Luigi Lavazza S.p.a

Argotec S.r.l.

Politecnico Di Torino

Denis Rotta

Alberto Cabilli

Luca Bugnano

Danilo Bolognese

Andrea Colonna

Gabriele Luciano Picone

Elvio Bonisoli

Alfredo Vanni

Simone Rosetta

Stefano Tornincasa

Luciano Gabriele Picone

Gabriele Molinaro

Gabriele Picone

A brewing unit includes a first part having a receptacle for receiving a capsule, a cartridge or a compacted pod, a second part movable relative to the first part between an open position in which the first and second parts are at a distance from each other, and a closed position in which the second and first parts are coupled to one another to define a brewing chamber. An electric motor controls movement of the second part relative to the first part. A transmission mechanism arranged between the electric motor and the first or second part comprises a movable member whose position is univocally associated with the relative position of the second part with respect to the first part. An electronic control unit controls the electric motor. A micro-switch switches between an ON operational state and an OFF operational state depending on the position of the movable member.

Motorized brewing unit

A machine for the preparation of beverages, comprising a hydraulic circuit that includes: &#x2014;a brewing unit; &#x2014;a water tank; &#x2014;a pump having its inlet connected in fluid communication to the water tank and its outlet or delivery connected in fluid communication to the brewing unit; &#x2014;a heating device for heating water forced by the pump towards the brewing unit; &#x2014;a self-priming device (), which comprises a hollow housing structure (), having an inlet () in fluid communication with the outlet or delivery of the pump, and an outlet for spillage of water towards a collecting space, in particular the water tank. The self-priming device () comprises a spillage member (), which is set between the inlet () and the outlet (). The spillage member () has a body that is made of a material that is permeable to water and to air and that is such as to be traversed by water and air when the pump is active.

Machine for the preparation of beverages, in particular espresso coffee, and device for self-priming which can be used in said machine

The device () comprises a steam generator (), a compressed-air generator () and a dispensing wand () connected or adapted to be connected to the steam generator () and the compressed-air generator () and adapted to be introduced into a receptacle (R) containing the milk (M) to be heated and frothed. The dispensing wand () defines first and second conduits () separate from each other and having respective separate inlets () for connection to the steam generator () and the compressed-air generator (), respectively, as well as respective separate outlets () for dispensing during use a flow of steam and a flow of compressed air, respectively, within the milk (M) contained in the receptacle (R), said outlets () being arranged such that the flows of steam and compressed air exiting therefrom intersect each other.

Device for heating and frothing milk and wand for such a device

A machine for preparing beverages has a hydraulic circuit including a normally open discharge valve, which comprises a main inlet connected to a fluid actuator, a main outlet connected towards a collecting space, and a valve member between the main inlet and the main outlet, for enabling and preventing a flow of fluid between the main inlet and the main outlet. The discharge valve is a hydraulically driven valve, which also comprises a driving chamber for hydraulic driving the valve member. The driving chamber has an auxiliary inlet, connected to the delivery of a pump, and an auxiliary outlet, connected to a brewing unit and to the fluid actuator, in such a way that water delivered by the pump passes through the driving chamber before reaching the brewing unit and the fluid actuator, respectively. The driving chamber has a further outlet, connected in fluid communication to a device for spillage of water from the driving chamber.

Machine for preparing beverages, in particular espresso coffee, a valve and a valve unit that can be used in said machine

A brewing unit, machine and system for the preparation of a beverage using prepackaged capsules. The brewing unit () includes a piercing and liquid-supplying device () having points () for piercing the top wall () of a capsule (C) and a conduit () for supplying a flow of pressurized liquid to a brewing chamber above the top wall () of the capsule (C) and thereafter inside the capsule (C) through the pierces holes in the top wall. A drawer () holds a capsule (C) such that its top wall () lies in an inclined plane. A discharge channel () is provided in the drawer and in fluid communication with the region above the top wall () of the capsule (C) when, after the beverage has been prepared and dispensed, the piercing and liquid-supplying device moves from the extracted work position to the retracted rest position to allow the remaining liquid to be poured into the discharge channel ().

Brewing unit, machine and system for the preparation of a beverage using prepackaged capsules

A capsule or cartridge () including a cup-shaped body () with a bottom wall (), a lateral wall () and a flange-like top formation () which is essentially planar and extends transversely towards the outside, and a cover () fixed to the flange-like formation () of the body (), such as to define a chamber () containing the material for the preparation of the beverage, in particular ground roasted coffee. The lateral wall () of the body () has a plurality of projections () and recesses () which as a whole define at least an identification of the capsule (). The projections () and recesses () are aligned in an essentially rectilinear direction, belonging to a plane essentially parallel to the flange-like formation () of the body () of the capsule ().

Capsule or cartridge and infusion assembly for the preparation of a beverage, in particular coffee

A machine for preparing beverages, in particular espresso coffee, comprises a hydraulic circuit including a brewing unit, a water tank, a pump having the inlet connected in fluid communication to the tank, and the outlet or delivery connected in fluid communication to the brewing unit. A normally closed one-way hydraulic valve, which is set between the pump and the brewing unit, enables a flow of water toward the brewing unit when the pressure of the water delivered by the pump exceeds a substantially predetermined threshold. There is a heating means for heating the water delivered by the pump. The machine has a normally open discharge valve having a main inlet (), connected between the one-way hydraulic valve and the brewing unit, a main outlet, connected toward a discharge space, and an open/close member set between the main inlet and the main outlet, designed to assume an open condition and a closed condition, where it enables and prevents, respectively, a flow of fluid between the inlet and the outlet, with the open/close member being urged by a corresponding spring into the open condition. The discharge valve is a hydraulically driven valve, which includes a chamber for hydraulic driving of the open/close member, an auxiliary inlet of the driving chamber, connected to the delivery of the pump, and an auxiliary outlet of the driving chamber, connected to the brewing unit, in such a way that water forced by the pump passes through the driving chamber before reaching the brewing unit. The discharge valve has a further outlet of the driving chamber, connected in fluid communication to a device for spillage of water from the driving chamber, in particular towards one of the water tank and the inlet of the pump.

Machine for preparing beverages, in particular espresso coffee, and valve and valve unit for use therein

The system comprises: The capsules (C) of the aforementioned different types have flanges () of correspondingly different shapes, and the end delimiting part () of the brewing chamber () carries stop members () adapted to be coupled to the flanges () of said different types of capsules (C) when the latter are introduced into the brewing chamber (), so as to allow correspondingly different relative movements of the end delimiting part () relative to the lateral delimiting part () of said chamber ().

System for the preparation of beverages

A dispensing assembly for a machine for preparing a liquid food product by means of capsules including With the guide member in the operative position and with the first chamber part and the second chamber part in the spaced-apart position, a displacement of the pusher member from the first position to the second position causes a thrust on the capsule towards the outlet passage, in order to free the capsule from the retention means.

Dispensing assembly for machines for preparing liquid products by means of capsules

A machine () for the preparation of liquid products via capsules has a delivery assembly (), which comprises: &#x2014;a preparation chamber that includes a first, stationary, part of chamber and a second, movable, part of chamber; &#x2014;an actuation system (), controllable for causing displacements of the second part of chamber with respect to the first part of chamber, between a spaced apart position and a close position; &#x2014;two guide elements, configured for co-operating with a flange of a capsule for guiding the latter towards a position that is substantially coaxial to the first part of chamber and to the second part of chamber; &#x2014;an ejector member (), slidably mounted through a through opening of a bottom of the first part of chamber (); and&#x2014;connection members (), which connect the ejector member () to the second part of chamber. The guide elements are prearranged for interfering with the flange of the capsule in order to extract the capsule from the housing of the first part of chamber. The connection members () are configured in such a way that the ejector member () brings about expulsion of the capsule from the housing of the first part of chamber if the guide elements fail to extract the capsule from the housing.

Machine for the preparation of liquid products via capsules

A machine for the preparation of liquid products via capsules comprising a delivery assembly with a preparation chamber, which comprises a first part and a second part. The second part of chamber comprises an injector device, which is configured for introducing a preparation fluid into a capsule and has a hollow body and includes a first body part and a second body part. Defined between the two body parts is a chamber, housed in which is a perforation device having at least one front perforation element that is axially aligned to a respective through hole, defined in a front wall of the second body part of the injector device. The second body part is slidable, against the action of elastic means, from an advanced position, in which the at least one perforation element does not project substantially beyond the front wall, to a retracted position, where the at least one perforation element projects substantially beyond the front wall. The elastic means comprise a bending spring that extends in a direction transverse to the direction of axial sliding (X) of the second body part with respect to the first body part.

A machine for preparing liquid food products includes: a source of a liquid; a delivery assembly, having a brewing chamber for receiving a precursor of a liquid food product and for delivering the food product following passage of the liquid through the brewing chamber; a pump, for pumping the liquid; and a control system, for controlling an electric motor of the pump. The pump has a casing with an inlet and an outlet and an arrangement driven via the motor. The motor is bidirectional, and the control system includes means for controlling reversal of rotation of the motor between a primary direction and a secondary direction. The pump has a priming system including a recirculation valve and an actuation arrangement.

Machine for preparing liquid products, in particular via capsules

A machine for preparing liquid food products includes a pump. A cylinder is defined in the pump casing, with a piston extending in the cylinder at least in part to define a variable-volume work chamber. Between a shaft of a motor and the piston there is a transmission arrangement for causing a reciprocating movement of the piston with a predetermined stroke between advanced and retracted positions, to vary a volume of the work chamber. The pump has an intake valve and a delivery valve, for connecting the work chamber with an inlet and an outlet of the pump casing, respectively. The transmission arrangement has an actuation member driven in rotation by the shaft and operatively coupled to the piston. The actuation member defines a cam path to which the piston is coupled. The cam path is prearranged for determining the predetermined stroke of the piston between the advanced position and the retracted position.

Machine for the preparation of liquid products using capsules

A machine () for the preparation of liquid products via capsules comprises a delivery assembly () having an actuation system that can be controlled to cause relative displacements between a first part and a second part of a preparation chamber. The actuation system comprises at least one first transmission member () and one second transmission member (). The first transmission member () includes two pins (), which are coaxial and are engaged in corresponding seats (), defined on respective side walls of the housing structure (). The seats () define a fixed axis of rotation of the first transmission element (). The second transmission member () is connected in an articulated way to the first transmission member () for turning about a movable axis of rotation, parallel to the fixed axis of rotation, and to one of the first part of chamber and the second part of chamber. The pins () have, in cross section, a non-circular geometry, and the side walls of the housing structure () have, in homologous positions, transverse passages () that extend from the seats (). The first transmission member () is constrained to the second transmission member () so as to move in an angular range that does not include an angular position of the first transmission member () such that the corresponding pins () would slide out transversely of the rotation seats () through the aforesaid transverse passages ().

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Turin, Italy

Denis Rotta