Method for the production of coffee

• US 8,758,844 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: La San Marco SpA (SEB SA)
• Original Assignee: La San Marco SpA (SEB SA)
• Inventors: Nocera, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Dye, Rena L
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, CHAIM A
• Application Number:
  US13/235,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20120328739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 426/82, 426/433, 992/95, 992/80, 992/81, 992/82
• US Class Current: 426/433
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3623 Cartridges being employed with tape of cartridges A47J31/3652
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3685 Brewing heads therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A method for the production of drinks, particularly coffee, even more particularly “American type coffee” or filter coffee by means of a machine and a capsule containing a proportion of preparation for drink is disclosed. The method includes the phases of heating a liquid for the preparation of drinks, putting under pressure the liquid within a boiler, feeding the liquid to the capsule with crossing of the capsule, taking the liquid after this phase of crossing of the capsule. The method also includes an infusion and remixing phase of the liquid with the preparation for drink within the capsule, which occurs within a housing partially filled up with the preparation for drink according to a filling factor in the range from 35 to 90%, preferably in the range from 40 to 85%, even more preferably in the range from 45 to 75%.

Claims

1. A method for the preparation of drinks, by means of a machine for the preparation of drinks and capsules containing a proportion of preparation for drink, comprising the phases of:

heating a liquid for the preparation of drinks;

putting under pressure said liquid within a boiler;

coupling a hydraulic activation piston exiting from a body of a hydraulic group and placed within a capsule insertion duct, the exit direction of said piston essentially orthogonal with respect to a mouth and feeding the liquid in said capsule, said piston coupling with an edge of said capsule, the exit of said piston causing a compression and retaining said capsule against a counter-piece in correspondence with a conveying bottom of said duct;

feeding said liquid to said capsule for crossing said liquid through said capsule;

taking said liquid after said phase of feeding and crossing through said capsule;

wherein said feeding phase includes an extraction and mixing phase of said liquid with said proportion of preparation for drink within said capsule;

said extraction and mixing phase occurring within a housing partially filled up with said proportion of preparation for drink according to a filling factor in the range from 35 to 90%.

2. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 1 wherein said feeding phase is a high pressure feeding phase with a distribution of the drink and a temperature control of the preparation of the drink according to a temperature control mode, the pressure of the preparation of the drink is between 4 and 10 bar.

3. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 2 wherein said temperature control occurs by means of a calculation of a control value “

p”

on the basis of a temperature measured by a temperature probe in a boiler heated by means of a resistance, a management of a distribution of a power supplied to said resistance present in said boiler occurring according to a percentage of use which goes from a condition in which said resistance is completely off during the whole use cycle to a condition in which said resistance is completely on during the whole use cycle, passing through intermediate conditions of use in which said resistance is on according to percentages of 25%, 50% and 75%.

4. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 3 wherein when the drink is not distributed said control value p is calculated on the basis of the temperature of the boiler measured according to the following measured temperature ranges, where the measured temperature is the temperature of the boiler measured by said temperature probe and the preset value is the target temperature value at which the liquid of said boiler has to be maintained:

if (measured temperature Tm)<

(preset value Vi−

20°

C.) then p=4 and resistance on with operating cycle at 100%

if (measured temperature Tm)>

=(preset value Vi−

20°

C.) and (measured temperature Tm)<

(preset value Vi−

10°

C.) then p=3 and resistance on with operating cycle at 75%

if (measured temperature Tm)>

=(preset value Vi−

10°

C.) and (measured temperature Tm)<

(preset value Vi−

5°

C.) then p=2 and resistance on with operating cycle at 50%

if (measured temperature Tm)>

=(preset value Vi−

5°

C.) and (measured temperature Tm)<

(preset value Vi) then p=1 and resistance on with operating cycle at 25%

if (measured temperature Tm)>

=(preset value Vi) then p=0 and resistance on with operating cycle at 0%.

5. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 3 wherein when the distribution of the drink occurs said control value p is calculated on the basis of the temperature of the boiler measured according to the following measured temperature ranges, where the measured temperature is the temperature of the boiler measured by said temperature probe and the preset value is the target temperature value at which the liquid of said boiler has to be maintained:

if (measured temperature Tm)<

=(preset value Vi−

1°

C.) then p=4 and resistance on with operating cycle at 100%

if (measured temperature Tm)=(preset value Vi) then p=3 and resistance on with operating cycle at 75%

if (measured temperature Tm)=(preset value Vi+1°

C.) then p=2 and resistance on with operating cycle at 50%

if (measured temperature Tm)=(preset value Vi+2°

C.) then p=1 and resistance on with operating cycle at 25%

if (measured temperature Tm)>

=(preset value Vi+3°

C.) then p=0 and resistance on with operating cycle at 0%.

6. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 5 wherein when the distribution of the drink occurs the distribution time E is subdivided at least into a first time fraction S and a second time fraction of duration E−

S, in said first time fraction S of distribution said control value p being calculated on the basis of the measured temperature of the boiler and in said second time fraction E−

S said control value p being set to the maximum value 4.

7. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 6 wherein the duration E−

S of said second time fraction is calculated according to the quantity of drink supplied or the distribution time.

8. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 1 wherein the filling factor is in the range from 40 to 85%.

9. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 8 wherein the filling factor is in the range from 45 to 75%.

10. The method for the preparation of drinks according to claim 2 wherein said high pressure is between 4 and 6 bar.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid is fed through a hydraulic group of the machine, the hydraulic group including a distribution valve blocking the distribution of said liquid from said boiler to said capsule until a second operating threshold value is exceeded by the hydraulic pressure applied by said liquid, said second operating threshold value between 4 and 10 bar.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said second operating threshold value is at least 4 and less than 5 bar.

13. A method for the preparation of drinks comprising the steps of:

providing a capsule having a proportion for preparation of a drink;

heating a liquid;

pressurizing said liquid within a boiler;

coupling said capsule to a hydraulic activation piston exiting from a body of a hydraulic group and placed within a capsule insertion duct, said piston coupling with an edge of said capsule, the exit of said piston causing a compression and retaining said capsule against a counter-piece in correspondence with a conveying bottom of said duct;

feeding said liquid to said capsule when the pressure of said liquid is at least 4 and less than 5 bar;

mixing said liquid with the proportion for preparation of a drink;

dispensing said liquid through a filter contained within said capsule wherein said mixing phase occurs within a housing partially filled up with said preparation for drink according to a filling factor in the range from 35 to 90%.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said capsule has a height in the range of 17-20 mm, a diameter in the range of 47 to 58 mm and a wall thickness in the range of 0.8 to 1.2 mm.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the filling factor is in the range of 60 to 85%.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the filling factor is 70%.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the ratio of height to diameter of the capsule is in the range of 1:

2.76 to 1;

3.41.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the ratio of thickness to diameter of the capsule is in the range of 1:

72.5 to 1;

39.1667, and the ratio of thickness to height is in the range of 1;

25 to 1;

14.166.