Dispenser

• US 4,829,889 A
• Filed: 05/27/1988
• Issued: 05/16/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Coffee Incorporated, Nitto Kohki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Key Coffee Incorporated, Nitto Kohki Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Toshio, Nozawa, Nobuyuki, Takanaka, Akira, Nishikiori, Masanori, Takeuchi, Hirosato
• Primary Examiner(s): Jenkins, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US07/199,786
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 99/279, 99/285, 99/289 R, 99/289 T, 99/289 D, 99/289 P, 99/292, 99/294, 99/295, 99/297, 99/299, 99/300, 99/302 R, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/289.00P
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0668 specially adapted for cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3633 Means to perform transfer from a loading position to an infusing position
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3642 Cartridge magazines therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8043 Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents B65D85/808 takes precedence; filters or reusable cartridges for coffee or tea makers, not used as packages A47J31/06

Abstract

A dispenser includes a cartridge moving mechanism and a hopper. The cartridge moving mechanism moves between a cartridge receiving position and an extracting position and between the extracting position and a cartridge exhaust position. The hopper has a dropping unit and is disposed immediately above the cartridge receiving position. The dropping unit serves to drop a cartridge consisting of a fluid-impermeable outer frame and a filters. A space defined between the filters and the outer frame and contains a powdery or granular material to be extracted. An extracting mechanism of the dispenser has an upper extracting head, and a lower extracting head including an extracting tank. The upper extracting head is provided above the extracting position and has an extracting chamber. The extracting tank is provided below the extracting position to face the upper extracting head, and another extracting chamber is formed in the extracting tank. The lower extracting head has a heater for heating the extracting tank and a liquid heating passage communicating with the extracting chamber. The dispenser effectively obtains an extract from the material of the cartridge by dripping.

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising:

a cartridge moving mechanism for moving between a cartridge receiving position and an extracting position, and between said extracting position and a cartridge exhaust position provided within a horizontal plane;

a hopper arranged immediately above said cartridge receiving position and having a dropping unit for dropping a cartridge, said cartridge comprising a liquid-impermeable outer frame and a filter provided in said outer frame and containing a powdery or granular material; and

an extracting mechanism comprising an upper extracting head provided above said extracting position and having a first extracting chamber, and a lower extracting head having an extracting tank provided below said extracting position so as to face said upper extracting head and having a second extracting chamber formed therein, a heating unit for heating said extracting tank and liquid heating passage means communicating with said second extracting chamber.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising drive means for sequentially moving said cartridge moving mechanism from said cartridge receiving position to the extracting position and then to the cartridge exhaust position, and for stopping said cartridge moving mechanism at said cartridge receiving position, said extracting position and said cartridge exhaust position for a predetermined period of time.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, further comprising opening/closing means for approaching said upper and lower extracting heads to each other and separating the same from each other such that, when said upper and lower extracting heads approach each other, said upper and lower extracting heads clamp said cartridge which has been conveyed to said extracting position.

4. A dispenser according to claim 3, further comprising a liquid metering mechanism connected to said liquid heating passage means of said lower extracting head for metering and storing a predetermine amount of a liquid.

5. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein said liquid heating passage means comprises a passage surrounding said second extracting chamber, said passage having one end connected to said liquid metering mechanism and the other end communicating with said second extracting chamber.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said liquid heating passage means is a spiral flow passage.

7. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein an said extracting tank of said lower extracting head has an outer peripheral wall comprising heating fin means, and said heating passage means is formed in said heating fin means.

8. A dispenser according to claim 7, wherein said heating fin means comprises a spiral fin, and said heating passage means comprises a spiral flow passage formed in and along said fin.

9. A dispenser according to claim 4, comprising a first valve connected to said first extracting chamber and said extracting tank for selectively connecting said first extracting chamber and said extracting tank with and disconnecting the same from the atmosphere, and a second valve connected to a pressurized gas source and cooperating with said first valve for selectively supplying a liquid in said liquid metering mechanism to said fluid heating passage means, a pressurized gas from said pressurized gas source to said fluid heating passage means and a pressurized gas from said pressurized gas source to an interior of said first extracting chamber.

10. A dispenser according to claim 9, wherein said second valve comprises a first forced drive three-way valve having an inlet port connected to said pressurized gas source, a first outlet port and a second outlet port, and a second forced drive three-way valve having an inlet port connected to said first outlet port of said first forced drive three-way valve, a third outlet port and a fourth outlet port connected to said liquid heating passage means;

and

said first valve comprises a first balance three-way valve having an inlet port connected to said second outlet port, a first inlet/outlet port communicating with said first extracting chamber of said upper extracting head, and a fifth outlet port communicating with the atmosphere, and a second balance three-way valve having an inlet port connected to said third outlet port, a second inlet/outlet port connected to said liquid heating passage means, and a sixth outlet port connected to the atmosphere.

11. A dispenser according to claim 9, wherein said first valve comprises a first forced drive three-way valve having an inlet port connected to said pressurized gas source, a first outlet port connected to said liquid metering mechanism, and a second outlet port connected to said first extracting chamber, and said second valve comprises a second forced drive three-way valve having a first inlet/outlet port connected to said first extracting chamber, a second inlet/outlet port connected to said liquid metering mechanism, and a second outlet port selectively connected to said first and second inlet/outlet ports and is thus connected to the atmosphere.

12. A dispenser according to claim 3, wherein said lower extracting head comprises an exhaust port formed in a bottom of said second extracting chamber of said extracting tank, valve means provided in said second extracting chamber and urged by said upper extracting head to close said exhaust port when said upper and lower extracting heads approach each other, and biasing means for normally biasing said valve means so as to separate said valve means from said exhaust port.

13. A dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said valve means comprises a valve portion urged against said exhaust port to close said exhaust port, an inverted frustoconical-shaped funnel portion extending from said valve portion toward said upper extracting head in said second extracting chamber and having an interior communicating with said second extracting chamber through a communication hole formed in a lateral side thereof, and a flexible flange portion formed on an upper end of said funnel portion to surround said funnel portion and fixed to an upper end of said upper extracting head.

14. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge moving mechanism has a horizontal rotary disc having notches at said extracting position and said cartridge exhaust position, and a rotary disc coaxially supported on said fixed horizontal cartridge support disc and having notch-like cartridge holding portions for receiving said cartridge from said hopper.

15. A dispenser according to claim 14, wherein said cartridge has a circular shape, and said cartridge holding portion comprises a seizing portion having a semi-circular shape directed in one circumferential direction of said horizontal rotary disc, a guiding portion having a semi-circular shape directed in the other circumferential direction of said horizontal rotary disc and separated from said seizing portion in said other circumferential direction, and retaining portions having a substantially triangular shape defined by an outer periphery of said horizontal rotary disc and outer portions of said seizing portion and said guiding portions, said seizing portion and said guiding portion being complementary to said cartridge.

16. A dispenser according to claim 15, wherein said cartridge holding portion are arranged circumferentially equidistantly in said horizontal rotary disc;

and said hopper, said extracting position and said cartridge exhaust position are vertically aligned with a corresponding cartridge holding portions when one of said cartridge holding portions is located immediately under said hopper.

17. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said cartridge moving mechanism comprises:

a tray which is horizontally swingable between said cartridge exhaust position and said extracting position and has a hollow cartridge holding portion formed at a central portion thereof;

a ring which surrounds said cartridge holding portion so as to be rotatable in opposite circumferential directions of said ring and is provided with not less than three windows separated from each other in the circumferential direction, each of said windows having two opposed ends in the circumferential direction;

pawl levers provided at the same intervals as those of said windows in the circumferential direction of said ring to surround said cartridge holding portion, said pawl levers being supported by said tray so as to be horizontally rotated;

biasing means for normally biasing said pawl levers toward said cartridge holding portion; and

ring rotating means for rotating said ring such that said pawl levers are aligned with said corresponding windows when said tray is pivoted in said cartridge holding portion, such that said pawl levers are retracted from said cartridge holding portion by means of the respective ends of said corresponding windows when said tray is pivoted to locate said cartridge storing portion at said cartridge exhaust position.

18. A dispenser according to claim 17, wherein said ring rotating means comprises a vertical pin fixed to said ring, an operation plate having a step engaged with said vertical pin to urge said vertical pin when said tray is pivoted from said cartridge exhaust position to said extracting position, and biasing means provided between said tray and said ring for biasing said ring in a direction such that the corresponding ends of said windows normally cause said pawl levers to retract from said cartridge holding portion.

19. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said hopper comprises a case body and releasing means, said case body having a transparent hollow cylinder containing the stacked thin cartridges having the same size and cartridge holding means provided at a lower end of said cylindrical body for holding said cartridges in said cylindrical body, said releasing means comprising said dropping means for releasing said cartridge holding means from holding said cartridge.

20. A dispenser according to claim 19, wherein said cartridge holding means comprises an elastic annular member having a portion cut out so as to be normally contracted, and said releasing means is provided above the cartridge receiving position and having a wedge which is inserted in the cut-out portion of said annular member to drop said cartridge when said case wedge is inserted in said cut-out portion to open said annular member.

21. A dispenser according to claim 19, wherein said cylinder has a lower inner surface which is recessed deeper than an inner surface of a remaining portion, said cartridge holding means comprises at least one cartridge holding piece that can be projected in an interior of said cylinder, and said releasing means comprises an eccentric cam supported on said cylinder for urging said cartridge holding piece toward said interior of said cylinder or releasing said cartridge holding piece in accordance with rotation of said eccentric cam, and a cam lever connected to said eccentric cam for rotating the same.