Beverage machine with ergonomic power switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11344149-B2
Application number	US-201816617686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2017
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A machine ( 1 ) for preparing and dispensing a beverage includes a beverage preparation and dispensing unit that has: an ingredient container ( 46, 50, 50 a ); a dispensing head ( 35 ) with a beverage outlet ( 36 ) for dispensing the beverage to a beverage dispensing surface ( 5, 37 ); and a liquid circuit for processing the beverage and delivering such beverage into the beverage outlet ( 36 ). The liquid circuit has at least one activatable unit ( 40, 51, 52 ) that is passed through by liquid during beverage preparation. The machine further includes: a power unit ( 54 ′) connected to a main switch ( 54 ) and to the activatable unit(s) ( 40, 51, 52 ); and a functional part that is configured to perform a function other than actuating the main switch ( 54 ) and that has a beverage preparing and dispensing position and that is movable into a different position in which no beverage is intended to be prepared or dispensed. The functional part ( 40, 35 ) is further configured to operate, when moved to the dispensing position or to the different position, the main switch ( 54 ) so as to enable or disable the supply of power from the power unit ( 54 ′) to the activatable unit(s) ( 40, 51, 52 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine for preparing and dispensing a beverage comprising:
a beverage preparation and dispensing unit that has:
an ingredient container;
a dispensing head comprising a beverage outlet for dispensing the beverage to a beverage dispensing surface arranged for supporting a user-mug or a user-cup; and
a liquid circuit for processing the beverage and delivering such beverage into the beverage outlet, the liquid circuit comprising at least one activatable unit that is passed through by liquid during beverage preparation;
a power unit connected to a main switch and to the at least one activatable unit, the supply of power from the power unit to the at least one activatable unit being interrupted by actuating the main switch;
a functional part that is configured to perform a function other than actuating the main switch and that has a beverage preparing and dispensing position and that is movable into a different position in which no beverage is intended to be prepared or dispensed; and
the functional part is further configured to operate, when moved to the dispensing position or to the different position, the main switch so as to enable or disable the supply of power from the power unit to the at least one activatable unit.

2. The machine of claim 1 , comprising an outside housing having one or more outside faces, and wherein the functional part is movable outwards out of the outside housing into a deployed operative position and inwards into the outside housing into a retracted storage position.

3. The machine of claim 2 , wherein the functional part comprises the dispensing head and wherein in the deployed operative position a beverage is dispensible via the outlet to the beverage dispensing surface.

4. The machine of claim 3 , wherein the dispensing head is configured so that it can be:
maintained in:
the deployed operative position whether the activatable unit(s) is activated or maintained activated or deactivated or maintained deactivated; and/or
the retracted storage position whether the activatable unit(s) is activated or maintained activated or deactivated or maintained deactivated;
and/or
movable:
manually by a user from the deployed operative position to the retracted storage position; and/or
automatically, from the deployed operative position to the retracted storage position and vice versa.

5. The machine of claim 2 , wherein the functional part comprises a user-interface device movable from:
the deployed operative position that is adjacent to an outside face of the one or more outside faces of the outside housing so that the device is accessible by a user for controlling the beverage preparation and dispensing unit to prepare and dispense said beverage; and
to the retracted storage position in the outside housing so that the device is inaccessible to a user for operating such machine.

6. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the user-interface device:
bears one or more interface elements relating to operations of a control unit of the machine other than activities of the power unit; and/or
has in its deployed operative position a main outside face that is flush with the housing outside face that is adjacent to the user-interface device.

7. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the user-interface device is movable from its deployed operative position into its retracted storage position and vice versa along a first direction and a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction.

8. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the power unit has a connector to an external power supply, and an internal power accumulator, for powering to prepare and dispense the beverage when such machine is not powered via the connector.

9. The machine of claim 1 , comprising a docking station and a module disconnectably connected to the docking station, the docking station and the module comprising at least one element selected from the group consisting of:
a station ingredient supply and a module liquid connector connectable to the station ingredient supply; and
a station connector to an external power supply,
the module comprising an arrangement for preparing and dispensing the beverage.

10. The machine of claim 9 , wherein the station ingredient supply is a water tank.

11. The machine of claim 1 comprising one or more movable placement members for placing the machine onto a flat external support surface in an orientation for preparing the beverage in the liquid circuit and delivering such beverage via the beverage outlet to the beverage dispensing surface, the movable placement member(s) having:
a deployed placement position for increasing a stability and/or safely placing the machine on the external support surface in an orientation for preparing and dispensing the beverage; and
a retracted rest position within the outside housing or collapsed against the outside housing for:
reducing a size of such machine; and/or
providing a configuration suitable for placing the module onto a docking station of the machine and connecting the module to the docking station.

12. The machine of claim 11 , wherein in the orientation:
the placement member in the deployed placement position extends laterally beyond a housing outside face that extends upright above the placement member;
the machine comprising:
an overall height extending from a bottom end of the deployed placement member to a top end of the machine; and
an overall distance spacing the housing outside face extending upright above the placement member and the facing housing outside face,
such that a ratio of the overall height/overall distance is of at least 1.3.

13. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the machine has a stationary placement member for placing the machine onto a flat external support surface.

14. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the ingredient processing unit has an ingredient holder forming an ingredient seat.

15. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the dispensing surface is formed by:
an external placement support for placing such machine in position for preparing and dispensing said beverage; and
a user-recipient support device of the machine.

Assignees

• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Byun Da Mi
• Guyon Bertrand
• Magatti Marco
• Meyer Eric
• Obliger Nicolas

Classifications

• A47J31/46

  Dispensing spouts, pumps, drain valves or like liquid transporting devices · CPC title

• A47J31/4403 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title