Coffee maker equipped with a steam nozzle

• US 8,047,125 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEB SA
• Original Assignee: SEB SA
• Inventors: Brodin, Didier, Morin, Gilles, Bazin, Nicolas, Turpin, Romain
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander; Reginald L
• Application Number:
  US11/722,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20090301310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 992/93, 993/231
• US Class Current: 99/293
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4482 Details allowing to adapt the beverage-making apparatus to the size of the brewing vessel or the beverage container, e.g. with adjustable support for the beverage container or adjustable hot water outlet
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4489 Steam nozzles, e.g. for introducing into a milk container to heat and foam milk

Abstract

The inventive coffee machine is provided with a housing (2) including a coffee output (9, 10), a steam generator and a steam output nozzle (20) which is movable with respect to the housing and is provided with a free end (22) immersible into a cup. The free end is introducible into a space under the coffee output (9, 10) and is translationally displaceable between an elevated position in which the free end (22) is placed at least substantially at the level of the coffee output (9, 10) and a lower position in which the free end (22) is immersible into a cup which is positioned in such a way that it receives espresso coffee.

Claims

1. Coffee maker comprising a casing (2) that includes at least one coffee outlet (9;

10) by which a coffee infusion can flow into a cup (16), a steam generator, and a steam outlet nozzle (20) that can move relative to the casing and that is connected to the steam generator, said nozzle (20) having one free end (22) that can be immersed in the cup, wherein the free end (22) of the nozzle (20) can be brought into the space located under the coffee outlet (9;

10) and can be moved by translation between a raised position in which said free end (22) is located essentially at the level of the coffee outlet (9;

10), and a lowered position in which said free end (22) can be immersed in the cup (16) that has been positioned so as to receive the infusion of coffee, wherein the steam outlet nozzle (20) can move along one essentially vertical axis (Z) that is arranged near the coffee outlet (9;

10), and wherein the casing (2) contains a device for guiding the nozzle (20) comprising a vertical guide (31) along which the nozzle (20) is mounted to be able to move, said nozzle (20) in the lowered position projecting through an opening (32) made in said casing.

2. Coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein the casing (2) comprises two coffee outlets (9, 10), and wherein the nozzle (20) is located essentially in the vertical median plane (P) separating the two coffee outlets.

3. Coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein the vertical path of the nozzle (20) from the raised position to the lowered position is adapted for the free end (22) of the nozzle to be located at a minimum defined distance (h) from the plane intended to receive the cup, said minimum distance (h) being preferably between 10 and 20 mm.

4. Coffee maker according to claim 2, wherein the casing (2) contains a device for guiding the nozzle (20) comprising a vertical guide (31) along which the nozzle (20) is mounted to be able to move, said nozzle (20) in the lowered position projecting through an opening (32) made in said casing.

5. Coffee maker according to claim 2, wherein the vertical path of the nozzle (20) from the raised position to the lowered position is adapted for the free end (22) of the nozzle to be located at a minimum defined distance (h) from the plane intended to receive the cup, said minimum distance (h) being preferably between 10 and 20 mm.

6. Coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein the vertical path of the nozzle (20) from the raised position to the lowered position is adapted for the free end (22) of the nozzle to be located at a minimum defined distance (h) from the plane intended to receive the cup, said minimum distance (h) being preferably between 10 and 20 mm.

7. Coffee maker according to claim 4, wherein the vertical path of the nozzle (20) from the raised position to the lowered position is adapted for the free end (22) of the nozzle to be located at a minimum defined distance (h) from the plane intended to receive the cup, said minimum distance (h) being preferably between 10 and 20 mm.

8. Coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein a manual control switch (35;

47) is mounted to be able to move on the casing (2) and is connected to the nozzle (20) by a control device (37;

41;

50, 53, 56) that is adapted to move the nozzle at least from the raised position to the lowered position when the control switch (35;

47) is actuated.

9. Coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein a means of detecting (45) the lowered position of the nozzle (20) is connected to a second control device actuating the discharge of steam through the nozzle, said second control device being adapted to block the discharge of steam when the detection means (45) indicates that the nozzle (20) is not in the lowered position.

10. Coffee maker comprising a casing (2) that includes at least one coffee outlet (9;

10) by which a coffee infusion can flow into a cup (16), a steam generator, and a steam outlet nozzle (20) that can move relative to the casing and that is connected to the steam generator, said nozzle (20) having one free end (22) that can be immersed in the cup, wherein the free end (22) of the nozzle (20) can be brought into the space located under the coffee outlet (9;

10) and can be moved by translation between a raised position in which said free end (22) is located essentially at the level of the coffee outlet (9;

10), and a lowered position in which said free end (22) can be immersed in the cup (16) that has been positioned so as to receive the infusion of coffee, wherein a manual control switch (35;

47) is mounted to be able to move on the casing (2) and is connected to the nozzle (20) by a control device (37;

41;

50, 53, 56) that is adapted to move the nozzle at least from the raised position to the lowered position when the control switch (35;

47) is actuated.

11. Coffee maker according to claim 10, wherein the control device (37, 41;

50, 53, 56) is adapted to entrain amplified movement of the nozzle (20) relative to the movement of the control switch (35;

47).

12. Coffee maker according to claim 10, wherein the casing (2) has a front surface (3) on which there is an essentially vertical groove (48) along which the control switch (47) slides, the passage of the control switch (47) from an up position to a down position entraining the motion of the nozzle (20) from the raised position to the lowered position.

13. Coffee maker according to claim 10, wherein the nozzle (20) is attached in the raised position by an elastic attachment means (58) and is adapted to work with an electromagnetic holding device (59), said holding device (59) being adapted to keep the nozzle (20) in the lowered position and to release said nozzle following reception of a signal transmitted by a first control device.

14. Coffee maker according to claim 11, wherein the casing (2) has a front surface (3) on which there is an essentially vertical groove (48) along which the control switch (47) slides, the passage of the control switch (47) from an up position to a down position entraining the motion of the nozzle (20) from the raised position to the lowered position.

15. Coffee maker according to claim 11, wherein the nozzle (20) is attached in the raised position by an elastic attachment means (58) and is adapted to work with an electromagnetic holding device (59), said holding device (59) being adapted to keep the nozzle (20) in the lowered position and to release said nozzle following reception of a signal transmitted by a first control device.

16. Coffee maker according to claim 12, wherein the nozzle (20) is attached in the raised position by an elastic attachment means (58) and is adapted to work with an electromagnetic holding device (59), said holding device (59) being adapted to keep the nozzle (20) in the lowered position and to release said nozzle following reception of a signal transmitted by a first control device.

17. Coffee maker comprising a casing (2) that includes at least one coffee outlet (9;

10) by which a coffee infusion can flow into a cup (16), a steam generator, and a steam outlet nozzle (20) that can move relative to the casing and that is connected to the steam generator, said nozzle (20) having one free end (22) that can be immersed in the cup, wherein the free end (22) of the nozzle (20) can be brought into the space located under the coffee outlet (9;

10) and can be moved by translation between a raised position in which said free end (22) is located essentially at the level of the coffee outlet (9;

10), and a lowered position in which said free end (22) can be immersed in the cup (16) that has been positioned so as to receive the infusion of coffee, wherein a means of detecting (45) the lowered position of the nozzle (20) is connected to a second control device actuating the discharge of steam through the nozzle, said second control device being adapted to block the discharge of steam when the detection means (45) indicates that the nozzle (20) is not in the lowered position.