BEVERAGE BREWING UNIT

• US 20100288132A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 11/18/2010
• 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: MOSER, Renzo, KOLLEP, Alexandre, MORI, Peter, GAVILLET, Gilles
• Granted Patent: US 8,479,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/295
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/369 Impermeable cartridges being employed
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/407 with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means

Abstract

A beverage machine having a beverage brewing unit for receiving a single-serve capsule and including a capsule holding assembly for holding a capsule in a position during insertion by gravity of the capsule in the brewing unit; and a water injection assembly for at least partially enclosing the capsule and providing water in the capsule. The capsule holding part forms a front part of the unit and is mounted to the capsule injection assembly in a manner to be displaceable along a substantially horizontal path whereas the water injection assembly is located in a rear fixed part of the unit. The beverage machine has an outermost casing. One of these brewing unit assemblies can be moved or telescoped out or through this casing for inserting/removing the ingredient capsule and retracted into the outermost casing for bringing the brewing unit into its capsule extraction configuration.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A beverage machine having an outermost casing and a brewing unit that comprises a first assembly and a second assembly cooperating together, each assembly delimiting part of a brewing chamber for containing an ingredient capsule therein during brewing, with at least one of the assemblies being:

movable away from the cooperating assembly into an open position within the machine for forming between the assemblies a passage for inserting into or removing from the brewing unit the ingredient capsule; and

movable to the cooperating assembly into a closed position for forming the brewing chamber,

wherein the at least one of the assemblies is movable along a straight direction from the closed position to the open position and vice versa, such as movable along a straight direction in translation or helicoidally, whereby the at least one of the assemblies is/are movable outwards from the outermost casing and movable inwards into the outermost casing between the open and closed positions in a telescopic manner.

25. The beverage machine of claim 24, which has an overall width, height and length, at least one of which is increased by moving the at least one of the assemblies outwards from the outermost casing and which is reduced by moving the at least one of the assemblies inwards into the outermost casing

26. The beverage machine of claim 24, wherein the first assembly is fixed relatively to the outermost casing, and the second assembly is movable, or vice versa.

27. The beverage machine of claim 24, wherein the at least one of the assemblies is movable against and away from the cooperating assembly along a substantially horizontal direction in and out of a front part of the machine.

28. The beverage machine of claim 24, which further comprises capsule opening means located in the brewing chamber and arranged to open the capsule by penetration thereof in the straight direction when the capsule is urged against the capsule opening means.

29. The beverage machine of claim 24, which further comprises a lever for moving the at least one of the assemblies against and away from the cooperating assembly.

30. The beverage machine of claim 29, wherein one of the assemblies has an outer part that is arranged to be hand-held for being driven directly by hand to and from the cooperating assembly, inwards and outwards the outermost casing, with the one of the assemblies being optionally arranged as a spring loaded push assembly.

31. The beverage machine of claim 24, wherein the at least one of the assemblies that is/are movable outwards from and inwards into the outermost casing has an outer face which, in the closed position of the assemblies, is substantially adjacent and coplanar with an outer face of the outermost casing.

32. The beverage machine of claim 24, wherein the brewing unit is associated with retaining means for retaining the ingredient capsule between the assemblies when in their open position, the retaining means being optionally part of or movable with the at least one of the assemblies that is/are movable outwards from and inwards into the outermost casing.

46. A combination of a beverage machine according to claim 24 and a single-serve capsule, wherein the capsule comprises a cup and a closing membrane which is sealed on the cup for forming a gastight enclosure containing ground coffee.

33. A beverage machine comprising:

a brewing unit which can be opened for introducing or removing an ingredient capsule, and closed for brewing the ingredient;

a passage that has an opening and that is arranged for guiding the ingredient capsule from the passage opening into the brewing unit; and

a closing part for closing the passage opening when the brewing unit is closed,

wherein the closing part is relatively movable over the passage opening in a generally parallel relative movement thereto from

an open relative position in which the ingredient capsule can be passed into the brewing unit via the passage;

to

a closed relative position, in which the passage opening is closed by the closure member,

the closing part optionally extending over edges of the passage opening.

34. The beverage machine of claim 33, wherein the closing part is relatively movable slidably and in a direction generally transverse to a direction of the passage along which direction the ingredient capsules are guided to the brewing unit.

35. The beverage machine of claim 33, wherein the closing part has a generally plate-like shape that is arranged flat over the passage opening and relatively movable thereto, the machine having a casing having a part that forms the closing part.

36. The beverage machine of claim 33, wherein the brewing unit comprises a first assembly and a second assembly cooperating together, at least one of the assemblies being:

movable away from the cooperating assembly into an open position within the machine for forming between the assemblies at least part of the passage; and

movable to the cooperating assembly into a closed position for forming the brewing chamber,

the closing part being optionally directly or indirectly fixed with the cooperating assembly.

37. A beverage brewing unit comprising:

a capsule holding assembly for holding a capsule in a position during insertion by gravity of the capsule in the brewing unit; and

a water injection assembly for at least partially enclosing the capsule and providing water in the capsule,

wherein the capsule holding assembly forms a front part of the unit and is mounted to the water injection assembly in a manner to be displaceable along a substantially horizontal path whereas the water injection assembly is a rear fixed part of the unit.

38. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 37, wherein the capsule holding assembly is mounted along connection means on the water injection assembly that provides a rearward displacement of the capsule holding assembly, the connection means comprising a combination of at least a pair of pins that engage at least a pair of slots, the pair of pins being optionally part of the water injection assembly whereas the pair of slots is part of the capsule holding assembly.

39. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 37, wherein the pair of slots is arranged to provide a linear path of the capsule holding assembly relative to the water injection assembly, such beverage brewing device optionally comprising a lever for displacing the capsule holding assembly towards the water injection assembly.

40. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 38, wherein the pair of slots is arranged to provide a spiral path of the capsule holding assembly relative to the water injection assembly.

41. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 37, wherein the capsule holding assembly has an outer part that is arranged to be hand-held for being driven directly by hand to and from the injection assembly, the holding assembly comprising a protruding beverage duct serving as gripping means.

42. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 37, wherein the capsule holding assembly comprises means for opening a beverage delivery foil member of the capsule, the opening means comprising a plate with a series of puncturing reliefs for puncturing the foil member of the capsule and collecting channels for the beverage.

43. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 37, wherein the capsule holding assembly comprises a beverage duct.

44. The beverage brewing unit according to claim 37, wherein the capsule holding assembly comprises a capsule holding element with a passage for the capsule.

45. A beverage machine comprising a brewing unit according to claim 37.