WO2007077106A1

WO2007077106A1 - A coffee machine

Info

Publication number: WO2007077106A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/069744
Authority: WO
Inventors: Levent Hasanreisoglu
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2006-01-05
Filing date: 2006-12-15
Publication date: 2007-07-12
Also published as: TR200804417T1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coffee machine (1) that is suitable particularly for making Turkish coffee, utilizing a coffeepot (2) comprising a body (5) manufactured using plastic material, with a shape that gets narrower from the bottom towards the top and a base (6) assembled under the body (5), made of a thermally conductive metal that preferably generates heat by induction currents.

Description

Description A COFFEE MACHINE

[0001] The present invention relates to a coffee machine comprising a coffeepot.

[0002] In the coffee machines that are suitable particularly for preparing Turkish coffee, the desired amount of ground coffee, sugar and cold water are put in a container named as the cooking chamber or the coffeepot, the prepared mixture is first stirred well, then the cooking process of the mixture in the coffeepot is carried out by a heater. Since Turkish coffee has the characteristic of overflowing by quickly foaming during boiling, the foam has to be prevented from overflowing and in order to prepare Turkish coffee in accordance with the traditional taste and consistency, the rising of the foam has to be controlled and the heating process has to be ended just before reaching the boiling point. There exist state of the art mechanisms that detect the level of the mixture in the coffeepot and the height of the foam, but they are costly. The level sensors emplaced on the coffeepot, e.g. an infrared level sensor, sends electromagnetic waves to the surface of the liquid in the coffeepot and detects the foam height, thus determining the cooking at the proper time. The foam level sensors sometimes cannot detect the foam height correctly due to various fectors. For example the inner walls of the coffeepots wherein coffee is boiled can be detected as the liquid surlace, and the measurements can be adversely effected.

[0003] In the invention described in the Turkish Patent Application no. TR200300199, in an automatic coffee machine that prepares Turkish coffee the cooking process starts by putting in water, sugar and coffee into the coffeepot, the swelling of the mixture in the pot and the rising of the foam is detected by an infrared sensor situated on the ceiling of the cooking chamber wherein the coffeepot is emplaced. When the foam height reaches a predetermined level, the heat energy transmitted to the coffeepot is shut down.

[0004] The aim of the present invention is the realization a coffee machine comprising a coffeepot wherein the level of the liquid is detected accurately.

[0005] The coffee machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is explicated in the claims.

[0006] In the coffee machine, a coffeepot is used wherein the cooking process is carried out and the rise in the foam level of the boiled liquid, e.g. Turkish coffee, is detected by means of a level sensor situated at the ceiling of the compartment wherein the coffeepot is emplaced, and when the foam level reaches the limit height, decision of cooking is given.

[0007] The coffeepot is composed of a body shaped such that it gets narrower towards the orifice at the top wherein the level sensor is situated, and a base. By way of the body shape that gets narrower from the bottom upwards, the level sensor functions more effectively since it will not be affected by the reflections of the sound and light waves it sends and the possibility of errors is eradicated.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the body has a frustoconic shape.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the body is made of plastic material and the base is made of metal, consequently providing ease of use and cost advantage.

[0010] If the body that gets narrower from the bottom upwards is manulactured by direct injection on the metal base, it cannot be taken out of the mould, the metal base is manulactured separately from the plastic body and joined subsequently. In order to assemble the metal base to the plastic body snap-fit joining or any mounting methods are used.

[0011] The coffee machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

[0012] Figure 1 - is the perspective view of a coffee machine.

[0013] Figure 2 - is the schematic view of a coffee machine.

[0014] Figure 3 - is the perspective view of the body and the base of a coffeepot.

[0015] Figure 4 - is the schematic view of a coffeepot with a base assembled by snap- fitting.

[0016] Figure 5 - is the schematic view of a coffeepot having a base with a corrugated shape.

[0017] Figure 6 - is the perspective view of a coffeepot having a level sensor on the inner wall of the body.

[0018] Figure 7 - is the perspective view of a coffeepot and a joining means.

[0019] Figure 8 - is the schematic view of a coffeepot having a reinforcing rim at the pouring orifice.

[0020] The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

[0021]

1. Coffee machine

2. Coffeepot

3. Heater

4. Level sensor

5. Body 6. Base

7. Bottom orifice

8. Pouring orifice

9. Latch

10. Gasket

11. Rim

12. Indication rib

13. Joining means

14. Cavity

[0022] The coffee machine (1) comprises a coffeepot (2) wherein the cooking process is carried out, a resistance or induction type heater (3) that transfers energy for heating the coffeepot (2) and preferably an ultrasonic or infrared type level sensor (4) situated at the top side of the coffeepot (2) that decides that cooking is achieved by detecting the level of the liquid boiled and the rising of the foam in the coffeepot (2) (Figure 1,

2).

[0023] The coffeepot (2) comprises a body (5) shaped such that it gets narrower towards the upper region wherein the level sensor (4) is situated in order the sound or light waves emitted by the level sensor (4) are sent only to the top surlace of the liquid without being affected by the side walls, and a base (6) situated under the body (5) that provides the transfer of heat from the heater (3) by being empkced over the heater (3) (Figure 3).

[0024] The ultrasonic or infrared type level sensor (4) is positioned at the upper region of the coffeepot (2), preferably on the ceiling of the compartment wherein the coffeepot (2) is empkced, and functions with the principle of sending sound or light waves to the upper surlace of the liquid or the foam on the liquid in the coffeepot (2) and by determining the reflection time of the waves that impinge on the upper surlace of the liquid or the foam and are reflected back. By way of the coffeepot (2) having a shape that gets narrower from the bottom towards the top, the sound and the light waves sent by the level sensor (4) are prevented from impinging on the side walls of the body (5) and be reflected back. The sound and the light waves sent by the level sensor (4) impinge only on the surlace of the liquid or the foam in the coffeepot (2) and are reflected back and the height of the liquid or the foam is determined accurately.

[0025] The body (5) is manulactured using plastic material and preferably has a frustoconic shape.

[0026] The base (3) is manulactured using a metal like aluminum, copper having high heat conductivity or of iron, steel or nickel that can be heated by induction currents. [0027] The coffeepot (2) comprises a bottom orifice (7) situated at the lower end of the body (5) that is joined with the base (6) and a pouring orifice (8) situated at the upper end of the body (5) that is narrower than the bottom orifice (7) (Figure 3). [0028] Since the coffeepot (2) has a shape that gets narrower from the bottom towards the top, it cannot be manulactured in one piece with the metal base (6) assembled on the bottom orifice (7) that is wider, the mould that forms the inner shape while the body

(5) is being manulactured can be easily taken out from the wider bottom orifice (7).

The base (6) is later joined with the body (5) in a leak-proof manner with by various joining methods. [0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coffeepot (2) comprises one or more latches (9) situated at the bottom orifice (7) that provide the base (6) to be assembled to the body (5) by snap-fitting and a gasket (10) situated between the base (6) and the bottom orifice (7) providing leak-proofing between the base (6) and the body (5)

(Figure 4). [0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coffeepot (2) comprises a joining means (13) that is placed over the base (6), providing the base (6) to be assembled to the body (5) in a leak-proof manner to the bottom orifice (7) from its inner wall

(Figure 7). [0031] In this embodiment, the joining means (13) comprises one or more cavities (14) that provides it to be mounted to the bottom orifice (4) by moving with an apparatus inserted through and later pouring in an adhesive for fixing. [0032] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coffeepot (2) comprises a rim (11) that provides an aesthetic view by forming the pouring orifice (8) in a concave shape and reinforcing the pouring orifice (8) (Figure 8). [0033] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coffeepot (2) comprises one or more indication ribs (12) on the inner wall of the body (5) shaped as protrusions, that provides to control the level of the liquid inside, having gaps in between such that the foam is not obstructed as the coffee is poured into the cups (Figure 6). [0034] In an embodiment of the present invention, the coffeepot (2) comprises a corrugated base (6) such that the heat transfer is increased (Figure 5). [0035] Since the base (6) is manulactured using metal, it is coated with non-stick teflon or an enamel derivative material to prevent corrosion. [0036] Since the body (5) is manulactured using plastic there is no problem of corrosion and is not coated with a protective cladding. Since the reversely inclined side walls will not adversely affect particularly an infrared type level sensor (4) because the coffeepot (2) has a shape that gets narrower from the bottom towards the top, it can be manuiactured with a lower cost light colored plastic material. The frustoconic shape of the body (5) that gets narrower from the bottom towards the top, has a positive effect on the functioning of the level sensor (4) that detects the height of the foam that provides the decision of the cooking. By way of the reversely inclined side walls of the body (5) the sound and light waves sent by the level sensor (4) are not reflected from the walls, consequently the possibility of the level sensor (4) making errors is eliminated. In order not to be confronted with the problem of taking out of the mould, the body (5) that gets narrower from the bottom upwards is not manulactured in one piece with the base (6), for example by injecting on the base (6), and is taken out of the mould easily.

Claims

[0001] A coffee machine (1) comprising a coffeepot (2) wherein the cooking process is carried out, and a resistance or induction type heater (3) that transfers energy for heating the coffeepot (2) and characterized by an ultrasonic or infrared type level sensor (4) situated at the upper side of the coffeepot (2) that decides that cooking is achieved by detecting the level of the liquid boiled and the rising of the foam in the coffeepot (2), a body (5) shaped such that it gets narrower towards the upper region wherein the level sensor (4) is situated so that the sound or light waves emitted by the level sensor (4) are sent to be reflected only by the top surface of the liquid inside without being affected by the side walls, and a base (6) situated under the body (5) that provides to transfer heat from the heater (3) by being situated over the heater (3).

[0002] A coffee machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by a coffeepot (2) comprising a body (5) having a frustoconic shape, manufactured using plastic material and a base (6) made of metal.

[0003] A coffee machine (1) as in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by a coffeepot (2) comprising a bottom orifice (7) situated at the lower end of the body (5) that is joined with the base (6) and a pouring orifice (8) situated at the upper end of the body (5), that is narrower than the bottom orifice (7).

[0004] A coffee machine (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by a coffeepot (2) comprising one or more latches (9) situated at the bottom orifice (7) that provide the base (6) to be assembled to the body (5) by snap-fitting and a gasket (10) situated between the base (6) and the bottom orifice (7) providing leak-proofing between the base (6) and the body (5).

[0005] A coffee machine (1) as in Claim 3, characterized by a coffeepot (2) comprising a joining means (13) that is placed over the base (6), providing the base (6) to be assembled to the body (5) in a leak-proof manner to the bottom orifice (7) from its inner wall.

[0006] A coffee machine (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by a coffeepot (2) comprising a joining means (13) having one or more cavities (14) that provides it to be mounted to the bottom orifice (4) by moving with an apparatus inserted through and later pouring in an adhesive for fixing.

[0007] A coffee machine (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a coffeepot (2) comprising a corrugated shaped base (6) such that heat transfer is increased.