WO2016029355A1

WO2016029355A1 - A coffee capsule filler appliance

Info

Publication number: WO2016029355A1
Application number: PCT/CN2014/085177
Authority: WO
Inventors: Weizhong Li; Yewu Zhong; Bryan Peter MCHUTCHISON
Original assignee: Top Electric Appliances Industrial Ltd.
Priority date: 2014-08-26
Filing date: 2014-08-26
Publication date: 2016-03-03

Abstract

A compact coffee capsule filler appliance (10) for filling coffee capsule cups with a coffee product is provided. The appliance (10) comprises a housing (12) accommodating a coffee product filling station (20) and a capsule cup sealing station (30). The appliance also comprises a capsule cup holder (40) for supporting at least one capsule cup (90). The capsule cup holder (40) is adapted to position the at least one capsule cup (90) at the coffee product filling station (20) when the appliance (10) is operated to fill the at least one capsule cup (90) with the coffee product, and is adapted to position the at least one capsule cup (90) at the capsule cup Sealing Station (30) when the appliance (10) is operated to seal the at least one capsule cup (90). Different capsule cup holders may be provided to enable different configurations of capsule cup to be filled with a powdered drink product and sealed.

Description

A COFFEE CAPSULE FILLER APPLIANCE

Technical Field

The invention relates to a coffee capsule filler appliance.

Background Art

Some known coffee maker appliances utilize ready prepared coffee capsules filled with ground coffee. The capsules are sealed to preserve the quality of the contents. However, the ready prepared capsules are expensive to purchase and provide coffee drinkers with a very limited choice of coffee blends, styles or recipes to choose from.

There is therefore a need for a domestic coffee capsule filler appliance to provide consumers with the ability to prepare coffee capsules to blends and recipes of their own choice or design.

Technical Problem

An object of the invention is to provide a domestic coffee capsule filler appliance which processes a coffee product and which fills and seals coffee capsules with such product.

The above object is met by the combination of features of the main claims; the sub-claims disclose further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compact domestic coffee capsule filler appliance which processes a coffee product and which fills and seals coffee capsules with such product in a semi-automatic manner.

One skilled in the art will derive from the following description other objects of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing statements of object are not exhaustive and serve merely to illustrate some of the many objects of the present invention.

Technical Solution

In a first main aspect, the invention provides a compact coffee capsule filler appliance for filling coffee capsule cups with a coffee product. The appliance comprises a housing accommodating a coffee product filling station and a capsule cup sealing station. The appliance also comprises a capsule cup holder for supporting at least one capsule cup. The capsule cup holder is adapted to position the at least one capsule cup at the coffee product filling station when the appliance is operated to fill the at least one capsule cup with the coffee product, and is adapted to position the at least one capsule cup at the capsule cup sealing station when the appliance is operated to seal the at least one capsule cup.

In a second main aspect, the invention provides a capsule cup holder for a compact coffee capsule filler appliance for filling coffee capsule cups with a coffee product. The capsule cup holder comprises means for receiving at least one capsule cup to stably support it thereon and means configured to position the at least one capsule cup at a coffee product filling station of the appliance or at a capsule cup sealing station of the appliance.

The invention is advantageous in that it enables a user of the appliance to process a coffee product, fill a coffee capsule with the coffee product, and sequentially, seal the filled coffee capsule in a quick, easy and user-friendly operation, and furthermore this facilitates a semi-automatic operation of the appliance.

The summary of the invention does not necessarily disclose all the features essential for defining the invention; the invention may reside in a sub-combination of the disclosed features.

Description of Drawings

The foregoing and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments which are provided by way of example only in connection with the accompanying figures, of which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coffee capsule filler appliance according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the coffee capsule filler appliance of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the capsule cup holder of the coffee capsule filler appliance of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the coffee grinder of the coffee capsule filler appliance of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a first side sectional view of the coffee capsule filler appliance of Figure 1 showing the coffee grinder and the coffee filling station;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the coffee grinder of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a second side sectional view of the coffee capsule filler appliance of Figure 1 showing the capsule cup sealing station;

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the rolling unit of the sealing device of the capsule cup sealing station of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a coffee capsule filler appliance according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 10 is a side sectional view of the coffee capsule filler appliance of Figure 9 showing the coffee beans roasting station.

Mode for Invention

The following description is of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect.

Reference in this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.

Referring to Figures 1 to 8, the structure of a coffee capsule filling appliance 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, it is shown that the appliance 10 comprises a housing 12 which accommodates a coffee product filling station 20 for filing a capsule cup with a coffee product such as ground coffee, and a capsule cup sealing station 30 for sealing the filled capsule cup. The appliance 10 also comprises a capsule cup holder 40 for supporting the capsule cap. The capsule cup holder 40 is adapted to position the capsule cup at the coffee product filling station 20 when the appliance 10 is operated to fill the capsule cup with the coffee product, and is adapted to position the capsule cup at the capsule cup sealing station 30 when the appliance 10 is operated to seal the capsule cup.

The housing 12 of the appliance 10 is provided with a control panel having a series of input controls 14 such as a mains power switch and indicator lights which indicate the operation status of the appliance 10, although other types of input and/or display devices such as a touch screen could also be provided. The appliance 10 is controlled by a central control unit 16 comprising a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 18, which can be seen in Figure 5.

The appliance 10 may further comprise a coffee grinder 50 for grinding coffee beans into granules. The coffee grinder 50 comprises a coffee container or hopper 52 for receiving and storing coffee beans. The hopper 52 may have a lid 54. The coffee grinder 50 also comprises a grinding or milling device 56 for grinding the coffee beans, and an outlet 58 for discharging the ground coffee into a capsule cup at the coffee product filling station 20. In this embodiment, the coffee grinder 50 is located above the coffee product filling station 20, connecting to an upper portion of the housing 12.

Alternatively, the hopper 52 may serve as a container for receiving and storing already ground coffee in a preferred size which can be readily filled into a coffee capsule cup without being processed by the grinding or milling device 56.

Detailed structures of the capsule cup holder 40 are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The capsule cup holder 40 is in the form of a holder plate having an opening 42 for supporting a coffee capsule cup of a particular configuration. In this embodiment, the opening 42 is circular being adapted to support a capsule cup 90 of a matching circular shape. Particularly, the circular opening 42 comprises an inwardly extending ledge 43 adapted to engage the annular top 91 of the coffee capsule cup 90 so that the capsule cup 90 can be arranged to rest stably upright on the holder plate.

The appliance 10 may be provided with a plurality of capsule cup holders 40, each having an opening 42 adapted to receive a capsule cup of a particular configuration intended for use with an existing or soon to be released coffee maker appliance. Additionally or alternatively, capsule cup holders may be made available separately for use with an existing or soon to be released coffee maker appliance.

The capsule cup holder 40 is adapted to releasably engage the coffee product filling station 20 when the appliance 10 is operated to fill the capsule cup 90 with the coffee product. Specifically, the housing 12 of the appliance 10 is configured with a first port 22 adjacent to the coffee product filling station 20. The first port 22 comprises a pair of opposing grooves 24 adapted to slidably receive two opposing side edges 44 of the holder plate of the capsule cup holder 40. The sliding engagement of the capsule cup holder 40 and the first port 22 facilitates a smooth and accurate positioning of the capsule cup holder 40 adjacent to and below the coffee product filling station 20 when the appliance 10 is operated to fill the capsule cup with the coffee product, simply by inserting the holder plate of the capsule cup holder 40 into the first port 22. The sliding engagement also facilitates a quick and easy removal of the capsule cup holder 40 and thus the capsule cup from the coffee product filling station 20 when the filling is completed. The filled capsule cup can then be transferred securely to the capsule cup sealing station 30 by the capsule cup holder 40 for sealing. The use of the capsule cup holder 40 to transfer the filled capsule cup between the coffee product filling station 20 and the capsule cup sealing station 30 is advantageous in that it prevents a direct handling of the filled capsule cup by a hand of a user, which may lead to spillage or contamination of the coffee product inside the capsule cup prior to sealing. In the next step, the appliance 10 is operated to seal the capsule cup at the capsule cup sealing station 30. The capsule cup holder 40 carrying the filled capsule up is first pulled out from the first port 22, and is arranged to releasably engage the capsule cup sealing station 30. Specifically, the housing 12 of the appliance 10 is provided with a second port 32 adjacent to the first port 22 of the coffee product filling station 20. The second port 32 is similarly constructed to resemble the configuration of the first port 22 to comprise a pair of opposing grooves 34 adapted to slidably receive the two opposing side edges 44 of the holder plate of the capsule cup holder 40. Again, the sliding engagement of the capsule cup holder 40 and the second port 32 facilitates a smooth and accurate positioning of the capsule cup holder 40 adjacent to and below the capsule cup sealing station 30. The capsule cup holder 40 can be simply inserted into second port 32 for sealing the filled capsule cup, without the need of direct handling and positioning of the filled capsule cup by the hand of the user.

Alternatively, the capsule cup holder 40 can be configured with a plurality of openings 42 for supporting a plurality of capsule cups for filling and sealing multiple capsule cups in turn or simultaneously.

In another embodiment, the capsule cup holder 40 can be arranged to rest on and to serve as a cover of a container 48, which can be accommodated in a cavity underneath the first port 22 inside the housing 12. When no capsule cup is positioned at the capsule cup holder 40, the container 48 is adapted to receive the coffee product discharged from the coffee grinder 50 via the opening 42 of the capsule cup holder 40.

Detailed structures of the coffee grinder 50 are shown in Figures 4 to 6. Referring to Figure 4, the hopper 52 of this embodiment is compartmentalized into a plurality of compartments 60 whereby different type of coffee beans, ground coffees, drink powders of other types such as chocolate powder, or a combination thereof are contained in respective compartments 60 of the hopper 52. The compartments 60 are controllable to release specified quantities of their contents in response to a first control input received at the appliance 10. In this embodiment, the first control input is manually controllable by a control means 70, which is connected to and is located below the hopper 52. The control means 70 comprises a number of parts which work cooperatively to control release of the different contents of the compartments 60 at specified quantities. Specifically, the control means 70 comprises a base unit 72 having a plurality of radially spaced apart inlets 74 adapted to receive contents from the respective compartments 60. Each of the inlets 74 is arranged to open successively to allow passage of the content from the respective compartment 60 to a grinding cavity 84 of the grinding device 56, which is located further down the control means 70. The grinding cavity 84 provides a space for accommodating and mixing the different contents of the compartments 60 at different ratios before the contents are allowed to proceed to grinding by the grinding device 56.

The successive opening of the inlets 74 is achieved by a rotating action of a rotary unit 80, which is located immediately below the inlets 74. The rotary unit 80 is configured to include an aperture or a notch 78 with a size comparable to or smaller than that of one inlet. By manipulating a control block 82 of the rotary unit 80, the aperture or notch 78 can be rotated to successively align with each of the inlets 74, and thus allows passage of the content from each of the compartments 60 via their respective inlets to the grinding space 84 of the grinding device 56. The specified quantities of the respective contents are determined by controlling the duration of opening of the respective inlets. In the embodiment as shown in Figure 4, the rotation of the rotary unit 80 and thus the adjustment of release of the contents from the compartments 60 is performed by sliding the control block 82 along a slot 76 at the base unit 72, although other means of control release such as valves can also be used.

After the desired quantities of the coffee contents from the respective compartments 60 are discharged into the grinding cavity 84 for storing and mixing, the mixed contents will proceed to and be grinded between a first grinding head 92 and a second grinding head 94 of the grinding device 56 to form granules of smaller sizes. The two grinding heads 92, 94 are connected via a shaft 104 driven by a driving device 102, which is in turns powered by a motor 100 as shown in Figure 5.

The gap between the two grinding heads 92, 94 is controllable to set a desired grind size of the coffee product, and the size of the gap can be adjusted in response to a second control input received at the appliance 10 to provide a specified size of the coffee product. For example, the second control input can be manually controlled by an adjusting means, which is in the form of a screw ring 106 in this specific embodiment. When the screw ring 106 is manipulated by a user, a spring 108 which is connected to the screw ring 106 is adapted to adjust the size of the gap between the two grinding heads 92, 94, thereby controlling the grind size of the coffee product. In some embodiments, the adjustment means may be driven by a motor to change the grind size in response to a control input.

The ground coffee released from the grinding heads 92, 94 will be collected at a collector 110, with its base being configured to slope downwardly towards the outlet 58. The outlet 58 is directed to feed the ground coffee into the capsule cup 90 supported on the capsule cup holder 40, or into the container 48 via the opening 42 in the absence of the capsule cup 90. A fill detection system can be provided in association with the capsule cup 90 or the container 48 so as to ensure that an accurate amount of the coffee product is fed into the capsule cup 90 or the container 48, without over or under filling the capsule cup 90 or the container 48.

After the capsule cup is filled with the coffee product, the capsule cup holder 40 will be removed from the first port 22 at the coffee product filling station 20 by a sliding action. The capsule cup holder 40 will then be inserted into the second port 32 at the capsule sealing station 30 where the filled capsule cup will be sealed by the action of a sealing device 120. Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the sealing device 120 comprises a rolling unit 122 for drawing a roll of labels 124 over the top of the filled capsule cup. The roll of labels is carried by a first wheel 130, separated by a series of guide wheels 132, 134, and is drawn by a rolling wheel 136. A stamp cutter 126 provided with a heating plate 128 is adapted to move downwardly to stamp cut the label and simultaneously heat seal the label over the open top of the filled capsule cup to thereby seal the cup for future use. In this embodiment, the downward movement of the stamp cutter 126 is actuated manually via a pressing action on a press switch 150 by the user. The press switch 150 is disposed at the housing 12 for an easy access by the user.

Specifically, the press switch 150 is connected to the stamp cutter 126 via a push rod 152, which in turns connected to a pawl 140 via a spring member. The pawl 140 engages a ratchet wheel 142, which triggers a one-way rotation of the ratchet wheel 142 to draw the roll of labels in one direction only.

In some embodiments, the press switch 150 may be automated by means of being driven by a motor in response to a user control input at the appliance 10.

It will be understood that, in some embodiments, self-adhering labels might be used thereby negating the need for the heating plate 128. Different types of sealing methods may be employed for sealing the filled capsule cups. For example, the seals may be provided in the form of discrete seals or lids which are placed and sealed over the open top of the capsule cup. The seals or lids could be stamped from a roll of sealing film material, for example.

The filled and sealed capsule cup will then be ejected into a storage chamber 160 for storage or for the user’s collection.

Optionally, a label recording or writing device can be associated with the sealing device 120 for printing on a side surface of a filled and sealed cup an indication of the contents or alternatively, for printing such information on the label of the filled and sealed cup. The information printed on the cup or its seal may comprise machine readable information such as a QR code or a bar code, for example, in addition to human readable markings. It may also include data such as the date the capsule cup was processed. In some instances, said information may include a serial number or some other identifier unique to a filled and sealed capsule cup. The label recording or writing device may comprise a laser marker, an ink jet printer or an electric erosion print device or the like.

Also associated with the sealing device 120 may be means for injecting an inert gas such as nitrogen into the filled coffee capsule cups as they are being sealed to thereby assist preservation of the freshness of the ground coffee placed in said cups. The nitrogen injection means may be adapted to extract trapped air from a capsule prior to injecting nitrogen into the capsule.

Although the specific embodiments as described above have been referred to a coffee capsule filler, and that the contents to be processed by the coffee grinder 50 have been referred to be coffee beans or ground coffees of different types or a combination thereof, it can be understood that, the compartments 60 of the hopper 52 can be used to receive other drink products such as chocolate powder, milk powder, flavorings or additives such as colorings or preservatives.

In yet another embodiment, appliance 10 may further comprise a coffee beans roasting station for roasting coffee beans from their green (i.e. unroasted) form to the brown (i.e. roasted) form prior to the grinding and filling processes as discussed above. Coffee beans roasting involves processes which change the colour, taste, smell and density of the green coffee beans by heat in order to produce characteristic flavours of the roasted brown coffee beans. As an alternative to purchasing roasted coffee beans of a particular flavour, home roasting of green coffee beans to produce roasted coffee beans of a tailored flavour is becoming more and more popular nowadays. Instead of having separate units of coffee beans roaster, grinder and coffee capsule filler, it is more compact and convenient for a home coffee processor to be incorporated with a coffee beans roasting station to allow roasting of coffee beans, a grinder for grinding the roasted coffee beans, and subsequently filling of the grinded coffee into capsules for storage in a streamlined process by a single device.

The coffee beans roasting station can be configured according to the design of any ordinary coffee beans roasters in the field applicable for coffee beans roasting. In this specific embodiment, for example, the coffee beans roasting station may include a heating member provided with a heating element adapted to generate heat for roasting coffee beans. The heating member may comprise an air source adapted to cooperate with the heating element to generate heated air to allow the coffee beans to be roasted by hot air. The coffee beans roasting station can be further configured with a mixing member for mixing the coffee beans while heating so as to allow an even and consistent roasting to the coffee beans; and optionally, a cooling member to assist and adjust cooling of the roasted coffee beans.

In the specific embodiment as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the coffee beans roasting station is further integrated into the hopper 52 of the grinder 50 to allow a compact design of appliance 10. The heating element of the heating member 180 generates heat for roasting the green coffee beans which are accommodated within the at least one compartment 60 of the hopper 52. The degree and/or duration of heating can be adjusted by, for example, an adjustment knob 170 provided at the control panel of appliance 10. The adjustment knob 170 can be connected with a controller 172 for controlling the degree and/or duration of heating. The controller 172 is connected with a sensor 174 provided at the hopper 52 for detecting the roasting temperature, which may subsequently sending feedback to the controller 172 and the heating member 180 to control the degree of heating. The roasted coffee beans could then be cooled, grinded, and then filled into capsules for storage so as to maintain the desired freshness and flavours of the processed coffee product. It will be seen therefore that the appliance 10 of the present invention provides a simple, compact domestic appliance enabling a domestic user to fill coffee capsule cups with preferred blends or recipes of coffee. This present invention is advantageous in that it enables a user of the appliance to process a coffee product, fill a coffee capsule with the coffee product, and sequentially, seal the filled coffee capsule in a quick, easy and user-friendly operation, and furthermore this facilitates a semi-automatic operation of the appliance. Different capsule cup holders may be provided to enable different configurations of capsule cup to be filled with a powdered drink product and sealed.

Claims

A compact coffee capsule filler appliance for filling coffee capsule cups with a coffee product, comprising:

a housing accommodating a coffee product filling station and a capsule cup sealing station; and

a capsule cup holder for supporting at least one capsule cup;

wherein the capsule cup holder is adapted to position the at least one capsule cup at the coffee product filling station when the appliance is operated to fill the at least one capsule cup with the coffee product, and is adapted to position the at least one capsule cup at the capsule cup sealing station when the appliance is operated to seal the at least one capsule cup.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 1, wherein the capsule cup holder is adapted to releasably engage the coffee product filling station when the appliance is operated to fill the at least one capsule cup with the coffee product.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 1, wherein the capsule cup holder is adapted to releasably engage the capsule cup sealing station when the appliance is operated to seal the at least one capsule cup.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first port adapted to receive the capsule cup holder to position the capsule cup holder adjacent to and below the coffee product filling station, and a second port adapted to receive the capsule cup holder to position the capsule cup holder adjacent to the capsule cup sealing station.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 4, wherein the first and the second ports adapted to slidably receive the capsule cup holder.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 5, wherein the capsule cup holder comprises a plate adapted to support at least one capsule cup
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 1, further comprising a coffee grinder for processing coffee beans to form the coffee product.
The coffee capsule filler appliance of claims 7, wherein the coffee grinder comprises a hopper for containing the coffee beans or ground coffee.
The coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 8, wherein the hopper is compartmentalized into a plurality of compartments whereby different coffee beans or different ground coffees are contained in respective compartments of the hopper whereby the compartments are controllable to release specified quantities of their contents in response to a first control input received at the appliance.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 7, wherein a size of a grinding gap of the coffee grinder is controlled in response to a second control input received at the appliance to provide a specified size of the coffee product.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 9, wherein the first control input is manually controllable by a control means.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 10, wherein the second control input is manually adjustable by an adjusting means.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 7, wherein the coffee grinder comprises an outlet for discharging the coffee product into the at least one capsule cup at the coffee product filling station.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 1, wherein the capsule cup sealing station comprises a sealing device actuated by an actuating means.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 14, wherein the actuating means is disposed at the housing.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 14, wherein the actuating means comprises a press switch.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 1, further comprising a coffee beans roasting station having a heating member, the heating member comprises a heating element adapted to generate heat for roasting coffee beans.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 17, wherein the heating member comprises an air source adapted to cooperate with the heating element to generate heated air for roasting the coffee beans.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 17, wherein the coffee beans roasting station comprises a mixing member for mixing the coffee beans.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 17, wherein the coffee beans roasting station comprises a cooling member for cooling the coffee beans.
The compact coffee capsule filler appliance of claim 17, wherein the coffee beans roasting station comprises a control means for controlling degree or duration of heating.
A capsule cup holder for the appliance of any one of the preceding claims, said capsule cup holder comprising means for receiving at least one capsule cup to stably support it thereon and means configured to position the at least one capsule cup at a coffee product filling station of the appliance or at a capsule cup sealing station of the appliance.