COFFEE MACHINE

• US 20100192782A1
• Filed: 07/04/2008
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David R. Hall, Schaerer AG (SEB SA)
• Original Assignee: Schaerer AG (SEB SA)
• Inventors: Künzler, Bernhard, Blumenauer, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/667,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192782A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/302.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/402 Liquid dosing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/41 of liquid ingredients

Abstract

A coffee machine (1) for dispensing brewed coffee is equipped with a coffee spout (2) beneath which a cup (3) is placeable. The brewed coffee emerging through the coffee spout (2) ends up in the vessel; the operation of the coffee machine and the delivery of coffee are controlled by means of a control unit (4). At least one supply means (5) is associated with the coffee machine (1) for dispensing at least one flavoring agent (6), which supply means are in each case equipped with a container (7) for accommodating a flavoring agent (6) and delivery and metering means (12, 13, 14, 15) for delivering a metered quantity of the flavoring agent (6) from the container into a line (9). This line (9) is provided with a spout (10) which is arranged such that the delivered flavoring agent (6) ends up in the cup (3) positioned beneath the coffee spout (2). With this device an additional special flavor can be admixed with a freshly brewed coffee.

Claims

1. A coffee machine (1) for dispensing brewed coffee with a coffee spout (2), under which a vessel (3), in particular a cup, is placed, so the brewed coffee emerging through the coffee spout (2) ends up in the vessel (3), and a control unit (4), with which the operation of the coffee machine (1) and the dispensing of coffee is controllable, wherein associated with the coffee machine (1) is at least one supply means (5) for dispensing at least one flavoring agent (6), which supply means is equipped in each case with a container (7) for accommodating a flavoring agent (6) and conveying and metering means (12, 13, 14, 15) for delivering a metered quantity of the flavoring agent (6) from the container (7) into a line (9), which line (9) is provided with a spout (10) which is arranged such that the delivered flavoring agent (6) ends up in the vessel (3) positioned under the coffee spout (2).

2. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the flavoring agent (6) is of liquid form and is fillable into the container (7), which is closable.

3. The coffee machine according to claim 2, wherein the conveying and metering means for each supply means (5) consist of a further line (11), which line comes out into the closable container (7), which line is connected to a compressed air source (12), and by means of which compressed air is able to be supplied to the closable container (7) in a controlled way, and the line (9) is submerged, by the end opposite the spout (10), in the liquid flavoring agent (6) filled in the container (7).

4. The coffee machine according to claim 3, wherein the compressed air source (12) consists of an air pump (13), which is able to be activated and deactivated via the control unit (4).

5. The coffee machine according to one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of supply means (5, 5′

, 5″

) are associated therewith.

6. The coffee machine according to claim 5, wherein each of these supply means (5, 5′

, 5″

) is provided with an air pump (13) in each case, which is connected to the corresponding container (7) in each case via a further line (11), in which further line (11) a ventilating valve (14) is inserted in each case.

7. The coffee machine according to claim 6, wherein inserted into each further line (11) between ventilating valve (14) and container (7) is a closing valve (15).

8. The coffee machine according to claim 5, wherein a further line (11) comes out in each case into each container (7) of a supply means (5, 5′

, 5″

), which further lines (11) are each provided with a closing valve (15), which further lines (11) are connected to a distribution element (16), from which a central line (17) is connected to an air pump (13) and in which central line (17) a ventilating valve (14) is inserted.

9. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein all closing valves (15) and ventilating valves (14) of the supply means (5, 5′

, 5″

) are controllable via the control unit (4).