US-20260123784-A1 - BEVERAGE PREPARATION MACHINE

US20260123784A1US 20260123784 A1US20260123784 A1US 20260123784A1US-20260123784-A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage from a beverage ingredient pod, said machine comprising: —an extraction device comprising upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts (1, 2) relatively movable, —a liquid supply system, —a motor (10) to actuate the movement of at least one of the upstream and downstream container enclosing parts (1, 2), wherein the liquid supply system comprises: —a first peristaltic valve (741) to enable the supply of the common connector with water either from a cold tube or from a hot tube, —a second peristaltic valve (742) to enable the supply of a first tube or a second tube with water, and wherein the machine comprises mechanical triggers attached to at least one of the movable pod enclosing parts, said triggers being designed and positioned so as to close or open water paths in the tubes (751, 752, 771, 772) and pod paths according to the movement of at least one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts (1, 2) during the sequence of preparation of a beverage from the pod.

Inventors

Didier Vuagniaux
Alexandre Kollep
Olivier Paillard
RETO MARKUS ZÜRCHER
Andreas Staub
ANDREAS STRAUMANN

Assignees

Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20231003
Priority Date: 20221004

Claims (13)

1 . A beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage from a beverage ingredient pod, the machine comprising: an extraction device for extracting a beverage ingredient by supplying an extraction liquid into the pod, the extraction device comprising: upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts relatively movable between an open position for inserting and/or ejecting the pod and a closed position for forming an extraction chamber enclosing the pod during extraction, the upstream pod enclosing part defining a cage and bearing: an upstream piercing arrangement for opening a bottom wall of the pod, and a liquid injector, the downstream pod enclosing part comprising a downstream piercing arrangement for opening a lid of the pod, the downstream pod enclosing part further comprising a beverage outlet for dispensing extracted beverage, a liquid supply system connected to the upstream enclosing part, the liquid supply system comprising: a liquid supply, a pump to drive liquid from the liquid supply, a heater to adapt a temperature of the liquid, a motor to actuate movement of at least one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts between the opened position and the closed position; and a control system configured to control actuation of the motor, wherein the liquid supply system comprises: a cold tube to supply cold pumped water from the pump, and a hot tube to supply pumped hot water from the heater, the said cold tube and the said hot tube supplying a common connector with water, a first peristaltic valve to enable supply of the common connector with water either from the cold tube or from the hot tube, a first tube to supply water to the liquid injector, and a second tube to supply water to an in-cup beverage dispensing area, the common connector supplying the first and second tubes with the water, a second peristaltic valve to enable supply of the first tube or the second tube with water dispensed through the common connector, and wherein the machine comprises mechanical triggers attached to at least one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts, the triggers designed and positioned to close or open water paths in the hot and cold tubes and the first and second tubes and pod paths in the extraction device according to the movement of at least one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts during preparation of the beverage from the pod.
2 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein: the downstream pod enclosing part ( 1 ) is fixed, and the upstream pod enclosing part ( 2 ) is translatable along a longitudinal axis (XX′) between a fully opened position and a closed position, and the control system of the motor is configured to position the upstream pod enclosing part ( 2 ) in at least one intermediate position between the fully open position and the closed position.
3 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 2 , wherein the machine comprises a pod trigger attached to the upstream pod enclosing part, the pod trigger designed and positioned relatively to the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts: to receive and hold the pod above the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts when the upstream pod enclosing part is positioned in a pod holding intermediate position, to release the pod when the upstream pod enclosing part is positioned in the fully opened position.
4 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a recognition device configured to recognise the pod by contact of the recognition device with a surface of the pod, and wherein the machine comprises a trigger for recognition attached to the upstream pod enclosing part, the trigger for recognition designed and positioned to push the pod to the recognition device when the upstream pod enclosing part is positioned in a pod recognition intermediate position.
5 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a pod holder, the pod holder attached to the downstream pod enclosing part, and the pod holder movable between: a receiving position for receiving and holding the pod in front of the downstream piercing arrangement when the pod is inserted, and a retracted position at lateral sides of the downstream piercing arrangement when the pod is ejected, and wherein the machine comprises a trigger for the pod holder, the said trigger for the pod holder being attached to the upstream pod enclosing part and designed and positioned to release the pod holder from the retracted position to the receiving position when the upstream pod enclosing part is moved to a pod holder release intermediate position.
6 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a trigger for the second peristaltic valve, the trigger attached to the upstream pod enclosing part, and the trigger designed and positioned relatively to the downstream pod enclosing part and the second peristaltic valve: to open the first tube to supply water to the liquid injector when the upstream pod enclosing part is positioned in the closed position, to open the second tube to supply water to the in-cup beverage dispensing area when the upstream pod enclosing part is positioned in an americano intermediate position.
7 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 6 , wherein the trigger for the second peristaltic valve is designed to open the first tube to supply water to the liquid injector while the upstream pod enclosing part is being moved from the first pod holding position to a downstream position.
8 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 2 , wherein: the first peristaltic valve comprises an actuator movable between at least two positions, wherein, in one cold position of the said actuator, water is supplied from the cold tube, and in another hot position of the said actuator, water is supplied from the hot tube, and the said machine comprises a trigger for the actuator of the first peristaltic valve, the trigger attached to the upstream pod enclosing part, and the trigger designed and positioned relatively to the second enclosing part and to the actuator: to move the actuator to the hot position when the upstream pod enclosing part is moving downstream from the fully opened position, to move the actuator to the cold position when the upstream pod enclosing part is moving upstream from the hot position to the fully opened position.
9 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 2 , wherein: the upstream pod enclosing part is driven by the motor, and the machine comprises a rotary encoder cooperating with a shaft of the motor, and the control system controls the motor dependent on the signals provided by the rotary encoder.
10 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 9 , wherein the rotary encoder is initialized when the upstream enclosing part reaches the fully opened position, and the fully opened position is detected by measure of the current of motor.
11 . The beverage preparation machine according to any one of the precedent claim 1 , wherein, at rest: the first peristaltic valve ( 741 ) is positioned so that the hot tube ( 751 ) is not pinched, and the second peristaltic valve ( 742 ) is positioned so that each of the first tube and the second tube are half-pinched.
12 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured to actuate the movement of the at least one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts through translation of the upstream enclosing part to the downstream pod enclosing part between the opened position and the closed position.
13 . The beverage preparation machine according to claim 1 , comprising a gear mechanism by which the upstream pod enclosing part is driven by the motor.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a machine preparing beverage from single dose containers. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION WO2020089404 describes a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage upon interaction of ingredients provided in the capsule with liquid supplied thereto. The machine comprises an extraction device comprising a first enclosing member and a second cooperating enclosing member designed for being moved relatively to each other. The first enclosing member is equipped with capsule opening and injection means for opening a first inlet face of a capsule and inject liquid into the capsule. The first and second enclosing members are designed for being brought into at least a first capsule insertion position for inserting a capsule between the enclosing members and a second capsule enclosing position in which the opening and injection means engage the liquid inlet face of the capsule. The movement of the first and second enclosing member can be controlled by an electrical motor. Within this type of machine, liquid injected in the capsule is supplied by a liquid supply system. Usually, this system comprises a liquid supply, a pump and a heater. Depending on the types of beverage offered by machine, this liquid supply system can comprise additional valves such as one first valve to provide either hot liquid or cold liquid and a second valve to dispense the fluid to the first enclosing member of the extraction device or directly to a drinking cup for the preparation of beverages requiring a last dilution of the extracted beverage (like Americano coffee). These two valves are usually electrically controlled valves which increase greatly the global cost of the machine. Consequently, a fully automatised beverage machine preparing a beverage from a motorized capsule extraction device and able to provide either hot or cold liquid preparation and to dispense liquid to the extraction device is particularly expensive due to the requirement of several motors. An object of the invention is to address the above drawbacks and to provide a low cost machine providing all the automatic functions with one motor only. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided a beverage preparation machine for preparing a beverage from a beverage ingredient pod, said machine comprising: a device for extracting a beverage ingredient by supplying an extraction liquid, such as hot water, into the pod, said extraction device comprising: upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts relatively movable between an open position for inserting and/or ejecting the pod and a closed position for forming an extraction chamber enclosing the pod during extraction,the upstream part defining a cage and bearing: an upstream piercing arrangement for opening a bottom wall of the pod, anda liquid injector, the downstream part comprising a downstream plane piercing arrangement for opening a lid of the pod and a beverage outlet for dispensing extracted beverage, a liquid supply system connected to the upstream enclosing part, said liquid supply system comprising: a liquid supply,pumping means to drive liquid from the liquid supply,heating means to adapt the temperature of the liquid, a motor to actuate the movement of at least one of the upstream and downstream container enclosing parts, preferably through the translation of the upstream enclosing part to the fixed downstream enclosing part, between the opened position and the closed position, and a control system configured to control the actuation of said motor, wherein the liquid supply system comprises: a cold tube to supply cold or ambient pumped water from the pumping means and a hot tube to supply pumped hot water from the heating means, said cold tube and said hot tube supplying a common connector with water,a first tube to supply water to the liquid injector and a second tube to supply water to an in-cup beverage dispensing area, the common connector supplying said first and said second tubes with water,a first peristaltic valve to enable the supply of the common connector with water either from the cold tube or from the hot tube,a second peristaltic valve to enable the supply of the first tube or the second tube with water dispensed through the common connector, and wherein the machine comprises mechanical triggers attached to at least one of the movable pod enclosing parts, said triggers being designed and positioned so as to close or open water paths in the tubes and pod paths in the extraction device according to the movement of at least one of the upstream and downstream pod enclosing parts during the sequence of preparation of a beverage from the pod (identification, enclosing and piercing, injecting hot water, ejecting the pod). The extraction device of the system is typically comprised in a beverage preparation machine configured for receiving pods. Preferably it is a coffee machine, though the machine ca