Niro-plan Ag

Patzner Gmbh & Co.

Palux Ag

Hansdieter Greiwe

Rainer Herrmann

Many kinds of dispensing devices for drinks or similar fluid foodstuffs, especially for coffee and/or milk are already known. Said devices comprise supply means for supplying at least two different hot drinks, filling outlets for dispensing hot drinks into at least one cup and valve means for stopping and releasing drink pipelines between the supply devices and the filling devices. According to the invention, in order to improve hygiene and product quality, the valve means are embodied in such a manner that additional pipelines for supplying and/or discharging flushing agents for cleaning, hot water or steam for preheating or other similar fluids, can be connected to the valve means instead of to the drinks pipelines in order to treat the valve means in the areas through which hot drinks flow. As a result, a rinsing process can be automatically controlled between two dispensing steps.

Dispensing device for drinks

The invention relates to dispensing devices for drinks or similar dosable liquid foodstuffs, e.g. coffee, milk or soft drinks, comprising manually actuatable selector switches for determining the type and quantity of the foodstuff to be dispensed. The aim of the invention is to simplify the use of one such dispensing device. To this end, said device is provided with an identification device for identifying different types of containers for receiving the foodstuff with subsequent consumption from the container, and for emitting an identification signal describing the container. The dispensing device is also provided with a valve device which, on the basis of the identification signal, connects at least one of a plurality of supply devices for supplying a defined foodstuff or a mixture of defined foodstuffs by means of a filling device, and fills the container with a predetermined quantity of the defined foodstuff or the mixture thereof. Said arrangement enables the customer to determine the amount of foodstuff to be contained in the container, by the selection of the container, thus simplifying the operation of the dispensing device.

A dispensing device dispenses drinks or similar dosable liquid foodstuffs, especially coffee, milk, soft drinks or soups. The dispensing device includes an identification device for identifying a vertical height of a container for receiving the foodstuff and for emitting a height signal, a filling device which can be arranged in such a way that the height thereof can be adjusted in relation to the container, and a control device which sets the filling device to a pre-controllable filling level in relation to the container, on the basis of the height signal, before the foodstuff is introduced into the container. In this way, a container can be filled in an optimum manner without spilling.

The invention relates to a beverage preparer (,), in particular a coffee machine, with a first beverage region for the preparation of first and second beverages, with a second beverage region for the preparation of third beverages, and with a pressure-raising stage (M,) to generate a first liquid pressure, such that in a first operating mode in the first beverage region the first beverages, in particular pressurized coffee, can be prepared at the first liquid pressure and such that in a second operating mode in the first beverage region second beverages, in particular brewed coffee, can be prepared at a second, lower liquid pressure. The pressure-raising stage (M,) on its output side is connected to the input (I,) of the second beverage region by way of a pressure reducer (D,). The input (I,) of the second beverage region comprises a pipe connection to an input (I,) of the first beverage region that can be blocked by an operating-mode switch apparatus (Y,) in such a way that, depending on the state of the operating-mode switch apparatus, in the first beverage region either the first or the second liquid pressure prevails.

Beverage preparer, in particular coffee machine

An espresso machine is proposed which comprises an espresso-making filter (10) capable of being filled with coffee powder and having a sieve (11, 12) with openings (13) of defined cross-sections for retaining the coffee powder when espresso is being made. Means are provided for varying the cross-sections of the openings (13). These means are preferably configured as needles (21) divided along their lengths into at least two portions of different cross-sections so that the openings (13) formed in the sieve (11, 12) can be closed to a greater or lesser extent depending on the penetration depth of the needles (21).

Espresso machine and method of making espresso by using said machine

A run-through grill has at least two rolls which are mounted for rotation about horizontal axes. Each of the rolls comprises a jacket, which is heatable through a heating element arranged in the roll. A cavity is provided substantially symmetrically within the jacket, and contains the heating element. A filling of a heat-conductive material which is fluid is provided in the cavity. The filling quantity is chosen so that on the one hand an unfilled portion of the cavity remains, and on the other hand, at least sections of the heating element are continually in heat-transmitting connection with the filling. With this arrangement, the region of the jacket which borders on the unfilled cavity assumes a different temperature during passage of a cooking product to be treated than the region of the jacket in which the filling is present.

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Boxberg, Germany

Hansdieter Greiwe