JPH0455697B2 - - Google Patents

Description

a water supply hose 34 for supplying coffee, and a guide means 30 for guiding ground coffee and water vertically into the container 2 from an area directly above the container when the filter is in the second position. , the guide means 30 is provided for mixing coffee and water, and has means for suppressing the agitation of the ground coffee and water flowing out, and the guide means 30 is arranged vertically and downwardly. formed by a funnel 31, 32 disposed on the container, having an outflow tube 33 with a radially extending at least one
A coffee preparation device characterized in that two internal partition walls 39 are provided.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the funnels (31, 32) are provided with two partitions (43) extending at right angles to each other and crossing the entire diameter of the funnel.

3. The funnel (31, 32) is provided with at least one partition (39) extending inwardly from the funnel wall, said partition (39) extending inwardly to the inner wall of the line of the outlet tube (33). Device.

4 The ground coffee supply pipe 37 connects to the funnel 3 from above.
1 , 32 , the inner diameter of the outlet opening of the supply tube being equal to the inner diameter of the funnel at the upper wall position of the at least one septum 39 .

5. The funnels 31, 32 are annularly symmetrical and have a conical wall, the conical wall 31 having an inclination angle of approximately 30°, and the outlet pipe 33 having a conical shape and a wall having an inclination angle of approximately 2°. 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the outlet opening is approximately 8 mm.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water supply pipe (34) protrudes from the funnel (31, 32) at a level below the coffee outlet opening (37).

7. The water supply pipe 34 extends tangentially to the funnels 31, 32, and the axis of the funnel is about 14 mm from the axis of the container 2.
7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, extending mm apart.

8. A filter holder 11 is arranged between the container 2 and the funnels 31, 32, the filter holder 11 can be moved into two positions and is provided with an opening 40, in the upper position of the filter holder 11,
The opening is arranged below the outflow pipe 33, the diameter of the opening 40 is larger than the diameter of the outflow opening 33, and the filter holder 11 is connected to the container top plate 3.
8. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the device is movable relative to the rim of the rim, the movement being both a horizontal movement and a vertical movement.

9 The filter 22 is part of a chamber 45 that can be placed on top of the container 2;
has a downwardly directed drain pipe 47 and a valve 49 disposed in one wall of the chamber 45, the valve 49 being connected to the chamber 45 at its periphery, the valve 49 ensuring that the pressure within the chamber 45 is at ambient temperature. 9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device is closed when the pressure is higher than , and is otherwise open.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the valve 49 is a mechanical valve.

11 a valve 49 is disposed in the upper wall and extends substantially horizontally with the chamber; a plate 53 to which the valve 49 is secured;
and the stem 52, and the plate 53 is substantially movable in a vertical direction along the upper wall 50 of the chamber and the perforated wall 54 provided therebelow, so that the plate 53 11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the stem (52) is guided in a guide element (51) which is rigidly connected to the upper wall (50) of the device.

12 Seal made of flexible material on plate 53
and claim 1 provided between the upper wall of the chamber.
1. The device according to 1.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the plate 53 is saucer-shaped with a thickened bottom.

[Detailed description of the invention]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cylindrical container whose lower part is formed by an upwardly movable piston; a filter which can be placed on the container and seals the container at its top; The present invention relates to a coffee preparation device comprising means for introducing coffee into the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Such a device is known from US Pat. No. 3,103,873.

During the preparation of coffee using this known device, when the filter is removed from the container, a quantity of ground coffee first enters the container via the open top of the container. A quantity of hot water then also enters the container through the open top of the container.

Only then does the ground coffee come into contact with the water.

When the two come together, agitation occurs, so the ground coffee doesn't start floating on top of the water, even though the coffee is less dense than the water. As the piston moves upwards, the coffee is distributed almost throughout the water volume. As a result, not all coffee comes into contact with the runoff water. Since most of the ground coffee is only in contact with water for a short period of time, the resulting coffee is relatively weak and does not have a very good flavor.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for preparing coffee of a suitable strength using a certain amount of ground coffee.

This objective can be achieved by providing means for dispensing coffee and water substantially only in the vertical direction.

With such a device according to the invention, coffee and water are fed into the mixing device substantially vertically, so that no agitation occurs in the container and the ground coffee floats on top of the hot water.

As the piston moves upwards, all the water has a chance to come into contact with all the ground coffee as it passes through the ground coffee layer formed against the filter. Therefore, coffee prepared using this device has a suitable consistency and good flavor.

By contacting the water with the ground coffee before placing it in the container, the coffee is better extracted due to the longer contact time between the water and coffee.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail using the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a partially exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a partially sectional perspective view of the filter holder and its associated drive mechanism used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the funnel applied to this specific example.

FIG. 4 shows a partially exploded perspective view of the filter cleaning member used in this specific example.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the funnel of the present invention.

Figures 6a-6f show cross-sectional views of the device of the invention during various stages of coffee preparation.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention, with the container being filled.

FIG. 8 shows the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 with the piston in upward movement.

Figure 9 shows No. 7 where the outflow pipe is siphoning.
A specific example is shown in the figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The coffee preparation device shown in FIG. 1 consists of a frame 1 on the front of which a container 2 is attached and on which a container top plate 3 is arranged. container 2
is closed at its lower part by a piston 4 provided with a piston wall 5 and a piston shaft 6 on which a piston rod 7 is attached. The piston rod 7 is connected to a lever 8 driven by a drive mechanism 9 arranged in the frame 1 and shown in broken lines, causing the piston 4 to move up and down.

Above the container 2 is a filter body 1 shown in FIG.
0 is placed. This filter body 10 consists of a filter holder 11, a front plate 12, and a back plate 13. Each plate 12,1
3 has two holes at its top, and a hinge mechanism 14 is attached to each hole. Each hinge mechanism 14 consists of two arms 15, 16, each arm being pivotally connected to one another at one end, and the other end connected to one of the plates 12, 13, respectively, and a shaft attached to the frame 1. It is connected to one side of 17 and 18. 1 pair of arms 1
6 is rigidly connected to the shaft 18. A draw spring 19 is arranged between one lower arm 15 and the front plate 12. Also, by arranging the protrusion 20 on the plate 12, when the filter body 10 is in its uppermost position,
The draw spring 19 pushes the arm 15 in the opposite direction to the protrusion 20.

Further, a passage opening 40 is arranged within the filter body 10 in contact with the filter 22. This opening serves to pass a mixture of ground coffee and water when the filter is in the top position.

In order to move the filter body 10 onto the container 2, the drive mechanism 42 drives the shaft 18 and the two arms 16 rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the entire filter body 10 moves in the corresponding direction, so that the draw spring 19 pushes out the arm 15 in the opposite direction to the protrusion 20. This movement continues until the back plate 13 collides with a rib 21 attached to the frame 1. This rib 21 prevents the back plate 13, that is, the entire filter body 10, from moving in the lateral direction.
After meeting the rib 21, the filter body 10 only moves downwards, whereby the arm 15 moves away from the projection 20 against the traction force of the draw spring 19. In this way, the filter body 10 approaches the container 2 immediately.

The filter holder 11 consists of a filter 22 arranged inside it and a liquid collection chamber 23 connected to an outflow tube 24 . Further, a packing ring 25 is arranged around the filter 22.

When the coffee is fully loaded and the piston 4 is in the uppermost position, a layer of coffee grounds is located between the piston 4 and the filter 22. Of course, this coffee grounds layer must be removed.

For this purpose, a slide 27, shown in FIG. 4, is further provided, which is connected to the frame 1 by a pair of rods 28. These rods 28
form a parallelogram mechanism driven by the drive mechanism 9' by the rod 29. Drive mechanism 9'
When driven, the slide 27 moves over the container top plate 3 in such a way that a quantity of coffee grounds on the top of the piston is wiped off and falls onto the side of the top plate of the container.

The funnel 30 on the container 2 shown in FIG. 1 is securely attached to the frame 1. The funnel 30 includes a conical part 31 and a cylindrical part 3 disposed thereon.
2 and an outflow pipe 33 located below the conical part.
Consisting of The angle of inclination of the conical section is preferably approximately
30°, the diameter of the outflow opening is preferably 8 mm, while the angle of inclination of the outflow tube is approximately 2°. A water supply pipe 34 protrudes from the cylindrical portion 32 of the funnel.
and is connected to the steam discharge pipe 35. A water supply pipe 34 projects from the cylindrical portion 32 so that the water swirls around. Cylindrical portion 32
At the top, a cover 36 is arranged which is provided with a supply pipe 37 arranged concentrically with respect to the funnel for supplying ground coffee.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the funnel 30 showing the funnel extending vertically with a septum 39 disposed within the conical portion of the funnel. Of course, it is also possible to provide a funnel with multiple partitions 39. The septum is formed such that the inner end of the septum extends coplanar with the inner wall of the outflow tube. The septum is rounded at its top. When the water passes through the funnel 30, the partition wall suppresses the swirling of the water and the supplied water and ground coffee move into the container 2 through the outflow pipe 33 without any agitation. As a result, when water and coffee are in the container 2, the ground coffee will float on the surface of the water.

In the case of the funnel shown in Figure 5, there are two
Two partition walls 43 are arranged. These partition walls 43
It also functions to suppress swirling of the water passing through it.

Hereinafter, the method of operating the device of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6a to 6f.

As shown in FIG. 6a, the piston 4 is initially in the lower position. At this point, the filter body 10 is in the uppermost position. A quantity of water is then supplied by the water supply pipe 34 and poured into the funnel 30 and falls into the container 2 through the outflow pipe 33. By that,
The water flows through an opening 4 arranged in the filter body 10.
Falling through 0. This opening is dimensioned such that the water and ground coffee fall out unobstructed.
After putting a small amount of water into the container 2, the water supply conduit 34
As a result of the water flowing out of the funnel, the water begins to swirl in the cylindrical part 32 of the funnel, and a quantity of ground coffee is introduced into the funnel 30 from the coffee storage container 41, the coffee bowl channel 38 and the supply pipe 37. So,
Water supply remains continuous. As a result of water agitation, close contact occurs between water and coffee,
Extraction is improved. The mixture of water and ground coffee thus results in a flow along the partition wall 43, inhibiting agitation, and further through the outlet tube 33 and the opening 40 through the filter body 10, the container 2
to go into. While the water passes through the filter 22, the agitation is suppressed by the partition wall 39 and the water and ground coffee mixture is introduced vertically into the container 2. The lack of agitation causes the ground coffee to float on the surface of the water. This is shown in Figure 6b. After stopping the supply of ground coffee, continue to supply water to rinse any remaining ground coffee from the funnel.

Once the supply of water and ground coffee is complete, the sixth
Move the filter body 10 onto the container 2 as shown in Figure c.

The piston 4 is subsequently moved upwards and the container 2
The water present therein passes through the coffee layer formed against the filter and passes through the filter into the collection chamber 23 and from there into the outlet pipe.
As shown in Figure 6d, a certain amount of coffee grounds remains in the container. However, the piston 4 continues to move until its upper surface is located at the level of the container top plate 3, as shown in FIG. 6e.
Here, the filter body 1 due to coffee grounds.
Move 0 upwards. As shown in Figure 6f,
The slide 27 is then moved between the top of the piston and the bottom of the filter to remove any coffee grounds there. Once this operation is complete, the piston and slide 26 are returned to their initial positions and the cycle begins again.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 show other embodiments of the invention, which aim to solve the problems described below.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the water in the container is squeezed through the filter and a layer of coffee grounds created against the filter during the upward movement of the piston. The coffee (beverage) thus produced is discharged through a tube and delivered to a cup. In order to obtain a siphon effect, the outlet opening for this discharge must be below the level of the container, so that the coffee can be sufficiently discharged and the residue of coffee grounds remaining behind is as dry as possible.

In practice, the problem often arises that liquid remains in the space above the filter and that this liquid moistens the coffee grounds below the filter, which can only be treated in the next step. Not all of the prepared coffee (beverage) will fit into the cup.

According to a second embodiment, a valve is provided in one wall of the chamber, which valve is connected to the chamber around its periphery and closes when the pressure in the chamber is higher than the surrounding pressure, and opens otherwise. There is.

By such means, the valve remains closed during the upward movement of the piston, so that the coffee grounds and the liquid squeezed through the filter are sufficiently discharged through the tube. When the piston reaches its uppermost position, the pressure in the chamber is so low due to the siphon action of the tube that the valve opens and as much of the liquid remaining in the chamber as possible is expelled. An open valve controls the air supply, which is then drawn in by the liquid.

We will clarify these further. Apart from the parts already mentioned in connection with the first embodiment, the second embodiment consists of a chamber 45 in the lower part of which a filter 46 is provided. This chamber 45 is movable so that it can be moved from the coffee and water supply position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in FIG. 8 where water is squeezed into the chamber 45 through a filter 46. The drive means necessary for this are not shown in the drawings. A drain pipe 47 connects the chamber 45 to an outflow hose 48 .

The chamber also has a valve 49. This valve is arranged in the upper wall 50 of the chamber and consists of a substantially cylindrical guide element 51. Stem 52 extends through an opening in guide element 51 . A plate 53 is provided at the lower end of the stem 52 and is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the stem 52. This plate 53 is thickened at its lower part and has a saucer-like shape, and is arranged with the connected stem 52 so that its stroke is limited by a perforated wall 54 provided at its lower end. The plate 53 has an annular ring 55 at its top.

Additionally, this second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that there is no passage opening in the chamber 45. In this example, the funnel 33 is
The hinge system differs insofar as the jet ejecting from the chamber 45 passes through the chamber 45.

Next, the operation of this specific example will be described.

In the state shown in FIG. 7, the chamber 45 is placed in contact with the top of the container 1. A mixture of heated water 56 and ground coffee 57 flows into the container 2 from an outlet pipe 33 located above the container 2, the lower part of which is closed by the piston 4.

Subsequently, the chamber 45 is moved to the top of the container 2 by a conveying means (not shown). The obtained state is shown in FIG. Thereafter, the piston 4 moves upwards and pours water 5 into the chamber 45 through the coffee grounds layer 57 formed against the filter 46.
Squeeze 6. The liquid (coffee) collected in chamber 45 is then discharged through tube 47 and outflow hose 48 into a cup (not shown). As a result of the squeezing action of the piston 4, the valve 49 closes.

When the piston 4 reaches its upper position, as shown in FIG.
The pressure inside becomes equal to the surrounding pressure. Valve 49 is then opened, allowing air to escape between stem 52 and guide element 51 through the hole in perforated wall 54 and any amount of coffee 58 remaining in chamber 45 can be evacuated through tube 47 and hose. . In this way, the chamber 45 will not become damp due to coffee residue left inside.
The coffee grounds 57 are dry.

Subsequently, the chamber 45 is moved to its initial position and the dried coffee grounds are removed from the top of the piston 4 by the wiper 27, after which the cycle starts again.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded view of a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially perspective sectional view of a filter holder and its accompanying drive mechanism used in the first embodiment of the present invention, The figure is a sectional view of the funnel applied to this specific example, and FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of the filter cleaning member used in this specific example.
5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the funnel of the invention; FIGS. 6a-6f are cross-sectional views of the apparatus of the invention during various stages of coffee preparation; FIG. A cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention, FIG. 8 showing the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 with the piston in upward movement and FIG. 9 showing the embodiment shown in FIG. This is a specific example shown in the figure. The main symbols in the drawings mean the following: 2...
Container, 4... Piston, 22... Filter, 30...
Funnel, 43... Bulkhead, 45... Chamber, 49... Valve, 56... Water, 57... Ground coffee.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A cylindrical container 2 whose lower part is formed by an upwardly movable piston 4; a filter that can be placed on the container 2 and seals the container 2 at its top; a filter 10 which can be removed from the top of the container and repositioned in a second position; a hopper 41 which supplies ground coffee towards the area directly above the container 2 and a hot water stream towards the area;