Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – Infusors
Patent
1993-02-22
1995-02-14
Jenkins, Robert W.
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
Infusors
99302R, A47J 3124
Patent
active
053885023
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an espresso coffee machine with an electrically heatable water heater, with a filter basket holding device which can be sealingly closed by introducing therein a filter basket holder, the said filter basket holder being subdivided by a filter into a brewing chamber that can be filled with coffee grounds and into a pouring device arranged at its bottom, the said brewing chamber being connectible to the water heater by a duct opening into the filter basket holding device.
Espresso coffee machines of this type have been selling for a long time. For instance, an espresso coffee machine is distributed by Messrs. SAECO s.r.l., Silla, Bologna, Italy, under the trade name "Bonjour moka", wherein the brewing chamber which is arranged in the filter basket holder and can be filled with coffee grounds links to a duct that opens into the filter basket holding device and, in turn, connects to an electrically operated water heater producing hot water. Interposed in the duct between the brewing chamber and the water heater is a throughflow controlling valve that is adapted to be opened or closed, respectively, by hand through an actuating member designed as a turning lever on the top side of the housing, in order to open or close the supply of hot water into the brewing chamber. The water heater in this espresso coffee machine is an electrically heatable air-pressure tank which, in the presence of excess pressure, pumps boiling water or overheated steam to the brewing chamber.
By way of actuating the turning lever, the valve can adopt its closed position in this espresso coffee machine so that no water is delivered to the brewing chamber. This position is chosen by the user when it is desired to discharge steam out of the steam boiler via the steam pipe, with the steam valve arranged at the rear area of the housing being open. For instance, when the steam pipe is then immersed into cold milk, this milk will be steamed and simultaneously frothed so that thick and frothy cappuccino results after espresso coffee has been added. However, the valve must be closed also in the event that, after an espresso coffee has been prepared, the filter basket holder shall be removed safely from the filter basket holding device, with no hot water continuing to flow out of the filter basket holding device.
If in this espresso coffee machine--shortly after e.g. milk has been frothed and the steam valve has been closed--the valve serving for the throughflow control is opened by swinging up the turning lever, hot water and finally hot steam, too, can exit explosion-like out of the filter basket holding device due to the prevailing pressure in the steam boiler, if the filter basket holder has not been introduced in the filter basket holding device. The explosion-like deflagration is still magnified by the fact that the water heated to roughly 120 to 130 degrees Celsius in part will evaporate abruptly when it enters the atmosphere. This large-surface deflagration of hot water or steam, respectively, may cause unpleasant burns on the hand of a user. However, this may also occur in those instances when a user removes the filter basket holder from the filter basket holding device or places it thereon without having closed the valve beforehand.
In the espresso coffee machine "Espresso GAGGIA" of Messrs. BREVETTI GAGGIA Spa. Robecco/Naviglio, too, hot water will exit from the filter basket holding device, namely in the event that the electric pump governing the throughflow control is switched on by turning on the pump switch and the filter basket holder is not introduced into the filter basket holding device. This happens also on heating up of the machine, since the fast heating up causes the expanding water which often entrains hot steam to exit from the filter basket holding device. This may also cause burns on the hand.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to improve upon an espresso coffee machine, no matter whether it is operated by a pump or by a steam boiler, to such effect that, if the filter ba
REFERENCES:
patent: 2451195 (1946-10-01), Brown
patent: 4429623 (1984-02-01), Illy
patent: 4632024 (1986-12-01), Cortese
patent: 4660466 (1987-04-01), Fries
Saeco, "Expresso Coffee Pot" Brochure (undated).
Gaggia Brochure (undated).
Braun Aktiengesellschaft
Jenkins Robert W.
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