Drinks machine

Details Drinks machine Drinks machine

2001-11-20

2004-09-07

Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3653)

Article dispensing

Plural sources, stacks or compartments

With fluent material dispenser

C221S199000, C222S148000, C015S003500, C099S290000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06786356

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a drinks machine, in particular a coffee machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When drinks machines used commercially are cleaned, strict safety directives must be fulfilled to ensure that no cleaning agents remain in the machine and can then enter into the drink that is dispensed. In particular, the dosage of the cleaning agent must be observed exactly and cleaning agents should be used which represent the least load on the environment and are not a health hazard. Liquid cleaning agents can be easily dosed and can be easily handled even with automatic input. However, they contain chlorine and are therefore questionable ecologically. Cleaning agents in solid form have previously only been dosed manually, either in powder form with a measuring beaker or in pressed form as tablets, because the opinion has been that these solid cleaning agents could not be dosed in any other way due to their very strong hygroscopius effect. Solid cleaning agents in the form of powder or tablets have advantages with regard to their cleaning effect, because, due to a certain oxygen content, they give a certain effervescent effect and consequently also a mechanical cleaning effect. They also have an advantage with regard to their environmental compatibility and their toxic content.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is therefore to provide a drinks machine which can be simply cleaned without any problem using solid cleaning agents.
Using the enclosed dosing device according to this invention, solid cleaning agents can also be present, particularly in pressed form, such as for example as granulate or in the form of small tablets, and they can be safely and correctly dosed without the hydroscopic properties of this type of cleaning agent leading to problems.
A particularly simple and effective dosage is achieved by a movable dosage chamber which acts as a transport device for a predetermined amount of cleaning agent from the storage container to the outlet.
A sensor increases the safety and can be used for controlling the dosing device.
Further protection against undesired feeding of cleaning agent is obtained by a shut-off device.
The shut-off device can be actuated by the sensor to increase the safety level still further by an arrangement of the shut-off device in the direction of flow of the cleaning agent.
A particular advantage are design arrangements which are particularly adapted to the dosage of solid cleaning agent in granular form. It has been found that with the dosage wheel described, it is possible to correctly dose and feed safely even strongly hygroscopius granular grains without lumps forming and blockages occurring.
The present development, which can be separated into parts, simplifies cleaning the dosage device without impairing its enclosed properties.
The invention provides further protection against faulty functioning.
There is described a dosage device with which the present drinks machine can be retrospectively fitted.


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patent: 6182555 (2001-02-01), Scheer et al.
patent: 6394308 (2002-05-01), Yuyama et al.
patent: 2002/0134790 (2002-09-01), Tamaoki

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