Machine for Percolating a Beverage from Powdered Material in a Container

• US 20080041234A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Virginio Cortese
• Original Assignee: Virginio Cortese
• Inventors: Cortese, Virginio
• Application Number:
  US11/597,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/290
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0673 Means to perforate the cartridge for creating the beverage outlet
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3628 Perforating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3633 Means to perform transfer from a loading position to an infusing position

Abstract

A machine for percolating a beverage from a powdered material in a container, the machine having a sprinkler located along a horizontal first axis; and a percolating member, which has two opposite percolating cups for housing respective containers, and is mounted to rotate about a horizontal second axis, crosswise to the first axis and movable therealong, to selectively position each percolating cup in a first loading position in which the percolating cup faces vertically upwards, in a second position coaxial with and facing the sprinkler, and in a third unloading position in which the percolating cup faces downwards.

Claims

1. A machine for percolating a beverage from powdered material in a container (2), the machine (1) comprising pressurized-hot-water dispensing means (4) having a first axis (3), which is a horizontal axis;

a percolating member (16) facing the hot-water dispensing means (4) and comprising two opposite percolating cups (17) for housing respective said containers (2);

first actuating means (10) for moving the pressurized-hot-water dispensing means (4) along the first horizontal axis (3) and to and from a fluidtight engaged position with the percolating member (16) to define a percolating chamber (25) therewith;

second actuating means (31, 32) for rotating the percolating member (16) about a second axis (24), which is a horizontal axis perpendicular to the first axis (3), so as to selectively position each percolating cup (17) in a first loading position in which said percolating cup (17) faces vertically upwards, in a second position in which said percolating cup (17) is coaxial with the first axis (3) and can be set to said fluidtight engaged position, and in a third unloading position in which said percolating cup (17) faces downwards; and

discharge means (23, 41) communicating with the percolating chamber (25) to expel said beverage;

the machine (1) being characterized in that the second axis (24) is movable with the percolating member (16) along the first axis (3) to and from a work position;

push means (31) being provided for moving the percolating member (16) along the first horizontal axis (3).

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said push means (31) form part of the second actuating means (31, 32), which further comprise retaining means (32) for engaging the percolating member (16) to rotate it about the second axis (24) when the second axis (24) is moved along the first axis (3) by the push means (31).

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second actuating means (31, 32) are designed to rotate the percolating member (16) about the second axis (24) always in the same rotation direction.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pressurized-hot-water dispensing means (4) comprise an output sprinkler (11);

and the first actuating means (10) are fitted to the sprinkler (11) to move the sprinkler (11) along the first axis (3) and to and from said fluidtight engaged position engaging a said percolating cup (17) arranged in said second position on the percolating member (16) arranged in said work position.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first actuating means (10) are hydraulic actuating means.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first actuating means (10) are located in series with the sprinkler (11), receive said pressurized hot water, and communicate with the sprinkler (11);

a calibrated one-way valve (12) being interposed between the first actuating means (10) and the sprinkler (11).

7. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein, in addition to the sprinkler (11), said pressurized-hot-water dispensing means (4) comprise a hydraulic cylinder (10), in turn comprising a movable member (60) movable along the first axis (3), and a fixed member (58), which between them define a variable-volume chamber (65);

a boiler (5) communicating with said variable-volume chamber (65); and

a calibrated one-way valve (12) interposed between said variable-volume chamber (65) and the sprinkler (11), which is supported by the movable member (60);

the hydraulic cylinder (10) moving the sprinkler (11) to and from said fluidtight engaged position engaging a said percolating cup (17) in said second position.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein said push means (31) cause the percolating member (16) to perform a succession of operating cycles, each of which comprises a forward movement into said work position, and a return movement into a withdrawn rest position;

said retaining means (32) being linked to the push means (31) to rotate the percolating member (16) ninety degrees about the second axis (24) and in said rotation direction in response to performance of each said movement by the percolating member (16), so that, by the end of a said operating cycle, a said percolating cup (17) formerly in said first position is set to said third position.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 7, and comprising a frame (26), in turn comprising guide means (30) for guiding the percolating member (16) to and from said work position.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the percolating member (16) comprises a shaft (29) located between said percolating cups (17) and coaxial with the second axis (24);

said guide means (30) extending parallel to said first axis (3), and being engaged in rotary and transversely-sliding manner by said shaft (29).

11. A machine as claimed in claim 2, and comprising a frame (26) supporting said percolating member (16), which comprises a shaft (29) located between said percolating cups (17), coaxial with the second axis (24), and fitted in rotary and transversely-sliding manner to the frame (26);

said retaining means (32) comprising a tipping device (46a, 46b) fitted to said shaft (29), and contrasting means (48, 49) carried by the frame (26) and engaged by the tipping device (46a, 46b), during each said movement, to rotate the percolating member (16) ninety degrees about the second axis (24) and in said rotation direction.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein said tipping device (46a, 46b) comprises two first pins (47) parallel to the second axis (24), integral with said shaft (29), located symmetrically with respect to the shaft (29), and each associated with a relative said percolating cup (17);

and two second pins (47) parallel to the second axis (24), integral with said shaft (29), located symmetrically with respect to the shaft (29), and each associated with a relative said percolating cup (17); and

said contrasting means (48, 49) comprise a first and a second elastically deformable tooth (54, 57) carried by said frame (26);

said first tooth (54) being located along a path traveled, during said forward movement, by that of said first pins (47) associated with the percolating cup (17) initially in the first position; and

said second tooth (57) being located along a path traveled, during said return movement, by that of said second pins (47) associated with the percolating cup (17) in the second position at the start of the return movement.

13. A machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein said push means (31) comprise a crank mechanism (31) supported by said frame (26) and in turn comprising a crank (33) fitted to the frame (26) to oscillate, with respect to the frame (26), about a third axis (36) parallel to the second axis (24), and a connecting rod (40) interposed between the crank (33) and said shaft (29);

the connecting rod (40) being set to a dead centre position aligned with the crank (33) along the first axis (3), when the percolating member (16) is in the work position.

14. A machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein said push means (31) also comprise a hand-operated lever (37) extending from said third axis (36) and integral with said crank (33).

15. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge means (23, 41) comprise, for each said percolating cup (17), a discharge conduit (23) formed in said percolating member (16) and for discharging said beverage.

16. A machine as claimed in claims 13, wherein said discharge means (23, 41) also comprise an outlet manifold device (42) integral with said connecting rod (40), and which, when said connecting rod (40) is in said dead centre position, cooperates in fluidtight manner with an outlet of the discharge conduit (23) of that of the percolating cups (17) which is in the fluidtight engaged position, to expel said beverage.

17. A machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the percolating member (16) comprises an intermediate body (19) interposed between the two percolating cups (17), the discharge conduit (23) of each percolating cup (17) being formed through said intermediate body (19).

18. A machine as claimed in claim 1, and for making a beverage from a sealed container (2) containing a powdered material and defined by a cup-shaped body comprising an end wall (67) and closed by a sealing wall (69);

the machine (1) comprising piercing means (72, 74) for penetrating a sealed said container (2), housed inside a respective percolating cup (17), through said sealing wall (69) and said end wall (67).

19. A machine as claimed in claim 18, wherein said piercing means (72, 74) comprise a first piercing device (72) having needles (73) and carried by said pressurized-hot-water dispensing means (4) to feed pressurized hot water through said sealing wall (69);

and a second piercing device (74) having needles (76) and housed inside each percolating cup (17) to extract said beverage from a relative said container (2) through said end wall (67).

20. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sprinkler (11) is fitted movably to said movable member (60) to move, along the first axis (3), between an extracted position covering the needles (73) of the first piercing device (72), and a withdrawn position in which the needles (73) project outwards of the sprinkler (11).