WO2016126991A1

WO2016126991A1 - Automatic coffee machine with ejection mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2016126991A1
Application number: PCT/US2016/016640
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles Brian Gross; Xiaoqiang LIU
Original assignee: Sunchaser Development Llc
Priority date: 2015-02-04
Filing date: 2016-02-04
Publication date: 2016-08-11

Abstract

A beverage machine has a brewing chamber in which a coffee pod is placed in a brewing chamber in a first position. The brewing chamber then moves to a brewing position where water is dispensed on to the pod and flowed through the brewing chamber. The brewing chamber can be moved to press the pod to remove water. The pod rests on a movable brewing plate forming the bottom of the brewing chamber. This allows for both the pressing action and the pod to be moved to the top of the brewing chamber. When the brewing chamber is in the second position with the pod raised to the top of the brewing chamber, the brewing chamber is moved back into the first position. The movement of the brewing chamber moves a scraper over the top of the brewing chamber, pushing the pod off the brewing plate into a storage chamber.

Description

TITLE

Automatic Coffee Machine with Ejection Mechanism BACKGROUND

[0001] Automatic coffee makers used in commercial settings often use a pre-packaged "pod" of ground coffee (or other substance such as tea) which is a combined filter and premeasured amount of ground coffee. These pods ensure that a consistent amount of ground coffee is used for every container of coffee brewed, make clean up easier, as there are no loose grounds and make changing the grounds for a fresh container easier.

However, in many pod systems it can be difficult or awkward to get the used, wet coffee pod out of the brewing chamber.

[0002] The prior art system also can waist the beverage, as there is no easy way to press the pod to extra more of the water from the pod before replacing the pod with a fresh one. This creates two problems, one that one as much beverage is extracted as could be and the pods are very wet. The wet pods are harder to handle, create unwanted mess and can lead to odor problems around the beverage machine as the used pods build up before disposal.

[0003] The foregoing example of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

SUMMARY

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an automatic brewing machine with an automatic ejection of a used coffee pod. [0005] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism to press excess fluid out of the pod before ejection from the brewing chamber if desired.

[0006] The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tool and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements.

[0007] An automatic beverage machine is provided which has a brewing chamber for holding a pod of ground coffee or similar material. The pod is place in a brewing chamber which the brewing chamber is in a first position. The brewing chamber then moves to second position, and then to a third position where water is dispensed on to the pod and flowed through the brewing chamber to be dispensed from the beverage machine. Once the brewing cycle is complete, if desired the brewing chamber can be moved to press the pod, removing more of the water from the pod. The pod is resting on a brewing plate that forms the bottom of the brewing chamber, and can be moved within the brewing chamber. This allows for both the pressing action and allows the pod to be moved to the top of the brewing chamber, so that it is at or above the upper rim of the brewing chamber. When the brewing chamber is in the second position with the pod raised to the top of the brewing chamber, the brewing chamber is moved back into the first position. The movement of the brewing chamber causes a scraper to move across the top surface of the brewing chamber, pushing the pod off the brewing plate into a storage chamber.

[0008] In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an automatic coffee maker of the pod type with the door open, exposing the brewing chamber in the loading position. Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show the brewing mechanism in the loading position.

Figure 3 is cross sectional view of the brewing chamber pivoting back towards the water dispenser.

Figures 4a and 4b are cross sectional views of the brewing mechanism with a pod in place and the mechanism in the brewing position. Figures 5a and 5b is a cross sectional view of the brewing mechanism in the compression of the pod stage

Figures 6a and 6b are cross sectional views of the brewing mechanism at the start of the ejection phase

Figures 7a and 7b are cross sectional views of the brewing mechanism with the brewing chamber pivoting towards the front, causing the ejection arm to push the pod off the brewing chamber.

Figures 8a and 8b are side elevation views of side plate with the paths that the first and second cams travel in and the brewing mechanism moves

Figure 9 is cross sectional view with the water flow path shown in arrows. [0009] Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown, since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Referring first to Figure 1, the top section of an automatic coffee maker 100 has the brewing door 101 in the open position. The brewing door is pivotally mounted on the housing 102 in the disclosed embodiment. In the open position the door allows access to the brewing chamber when it is in the loading position. The remaining Figures depict the brewing mechanism only for ease of reference. All other parts of the automated coffee maker are well known in the art and are therefore not shown.

[0011] Figures 2a, 2b and 2c show the brewing mechanism 200 in the loading position depicted in Figure 1. The brewing chamber 201 has brewing piston 202 slidably mounted inside the brewing chamber 201. The brewing piston 202 has a brewing plate 203 mounted on a stem 204. The brewing plate 203 has holes H to allow water to flow through into space 206 during the brewing process. The brewing chamber 201 has frames 208 which are attached to first axle 207 by a scissor lift 230 (best seen in Figure 4b) having arms 231 and 232 pivoting at axle second axle 209. The first axle 207 allows the brewing chamber to be pivoted about 50 degrees in the depicted embodiment between the first forward position shown in Figures 2 and the, second, back position shown in Figures 3 and 6 and as shown in Figures 8 A and B. The brewing chamber moved along channels 803, 804 (Figures 8A and B), which is engaged by tabs 220, 221 on the outside of brewing chamber, seen in Figure 2C. The scissor lift 230 allows the brewing chamber 201 to be raised to and lowered from a third position as discussed below. Scraper 260 has two arms 261 and scraper body 262. Scraper is pivotally mounted at pivot points 263 on outer frames 800, 801 and is biased by springs (not shown) to press down in the direction of arrow C against the brewing chamber. [0012] Referring next to Figure 3, after the coffee pod 500 is loaded into the brewing chamber 201, the brewing chamber 201 and brewing piston 202 pivot around first axle 207 in the direction indicated by arrow A. As scraper 260 is mounted to the outer frames 800, 801, the scraper body 262 is moved across the top of the brewing chamber 201 as the brewing chamber is pivoted backwards. A this stage the brewing plate 203 is located at the bottom of the brewing chamber 201

[0013] Referring next to Figures 4a and b, after the brewing chamber has rotated to the back position shown in Figures 3 and 6, the brewing chamber with the coffee pod 500 in place is raised to the third position, which is the brewing position, by scissor lift 230. Scraper 260 moves up and down the outside of the brewing chamber. Hot water flows from a tank (not shown) through pipe 240 two spray nozzle 241. Spray nozzle 241 is designed in a known manner to evenly spray the hot water over the coffee pod 500 as a desired rate for optimum coffee brewing. The water flow path is shown in Figure 9 by arrows. Once the brewing time is complete, the water flow is stopped, and the brewing chamber is lowed back down to the position shown in Figures 3 and 6.

[0014] After the brewing cycle is complete, there is an optional compress of the pod cycle, the start of which is shown in Figures 5a and 5b. The compression cycle allow extraction of a larger amount of the coffee or tea extraction from the pod. Also a drier pod is safer to store in the waste bin, is not as messy and has less weight and less likely to cause unpleasant odors. In the compression of the pod cycle, the brewing chamber 201 is raised back up against the spray nozzle and the brewing piston 204 raises up to compress the pod 500 between the brewing plate 203 and the spray nozzle 241.

[0015] Referring next to Figures 6a and b, once the brewing and optional compression cycle are complete, the brewing piston is raised by arm 250 pivotally mounted to the stem 204 and second axle 209 until the top surface of brewing plate 203 approximately even with the top of the brewing chamber and the coffee pod 500 is above the brewing chamber. Scraper 260 is resting against the top of the brewing chamber 201 and against the pod. . As shown in Figures 7a and 7b, the brewing chamber is then pivoted forward on first axle 207 in the direction of arrow B , causing the scraper body 262 to push the coffee pod 500 off the brewing plate 203 into channel 270 to fall into chamber 271. The brewing plate 203 is then lowered back down to the position shown in Figures 2, and the brewing chamber is ready for another brewing cycle.

[0016] While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations therefore. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims hereinafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations are within their true spirit and scope. Each apparatus embodiment described herein has numerous equivalents.

[0017] The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Thus, it should be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by preferred embodiments and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and that such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. Whenever a range is given in the specification, all intermediate ranges and subranges, as well as all individual values included in the ranges given are intended to be included in the disclosure.

[0018] In general the terms and phrases used herein have their art-recognized meaning, which can be found by reference to standard texts, journal references and contexts known to those skilled in the art. The above definitions are provided to clarify their specific use in the context of the invention.

Claims

I CLAIM:

1. An automatic beverage brewing machine comprising: a housing and a brewing chamber movably mounted in the housing; a water dispensing mechanism; the brewing chamber having side walls and a brewing plate forming the bottom surface of the chamber, the brewing plate mounted such that it can move vertically relative to the side walls of chamber; the brewing chamber having a first position, the brewing chamber being capable of being moved to a second position, the second position being aligned with the water dispensing mechanism such that water can be dispensed into the brewing chamber; and when the brewing chamber is moved back to the first position, a coffee pod is removed from the brewing plate and pushed into a holding tank.

2. The automatic beverage brewing machine of claim 1 further comprising the brewing chamber being capable of being moved to a third position before being moved back to the first position, the third position being closer the water dispensing mechanism than the second position.

3. The automatic beverage brewing machine of one of claims 1 or 2 further comprising a scraper pivotally mounted to the housing that it removes a coffee pod from the brewing plate.

4. The automatic beverage brewing machine of one of claims 2 or 3 wherein the brewing chamber is moved from the second position the third position by a scissor lift.

5. The automatic beverage brewing machine of one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the brewing plate is moved to the top of the brewing chamber after brewing before being moved back to the first position.

6. The automatic beverage brewing machine of claims 5 wherein the brewing plate is moved to the top of the brewing chamber after brewing while the brewing chamber is in the either the second or third position, or between either position, before being moved back to the first position.

7. The automatic beverage brewing machine of one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the brewing plate is moved to the top of the brewing chamber after brewing to compress a pod against the water dispensing mechanism.

8. The automatic beverage brewing machine of one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the housing further comprise guide channels to control the movement of the brewing chamber between the positions, the brewing chamber having a tab that engages with said guide channels.