PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING A BEVERAGE UNDER CONTROLLED PRESSURE

• US 20090136639A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Tuttoespresso, Srl (Larene SRL)
• Inventors: Doglioni Majer, Luca
• Granted Patent: US 8,367,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/431
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/002 following a specific operational sequence, e.g. for improving the taste of the extraction product
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/36 with mechanical pressure-producing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3666 whereby the loading of the brewing chamber with the brewing material is performed by the user A47J31/3604 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5251 of pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5255 of flow rate

Abstract

A process of preparing a beverage from a beverage preparation chamber comprises the steps of feeding water to the preparation chamber (2) until a first pressure (P1) of at least 3 bar is reached, interrupting the flow of water to the preparation chamber, holding said preparation chamber (2) in a closed condition for a first time interval (t₁), opening said outlet (3) of the preparation chamber (2) and delivering the thus prepared beverage.

Claims

1. A process of preparing a beverage comprising the steps of feeding water to a closed beverage preparation chamber (2) to prepare a beverage, opening said chamber and dispensing the thus prepared beverage from an outlet (3) of said chamber, characterized in comprising the following steps:

feeding water to said preparation chamber (2) until a first pressure (P1) of at least 3 bar is reached,

interrupting at least once the flow of water to said preparation chamber (t_pump),

maintaining said preparation chamber (2) in a closed condition at said first pressure (P1) for at least a pressure holding time of one time length (t_pump−

t₁),

opening said outlet (3) of the preparation chamber (2) and

dispensing the thus prepared beverage.

2. The process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of resuming at least once said flow of water to the said preparation chamber (2), during or at an end of said time length (t_pump−

t₁).

3. The process according to claim 1, wherein pressure of the chamber (2) is increased at an end of said time length (t_pump−

t₁).

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein pressure of the chamber (2) is decreased at an end of said time length (t_pump−

t₁).

5. The process according ton claim 1 wherein said pressure (P1) is decreased at least once during said pressure holding time (t_pump−

t₁).

6. The process according to claim 1, wherein said first pressure (P1) is within the range of 3 to 20 bar.

7. The process according to claim 1, wherein said first pressure (P1) is within the range of 5 to 17 bar.

8. The process according to claim 1 wherein said pressure holding time (t_pump−

t₁) is within the range of 1 to 60 seconds, preferably 5 to 20 seconds.

9. A process for preparing a brewed beverage, comprising the steps of brewing the beverage in a closed beverage preparation chamber, opening said chamber and dispensing said brewed beverage, characterized in that a ratio P_open/P_disp, for which P_open is a pressure at which the beverage preparation chamber is opened and P_disp is the pressure at which the beverage is dispensed from said beverage preparation chamber, is set according to the characteristics required for the final beverage.

10. The process according to claim 9, wherein said ratio generally is within a range of 4:

1 to 1;

4.

11. The process according to claim 9, further comprising a step of interrupting flow of water to said preparation chamber.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a control means (10) to operate said interruption, resumption and opening means.

12. A beverage dispensing apparatus, comprising a beverage preparation chamber (2) including an outlet (3) and means for feeding water to said preparation chamber, characterized in further comprising means (7,15) for interrupting at least once said water flow to said preparation chamber (2) once a first pressure (P1) of at least 3 bar is reached and maintaining said first pressure (P1 for a preset pressure holding time (t_pump−

t₁), means (7,15) for resuming said water flow after said preset time interval and means for opening said chamber after said time (t_pump−

t₁) period has lapsed.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising pressure detecting means (9, 19).

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a timer.

16. The apparatus according to any claim 12, wherein said beverage preparation chamber (2) is a cartridge (2b) and said opening means is selected from a piercing element and a means of biasing a portion of the cartridge wall.

17. The apparatus according to any claim 12, wherein said beverage preparation chamber comprises at least one piston, a cylinder and a valve.

18. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an expansion means (22,23) for pressure reduction.