JP2003529430A - Liquid beverage supply machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] An inlet 2 for receiving a supply of water, at least one boiler 7 capable of receiving water from the supply of water and supplying hot water and / or steam, hot water and a predetermined injection amount A mixing station 26 for receiving the beverage (such as coffee) and mixing it with the hot water and then supplying the beverage from the machine 1; receiving a portion of the water supply and hot water at a predetermined maximum temperature. A cooling chamber 10 for supplying to said mixing station 26 via an outlet 19, said cooling chamber 10 comprising at least one inlet 12 and at least one outlet 14, wherein said cooling chamber 10 comprises And the cooling chamber 10 receives the hot water from the boiler 7, supplies the hot water to the mixing station 26, and supplies the hot water in the cooling chamber 10 to the mixing station 26. Degree is adjusted by the cold water, it is formulated machine 1 supplies the hot beverage.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND The present invention relates to improvements in beverage brewing machines, and more particularly in machines for delivering hot beverages such as coffee. As the consumption of coffee grows, various machines have been manufactured to supply and feed coffee. Such machines generally fall into two main types. One is a vending machine that is operated by a consumer upon request and typically dispenses coffee and other hot beverages according to a combination selected by the consumer by pressing a button. Although the level of beverages offered by such machines is generally low, they are quick and convenient and satisfy certain markets. The second type of machine is a blending type that blends coffee beans to produce higher quality coffee such as cappuccino. There is a broader consumer base of coffee who can distinguish quality and require high quality coffee. Coffee blending machines were able to satisfy this market. The present invention relates to improvements in vending machines and expresso machines, and in particular to machines of the latter type adapted mainly for the preparation of coffee from ground coffee. More specifically, the present invention provides a coffee delivery machine capable of delivering hot beverages such as coffee containing cappuccino using soluble coffee and a means for controlling and monitoring the delivery temperature of the beverage. It is a thing.

[0002] Known hot beverage dispensers employ a source of hot water that is mixed with a beverage such as cocoa or coffee. These machines are equipped with a mixing station, which is where the beverage mixing takes place. The vending machine lets the consumer choose the beverage, and the machine does everything else. Beverages supplied by these machines are usually of poor quality and are not monitored by the operator.

Known coffee blending machines are more sophisticated than vending machines and usually require an operator. Traditionally, such machines are known as expresso machines and utilize coffee beans, but the quality of the coffee depends primarily on the technology of putting the coffee.
To date, technological developments in the coffee industry have focused on the fresh coffee (espresso and cappuccino) field, ignoring the soluble coffee field. However, the development of Fresh Coffee has not addressed significant issues in both milk systems and filter types. The known brewing machine is effective, with potentially high results, when operated by a skilled varistor. A typical prior art coffee brewing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,028, which discloses a housing, a fresh water supply reservoir mounted within the housing, and a pressure supply. In addition, a simple coffee machine with a heating element adapted to heat the fresh water supplied to the brewing chamber is taught. The brewing chamber has a coffee inlet and outlet, and is further equipped with a water pump and drive controller.

US Pat. No. 4,491,063 discloses an automatic coffee machine for supplying hot water from a tank, a boiler or the like under pressure and supplying the hot water to a chamber in which coffee powder is held. . The machine involves filtering the extract obtained by passing hot water through coffee powder. Some of the prior art in this field relates to means for preventing clogging of the hot water inlet holes to the chamber holding the coffee powder.

US Pat. No. 6,035,762 discloses an expresso coffee machine working with a filter capsule and including a brewing device, the brewing device comprising:
It comprises two brewing chamber components connected to a brewing water heater and provided with a plurality of nozzles.

US Pat. No. 6,003,435 is a type of hot water supply to a ground coffee that is supported in a removable filter device during the compounding cycle to heat and store water. A coffee maker machine is provided, which comprises a stored reservoir and a spray head for supplying hot water from the reservoir to the filter device. The device comprises a valved conduit for supplying a first volume of hot water from the reservoir to the spray head and a second valved conduit for supplying a second volume of hot water from the reservoir to the spray head.
The select switch allows the operator to select the amount of coffee to be blended. The device connects to a select switch to control the operation of the first and second valved conduits during the compounding cycle to provide the appropriate amount of hot water to the spray head and to the ground coffee in the filter device. , Further comprising a controller for dispensing the selected amount of coffee.

Another known expresso coffee machine is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,388,502, which discloses an espresso coffee machine with an electric water heater and a filter basket holder. And a brewing chamber for receiving coffee on an infusion device located at the bottom of the basket. The coffee machine further comprises a first conduit having a steam outlet and a second conduit. The first conduit opens into the filter basket holding device to connect the brewing chamber to the water heater and is located inside it to keep the through flow control closed when the basket holder is not inserted. It has a valve. After inserting the filter basket into the machine, the filter basket holder moves the filter valve from its closed position to its open position. Another coffee maker machine is US Pat. No. 5,063,
No. 836, and is described as comprising a reservoir connected to a main water source, the reservoir including a level sensor that controls a water refill valve for the reservoir. The machine further comprises a thermostatically controlled heating element such that the thermostat and refill valve are controlled by a single modular, replaceable solid circuit board. The level sensor allows the reservoir to be refilled to a suitable level for subsequent formulation of coffee, regardless of the main water pressure or the route by which water was previously removed from the reservoir. The electronically controlled incubator allows only a small degree of temperature drop, eg, 3.67 ° C. (3 ° F.), before acting to reheat the water in the reservoir. This means that water is stored near the boiling point and 93.33 ° C (
It is allowed to contact the coffee for formulation purposes at temperatures above 200 ° F.

Traditionally, coffee blending machines have employed coffee beans or ground coffee when placing the coffee, and as far as the applicant is best aware, conventionally, instant coffee is used in the coffee blending machine. There was no. Soluble coffee has heretofore not been able to be used in an expresso compounding machine due to the way the expresso machine operates. Ground coffee or beans are considered in the industry as insoluble coffee because ground flour does not instantly dissolve in water. Instant coffee is called soluble coffee. Soluble coffee has not been developed in the past because effective technology has not been realized that allows this grade of coffee to be used when making coffee compounded by compounding machines and no suitable equipment has been developed. It was never used on a machine. If the instant coffee was used in a conventional expresso machine, the instant coffee would have become an unusable solid mass of coffee in the frozen state. In a conventional expresso machine, steam acts on the ground coffee under pressure, and the steam extracts the scent from the ground coffee. Ground coffee resists steam, but due to its physical properties, soluble coffee cannot be used under steam pressurization, and if the soluble coffee is to be supplied, the known machinery will be significantly impaired. It needs to be modified.

[0009] There is a current need to provide coffee in the quality of ready-mixed coffee much faster than is feasible using conventional machines. Traditionally, blended coffee takes minutes, but consumers may want coffee within 30 seconds.
Traditional machines are not adapted to use soluble coffee, nor are they able to make coffee drinks quickly, which makes the market for making high quality coffee quickly on compounding machines. Previously, it was not developed.

A conventional coffee blending machine includes two boilers, a boiler that generates hot water for making coffee and a boiler that generates steam. It was previously thought that it was not possible to make blended coffee on a machine that used only one boiler within the same size footprint or in a smaller space than existing machines. Therefore,
Traditional machine designs have remained the same for quite some time. Ideally, the coffee machine feeds the coffee at an outlet temperature of about 87 ° C, while acceptable coffee feed temperatures are within about 93 ° C. During the mass production of coffee from one machine, its outlet temperature must be maintained to ensure that the coffee is delivered to the consumer at the required temperature.

It may be difficult to achieve this during full load. Ideally, the steam required during the charging of the coffee is provided at about 100 ° C. Temperature control is provided by a thermostat and in prior art machines heat exchange is provided by contact with the ambient air at the outlet, which is an inefficient temperature control means and, as a result, coffee that is too hot. Will be supplied. One of the problems with conventional machines
One is to maintain the required discharge temperature, especially during the production of large amounts of coffee. A further disadvantage of the known brewing machines is the space occupied by the machine due to the need for two boilers and the expansion space required to accommodate these boilers. Conventionally, it has been considered impossible to reduce the footprint of the machine by performing all of its blending functions with a single boiler.

Milk-based espresso coffee machines must be regularly cleaned and maintained to maintain product quality. The product standard of espresso / cappuccino products depends on the skill level of the operator and the maintenance condition of the device,
This may result in providing substandard coffee at a premium if the operator is unskilled, for example. Filter coffee must be discarded approximately every 30 seconds, which is inefficient. In a busy restaurant environment, this policy is often forgotten, with the result that substantially substandard coffee is served to guests, resulting in lost future sales.

(Invention) The present invention deals with the technique of soluble coffee and roasted and ground coffee,
It also addresses the technical problems of milk systems and filter devices.

Using soluble coffee, the device of the invention reproduces the production of espresso and fresh milk coffee. Given that coffee is a high-demand commodity and growth in coffee sales is in the espresso and fresh milk sector, the present invention allows soluble coffee sellers to compete with the espresso market. To

In the United States in 1999, 886,338 tons of coffee were sold in the United States. Soluble coffee currently accounts for 9.1% of the market and fresh coffee at 9
It accounts for 0.1%. Fresh coffee is the fastest growing sector in terms of both volume and sales, 2.4% and 3% from 1994 to 1999 respectively.
It has increased by 2.6%. Soluble coffee field sales declined 1.8% in 1999. Despite its high price, soluble coffee is considered inferior to fresh coffee (roasted and ground coffee). Currently, more coffee is consumed outside the home, accounting for 57% of the total market. This reflects lower sales of both soluble and fresh coffee in the supermarket.

[0016]

[Table 1]

[0017] These figures show that coffee is a growing market where continuous growth is expected, but that growth of fresh coffee by professional coffee consumed primarily outside the home and primarily from the younger age group. Focused on the field.

The present invention is an improvement on prior art brewing machines that make hot beverages such as coffee, which increases brewing efficiency and speed and is also operable to make coffee beverages from soluble and insoluble coffee. It is intended to be there. The invention further provides a cooling chamber for controlling the feed temperature of the soluble coffee.

The invention, in its broadest form, comprises a brewing machine for delivering hot beverages, the brewing machine receiving an inlet for receiving a supply of water and receiving water from the supply of water and / or hot water and / or hot water. ) At least one boiler capable of supplying steam, and a mixing station for receiving a predetermined dose of beverage, such as hot water and coffee, mixing with the hot water, and then supplying the beverage from the machine.
A cooling chamber for receiving a portion of the water supply and delivering hot water to the mixing station via an outlet at a predetermined maximum temperature, the cooling chamber comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The cooling chamber receives cold water from the water supply, the cooling chamber receives hot water from the boiler, supplies the hot water to the mixing station, and the temperature of the hot water in the cooling chamber supplied to the mixing station is cold water. Is adjusted by.

In one broad form, the invention comprises a brewing machine for making one or more hot liquid beverage doses such as coffee, the brewing machine having at least one inlet and at least one outlet. Means for controlling a water supply to at least one boiler, and at least one inlet and at least one outlet in communication with the water supply and receiving at least a portion of the water supply A cooling chamber and a heat exchanger associated with the at least one boiler and in fluid communication with the cooling chamber for receiving water from the water supply; and at least one outlet to the cooling chamber. At least one to said at least one boiler in communication with the coffee mixing chamber and supplying hot water to said coffee mixing chamber; Of the coffee to be fed to the coffee mixing chamber ending at the coffee feed outlet, the machine being in communication with a hot water valve and the at least one other outlet to the at least one boiler being in communication with a steam valve. Including supply.

In another broad form, the invention comprises a machine for making one or more hot liquid beverage doses, such as coffee, which machine has at least one inlet and at least one outlet. A boiler having means for controlling the water supply, at least one inlet, and at least one outlet for communicating with the water supply and at least a portion of a portion of the water supply. A cooling chamber for receiving hot water to supply a mixing station where the beverage is made; hot water associated with the boiler and in communication with the cooling chamber for supplying water to the cooling chamber; A heat exchanger for receiving water from the water supply, at least one outlet to the cooling chamber communicating with the coffee mixing chamber and hot water. Supplying to the coffee mixing chamber, at least one outlet to the boiler in communication with a hot water valve, at least one other outlet to the boiler in communication with a steam valve and supplying steam to the steam valve, The machine further comprises a supply of coffee to the coffee mixing chamber terminating at the coffee supply outlet.

In another broad form, the invention comprises a machine for supplying a hot liquid beverage, such as coffee, which machine supplies water to a boiler having at least one inlet and at least one outlet. Associated with the boiler, a cooling chamber having means for controlling the amount of water, at least one inlet, and at least one outlet, the cooling chamber being in communication with the water supply and receiving at least a portion of the water supply. And in communication with the cooling chamber,
A heat exchanger for receiving water from the water supply, the at least one outlet to the cooling chamber communicating with a coffee mixing chamber, the cooling chamber exhausting from the cooling chamber for use in the coffee mixing chamber. Adjust the temperature of the water that is applied.

In another broad aspect, the invention comprises a warm liquid beverage dispensing machine for producing one or more warm liquid beverage dispenses, such as coffee, wherein the machine comprises a water feed and at least one A boiler having one inlet and at least one outlet for receiving the water supply; at least one inlet and at least one outlet in fluid communication with the water supply; At least a cooling chamber for receiving at least a portion of the water supply; and a heat exchanger associated with the boiler and in communication with the cooling chamber for receiving water from the water supply. 1
One outlet is in communication with the coffee mixing chamber, and the machine further comprises a supply of coffee to the coffee mixing chamber ending at the coffee supply outlet, wherein the coffee is water soluble and instant.

[0024] Preferably, the heat exchanger is built into the boiler and communicates with the cooling chamber via a fluid supply pipe. Preferably, the cooling chamber is arranged between the water supply and the heat exchanger contained in the boiler. Preferably one of the inlets to the cooling chamber feeds hot water, preferably cooled to about 85 ° C. to about 93 ° C., which hot water is fed to the coffee mixing chamber via an outlet from the cooling chamber. Is discharged. The coffee mixing chamber preferably receives soluble coffee stored in a coffee reservoir held inside the machine.

In another broad form, the invention comprises a beverage dispensing machine for delivering a warm liquid beverage such as coffee, the machine capable of delivering soluble (instant) coffee, the machine comprising: It has a boiler, a mixing station, and a cooling chamber that controls the temperature at which the coffee is fed.

In another broad aspect, the present invention comprises a cooling chamber used in a machine for supplying hot beverages, the machine comprising an inlet for receiving a supply of water and a water supply for receiving a supply of water. And / or at least one boiler capable of supplying steam, and a mixing station for receiving hot water and a dose of beverage and mixing with said hot water, after which said beverage is supplied from said mixing chamber, A cooling chamber receives at least a portion of the water supply and supplies hot water via an outlet to the mixing chamber at a predetermined maximum temperature, the cooling chamber comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet. The cooling chamber receives cold water from the water supply, the cooling chamber receives hot water from the at least one boiler, Is supplied to the serial mixing chamber, the temperature of the hot water in the cooling chamber to be supplied to the mixing station is controlled.

Preferably, in the machine there is one boiler for generating hot water and steam, such that the cooling chamber is arranged between the boiler and the mixing chamber.

The cooling chamber receives cold water via a pipe that enters the chamber and returns to the boiler. Preferably, the tubes are arranged in the cooling chamber so as to provide a predetermined tube surface area in contact with the boiling water supplied from the boiler into the chamber. The boiler includes a heat exchanger that receives cold water from the water supply through the cooling chamber and supplies hot water from the heat exchanger to the cooling chamber and to the mixing chamber.

The cooling chamber preferably further comprises a heating element for increasing the temperature of the water supplied from the cooling chamber to the mixing chamber when the temperature drops below a predetermined minimum supply temperature. The cooling chamber further comprises a thermostat that isolates the heating element when the water in the cooling chamber reaches a predetermined maximum value. The cooling chamber preferably supplies water cooled to about 85 ° C. to 93 ° C. to the coffee mixing chamber via an outlet from the cooling chamber. Preferably, the tube is coiled in the cooling chamber so as to maximize the surface area of contact with the hot water in the cooling chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to preferred, but non-limiting, embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a schematic perspective view of a warm liquid beverage dispenser 1 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The supply device 1 is typical of the known supply devices in that it comprises a supply of water, heating means, means for preparing a beverage such as coffee, and a beverage discharge device. Known dispensing devices, such as vending machines, include a boiler, a supply of water to the boiler, a beverage to be mixed with the hot water generated by the boiler, and a dispensing station. Known expresso machines usually comprise at least two boilers, a steam chamber allowing pressurized steam to be injected onto and through the coffee beans, and a supply station for supplying the beverage. ing. The present invention provides one alternative beverage dispensing machine that can provide coffee made of soluble (instant) coffee and that also includes a cooling chamber that controls the temperature at which the beverage is dispensed. The machine usually makes it possible to dispense beverages, including those delivered through an expresso machine, with no discernible differences.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the beverage supply device 1 comprises a water supply inlet 2 controlled by a pressure pump 3 driven by a motor 4. Pressure pump 3
And the motor 4 can be housed inside the machine or located outside the machine.
Pressurized water is supplied to various locations within the machine. The pressure pump 3 has an outlet 5 which feeds a solenoid valve 6 which fills the boiler.

The solenoid valve 6 controls the overfilling of the steam and water boiler 7. In the case of overpressure, the overpressure valve 11 allows excess water to escape, which water is discharged via the overflow pipe 8. The supply pipe 9 supplies water to the cooling chamber 10 and has a water overpressure valve 11 therein. The supply pipe 9 enters the cooling chamber 10 via an inlet 12 and forms a return loop 13, which continuously supplies cold water to bring the temperature of the water in the cooling chamber 10 to a moderate degree. The loop 13, which is preferably a copper tube, can be coiled to increase the surface area of contact between the tube and the water in the cooling chamber 10. The greater the surface area exposed to the hot water in the cooling chamber 10, the greater the heat exchange between the feed water in the loop 13 and the hot water in the cooling chamber 10. The loop 13 exits the cooling chamber 10 via an outlet 14, at which time a supply pipe 15 supplies a heat exchanger 16 arranged in the boiler 7. As such, the water heated in the heat exchanger 16 by heat exchange with the hot water in the boiler 7, which is heated by the heating element 17, is supplied via the supply pipe 18 to the cooling chamber 10.
And then contacting the cooler water in the loop 13 will eventually reduce the temperature of the water exiting the cooling chamber 10 via the outlet 19.

The boiler 7 receives cold water via the supply pipe 20, and the water supply is regulated by the solenoid valve 6 so as to avoid overfilling. The water level in the boiler 7 is controlled by a water level probe 21 of the boiler extending from the top of the boiler 7 to a predetermined height according to the maximum water depth required in the boiler. Element 1
The steam generated in the boiler 7 through the heating by 7 is controlled by the overpressure safety valve 22. The boiler 7 also comprises a pressure maintaining device 23 which controls the pressure inside the boiler 7. The machine 1 further comprises, according to one embodiment, a container part or coffee canister 24 which holds the instant coffee in a granular form. The canister 24 terminates in an outlet 25 that supplies the coffee to a coffee mixing chamber 26 as the coffee in the canister 24 is moved toward the outlet 25 by a rotating spiral 27 driven by a motor 28. The supply operation of the spiral 27 is adjusted by the operator operating the control panel of the machine.

In use, the machine operates as follows. Once the boiler 7 has been filled with water from the supply pipe 20 to a predetermined maximum water level, the boiler is heated by the heating element 17. The feed water circulates through the feed pipe 9, then through the return loop 13 and through the pipe 15, and then through the heat exchanger 16 in the boiler 7. The heated water in the boiler 7 will eventually generate steam in the boiler, which water is regulated by a safety valve 22 so as to ensure that it does not exceed an acceptable pressure. The water level probe 21 sets the maximum water level so that there is always hot water and steam available from the boiler 7. The heating is regulated by a U-shaped heat exchanger 16 which receives cold water via the supply pipe 15 and returns the hot water to the cooling chamber 10.

The water from the cooling chamber 10 is used to formulate the coffee to be supplied by the machine,
Therefore, the temperature of the water should be at an acceptable level, preferably about 87-93 ° C.

To help control the temperature of the water discharged from the cooling chamber 10,
A dry heating element 29 is attached to raise the temperature in the cooling chamber 10 when it drops below a minimum acceptable level for serving the beverage. Element 29
Auxiliary heating by means of can be useful during periods of high production, where the ability to maintain an optimum temperature around 97 ° C due to demand on the machine is diminished.

When making coffee, the operator needs a supply of water that is directly accessible to the operator, a supply of water that is mixed with the coffee, and a supply of steam. The water and steam feeds are obtained from the boiler 7, but in the case of water that mixes with the coffee drawn from the canister 24, this water is drawn from the cooling chamber 10, which cools the temperature of the water. This is because it is a place to be kept in a predetermined temperature range which may be in the range of 87 ° C to 100 ° C. Ideally this temperature is close to 97 ° C, but will fluctuate during high or low demand hours.

Direct steam supply to the operator is provided via an outlet 30 (omitted for clarity), which is in communication via a valve 34 which controls the flow of steam via outlet 35. is doing. Direct hot water supply to the operator is provided via an outlet 33, which is in communication with a hot water valve 31 which controls the flow of hot water via an outlet 32.
The water mixed with the coffee is supplied to the cooling chamber 10 via the hot water injection solenoid valve 36.
Is aspirated from and supplied to the mixing chamber 26. The mixing chamber 26 is in communication with a coffee canister 24 which, according to a preferred embodiment, may be supplied via an outlet 25 prior to mixing in the mixing chamber 26 such as an instant coffee or Retains soluble coffee. The coffee inside the canister 24
Operation of the material motor 28, which drives the helical screw 27, advances toward the mixing chamber 26. Water from the solenoid valve 36 is controlled by the water flow control valve 40 and then introduced into the mixing chamber 26 in a circulating operation that promotes mixing with the soluble coffee supplied from the canister 24. Next, the mixed coffee is supplied to the cup 37 via the supply outlet 38. The operator determines the coffee mix according to the prescription. Thus, the machine can make coffee in any form, such as expresso, cappuccino, short black and the like. Although the illustrated embodiment has one mixing chamber, one of ordinary skill in the art can include multiple coffee dispensing stations in one machine to make multiple beverages simultaneously. It will be understood that there is. When making multiple beverages, it may be necessary to include or alternatively provide an additional fill solenoid valve in parallel or in series with fill solenoid valve 36. If the machine has multiple filling stations, this requires an additional feed inlet 38 and also the boiler 7
And would require additional suction from the cooling chamber 10.

According to one preferred embodiment, the operation of the machine is controlled by the control board.

One of the advantages of this machine is that there is no waste of the ground powder used as in the case of prior art machines. Also, coffee can be made by simply pressing a button, and instant coffee or soluble coffee can be used. All soluble coffee can be used up. Another advantage of the machine is that it is possible to use one boiler for supplying both steam and hot water, and its footprint is minimal. Also, beverages can be made in a shorter time than conventional machines. For example, the machine of the present invention can make coffee in 10 seconds using instant coffee without compromising the quality of the beverage as would be expected with prior art machines. With the dispensing machine described herein, in accordance with its various embodiments, a business operator can taste as good as a small quantity of product made by a specialist, yet produce a large quantity that is cheaper to make. It is possible to realize high speed coffee. By using soluble coffee, the machine according to the invention is able to produce a constant quality of coffee for each serving. Up to four different coffee blends can be provided at one time through four individual hoppers. This machine can make all common milk-based coffee and espresso. A uniform flavor that is similar to or better than conventional roast and ground coffee machine coffee can be made in less than 4 seconds. Professional quality coffee drinks are achieved without the cost of an operator with specialized guidance. Coffee can be made with minimal maintenance while the operator makes other products for the customer.

Unlike the machine according to the invention, roasting and ground coffee machines always require maintenance and calibration. Ground coffee machines require considerable cleaning due to ground powder and operating modes, and coffee mills require skilled operators to sharpen the mill blades regularly and constantly calibrate. . The machine of the coffee machine
It also has the disadvantages of slow speed compared to the machine according to the invention, requiring maintenance and skilled operators, non-uniform products and high operating costs. The machine according to the invention produces a coffee ingredient for espresso or milk-based coffee in less than 4 seconds, compared to 20-40 seconds for conventional roast and ground coffee espresso machines. Furthermore, the coffee does not need to be ground, tempered or otherwise processed. For this reason, the waiting time is significantly shortened. When testing the present invention for 27 months at numerous retail stores in Australia, none found that the coffee was made using soluble coffee, rather than ground coffee. The machine is permanently installed at each retail store where the machine was tested,
Coffee sales continue to grow. This machine has the appearance of a conventional roasting and ground espresso machine. Even unskilled people can quickly and efficiently produce uniform and excellent quality coffee.

The cooling chamber for controlling the supply temperature of the beverage is in addition to being adaptable to a dispensing machine of the type described in detail in the present invention, it is also adapted to a known dispensing machine of hot beverage of the vending machine type. Can be made. The machine can also be adapted to espresso type machines and vending machines.

The device 1 monitors the steam pressure in the boiler 7, so that the steam meter 41 and the water temperature meter 4
2 is further provided. A pump can be installed to maintain a pressure above a predetermined minimum value.

FIG. 2 shows an outside perspective view of a beverage dispensing machine 43 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention. Machine 43 is long black, short black,
Can supply coffee drinks like milk coffee, latte and cappuccino,
It also has a single boiler (not shown) with a heat exchanger inside the boiler. The machine 43 has an outer casing 44 which holds the boiler 7, the heat exchanger 16 and the cooling chamber 10 (see FIG. 1), all hidden from the outside. The hot water valve 45 has a flexible thin tube 47 when requested by the operator.
Hot water is provided through the steam valve 46, and a flexible thin tube 48 is provided when the operator requests.
To provide steam through. The second steam supply valve 49 supplies steam through the flexible thin tube 50 at the request of the operator. A cup (not shown) is placed on the tray 51 in alignment with the feed inlets 52-55, allowing multiple beverages to be made simultaneously. The beverage supply is controlled by control boards 56-59 which control the supply inlets 52-55, respectively. A separate button on each control panel supplies a beverage such as short black, long black, cappuccino, cocoa, hot water, latte or milk coffee according to the embodiment shown in FIG. This machine does not have a closed pressurized steam system that allows the injection of steam into the ground coffee as in the prior art. While this system typically produces ground coffee waste, the machine configuration described above eliminates beverage waste.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that without departing from the overall spirit and scope of the invention,
It will be appreciated that numerous variations and modifications can be made in accordance with the invention broadly described herein.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a supply machine (some features omitted for clarity) according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2]   1 is an external perspective view of a machine according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, I T, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE, TR), OA (BF , BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, G M, KE, LS, MW, MZ, SD, SL, SZ, TZ , UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, C N, CU, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB , GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, L K, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK , MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, T M, TR, TT, UA, UG, US, UZ, VN, YU , ZA, ZW

Claims (49)

[Claims] 1. A brewing machine for supplying hot beverages, an inlet for receiving a supply of water, at least one boiler capable of receiving water from the supply of water and supplying hot water and / or steam; And a predetermined dose of beverage, such as coffee, and mix it with the hot water, after which a mixing station that supplies the beverage from the machine and a portion of the water supply and the predetermined hot water. A cooling chamber that feeds to the mixing station via an outlet at a maximum temperature of at least one inlet, the cooling chamber having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the cooling chamber comprising: Receiving cold water, the cooling chamber
A brewing machine that receives hot water from the boiler, supplies it to the mixing chamber, and adjusts the temperature of the hot water in the cooling chamber supplied to the mixing chamber by cold water. 2. A brewing machine according to claim 1, wherein there is one boiler for producing hot water and steam and the cooling chamber is between the boiler and the mixing station. 3. The compounding machine of claim 2, wherein the cooling chamber is
A brewing machine that receives cold water via a pipe that enters the chamber and returns to the boiler. 4. The brewing machine according to claim 3, wherein the tubes are provided in the cooling chamber so as to provide a predetermined tube surface area in contact with boiling water supplied from the boiler to the chamber. A blending machine located at. 5. The brewing machine of claim 4, wherein the boiler comprises a heat exchanger that receives cold water from the water supply through the cooling chamber, the hot water from the heat exchanger being supplied to the cooling chamber. A dispensing machine for feeding to the mixing station. 6. The brewing machine of claim 5, wherein the mixing station comprises a chamber having an opening for receiving a quantity of soluble coffee and the hot water from the cooling chamber. 7. The machine according to claim 6, wherein the cooling chamber comprises an auxiliary heating element to keep the temperature of the water supplied from the cooling chamber at a predetermined minimum temperature. 8. The machine according to claim 7, wherein the cooling chamber further comprises a thermostat device for isolating the heating element when the water in the cooling chamber reaches a predetermined maximum value. 9. The machine according to claim 8, wherein the temperature of the water supplied from the cooling chamber via the outlet from the cooling chamber is maintained in the range of 85 ° C. to 93 ° C. 10. A brewing machine that produces one or more hot liquid beverage feeds, such as coffee, a boiler having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, at least one inlet, and at least one inlet. A cooling chamber having one outlet, the cooling chamber communicating with the water supply and receiving at least a portion of the water supply, wherein the at least one outlet to the cooling chamber comprises a beverage At least one outlet to the boiler in communication with the beverage mixing station and hot water is supplied to the beverage mixing station, the at least one outlet from the boiler communicating with a hot water valve.
A brewing machine further comprising three other outlets in communication with a steam valve, the beverage supply being fed to the mixing station and terminating at the beverage supply outlet. 11. The compounding machine of claim 10, wherein the boiler comprises:
A brewing machine further comprising a heat exchanger associated with the boiler and in fluid communication with the cooling chamber to receive water from the water supply through the cooling chamber. 12. The machine of claim 11, wherein the beverage is water soluble coffee. 13. The machine according to claim 12, wherein a heat exchanger receives cold water from the water supply through a cooling chamber. 14. The machine according to claim 13, wherein the heat exchanger supplies hot water to the cooling chamber when water from the water supply is supplied from the cooling chamber to the heat exchanger. . 15. The machine according to claim 14, wherein the heat exchanger is located inside the boiler. 16. The machine of claim 15, wherein the cooling chamber supplies water to the mixing station at a predetermined temperature. 17. The machine according to claim 16, wherein the temperature of the water supplied from the cooling chamber drops in the range of 85 ° C. to 93 ° C. via an outlet from the cooling chamber to the coffee mixing chamber. machine. 18. The machine according to claim 17, wherein the coffee mixing station comprises a chamber for receiving soluble coffee stored in a coffee reservoir adjacent to the mixing chamber. 19. The machine according to claim 9 or 18, wherein the boiler has a first outlet for supplying hot water to at least one hot water supply nozzle via a control valve. 20. The machine according to claim 10, wherein the boiler has a second outlet for supplying steam to at least one steam supply nozzle via a steam control valve. 21. The machine according to claim 20, wherein the cooling chamber has an auxiliary heating element for keeping the temperature of the water supplied from the cooling chamber at a predetermined minimum temperature. 22. The machine of claim 21, wherein the water supply is supplied under pressure generated by a supply pump. 23. The machine according to claim 21, wherein the water supply pipe has an overflow section which is activated when overpressure occurs in the water supply pipe. 24. The machine of claim 23, wherein the coffee reservoir has means for advancing soluble coffee to the coffee mixing chamber at the request of an operator. 25. The machine according to claim 24, wherein a solenoid valve is arranged between the cooling chamber and the control valve so that hot water can be supplied to the coffee mixing chamber. 26. The machine according to claim 25, wherein a solenoid valve is arranged between the boiler and the control valve so as to supply hot water to the hot water nozzle. 27. The machine according to claim 26, wherein a second solenoid valve is disposed between the boiler and the control valve so as to supply steam to the steam supply nozzle. 28. The machine of claim 27, wherein the water supply is circulated through the machine by an electric motor. 29. The machine of claim 28, wherein the heating element is housed within a boiler to heat the water supplied from the water supply.
machine. 30. The machine according to claim 29, wherein the boiler has a relief valve to release steam when overpressure occurs. 31. The machine according to claim 30, further comprising a control panel that sets the operation of the machine. 32. The machine of claim 31, wherein the cooling chamber comprises a thermostat device. 33. In a beverage dispensing machine for producing one or more hot liquid beverage dispenses, such as coffee, a boiler having an inlet for receiving a water dispense, and at least one communicating with the water dispense. A cooling chamber having an inlet and at least one outlet in communication with a heat exchanger arranged in the boiler, one outlet from the cooling chamber in communication with the coffee mixing chamber and the hot water; Feed to a coffee mixing chamber, one outlet to the boiler communicates with a hot water valve, at least one other outlet from the boiler communicates with a steam valve and supplies steam to the steam valve, and a supply outlet for coffee A beverage supply machine further comprising a supply of soluble coffee to be supplied to the coffee mixing chamber ending in. 34. A cooling chamber for use in a hot beverage dispensing machine, wherein the machine receives an inlet for the water supply and receives the water supply and supplies hot water and / or steam. And a cooling station for receiving hot water and an infused amount of beverage for mixing the hot water and then delivering the beverage from the mixing chamber, the cooling chamber providing the water supply. At least a portion of the hot water is supplied to the mixing chamber at a predetermined maximum temperature via an outlet, the cooling chamber having at least one inlet,
At least one outlet, the cooling chamber receiving cold water from the water supply, the cooling chamber receiving hot water from the at least one boiler, supplying the mixing chamber, and supplying the mixing chamber A cooling chamber in which the temperature of the hot water in the cooling chamber is controlled. 35. The cooling chamber according to claim 34, wherein one boiler for generating hot water and steam is present in the machine, the cooling chamber being arranged between the boiler and the mixing chamber. Cooling chamber. 36. The cooling chamber of claim 35, wherein cold water is received via a pipe that enters the chamber and returns to the boiler. 37. The cooling chamber of claim 36, wherein the tube is provided within the cooling chamber such that the tube can provide a predetermined tube surface area in contact with boiling water supplied into the chamber from the boiler. Located in the cooling chamber. 38. The cooling chamber according to claim 37, wherein the boiler comprises a heat exchanger for receiving cold water from the water supply through the cooling chamber, the heat exchange for supplying to the mixing chamber. A cooling chamber for supplying hot water from a vessel to the cooling chamber. 39. The cooling chamber of claim 38, further comprising a heating element that raises the temperature of the water supplied from the cooling chamber to the mixing chamber when the temperature drops below a predetermined minimum supply temperature. , Cooling chamber. 40. The cooling chamber of claim 39, further comprising a thermostat device that isolates the heating element when the water in the cooling chamber reaches a predetermined maximum value. 41. The cooling chamber of claim 40, wherein water cooled to about 85 ° C. to 93 ° C. is supplied to the coffee mixing chamber via an outlet from the cooling chamber. 42. The cooling chamber of claim 41, wherein the tube is coiled within the cooling chamber to maximize the surface area of the cooling chamber in contact with the hot water. 43. In a machine for dispensing hot liquid beverages such as coffee,
Means for controlling the supply of water to the boiler, having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; at least one inlet and at least one outlet, in communication with said water supply; A cooling chamber for receiving a portion of the water supply; and a heat exchanger associated with the boiler and in communication with the cooling chamber for receiving water from the water supply, the at least one outlet to the cooling chamber. In communication with the coffee mixing chamber, the cooling chamber adjusting the temperature of water discharged from the cooling chamber for use in the coffee mixing chamber. 44. In a hot beverage dispensing machine, such as coffee, which is capable of delivering soluble (instant) coffee, comprising a boiler and a cooling chamber for providing water to mix with the soluble coffee. A machine, wherein the chamber maintains the temperature of the water supplied to the mixing chamber within a predetermined temperature range. 45. The machine of claim 44, wherein a boiler receives cold water from the water supply and returns hot water from the boiler back to the cooling chamber to a mixing chamber, where the hot water is in the mixing chamber. A machine further comprising a heat exchanger for mixing the soluble coffee with the soluble coffee. 46. In a machine for making one or more hot liquid beverage doses, such as coffee, means for controlling the water feed to a boiler having at least one inlet and at least one outlet. A cooling chamber having at least one inlet and at least one outlet in communication with the water supply and receiving at least a portion of the water supply; and the cooling chamber associated with the boiler and the cooling chamber. A heat exchanger in communication with the cooling chamber for receiving water from the water supply and supplying water to the cooling chamber, the at least one outlet to the cooling chamber communicating with the coffee mixing chamber and mixing the hot water with the coffee mixing chamber. Supplying to a chamber, at least one outlet to the boiler is in communication with a hot water valve, and at least one other outlet to the boiler is a steam valve The communicating and the steam supplied to the steam valve and ends at the delivery outlet of the coffee, further comprising a supply of soluble coffee to be supplied to the coffee mixing chamber, machine. 47. A heat exchanger used in a brewing machine for supplying hot beverages, comprising a boiler, a mixing station and a cooling chamber, the water supply being arranged in the boiler and supplying water via the cooling chamber. Receive cold water from minutes,
A heat exchanger for supplying hot water from the heat exchanger to the cooling chamber and to the mixing chamber. 48. The heat exchanger according to claim 47, wherein the temperature of the water supplied from the heat exchanger in the boiler to the cooling chamber and to the mixing station is controlled by the cooling chamber. Heat exchanger. 49. The heat exchanger according to claim 48, wherein the cooling chamber keeps the temperature of the water supplied from the cooling chamber at a predetermined maximum value, and the temperature of the water reaches a predetermined minimum value. A heat exchanger having a heating element kept at.