INTEGRATED HEATER FOR A BEVERAGE PREPARATION DEVICE

• US 20100282090A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Kollep, Alexandre, Moser, Renzo, Etter, Stefan, Preisig, Peter, Hodel, Thomas, Gavillet, Gilles, Schwab, Robin, Möri, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/288
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/36 with mechanical pressure-producing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/542 Continuous-flow heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/545 Control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/58 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/142 using electric energy supply
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/128 Preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/219 after heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/238 Flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/25 Temperature of the heat-generating means in the heater
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/335 Control of pumps, e.g. on-off control control of compressors of heat pumps F24H15/38
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/37 of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/407 using electrical switching, e.g. TRIAC
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2028 Continuous-flow heaters
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/728 Coupling devices without an insulating housing provided on the edge of the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/111 co-operating with pins having a circular transverse section

Abstract

An integrated in-line heater for a liquid food or beverage preparation machine, in which liquid is circulated through the heater and then guided into a brewing chamber for brewing a food or beverage ingredient, for instance within a pod or capsule, supplied into the brewing chamber. An upstream part of the brewing chamber may be formed by the heater. One or more electric components may be incorporated into the heater and rigidly connected to a printed circuit board. The heater may have a tubular inner core that is eccentric with respect to a tubular or prismatic outer member which form together a helicoidal heating chamber of variable cross-section.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An in-line heater for a liquid food or beverage preparation machine, in which machine liquid is circulated through the heater and then guided into a brewing chamber for brewing a food or beverage ingredient supplied into the brewing chamber, with the heater comprising:

a body incorporating an inlet, an outlet and a heating chamber extending therebetween, with the inlet, outlet and heating chamber forming together a rigid passage for guiding the liquid circulating through the body, with the body having an outer face arranged to delimit an upstream part of the brewing chamber, with the rigid passage of the body extending into the brewing chamber; and

heating means cooperating with the body for supplying heat into the chamber.

22. The heater of claim 21, wherein the heating means comprises resistive heating means that includes a film and the outer face includes one or more protruding walls to delimit the upstream part of a brewing chamber;

or connecting means for mechanical connection to a member delimiting a downstream part of the brewing chamber.

23. The heater of claim 21, wherein the body comprises a generally tubular or prismatic outer member that is covered with the heating means in the form of a generally tubular or prismatic outer member having a thermal inertia that is lower than aluminum, the generally tubular or prismatic outer member having optionally a base that forms the outer face of the body.

24. The heater of claim 23, wherein the body further includes an inner core or insert that delimits with the outer member the heating member, the inner core being optionally generally coextensive or generally concentric with respect to the tubular or prismatic outer member.

25. The heater of claim 24, wherein the heating chamber is a generally helicoidal chamber around the core, formed by a generally, helicoidal groove or flange around the core.

26. The heater of claim 24, wherein the inner core is generally eccentric with respect to the tubular or prismatic outer member.

27. The heater of claim 21, wherein one or more electric components are secured on or in the body of the heater, the electric components being temperature sensors, thermal fuses, flow meters, resistive heaters, ammeters or electric power regulators.

28. The heater of claim 27, wherein the one or more electric components are rigidly connected to a printed circuit board arranged to control the heater and optionally further functions, such as a pump or an electric interface, of a beverage preparation machine arranged to contain the heater.

33. A liquid food or beverage preparation machine comprising a heater as defined in claim 21, by brewing a food or beverage ingredient that may optionally be contained in capsule or a pod.

34. The machine of claim 33, comprising:

an electric supply circuit connectable to an electric power source;

a heater powered by the electric supply circuit; and

a thermal fuse device in thermal communication with the heater and associated with the electric supply circuit, the fuse device being arranged to interrupt the electric supply circuit from the power source when the heater exceeds a temperature limit,

wherein the thermal fuse device is reversible and comprises a switch for automatically interrupting the electric supply circuit when the heater exceeds the temperature limit, the switch being operable by a user to close the electric supply circuit when the heater has a temperature that has returned below the temperature limit, the fuse device comprising an actuator that is arranged to push out a pin, rod or piston against the user switch when the temperature limit is exceeded by the heater so as to actuate the user switch and open the circuit.

35. The machine of claim 34, wherein the fuse device has an actuator that comprises a thermo-mechanical component that is in thermal communication with the heater and that mechanically actuates the user switch to open the electric supply circuit when the heater exceeds the temperature limit, the thermo-mechanical component comprising a shape memory element or a bimetal element.

36. The machine of claim 34, wherein the fuse device comprises a safety electric temperature sensor in thermal communication with the heater and an electromechanical actuator that actuates the user switch to open the electric supply circuit when the safety sensor is exposed to a temperature generated by the heater which exceeds the temperature limit.

37. The machine of claim 36, which comprises a printed circuit board having a control unit for controlling the heater and optionally further functions a pump or electric interface of such machine, wherein the printed circuit board further includes a safety circuit that is electrically separated on the printed circuit board from the control circuit, with the safety circuit connected to the safety sensor and arranged to control the electromechanical actuator.

38. The machine of claim 34, which comprises a printed circuit board with a control unit for controlling the heater and optionally further functions a pump or an electric interface of such machine, and wherein at least one of the actuator, the user switch and, when present, the safety sensor, is rigidly connected to the printed circuit board, optionally on a part thereof that is electrically insulated from the control unit.

29. An in-line heater for a liquid food or beverage preparation machine, in which machine liquid is circulated through the heater and then guided into a brewing chamber for brewing a food or beverage ingredient supplied into the brewing chamber, with the heater comprising:

a body incorporating an inlet, an outlet and a heating chamber extending therebetween, the inlet, outlet and heating chamber forming together a rigid passage for guiding the liquid circulating through the body;

one or more electric components forming resistive heating means that are secured on or in the body and connected to a printed circuit board arranged to control the heater and optionally further functions of the liquid food or beverage preparation machine,

wherein the one or more electric components are rigidly connected to the printed circuit board via rigid connector pins or blades or rigid plug and socket members.

30. The heater of claim 29, wherein the one or more electric components comprises one or more of sensors, thermal fuses or electric power components, or comprises a power component in the form of a film which is rigidly connected via a rigid electric power pin and a rigid power connector that has a socket for receiving the rigid electric pin, the rigid connector being resilient and made of one or more spring blades, to allow displacements of the socket for self-positioning the socket around the pin and to secure electric contact between the pin and the connector.

31. An in-line heater for a liquid food or beverage preparation machine, in which machine liquid is circulated through the heater and then guided into a brewing chamber for brewing a food or beverage ingredient supplied into the brewing chamber, with the heater comprising:

a body having a generally tubular or prismatic outer member and an inner core that is generally coextensive with respect to the tubular or prismatic outer member, the tubular or prismatic outer member and the inner core delimiting together a generally helicoidal heating chamber extending therebetween and around the inner core; and

heating means covering the tubular or prismatic outer member for supplying heat into the heating chamber,

wherein the inner core is eccentric with respect to the tubular or prismatic outer member so that the helicoidal heating chamber has variable cross-section around the inner core.

32. The heater of claim 31, wherein the heating means comprises resistive heating means that includes a film and wherein the tubular or prismatic outer member has a thermal inertia that is lower than aluminum.