APPARATUS FOR PREPARING BEVERAGES
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Various forms of apparatus (1) for preparing and dispensing beverages, preferably based on coffee, can receive instructions from a customer and deliver the beverage automatically. The apparatus is preferably capable of fully automatic cleaning in a cleaning cycle in which a cleaning agent is flushed through the lines (62, 64), and the apparatus is preferably arranged to ensure that not only are the lines cleaned properly but that no cleaning agent can be dispensed. The apparatus includes a brewer assembly (78) having a chamber (81) in which freshly ground coffee can be introduced and either espresso or filter coffee can be automatically prepared by passing hot water through the chamber and removing the spent coffee grounds. The coffee may be stored as coffee beans in sealed containers (208) that can automatically be pierced to release the beans which are ground immediately before preparation of the beverage. The apparatus also includes a cup-size detector (921) for ensuring that the customer offers a cup to the apparatus that is of a size appropriate to the beverage selected.
157 Citations
96 Claims
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1-71. -71. (canceled)
- 72. Apparatus for preparing and dispensing beverages which is adapted to operate in an operating mode in which it can receive instructions from a user to prepare and dispense a beverage, and to operate in a cleaning mode in which parts thereof are automatically cleaned and in which it cannot dispense a beverage, wherein the apparatus is operative to switch automatically from the operating mode to the cleaning mode in response to a predetermined event.
- 74. Apparatus for preparing beverages, which includes a device for storing or preparing a liquid component of the beverage and delivering the component to a beverage dispenser along a line, the apparatus including a storage location for storing one or more cleaning agents for cleaning the line, a device for introducing a predetermined quantity of the or each cleaning agent into the line, and for introducing a quantity of water into the line after introduction of the cleaning agent, in order to rinse the line of cleaning agent, the apparatus including a control mechanism to prevent introduction of the cleaning agent into the line when a beverage is being prepared and dispensed, and to prevent preparation and dispensing of a beverage while the line is being cleaned.
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75. Apparatus for preparing and dispensing beverages that contain a perishable component from a dispenser, which comprises:
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i) a line for the perishable component that is required to be cleaned by means of a cleaning agent; ii) a perishable component meter for determining the quantity of perishable component that is dispensed in a beverage; iii) means for introducing a quantity of cleaning agent into the line, passing it through the line and removing it from the line during a cleaning operation; and iv) a cleaning agent meter for determining the quantity of cleaning agent that is introduced in the line; wherein the quantity of cleaning agent that is introduced into the line is also determined by the perishable component meter, and the apparatus is operative to prevent dispensing of a beverage and/or to generate an alert in the event of a discrepancy between determinations by the perishable component meter and the cleaning agent meter during the cleaning operation. - View Dependent Claims (76, 79)
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- 84. Apparatus for preparing and dispensing beverages that include milk, which includes a refrigerated chamber for storing at least one milk container, a milk line for allowing milk to be taken from the container and passed to a dispensing arrangement, and means for cleaning the milk circuit along at least a part thereof that is not refrigerated, wherein the milk line comprises a refrigerated line that is located within the refrigerated chamber, and a second line that can be cleaned and which located outside the refrigerated chamber, the refrigerated line and the second line being spaced apart from one to allow cleaning of the milk circuit while allowing milk to remain in the container.
- 88. Apparatus for preparing foamed milk beverages, which includes an arrangement for foaming milk by introducing milk, air and steam into a mixing chamber, the apparatus having a device for independently varying the relative flow rate of the milk, air and steam.
Specification