Selector unit and coffee machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856695-B2
Application number	US-201615747783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a selector unit (10) for selectively feeding beans (20), in particular coffee beans, from a plurality of storage containers (16, 18) to an outlet opening (22). The selector unit comprises a shutter (26) associated to the outlet opening, wherein the shutter is movably mounted and movable in at least two different positions for feeding the beans from at least one selected storage container of the plurality of storage containers to the outlet opening. The selector unit further comprises a lever (30) including an actuation portion (36, 38) associated to the shutter for actuating the shutter in order to move the shutter in the at least two different positions, wherein the lever is formed separately from the shutter and movable with respect to the shutter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A selector unit for selectively feeding beans, in particular coffee beans, from a plurality of storage containers to an outlet opening, the selector unit comprising:
a shutter associated to the outlet opening, wherein the shutter is movably mounted and movable in at least two different positions for feeding the beans from at least one selected storage container of the plurality of storage containers to the outlet opening; and
a lever including an actuation portion associated to the shutter for actuating the shutter in order to move the shutter in the at least two different positions, wherein the lever is formed separately from the shutter and movable with respect to the shutter, wherein the lever is movable independently from the shutter, and wherein the lever is engaged with a lever cam-portion for moving the lever in a plurality of different lever positions corresponding to the at least two different positions of the shutter.

2. The selector unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shutter comprises a cam-follower engaged with a shutter cam portion for moving the shutter in the at least two different positions.

3. The selector unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cam-follower comprises a spring element for preloading the cam-follower to the shutter cam portion.

4. The selector unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shutter is formed as a flap disposed at least partially between the plurality of storage containers.

5. The selector unit as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the flap is pivotably mounted around a flap pivot-axis.

6. The selector unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the lever is pivotably mounted around a lever pivot-axis.

7. The selector unit as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the flap pivot-axis and the lever pivot-axis are disposed parallel to each other.

8. The selector unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lever comprises two actuation portions each forming a stop for the shutter, wherein a free travel is formed between the two actuation portions and the shutter, and wherein the two actuation portions comprises the actuation portion associated to the shutter.

9. The selector unit as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the shutter comprises a recess, and wherein an actuation arm of the lever is fed through the recess and the two actuation portions formed at the actuation arm are disposed at opposite sides of the shutter.

10. The selector unit as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the two actuation portions are facing each other.

11. The selector unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lever cam-portion is formed at a movable mounted cam element comprising a spring element for preloading the lever cam-portion to the lever.

12. The selector unit as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the lever comprises a handle portion for actuating the lever, and wherein the lever is movable in a slit of a slit element disposed between the handle portion and the lever cam-portion.

13. The selector unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the shutter cam portion comprises three cams positions forming two outer positions and a middle position for the shutter.

14. A coffee machine, comprising:
a plurality of storage containers for storing coffee beans,
a grinding mill for grinding the coffee beans, and
a selector unit as claimed in claim 1 for selectively feeding the coffee beans from the plurality of storage containers to the grinding mill.

15. A selector unit for selectively feeding beans, in particular coffee beans, from a plurality of storage containers to an outlet opening, the selector unit comprising:
a shutter associated to the outlet opening, wherein the shutter is movably mounted and movable in at least two different positions for feeding the beans from at least one selected storage container of the plurality of storage containers to the outlet opening, and
a lever for actuating the shutter in order to move the shutter in the at least two different positions, wherein the lever is movable independently from the shutter, wherein the lever comprises two actuation portions which are formed at an actuation arm of the lever, and wherein the actuation arm is fed through a recess of the shutter.

16. The selector unit as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the two actuation portions are associated to the shutter, and wherein the shutter is movable between the two actuation portions.

17. The selector unit as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the lever is formed separately from the shutter and movable with respect to the shutter.

18. A selector unit for selectively feeding beans, in particular coffee beans, from a plurality of storage containers to an outlet opening, the selector unit comprising:
a shutter associated to the outlet opening, wherein the shutter is movably mounted and movable in at least two different positions for feeding the beans from at least one selected storage container of the plurality of storage containers to the outlet opening, and wherein the shutter comprises a cam-follower engaged with a shutter cam portion for moving the shutter in the at least two different positions; and
a lever including an actuation portion associated to the shutter for actuating the shutter in order to move the shutter in the at least two different positions.

19. The selector unit as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the cam-follower comprises a spring element for preloading the cam-follower to the shutter cam portion.

20. The selector unit as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the shutter cam portion comprises three cams positions forming two outer positions and a middle position for the shutter.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Bredius Erik Paul Jozef Maria

Classifications

• A47J42/50 Primary

  Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers · CPC title