Espresso coffee machine

• US 7,827,905 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Espressocap Srl (Intro Continental Investments BV)
• Original Assignee: Espressocap Srl (Intro Continental Investments BV)
• Inventors: Bardazzi, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinrich; Samuel M
• Application Number:
  US12/036,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20080141865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 99279-323, 99275-277, 993/49, 994/95, 993/57, 210/473, 210/477, 222/325
• US Class Current: 99/289.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/368 Permeable cartridges being employed

Abstract

Taught is an espresso coffee machine comprising a supply unit (101) supplying hot water; and filter-holder means (2, 102) for containing a pre-packaged measure (3) of coffee powder; said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102) being sealingly engaged with each other along a path of the engaging movement, said path of the engaging movement lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102), the surfaces of said unit (101) supplying said filter-holder means (2, 102) coming into contact only upon engagement of the latter; and an ejection member (401) arranged in the vicinity of the periphery of said supply unit (101) and projecting perpendicularly with respect to the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102).

Claims

1. An espresso coffee machine comprising a supply unit (101) supplying hot water;

and filter-holder means (2, 102) for containing a pre-packaged measure (3) of coffee powder;

said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102) being sealingly engaged with each other along a path of engaging movement, said path of engaging movement lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to a middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102), surfaces of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102) coming into contact only when said filter holder means engages said supply unit; and

an ejection member (401) arranged in a vicinity of a periphery of said supply unit (101) and projecting perpendicularly with respect to the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102), said ejection member (401) being provided at its free end with means (421) co-operating with an outwardly lying edge (103) of said pre-packaged capsule (3) projecting outwards from said filter-holder means (2, 102), so as to cause ejection thereof upon separation of the filter-holder means (2, 102) from said supply unit (101).

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein said ejection member comprises an arm (401) which is resiliently stressed (431), connected at one end to the wall (1) of said machine in the vicinity of said supply unit (101) and provided at the opposite end with means (421) for engaging with the peripheral edge (103) of said pre-packaged capsule (3).

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (102) is perpendicular to the base plane of the body of the machine.

4. The machine of claim 1, wherein said filter-holder means comprise a closing flap (2) hinged at one end with the body (1, 301) of said machine, the opposite end being provided with releasable engaging means (302, 402) intended to engage with suitable engaging means (501, 511) provided on the wall of the body of said machine.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein said filter-holder means comprises a filter holder (102) comprising a substantially cylindrical cavity (122) and an external side wall (112) tapered towards the outwardly lying edge of said cavity (122).

6. The machine of claim 1, wherein said releasable engaging means of said closing flap comprises a latch (302) provided at one end with an engaging tooth (312) and pivoting centrally with respect to a pin (512) integral with said closing flap (2) and at the opposite end with respect to a pin (412) integral with an actuating lever (402).

7. The machine of claim 6, wherein said latch (302) is provided with resilient stressing means (602) connected to said closing flap (2).

8. The machine of claim 3, wherein the zone situated underneath said supply unit (101) is provided with a through-gap for discharging a used capsule (37), communicating with a receiving container (10) arranged extractably in said machine.

9. An espresso coffee machine comprising a unit (101) supplying hot water, and filter-holder means (2, 102) able to contain a pre-packaged measure (3) of coffee powder, said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102) being sealingly engaged with each other and the path of engaging movement lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to a middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102), surfaces of said unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102) coming into contact only when said filter holder means engages said supply unit, in which said filter-holder means comprise a closing flap (2) hinged at one end with the body (1, 301) of said machine, an opposite end being provided with releasable engaging means (302, 402) intended to engage with suitable engaging means (501, 511) provided on a wall of the body of said machine, wherein said machine comprises an ejection member (401) arranged in a vicinity of a periphery of said supply unit (101) and projecting perpendicularly with respect to the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (2, 102), said ejection member (401) being provided at its free end with means (421) able to co-operate with the outwardly lying edge (103) of said pre-packaged capsule (3) projecting outwards from said filter-holder means (2, 102), so as to cause ejection thereof upon separation of the said filter-holder means (2, 102) from said supply unit (101).

10. The machine according to claim 9, in which said ejection member comprises an arm (401) which is resiliently stressed (431), connected at one end to the wall (1) of said machine in the vicinity of said supply unit (101) and provided at the opposite end with means (421) for engaging with the peripheral edge (103) of said pre-packaged capsule (3).

11. The machine according to claim 9, in which the middle plane of engagement of said supply unit (101) and said filter-holder means (102) is perpendicular to the base plane of the body of the machine.

12. The machine according to claim 9, in which said filter-holder means comprise a filter holder (102) comprising a substantially cylindrical cavity (122) and an external side wall (112) tapered towards the outwardly lying edge of said cavity (122).

13. The machine according to claim 9, in which said releasable engaging means of said closing flap comprise a latch (302) provided at one end with an engaging tooth (312) and pivoting centrally with respect to a pin (512) integral with said closing flap (2) and at the opposite end with respect to a pin (412) integral with an actuating lever (402).

14. The machine according to claim 9, in which said latch (302) is provided with resilient stressing means (602) connected to said closing flap (2).

15. The machine according to claim 9, in which the zone situated underneath said supply unit (101) is provided with a through-gap for discharging a used capsule (3), communicating with a receiving container (10) arranged extractably in said machine.

16. An espresso coffee machine comprising:

a wall;

a unit for supplying hot water, said unit being directly connected to said wall;

a first engaging means being directly connected to said wall;

a support being directly connected to said wall;

a flap being directly hinged at its first end on said support and being rotatable towards and away from said wall;

a filter holder for holding a pre-packaged capsule, said filter holder being directly connected to said flap;

an ejection member for ejecting the pre-packaged capsule, said ejection member being directly connected to said wall;

a second engaging means for releasably engaging with said first engaging means, said second engaging means being disposed at a second end of said flap;

wherein

a pre-packaged capsule inserted into said filter holder is sealingly engaged with said unit for supplying hot water when said second engaging means is engaged with said first engaging means; and

said ejection member, projecting into a path of rotation of the pre-packaged capsule, engages with the pre-packaged capsule, and ejects the pre-packaged capsule from said filter holder during rotation of said flap away from said wall.

17. The espresso coffee machine of claim 16, wherein said ejection member comprises an arm which is resiliently stressed having a hook, said hook being adapted to hook onto a flange of the pre-packaged capsule.

18. The espresso coffee machine of claim 17, wherein said first engaging means comprises a projecting bracket and a bar;

said second engaging means comprises a latch, having a tooth, said latch being resiliently stressed, and said tooth engages with said bar when said flap is fully rotated toward said wall.

19. The espresso coffee machine of claim 18, wherein said filter holder comprises a substantially cylindrical cavity having an outwardly lying edge and an external side wall, said external side wall is tapered towards said outwardly lying edge;

and said hook glides along said external side wall when said flap rotates towards and away from said wall.

20. The espresso coffee machine of claim 19 comprising further a through-gap for discharging the pre-packaged capsule, said through-gap formed between said wall and said flap and said through-gap communicating with a receiving container arranged extractably in the machine, said through-gap being adapted to receive and pass through the pre-packaged capsule ejected from said filter holder.