Coffee machine

• US 20050109214A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steiner AG Weggis
• Original Assignee: Steiner AG Weggis
• Inventors: Comte, Philippe, Bruttin, Hubert
• Application Number:
  US10/989,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20050109214A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/279
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3609 Loose coffee being employed
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3623 Cartridges being employed with tape of cartridges A47J31/3652

Abstract

The invention concerns a coffee machine with a cylinder piston brewing unit (49) for the brewing of ground coffee as well as a coffee outlet head (1), from which coffee can be dispensed from the cylinder piston unit (49) as well as from a capsule brewing unit (50) for the brewing of capsules with pre-ground coffee installed within the outlet head (1). It is therefore possible to easily and simply make coffee with little mechanical effort as desired or required in the conventional way with the cylinder brewing unit (49) as well as with capsules of pre-ground coffee with an aggregate (50) especially adapted for this purpose.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. Coffee machine with a cylinder piston brewing unit (49) for the brewing of ground coffee, wherein the coffee machine is equipped with a coffee outlet head (1) from which coffee can be dispensed from the cylinder piston brewing means (49) as well as from a capsule brewing unit (50) installed within the coffee outlet head (1), for the brewing of capsules with pre-ground coffee, with milk powder, or with tea portions.

18. Coffee machine according to claim 17, wherein the coffee outlet head (1) is equipped with a switching means (33) for the optional dispensing of coffee from the cylinder piston brewing unit (49) or from the capsule brewing unit (50).

19. Coffee machine according to claim 18, wherein the coffee outlet head (1) is equipped with a common coffee outlet (30) for the cylinder piston brewing unit (49) and the capsule brewing unit (50), whereby the same can be optionally connected with one of the two brewing units (49, i.e. 50) via the switching means (33).

20. Coffee machine according to claim 18, wherein the coffee outlet head (1) incorporates one coffee outlet (30′

, i.e. 30″

) each for the cylinder piston brewing unit (49) and the capsule brewing unit (50), which can be optionally connected with one of the two brewing units (49, i.e. 50) or with both brewing units simultaneously via the switching means (33).

21. Coffee machine according to claim 18, wherein the coffee outlet head (1) can be switched from the operating position for the dispensing of brewed coffee to an operating position for the flushing of the coffee outlet head (1) with hot water or a relevant fluid via the switching means (33).

22. Coffee machine according to claim 18, wherein the coffee outlet head (1) incorporates a housing (2) with a channel block (20, 20′

, 20″

) and a tiltable lid (7) with a capsule receiver (11), whereby the channel block (20, 20′

, 20″

) consists of three co-operating block sections with connecting channels (24 to 29) to the hot water supply unit (48) as well as to the receiving space (12) of the capsule receiver (11) and to the coffee outlet (30) of the coffee outlet head (1), whereby the rear and the front block sections (20, i.e. 20″

) are fixedly installed within the housing (2), whilst the central block section (20′

) can be adjusted via the switching means (33) of the coffee outlet head (1) in relation to the two other block sections (20, i.e. 20″

).

23. Coffee machine according to claim 22, wherein the three block sections (20, 20′

, 20″

) are installed upon a centrally positioned support pin (21), which is in turn equipped with further connecting channels (31, 32) to the hot water supply unit (48) and the receiving space (12) of the capsule receiver (11).

24. Coffee machine according to claim 22, wherein the connecting channels (24, 28, 29, i.e. 31, 32) of the fixedly installed block sections (20, 20″

) and the support pin (21) can be connected with one another via the connecting channels (25, 26, 27) of the central block section (20′

) depending on the selected operating position of the coffee outlet head (1).

25. Coffee machine according to claim 22, wherein the central block section (20′

) can be adjusted via a hydraulic drive controlled by the switching means (33).

26. Coffee machine according to claim 22, wherein the capsule receiver (11) is affixed to a tiltable metal support sheet (9) of the lid (7) of the housing (2), and in that the same incorporates arresting hooks (14, 15) that can be fixed within the housing (2) as well as recesses (16, 17) corresponding with the operating positions of the coffee outlet head (1), in which a locking pin (35) affixed to the central block section (20′

) can be engaged.

27. Coffee machine according to claim 18, wherein the coffee outlet head (1) is equipped with a safety barrier (36) for locking of the metal support sheet (9) when the lid (7) is closed.

28. Coffee machine according to claim 26, wherein the safety barrier (36) is equipped with a two-part locking lever (37) whose one lever arm (37′

) is tensioned by a spring (38) whilst the other lever arm (37″

) can be pressed against an arresting hook (15) of the metal support sheet (9).

29. Coffee machine according to claim 28, wherein the locking lever (37) incorporates a recess (40) on the other lever arm (37″

), for the receiving of a locking pin (41) which co-operates with a switch (42) of the switching means (33).

30. Coffee machine according to claim 29, wherein the locking lever (37) is bearingly positioned upon a rotating rod (43) with activating levers (44, 45) at its ends, on which a ratchet segment (46) with a recess (47) is rotation-resistantly affixed for the receiving of the locking pin (41).

31. Coffee machine according to claim 18, wherein the switching means (33) is equipped with a routing valve (53) that controls the coffee outlet (30), and in that the same co-operates with a control valve (54) for the cylinder piston brewing unit (49) and a control valve (53) for the capsule brewing unit (50).

32. Coffee machine according to claim 31, wherein the switching means (33) is further equipped with a control valve (56) for a water vapour dispensing unit (51) and/or a control valve (57) for a tea dispensing unit (52).