Espresso brewing head unit

Details Espresso brewing head unit Espresso brewing head unit

1999-05-20

2001-02-27

Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)

Foods and beverages: apparatus

Beverage

Infusors

C099S323000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06192786

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to an espresso brewing head unit comprising a potshaped coffee receptacle in which a filter plate with coffee discharge openings is provided, a lateral wall of the coffee receptacle and the filter plate defining the filling volume of the coffee receptacle.
Such an espresso brewing head unit is known from DE 197 11 025 C1. This espresso brewing head unit comprises a potshaped coffee receptacle which consists essentially of plastic material, a reinforcing metal ring being formed in the upper rim of said coffee receptacle. Laterally projecting locking flanges are also reinforced with metal and serve as components of a bayonet lock for attaching the unit to an espresso machine. A filter plate is inserted in the coffee receptacle. This can be a simple filter plate which is anchored in the wall of the coffee receptacle or which is inserted in said coffee receptacle in a separate, framelike injection moulded part. It is also possible to arrange below the filter plate a support plate having a central discharge opening. At the bottom of the coffee receptacle there is a closure cap provided with one or with a plurality of coffee discharge openings. The filter plate extends at right angles to the axis of the coffee receptacle which is provided with a laterally arranged handle.
Although this structural design constitutes a very compact espresso brewing head unit that can be produced at a reasonable price, the filling volume located above the filter plate and surrounded by the wall of the coffee receptacle is predetermined so that it is always only a specific amount of espresso which can be produced at a time or that in the case of fractional filling (e.g. half filling) a deterioration in the quality of the espresso made must be reckoned with.
For a good quality of the espresso, it is important that a dense coffee cake through which the hot water must flow is formed in the coffee receptacle.
Hence, it is the object of the present invention to provide a compact espresso brewing head unit which produces good quality independently of the amount of espresso to be made.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by the features that, for varying the filling volume, the filter plate is arranged such that it is displaceable relative to the lateral wall of the coffee receptacle. The filling volume can be varied in this way and adapted to the amount of coffee powder to be filled in.
It is true that it has already been known to associate with an espresso brewing head unit a plurality of different potshaped filter inserts which can then be used according to the desired amount of espresso and which have different filling volumes. This, however, means a step backwards, since a plurality of loose individual components exists which must be kept such that they are easily accessible. In the case of the present invention, attention has been paid to the fact that the compactness of the espresso brewing head unit is maintained and that no loose structural components exist.
In addition the present invention offers the possibility of ejecting the coffee powder cake from the coffee receptacle by means of the displaceable filter plate after brewing of an espresso, i.e. the banging out of the espresso brewing head unit, which is known from the past and which is in principle troublesome, can be avoided. Damage which may be caused to the unit is therefore substantially reduced, since such banging out has normally been carried out with substantial force in the prior art.
Normally, it suffices when predetermined filling volumes are predetermined by the displaceability of the filter plate. Hence, one embodiment is provided with the feature that the filter plate is arranged such that it is adapted to be displaced in predetermined steps in the axial direction of the coffee receptacle. This is, for example, a possibility of realizing automatically a filling volume for two cups of espresso, one cup of espresso and the discharge position (fully raised position). Intermediate steps for stronger or less strong espresso can be provided. In addition, one or several position(s) for receiving so-called pillows (coffee bags) can be provided. Embodiments with e.g. 3, 6 or 7 steps are imaginable. The steps may have identical or different sizes.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, an elevating means is arranged in the coffee receptacle below the filter plate, said elevating means moving the filter plate to the desired position in response to activation of an operating element. It follows that the elevating means is fully integrated in the coffee receptacle and is, essentially, not visible from outside. The espresso brewing head unit has therefore a compact outward appearance. In addition, an elevating means is most suitable because such an elevating means can rest on the comparatively stable bottom of the coffee receptacle.
One possibility of realizing the elevating movement is that, on the bottom side of the filter plate, at least one projection is arranged, that the elevating means comprises at least one movable cam element and that the projection is in contact with said cam element, said, projection sliding along said cam element in response to a movement of said cam element and being adapted to be moved to various elevating positions. The projection need not be attached directly to the filter plate, but it can also be connected thereto via intermediate elements. In addition, it is possible to provide a plurality of such projections so that, e.g. in the case of a filter plate having the shape of a circular disc, an elevating force which is symmetrical with regard to the axis of said filter plate can be applied. By using at least one separate projection on the filter plate and a cam element, different elevating movements can be realized by an arbitrary structural design. Also the selection of material for the surfaces sliding on one another and the surface design of said surfaces can be realized in an advantageous manner so that wear will be reduced to a minimum.
Since the coffee receptacle has normally the form of a hollow cylinder, it is according to a further variant particulary advantageous that the cam element is arranged such that it is adapted to be rotated about the axis of the coffee receptacle and that it has an elevating control contour which is in contact with the projection on the filter plate and which is arranged on an axially parallel cam projection, said elevating control contour extending transversely to the axis. Hence, the cam element controls the elevating movement of the filter plate not only by means of its circumference but also by means of its axial end face and can e.g. have the shape of a drum. In accordance with the number of projections a corresponding number of cam projections can be provided. These cam projections can be distributed around the axis of rotation at uniform angular intervals so that the elevating force can be applied symmetrically. Since a relative rotational movement between the cam element and the filter plate suffices, the cam element is normally rotated about its axis, whereas the filter plate is moved linearly.
In order to achieve a stepwise vertical adjustment of the filter plate by means of such a control contour, the present invention can also be so conceived that the elevating control contour of the at least one cam projection of the cam element is provided with a plurality of flat step areas arranged on different levels, said step areas defining the elevation positions of the filter plate and being interconnected via ramp surfaces. The flat step areas mark the different positions at which the filter plate remains for determining a specific filling volume. When the at least one projection slides along the ramp surfaces due to a rotation of the cam element, the filter plate will be displaced in the axial direction. Due to the use of the step areas and ramp surfaces on the end face of the cam element, the admissible maximum pressure of an espresso machine (up to 15 bar) can b

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