel is the only command button for the beverage preparation machine, serving as:
a rotating selector configured to select the beverage preparation parameter, and
a press-button selector configured to validate or cancel, each of the beverage preparation parameter and to start a brewing cycle.

6. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control panel comprises at least one selector configured to pump fluid from the reservoir either directly into the at least one ingredient capsule or via a heating element such that the fluid entering the at least one ingredient capsule is hot.

7. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one selector comprises (i) one push-button for pumping the liquid at a room temperature and (ii) another push-button for pumping the liquid to be heated.

8. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating wheel is illuminated.

9. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating wheel protrudes from a surface of the beverage preparation machine.

10. A beverage preparation machine comprising:
a reservoir for a fluid;
a brewing head adapted for receiving at least one ingredient capsule containing an ingredient;
a pump for pumping a predetermined volume of the fluid from the reservoir to the brewing head, such that the fluid can be injected into the at least one ingredient capsule to mix with the ingredient under pressure and produce a predetermined volume of beverage;
a heating element for heating the fluid pumped from the reservoir before the fluid enters the at least one ingredient capsule;
an electronic control board able to receive commands from a control panel of the beverage preparation machine and actuate operation of at least one component selected from the group consisting of the pump, the heating element, the control panel, and the brewing head,
the control panel comprising:
a rotating wheel which is linked to the electronic control board such that by rotating or pressing the wheel, a beverage preparation parameter is set in the electronic control board, and
an illuminated or colored member selected from the group consisting of (i) a screen that is a black and white LCD screen, a color LCD screen, an OLED screen, or an AMOLED screen and (ii) a plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps, the plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps comprising a first bar, a second bar, and a third bar, the second bar located between the first bar and the third bar, the first bar is shorter than the second bar and is shorter than the third bar, and the second bar is shorter than the third bar and is longer than the first bar, and (iii) a plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps, the plurality of superimposed retro-illuminated LED lamps having a shape that is frustoconical,
at least a portion of the illuminated or colored member has a shape of a schematic cup having a total volume, the illuminated or colored member is linked to the electronic control board such that a state of the beverage preparation parameter within the electronic control board is represented on the illuminated or colored member, the beverage preparation parameter comprises a volume to be pumped from the reservoir and to be represented on the illuminated or colored member as a fraction of the total volume of the schematic cup,
wherein each fraction of a volume range that can be selected manually with the rotating wheel is displayed on the illuminated or colored member as a corresponding illuminated or colored fraction of the schematic cup, such that for each additional volume fraction that is selected by rotating or pressing the rotating wheel, one corresponding additional fraction of the schematic cup is illuminated or colored on the illuminated or colored member.

11. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control board is configured such that the illuminated or colored member is activated to represent a fraction of the volume range only when the volume selected to be pumped is larger than a lowest possible in-cup volume.

12. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating wheel is distant from the illuminated and colored member.

13. The b

Assignees

• Vestreli Anders
• Odet Samuel
• Talon Christian
• Pleisch Hanspeter
• Denisart Jean Luc
• Seydoux Laurent
• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Vestreli Anders
• Odet Samuel
• Talon Christian
• Pleisch Hanspeter
• Denisart Jean-Luc
• Seydoux Laurent

Classifications

• A47J31/4457

  Water-level indicators · CPC title

• A47J31/52 Primary

  Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus {; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus} · CPC title

• A47J31/407 Primary

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

• A47J31/24

  Coffee-making apparatus in which hot water is passed through the filter under pressure, {i.e. in which the coffee grounds are extracted under pressure}(A47J31/043 {and A47J31/40} take precedence) · CPC title

• A47J31/468

  Pumping means · CPC title