DK169857B1

DK169857B1 - Apparatus for making a beverage from hot water and pulverised material, such as coffee

Info

Publication number: DK169857B1
Application number: DK572886A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Peter Mathijs Boumans; Hendrik Jozef Jan Sobczak
Original assignee: Peter Mathijs Boumans
Priority date: 1985-03-28
Filing date: 1986-11-28
Publication date: 1995-03-20
Also published as: DK572886D0; DK572886A

Description

DK 169857 B1DK 169857 B1

Den foreliggende opfindelse angår et apparat til fremstilling af kaffe og omfattende et bryggerum til modtagelse af den nævnte kaffe og varmt vand, et filter i den nedre væg af bryggerummet, organer for tilledning af en 5 mængde gas opefter gennem filteret samt en afgangsledning under filteret.The present invention relates to an apparatus for making coffee and comprising a brewing chamber for receiving said coffee and hot water, a filter in the lower wall of the brewing chamber, means for supplying a quantity of gas upwardly through the filter and a discharge line under the filter.

Et apparat af denne type er beskrevet i US-A-3 552 976. Dette kendte apparat er under filteret forsynet med en cylinder og et stempel, som kan bevæges op og 10 ned ved hjælp af en krumtapaksel. Ved den opadgående bevægelse presser stemplet en forudbestemt, men ikke regulerbar mængde luft opad gennem filteret og gennem blandingen af vand og materiale eller substans og sætter blandingen af vand og materiale eller substans i bevægelse. Det er kendt, 15 at kvaliteten af drikken kan forbedres som følge af denne bevægelse. Efter omrøringen med stemplet udfører dette et længere sugeslag, ved hvilket ekstrakten suges gennem filteret og kan aftappes, så snart stemplet under den anden halvdel af den nedadgående bevægelse åbner en udløbsåbning.An apparatus of this type is described in US-A-3,552,976. This known apparatus is provided with a cylinder and piston under the filter which can be moved up and down by means of a crankshaft. In the upward movement, the plunger presses a predetermined but uncontrollable amount of air upward through the filter and through the mixture of water and material or substance and sets the mixture of water and material or substance in motion. It is known that the quality of the drink can be improved as a result of this movement. After stirring with the piston, this performs a longer suction stroke, at which the extract is sucked through the filter and can be drained as soon as the piston during the second half of the downward movement opens an outlet opening.

20 Et stempel, som bevæges i en cylinder, har den ulem pe, at dets bevægelse er uregulær, idet det konstant accelereres og decelereres under ændring af dets bevægelsesretning.20 A piston which is moved in a cylinder has the disadvantage that its movement is unregular in that it is constantly accelerated and decelerated while changing its direction of movement.

Hastigheden af luften gennem filteret er kritisk for 25 opnåelsen af den rigtige kvalitet af drikken. Hvis hastigheden er for stor, vil luften først blive komprimeret under filteret og efterfølgende blive presset gennem filteret.The speed of the air through the filter is critical to achieving the right quality of the drink. If the velocity is too high, the air will first be compressed under the filter and subsequently compressed through the filter.

Hvis hastigheden er for lav, bliver omrøringen utilstrækkelig. Ændring af stempelhastigheden ændrer ikke dette uregel-30 mæssige forløb. Stemplet frembringer en pulserende luftstrøm gennem blandingen af vand og materiale, hvilken luftstrøm er langsom i begyndelsen, for derefter straks efter at tvinge en stor luftboble gennem blandingen. Med andre ord er der kun en kort tid, hvor omrøringen af blandingen under slaget 35 af stemplet er tilpasset den type og kvalitet af materiale, hvorfra drikken skal fremstilles. Hvis man ønskede en tilpasning ved at ændre hastigheden af stemplet, ville dette ikke ændre på det forhold, at der er perioder med høj ha- DK 169857 B1 2 stighed og lav hastighed og følgelig perioder, som ikke er egnet.If the speed is too low, stirring becomes insufficient. Changing the piston speed does not change this irregular course. The piston produces a pulsating air flow through the mixture of water and material, which air flow is slow at first, and then immediately after forcing a large air bubble through the mixture. In other words, there is only a short time when the stirring of the mixture during the stroke 35 of the piston is adapted to the type and quality of material from which the beverage is to be made. If one wanted an adjustment by changing the speed of the piston, this would not change the fact that there are periods of high speed and low speed and consequently periods which are not suitable.

Det er kendt at omrøre en blanding af vand og materi- * ale ved tilførsel af luft i bryggerummet ovenfra ved hjælp 5 af en ledning, som er forbundet med en luftpumpe, hvor ledningen har sin nedre ende placeret et stykke over bunden af rummet med blandingen. Eksempler findes beskrevet i FR-A- 1 565 033 og DE-A-2 432 141.It is known to stir a mixture of water and material by supplying air into the brewing room from above by means of a conduit connected to an air pump, the conduit having its lower end positioned slightly above the bottom of the compartment with the mixture. . Examples are described in FR-A-1 565 033 and DE-A-2 432 141.

Denne form for omrøring har imidlertid den ulempe kun 10 at omrøre de umiddelbare omgivelser til udløbsåbningen for luftrøret og at lade de omgivende områder, navnlig områderne under nævnte udløbsåbning og sidevæggene, som almindeligvis danner eller understøtter filtermateralet, være uden omrøring eller med forskellig omrøring.However, this type of agitation has the disadvantage of only stirring the immediate surroundings of the outlet opening for the trachea and leaving the surrounding areas, in particular the areas below said outlet opening and the side walls, which generally form or support the filter material, without agitation or with various agitation.

15 Det er hensigten med opfindelsen at opnå et apparat, ved hjælp af hvilket der på en yderst enkel måde kan etableres en korrekt omrøring af hele indholdet.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus by means of which a very simple stirring of the entire contents can be established.

Det er yderligere formålet med opfindelsen at tilvejebringe et apparat med enkel opbygning, således at eksiste-20 rende apparater kan ændres til apparater ifølge opfindelsen og de samme fordele opnås.It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple structure apparatus so that existing apparatus can be changed into apparatus according to the invention and the same advantages are obtained.

I henhold til opfindelsen nås dette formål ved, at afgangsledningen neden for filteret er forsynet med en ventil og at afgangsledningen mellem filteret og ventilen er 25 tilsluttet en gaskilde under tryk og inderettet til at levere en kontinuerlig strømning ind i udløbsledningen og gennem filteret efter lukning af ventilen, hvilken gaskilde har justerbare midler til regulering af driftstiden og den leverede gasmængde i omrøringsperioden, og at en ventil efter 30 driftstiden af kilden åbnes, idet denne ventil udgør det eneste middel til styring af strømningen af drikken gennem filteret og gennem udløbsledningen. En tilsvarende konstant strøm af bobler kan ikke opnås ved apparatet ifølge US-A-3 552 976, men opnås her på enkel måde ved hjælp af en pumpe, * 35 som er i stand til at afgive en sådan gasstrømning. Ved justering af pumpen med hensyn til den leverede gasmængde og * driftstid kan der opnås enhver tilpasning til den ønskede drik og til den individuelle smag.According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the outlet line below the filter is provided with a valve and that the outlet line between the filter and the valve is connected to a pressurized gas source and inwardly to supply a continuous flow into the outlet line and through the filter after closing the filter. the valve, which gas source has adjustable means for controlling the running time and the amount of gas delivered during the stirring period, and that a valve is opened after the 30 operating time of the source, this valve being the only means for controlling the flow of the beverage through the filter and through the outlet line. A similar constant flow of bubbles cannot be obtained by the apparatus of US-A-3,552,976, but is here obtained simply by means of a pump capable of delivering such a gas flow. By adjusting the pump in terms of the gas quantity supplied and * operating time, any adjustment can be made to the desired beverage and to the individual taste.

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Efter tilberedningen af drikken og herunder dens omrøring aftappes denne. Dette fastholder den opnåede kvalitet af denne. Ved apparatet ifølge US-A-3 552 976 finder der en gennemsugning gennem filteret sted efter omrøringen, og den-5 ne gennemsugning af varmtvandsstrømmen gennem det formalede materiale og gennem filteret påvirker kvaliteten. Med en konstant strømning vil omrøringen af blandingen finde sted med samme intensitet fra begyndelsen til slutningen af tidsperioden.After the preparation of the drink and including its stirring it is bottled. This maintains the quality achieved. In the apparatus of US-A-3,552,976, a suction through the filter takes place after the stirring, and this suction of the hot water flow through the ground material and through the filter affects the quality. With a constant flow, stirring of the mixture will take place at the same intensity from the beginning to the end of the time period.

10 Endvidere kan driftstiden reguleres på simpel måde, såsom ved hjælp af et tidsur. Fortrinsvis er gastrykkilden en luftpumpe, og den kan være af den type, der anvendes i et akvarium. En sådan luftpumpe leverer en kontinuerlig luftstrømning i det tidsrum, pumpen er tilsluttet.Furthermore, the operating time can be regulated in a simple manner, such as by means of a timer. Preferably, the gas pressure source is an air pump and may be of the type used in an aquarium. Such an air pump delivers a continuous flow of air for the period the pump is connected.

15 Ifølge opfindelsen foretrækkes det, at der er anbragt en envejsventil mellem den nævnte kilde og forbindelsespunktet mellem filter og udløb for at forhindre en strømning i retning mod den nævnte kilde. Det er ønskeligt for at undgå en tilstopning af pumpen med partikler, som findes i 20 drikken.According to the invention, it is preferred that a one-way valve is disposed between said source and the connection point between filter and outlet to prevent a flow in the direction towards said source. It is desirable to avoid clogging the pump with particles contained in the beverage.

Ventilen mellem udløbet fra afgangsledningen og det nævnte forbindelsespunkt er fortrinsvis en membranventil, som ved hjælp af et lille membranareal kontrollerer strømningen gennem afgangsledningen og ved hjælp af en større 25 overflade på sin modsatte side udsættes for gaskilden under tryk.The valve between the outlet from the discharge line and said connection point is preferably a diaphragm valve which, by means of a small membrane area, controls the flow through the outlet line and by means of a larger surface on its opposite side is exposed to the gas source under pressure.

Dette har den virkning, at afgangsledningen under omrøring, hvilket vil sige under funktion af trykkilden eller betjening af pumpen, er automatisk lukket, mens venti-30 lerne åbnes under aftapning af drikken. Ydermere kan nævnte ventil nemt renses om nødvendigt. Forbindelsen af gaskilden under tryk med membranventilen er fortrinsvis forsynet med en trykudligningsventil, navnlig en trykudligningsventil, der betjenes ved hjælp af en solenoide, som følge af hvilken 35 det bliver muligt at bevæge den nævnte ventil til en åben stilling, så snart pumpen er uaktiveret, således at trykket over membranventilens membran samtidig udlignes, og aftapning af drikken kan finde sted.This has the effect of leaving the discharge line with agitation, that is to say during operation of the pressure source or operation of the pump, while the valves are opened during the bottling of the drink. Furthermore, said valve can be easily cleaned if necessary. The connection of the gas source under pressure with the diaphragm valve is preferably provided with a pressure relief valve, in particular a pressure relief valve, which is operated by means of a solenoid, as a result of which it is possible to move said valve to an open position as soon as the pump is inactivated. so that the pressure across the diaphragm valve diaphragm is equalized and bottling of the beverage can take place.

DK 169857 B1 4DK 169857 B1 4

Det er endvidere muligt i henhold til opfindelsen at ‘ anvende to separate pumper, én for omrøring af kaffen og en anden til aktivering af membranventilen. -It is further possible according to the invention to use two separate pumps, one for stirring the coffee and another for activating the diaphragm valve. -

Opfindelsen vil fremgå af beskrivelsen af vedlagte 5 tegning, som viser udførelsesformer i henhold til opfindelsen.The invention will be apparent from the description of the attached drawing which shows embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 er et skematisk snit af en kaffemaskine i henhold til den foreliggende opfindelse; fig. 2 er et skematisk snit af en anden kaffemaskine 10 ifølge opfindelsen, og fig. 3 er et tværsnit af en kontrolventil, som anvendes i maskinen ifølge opfindelsen.FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a coffee maker according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of another coffee maker 10 according to the invention; and FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a check valve used in the machine according to the invention.

Idet der henvises til tegningen i detaljer, er bryggeren 1 på kaffemaskinen ved sin bunddel 2 udstyret med et 15 kaffefilter 3, gennem hvilket kaffeekstraktet kan udledes gennem røret 4 og en ventil 5, f.eks. en solenoide-betjent ventil, til aftapningsrøret 6. Røret 4 før ventilen 5 har forbindelse til et separat rør 7 med en luftpumpe 8 og en modtryksventil 9. Trykkene i røret 7 og i afgangsrøret regu-20 leres på en sådan måde ved hjælp af ventilerne henholdsvis 5 og 9, at luft eller en anden anvendelig gas ved drift af luftpumpen 8 tvinges gennem rørene 7 og 4 ind i den nedre del af bryggerrummet 2 i en retning, som er modsat retningen for udledning af kaffeekstraktet gennem filterelementet 3.Referring to the drawing in detail, the brewer 1 of the coffee maker at its bottom portion 2 is provided with a 15 coffee filter 3 through which the coffee extract can be discharged through the tube 4 and a valve 5, e.g. a solenoid-operated valve, for the drain pipe 6. The pipe 4 before the valve 5 communicates with a separate pipe 7 with an air pump 8 and a back-pressure valve 9. The pressures in the pipe 7 and in the discharge pipe are regulated in such a way by the valves. 5 and 9, respectively, that air or other useful gas, when operating the air pump 8, is forced through the pipes 7 and 4 into the lower part of the brewing chamber 2 in a direction opposite to the direction of discharge of the coffee extract through the filter element 3.

25 Luften tvinges fortrinsvis ind i bryggeren, idet den fordeles jævnt over hele filterarealet under blandingen af kaffe og varmt vand inden i bryggeren 1.Preferably, the air is forced into the brewer, distributing evenly throughout the filter area during the mixing of coffee and hot water within the brewer 1.

Ved tilførsel af luft fra det separate rør 7 gennem røret 4 ind i bryggeren 1 ved hjælp af pumpen 8 omrøres kaf-30 feblandingen i et forudbestemt tidsrum med en konstant omrøringsgrad. For det første kan dette forøge graden af ekstraktion af kaffen mærkbart, hvorfor kaffemængden kan reduceres, hvilket bevirker en betragtelig besparelse i omkostninger.By supplying air from the separate tube 7 through the tube 4 into the brewer 1 by means of the pump 8, the coffee mixture is stirred for a predetermined period of time with a constant degree of stirring. First, this can noticeably increase the degree of extraction of the coffee, which is why the amount of coffee can be reduced, resulting in a considerable cost savings.

35 Andre fordele er: (1) Graden af ekstraktion af kaffen kan nu reguleres af ' brugeren selv uden at ændre mængden af malet kaffe ved at regulere graden og/eller tiden for omrøringen. Smagen af DK 169857 B1 5 kaffedrikken kan nu reguleres individuelt ved at ændre mængden af malet kaffe og/eller mængden af vand og/eller brygningstid. Graden af ekstraktion afhænger af graden af ekstraktion af smagssubstanser fra den malede kaffe.Other advantages are: (1) The degree of coffee extraction can now be regulated by the user himself without changing the amount of ground coffee by regulating the degree and / or time of stirring. The flavor of the DK 169857 B1 5 coffee drink can now be individually regulated by changing the amount of ground coffee and / or the amount of water and / or brewing time. The degree of extraction depends on the degree of extraction of flavoring from the ground coffee.

5 2) Som følge af omrøringen af blandingen i bryggeren 1 fremkaldes der en bevægelse af lettere og mindre malede kaffepartikler ind i det øvre afsnit af bryggerummet, hvilket medfører mindre bundfald i en kop kaffe.2) Due to the stirring of the mixture in the brewer 1, a movement of lighter and less ground coffee particles is induced into the upper section of the brewing chamber, which causes less precipitation in a cup of coffee.

3) På grund af den kontinuerte strøm af drevne luftbob-10 ler gennem filteret 3 i opadgående retning hindres filteret i at tilstoppe så ofte.3) Due to the continuous flow of driven air bubbles through the filter 3 in the upward direction, the filter is prevented from clogging so often.

Hastighed og rumfang af luftstrømmen ind i bryggeren bestemmer tid og grad af omrøringen. Følgelig muliggør den foreliggende opfindelse en kontrollerbar grad af turbulens 15 af kaffeblandingen med det resultat, at brugeren kan regulere til den ønskede smag af kaffen, som efter omrøring kan aftappes ved afgangsrøret 6.Speed and volume of air flow into the brewer determine the time and degree of stirring. Accordingly, the present invention enables a controllable degree of turbulence 15 of the coffee blend, with the result that the user can adjust to the desired taste of the coffee, which can be drained at the outlet tube 6 after stirring.

Driftstiden for pumpen 8 ligger mellem minimumstid med en minimal grad af omrøring og en maksimumstid med en 20 maksimal grad af omrøring uden noget behov for at ændre den mængde af kaffe, som sædvanligvis anvendes i en kaffemaskine. Modtryks- eller envejsventilen 9 i røret 7 tjener til at hindre en strøm af kaffeekstrakt ind i dette rør i tilfælde af, at der ikke drives luft ind i bryggeren 2 af pumpen 8.The operating time of the pump 8 is between the minimum time with a minimum degree of stirring and a maximum time with a maximum maximum stirring without any need to change the amount of coffee usually used in a coffee machine. The counterpressure or one-way valve 9 in the tube 7 serves to prevent a flow of coffee extract into this tube in the event that no air is driven into the brewer 2 of the pump 8.

25 Modtryksventilen 9 forhindrer, at det indre af luftpumpen 8 stopper til.The backpressure valve 9 prevents the interior of the air pump 8 from stopping.

Kaffemaskiner i henhold til den foreliggende med forudbestemt omrøring gør det muligt at forbedre kaffesmagen såvel som at tilpasse smagen til den enkelte bruger. Det er 30 yderligere muligt at anvende en ret langsomt ekstraherende kaffeformaling, hvis aroma er meget mere værdsat. I de kendte kaffemaskiner er det nødvendigt at anvende hurtigt ektra-herende kaffe, hvilket har den ulempe, at den kaffeekstrakt, som opnås fra denne kaffeformaling, ofte har en bitter smag, 35 som ikke værdsættes af flertallet af forbrugere.Coffee machines according to the present with predetermined stirring make it possible to improve the coffee taste as well as adapt the taste to the individual user. It is further possible to use a rather slow-extracting coffee grind whose aroma is much more appreciated. In the known coffee machines it is necessary to use fast extracting coffee, which has the disadvantage that the coffee extract obtained from this coffee mill often has a bitter taste which is not appreciated by the majority of consumers.

Ved den beskrevne kaffemaskine kan omrøringen med påtrykt luft reguleres fra nul til et maksimum, f.eks. ved hjælp af en knap med en omkredsskala-indikator til at regu- DK 169857 B1 6 lere luftmængden i rør 7 pr. tidsenhed og ved ligeledes at - anvende en afbryder for varigheden af driften af luftpumpen 8. v-In the coffee machine described, the stirring with compressed air can be controlled from zero to a maximum, e.g. by means of a knob with a circumferential scale indicator to control the airflow in pipes 7 per meter. time unit and also by - using a switch for the duration of operation of the air pump 8. v-

Fig. 2 og 3 viser en foretrukken udførelsesform for 5 kaffemaskinen ifølge opfindelsen. Reguleringsventilen 5 anvendt i udførelseformen på fig. 2 har den på fig. 3 viste opbygning.FIG. 2 and 3 show a preferred embodiment of the coffee machine according to the invention. The control valve 5 used in the embodiment of FIG. 2 has the one shown in FIG. 3.

Nævnte ventil 5 har en membran 20 med en lille nedre ventildel 22, som arbejder sammen med ventilsædet 21 i 10 strømningsvejen fra rør 4 mod afgangsrør 6.Said valve 5 has a diaphragm 20 with a small lower valve portion 22 which cooperates with the valve seat 21 in the flow path from pipe 4 to discharge pipe 6.

Denne membran 20 er anbragt i en reces 23 på ventilhuset og holdes på plads af en flange 17 af et kopformet element 16 og et aftageligt fastspændingsdække 18. Det kopformede element 16 har et rør 15 forbundet til et rør 10.This diaphragm 20 is arranged in a recess 23 on the valve body and is held in place by a flange 17 of a cup-shaped member 16 and a removable clamp cover 18. The cup-shaped member 16 has a tube 15 connected to a tube 10.

15 Nævnte rør 10 er forbundet til en luftpumpe 13 og har en so-lenoideventil 11. En anden pumpe 14 med en envejsventil 12 er forbundet til røret 4.Said pipe 10 is connected to an air pump 13 and has a solenoid valve 11. Another pump 14 with a one-way valve 12 is connected to the pipe 4.

Hvis der skal ledes luft til bryggeren 1 lukkes ventilen 11.If air is to be directed to the brewer 1, the valve 11 is closed.

20 Den luft, som leveres af pumpen 13, har et svagt tryk, der dog er tilstrækkeligt til at bevæge membranen 20 til sin lukkestilling med ventildelen 22 mod sædet 21. Dette er muligt, fordi den øvre overflade af membranen er betydeligt større end overfladen af del 22. Pumpen 14 sikrer, at 25 luft strømmer gennem envejsventilen 12 ind i røret 4 og således til bryggeren.The air supplied by the pump 13 has a slight pressure, however, sufficient to move the diaphragm 20 to its closing position with the valve member 22 towards the seat 21. This is possible because the upper surface of the diaphragm is considerably larger than the surface of the diaphragm. part 22. The pump 14 ensures that 25 air flows through the one-way valve 12 into the pipe 4 and thus to the brewer.

Efter omrøringen standser pumperne 13 og 14, ventilen 11 åbnes, og trykket på toppen af mebranen 20 frigøres.After stirring, the pumps 13 and 14 stop, the valve 11 is opened and the pressure on the top of the diaphragm 20 is released.

Kaffen kan nu strømme gennem røret 4, den åbne ventil 30 5 og røret 6. Ventilen 9 forhindrer tilstopning af pumpen 14.The coffee can now flow through the pipe 4, the open valve 30 5 and the pipe 6. The valve 9 prevents clogging of the pump 14.

Ventilen 5 er således opbygget, at rengøring om nødvendigt er enkel at udføre.The valve 5 is constructed such that cleaning is easy to perform if necessary.

t it i

Claims

An apparatus for making coffee and comprising a brewing compartment (1) for receiving said coffee and hot water, a filter (3) in the lower wall of the brewing compartment (1), means (4,7,8,9, 12,14) for supplying a quantity of gas upwardly through the filter (3) and a discharge line (4,6) below the filter (3), characterized in that the outlet line (4,6) below the filter (3) is provided with a valve (5) that the outlet line between the filter (3) and the valve (5) is connected to a pressurized gas source (8,14) and inwardly directed to supply a continuous flow into the outlet line (4) and through the filter after closing the the valve (5), said gas source (8.14) having adjustable means for controlling the operating time and the amount of gas supplied during the stirring period, and opening a valve (5) after the operating time of the source (8.14), said valve (5) constitutes the only means of controlling the flow of the beverage through the filter and through the outlet conduit.

Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a one-way valve (9) is arranged between said source (8.14) and said connection point, the valve preventing flow in the direction towards said source (8.14).

Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the valve (5) between the outlet (6) of the outlet line (4) and said connection point is a diaphragm valve (20, 21, 22) which, by means of a small mem. branch area (22) controls the flow through the discharge line (4) and, by means of a larger surface on its opposite side, is subjected to pressure from a gas source (13).

Apparatus according to claim 3, 35, characterized in that the connection (10) between the pressurized gas source (13) and the diaphragm valve (5) is provided with a pressure relief valve (11).

Apparatus according to claims 3 and 4, characterized in that there are two pressurized gas sources, one (13) for operating the diaphragm valve (5) and one (8) for supplying gas to the discharge line (14). . »R