Beverage machine with adjustable sealing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023270276-A1
Application number	US-202118006480-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2021
Priority date	Jul 24, 2020
Publication date	Aug 31, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A machine (1) for serving a beverage (7) via a dispensing outlet (8) to a consumer receptacle (9) by mixing water (3) from a water source (3) with a flavouring ingredient (2), has a mixing unit (10) that comprises: a stationary support (11); a seat (12) having an ingredient opening (120); a closure part (13) configured to close and open the ingredient opening (120); and a wall part (14) that is movable inside the seat (12). The seat (12), the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) are: mounted to the support (11); and relatively movable between a transfer configuration and a mixing chamber configuration in which the seat (12) and the closure part (13) and the wall part (14) form a mixing chamber (12′) fluidically connected with the water source (3) The closure part (13) comprises a closure holder (131) and a peripheral sealing member (130) displaceably mounted on the holder (131) and urged away from the holder (131) against the seat (12) while the flavouring ingredient (2) is mixed with the water (3) in the mixing chamber (12′).

First claim

1 . A machine for handling a flavouring ingredient and preparing a beverage therefrom and serving said beverage via a dispensing outlet to a consumer receptacle by mixing water from a water source including a mixing unit that comprises:
a support that is stationary during said handling of said flavouring ingredient; a seat configured to receive said flavouring ingredient unwrapped before mixing with said water; a closure part configured to close and open the ingredient opening; a wall part that is movable inside the seat, the seat, the closure part and the wall part being: directly or indirectly mounted to the support; and relatively movable between: a transfer configuration for supplying said flavouring ingredient into the seat and removing such ingredient upon beverage preparation; and a mixing chamber configuration in which the seat and the closure part and the wall part form a mixing chamber fluidically connected with the water source, during beverage preparation, said flavouring ingredient being mixed with said water in the mixing chamber to form said beverage prior to serving thereof via the dispensing outlet, the closure part comprises a closure holder and a peripheral sealing member displaceably mounted on the holder and urged away from the holder against the seat.

2 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein the mixing unit comprises a closure seal which is located between the closure part and the seat when closed by the seat so that the closure seal is urged between the seat and the closure part in a direction that is substantially parallel to a direction of opening and closing the seat by the closure part.

3 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with a valve configured to release pressure from the mixing chamber when containing said flavouring ingredient prior to driving said water into the mixing chamber for mixing with the flavouring ingredient.

4 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein the seat is configured to move relatively to the support according to simultaneous and/or successive geometric translation and geometric rotation.

5 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein the mixing unit comprises said wall part actuator that is connected to the wall part by a wall part transmission.

6 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein the support and the seat are connected by a guide-rail arrangement that is stationary relative to the support and a guide-rail counter-member arrangement that is stationary relative to the seat, or vice versa.

7 . The machine of claim 6 , wherein the guide-rail arrangement has a first guide-rail section and a second guide-rail section that is different to the first guide-rail section.

8 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein the mixing unit comprises a waste ingredient remover configured to remove a waste ingredient from the ingredient opening upon beverage preparation.

9 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein,
after an introduction into the seat's ingredient opening in the transfer configuration of at least one solid portion of a self-supporting agglomerate of said flavouring ingredient and subsequent relative movement from the transfer configuration into the mixing chamber configuration and prior to serving said beverage via the dispensing outlet, said control unit is configured to control a preconditioning of the flavouring ingredient by: a portion break-up relative movement of the seat and the closure part and the wall part; and a portion loosening supply of water from a or said water source into the mixing chamber.

10 . The machine of claim 9 , wherein the control unit is configured to control via said at least one actuator said break-up relative movement between the wall part and the closure part so as to exercise a compression force onto the solid portion(s) between the closure and wall parts to break-up the solid portion(s).

11 . The machine of claim 9 , wherein the control unit, to control the preconditioning of the flavouring ingredient, controls said liquid driver.

12 . A combination of a machine for handling a flavouring ingredient and preparing a beverage therefrom and serving said beverage via a dispensing outlet to a consumer receptacle by mixing water from a water source including a mixing unit that comprises:
a support that is stationary during said handling of said flavouring ingredient; a seat configured to receive said flavouring ingredient unwrapped before mixing with said water; a closure part configured to close and open the ingredient opening; a wall part that is movable inside the seat, the seat, the closure part and the wall part being: directly or indirectly mounted to the support; and relatively movable between: a transfer configuration for supplying said flavouring ingredient into the seat and removing such ingredient upon beverage preparation; and a mixing chamber configuration in which the seat and the closure part and the wall part form a mixing chamber fluidically connected with the water source, during beverage preparation, said flavouring ingredient being mixed with said water in the mixing chamber to form said beverage prior to serving thereof via the dispensing outlet, the closure part comprises a closure holder and a peripheral sealing member displaceably mounted on the holder and urged away from the holder against the seat and a flavouring ingredient for preparing said beverage in the machine.

13 - 15 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Nestle Sa

Inventors

• Dupasquier Yan
• Gavillet Gilles
• Moser Renzo
• Thomas Christian

Classifications

• A47J31/3614 Primary

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

• A47J31/3619

  Means to remove coffee after brewing · CPC title

• A47J31/405

  with one or more infusion chambers moving successively between loading, infusing and dumping stations · CPC title