Used capsule collector for beverage devices

• US 8,695,484 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Mri, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): ATKISSON, JIANYING CUI
• Application Number:
  US12/988,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20110041698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 992/89.R, 992/89.P, 99290-295, 992/97, 993/00, 993/02.R, 993/02.P, 222/129.1, 220/495.06, 220/495.05, 220/495.08, 220/495.11, 220/506, 220/908, 220/908.1, 366/142, 366/160.1
• US Class Current: 99/295
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06

Abstract

A device for preparing a beverage from a capsule containing an ingredient of the beverage, includes a housing with a cavity to which used capsules are evacuated; and a collection receptacle in the cavity of the housing. The receptacle has an opening for receiving the evacuated used capsules and collecting the capsules. The receptacle has a reception orientation in which the receptacle is arranged to be filled with capsules up to a maximum level of fill in the cavity which extends above the opening of the receptacle in the reception orientation of the receptacle. The receptacle being tiltable or pivotable in the cavity into a removal orientation for allowing removal of the collection receptacle filled with capsules from the cavity.

Claims

1. A device for preparing a beverage from a capsule containing an ingredient of the beverage, comprising:

a housing having a cavity to which used capsules are evacuated; and

a collection receptacle located within the cavity of the housing, with the receptacle having an opening for receiving the evacuated used capsules and collecting the capsules, a reception orientation in which the receptacle is arranged to be filled with capsules up to a maximum level of fill in the cavity, and a removal orientation configured and dimensioned to allow removal of the collection receptacle filled with capsules from the cavity;

wherein the cavity of the housing has a front opening for inserting and removing the collection receptacle, a pivot axis adjacent the front opening around which the collection receptacle is tiltable or pivotable within the cavity, the collection receptacle having a bottom that is angled up from the pivot axis when the receptacle is in its reception orientation, and a rear passage, opposite the front opening, for allowing the passage of a rear part of the collection receptacle when the receptacle is tilted or pivoted in the cavity into its removal orientation; and

wherein the maximum level of fill of the collection receptacle extends above the opening of the receptacle in the reception orientation of the receptacle, while still allowing the collection receptacle to be tilted or pivoted into its removal orientation for removal of the collection receptacle filled with capsules from the cavity when the maximum level of fill in the cavity is reached.

2. The beverage preparation device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a beverage conditioning part and a drip tray part, with the cavity being delimited by the beverage conditioning part and the drip tray part, the drip tray part being separable from the beverage conditioning part, and the collection receptacle being arranged to allow the drip part to be separated from the beverage conditioning part.

3. The beverage preparation device of claim 2, wherein the drip tray part comprises a drip tray, a rear part of the drip tray part forming a bottom part of the cavity for the collection receptacle, the drip tray being covered with a support member or grid for holding a beverage recipient.

4. The beverage preparation device of claim 3, wherein the support member is arranged to secure the capsule collection receptacle in its reception orientation.

5. The beverage preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cavity of the housing has a bottom with an upright protruding portion, wall or wedge forming the pivot axis adjacent the front opening around which the collection receptacle is tiltable or pivotable in the cavity.

6. The beverage preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cavity has a bottom that supports a bottom part of the collection receptacle, the bottom part of the collection receptacle being tiltable or pivotable with respect to the bottom of the cavity.

7. The beverage device of claim 1, wherein the collection receptacle is suspended in the cavity along a top axis that extends substantially parallel to the opening in the top part of the receptacle, the collection receptacle being tiltable or pivotable around the top axis.

8. The beverage preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cavity has at least one cam cooperating with at least one corresponding cam follower of the collection receptacle, or vice versa, the cam(s) and cam follower(s) being arranged to guide the receptacle in a tilting or pivoting movement in the cavity.

9. The beverage preparation device of claim 1, wherein the rear passage is delimited by an upright wall of the cavity.

10. The beverage preparation device of claim 9, wherein the collection receptacle has a rear wall with a shoulder, ledge or protrusion that cooperates with an upper edge of the upright wall of the cavity to secure the receptacle in its removal orientation or in its reception orientation.

11. The beverage preparation device of claim 1, wherein the cavity and the receptacle have a fastening arrangement for securing the receptacle in its reception orientation in the cavity.

12. The beverage preparation device of claim 11, wherein the fastening arrangement comprises one or more snap fasteners.

13. The beverage preparation device of claim 11, wherein the fastening arrangement comprises a support opening or member in the cavity that cooperates with a corresponding suspension flange, protrusion or pin of the collection receptacle, or vice versa.

14. The beverage preparation device of claim 1, wherein the collection receptacle in the cavity of the housing has a transparent or translucent front wall that-extends above the opening of the receptacle.

15. A device for preparing a beverage from a capsule containing an ingredient of the beverage, comprising:

a housing having a cavity to which used capsules are evacuated, the cavity including a bottom;

a collection receptacle in the cavity of the housing having an opening for receiving and collecting used capsules, a reception orientation in the device in which the receptacle is arranged to be filled with capsules up to a maximum level of fill in the cavity, and a removal orientation which allows removal of the collection receptacle filled with capsules from the cavity;

wherein the cavity has a front opening for inserting and removing the collection receptacle, the maximum level of fill extends above the opening of the receptacle in the reception orientation of the receptacle, and the bottom includes a upright protruding portion, wall or wedge forming a pivot axis, whereby the receptacle is tiltable or pivotable within the cavity and said pivot axis; and

wherein the collection receptacle is removable from the cavity for emptying capsules collected in the receptacle;

by being tilted or pivoted about the pivot axis in the cavity into the removal orientation, thereby allowing removal of the collection receptacle filled with capsules from the cavity when the maximum level of fill in the cavity is reached.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the collection receptacle is arranged to be slidably removable from the bottom of the cavity with the sliding movement urging the collection receptacle to tilt or pivot to facilitate removal from the cavity.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the the cavity is further configured and arranged to include a support member or grid adjacent to the front opening for inserting and removing the collection receptacle, which is configured and dimensioned to hold a beverage recipient, with the support member or grid positioning the waste receptacle for receiving spent capsules.