WO2024028909A1 - Lever-actuated coffee percolator - Google Patents

Lever-actuated coffee percolator Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2024028909A1
WO2024028909A1 PCT/IT2023/050180 IT2023050180W WO2024028909A1 WO 2024028909 A1 WO2024028909 A1 WO 2024028909A1 IT 2023050180 W IT2023050180 W IT 2023050180W WO 2024028909 A1 WO2024028909 A1 WO 2024028909A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pressure
coffee
filter holding
lever
holding cup
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IT2023/050180
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Roberto Nocera
Stefano Bolzan
Stefano KRALJ
Original Assignee
La San Marco Spa
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by La San Marco Spa filed Critical La San Marco Spa
Publication of WO2024028909A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024028909A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
    • A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
    • A47J31/24—Coffee-making apparatus in which hot water is passed through the filter under pressure, i.e. in which the coffee grounds are extracted under pressure
    • A47J31/34—Coffee-making apparatus in which hot water is passed through the filter under pressure, i.e. in which the coffee grounds are extracted under pressure with hot water under liquid pressure
    • A47J31/36—Coffee-making apparatus in which hot water is passed through the filter under pressure, i.e. in which the coffee grounds are extracted under pressure with hot water under liquid pressure with mechanical pressure-producing means
    • A47J31/38—Coffee-making apparatus in which hot water is passed through the filter under pressure, i.e. in which the coffee grounds are extracted under pressure with hot water under liquid pressure with mechanical pressure-producing means operated by hand

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a lever-actuated coffee percolator, of the kind recited in the preamble Of the first claim.
  • the coffee percolators commonly used in bars or restaurants generally comprise a boiler to take water to a desired temperature and a filter holding cup to be filled with coffee ground grains.
  • a hydraulic circuit puts said boiler in communication with said filter holding cup in such a way that, upon command, hot water follows through the filter holding cup together with the coffee ground grains and comes out through a proper nozzle to be poured in a container like a cup and consumed by the final user.
  • water is conveyed from the boiler to said filter holding cup through a piston, whose movement is made by a beverage starting from a lever manually actuated by an operator.
  • the operator moves a lever from a first or rest position, to a second position in which the lever is placed only when moved by the operator for a limited time interval.
  • an elastic return spring moves said lever, in absence of external actions, returning the lever to the first position. Said lever movement causes the piston to move and convey water from the boiler to the nozzle, passing through the filter holding cup.
  • lever actuated percolators More particularly, there are different kinds of lever actuated percolators.
  • a first type of lever-actuated coffee percolator provides that by the movement of the lever from the first position to the second position, water is moved from the boiler to the filter holding group which is being filled, and this first stage is called the pre-infusion step. At the subsequent release of the lever, said return motion to the first position actuates the piston, pressurizing water and starting the true coffee delivery. In these steps, pressure from a practical zero value rises to a value of 12 bar in a relatively quick time, and then diminishes in a linear way up to zero at the delivery end. During the delivery stage it is also possible to manually actuate the lever to modify said pressure.
  • Lever-actuated coffee percolators of this kind are disclosed in EP 3220786 A1 of the same Applicant.
  • lever-actuated coffee percolators provides that the motion of the water pressurizing piston is directly affected by the movement of the lever made by the operator, from the first position to the second position.
  • the lever- actuated machines allow the operator to regulate manually during emission the water pressure and/or flow rate, which may also not remain constant during the delivery of coffee for one single cup. This regulation may influence the coffee quality and taste.
  • lever-actuated machines are very appraised by users and customers looking for a coffee product of high quality. For instance, some operators or barmen produce their own individual pressure curve deemed to obtain the coffee product of best quality.
  • the described prior art has some important drawbacks. More particularly, just in view of said possibility of manual regulation, much practice is needed to be able to make a coffee beverage of optimal quality. Therefore, not all the operators, more particularly the less experts, are able to make a coffee beverage of high quality. In such a situation, the basic technical problem of the present invention is to make a lever-actuated coffee percolator capable to substantially solve at least part of the cited drawbacks.
  • Fig.1 shows a diagram of the machine according to the invention
  • Fig. 2a shows a portion of the machine of the invention, in a first configuration or position
  • Fig. 2b shows the same portion of the machine of Fig. 2a of the invention, in a second configuration or position
  • Fig. 2c shows the same portion of the machine of Fig. 2a of the invention, in a third configuration or position.
  • measures, values, forms and geometrical references when associated with words like “about” or other similar terms like “almost” or “substantially”, should be understood as excluding measurement errors or inaccuracies due to manufacture and/or production errors, and above all excluding a slight deviation from the associated value, measure, form or geometric reference.
  • these terms when associated with a value, preferably mean a deviation not higher than 10% of said value.
  • treatment refers to the action and/or process of a computer or similar device of electronic calculation, treating and/or transforming data represented as physical ones, such as electronic quantities of registers of an information system and/or memory into other data likewise represented as physical quantities inside information systems, registers or other devices to store, transmit or show information.
  • the coffee percolator of the invention is globally indicated with reference numeral 1 .
  • Said machine is a lever-actuated coffee percolator 1 , known per se to a man skilled in this art and disclosed for instance in patent application EP 3220786 A1 of the same Applicant, with particular reference to paragraphs 0016 - 0017 and figures 1 -6.
  • the coffee percolator 1 is suitable to let pressurized hot water pass through a filter of ground coffee grains, to make either a coffee or similar beverage like ginseng, barley and other beverages.
  • the coffee percolator preferably combines briefly a water heating boiler 2, a filter holding cup 3 to contain ground coffee grains, at least a delivery nozzle 4 for allowing the delivery of the coffee beverage to be taken, connection means 5 to connect for the fluid passage the boiler 2 sequentially with the filter holding cup 3 and the nozzle 4.
  • the boiler 2 per se known, is capable to take the water/steam mixture to the saturated state at high temperatures, preferably between 100°C and 130°C and gauge pressures between 0.013 bar and 1 ,7 bar.
  • the boiler is preferably electrical but it may also be gas operated or else.
  • a pump 11 capable of transferring water from a source such as the water supply or a can to said boiler and through connection means 5 also to the other elements.
  • Pump 11 is preferably electrical and known per se.
  • Downstream the boiler 2 there are one or more filter holding cups, known per se and adapted to be charged with ground coffee grains, suitably compacted inside the filter holding cup 3.
  • each filter holding cup 3 Downstream the filter holding cup 3, more preferably each filter holding cup 3, there are one or two nozzles 4, allowing to supply coffee to cups of any desired size.
  • the coffee percolator 1 further comprises an actuation lever 6 to be moved from a first position (Fig. 2a) in which it is at rest, to a second position (Fig. 2c) in which it may be taken manually. Between said first and second position, obviously there is a plurality of intermediate positions (Fig.2b).
  • the coffee percolator 1 preferably further comprises elastic return means 7 adapted to return, in absence of external stress, the actuation lever 6 to said first position (Fig, 2a).
  • elastic return means 7 preferably consist of springs, preferably made of steel, and preferably helical springs.
  • the actuation lever 6 is suitably connected mechanically with actuation means 8, suitable to transfer pressurized water to the filter holding cup 3, exploiting at least partially and more preferably substantially only the work of moving the actuation lever 6 from the first position (fig. 2a) to the second one (fig.2c).
  • a hot water transfer chamber 12 This chamber is preferably connected for fluid passage, preferably without interruption valve, with the filter holding cup 3, in its turn connected for fluid passage, also preferably without interruption valve, with nozzles 4. Therefore the transfer chamber 12 is suitable to contain hot water, as transferred from boiler 2 preferably through the pump 11 , to deliver the coffee beverage. Therefore, one transfer chamber 12 is provided for each filter holding cup 3.
  • the transfer chamber 12 preferably comprises a thrust piston 8a which is part of said actuation means 8. This piston may slide along the transfer chamber 12 and be mechanically connected with the actuation lever 6. Said thrust piston 8a controls and preferably pressurizes the water contained in the transfer chamber 12, forwarding it to the filter holding cup and the nozzles 4.
  • pressure at which water in chamber 12 is being pushed and transferred to the filter holding cup 3 and the nozzles 4, and preferably also the quantity of transferred water may be manually controlled by regulating manually the position of the actuation lever 6 in at least a section of the movement from the first position (Fig. 2a) to the second position (Fig. 2c) and the return again to the first position (Fig.2a).
  • the coffee percolator 1 comprises a pressure sensor 10, arranged in proximity of the filter holding cup 3 and suitable to measure the pressure of said water.
  • This is a sensor or transducer known per se, suitable to allow to be read through pressure electronic means.
  • This sensor is preferably arranged upstream said filter holding cup 3, more preferably strictly upstream, so that it checks substantially the pressure of water entering the filter made by the coffee ground grains.
  • the pressure sensor 8 is arranged at a minimal distance less than 5 cm from the filter holding cup 3, or in any case at the two centimeters closest to the outlet of the transfer chamber 12.
  • the coffee percolator 1 further comprises display means 9 configured to display the value of the water pressure 9a, measured by the pressure sensor 10.
  • display means 9 configured to display the value of the water pressure 9a, measured by the pressure sensor 10. They preferably comprise a screen of a known type, such as LCD, OLED and the like. Alternatively, they may simply include a LED sequence.
  • the display means 9 are moreover configured to display a pressure reference value 9b of the pressure at the moment of delivery.
  • the reference value might be an ideal value allowing to make a coffee product of ideal value that the operator might try to keep by following the variations during the full oscillation values.
  • Said pressure values 9a and reference values 9b are preferably displayed on a bidimensional diagram with time as abscissa and pressure as ordinate (Fig.1 ).
  • the coffee percolator 1 further comprises preferably electronic control means 13, operatively connected at least with the pressure sensor 10 and said visualization means, and most preferably with all the described elements. These comprise for instance a microprocessor card, known per se, such as the cards with ARDUINO ®, LEONARDO® processors or others.
  • the operation of the previously described coffee percolator 1 in structural terms is as follows. It defines a novel method of delivering a coffee beverage, preferably obtained with a coffee percolator 1 as above described.
  • the machine 1 is preferably actuated and connected with the hydraulic network or the like. Water is preferably transferred by pump 11 to boiler 2, where it is taken at a predetermined temperature. If the actuation lever 6 remains in the first position (Fig. 2a), hot water is not transferred to chamber 12.
  • the actuation lever 6 is positioned by an operator or barman in the second position (Fig. 2b)
  • water enters the transfer chamber 12 and with very low and substantially zero pressure (obviously when compared with the room pressure) it is transferred e.g. by fall, to the filter holding cup 3, where it starts the co-called pre-infusion, in which the filter is substantially wet.
  • the actuation lever 6 when the actuation lever 6 is being transferred, suitably through elastic return means 7, to the second position (Fig. 2c) crossing intermediate positions (Fig. 2b), the actuation means 8, and more particularly piston 8a mechanically connected with the actuation lever 6, press water contained in the transfer chamber 12 and send such water to the filter contained in the filter holding cup 3 and to the nozzles 4, where it goes out to be poured into cups or the like,
  • the operator or barman may modify position and speed of lever 6, thus modifying position and speed of the actuation means 8, more particularly of the piston 8a.
  • operator may modify pressure and amount of the delivered water.
  • the method provides for measuring water pressure in proximity of filter holding cup 3.
  • the measurement occurs through the described sensor 10 and preferably in the described positions in which said sensor 10 is arranged.
  • the method provides to visualize, through the described visualization means 9, the amount of water pressure. This value is being measured by sensor 10.
  • the method also provides preferably to visualize a reference value, preferably of the previously described kind, of said pressure as a function of the delivery time. The visualization occurs through a bidimensional diagram with time as abscissa and pressure as ordinate, for both the reference values and those values measured by said pressure sensor 10.
  • control means 13 comprise a plurality of reference values or curves, previously saved in the inner memory, so that the operator may select a preferred or suitable curve known to make a coffee beverage of the desired quality, so as to follow, by the movement of the actuation lever 6, constantly the recommended value of pressure along the entire curve (reference 9 of Figure 1 ).
  • the coffee percolator 1 and the method of delivering coffee beverages and the like according to the invention allow to attain important advantages. Indeed, they allow even not very expert operators to make a coffee beverage of high quality with a lever- actuated machine, and in any case to compare their own “coffee delivery curve” with the curves attained by other more experiences barmen and coffee specialists.
  • the invention may be open to variations falling within the frame of the inventive concept defined in the appended claims.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Apparatus For Making Beverages (AREA)

Abstract

A lever-actuated coffee percolator (1 ) is provided comprising: - a water heating boiler (2); - a filter holding cup (3) for coffee ground grains; - at least a delivery nozzle (4) allowing delivery of coffee beverages for consumption; - connection means (5) capable of connecting by fluid passage said boiler (2) sequentially with said filter holding cup (3) and said nozzle (4); - an actuation lever (6) capable of being moved from a first position in which it is at rest, to a second position, to which the lever may be taken manually; - elastic return means (7), capable to cause, in absence of external stress, said actuation lever (6) to return to said first position; - said actuation lever (6) being mechanically connected to actuation means (8) capable of pressure transferring water to said filter holding cup (3), at least partially using the work generated by the movement of said actuation lever (6), from said first position to said second position; - said pressure being manually adjustable by manually adjusting the movement speed of said actuation lever (6) in at least a portion of the movement from said first position to said second position and back to said first position; - a pressure sensor (10) arranged near and upstream said filter holding cup (3), and capable of measuring the pressure of said water; and - display means (9) configured to display the value of said pressure of said water, and a reference value of said pressure as a function of the delivery time.

Description

LEVER-ACTUATED COFFEE PERCOLATOR
The present invention relates to a lever-actuated coffee percolator, of the kind recited in the preamble Of the first claim.
Several kinds of coffee percolators are presently known, disclosed for instance in published documents FR1106368A, FR 1174038A and WO 2017/009189 A1 .
The coffee percolators commonly used in bars or restaurants generally comprise a boiler to take water to a desired temperature and a filter holding cup to be filled with coffee ground grains.
A hydraulic circuit puts said boiler in communication with said filter holding cup in such a way that, upon command, hot water follows through the filter holding cup together with the coffee ground grains and comes out through a proper nozzle to be poured in a container like a cup and consumed by the final user. In the so-called lever- actuated machines, water is conveyed from the boiler to said filter holding cup through a piston, whose movement is made by a beverage starting from a lever manually actuated by an operator.
The operator moves a lever from a first or rest position, to a second position in which the lever is placed only when moved by the operator for a limited time interval. Indeed, an elastic return spring moves said lever, in absence of external actions, returning the lever to the first position. Said lever movement causes the piston to move and convey water from the boiler to the nozzle, passing through the filter holding cup.
More particularly, there are different kinds of lever actuated percolators.
A first type of lever-actuated coffee percolator provides that by the movement of the lever from the first position to the second position, water is moved from the boiler to the filter holding group which is being filled, and this first stage is called the pre-infusion step. At the subsequent release of the lever, said return motion to the first position actuates the piston, pressurizing water and starting the true coffee delivery. In these steps, pressure from a practical zero value rises to a value of 12 bar in a relatively quick time, and then diminishes in a linear way up to zero at the delivery end. During the delivery stage it is also possible to manually actuate the lever to modify said pressure. Lever-actuated coffee percolators of this kind are disclosed in EP 3220786 A1 of the same Applicant.
A different kind of lever-actuated coffee percolators provides that the motion of the water pressurizing piston is directly affected by the movement of the lever made by the operator, from the first position to the second position. In any case, the lever- actuated machines allow the operator to regulate manually during emission the water pressure and/or flow rate, which may also not remain constant during the delivery of coffee for one single cup. This regulation may influence the coffee quality and taste.
In view of this possibility of regulation, the lever-actuated machines are very appraised by users and customers looking for a coffee product of high quality. For instance, some operators or barmen produce their own individual pressure curve deemed to obtain the coffee product of best quality.
The described prior art has some important drawbacks. More particularly, just in view of said possibility of manual regulation, much practice is needed to be able to make a coffee beverage of optimal quality. Therefore, not all the operators, more particularly the less experts, are able to make a coffee beverage of high quality. In such a situation, the basic technical problem of the present invention is to make a lever-actuated coffee percolator capable to substantially solve at least part of the cited drawbacks.
In the frame of said technical problem, it is an important object of the invention to make a lever-actuated coffee percolator, allowing to make a coffee beverage of high quality even by unskilled operators.
The specified technical problems and objects are attained by a lever -actuated coffee percolator as recited in the annexed independent claims. Preferred technical solutions are highlighted in the dependent claims. The features and the advantages of the invention are hereinafter specified by the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:
Fig.1 shows a diagram of the machine according to the invention;
Fig. 2a shows a portion of the machine of the invention, in a first configuration or position;
Fig. 2b shows the same portion of the machine of Fig. 2a of the invention, in a second configuration or position; and
Fig. 2c shows the same portion of the machine of Fig. 2a of the invention, in a third configuration or position.
In this document, measures, values, forms and geometrical references (such as verticality and parallelism), when associated with words like “about” or other similar terms like “almost” or “substantially”, should be understood as excluding measurement errors or inaccuracies due to manufacture and/or production errors, and above all excluding a slight deviation from the associated value, measure, form or geometric reference. For instance, these terms, when associated with a value, preferably mean a deviation not higher than 10% of said value.
Moreover, when used, terms like “first”, “second”, “upper”, “lower”, “main”, “secondary” do not necessarily identify an order, a priority of relation or position, but they may be simply used to clearly distinguish different components.
Unless otherwise specified, as resulting from the following discussions, it is to be noted that terms like “treatment”, “information”, “determination” “computation” and the like, refer to the action and/or process of a computer or similar device of electronic calculation, treating and/or transforming data represented as physical ones, such as electronic quantities of registers of an information system and/or memory into other data likewise represented as physical quantities inside information systems, registers or other devices to store, transmit or show information.
The measurements and data given in the present document are to be considered, unless otherwise stated, as obtained under International Standard Atmosphere ICAO (ISO 2533:1975).
With reference to the figures of the drawings, the coffee percolator of the invention is globally indicated with reference numeral 1 .
Said machine is a lever-actuated coffee percolator 1 , known per se to a man skilled in this art and disclosed for instance in patent application EP 3220786 A1 of the same Applicant, with particular reference to paragraphs 0016 - 0017 and figures 1 -6.
The coffee percolator 1 is suitable to let pressurized hot water pass through a filter of ground coffee grains, to make either a coffee or similar beverage like ginseng, barley and other beverages.
The coffee percolator preferably combines briefly a water heating boiler 2, a filter holding cup 3 to contain ground coffee grains, at least a delivery nozzle 4 for allowing the delivery of the coffee beverage to be taken, connection means 5 to connect for the fluid passage the boiler 2 sequentially with the filter holding cup 3 and the nozzle 4.
The boiler 2, per se known, is capable to take the water/steam mixture to the saturated state at high temperatures, preferably between 100°C and 130°C and gauge pressures between 0.013 bar and 1 ,7 bar. The boiler is preferably electrical but it may also be gas operated or else.
Upstream the boiler 2, there is preferably a pump 11 capable of transferring water from a source such as the water supply or a can to said boiler and through connection means 5 also to the other elements. Pump 11 is preferably electrical and known per se. Downstream the boiler 2 there are one or more filter holding cups, known per se and adapted to be charged with ground coffee grains, suitably compacted inside the filter holding cup 3.
Downstream the filter holding cup 3, more preferably each filter holding cup 3, there are one or two nozzles 4, allowing to supply coffee to cups of any desired size.
The coffee percolator 1 further comprises an actuation lever 6 to be moved from a first position (Fig. 2a) in which it is at rest, to a second position (Fig. 2c) in which it may be taken manually. Between said first and second position, obviously there is a plurality of intermediate positions (Fig.2b).
The coffee percolator 1 preferably further comprises elastic return means 7 adapted to return, in absence of external stress, the actuation lever 6 to said first position (Fig, 2a). These means 7 preferably consist of springs, preferably made of steel, and preferably helical springs.
The actuation lever 6 is suitably connected mechanically with actuation means 8, suitable to transfer pressurized water to the filter holding cup 3, exploiting at least partially and more preferably substantially only the work of moving the actuation lever 6 from the first position (fig. 2a) to the second one (fig.2c).
More in detail, between boiler 2 and the filter holding cup 3, preferably there is a hot water transfer chamber 12. This chamber is preferably connected for fluid passage, preferably without interruption valve, with the filter holding cup 3, in its turn connected for fluid passage, also preferably without interruption valve, with nozzles 4. Therefore the transfer chamber 12 is suitable to contain hot water, as transferred from boiler 2 preferably through the pump 11 , to deliver the coffee beverage. Therefore, one transfer chamber 12 is provided for each filter holding cup 3.
The transfer chamber 12 preferably comprises a thrust piston 8a which is part of said actuation means 8. This piston may slide along the transfer chamber 12 and be mechanically connected with the actuation lever 6. Said thrust piston 8a controls and preferably pressurizes the water contained in the transfer chamber 12, forwarding it to the filter holding cup and the nozzles 4.
More in detail, when the actuation lever 6 is in its second position (Fig. 2c), the connection of fluid passage between boiler 2 and filter holding cup 3 is open, and water may be transferred, preferably at a low pressure, to the transfer chamber 12, thus to the filter holding cup 3.
When the actuation lever 6, which is in its second position (Fig. 2c) is released by the operator, the thrust piston 8a or similar actuation means 8 are moved by elastic return means 7, thus pressurizing water contained in the transfer chamber 12 and forwarding it to the filter holding cup 3 and nozzles 4, so as to obtain the coffee or similar beverage as hereinbefore stated.
Consequently, preferably pressure at which water in chamber 12 is being pushed and transferred to the filter holding cup 3 and the nozzles 4, and preferably also the quantity of transferred water, may be manually controlled by regulating manually the position of the actuation lever 6 in at least a section of the movement from the first position (Fig. 2a) to the second position (Fig. 2c) and the return again to the first position (Fig.2a).
Preferably, the coffee percolator 1 comprises a pressure sensor 10, arranged in proximity of the filter holding cup 3 and suitable to measure the pressure of said water. This is a sensor or transducer known per se, suitable to allow to be read through pressure electronic means. This sensor is preferably arranged upstream said filter holding cup 3, more preferably strictly upstream, so that it checks substantially the pressure of water entering the filter made by the coffee ground grains. Most preferably, the pressure sensor 8 is arranged at a minimal distance less than 5 cm from the filter holding cup 3, or in any case at the two centimeters closest to the outlet of the transfer chamber 12.
Preferably, the coffee percolator 1 further comprises display means 9 configured to display the value of the water pressure 9a, measured by the pressure sensor 10. They preferably comprise a screen of a known type, such as LCD, OLED and the like. Alternatively, they may simply include a LED sequence.
The display means 9 are moreover configured to display a pressure reference value 9b of the pressure at the moment of delivery. For example, the reference value might be an ideal value allowing to make a coffee product of ideal value that the operator might try to keep by following the variations during the full oscillation values. Said pressure values 9a and reference values 9b are preferably displayed on a bidimensional diagram with time as abscissa and pressure as ordinate (Fig.1 ). The coffee percolator 1 further comprises preferably electronic control means 13, operatively connected at least with the pressure sensor 10 and said visualization means, and most preferably with all the described elements. These comprise for instance a microprocessor card, known per se, such as the cards with ARDUINO ®, LEONARDO® processors or others.
The operation of the previously described coffee percolator 1 in structural terms is as follows. It defines a novel method of delivering a coffee beverage, preferably obtained with a coffee percolator 1 as above described. At start, the machine 1 is preferably actuated and connected with the hydraulic network or the like. Water is preferably transferred by pump 11 to boiler 2, where it is taken at a predetermined temperature. If the actuation lever 6 remains in the first position (Fig. 2a), hot water is not transferred to chamber 12. Preferably, if the actuation lever 6 is positioned by an operator or barman in the second position (Fig. 2b), water enters the transfer chamber 12 and with very low and substantially zero pressure (obviously when compared with the room pressure) it is transferred e.g. by fall, to the filter holding cup 3, where it starts the co-called pre-infusion, in which the filter is substantially wet.
Preferably, when the actuation lever 6 is being transferred, suitably through elastic return means 7, to the second position (Fig. 2c) crossing intermediate positions (Fig. 2b), the actuation means 8, and more particularly piston 8a mechanically connected with the actuation lever 6, press water contained in the transfer chamber 12 and send such water to the filter contained in the filter holding cup 3 and to the nozzles 4, where it goes out to be poured into cups or the like,
During this stage, the operator or barman may modify position and speed of lever 6, thus modifying position and speed of the actuation means 8, more particularly of the piston 8a. Thus, operator may modify pressure and amount of the delivered water.
Advantageously, the method provides for measuring water pressure in proximity of filter holding cup 3. The measurement occurs through the described sensor 10 and preferably in the described positions in which said sensor 10 is arranged.
Moreover, the method provides to visualize, through the described visualization means 9, the amount of water pressure. This value is being measured by sensor 10. The method also provides preferably to visualize a reference value, preferably of the previously described kind, of said pressure as a function of the delivery time. The visualization occurs through a bidimensional diagram with time as abscissa and pressure as ordinate, for both the reference values and those values measured by said pressure sensor 10.
Moreover, preferably the control means 13 comprise a plurality of reference values or curves, previously saved in the inner memory, so that the operator may select a preferred or suitable curve known to make a coffee beverage of the desired quality, so as to follow, by the movement of the actuation lever 6, constantly the recommended value of pressure along the entire curve (reference 9 of Figure 1 ). The coffee percolator 1 and the method of delivering coffee beverages and the like according to the invention allow to attain important advantages. Indeed, they allow even not very expert operators to make a coffee beverage of high quality with a lever- actuated machine, and in any case to compare their own “coffee delivery curve” with the curves attained by other more experiences barmen and coffee specialists.
The invention may be open to variations falling within the frame of the inventive concept defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Lever-actuated coffee percolator (1 ) comprising:
- a water heating boiler (2);
- a filter holding cup (3) for coffee ground grains;
- at least a delivery nozzle (4) allowing delivery of coffee beverages for consumption;
- connection means (5) capable of connecting by fluid passage said boiler (2) sequentially with said filter holding cup (3) and said nozzle (4);
- an actuation lever (6) capable of being moved from a first position in which it is at rest, to a second position, to which the lever may be taken manually;
- elastic return means (7), capable to cause, in absence of external stress, said actuation lever (6) to return to said first position;
- said actuation lever (6) being mechanically connected to actuation means (8) capable of pressure transferring water to said filter holding cup (3), at least partially using the work generated by the movement of said actuation lever (6), from said first position to said second position;
- said pressure being manually adjustable by manually adjusting the movement speed of said actuation lever (6) in at least a portion of the movement from said first position to said second position and back to said first position;
- and characterized by the fact of comprising:
- a pressure sensor (10) arranged near and upstream said filter holding cup (3), and capable of measuring the pressure of said water; and
- display means (9) configured to display the value of said pressure of said water, and a reference value of said pressure as a function of the delivery time.
2. Coffee percolator (1 ) according to claim, wherein said pressure sensor (10) is arranged at a distance lower than 5 cm from said filter holding cup (3).
3. Coffee percolator (1 ) according to any preceding claim, wherein said display means (9) are configured to display a bidimensional graphic comprising time as abscissa and pressure as ordinate, of both said reference values and values measured by said pressure sensor (10).
4. Coffee percolator (1 ) according to any preceding claim, comprising electronic control means (13), operatively connected at least with said pressure sensor (10) and said display means (9).
5. Coffee percolator (1) according to any preceding claim, including a plurality of the filter holding cups (3).
6. Coffee percolator (1 ) according to any preceding claim, comprising a pump (11 ), suitable for transferring water to said heating boiler (2).
7. Coffee percolator (1 ) according to any preceding claim, wherein said at least one filter holding cup (3) is suitable to be filled with ground coffee beans.
8. Method of delivering a coffee beverage, said method being implemented by a lever actuated coffee percolator (1 ) comprising:
- a water heating boiler (2);
- a filter holding cup (3) for coffee ground grains;
- at least a delivery nozzle (4) allowing delivery of coffee beverages for consumption;
- connection means (5) capable of connecting by fluid passage said boiler (2) sequentially with said filter holding cup (3) and said nozzle (4);
- an actuation lever (6) capable of being moved from a first position in which it is at rest, to a second position, to which the lever may be taken manually;
- elastic return means (7), capable to cause, in absence of external stress, said actuation lever (6) to return to said first position;
- said actuation lever (6) being mechanically connected to actuation means (8) capable of pressure transferring water to said filter holding cup (3), at least partially using the work generated by the movement of said actuation lever (6), from said first position to said second position;
- said pressure being manually adjustable by manually adjusting the movement speed of said actuation lever (6) in at least a portion of the movement from said first position to said second position and back to said first position;
- and characterized by the fact that said process comprises the steps of: measuring the pressure of said water in proximity and upstream of said filter holding cup (3); and displaying the value of pressure of said water and a reference value of said pressure as a function of the delivery moment.
9. Method of delivering a coffee beverage according to claim 8, wherein the measurement of said pressure of said water is taken at a minimal distance less than 5 cm from said filter holding cup (3).
10. Method of delivering a coffee beverage according to any of claims 7 — 9, wherein a bidimensional graphic is displayed, comprising time as abscissa and pressure as ordinate, of both said reference values and values measured by said pressure sensor (10).
PCT/IT2023/050180 2022-08-05 2023-07-27 Lever-actuated coffee percolator WO2024028909A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT102022000016815 2022-08-05
IT202200016815 2022-08-05

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2024028909A1 true WO2024028909A1 (en) 2024-02-08

Family

ID=83691597

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IT2023/050180 WO2024028909A1 (en) 2022-08-05 2023-07-27 Lever-actuated coffee percolator

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2024028909A1 (en)

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1106368A (en) 1953-10-14 1955-12-19 Brev Gaggia S R L Device for brewing express coffee
FR1174038A (en) 1956-05-03 1959-03-05 Percolator
WO2017009189A1 (en) 2015-07-10 2017-01-19 La Marzocco S.R.L. Machine of the piston type for dispensing coffee or other brewed beverages
EP3220786A1 (en) 2014-11-19 2017-09-27 La San Marco S.P.A. Coffee machine
US20180192811A1 (en) * 2015-07-10 2018-07-12 La Marzocco S.R.L. Machine of the piston type for dispensing coffee or other brewed beverages
EP3563730A1 (en) * 2018-05-01 2019-11-06 Caffè A Mano GmbH Coffee machine
US20200260903A1 (en) * 2019-02-15 2020-08-20 Caffè A Mano GmbH Device for the Preparation of a Hot Beverage

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1106368A (en) 1953-10-14 1955-12-19 Brev Gaggia S R L Device for brewing express coffee
FR1174038A (en) 1956-05-03 1959-03-05 Percolator
EP3220786A1 (en) 2014-11-19 2017-09-27 La San Marco S.P.A. Coffee machine
WO2017009189A1 (en) 2015-07-10 2017-01-19 La Marzocco S.R.L. Machine of the piston type for dispensing coffee or other brewed beverages
US20180192811A1 (en) * 2015-07-10 2018-07-12 La Marzocco S.R.L. Machine of the piston type for dispensing coffee or other brewed beverages
EP3563730A1 (en) * 2018-05-01 2019-11-06 Caffè A Mano GmbH Coffee machine
US20200260903A1 (en) * 2019-02-15 2020-08-20 Caffè A Mano GmbH Device for the Preparation of a Hot Beverage

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US9820605B2 (en) Coffee machine with dispensing pressure regulation
US10238231B2 (en) Coffee machine with dispensing pressure regulation and a method relating thereto
JP6723248B2 (en) Equipment for blending and supplying coffee beans
CN101094602B (en) Process and apparatus for controlling the preparation of beverages
CN102869291B (en) Method and apparatus for controlling brewed beverage quality
EP2133011A1 (en) Coffee machine with thermally regulated dispenser
CN108601473A (en) The method of improved espresso coffee machine and distribution concentrated coffee
ITMI20110725A1 (en) DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HOT DRINKS.
EP3876799B1 (en) Espresso coffee machine with adjustment of the dispensing pressure and method for adjusting the dispensing pressure of an espresso coffee machine
US20210204748A1 (en) Process for improving the uniformity of concentration of espresso coffee in an espresso coffee machine and associated espresso coffee machine
WO2024028909A1 (en) Lever-actuated coffee percolator
ITPN20060060A1 (en) COFFEE MACHINE FOR THE PREPARATION AND SELECTIVE DISTRIBUTION OF COFFEE, CAPPUCCINO AND BEVERAGES INFUSED BY VARIOUS KIND, AND WORKING CYCLE FOR SUCH A COFFEE MACHINE
AU2020320131A1 (en) System and method for dispensing a beverage, preferably espresso coffee, wherein the filter-holders are filled with predetermined doses
US20210219773A1 (en) Method of controlling the outflow of the amount of water required to form a given dose of a beverage obtained from ground coffee as it is being dispensed into a cup and apparatus for carrying out such method
CN114144098A (en) System and method for producing extract
ITMI990416A1 (en) MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ESPRESSO COFFEE IN VERY LARGE QUANTITIES
KR20220082015A (en) Machines and methods for creating and dispensing coffee-based beverages
CN117279548A (en) Coffee percolator and method for delivering coffee
JPH1116041A (en) Beverage supplying device

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 23752063

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1