Beverage preparation machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10687657-B2
Application number	US-201515538757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A food or beverage preparation machine, including a control panel, an actuator for setting at least one food or beverage preparation parameter to a predetermined value and a controlling unit, a pressure sensor electronically connected to the controlling unit for controlling the functioning of the food or beverage preparation machine, the actuator being pressure-sensitive and having a first end with a first deformable surface which is configured to receive a press action (F) from a user, a second end with a second deformable surface which is in physical contact with the pressure sensor, and an elongate portion connecting the first end and the second end the elongate portion being configured to transfer to the second end a pressure that has been generated at the first end, to set the at least one food or beverage preparation parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A food or beverage preparation machine comprising a controller and a control panel, the control panel comprising a set of actuators and a corresponding set of pressure sensors, the control panel is configured for a user to select a volume value, and each of the actuators and each of the corresponding pressure sensors are associated with a different volume value than the other actuators and the other pressure sensors, the set of actuators are each pressure-sensitive and comprise a first end with a first deformable surface which is configured to receive a press action from a user, a second end with a second deformable surface which is in physical contact with the corresponding pressure sensor, and a first elongated portion connecting the first end and the second end, the first elongated portion is configured to transfer to the second end a pressure that has been generated at the first end, such that when the press action is applied to the first deformable surface, the corresponding pressure is transferred to the second deformable surface by the first elongated portion and is applied to the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor is configured to detect the pressure and generate a pressure signal, the pressure sensor is electronically connected to the controller and configured to communicate the pressure signal to the controller, the controller is configured to detect the press action applied to set of actuators based on the pressure signal to set the volume value, wherein the first elongated portion is non-deformable and comprises a hollow cavity filled with a fluid, wherein the first elongated portion comprise a material configured to reflect light, and a reflective index of the material configured to reflect light is greater than a reflective index of the fluid in the hollow cavity, and a machine head having a receptacle for accommodating a portioned beverage ingredient and in which a fluid is injected for preparing a food or a beverage, and a machine body comprising a water pump and a water heater, wherein the control panel is situated at the machine head, and the set of pressure sensors is situated at the machine body, wherein machine head and the machine body are separated by a leak-tight wall.

2. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , comprising a light source associated with the set of actuators, the set of actuators each comprising a third end and a second elongated portion connecting the first end and the third end, the third end comprising a surface which is situated such that the third end is illuminated by the light source, and the second elongated portion is configured to transmit light originating from the light source to the first end.

3. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 2 , wherein the second elongated portion is non-deformable and comprises a hollow cavity filled with a fluid.

4. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 3 , wherein the inner walls of the hollow cavity of the second elongated portion are formed by a reflective surface.

5. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 3 , wherein the fluid of the second elongated portion comprises a light-transmitting medium.

6. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 2 , wherein the first elongated portion comprises a first tube connecting the first end of the set of actuators and the second end of the set of actuators, and the second elongated portion comprises a second tube connecting the first end of the set of actuators and the third end of the set of actuators.

7. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 2 , wherein the first elongated portion and the second elongated portion form a T-junction.

8. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the each actuator comprises a flexible push button.

9. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 8 , wherein the flexible push button comprises a surface portion constituting the first deformable surface.

10. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 9 , wherein the surface portion is at least partially transparent.

11. The food or beverage preparation machine according to claim 8 , wherein the flexible push button comprises a transparent pad.

12. The food or beverage machine according to claim 2 , wherein the second elongated portion comprise a material configured to reflect light.

13. The food or beverage machine according to claim 3 , wherein the second elongated portion comprise a material configured to reflect light, and a reflective index of the material configured to reflect light of the second elongated portion is greater than a reflective index of the fluid in the hollow cavity of the second elongated portion.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa
• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Pugliese Alexandre

Classifications

• H01H2221/02

  pneumatic · CPC title

• H01H13/807

  characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites · CPC title

• H01H2219/052

  Phosphorescence · CPC title

• H01H2219/054

  Optical elements · CPC title

• H01H3/24

  using pneumatic or hydraulic actuator {(for storing energy in a spring motor H01H3/301)} · CPC title