Fianara International B.v.

Gesamat Ag

Fianara Interational B. V.

Finanara International B.v.

Samaro Engineering-Und Handels Ag

Arthur Schmed

Hans-Peter Frei

Heinz Z&uuml;llig

The invention provides a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge, whereby the bottom of the brewing chamber receiving the cartridge is provided with perforator members to perforate the cartridge bottom upon closing the brewing chamber. A brewing chamber housing contains an upper and a lower brewing chamber portion together delimiting the brewing chamber and axially movable relative to each other. The upper brewing chamber portion is biased by a spring to move away from the lower brewing chamber portion and provided with a protection member that bars access to the perforator members if the upper brewing chamber member is in its upper rest position. The upper brewing chamber member is moved, together with the protection member, from an upper into a lower operating position in which the perforator member provide the bottom of the cartridge with elongate slots.

Coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge

Proposed is a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge. For perforating the cartridge, the bottom of the brewing chamber is provided with inclined perforator members which provide the cartridge with elongate slots that have a greater cross section than the cross section of the particular perforator member. A brewing chamber housing receives two chamber portions delimiting the brewing chamber. The upper chamber portion is adapted to vertically support the cartridge and biased by a spring. For closing the chamber, the brewing chamber housing is raised against a closure piston. The closure piston entering the brewing chamber moves the upper chamber portion against the force of the spring downwards towards the lower chamber portion. In the final position of the brewing chamber housing, the front portion of the cartridge is hydraulically sealed with regard to the rear portion of the chamber by sealing members. For brewing the coffee powder, the chamber is hydraulically subjected to an overpressure by the brewing water in such a way that the brewing water flows through the perforations into the interior of the cartridge. The front of the cartridge is perforated by a closure member provided with projections, such that the brewed coffee beverage can escape through the so created openings and flow to a beverage outlet.

Coffee machine for brewing coffee power pre-packed in a cartridge

The invention refers to a coffee machine having a brewing chamber and a beverage outlet. A valve assembly is inserted between the brewing chamber and the beverage outlet. The valve assembly comprises a valve seat and a valve body member movable with regard to the valve seat. The valve body member is biased by a spring and can be moved, against the force of the spring, by the pressure of the coffee beverage flowing through the valve assembly. Moreover, these are provided for adjusting the bias force of the spring. In such a design, the operator or user of the coffee machine can directly influence the amount of coffee to be brewed per time unit. Moreover, within the limits of the user selected value, the brewing water flows through the coffee powder received in the brewing chamber with an essentially constant flow rate, regardless the amount and granule size of the coffee powder received in the brewing chamber.

Coffee machine

A coffee machine assembly is designed to be received in a kitchen furnishing. For this purpose, the front area of the coffee machine assembly is built as an integral part of a front plate member of the kitchen furnishing. The front area of the coffee machine assembly extends but over a portion of a front plate member of the kitchen furnishing. Thus, additional space is available for a receiving area for receiving items as, for example, coffee cups. Preferably, the receiving area is located besides the coffee machine and provided with subdivisions in vertical direction. The coffee machine itself is designed as a compact unit and is placed, for example, on an extendable unit. Moreover, at least a portion of the receiving area could be heated.

Coffee machine assembly

An assembly for feeding packed portions of coffee powder to a brewing unit is provided by the present invention. That assembly has a brewing chamber and 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 a coffee portion. Further, there is provided a device for individually feeding the coffee portions into the brewing unit.

Assembly for feeding prepackaged coffee portions to a brewing unit of a coffee machine

A coffee machine is provided with a boiler for heating brewing water, a brewing cylinder defining a brewing chamber, a closure piston for closing the one open end of the brewing cylinder as well as a brewing piston for compressing the coffee powder in the brewing cylinder and/or for ejecting the elutriated coffee powder cake, whereby the brewing piston is longitudinally movable in the brewing cylinder. The closure piston is integrally formed or rigidly connected to the housing of the boiler and firmly mounted to the housing of the coffee machine. Moreover, there is provided a brewing module that is removably inserted into the housing of the coffee machine and that includes at least the brewing cylinder and the brewing piston. The brewing cylinder and the brewing piston are movable in longitudinal direction, but cannot be rotated. Such a coffee machine can be designed very compactly. Moreover, the brewing module consists of only a few elements and, thus, can be manufactured at low costs and is very reliable in operation.

A coffee machine is provided with a boiler for heating brewing water, a brewing cylinder defining a brewing chamber, a closure piston for closing the one open end of the brewing cylinder as well as a brewing piston for compressing the coffee powder in the brewing cylinder and/or for ejecting the elutriated coffee powder cake, whereby the brewing piston is longitudinally movable in the brewing cylinder. The closure piston is integrally formed or rigidly connected to the housing of the boiler and firmly mounted to the housing of the coffee machine. Moreover, there is provided a brewing module that is removably inserted into the housing of the coffee machine and that includes at least the brewing cylinder and the brewing piston. The brewing cylinder and the brewing piston are movable in longitudinal direction, but cannot be pivoted. Such a coffee machine can be designed very compactly. Moreover, the brewing module consists of only a few elements and, thus, can be manufactured at low costs and is very reliable in operation.

A steam pressure container, e.g. for a coffee machine, comprises a lid incorporating a locking mechanism to ensure that the lid cannot be released or removed when the interior of the container is under pressure. The locking mechanism comprises a sealing member made of elastically resilient material and inserted into the lid. The sealing member includes a head portion with locking protrusions to ensure a non-rotatable fixing of the sealing member to the lid. The sealing member further comprises a flange portion penetrating into the flange of the container. The flange portion is provided with a sealing rib at its lowermost end and, thereabove, with a plurality of locking ribs. The latter ones cooperate with a plurality of locking grooves arranged in the inside surface of the container flange. As soon as the container is pressurized, the flange portion of the sealing member is radially deformed outwards and the locking ribs engage the locking grooves, thereby preventing an accidental rotation of the lid.

Steam pressure container with a safety lid

The invention provides a coffee machine, with a housing, a fresh water supply reservoir mounted therein, a heating means adapted to heat the fresh water and a feeding pump to supply the heated fresh water to a brewing chamber under pressure. The brewing chamber comprises a closure means and an inlet for coffee powder as well as an outlet for coffee. If appropriate, an installation for pushing out and removing, respectively, the leached-out coffee powder out of the brewing chamber and from the brewing chamber, respectively, may be provided. All parts of the apparatus which are subjected to contamination by the coffee powder or by the coffee, namely the brewing chamber, the closure element, the coffee powder inlet, the coffee outlet and eventually the installation for pushing-out and removing the coffee powder, are combined to a modular unit, which is removably inserted into the housing of the apparatus. The remaining parts, particularly the water reservoir, the heater and the pump as well as the required driving, control and operating elements are fixedly installed in the housing and are adapted to be operatively coupled to the modular unit upon insertion thereof into the housing. Thereby the contaminated parts can be cleaned easily and without danger, since the modular unit can be pulled out of the apparatus and rinsed as a whole.

Apparatus for the preparation of hot beverages, particularly a coffee

A coffee machine includes a grinding mill, a proportioning chamber arranged adjacent to the outlet of the grinding mill and a processing chamber, into which the coffee powder from the proportioning chamber is discharged. The coffee powder coming from the grinding mill is thrown into the proportioning chamber, which includes a pressure sensitive, elastically resilient wall element with a signal generator connected thereto. As soon as the proportioning chamber is filled with coffee powder, a dynamic pressure is built-up within the proportioning chamber due to the overpressure caused by the grinding mill, which forces the wall element to a displacement, whereby the signal generator is operated. Subsequently, on the one hand, the motor of the grinding mill is switched off and, on the other hand, a bottom wall part of the proportioning chamber is unlocked, whereby the milled product, assisted by the elastically resilient wall element, is discharged from the proportioning chamber.

Growing community of inventors

Oberdürnten, Switzerland

Arthur Schmed