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DE-202026000089-U1 - Mechanical functional unit for E61 brew groups for external central lubrication and stroke-controlled volume flow regulation

DE202026000089U1DE 202026000089 U1DE202026000089 U1DE 202026000089U1DE-202026000089-U1

Abstract

Mechanical functional unit for an E61 type espresso machine brewing group, comprising a camshaft (20) with an axial internal lubricant bore (22) which connects a lubricant receptacle (30) accessible on the cam side with the mechanical friction surfaces, characterized in that the lubricant receptacle (30) is designed as a redundant sealing system, wherein a fastening nut (30) closed on one side (e.g. cap nut or slotted nut) acts as a lubricant reservoir, which can be filled with lubricant before being screwed on and presses the lubricant into the lubricant bore (22) when screwed in, wherein a sealing package (31) is arranged inside the fastening nut (30) as a static seal against the brewing pressure.

Assignees

  • BAUR JOHANNES

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20260112
Priority Date
20260112

Claims (8)

  1. Mechanical functional unit for an espresso machine brewing group of type E61, comprising a camshaft (20) with an axial internal lubricant bore (22) which connects a lubricant receptacle (30) accessible on the cam side with the mechanical friction surfaces, characterized in that the lubricant receptacle (30) is designed as a redundant sealing system, wherein a fastening nut (30) closed on one side (e.g. cap nut or slotted nut) acts as a lubricant reservoir, which can be filled with lubricant before being screwed on and presses the lubricant into the lubricant bore (22) when screwed in, wherein a sealing package (31) is arranged inside the fastening nut (30) as a static seal against the brewing pressure.
  2. Functional unit according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the unit additionally comprises a volume flow control unit consisting of an inlet valve assembly (70) with a control needle (72), the effective flow cross-section of which is directly adjustable by the mechanical stroke of the camshaft (20) in a corresponding flow nozzle (80).
  3. Functional unit according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the lubricant intake (30) alternatively or additionally comprises a primary check valve (Pos. 5) and/or a secondary setscrew (Pos. 6) functioning as a pressure piston, which forms a static seal against the brewing pressure (70) at the end stop by means of a heat-resistant seal.
  4. Functional unit according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that, after removal of the fastening nut, the lubricant receptacle (30) is alternatively or additionally injected directly into the lubricant bore (22) using a mini lubricant press and sealed pressure-tight with the sealing screw (24) and sealing ring (25).
  5. Functional unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control needle (72) is dimensioned such that it remains partially within the flow nozzle (80) for permanent centering and guidance even in the maximum opening position of the camshaft (20).
  6. Functional unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the components of the wear protection unit are equipped with The thread design or thread sealant or PTFE sealing tape ensures loss-free lubricant compression when screwing in the fastening nut or setscrew (Pos. 6) and is sealed against the escape of brewing water (50).
  7. Functional unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mechanical smoothness of the volume flow control unit is permanently ensured by the continuous supply of lubricant via the wear protection unit at the contact point between camshaft (20) and intake valve assembly (70).
  8. Camshaft according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outlet channels (23) are arranged such that excess lubricant can be removed by a hydraulic flushing process within the brewing chamber (50) and advantageously also supplies subsequent valve bodies with lubricant.

Description

Technical field The invention relates to a mechanical functional unit for increasing the performance and optimizing the maintenance of E61 type brew groups. The unit integrates the functions of lubrication and flow control into a common component system, which is particularly easy to maintain for end users without in-depth technical knowledge. Problem statement Conventional E61 brew groups suffer from the continuous washing out of lubricants from the eccentric mechanism by hot water cycles. This leads to wear (pitting) and impairs the sensitive control of brewing pressure (pressure profiling). Existing relubrication solutions often require disassembly of the group. inventive solution The mechanical functional unit solves these problems through the structural combination of two subsystems: 1. The wear protection unit (central lubrication): This system allows for relubrication while installed. For this purpose, the camshaft is axially hollow-drilled (22). In a particularly user-friendly design, the original or an identical, closed-end mounting nut (30) (cap nut) serves as the lubricant reservoir. The user fills the nut with lubricant and screws it onto the camshaft. As it is screwed in, the volume is displaced and the lubricant is actively forced into the lubrication channel. A heat-resistant sealing assembly inside the nut ensures that the system seals hermetically against the internal brewing pressure at the end stop. Alternatively, a system consisting of a check valve (item 5) and/or a setscrew (item 6) can be used to ensure redundancy in the sealing and pressurization. 2. The volume flow control unit (flow profiling): Based on the mechanical smoothness of the lubricated camshaft (20), its stroke is used for flow control. A tapered control needle (72) is arranged at the intake valve (70) and extends into a flow nozzle (80). The geometry of the needle ensures permanent centering. The user directly controls the flow cross-section via the angle of the reference lever. IV. Detailed description of the invention Based on the 1 to 7 The function of the central lubrication system according to the invention and the integrated volume flow control is explained in detail. 1 This shows the initial situation on a classic E61 brew group. The standard camshaft is replaced by the hollow-drilled camshaft (20). The heart of the maintenance unit is located in 2 The camshaft (20) has an axial lubrication bore that serves as a lubricant reservoir. The lubricant is directed to the friction surfaces of the cams and the shaft guide via radial, individual lubricant outlets (23). The retaining nut forms a tight seal to the outside, with a sealing assembly reliably preventing lubricant from escaping under pressure. Alternatively or additionally, the lubricant bore (22) can be sealed pressure-tight with the plug screw (24) and sealing ring (25). In 3 A particularly advantageous embodiment of the fastening nut (30) is shown. Here, an integrated setscrew (item 6) acts as a pressure piston. By tightening the setscrew (item 6), the lubricant located in the cavity of the nut and the camshaft (20) is pressurized and actively forced through the outlets (23). This enables lubrication without the need to disassemble any further components. 4 This represents an extension in which a check valve (item 5) is integrated into the fastening nut (30), preferably in the form of a type D set screw lubrication nipple. This allows refilling of lubricant using an external mini-lubricant pump, while the set screw (item 6) or, alternatively or additionally, the lubricant bore (22) can be pressure-tightly sealed with the plug screw (24) and sealing ring (25). Alternatively or additionally, the lubricant bore (22) can be pressure-tightly sealed with the plug screw (24) and sealing ring (25). In 5 The application is illustrated with an attached mini-lubricator (item 7). This demonstrates the system's ease of servicing, as a simple contact at the lubrication bore supplies the entire system with fresh, food-grade lubricant in the required quantity within seconds. The 6 and 7 They are dedicated to the synergistic function of volume flow control. The hollow-drilled camshaft (20) and the extremely smooth operation of the mechanism ensured by central lubrication allow for highly precise control of the lift position of the intake valve assembly (70). As in 7 As can be seen in detail, the specific geometry of the cams, combined with their smooth operation, enables stepless control of the flow rate via the overflow channel (S). The magnified view (A) clearly shows how the flow rate can be manipulated between the idle position (Gicleur-active) and the full brewing position solely by the lever position ("flow profiling"), without any additional external needle valves disrupting the iconic design of the brew group. Synergy effect The simple lubrication system (the mounting nut also serves as the lubricant cap) ensures that even laypersons can perform regular maintenance. O