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EP-3764855-B1 - BEVERAGE MACHINE WITH A PARTLY CLOSED DISPENSING FACE

EP3764855B1EP 3764855 B1EP3764855 B1EP 3764855B1EP-3764855-B1

Inventors

  • OBLIGER, Nicolas

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20190313

Claims (15)

  1. A machine (1) for preparing a beverage from an ingredient, such as an ingredient supplied within a capsule (100) into such machine (1), comprising an extraction unit (2) that has an ingredient extraction seat (20), an inlet arrangement (21) for guiding water into the seat (20) and a dispensing arrangement (22) for guiding beverage out of the seat (20), the dispensing arrangement (22) comprising a face (220) delimiting a downstream part of the seat (20) and having a flow-through portion (221) configured such that beverage flowing out the seat (20) flows through the flow-through portion (221) towards a beverage dispensing area (1'), the face (220) further having a flow-inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c) that is at least substantially flush with the flow-through portion (221) so as to delimit the seat (20), the flow-inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c) being configured such that beverage flowing out the seat (20) is inhibited, e.g. prevented, from passing through the flow-inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c), characterised in that the flow-through portion (221) and the flow-inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c) have a surface area ratio in the range of 0.66 to 1.5, optionally the flow inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c) being immobile relative to or fixed relative to the flow-through portion (221), optionally the flow-through portion (221) being able to take different positions relative to the seat (20) so as to control a flow path of water through said ingredient when in the seat (20) depending on the position of the flow-through portion (221).
  2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the flow-through portion (221) and the flow-inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c) have a surface area ratio in the range of 0.75 to 1.33, such as about 1.
  3. The machine of claim 1 or 2, wherein the dispensing arrangement (21) has a wall (223) forming the face (220), the wall (223) having an opened or cut-away or interrupted part forming or delimiting the flow-through portion (221) and the wall having the flow-inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c), the flow inhibiting portion being formed by a closed part of the wall, the closed part being optionally: - an intrinsically closed part (222a,222b,222c) formed of a non-pervious part of the wall (223); and/or - an intrinsically open part (222) of the wall (223), e.g. provided with at least one through hole (224a), that is closed by a sealing arrangement (23a,23b) closing the open part, optionally: - the closed part being: a top part (222,222a), e.g. a n intrinsically closed top part (222a) or a intrinsically open top part (222) closed by a top sealing arrangement (23a); or a bottom part (222,222b), e.g. an intrinsically closed bottom part (222b) or an intrinsically open bottom part (222) closed by a bottom sealing arrangement (23b); or an intermediate part (222c), e.g. an intrinsically closed intermediate part (222c) or a intrinsically open intermediate part closed by a top sealing arrangement; and/or - said sealing arrangement (23a,23b) being located: upstream of the intrinsically open part, e.g. in the seat (20), and/or downstream of the closed intrinsically open part, typically as an upstream or downstream sheath or plate member or coating; and/or in openings of the intrinsically open part, typically as a filling.
  4. The machine of claim 3, wherein the wall (223) is formed by a plate-like or sheet-like member (223) that has at the flow-through portion (221) a flow-through structure formed by at least one of: one or more through holes; a reticulated structure; a foraminate structure; and a porous structure.
  5. The machine of any preceding claim, wherein the face (220) has a at least approximately disc shape, optionally the flow-inhibiting portion (222,222a,222b,222c) forming: - a circular or annular sector, e.g. generally half disc (222a,222b,222c), such as a circular or annular sector having a circle centre that is at least approximately concentric with the face's circular shape, optionally the circular or annular sector extending to a circular edge of the face's circular shape, for instance the circular or annular sector having a central angle in the range of 60 to 300°, such as 90 to 270°, for example 120 to 240°, e.g. 150 to 210°; or - a disc segment (222a,222b,222c), optionally: the disc segment having a disc centre that is at least approximately concentric with the face's shape; and/or the disc segment (222a,222b,222c) and the flow-through portion (221) having a surface area ratio that is in the range of 0.66 to 1.5, e.g. 0.75 to 1.33.
  6. The machine of any preceding claim, wherein the flow-through portion (222) has a number of flow-through holes (224): - in the range of 5 to 15, such as 7 to 13, e.g. 9 to 12; and/or - each through hole (224) having a minimum diameter transverse to a beverage outflow direction along the hole, in the range of about 0.1 to 1 mm, such as 0.3 to 0.8 mm, e.g. 0.4 to 0.6 mm.
  7. The machine of any preceding claim, wherein the extraction seat (20) is configured for receiving said ingredient capsule (100) that is provided with an outlet membrane (101), the face (220), typically the flow-through portion (221) of the face (220) and optionally its flow-inhibiting portion (222), bearing a plurality of raised elements (225) that project upstream and that are configured for forming beverage outlet orifices in the outlet membrane (101), optionally the orifices being provided in the outlet membrane by the elements (225): - before supply of water into the seat (20) via the inlet arrangement (21), e.g. the orifices being provided in the outlet membrane at insertion of the capsule into the seat; and/or - by pressure rise in the capsule (100) caused by supplying water, e.g. at a supply pressure in the range of 5 to 20 bar such as 8 to 15 bar, so as to urge the outlet membrane (101) against the plurality of raised elements (225), optionally the flow-through portion (221) being provided with one or more flow-through holes (224), such as said flow-through holes (224), the flow-through holes (224) extending from bottom ends of the raised elements (225) at the face (220).
  8. The beverage extraction unit of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the extraction seat is configured for receiving said ingredient capsule that is provided with an outlet membrane, the face being devoid of any piercing and/or cutting element for piercing and/or cutting the outlet membrane, optionally beverage outlet orifices being provided in the outlet membrane: - prior to housing the capsule in the extraction seat, e.g. when the capsule is manufactured or subsequently conditioned e.g. in such machine prior to reaching the seat; and/or - by being formed by tearing and/or breaking the membrane by pressure rise in the capsule by supply of water into the capsule, for instance to open pre-weakened parts of the membrane and/or actuate a membrane opening element comprised inside the capsule.
  9. The machine of any preceding claim, wherein the extraction seat (20) is delimited by a first part (24) and a second part (25) that are relatively movable between: - an open position for inserting said ingredient, e.g. within said capsule (100), into the extraction seat (20) and/or for removing such ingredient from the seat (20); and - a closed position for extracting in the seat (20) said ingredient, optionally the first and second parts (24,25) being relatively movable by an actuator such as by a user-handle or by an electric motor (3), e.g. an actuator connected to at least one of the first and second parts (24,25) by a transmission (4) such as one or more of gears (41), belts, cams (42) and cam-followers, levers and/or hydraulic transmissions, for instance said electric motor (3) being controlled by a control unit (10) for controlling the water supply arrangement (5), such as a unit (10) comprising a processing device e.g. a controller (11) and/or a user interface (12).
  10. The machine of claim 9, wherein the first part (24) bears the face (220) and the second part (25) bears the inlet arrangement (21).
  11. The machine of claim 9 or 10, wherein one of the first and second parts (24,25) is stationary relative to an outside machine housing (1'') and the other of the first and second parts (24,25) is movable relative to the outside machine housing (1").
  12. The machine of any preceding claim, wherein the inlet arrangement (21) is fluidically connected to a water supply arrangement (5) via a water guide (9), optionally the water supply arrangement (5) comprising at least one of: a water source (6) for supplying water to the inlet arrangement (21), such as a water tank and/or a connector to an external water supply line; a water driver (7) for driving water to the inlet arrangement (21), such as a pump; and a thermal conditioner (8), e.g. a heater and/or a cooler, for thermally conditioning water supplied or to be supplied to the inlet arrangement (21), such as a water flow thermal conditioner or a water accumulator thermal conditioner, optionally the water supply arrangement (5) being associated with a or said control unit (10) for controlling the water supply arrangement (5), such as a unit (10) comprising a processing device e.g. a controller (11) and/or a user interface (12).
  13. The machine of any preceding claim, wherein the inlet arrangement (21) is associated with a piercing or cutting arrangement (21a) configured to pierce or cut water inlet opening(s) into said ingredient capsule (100) in the ingredient extraction seat (20) so that water circulating along the inlet arrangement (21) is passed into said capsule (100) via the water inlet opening.
  14. The machine of any preceding claim, wherein the seat (20) is associated with an un-extracted ingredient insertion passage (20a), e.g. extending from outside such machine, and/or an extracted ingredient evacuation passage (20b), e.g. towards a waste ingredient collector, optionally at least one of the passages (20a,20b) being associated with guides (20c) such as rails or grooves, for cooperating with and guiding said capsule (100) along the passage to and/or from the seat (20) and/or with a stop (20d) for immobilizing said capsule (100) at about a level of the seat (20).
  15. Use of an ingredient, such as an ingredient contained in an capsule (100), for extraction in a machine (1) as defined in any preceding claim.

Description

Field of the Invention The field of the invention pertains to beverage preparation machines provided with a particular extraction arrangement, e.g. machines using capsules of an ingredient of the beverage to be prepared. For the purpose of the present description, a "beverage" is meant to include any human-consumable liquid substance, such as tea, coffee, hot or cold chocolate, milk, soup, baby food, etc... A "capsule" is meant to include any pre-portioned beverage ingredient, such as a flavoring ingredient, within an enclosing packaging of any material, in particular an airtight packaging, e.g. plastic, aluminium, recyclable and/or biodegradable packagings, and of any shape and structure, including soft pods or rigid cartridges containing the ingredient. The capsule may contain an amount of ingredient for preparing a single beverage portion or a plurality of beverage portions. Background Art The preparation of beverage by extraction of an extractible ingredient, such as a brewable ingredient e.g. roast-and-ground coffee and/or tea, in particular contained in a portioned container such as a capsule, a pod or a sachet, is well known. US 2011/297005 discloses a machine for preparing a beverage from an ingredient. EP0512468 relates to a capsule with a cup-shaped body and a tearable beverage outlet membrane. The membrane is generally a thin aluminium membrane that tears against a tearing extraction plate of a beverage extracting device such as described in EP0512470. EP0512470 relates to a system for extracting a coffee using a beverage extraction unit with a tearing extraction plate comprising multiple raised elements and channels in-between (called a "flow grille and relief surface element") which is adapted to receive a sealed capsule, to introduce water under pressure via a water injector into the capsule, to deform the outlet membrane or cover (e.g. an aluminium membrane) and to tear it under the effect of pressure of the liquid rising in the capsule to allow the beverage to be released from the capsule. EP0602203 relates to a sealed flexible sachet in the form of an individual portion adapted to be extracted under pressure containing at least one powdered substance for the preparation of a beverage such as roast-and-ground coffee; the sachet comprising two identical flexible sheets of circular, oval or polygonal shape, which provide between one another a space for the substance and are sealed over their periphery so that the sachet is substantially symmetrical with respect to its plane of sealing, the sachet being opened under the effect of the increase in pressure in the sachet when the extraction fluid is injected. EP0870457 relates to an extraction unit similar to as EP0512470, but adapted for a closed impermeable sachet containing coffee substance such as described in EP0602203. The device comprises an upper member comprising means intended to perforate the upper surface of the sachet and permit introduction of water into the sachet, a lower member which has a receptacle for accommodation of the capsule and raised and hollow portions; wherein the extraction surface of the sachet is drawn progressively and locally against the raised and hollow portions; the extraction surface tearing in multiple locations according to a path which is predetermined by the location of the raised and hollow portions and reaching its rupture tension there, in order to permit the flow of the liquid after extraction. The lower portion generally comprises flow apertures to permit the beverage to flow there-through. The raised and hollow portions are preferably under the form of truncated pyramids separated by a network of channels. Hence, handy prior art beverage extraction systems utilize an exchangeable capsule, e.g. rigid capsule, sachet or flexible pod, comprising a tearable beverage outlet membrane, e.g. a thin aluminium foil, which can be torn only when a sufficient deformation of this membrane has occured against the raised elements of the tearing plate. The tearing generally occurs at the edges of the raised elements which are generally multiple small truncated pyramids or rectilinear ridges. The tearing results in the creation of small orifices along the edges of these raised elements. These orifices are relatively small (e.g. 0.1-1.0 mm long and 0.1-0.3 mm wide) and generally the outlet membrane at least partially conforms to the top and upper side of the raised elements so reducing even more the flow opening area. As a result, the pressure drop is relatively high at this interface. Furthermore, filtering of the coffee particle occurs at this confined interface which is an advantage since no additional filter is necessary inside the capsule. This geometry of extraction therefore corresponds to what can be generally called a geometry of an extraction plate with raised elements in the present application. The flow of beverage is then collected in the channels and drained through small openings of well-defined dimensio