Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – Infusors
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-06-05
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
Infusors
C099S295000, C099S30200C, C099S290000, C221S121000, C221S1500HC
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240832
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to an assembly for feeding prepackaged coffee portions to a brewing unit of a coffee machine.
PRIOR ART
For preparing a coffee beverage, usually ground bean coffee is used. Besides of the usual filter coffee machines, also semi-automatically operating or fully automatically operating espresso machines are in wide spread use. Generally, fully automatically operating espresso coffee machines make use of an integrated grinding unit for grinding the coffee beans.
In the past years, also coffee machines have appeared in the market that make use of a coffee portion prepackaged in a capsule. The advantage of such capsules may be seen in the fact that they are of gas tight design, with the result that the coffee powder contained therein may be stored during a prolonged period of time. For brewing these capsules, coffee machines are provided that are equipped with a capsule retaining means for receiving a capsule filled with a predetermined amount of ground coffee powder. In operation, the capsule is punctured, and the coffee beverage is prepared by means of pressurized hot water flowing through the punctured capsule. It is admitted that these prepackaged coffee portions have considerable advantages; however, in such a coffee machine, the individual portions of coffee, i.e. the capsules, have to be fed manually and individually. Thus, each coffee portion has to be individually put into a capsule holder means. Thereafter, the capsule holder means is pressed into a receiving chamber means provided for that purpose, and the coffee portion is stinged and brewed with pressurized water.
Due to the fact that these coffee portions have to be fed individually, these known machines provide a low cadence and require both the presence and the manual activity of an operator.
The European Patent Publication EP 0 041 657 discloses an espresso machine that uses prepackaged portions of ground coffee for brewing a coffee beverage. The coffee portions are located on a tape member and are moved by means of transporting roller members located before and after the brewing chamber. In this way, the coffee portions are fed to the brewing chamber in which, thereafter, the coffee beverage is brewed. The fresh coffee portions, thereby, are received in a first container, provided for that purpose, and the used coffee portions are fed to a second container.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Starting from that prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly for feeding prepackaged coffee portions to a brewing unit of a coffee machine that is suitable for receiving different coffee portions. Moreover, it is a further object of the invention to provide an assembly for feeding prepackaged coffee portions to a brewing unit of a coffee machine that is easily operable, without any manual intervention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to meet these and other objects, the present invention provides an assembly for feeding packed portions of coffee powder to a brewing unit having a brewing chamber and comprising a magazine adapted to receive the coffee portion to be brewed. The magazine is rotatable and adapted to receive a plurality of cartridges, each containing coffee portions. Further, means are provided for individually feeding the coffee portions into the brewing unit.
In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the magazine be located in such a way on a turntable member that, by rotating the turntable, as one chooses one of the cartridges can be vertically brought into position above the brewing chamber of the brewing unit, being in its rest or initial position. Thereby, the individual cartridges can be brought into their operating positions easily and quickly. If different coffee brands or sorts are received in the individual cartridges, it is just required to rotate that turntable to select the required coffee brand or sort for brewing the coffee beverage.
In a further, preferred embodiment, the assembly comprises a drawer element, located between the magazine for receiving the coffee portions to be prepared and the brewing unit. By means of the provision of such a drawer element, an individually selectable coffee portion can be used for brewing a coffee beverage, independent of the coffee portions received in the cartridges.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2243895 (1941-06-01), Brown
patent: 3155212 (1964-11-01), Hines
patent: 4829889 (1989-05-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 5134924 (1992-08-01), Vicker
patent: 5772072 (1998-06-01), Prescott et al.
Schmed Arthur
Zullig Heinz
Alexander Reginald L.
Fianara International B.V.
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
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