RU2812796C2 - Drip-catcher for beverage machine and beverage machine containing drip-catcher - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: beverage machine.

SUBSTANCE: drip-catcher for a beverage machine and a beverage machine containing such a drip-catcher. In this case, the drip tray contains drip-catcher base (17) for collecting liquid and drip-catcher cover (18), which contains a set of holes (30, 32) to allow liquid to pass to drip-catcher base (17) under drip-catcher cover (18) and at least one protrusion (34) facing downwards in use, having apex (36) configured to be positioned below a maximum liquid level at the bottom of the base of the drip-catcher, and thus functioning as a dipstick, wherein at least one hole (32) is positioned to provide a line of sight to the at least one protrusion (34) from a user's location of the beverage dispenser so that the user can see when the liquid level in base (17) of the drip-catcher reaches a maximum value by looking at the actual liquid opposite at least one protrusion (34).

EFFECT: improvement of beverage machine.

10 cl, 4 dwg

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to drip trays for beverage machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Drink dispensers usually have an outlet for dispensing drinks, under which a cup or mug is placed to collect the dispensed drink.

The cup or mug is usually placed on a support, under which a drip tray is installed to collect spilled liquid. The drip tray contains a lid on which a cup or mug is placed and which acts as a support.

The drip tray and its cover are usually designed to be removable from the machine for emptying and cleaning. Alternatively, only the lid may be removable and the drip tray may be cleaned without removal.

The drip tray must be emptied and cleaned before it becomes full. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to check the amount of spilled liquid collected in the drip tray. In the simplest drink machine, this might simply involve removing the drip tray lid periodically to check. In this case, there is a risk that the user may not check often enough, so that an overflow may occur, or the drip tray will become so full that emptying becomes difficult.

Other drink machines have a float inside the drip tray that visually indicates when the liquid has reached a predetermined level. This requires an additional part placed in the (dirty) drip tray, making it difficult to clean and easily damaged, and the user may not position the float correctly during cleaning.

The float does not allow the user to see the actual liquid level, and it may be difficult to determine the liquid level as the user may need to determine the height of the float.

It is proposed to provide a large area of the drip tray cover through which the liquid can be seen, so that better visual control of the liquid level is possible. This is, for example, disclosed in JPH06-113955, in which a tube extends down to the base of the drip tray and the level of liquid in the tube can be monitored. However, a large tube is required to avoid capillary effects, which degrades the aesthetic appearance of the drip tray.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention is defined by the claims.

According to the examples, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a drip cap for a beverage dispenser, comprising:

a set of holes to allow liquid to pass to the base of the drip tray under the drip tray cover and

a protrusion which has an open shape, facing downwards in use, having an apex configured to be positioned below a maximum liquid level at the bottom of the base of the drip tray, and thus functioning as a dipstick,

wherein the at least one opening is located to provide a line of sight of the projection from the location of the user of the beverage machine.

This cover contains a built-in protrusion that acts as a dipstick, which is visible through one of the holes in the cover. In this way, the user can easily see when the liquid level has reached its maximum value by seeing the actual liquid against the lip. This design directly indicates the level of spilled liquid without the need for additional parts, and is therefore easy to clean and maintain.

The protrusion is open-shaped, meaning that it does not surround an area of liquid, but rather forms a tongue that protrudes into the liquid. The protrusion may be a generally flat tongue or a curved but open wall.

The protrusion is preferably integral with the drip tray cover. Thus, the protrusion may be formed during the stamping process of a metal drip cap of a metal drip tray or during the molding process of a plastic drip cap.

For example, a protrusion extends downward from a location on the rear side of the at least one opening. Thus, the protrusion is visible through the hole when viewed from the front. Accordingly, the user can see the protrusion and read the liquid level.

For example, the protrusion contains a marking that indicates the maximum fluid level. This maximum liquid level is below the top of the drip tray base so that cleaning can be done without risk of spillage.

The marking may include a hole or protrusion. This can provide an easily visible mark whose appearance changes noticeably when the drip tray is empty compared to when it is filled with liquid.

The protrusion may have a surface area and shape corresponding to the at least one opening. This means that the projection can be forced out of the hole during the pressing step. This is especially suitable for metal drip tray cover.

The drip tray cover may include a set of projections, each of which is associated with a corresponding opening, wherein at least two of the projections and associated openings provide lines of sight from different user locations.

Thus, multiple measuring probes are provided and are configured to be visible from different viewing directions, so that for a plurality of possible user positions, at least one measuring probe is clearly visible.

The invention further provides a drip tray comprising a drip tray base for collecting liquid and a drip tray cover as described above.

In addition, according to the invention, there is provided a beverage machine comprising:

a beverage dispensing device having a dispensing outlet; And

the drip tray described above, located below the dispensing outlet.

A beverage dispenser is, for example, a domestic beverage dispenser, which is thus typically not connected to either a water supply or a drain, and therefore requires manual inspection and emptying of the drip tray. The beverage machine is, for example, a coffee machine.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the embodiment(s) described herein and will be explained with reference to these embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention and a clearer demonstration of the manner in which it may be carried out in practice, reference is made below, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an example of a beverage machine;

Fig. 2 shows the lid of the drip tray;

Fig. 3 shows an example of one projection in more detail; And

Fig. 4 shows a drip tray.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVENTION

It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples indicating exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, systems and methods are presented for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects and advantages of the apparatus, systems and methods of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, the accompanying claims and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the Figures are only schematic and are not depicted to scale. It is further understood that like reference numerals are used throughout the Figures to denote the same or similar parts.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a drip tray cover for a beverage dispenser having a protrusion that faces downwards in use and has an apex configured to be positioned below a maximum liquid level at the bottom of the base of the drip tray. At least one opening makes the protrusion visible to the user, and it functions as a dipstick for checking the level of liquid in the drip tray.

The invention can be applied to any beverage machine that has a beverage dispensing nozzle located above a drip tray. The drip tray is used to collect liquid spilled from the nozzle, but in many machines it also serves to collect water that comes out of the machine's internal hydraulic system, such as water that is too hot (after steam is generated to froth the milk, the heater needs time to cool down) or water that is too cold, or residual water from the brewing chamber.

By way of example only, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage machine 10 in the form of a fully functional espresso coffee machine. This example is a coffee machine with a bean grinding function, although other options are possible, as listed below.

It contains a main body 12 in which a water tank, a water heater and a tank for receiving coffee beans are located. There is an internal grinding mechanism to produce ground coffee, a brewing chamber or brewing group to receive ground coffee, and a pumping system to pump heated water through the ground coffee.

Espresso coffee is typically prepared by forcing pressurized water through a quantity of ground coffee. The infusion chamber, for example, may be removable to facilitate emptying and cleaning of the infusion chamber.

During the espresso preparation process, the ground coffee is compressed to a certain degree. For this purpose, the machine, for example, contains a piston which is movably positioned in the cylindrical brewing chamber and which is configured to seal the open upper side of the brewing chamber.

The movement of the piston controls the degree of compression of the ground coffee. As the compression of the ground coffee increases, the resistance to flow through the ground coffee increases. In the espresso brewing process, the brewing pressure at which the process is carried out, i.e. The pressure at which water flows through the ground coffee is determined by the resistance to flow through the ground coffee.

The coffee machine includes a coffee outlet tube 14, which is a main dispensing outlet from which espresso coffee (without milk) comes out. The coffee outlet tube 14 faces downwards and is located above the drip tray 16. The drip tray 16 is removable from the main body for emptying and cleaning. It contains a base 17 for collecting liquid and a drip tray cover 18. The drip cup lid functions as a support plate to receive the cup into which the coffee is poured. It contains a set of holes allowing spilled liquid to pass to the base 17, where said liquid is collected.

In addition, in FIG. 1 shows a user interface 19 for receiving user selection signals, such as selection of water and other beverages. Some of the selected drinks may be drink recipes that include steamed milk and therefore require steam generation.

An outlet nozzle 20 is provided to supply steam or hot water. This is an additional outlet for dispensing. This depends on the user's selection in the user interface 19. The steam output is used to form frothed milk, and the hot water only output option gives the user additional options, for example, for making soup, tea, hot chocolate, etc.

This full-featured espresso coffee machine is only one example of the type of beverage machine to which the invention can be applied. Drip collectors 16 are used in all types of beverage dispensers, such as other coffee machines that accept pre-ground coffee or coffee tablets, capsules, cartridges, or similar consumables, as well as tea and other beverage dispensers.

In FIG. 2 shows an example of a drip tray cover 18 in accordance with the invention.

The lid is shaped like a plate which acts as a support for the cup or mug and has a set of holes 30, 32 to allow liquid to pass to the drip tray base 17 (FIG. 1) under the drip tray lid.

The holes may, for example, be larger where spillage is greatest, i.e. under the outlet pipe 14 for coffee. The holes serve both to perform their function and to give the desired aesthetic appearance.

At least one opening 32 includes a protrusion 34 that faces downward in use and functions as a dipstick to provide visual control of the liquid level at the base of the drip tray.

The opening 32 is positioned relative to the protrusion 34 so as to provide a line of sight to the protrusion from the user's typical location, i.e. in front of the drink dispenser and from a higher position than the drip tray.

Thus, the protrusion is visible through the opening 32 so that the user can easily see when the liquid level reaches its maximum value by seeing the actual liquid opposite the protrusion.

The drip tray cover may be one-piece, such as molded plastic or extruded metal. Thus, the protrusion is made integral with the drip tray cover. The protrusion may include a downwardly folded cut portion of the drip tray cover, which thereby defines an opening 32. Thus, the drip tray cover may be formed from sheet metal, which provides a low cost and simple manufacturing process.

For example, the opening 32 may be shaped like a square, rectangle, or parallelogram, and the protrusion 34 in such a case is a flat tab that includes a downwardly folded area corresponding in size and shape to the opening, folded downward from a corner or edge.

The protrusion may be curved rather than flat. However, it is an open shape, which means that the line of contact between the protrusion and the liquid is an open line (straight or curved). In this way, capillary tube effects do not occur and accurate liquid level readings can be taken, similar to the case of using a flat dipstick.

As shown in FIG. 2, the projection extends downward from a location on the rear side of the opening 32. Thus, the projection is visible through the opening when viewed from the front. Accordingly, the user can see the protrusion and read the liquid level.

In FIG. 3 depicts one example of projection 34 in more detail. It includes a top 36 configured to be located below the maximum liquid level at the bottom of the base of the drip tray.

For example, the top contains a level mark of 38, which indicates the maximum liquid level. This level mark may be a line, a protrusion, or a hole. The purpose is to provide a visual reference so that the presence or absence of fluid at that level can be easily determined.

In addition, the lip contains a written "MAX" indicator, which indicates that the 38 mark corresponds to the maximum fluid level.

In FIG. 4 shows a portion of the entire drip tray 16 comprising a base 17, a drip tray cover 18, and a lip 34 that extends below the maximum recommended liquid level 40. This corresponds to a liquid depth of 42, but there is a safety margin 44 by which the maximum recommended liquid level is below the top of the base 17 of the drip tray.

The drip tray cover 18 is generally flat (except for the projections and outer edge) and has a top and bottom side. The protrusion 34, for example, projects below the bottom side by a distance of 5 mm to 40 mm, for example 5 mm to 25 mm.

In FIG. 4 shows a line of sight 46 of the protrusion and, in particular, the apex 36 from a location corresponding to a typical user's eye position when operating the beverage machine.

The projection is shown to extend downward, but not vertically (i.e., not perpendicular to the overall plane of the lid). Instead, there is an angle θ to the general plane of the lid. The angle can be from 45 to 90 degrees (inclusive), so that the lip can extend all the way down. A shallower angle may improve readability, but may also require a larger aperture to make the apex visible. The angle can be from 50 to 85 degrees, for example from 60 to 80 degrees.

The example above shows only one protrusion. However, there may be a set of projections, each of which is associated with a corresponding hole.

One protrusion may be more visible to the user than another or others. In fact, this may be a deliberate design detail, as two or more different projections and associated openings provide lines of sight from different user locations. Thus, multiple measuring probes are provided and are configured to be visible from different viewing directions, so that for a variety of possible user positions (eg, as a result of different heights of users), at least one measuring probe is clearly visible.

Variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art in practicing the present invention based on examination of the drawings, specification text, and the accompanying claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the grammatical means of expressing the singular do not exclude the plural. A single processor or other unit may perform the functions of multiple items covered by the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are set out in different dependent claims does not mean that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage device or a solid state storage device provided with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in another form, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless remote data transmission systems. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims (17)

1. A drip tray (16) for a beverage machine, comprising: base (17) of the drip tray for collecting liquid and cover (18) of the drip tray, which contains a set of holes (30, 32) to allow liquid to pass to the base (17) of the drip tray under the drip tray cover (18) and at least one protrusion (34) facing downward in use, having an apex (36) configured to be positioned below the maximum liquid level at the bottom of the base of the drip tray, and thus functioning as a dipstick, wherein the at least one opening (32) is positioned to provide a line of sight of the at least one protrusion (34) from the user's location of the beverage dispenser so that the user can see when the liquid level in the base (17) of the drip tray has reached its maximum level values by looking at the actual fluid opposite the at least one protrusion (34). 2. A drip tray according to claim 1, in which at least one protrusion (34) is integral with the drip tray cover. 3. The drip tray as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one protrusion (34) extends downward from a location on the rear side of the at least one opening (32). 4. Drip collector according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which at least one protrusion (34) contains a marking (38) indicating the maximum liquid level. 5. The drip tray according to claim 4, wherein the marking (38) comprises a marking hole or a marking protrusion. 6. Drip collector according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, in which at least one protrusion (34) has a surface area and shape corresponding to at least one hole (32). 7. Drip collector according to any one of paragraphs. 1-6, comprising a set of projections (34), each of which is associated with a corresponding opening, wherein at least two of the projections and associated openings provide lines of sight from different user locations. 8. A beverage machine, comprising: a beverage dispenser having an outlet (14) for dispensing; And drip tray (16) according to any one of claims. 1-7, located under the outlet (14) for dispensing. 9. The beverage dispenser according to claim 8, comprising a household beverage dispenser. 10. The beverage machine according to claim 9, containing a coffee machine.

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