Brewing unti with a water heater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10201243-B2
Application number	US-201214131111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 4, 2012
Priority date	Jul 8, 2011
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

A brewing unit includes a brewing chamber with first and second brewing chamber portions movable one with respect to the other, and a water heater. Further, the brewing unit includes a structural frame supporting the two brewing chamber portions, and on which forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during brewing are discharged. The structural frame includes two side components arranged sideways of the brewing chamber, and two end components mechanically constrained to the side components. One of the two end components includes the first brewing chamber portion. Further, the side components and the end components form a closed structure, whereto the water heater is in turn constrained independently, with separate constraining members, from the first brewing chamber portion and adjacent thereto, outside the closed structure. The forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during brewing are also discharged on the water heater.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A brewing unit for production of a beverage, comprising:
a brewing chamber comprising a first brewing chamber portion and a second brewing chamber portion, wherein at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions is movable with respect to the other, the at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions being mechanically connected to an actuator;
a water heater supplying pressurized water to the brewing chamber during brewing of the beverage; and
a structural frame supporting the first and the second brewing chamber portions, wherein forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing are exerted on the structural frame;
wherein said structural frame comprises:
two lateral components arranged laterally along a length of said brewing chamber; and
two end components arranged transverse to the two lateral components and mechanically constrained to said two lateral components at opposite ends of the two lateral components, a first end component of said two end components comprising the first brewing chamber portion, wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components,

wherein said two lateral components and said two end components are configured to form a closed structure surrounding the brewing chamber,
wherein said first brewing chamber portion of the first end component of the closed structure is arranged adjacent to said water heater, the water heater being arranged outside the closed structure,
wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components outside the closed structure,
wherein said first brewing chamber portion and said water heater are each constrained to said two lateral components independently, one from the other, via separate constraining members,
wherein during the brewing, the first brewing chamber portion is pressed by an axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber against the water heater,
wherein the axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing is exerted on said water heater and causes elastic deformation of at least one of the two lateral components to maintain the first brewing chamber portion in a closed position during the brewing, and
wherein the water heater contributes to a mechanical resistance of the structural frame which supports the forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing.

2. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said first brewing chamber portion is fixed with respect to said closed structure, and wherein the second brewing chamber portion is movable with respect to said closed structure.

3. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said two lateral components and said two end components are fixedly and rigidly connected to one another.

4. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a second end component of the two end components supports the second brewing chamber portion.

5. The brewing unit according to claim 4 , wherein said second brewing chamber portion is movable with respect to said structural frame, a manual or servo-actuator being arranged between said second end component and said second brewing chamber portion for controlling a movement of said second brewing chamber portion.

6. The brewing unit according claim 1 , wherein said water heater comprises a main body and protrusions, the protrusions engaging into seats provided in said two lateral components.

7. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said two lateral components comprise tie rods.

8. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said two lateral components form guides configured to slidingly engage said second brewing chamber portion.

9. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said water heater is mechanically constrained to said first brewing chamber portion.

10. The brewing unit according to claim 9 , wherein a hot water duct for feeding hot pressurized water in said brewing chamber from said water heater connects said water heater to said first brewing chamber portion.

11. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a dispensing duct, from which said beverage is dispensed, extends through a cavity of said water heater.

12. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said water heater is configured to be in one of a direct and an indirect heat contact with said first brewing chamber portion.

13. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , comprising an arm for pushing capsules into the brewing chamber, said arm supporting a dummy capsule.

14. The brewing unit according to claim 13 , wherein said dummy capsule is movable with respect to said arm to take an operating position and an inactive position.

15. A beverage production machine including a brewing unit, wherein the brewing unit comprises:
a brewing chamber comprising a first brewing chamber portion and a second brewing chamber portion, wherein at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions is movable with respect to the other, the at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions being mechanically connected to an actuator;
a water heater supplying pressurized water to the brewing chamber during brewing of a beverage; and
a structural frame supporting the first and the second brewing chamber portions, wherein forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing are exerted on the structural frame;
wherein said structural frame comprises:
two lateral components arranged laterally along a length of said brewing chamber; and
two end components arranged transverse to the two lateral components and mechanically constrained to said two lateral components at opposite ends of the two lateral components, a first end component of said two end components comprising the first brewing chamber portion, wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components,

wherein said two lateral components and said two end components are configured to form a closed structure surrounding the brewing chamber,
wherein said first brewing chamber portion of the first end component of the closed structure is arranged adjacent to said water heater, the water heater being arranged outside the closed structure,
wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components outside the closed structure,
wherein said first brewing chamber portion and said water heater are each constrained to said two lateral components independently, one from the other, via separate constraining members, and
wherein during the brewing the first brewing chamber portion is pressed by an axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber against the water heater,
wherein the axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing is exerted on said water heater and causes elastic deformation of at least one of the two lateral components to maintain the first brewing chamber portion in a closed position during the brewing, and
wherein the water heater contributes to a mechanical resistance of the structural frame which supports the forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing.

16. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components by first constraining members, and wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components by second constraining members different from the first constraining me

Assignees

• Baldo Massimo
• Santini Marco
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Baldo Massimo
• Santini Marco

Classifications

• A47J31/60

  Cleaning devices · CPC title

• A47J31/3633 Primary

  Means to perform transfer from a loading position to an infusing position · CPC title

• A47J31/54

  Water boiling vessels {in beverage making machines} · CPC title

• A47J31/36 Primary

  with mechanical pressure-producing means · CPC title

• A47J31/3676

  Cartridges being employed · CPC title