Assembly for feeding prepackaged coffee portions to a brewing unit of a coffee machine

• US 6,240,832 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2000
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Fianara International BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schmed, Arthur, Züllig, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, Reginald L.
• Application Number:
  US09/552,367
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 992/89.P, 992/89.D, 992/89.R, 992/89.T, 992/95, 992/90, 993/02.P, 221/209, 221/277, 221/150.A, 221/87, 221/121
• US Class Current: 99/289.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3623 Cartridges being employed with tape of cartridges A47J31/3652
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3628 Perforating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3642 Cartridge magazines therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4492 Means to read code provided on ingredient pod or cartridge

Abstract

An assembly for feeding packed portions of coffee powder to a brewing unit is provided by the present invention. That assembly has a brewing chamber and a magazine adapted to receive the coffee portion to be brewed. The magazine is rotatable and adapted to receive a plurality of cartridges, each containing a coffee portion. Further, there is provided a device for individually feeding the coffee portions into the brewing unit.

Claims

1. An assembly for feeding packed portions of coffee powder to a brewing unit means having a brewing chamber means, comprising

a magazine means adapted to receive the coffee portion means to be brewed, said magazine means being rotatable and adapted to receive a plurality of cartridge means each containing coffee portion means;

and

means for individually feeding said coffee portion means into said brewing unit means.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said magazine means is located on a turntable means, said turntable means being rotatable in such a way that selectively one of said cartridge means can be positioned vertically above said brewing chamber means when said brewing chamber means of said brewing unit is in its initial or rest position.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said means for individually feeding said coffee portion means into said brewing unit means comprises latch means adapted to hold the coffee portion to be subsequently released and further adapted to release said coffee portion upon a controlled operation.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 in which said latch means are rotatable and have to end means comprising a rest surface means adapted to hold and support, respectively, a coffee portion, such that, by rotating said latch means, the supported lowermost coffee portion is released and the subsequent coffee portion is supported.

5. An assembly according to claim 1 in which a drawer unit means is provided between said magazine means adapted to receive the coffee portion means to be brewed and said brewing unit means that is adapted to receive an individual coffee portion.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 in which said drawer unit means is provided with holding means for vertically supporting said coffee portions, whereby said holding means release the coffee portion once said drawer means is fully pushed in, such that this coffee portion falls into said brewing chamber means of said brewing unit means.

7. An assembly according to claims 1 in which there is provided an electromagnet means that is operatively coupled to said latch means by a lever mechanism means to actuate said latch means.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 in which said lever mechanism means comprises a rotatably arranged rocking lever means that is connected, on the one side, with said electromagnet means and on the other side with vertically extending actuating rod means, whereby said actuating rod means are operationally coupled to said latch means such that the latter ones pivot around a pivot point when said electromagnet means is actuated and, thereby, release the lowermost coffee portion and simultaneously support the subsequent coffee portion.

9. An assembly according to claim 1 in which at least one sensor means is provided for electronically recognizing the brand of the coffee portion received in said cartridge means.

10. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said brewing unit means comprises a brewing chamber means pivotable between a rest position and an operating position as well as stationary closure piston means.

11. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said closure piston means is provided with a plurality of protrusion means adapted to perforate coffee portions received in said brewing chamber means as well as with a plurality of bores for passing the brewed coffee beverage.

12. An assembly according to claim 10 in which there is provided a push rod means towering above the bottom of said brewing chamber means, said push rod means being movable with regard to said brewing chamber means and having a hollow sting means located at its front, said sting means provided with radially extending bores for leading hot brewing water into the coffee portion.

13. An assembly according to claim 12 in which said push rod means is adapted to push out the used coffee portions.

14. An assembly according to claim 1 in which individual coffee portions are received in a packaging serving as said cartridge member.