DELIVERY ASSEMBLY FOR MACHINES FOR PREPARING LIQUID PRODUCTS VIA CARTRIDGES

• US 20150072057A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luigi Lavazza SPA (Finlav SPA)
• Original Assignee: Luigi Lavazza SPA (Finlav SPA)
• Inventors: Bugnano, Luca, Cabilli, Alberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/431
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 3/18 Extraction of water soluble tea constituents A23F3/166 takes precedence; isolation of tea flavour or tea oil A23F3/42
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/262 the extraction liquid flows through a stationary bed of solid substances, e.g. in percolation columns
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/52 Adding ingredients adding preservatives A23L2/44
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3633 Means to perform transfer from a loading position to an infusing position
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3638 Means to eject the cartridge after brewing
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/407 with ingredient-containing cartridges; Cartridge-perforating means

Abstract

A delivery assembly for a machine for preparing liquids product by means of cartridges includes:

• • an injector device, to let water and/or steam under pressure in the cartridge,
  • an infusion chamber, facing the injector device and capable of receiving one said cartridge,
  • retention element, capable of maintaining the cartridge in a position substantially coaxial to the infusion chamber and the injector device. The retention elements comprise:
  • a support element of the cartridge, sustained in a displaceable way by the injector device in a part thereof that generally faces towards the outlet passage; and
  • guiding elements mounted in a fixed position at generally opposite side parts of the injector device, that frontally protrude from the injector device and are capable of laterally constraining the cartridge to guide it until a position substantially coaxial to the infusion chamber.

Claims

1. A delivery assembly for a machine for preparing liquids product by means of cartridges which have a substantially cup-shaped body that houses an amount of at least one substance capable of forming a liquid product through water and/or steam, the delivery assembly having a substantially horizontal axis and including

an inlet passage, to enable a cartridge to be inserted in the delivery assembly,

an injector device, to let water and/or steam under pressure in the cartridge,

an infusion chamber, facing the injector device and capable of receiving one said cartridge,

retention means, capable of maintaining the cartridge in a position substantially coaxial to the infusion chamber and the injector device,

an actuation system, capable of causing relative displacements between the injector device and the infusion chamber, between a spaced position and a close position, the infusion chamber being in a fixed position with respect to a stationary structure of the delivery assembly and the injector device being mounted displaceable with respect to the infusion chamber and the said stationary structure,

wherein the retention means are capable of assuming a retention position, in which the cartridge is retained in the said position substantially coaxial to the infusion chamber and the injector device, and a release position, in which the cartridge is free to fall towards an outlet passage of the delivery assembly,

wherein the retention means comprise

a support element for supporting the cartridge, the support element being sustained in a displaceable way by the injector device in a part thereof that generally faces towards the outlet passage, the support element being switchable from the said retention position to the said release position in the course of the displacement of the injector device towards the said close position;

and

guiding means mounted in a fixed position at generally opposite side parts of the injector device, particularly in substantially diametrically opposite positions, the guiding means frontally protruding from the injector device and being capable of laterally constraining the cartridge and guide it to said position substantially coaxial to the infusion chamber.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the guiding means comprises two generally opposite guiding elements, each guiding element having a portion of which generally faces a front of the injector device, in a gap between the said portion and the said front being receivable an annular flange of the cartridge.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the infusion chamber is defined by a corresponding body having a front edge, the body of the infusion chamber being shaped for enabling passage of the guiding means beyond said front edge, to the outside of the infusion chamber, during displacement of the injector device towards said close position.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support element is switchable from the said retention position to the said release position by means of mechanical interaction or interference thereof with respect to fixed elements of said stationary structure of the delivery assembly.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the support element is mounted on a body of the injector device to be displaceable between a forward position and a withdrawn position, to which the respective retention and release positions correspond, respectively, and wherein the support element is capable of mechanically interfering with a first stop element and a second stop element, in such a way that the passage from the said forward position to said withdrawn position is caused by the mechanical interference of a generally front region of the support element with the first stop element, in the course of an approaching movement of the injector device towards the infusion chamber, and the passage from the said withdrawn position to the said forward position is caused by the mechanical interference of a generally rear region of the support element with the second stop element, in the course of a movement of the injector device away from the infusion chamber.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the said body of the injector device and the support element comprises coupling means, capable of maintaining—

in a respective operative condition—

the support element in the said forward position in the course of said approaching movement of the injector device towards the infusion chamber, the coupling means being switchable from between the said operative condition and a respective inoperative condition following said mechanical interference between the support element and the said first stop element and second stop element.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the coupling means are snap-switchable coupling means.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support element has a bearing surface, for an annular flange of the cartridge.

9. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the guiding elements are each fixed to a connection which is borne by the injector device.

10. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the guiding elements are defined by a body of the injector device.

11. A machine for preparing liquid products via cartridges, comprising a delivery assembly according to claim 1.

12. A system for preparation of a liquid product, comprising

a machine which includes a delivery assembly (30) according to claim 1, and

a cartridge containing a dose of at least one substance capable of forming a liquid product via water and/or steam, the cartridge having a cartridge body which comprises a side wall, a bottom wall which closes the cartridge body at a first end of the side wall and an upper wall which closes the cartridge body at the second end of the side wall, wherein the side wall has an annular flange at the second end thereof,

wherein, in the use on the machine, the annular flange of the cartridge body is laterally constrained by the guiding means and sustained at the bottom by the support element of the delivery assembly.

13. A method for preparing a liquid product comprising the steps of:

providing a machine for preparation of liquid products comprising a delivery assembly (30) according to claim 1;

providing a cartridge containing a dose of at least one substance capable of forming a liquid product via water and/or steam, the cartridge having a cartridge body which comprises a side wall, a bottom wall which closes the cartridge body at a first end of the side wall and an upper wall which closes the cartridge body at the second end of the side wall, wherein the side wall has an annular flange at the second end thereof,

inserting the cartridge in the delivery assembly when the injector device is in said spaced position, in such a way that the annular flange of the cartridge body penetrates between the guiding means and a front of the injector device, to be laterally guided until an edge of the annular flanges comes to rest on the lower support element in the respective forward position;

bringing the injector device in said close position and injecting via it a fluid, such as water and/or steam, into the cartridge for preparing the liquid product, wherein during displacement of the injector device from the spaced position to the close position

the guiding means remain in a fixed position relative to the injector device, for laterally constraining the annular flange of the cartridge, and

the support element mechanically interferes with the first stop element of the stationary structure for passing in the respective withdrawn position;

discharging the liquid product from the cartridge with the injector device in said close position; and

returning the injector device in said spaced position, wherein during displacement of the injector device from the close position to the spaced position

the guiding means remains in a fixed position relative to the injector device for extracting the cartridge from the infusion chamber and subsequently enabling falling thereof towards a discharge passage of the delivery assembly, and

the support element mechanically interferes with the second stop element of the stationary structure to go back to the respective forward position.