WO2007080532A1

WO2007080532A1 - Method for preparing a beverage, beverage preparation device and substrate container for a beverage substrate

Info

Publication number: WO2007080532A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/050041
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sebastian Ebert; Vedat Caliskan
Original assignee: Sebastian Ebert; Vedat Caliskan
Priority date: 2006-01-16
Filing date: 2007-01-05
Publication date: 2007-07-19
Also published as: DE102006002511A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for preparing a beverage, in particular coffee, having the following steps: a substrate container (7) filled with at least one beverage substrate (10) is placed in a preparation device (1), the beverage substrate (10) stored in the substrate container (7) is released from the substrate container (7) into the preparation device (1) by means of an opening device (22), the released beverage substrate (10) is supplied to a preparation container (23), a liquid dissolving medium, in particular water, is added to the preparation container (23), and the beverage is prepared by tempering and/or stirring the dissolving medium and the beverage substrate (10). The invention also relates to a preparation device (1) and to a substrate container (7), in particular for use with the method.

Description

description

A method of preparing a beverage, beverage preparation apparatus, and substrate container for a beverage substrate

Field of application and state of the art

The invention relates to a method for preparing a beverage, a preparation device for drinks and a substrate container for a beverage substrate. The drink that can be made using the method and the preparation device is, in particular, mocha, a beverage that enjoys great popularity in the Mediterranean region, especially in Turkey and Greece.

The traditional, classic mocha preparation takes place in an "Ibrik", which is a pot-like brewing vessel that can be placed on a heat source, in particular a stovetop or a gas flame, or that is provided with an integrated heat source manual mocha preparation may be carried out, in which case the almost dusty ground coffee powder is preferably mixed with sugar and in particular boiled several times with water and then filtered without filtration of the coffee. poured into a drinking vessel, wherein the amount of foam produced during cooking forms an integral part of the assessment of the quality of the preparation.

DE 100 34 720 A1 discloses a device for preparing mocha, in which a cooking vessel can be heated by means of an electrically insulated and thermally coupled heating element and a motor-driven stirring rod projecting into the cooking vessel is provided for a largely automated brewing process. The cooking vessel can be raised and lowered by means of a lifting device and pivoted about a horizontal axis by means of a pivoting device to allow emptying into a drinking vessel at the end of the brewing process. The addition of water takes place automatically, coffee powder and sugar are added manually.

WO 2004/069013 A2 discloses a device for preparing mocha, in which sugar and coffee powder are filled manually into a cooking vessel and then an automatic metered addition of water into the cooking vessel takes place. For heating the cooking vessel, a movable cooking plate is provided, which is pressed by means of an adjusting device to the bottom of the cooking vessel. After the cooking process, the cooking vessel can be removed from the device and the prepared drink be manually distributed in drinking vessels.

The IT1243191 describes a device for preparing mocha, are arranged in the coffee, sugar and water in separate storage containers above a cooking vessel and can be automatically dosed into the cooking vessel. After a subsequent cooking process, the hot beverage produced can be discharged into a drinking vessel through a discharge opening provided in the bottom of the cooking vessel and closable with a magnetic valve. Task and solution

A first object of the invention is to improve a method of preparing a beverage. A second object of the invention is to improve a preparation device for drinks. Another object is to simplify the handling of the beverage substrate.

These objects are achieved by a method according to claim 1, by a preparation device according to claim 12 and by a substrate container according to claim 20.

Advantageous and preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of the other claims and are explained in more detail below. The method and the devices are explained in part together, these explanations and the corresponding features nevertheless apply independently to the method and the devices. The wording of the claims is incorporated herein by express reference.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided for preparing a beverage, in particular mocha, which comprises the following steps: placing a substrate container filled with at least one beverage substrate in a preparation device, releasing the beverage substrate stored in the substrate container in the preparation device from the substrate container by means of an opening device and feeding the released beverage substrate into a preparation vessel, adding a liquid dissolution medium, in particular water, into the preparation vessel, carrying out the beverage preparation by tempering and / or stirring the dissolution medium and the beverage substrate. It is crucial that the preparation process for the beverage takes place without pressure in a preferably open preparation vessel and does not take place, as for example in the preparation of espresso, a pressing through of the solvent medium through the beverage substrate.

By inserting the substrate container, which may be embodied, for example, as an aroma-tight capsule made of a plastic or metal material or a combination thereof into a preparation device, an opening process of the substrate container and a release of the beverage substrate contained therein under advantageous hygienic conditions can be ensured. In addition, it can be ensured by the preparation device that the substrate container is opened in a correct manner, so that neither contamination due to released beverage substrate nor injury can occur due to any sharp-edged areas of the substrate container. The beverage substrate, which is ground almost dust-tight in the case of coffee powder for Mokkazubereitung is transferred without unwanted external influences, especially without spillage immediately after release into the preparation vessel, for example, poured, and generates no pollution in the environment, especially on garments of the user.

Also, the feeding of the solvent medium, in particular water, takes place under specifiable boundary conditions. This can ensure that no solvent is spilled when filling the preparation vessel or by an excessively fast inflow of the solvent medium, the typically powdered beverage substrate undesirably clumps and then can not or only with difficulty completely dissolved in the solvent. The subsequent tempering and / or stirring process causes a mixing of the beverage substrate with the dissolving medium, as a result of which the flavor substances contained in the beverage substrate are dissolved in the beverage substrate. can be solved sungsmedium and thus the solvent medium can serve as a liquid aroma carrier. The beverage substrate can be completely dissolved in the dissolution medium, as is typical of, for example, instant drinks, such as ice tea or instant coffee. It can also be dissolved only aromatragende extracts of the beverage substrate, as is the case for example in Mokkazubereitung.

Depending on the nature of the beverage substrate, an increase or decrease in the temperature of the prepared beverage relative to the temperature of the solution medium introduced into the preparation vessel may be provided. It may also be provided the preparation of the beverage with a predetermined temperature profile, for example, with several staggered cooking operations. The beverage preparation can take place with stirring, that is to say under the initiation of a mechanical movement into the dissolving medium, in order to achieve a particularly advantageous mixing of the beverage substrate and the dissolving medium.

In an embodiment of the invention it is provided that the substrate container at the release of the beverage substrate at least in sections, in particular at the edge, is fixed. This ensures that a complete emptying of the substrate container takes place. The emptying of the substrate container typically takes place by utilizing gravity, that is to say that after opening the substrate container the beverage substrate falls at least almost vertically downwards into the preparation vessel. If there is an irregular deformation of the substrate container during the release of the beverage substrate, regions may occur on the substrate container in which the beverage substrate is retained against gravity. A regular deformation of the substrate container, which can be supported or ensured by a peripheral fixation, represents a complete Dige emptying of the substrate container safely and thus ensures the desired concentration of the beverage substrate in the solvent medium. In addition, contamination by residues of beverage substrate can be prevented, which can arise during removal of the substrate container from the preparation device. Due to the edge-side fixation, a deformation of the edge region of the substrate container is avoided, whereby the complete emptying of the substrate container is supported.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the beverage substrate is released by applying a compressive force to the substrate container. Thus, a simple release of the beverage substrate from the substrate container can be realized. For example, a folded seam, for example a common, plastically deformed deformation zone of two adjacent wall sections, can be provided on the substrate container, which is released with increasing pressure on the substrate container and the enclosed beverage substrate, so that an opening is formed through which the beverage substrate escapes from the substrate container can. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a membrane of the substrate container is perforated by increasing the pressure force on the substrate container such that a wall portion of the substrate container is plastically deformed and torn, whereby the beverage substrate can be released. Preferably, the membrane is designed so that it ruptures in a predetermined range and possibly in a predetermined sequence to ensure complete emptying of the substrate container and a reliable dosage of the beverage substrate in the preparation vessel.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that at least one further release of at least one second in the substrate before and / or during the implementation of the beverage preparation container recorded beverage substrate at the same time or offset in time to a previous release of beverage substrate is made. Some aromatizing substances, in particular herbs and spices, which are used for the preparation of beverages should not be exposed to the complete preparation process, for example a multiple heating of the mixture of solvent medium and beverage substrate. Other flavoring substances lose their aroma when stored in a mixture with other beverage substrates and require separate storage. In order to enable a simple addition of such beverage substrates during the execution of the beverage preparation or at the end of the beverage preparation, at least two separate substrate chambers are provided on the substrate container, which can be opened simultaneously or in chronological order to each other to realize the desired time sequence of the beverage preparation can.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that in carrying out the beverage preparation, a heating of the mixture of solvent and beverage substrate is made. When the mixture is heated, a particularly intensive dissolution process of the beverage substrate or of extracts of the beverage substrate in the dissolution medium and an aroma enhancement for the prepared beverage occur.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the heating of the mixture of solvent medium and beverage substrate is brought about by an inductive heating of the preparation vessel. By inductive heating, a contactless, so non-contact heat transfer between a heat source and the preparation vessel can be realized. This ensures a particularly uniform heating of the preparation vessel, a Local overheating, such as may occur in contact-based heat transfer methods, for example when using electrical resistance plates, is avoided. Thus, an undesirable burning of beverage substrate in the preparation vessel and excessive boiling of the solvent medium can be avoided.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the mixture of solvent medium and beverage substrate is stirred during heating by means of a stirring device. This ensures a particularly intensive mixing and a particularly advantageous transition of aromas between the beverage substrate and the solvent medium.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that during the implementation of the beverage preparation, in particular shortly before the end of the implementation of the beverage preparation, at least one aroma carrier is automatically metered from a storage device into the preparation vessel. This can be, in particular, an easily handled aroma carrier such as sugar, which can be stored in a storage device without special requirements of the storage conditions. Such an aroma carrier can be added to the beverage at a predeterminable time and in a predeterminable amount. For this purpose, a control or regulating device can be provided, which can act on a metering device on the storage device to cause a dosage of the aroma carrier. Additionally or alternatively, aromatherapy substances provided individually by the user may also be accommodated in a storage device and metered into the preparation vessel in a quantity determinable by the user at a time which can be determined by the user during the beverage preparation. In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that, after carrying out the beverage preparation, a power-driven, in particular automated, emptying of the preparation vessel is carried out in a drinking vessel arranged below. This can ensure that the user does not have to remove the possibly hot preparation vessel from the preparation device in order to transfer the beverage produced into a drinking vessel. In addition, this can ensure that before a new filling of the preparation vessel, the drink produced in a previous operation was removed.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the emptied substrate container removed after completion of the implementation of the beverage preparation from the preparation device, in particular automatically ejected is. Thus, a simple handling of the preparation device can be ensured. The user can grasp the emptied substrate container and remove it from the preparation device and dispose of it or carry it to a recycling process. In a preferred embodiment of the invention it is provided that the substrate container is automatically ejected from the preparation device. The automatic ejection, for example, in a storage space for spent substrate container, which is associated with the preparation device, are made. Thus, the user does not have to provide immediately after the beverage preparation for the disposal of the individual substrate container, but can wait until a larger number of emptied substrate containers is added to the storage space.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that an automated dosing of the solvent medium is carried out. Thus, a particularly comfortable and reproducible production of a tasty drink can be ensured, since the mixing ratio ratio between beverage substrate and solvent medium can be predetermined and then reliably complied with each beverage preparation.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a preparation device for drinks of the aforementioned type is provided, which has a preparation vessel, a tempering device, a storage container for a dissolving medium, in particular for water, and a receiving device for a substrate container. In this case, the receiving device has an opening device which is designed for release of the beverage substrate received in the substrate container for transfer into the preparation vessel. The preparation vessel is pot-shaped and can be made as a metal vessel, in particular made of stainless steel. The preparation vessel is typically depressurized during beverage preparation, so that no sealing measures must be taken against an environment. The heating device makes it possible to influence the temperature of the preparation vessel and indirectly temper the solution medium contained in the preparation vessel and can be realized, for example, as an electrical resistance heater, as a Peltier element for heating or cooling, as an electric infrared heater for heating, as a refrigeration compressor for cooling or as a combination thereof. The storage container is preferably made as a stainless steel tank or from a food grade plastic and serves to store the solvent medium. The storage container may be associated with an electrically operable metering pump, which can be addressed by a control or regulating device and which allows automated dosing of the solvent in the preparation container. It is also conceivable a particular removable, attachment of the storage container at a level above the preparation vessel, so that the solvent medium can be promoted by gravity in the preparation vessel. With such an attachment, a let the storage container with a valve device, for example, be equipped with a solenoid valve, which allows a dosage of the solution medium in the preparation vessel. The receiving device is provided for at least temporarily receiving the substrate container and is preferably arranged above an opening of the preparation vessel in order to ensure a substantially vertical fall of the released beverage substrate into the preparation vessel. The support means may be embodied in particular in the manner of a die, which is matched to the design of the unopened substrate container, so that an at least sections, surface support of the substrate container is ensured on the receiving device. Thus, in an opening operation of the substrate container, which is performed by an opening device, a reliable power transmission between the opening device and substrate container ensured, so that the opening operation leads to a complete opening of the substrate container and a complete emptying of the substrate container is ensured.

The preparation vessel, the tempering device, the storage container, the receiving device and the opening device may be accommodated in particular in a common housing, so that an advantageous optical design and compliance with current safety regulations for live, hot and / or moving parts of the preparation device can be more easily met.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the opening device has at least one movable, in particular linearly movable, plunger for transmitting a compressive force to the substrate container. With the help of the plunger, which can be moved in particular by a manually operated lever or by a power-driven, in particular electric, adjusting device, the opening and emptying of the Substratbehäl- ters necessary pressure force exercised. The plunger can be provided for exerting a high surface pressure, ie a large force on a small surface, facing the substrate container, tapered, in particular convex executed, end surface, which ensures a small contact surface between plunger and substrate container at the beginning of a force on the substrate container , Due to the high surface pressure, an opening process of the substrate container, in particular a tearing of a membrane, favors, so that a reliable emptying of the substrate container is ensured.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the receiving device for the substrate container has at least one support surface, on which the substrate container can be placed and which is at least partially provided as an abutment for at least one, the plunger associated blank holder to a deformation of an edge region of the substrate container To avoid releasing the beverage substrate. By the at least one bearing surface, a temporary, non-positive and / or positive coupling between the substrate container and the receiving device and a hold-down can be effected. By means of this coupling, an undesired deformation of the substrate container during the application of the pressure force by means of the pressure punch can be avoided and thus a complete emptying of the substrate container can be ensured. The bearing surface may in particular be designed circular-segment-shaped and preferably has a substantially planar O- berfläche on which the substrate container can be placed and to which the hold-down is pressed to fix an edge region of the substrate container.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the hold-down on at least one of the support surface facing end face has a tapered, in particular wedge or tip-shaped, running area to ensure a reliable fixation of the substrate container to the support surface. With a tapered end face, which may for example have a wedge-shaped cross section in a plane orthogonal to the support surface, a high surface pressure is ensured by a small contact surface between downholder and the edge region of the substrate container, so that a high frictional force between the substrate container, the support surface and the hold-down occurs, which prevents slippage of the substrate container and thus an undesirable deformation when exerting the pressure force.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the holding-down device is arranged in the form of a sleeve in a circular manner around the pressure ram, so that an at least partially circumferential fixing of the substrate container to the support surface is ensured. With a sleeve-like design, the hold-down device can be attached in a particularly compact manner around the pressure stamp and thus enables an advantageous force flow between the pressure forces applied by the pressure die and the reaction forces in the substrate container caused thereby, which manifest themselves predominantly as radially inwardly directed tensile forces and which can be compensated for by a pressure exerted by the holddown contact pressure on the edge region of the substrate container.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the tempering is designed as induction heating for contactless heating of the preparation vessel. This can ensure that there is no electrical voltage applied to the preparation vessel, which is in direct contact with the solvent, and even in a first fault, no electrical voltage is transmitted to the preparation vessel, as is the case, for example defective, in direct contact with the preparation vessel standing electrical resistance plate could be the case. In addition, a homogeneous temperature distribution on the preparation vessel can be ensured by the inductive heating, since there is no local energy transfer at a few contact points, but a substantially uniformly distributed energy input into the preparation vessel. This also allows a substantially free, in particular rounded, geometric design of the preparation vessel, since no flat surfaces for a thermal coupling with a typically plate-shaped resistance cooktop must be guaranteed. In an embodiment of the preparation vessel made of stainless steel, a sandwich construction of a floor or wall area with a ferromagnetic material must be provided, since stainless steel is not suitable for inductive heating.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the preparation vessel is removably received in a holder to ensure easy cleaning, especially in a dishwasher. The preparation vessel may be positively and / or positively received in the holder and be provided with a lock against unintentional removal. In a preferred embodiment, the preparation vessel is assigned a sensor device which can detect a presence or absence of the preparation vessel and signal it to a control or regulating device in order to avoid, for example, automated dosing of dissolution medium in the absence of the preparation vessel.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the holder is movably mounted in the housing and in particular by at least one adjusting device, translationally and / or rotationally movable. Thus, a convenient and safe emptying of the preparation vessel after carrying out the beverage preparation vorgege- be taken. The preparation vessel can be moved by means of a translational movement, which can be realized in particular via a spindle drive and a rod guide, in order to ensure, in particular, a spacing from a stirring device, before a draining of the preparation container is effected by means of a tilting device.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, a substrate container is provided for storing a beverage substrate, in particular for coffee powder, which has at least two wall sections of at least one aroma-tight material circumferentially connected at least peripherally and bounding a volume of space, wherein at least one wall section is convex is shaped and the wall portions preferably enclose a pillow-shaped, more preferably a lenticular volume. Such a substrate container allows storage of the beverage substrate received therein in the absence of air and thus over a longer period. The aroma of the beverage substrate can not escape, and because of the lack of air exchange, oxidation of the beverage substrate or change of moisture content of the beverage substrate can be almost eliminated. Suitable materials for the wall sections are, in particular, metal foils, for example aluminum foils coated with food-grade protective lacquer or foils of food-safe plastic and composite materials produced from such materials. The at least two wall sections limit a volume of space in which the beverage substrate can be received. Preferably, the beverage substrate, which is typically in powder form, is filled into a recess that is preformed in one of the wall sections. Subsequently, the second wall portion is placed and edge-side with the first wall portion form-fitting, in particular by folding, and / or cohesively, for example by gluing, fusing a food-safe paint or welding, especially in plastic materials connected.

With such a substrate container, a pre-dosed amount of a beverage substrate can be stored hermetically sealed and thus sealed over a long period of time, especially several months, without loss of quality even under unfavorable environmental conditions such as high temperature and high humidity.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the wall sections have different average radii of curvature. Both wall sections have in a cross-sectional plane, which is aligned orthogonal to a seam plane in which the wall sections are connected to one another at the edge, in each case a plurality of curvature radii merging into one another. If a mean radius of curvature, that is to say an approximate, constant radius, is determined with a minimum distance to the curvatures of the two wall sections, then the one wall section has an average radius of curvature which deviates by at least 10% from a mean radius of curvature of the second wall section. In the case of a difference in the average radii of curvature of more than 30%, despite the deformability of the wall sections typically present, a clear differentiability and thus the possibility of oriented orientation of the substrate container are ensured, which can be utilized in particular for the correct insertion of the substrate container into the preparation device. This can ensure that the substrate container can be inserted only in a predetermined orientation in a correspondingly shaped insertion slot of the preparation device.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least one wall section is provided with at least one weakening zone, in particular with a weakening line, in order to be able to act in the manner of a set point. breaking point to facilitate perforation when exerting a compressive force. With a weakening zone, a predeterminable crack formation in the wall section can be defined in order to ensure an orderly and advantageous emptying of the substrate container when applying the compressive force. The weakened zones, which can preferably be embodied as lines of weakness, extend radially outward from a center of the wall section, so that tearing can be ensured from the inside to the outside, and all sections of the wall section are connected to one another at the edge after completion of the crack formation.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that an edge-side connection of the wall sections, in particular by a reinforcing ring, at least designed dimensionally stable, that a reliable fixation is ensured by a hold-down of an opening device upon exertion of a compressive force on the substrate container. The reinforcing ring can be realized by an edge-side, multi-layer arrangement of the material of the wall sections. Also conceivable is the integration of a dimensionally stable spacer ring between the wall sections, which can receive the forces exerted by the hold down forces on the substrate container and helps prevent deformation of the edge region of the substrate container when exerting the pressure force.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that at least two separate, in particular different sized, volumes of space are formed, which are preferably arranged side by side in a common plane, in particular in a determined by the edge-side connection of the wall sections level. This can be realized in a simple manner, a spatially separate storage and optionally a time-separate dosing of two identical or different beverage substrates. These and other features will become apparent from the claims and from the description and drawings, wherein the individual features each alone or more in the form of sub-combinations in an embodiment of the invention and in other areas be realized and advantageous and protectable Representations for which protection is claimed here, the subdivision of the application into individual sections as well as subheadings do not restrict the general validity of the statements made thereunder.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention are shown schematically in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below. In the drawings shows:

1 is a perspective view of a preparation device,

2 is a sectional view of a substrate container and a plunger before release of the beverage substrate,

3 shows a sectional view of the substrate container according to FIG. 2 after release of the beverage substrate, FIG.

4 is a plan view of the substrate container according to FIGS. 2 and 3,

5 is a bottom view of the substrate container according to FIG. 4, 6 is a sectional view of the plunger and an associated blank holder in a rest position and in a functional position shown in dashed lines,

7 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a substrate container, which is filled with two spatially separate beverage substrates,

8 shows a sectional view of the substrate container according to FIG. 7 after release of the beverage substrate, FIG.

9 shows a schematic representation of a substrate container provided with two separate substrate spaces and a correspondingly shaped plunger,

10 is a plan view of the substrate container according to FIG. 9,

1 1 a recorded in a holder preparation vessel, which is arranged above an inductive hotplate,

12 is a schematic representation of a preparation vessel with a bottom outlet, which is closable with a check valve,

Fig. 13 shows another embodiment of a preparation vessel with bottom outlet and check valve.

Detailed description of the embodiments

A preparation device 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a cubic housing 2 made of a dimensionally stable material, for example plastic or metal. In the housing 2 are not shown in detail placed functional units such as in particular an opening device, a heating device, a preparation vessel, the preparation device 1 accommodated. The housing 2 has at a front end face on a substrate shaft 3, which allows insertion and removal of a substrate container 7, not shown in the interior of the preparation device 1, where a subsequently described in more detail release of a recorded in the substrate container 7 beverage substrate 10 can take place. The substrate shaft 3 is designed and adapted to a cross section of the substrate container 7, that a substrate container 7 can only be inserted into the substrate shaft 3 in a predetermined orientation, namely with upwardly facing wall portion 7 and pointing in the insertion direction gripping tab 14 to malfunction of the preparation device 1 to avoid. In order to ensure a convenient removal of the substrate container 7 after deformation and emptying, the substrate shaft is provided with a downwardly facing, arcuate recess, leaving enough space for the downwardly facing wall portions of the substrate container 7 after emptying.

Below the substrate shaft 3, a product shaft 4 is provided which extends inwardly into the housing 2 and into which a drinking vessel, exemplified by a cup, can be inserted to be filled with the product of the beverage preparation made in the preparation device 1. Below the product shaft 4, a drawer 6 is provided which is provided for receiving product residues and residues of the beverage substrate 10 and which can be removed from the housing 2 for emptying. On an upper side of the housing 2, a hand lever 5 is provided, which allows a described below in more detail operation of a plunger 22 and thus a release of a beverage substrate 10 from the substrate container 7. In order to release the beverage substrate 10, the pressure stamp 22 is received in the housing 2 in a linear manner, preferably in the vertical direction, and is equipped with a lens-shaped end face 29 shown in more detail in FIG. 2. The end face 29 faces the substrate container 7 arranged below the pressure ram 22 and can be brought into contact with the substrate container 7 when an actuating force is applied to the hand lever 5.

The substrate container 7 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 has an upper wall section 8 and a lower wall section 9, which are connected to one another at the edge in a seam region 30, an annular reinforcing ring 13 being provided for connecting the two wall sections 8, 9 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in more detail. The wall sections 8, 9 and the reinforcing ring 13 are made of a food-grade plastic material and form a substrate space 31, which is provided for receiving a beverage substrate 10. By a suitable selection of the material for the wall sections 8, 9 and the reinforcing ring 13 and by a material connection of the wall sections 8, 9 with the reinforcing ring 13, a hermetic, aroma-tight separation of the substrate space 31 can be realized by an environment, so that the beverage substrate 10th Even under unfavorable storage conditions over a longer period can be stored aroma preserving. In the present embodiment, the upper wall portion 8 is designed with a mean radius of curvature 11 of about 50mm, while the lower wall portion 9 has a nearly infinite radius of curvature 12, that is, is designed substantially flat. The reinforcing ring 13 is provided with a circumferential, in the axial direction extending collar 32 which is provided for a positive coupling with a hold-down 17. By applying an actuating force to the hand lever 5 shown in Fig. 1, the plunger 22 can be pressed according to the Fig. 2 on the convex curved surface of the upper wall portion 8 and leads to a pressure increase in the substrate space 31 of the substrate container 7. Since that in the substrate container. 7 absorbed beverage substrate 10 has only a low compressibility, takes place a force from the plunger 22 via the upper wall portion 8 and the beverage substrate 10 on the lower wall portion 9 instead, which is subjected to an elongation and ruptures upon reaching a maximum tensile stress. In a suitable design with lines of weakness 33, as indicated in FIG. 5 for the lower wall section 9, a sudden tearing of the lower wall portion 9 takes place, so that the beverage substrate 10 is also released suddenly and the gravity can fall down following , as shown schematically in FIG. Due to the compressive force of the plunger 22, the upper wall portion 8 receives a curvature whose radius of curvature corresponds approximately to the mean radius of curvature in not yet released medium, but with a negative sign. As a result, the beverage substrate 10 is at least almost completely displaced from the original substrate space 31 and with great probability at least almost completely released from the substrate container 7.

In order to prevent the deformation of the substrate container 7, as described above, a complete deformation of the substrate container 7 by the forces occurring, the plunger 22 is provided with a hold-down 17 shown in detail in FIG. The hold-down 17 has a substantially hollow-cylindrical, sleeve-like shape and surrounds the pressure ram 22 at least in sections. At a front side facing the substrate container 7, the hold-down device 17 is provided with a wedge geometry 18 which permits the application of a high surface pressure to the reinforcing element 18. kung ring 13 of the substrate container 7 and a, in particular positive, coupling to the peripheral collar 32 guaranteed. It can thus be ensured that the substrate container 7 is not pulled in by exerting the pressure force through an opening in a receiving region 20 which is provided for the release of the beverage substrate 10. Rather, the reinforcing ring 13 of the substrate container 7 is pressed onto a support surface 21 of the receiving region 20 and fixed by the high surface pressure of the blank holder 17 and the frictional forces caused thereby frictionally and positively. For a control of the hold-down 17, a coupling spring 19 is provided between the hold-down 17 and the plunger 22, which allows a pressure force transmission between plunger 22 and hold-down 17. As soon as the holding-down device 17 rests on the reinforcing ring 13 of the substrate container 7, only a relative linear movement of the pressure ram 22 relative to the hold-down takes place when the pressure force is increased, while a further pressure force build-up on the hold-down device 17 takes place through the coupling spring 19.

In the substrate container 7 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the substrate space 31 is subdivided by a partition wall 34 into two space sections, in which preferably different beverage substrates, for example coffee powder and sugar, can be accommodated. As a result of the externally identical design of the substrate container, it can be used in the same way as the substrate container already described above. The partition wall 34 may be provided for a hermetic isolation of the two space sections, so that in a space portion a beverage substrate 10 can be stored, which would be negatively influenced by the stored in the second space portion beverage substrate 10 during the storage period of the substrate container 7 in the absence of foreclosure. FIGS. 9 and 10 show a further embodiment of a substrate container 7 with two separate substrate spaces 31. The two substrate spaces are realized by two arranged in a common plane, spatially separated bulges in the upper wall portion 8 and have at the lower wall portion 9 also separate, not shown lines of weakness, so that the stored in the substrate spaces 31 beverage substrates 10 can be released independently of each other in time , In order to realize a time-independent release, a pressure stamp device 35 is provided, which has two separate, independently or jointly controllable pressure stamps 22. Depending on the design of the plunger device 35, one of the two plungers 22 may first cause the release of a beverage substrate 10, while the second plunger 22 allows a time-delayed release of the second stored in the substrate container 7 beverage substrate 10.

The preparation vessels 23 shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 differ essentially by their geometric configuration and, with respect to the embodiments according to FIGS. 12 and 13, by an outlet opening 36 provided on the bottom side with shut-off valve 28, which discharges the beverage produced in the preparation vessel 23 directly into an unillustrated drinking vessel. The preparation vessel 23 is received in a holder not shown in detail, which in turn is pivotally received about a pivot axis 26 on a displacement device 27. The pivot axis 26 can be controlled by a pivoting device, not shown, for example, an electric geared motor and allows the tilting of the preparation vessel 23 for emptying the beverage produced in a drinking vessel. By the displacement device 27, not shown, a translation of the preparation vessel 23 can be effected in the vertical direction in order to carry out a tilting sufficient pivotal space, for example against a heating plate 24, to be able to guarantee. 1 1 as a flat induction coil and made possible a contact and contactless heating of the preparation vessel 23. In the embodiments of FIGS. 12 and 13, the heating plate 24 is adapted to the curved or conical outer contour of the preparation vessels 23 and thus ensures a small distance and thus a high thermal efficiency of the induction heating.

In an embodiment of the invention, not shown, an electric film heater is provided instead of an inductive heating device, which is mounted directly on the preparation vessel, in particular integrated in the preparation vessel, and ensures a particularly rapid heating of the preparation vessel, since only a very small heat capacity of the heater must be heated , In addition to the short heat-up time, a low residual heat input into the preparation container after switching off the power supply to the electric foil heating can be ensured due to the low heat capacity of the film heating, that is, there is almost no further heat input, as soon as the power supply of the film heater has ended. This makes it possible in particular to avoid burn-in of residues of the beverage substrate after the emptying of the prepared beverage from the preparation vessel.

A further, additional or alternative measure for avoiding burn-in of residues of the beverage substrate in the preparation vessel may be an at least partial coating of an inner wall of the preparation vessel with a non-stick material. It can also be provided to produce an upper region of the preparation vessel from a material different from the rest of the preparation vessel, in particular from plastic. Thus, overheating of this area, which is typically not wetted with solvent during beverage preparation, and when energized with energy, may overheat Can be heated cooking temperature of the solvent medium can be avoided, since there is no inductive heating or heat transport from the lower region of the preparation vessel in this upper area. In addition or in addition, an active cooling of the preparation vessel, for example via a fan device, that is a heat dissipation by convection by means of a forcedly induced air flow, can be realized. The preparation vessel can also be provided at the top of a circumferential collar in the manner of a gutter or lip, which prevents the backflow of residues of the prepared beverage in warmer areas, especially in the lower region of the preparation vessel after carrying out the emptying process, so also by a Solid burning of residues of the beverage substrate in the preparation vessel can be reduced or prevented.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1. preparation device

2nd case

3. Substrate well

4. Product shaft

5. Hand lever

6. Drawer

7. Substrate container

8th upper wall section

9th lower wall section

10. Beverage substrate

11. Upper radius of curvature

12. lower radius of curvature

13. reinforcing ring

14. Grip bottle

15th line of weakness

16th partition

17. Downholder

18. Wedge geometry

19. Coupling spring

20. Recording area

21st contact surface

22. Pressure stamp

23. Preparation vessel

24. Heating plate

25. Holder

26 pivot axis

27. Displacement device

28th stop valve

29. face

30. seam area

31. Substrate space

32nd fret

33. line of weakness

34. Partition

35. plunger device

36. Outlet opening

Claims

claims

1. A method of preparing a beverage, in particular mocha, comprising the steps of:

Inserting a substrate container (7) filled with at least one beverage substrate (10) into a preparation device (1),

Releasing the beverage substrate (10) stored in the substrate container (7) in the preparation device (1) from the substrate container (7) by means of an opening device (22) and feeding the released beverage substrate (10) into a preparation vessel (23),

Adding a liquid solution medium, in particular water, into the preparation vessel (23),

Performing the beverage preparation by tempering and / or stirring the solvent medium and the beverage substrate (10).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate container (7) at the release of the beverage substrate (10) at least in sections, in particular at the edge, is fixed.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the beverage substrate (10) by applying a compressive force on the substrate container (7), in particular by perforation of a membrane (9) of the substrate container (7) is released.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that before and / or during the implementation of the beverage preparation at least one further release of at least one second in the substrate container (7) recorded beverage substrate (10) at the same time or offset in time to a previous release of beverage substrate ( 10) is made.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in carrying out the beverage preparation, a heating of the mixture of solvent medium and beverage substrate (10) is made.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the heating of the mixture of solvent medium and beverage substrate (10) by an inductive heating of the preparation vessel (23) is brought about.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the mixture of solvent medium and beverage substrate (10) is stirred during heating by means of a stirring device.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during the implementation of the beverage preparation, in particular shortly before the end of the implementation of the beverage preparation, at least one aroma carrier from a storage device automatically in the preparation vessel (23) is metered.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that after performing the beverage preparation an externally powered, in particular automated, emptying of the preparation vessel (23) is made in a below arranged drinking vessel.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the emptied substrate container (7) after completion of the implementation of the beverage preparation of the preparation device (1) removed, in particular automatically ejected is.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an automated metering of the solvent medium is carried out.

12. Preparation device (1) for drinks, in particular for mocha, associated with a preparation vessel (23) to which a tempering device (24), a storage container for a dissolving medium, in particular for water, and a receiving device (20) for a substrate container (7) are, in particular, in a housing (2) are accommodated, wherein the receiving device (20) has an opening device (22), which is designed for release of the in the substrate container (7) received beverage substrate (10) for transfer into the preparation vessel (23) is.

13. Preparation device according to claim 12, characterized in that the opening device (22) has at least one movable, in particular linearly movable, plunger for transmitting a compressive force to the substrate container (7).

14. Preparation device according to claim 13, characterized in that the receiving device (20) for the substrate container (7) has at least one bearing surface (21) on which the substrate container (7) can be placed and the at least partially as an abutment for at least one, the Pressure stamp (22) associated hold-down (17) is provided to prevent deformation of an edge region (13) of the substrate container (7) during release of the beverage substrate (10).

15. Preparation device according to claim 14, characterized in that the holding-down device (17) has at least one tapered, in particular wedge-shaped or pointed, executed region (18) on one of the support surface (21) facing end face to ne reliable fixation of the substrate container (7) on the support surface (21) to ensure.

16. Preparation device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the hold-down (17) is sleeve-shaped circularly around the plunger (22), so that at least partially circumferential fixation of the substrate container (7) on the support surface (21) is ensured.

17. Preparation device according to one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the tempering device (24) is designed as induction heating for non-contact heating of the preparation vessel (23).

18. Preparation device according to one of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that the preparation vessel (23) is removably received in a holder to ensure easy cleaning, especially in a dishwasher.

19. Preparation device according to claim 18, characterized in that the holder is movably mounted in the housing (2) and in particular by at least one adjusting device is translationally and / or rotationally movable.

20. Substrate container (7) for the storage of a beverage substrate (10), in particular for coffee powder, with at least two, in particular circular, at least peripherally circumferentially connected wall sections (8, 9) of at least one aroma-tight material, which limit a volume of space (31) characterized in that at least one wall section (8, 9) is convex and the wall sections (8, 9) preferably enclose a pillow-shaped, more preferably a lenticular volume (31).

21. Substrate container (7) according to claim 20, characterized in that the wall sections (8, 9) have different average radii of curvature (11, 12).

22 substrate container (7) according to claim 20 or 21, characterized in that the wall sections (8, 9) and the at least one enclosed space volume (31) are free of filter materials.

23, substrate container (7) according to claim 20, characterized in that at least one wall section (8, 9) with at least one weakening zone (33), in particular with a line of weakness, is provided to a perforation in the manner of a predetermined breaking point upon exertion of a compressive force to facilitate.

24. Substrate container (7) according to any one of claims 20 to 23, characterized in that an edge-side connection of the wall sections (8, 9), in particular by a reinforcing ring (13), at least designed dimensionally stable, that a reliable fixation by a hold-down (17) an opening device (22) is ensured by exerting a compressive force on the substrate container (7).

25. Substrate container (7) according to any one of claims 20 to 24, characterized in that at least two separate, in particular different volume volumes are formed, which are preferably arranged side by side in a common plane, in particular in a certain plane determined by the edge connection.