Device for sensing a capsule in a beverage production apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9255819-B2
Application number	US-201414450900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2014
Priority date	Jul 19, 2010
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

The invention aims to provide a device sensing a capsule inserted in a receptacle in machine and physical parameters of liquid supplied by a beverage production apparatus flowing through the capsule in function of the type of capsule. The capsule containing beverage ingredient is inserted in a cylindrical or conical wide mouthed receptacle having an upper opening for inserting the capsule and a lower bottom closing the receptacle. The receptacle rotates around an axis of a hollow shaft attached at the center and perpendicularly to the external face of the bottom of the receptacle, said shaft forming a hole at the center of the inner face of the bottom of the receptacle. The device comprises a rod sliding in the shaft and passing through the hole of the inner face of the bottom of the receptacle, said rod being provided with a spring maintaining an end of the rod lifted inside the receptacle in contact with the capsule, the other end being inside the shaft. The device further comprising means for measuring the position of the end of the rod in the shaft, in order to control, in function of the size of the capsule inserted in the receptacle, rotation speed of the receptacle, discharge and physical parameters of liquid supplied by the beverage production apparatus flowing through the capsule.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for sensing a capsule containing a beverage ingredient in a beverage production apparatus, the device comprising:
a receptacle configured to receive the capsule;
a sensing member configured to sense the presence of different sizes of capsules in the receptacle, the sensing member comprises a movable component configured to move between positions that correspond to the different sizes of the capsule, and the movable component is positioned at least partially within the receptacle in at least one of the positions; and
a coding member at least partially located on the movable component, and configured to detect a position of the movable component and provide different codes based on the position of the movable component, the different codes each correspond to one of the different sizes of capsules sensed by the sensing member.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the coding member provides the different codes based on a distance that the movable component extends into the receptacle.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the movable component is positioned at least partially within a shaft that rotates the receptacle.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the sensing member comprises magnetic sensors arranged along the shaft, and the coding member provides the different codes based on opening and closing of switches in the magnetic sensors.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the movable component slides on a central axis of the receptacle, and the sensing member comprises an optical sensor comprising a light source that emits a light beam toward the central axis.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the optical sensor comprises light sensors, and the coding member provides the different codes based on the light sensors activated by the light beam.

7. A beverage production apparatus comprising a device for sensing a capsule containing a beverage ingredient in the beverage production apparatus, the device comprising:
a receptacle configured to receive the capsule;
a sensing member configured to sense the presence of different sizes of capsules in the receptacle, the sensing member comprises a movable component configured to move between positions that correspond to the different sizes of the capsule, and the movable component is positioned at least partially within the receptacle in at least one of the positions; and
a coding member at least partially located on the movable component, and configured to detect a position of the movable component and provide different codes based on the position of the movable component, the different codes each correspond to one of the different sizes of capsules sensed by the sensing member.

8. The beverage production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the coding member provides the different codes based on a distance that the movable component of the sensing member extends into the receptacle.

9. The beverage production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sensing member comprises magnetic sensors, and the coding member provides the different codes based on opening and closing of switches in the magnetic sensors by the movable component.

10. The beverage production apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the movable component is at least partially positioned on a central axis of the receptacle, and the sensing member comprises an optical sensor comprising a light source that emits a light beam toward the central axis.

11. The beverage production apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical sensor comprises light sensors, and the coding member provides the different codes based on the light sensors blocked or unblocked by the movable component.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Jarisch Christian
• Kaeser Stefan
• Perentes Alexandre

Classifications

• A47J31/525

  the electronic control being based on monitoring of specific process parameters · CPC title

• G01D5/14

  influencing the magnitude of a current or voltage · CPC title

• A47J31/369

  Impermeable cartridges being employed · 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

• G01B11/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00) · CPC title