Coffee machine

• US 5,153,016 A
• Filed: 02/14/1991
• Issued: 10/06/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WMF Wã¼Rttembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG
• Original Assignee: WMF Wã¼Rttembergische Metallwarenfabrik AG
• Inventors: Gockelmann, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hook, James F.
• Application Number:
  US07/655,331
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 99/289 R, 99/289 P, 99/289 T, 99/295, 99/297, 99/300, 99/302 R, 99/302 P, 99/304, 99/307, 426/433
• US Class Current: 426/433
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/057 with water container separated from beverage container, the hot water passing the filter only once i.e. classical type of drip coffee makers
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3619 Means to remove coffee after brewing

Abstract

A coffee machine (1) with a brewing apparatus (7) is described which has a brewing chamber (9) and a piston (37) being movable to and fro herein. One of the front sides of the brewing chamber (9) contains an opening (44) which is cleared by a closing element (8) in one of its positions (I) for apportioning coffee powder and is closed in another position (II). A stripper (48) is provided for stripping off and ejecting the used up coffee grounds. In order to constructionally simplify such a coffee machine and to make it operatively more reliable and more robust, it is suggested to move the closing element (8) only relative to the brewing chamber in a plane extending in parallel to the opening (44) and to couple the stripper (48) to the closing element (8) in its movement.

Claims

1. A coffee making machine for making coffee by extracting coffee powder comprising:

brewing means which contains a brewing chamber having an upper opening formed by a cylindrical side wall, said upper opening being disposed in a substantially horizontal plane;

a piston being movable up and down within said brewing chamber and having an upwardly facing brewing strainer, said piston being adapted to move said brewing strainer into a position flush with said plane;

a closing member being adapted to be moved within said plane into a first position, a second position and a third position, said closing member in said first position being located on one side of said brewing chamber releasing said opening for apportioning coffee powder into said brewing chamber, said closing member in said second position closing said opening and said closing member in said third position being located on a substantially opposite side of said brewing chamber with respect to said first position; and

stripper means being adapted to be moved together with said closing element and positioned to be leading with respect to said closing element when said closing element is moved from said third position toward said first position for stripping off and ejecting said extracted coffee powder after a brewing procedure, said stripper means being located outside said opening in said first, second and third positions of said closing element, said stripper means being adapted to move across said opening when said brewing chamber contains extracted coffee powder to be ejected.

2. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the stripper is fastened to one side of the closing element.

3. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein a guide means for the coffee powder to be apportioned is disposed at a side of the closing element not facing the stripper.

4. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the stripper has a shape adapted to the shape of the circumference of the opening of the brewing chamber.

5. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein a seal for sealing the piston against the circumferential wall is provided around said brewing strainer, the seal being flush with said plane.

6. The coffee machine according to claim 5, wherein the seal is a lip seal extending outwardly at a slant angle and obliquely in the direction of the brewing chamber.

7. The coffee machine according to claim 1, the machine further comprising gear means for driving said closing element, said piston, and said stripper, wherein the gear means includes a disk for controlling the positions of the piston and of the closing element relative to the brewing chamber and rotatably driven about an axis of rotation, said disk having a continuous groove, and a driving pin affixed outside the axis of rotation, said gear means further including a first and second rocker each movable in pendulum fashion, the first rocker being provided with another driving pin which engages said continuous groove in the disk and the second rocker having a slide guide for said driving pin affixed to the disk outside the axis of rotation.

8. The coffee machine according to claim 7, wherein the first rocker is in driving connection with the piston and the second rocker is in driving connection with the closing element.

9. The coffee machine according to claim 7, wherein the piston includes a support and a linearly moveable guide plate firmly connected therewith, and wherein the first rocker is connected to said linearly movable guide plate.

10. The coffee machine according to claim 7 wherein said closing element includes a guide, and wherein the second rocker is provided with a driving pin which engages in said guide on the closing element.

11. A method of brewing coffee by extracting coffee powder in a coffee making machine having a brewing means including a brewing chamber which has an upper opening within a substantially horizontal plane, a piston having a brewing strainer forming its upper surface which is to be moved up and down in said chamber, a closing element for opening and closing said upper opening, and a stripper means for ejecting extracted coffee powder, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning said closing element and said stripper means in a first position at one side of said brewing chamber for releasing said opening;

apportioning said coffee powder into said brewing chamber through said opening after said piston has been moved down;

moving said closing element within said plane into a second position for closing said opening;

brewing said coffee by extracting said coffee powder;

moving said closing element and said stripper means within said plane into a third position on the side of said brewing chamber opposite said first position;

moving said piston upwardly until said brewing strainer is flush with said plane; and

moving said closing element and said stripper means to said first position on said one side of said brewing chamber with said stripper means leading with respect to said closing element for stripping off and ejecting said extracted coffee powder, said stripper means remaining substantially on said one side of said brewing chamber until further coffee powder has been apportioned.

12. A coffee making machine comprising:

a brewing chamber having an upper opening formed by a cylindrical wall, said upper opening being in a substantially horizontal plane;

a piston movable up and down within said brewing chamber;

a closing member movable within said plane; and

stripper means movable together with said closing member,

the machine further comprising motor drive means including gear means for driving said piston, said closing member and said stripper means, said gear means including a disk controlling the movements of said piston, said stripper means and said closing element relative to said brewing chamber, said disk having a continuous groove, an axis of rotation and a driving pin affixed to said disc outside said axis of rotation, said disk being rotatable about said axis of rotation, said gear means further containing a first and a second rocker movable in pendulum fashion, said first rocker being provided with another driving pin which engages said continuous groove in said disk, and said second rocker having a slide guide engaged by said driving pin, said first rocker being in driving connection with said piston and said second rocker being in driving connection with said closing element and said stripper means.

13. The coffee making machine according to claim 12 wherein said stripper means is positioned to be leading during stripping movement with said closing element.