Method for generating a coffee beverage in a brewing device of an automatic coffee machine and automatic coffee machine for implementing the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11071308-B2
Application number	US-201615744906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 24, 2015
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A method for generating a coffee beverage in an automatic coffee machine brewing device supplies pressurized brewing water at a brewing device brewing water inlet according to a first brewing water supply mode during a first time period. During a second time period, a brewing water parameter is determined correlating with the volume flow and/or pressure of the supplied brewing water. A mode adjustment variable is set for a second brewing water supply mode using the brewing water parameter. Brewing water is supplied at the brewing water inlet during the second time period according to the second brewing water supply mode. The mode adjustment variable defines at least one continuous mode for the second brewing water supply mode, in which the brewing water is continuously supplied, and a pulse mode for the second brewing water supply mode, in which the brewing water is supplied in pulses.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for generating a coffee beverage in a brewing device ( 30 ) of an automatic coffee machine ( 10 ),
wherein the automatic coffee machine comprises:
a brewing chamber ( 36 ) for accommodating ground material, in particular ground coffee, wherein the brewing chamber ( 36 ) has a brewing water inlet ( 35 ) and a chamber outlet ( 37 );
a pump for supplying pressurized brewing water to the brewing water inlet of the brewing chamber at a pressure;
a pump control device being connected via a control signal connection to the pump for controlling the pump by means of a signal being enabled to be generated by the pump control device for controlling the pump; and
at least one measuring device, which comprises at least one of a pressure measuring device or a flow meter, the pressure measuring device being designed to capture measuring values for the pressure of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet at the brewing water inlet and the flow meter being designed to capture measuring values for a volume flow of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet and/or measuring values for a volume flow of a liquid, which escapes from the chamber outlet, wherein the at least one measuring device is configured to supply captures measuring values to the pump control device, each one of the captured measuring values being one of a measuring value captured by the pressure measuring device for the pressure of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet at the brewing water inlet or a measuring value captured by the flow meter for the volume flow of the brewing water supplied to the brewing chamber inlet or for the volume flow of a liquid, which escapes from the chamber outlet;
wherein the pump control device is configured to control the pump during a first supply time period and during a second time period, which follows the first supply time period, in such a way that the brewing water is enabled to be supplied to the brewing water inlet by means of the pump during the first supply time period according to a first brewing water supply mode and during the second supply time period according to a second brewing water supply mode;
wherein the pump is configured to be controlled by the pump control device in such a way that the pump continuously supplies the brewing water to the brewing water inlet in the first brewing water supply mode during the first supplying time period, and supplies the brewing water in the second brewing water supply mode during the second supply time period either in a continuous mode, in which the brewing water is continuously supplied to the brewing water inlet, or in a pulse mode, in which the brewing water is supplied in pulses at the brewing water inlet;
wherein the pump control device is configured to control the pump during the second supply time period as a function of at least one captured measuring value supplied by the measuring device in such a way that the pump ( 23 ) is enabled to supply the pressurized brewing water to the brewing water inlet as a function of the at least one captured measuring value either in the continuous mode or in the pulse mode according to one of the following cases e) to f):
e) if the at least one captured measuring value supplied by the measuring device is a measuring value captured by the pressure measuring device for the pressure of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet at the brewing water inlet, the pressurized brewing water is supplied in the pulse mode, when the measuring value for the pressure is larger than a predetermined or predeterminable pressure threshold value, and in the continuous mode, when the measuring value for the pressure is smaller than a predetermined or predeterminable pressure threshold value;
f) if the at least one captured measuring value supplied by the measuring device is a measuring value captured by the flow meter for the volume flow of the brewing water supplied to the brewing chamber inlet or for the volume flow of the liquid, which escapes from the chamber outlet, the pressurized brewing water is supplied in the pulse mode, when the measuring value for the volume flow is smaller than a predetermined or predeterminable volume flow threshold value, and in the continuous mode, when the measuring value for the volume flow is larger than a predetermined or predeterminable volume flow threshold value;
wherein the method comprises the following method steps:

a) during the first supply time period (ΔT 1 ): supplying pressurized brewing water at the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) according to the first brewing water supply mode, in which the brewing water is continuously supplied to the brewing water inlet ( 35 );
b) during the second supply time period (ΔT 2 ):
b1) determining a brewing water parameter, which correlates with the volume flow (Q, Q 3 ) and/or with the pressure (P, P 3 ) of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet ( 35 ), and setting a mode setting parameter for a second brewing water supply mode, by using the brewing water parameter;
b2) supplying brewing water at the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) according to the second brewing water supply mode,

wherein the mode setting parameter defines at least one continuous mode for the second brewing water supply mode, in which the brewing water is continuously supplied to the brewing water inlet ( 35 ), and a pulse mode for the second brewing water supply mode, in which the brewing water is supplied to the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) in pulses, and
wherein the setting of the mode setting parameter for the second brewing water supply mode comprises at least one selection between the continuous mode for the second brewing water supply mode and the pulse mode for the second brewing water supply mode as a function of the brewing water parameter,
wherein
the at least one selection between the continuous mode for the second brewing water supply mode and the pulse mode for the second brewing water supply mode comprises at least one of the following steps c) to d):
c) measuring a pressure (P, P 3 ) of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) at the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) and selecting the pulse mode or the continuous mode for the second brewing water supply mode as a function of the measured pressure (P, P 3 ), wherein the pulse mode is selected, when the measured pressure (P, P 3 ) at the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) exceeds a predetermined or predeterminable pressure threshold value (Pmax), and the continuous mode is selected, when the measured pressure (P, P 3 ) at the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) falls below a predetermined or predeterminable pressure threshold value (Pmin); and/or
d) measuring a volume flow (Q, Q 3 ) of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) and/or of a volume flow of a liquid, which escapes from the chamber outlet ( 37 ), and selecting the pulse mode or the continuous mode for the second brewing water supply mode as a function of the measured volume flow (Q, Q 3 ) of the brewing water supplied to the brewing chamber inlet ( 35 ) and/or the measured volume flow of the liquid, which escapes from the chamber outlet ( 37 ), wherein the pulse mode is selected, when the measured volume flow (Q, Q 3 ) of the brewing water supplied to the brewing chamber inlet ( 35 ) and/or the measured volume flow of the liquid, which escapes from the chamber outlet, falls below or fall below, respectively, a predetermined or predeterminable volume flow threshold value (Qmin), and the continuous mode is selected, when the measured volume flow (Q) of the brewing water supplied to the brewing water inlet ( 35 ) and/or the measured volume flow of the liquid, which escapes from the chamber outlet ( 37 ), exceeds or exceed, respectively, a predetermined or predeterminable volume flow threshold value (Qmax).

2. The method according to c

Assignees

• Jura Elektroapparate Ag

Inventors

• Sahli Georg
• Probst Stephan
• Buettiker Philipp
• Studer Reinhard

Classifications

• A47J31/42

  Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee {(coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08)} · CPC title

• A47J31/469

  Details of hydraulic circuits · CPC title

• A47J31/467

  for the infusion · CPC title

• A47J31/5251

  of pressure · CPC title

• A47J31/52

  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