RU2778826C2 - A device for making a beverage with convenient spillage prevention - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to devices for making a beverage. The expected result is achieved by the fact that the beverage dispensing device has a beverage preparation unit, a fixed frame and a beverage guide, which is installed, for example, with the possibility of rotation and/or translational movement on a fixed frame and is made with the possibility of moving relative to the fixed frame from the dispensing position to direct the specified beverage using the guide to the area for placing the user’s container, for example, cups or mugs, to collect such a dispensed beverage; to the non-discharge position for directing liquid waste, such as beverage residues and/or cleaning fluid, into the waste collection, and vice versa, and the beverage preparation unit has a beverage guide and an outlet channel of the unit through which liquid, for example, the specified beverage and/or the specified liquid waste, pass from the guide for the beverage to the guide located below the output channel of the unit, while the fixed frame has a socket located above the placement area, and the guide is supported by a removable support frame, which is designed to be inserted into the socket in such a way that the guide can be moved between the issuing position or the non-issuing position; and is designed to be removed by the user with the guide from the socket to remove the guide from the fixed frame and optionally to remove the guide from the support frame, and optionally the support frame, made with the possibility of removal by the user, and the guide are fixed in the socket by means of a fastening mechanism, such as a latching mechanism, and/or a magnetic mechanism, and/or a latch.

EFFECT: increase in reliability.

15 cl, 16 dwg

Description

The field of technology to which the invention belongs

The field of application of the present invention relates to beverage preparation devices, in particular, using capsules with a beverage ingredient for preparation, having an outlet channel for dispensing a beverage into a user's container in the dispensing area and a device for preventing undesirable leakage of beverage residues from the outlet channel into the dispensing area, in particular after dispensing a beverage and/or between dispensing a beverage.

For the purposes of this specification, the term "beverage" is intended to include any liquid substance consumed by a person, such as tea, coffee, hot or cold chocolate, milk, soup, baby food, and the like. A "capsule" is intended to include a pre-portioned beverage ingredient, such as a flavoring ingredient, enclosed in a package of any material, in particular airtight packaging, such as plastic, aluminum, recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging, of any shape and structure, including soft containers or rigid cartridges containing the ingredient. The capsule may contain an amount of an ingredient for preparing a single serving of a drink or a plurality of servings of a drink.

State of the art

Some beverage preparation devices use capsules containing ingredients to be extracted or dissolved; In the case of other devices, the ingredients are stored and automatically dispensed in the device, or they are added during the preparation of the beverage.

Most beverage preparation devices inside the housing contain filling devices that include a liquid pump, typically water, that pumps liquid from a water source that is cold or heated by a heating device, such as a heating resistor, boiler, thermoblock, or the like. etc., a brewing unit in which the ingredient is brewed with water, or a mixing unit in which the ingredients are mixed, and a beverage outlet for dispensing the prepared beverage. Typically, a beverage outlet is located above a beverage outlet, such as a grate used as a support surface for a cup or other container below the outlet, and also designed to pass liquid drips that may come from a beverage outlet or a spilled beverage. into the collection tray located under the net.

For example, EP 1 440 639 describes a beverage preparation device comprising a receptacle support having a hollow interior forming a drip tray. The upper surface of the receiving vessel stand is equipped with a grid on which the receiving vessel is located. The drip collector is designed to be removed from the body to facilitate the draining of the collected water. Drip tray devices containing cup holders are well known in the art. In addition, there are such devices which are additionally configured to adjust their vertical position for cups of different sizes under the beverage outlet. Examples of mechanisms in this area are described in CA 2,260,352, EP 0 549 887, EP 1 731 065, EP 1 867 260, FR 2 439 042, US 5,161,455, US 5,353,692 and WO 2009/074557.

2006/050769, WO 2012/072758, WO 2013/127907, WO 2016/050657, WO 2016/083485 and PCT/EP17/075724 describe various beverage preparation devices having a beverage guide located downstream of the ingredient processing module. . The guide is connected to the first beverage channel leading to the dispensing point and to the second beverage channel extending to the dispensing point. The beverage guide is configured to direct the flow of the beverage to the dispensing point when the beverage preparation device is in the beverage dispensing mode and direct the beverage to the dispensing point when the beverage preparation device is in the non-dispensing mode.

Such guides are typically movable in the beverage preparation device and are subject to thermal/mechanical stress and/or beverage residue, which typically results in failure in service after prolonged use.

Disclosure of invention

The invention relates to a beverage dispensing device. The beverage preparation device may be intended for domestic or industrial use. The device may be designed to prepare coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, milk, soup, baby food, etc.

This device may be configured to prepare a beverage in a beverage preparation unit by passing hot or cold water or other liquid through a capsule containing an ingredient such as a flavoring ingredient for a beverage such as ground coffee or tea or chocolate or cocoa. or dry milk.

Beverage preparation typically involves mixing a plurality of beverage ingredients, such as water and milk powder, and/or extracting the beverage ingredient, such as ground coffee or tea extract, using water. One or more of these ingredients may be supplied as a free-flowing and/or agglomerated powder and/or in liquid form, in particular as a concentrate. Such an ingredient can be mixed with a carrier liquid or a diluent liquid, such as water, to form a beverage. Typically, a predetermined amount of beverage corresponding to a serving is generated and dispensed at the user's request. The volume of such a portion may range from 25 to 200 ml and even up to 400 or 1000 ml, such as the volume to fill a cup or mug, depending on the type of beverage. The beverages to be prepared and served can be selected from ristretto coffee, espresso, lungo, cappuccino, latte macchiato, latte, americano, tea, etc. In particular, the coffee machine can be set to dispense espresso, for example, with an adjustable volume of 20 to 60 ml per serving, and/or to dispense lungo, for example, with a volume in the range of 70 to 150 ml per serving, and/or to dispense americano, for example, with a volume ranging from 150 to 500 ml per serving.

The device may include a (fixed) frame and/or housing in which the components of the device, such as those mentioned below, are mounted and/or connected. Typical designs of a beverage preparation device are described, for example, in WO 2009/074550 and WO 2009/130099.

For example, the beverage preparation device is assembled on the frame of the device, for example in a housing.

In one embodiment, the ingredient is fed into a beverage preparation unit within a capsule. Such a capsule may have a container closed with a lid, such as a container and/or a lid extending in the radial direction to form an edge.

In a processing configuration, the preparation unit may form an ingredient chamber to accommodate and process the ingredient.

Examples of cooking units are described in WO 2007/135135, WO 2009/043630, WO 2011/042400, WO 2014/096122 and WO 2014/096123.

The preparation unit may be configured to process a capsule containing a beverage ingredient. The block may have an ingredient chamber with at least one capsule opener, such as at least one of one or more piercing and/or tearing elements; and one or more pins and/or blades, such as a capsule piercing device or a rupture plate, as described, for example, in EP 0 512 468, EP 0 512 470, EP 1 299 022, EP 1 339 305, WO 2013/026845, WO 2014/076041, WO 2015/022342, WO 2015/022344 and WO 2015/022345.

The device may also include a fluid injection device, such as a pump, for pumping a fluid, such as water, through a fluid conduit from a fluid source, such as a fluid reservoir, through a processing module. Examples of pumps in beverage preparation devices are described in WO 2006/005425, WO 2009/024500, WO 2009/150030, WO 2010/108700 and WO 2011/107574.

Liquid may be supplied to the preparation unit by means of a thermal conditioner such as a heater and/or cooler.

A suitable heater may be a boiler, thermal block or heater (ODH), such as the ODH described in EP 1 253 844, EP 1 380 243 and EP 1 809 151. Examples of heaters are described in WO 2009/043851, WO 2009/043865, WO 2009 /092746, WO 2011/157675 and WO 2012/007260.

The device comprises a beverage preparation unit, a fixed frame (eg, a frame that is stationary during normal use of the beverage dispenser) and a beverage guide.

The director may include various flow control elements, for example, as described in PCT/EP17/075726.

The guide is mounted, for example, with the possibility of rotation and / or translational movement, on a fixed frame and is movable relative to the fixed frame from the dispensing position to guide the drink with the help of the guide to the area for placing the user's container, such as a cup or mug, to collect the specified dispensed drink; to a non-dispensing position for directing liquid waste, such as beverage residue and/or cleaning fluid, with the guide to the waste receptacle; and vice versa.

For example, the guide is in the non-dispensing position when the device is not dispensing a beverage, and then moves to the dispensing position when the device is started to prepare or dispense a beverage. The beverage can be prepared for a period of time inside the device before it is dispensed (for example, during the pre-wetting period of the beverage ingredient to be brewed), and the guide can be moved to the dispensing position either at the beginning of the beverage preparation process, or at the beginning of the beverage dispensing, or at any point in time between the two specified events.

The area for placement may be limited by the support of the receiving vessel. Typically, the support includes a support surface for receiving a user container, such as a mug or cup, to collect the dispensed beverage. The support surface may be formed by a support element that is part of the device, or may be a virtual surface, such as a table surface, on which the device is placed. Examples of such support surfaces for a user container are described in EP 1 867 260, WO 2009/074557 and WO 2013/104636.

The waste receptacle may include a removable receiving vessel, for example located on the frame of the device, for example on the body of the device. Examples of such collectors are described in EP 1 867 260, WO 2009/074557, WO 2009/074559, WO 2009/135869, WO 2011/086087 and WO 2011/154492. Typically, the waste collector is configured to collect at least one of one or more of the beverage ingredient waste, such as used flavor ingredient and/or waste water; one or more used capsules for supplying the beverage ingredient to the device; cleaning agent such as cleaning, flushing or descaling liquid.

The beverage preparation unit has a beverage guide and a unit outlet through which liquid, such as beverage and/or liquid waste, passes from the beverage guide to a guide located below the unit outlet.

The fixed frame has a seat above the placement area, with the guide supported by a removable support frame which is inserted into the socket so that the guide can move between the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position and which can be removed by the user along with the guide from the socket to remove the guide from the fixed frame and optionally subsequently removing the guide from the support frame.

In such a way that, by mounting the movable guide on the detachable support frame, the user can easily remove the movable guide from the device to replace it after prolonged use or for maintenance, such as cleaning, in particular to avoid clogging or malfunction of the guide due to the presence of beverage residues. While the movement of the movable guide in the fixed frame of the device is provided to direct the flow of fluid in the device, the mobility of the support frame (with the guide) is provided to allow the support frame to move into and out of the fixed frame of the device. The movable guide can be conveniently separated from the support frame outside the device when removing the support frame with the guide from the fixed frame.

Since the detachable support frame and guide can be removed from the socket and inserted into it by the user, no special (safe) tools are required, at least tools other than those available in any household, or special skills or knowledge. In any case, no special training or presence of (operating) personnel is required to operate the base frame and guide.

The user-removable support frame and the guide may be secured in the socket by a fastening mechanism such as a snap mechanism and/or a magnetic mechanism and/or a latch.

The support frame may be fixed when placed in the socket and may have an assembly mechanism for mounting the guide with the possibility of moving on the support frame, while the guide is movable relative to the support frame from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position, and vice versa. The assembly mechanism may have a bearing to mount the guide pin in a rotatable manner, or may have an axle to mount the guide bearing in a rotatable manner to allow the guide to move relative to the support frame from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position, and vice versa.

The guide can be moved to the dispensing position or non-dispensing position by means of a biasing device such as a spring, such as a leaf spring, or a wire spring, or a helical or helicoidal spring, mounted on the support frame and the guide. The guide can be selectively moved to the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position by means of a biasing device, which comprises, for example, an elastic mechanism with two stable positions.

The support frame may have an upstream opening adjacent to the outlet when the guide and support frame are in the seat, such that beverage and/or liquid waste can pass from the outlet of the unit to the guide through an upstream opening such as an upstream opening formed in the top panel of the support frame and/or defined by the upper end of the side wall of the support frame; and one or more downstream openings for allowing the beverage to pass from the guide to the stowage area and/or liquid waste from the guide to the waste receptacle upon insertion of the support frame and guide into the seat, such as(s) below downstream an opening(s) formed(s) in the bottom panel of the support frame and/or delimited by the bottom end(s) of the side wall(s) of the support frame.

The device may comprise a locking mechanism movable between a locking position, in which the locking mechanism locks the support frame and guide in the socket, and an unlocking position, in which the locking mechanism allows at least the removal of the support frame and guide from the socket and optionally inserting a support frame. frame and guide into the nest. The locking mechanism may be a movable part of the beverage preparation unit, such as a movable part of the preparation unit mixing or brewing unit, which can be moved to an open position to introduce the ingredient into the unit (and/or remove the ingredient from the unit), e.g. into the module chamber, e.g. ingredient capsule chamber, and to the closed position for processing said ingredient.

The guide has a flow cavity, a beverage outlet, which is designed so that the drink can flow from the flow cavity into the placement area, and a waste outlet, which is designed so that liquid waste can flow from the flow cavity into the waste collector. . The beverage outlet or waste outlet may be associated with a mechanism for directing the beverage or waste liquid in the desired direction out of the outlet, such as a mechanism having one or more ribs or rods protruding into the outlet or extending along the outlet. The guide may be moved to a dispensing position such that the flow cavity slopes towards the beverage outlet, and may be moved to a non-dispensing position such that the flow cavity slopes towards the waste outlet. The flow cavity may have a beverage inflow region, such as an influx receiving element and/or an influx baffle positioned between the beverage outlet and the waste outlet, such as an inflow region that is positioned some distance above the bottom of the cavity in such a manner that the beverage and/or liquid waste can flow out along the bottom below the inflow area.

The device may comprise a discharge guide, wherein the guide is configured to deliver a beverage or liquid waste into the discharge guide to an accommodating area or waste container, the guide being movable relative to the discharge guide.

The release guide may be configured to act on the guide so as to move it between a dispensing position and a non-dispensing position.

Thus, a dispensing guide (if any) that can be used to dispense beverage and/or waste liquid from the guide can also be used to actuate the guide to move it between a dispensing position and a non-dispensing position.

The device may include an actuator, such as an actuator containing a return spring and/or a motor, such as an electric or hydraulic motor. Such a motor may be a rotary motor, a linear motor, or an electromechanical electromagnet, for example, combined with a return spring.

The device may include a control unit for controlling at least one of the engine (if any) and the electrical components of the device, such as a liquid injection device, a heat conditioner, a user interface. Examples of control units and user interfaces are described in WO 2008/138710, WO 2009/043851, WO 2009/043865, WO 2009/092745, WO 2010/003932, WO 2010/037806, WO 2010/046442, WO 2011/020 /026853, Wo 2011/054889, Wo 2011/067156, Wo 2011/067157, Wo 2011/067181, Wo 2011/067188, Wo 2011/067191, Wo 2011/067227, Wo 2011/067232, Wo 2011/144719 and Wo 2012 and Wo 2012 /032019, WO 2012/072761, WO 2012/072764, WO 2012/072767 and WO 2012/093107.

The release guide may be configured to be actuated by an actuator to act on the guide so that the guide moves to at least one of the issuance position and the non-issuance position. The guide may be associated with a biasing device, such as a spring, such as a leaf spring, or a wire spring, or a helical or helicoidal spring, to move the guide into a dispensing position or a non-dispensing position. The guide can be selectively moved to the issuing position and the non-issuing position using said biasing device, which contains an elastic mechanism with two stable positions.

The device may include a transmission mechanism, such as a gear and/or friction transmission, for transmitting motion from the actuator to the release rail, such as a transmission mechanism containing one or more elements for transmitting motion, selected from connecting rods, swivel joints, gears, gears. wheels, wheels, belts and racks.

The release guide may be configured to push and/or retract the guide. The release guide can be activated relative to the guide.

The guide can be mounted with the possibility of rotation and/or translational movement directly or indirectly on the frame, for example around the axis of rotation. The ejection guide may be pivotally and/or translatably mounted directly or indirectly on the frame. The guide can be rotated by being translated into motion with the release guide.

The outlet guide may have a channel and a cuvette or funnel in fluid communication with the channel, the cuvette or funnel being configured to collect a beverage or liquid waste from the guide and direct it into the channel to a disposal area or waste container. The exhaust guide may have one or more of the following features:

- the cuvette or funnel is configured to come into contact with the guide to move it between the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position;

- the cuvette or funnel extends substantially along the direction below the guide, and the direction of the cuvette or funnel is not necessarily essentially horizontal, or the cuvette or funnel is inclined at a slight angle to the guide, for example at an angle in the range from 1 to 30 degrees, for example from 2 to 15 degrees;

- the channel is in contact with the actuator and is driven by it directly or by means of a transmission mechanism;

- the channel extends along the essentially vertical direction of the channel and is made with the possibility of linear movement, essentially along the vertical direction, and optionally the vertical direction is directed vertically or at a slight angle, for example at an angle in the range from 1 to 30 degrees, for example from 2 to 15 degrees; and

- the channel extends substantially downward from the side and/or bottom of the cuvette or funnel.

The guide may have a flow cavity, a bottom part and side walls located in such a way that the bottom part and side walls define the flow cavity. The guide may have an influx-receiving element, such as a protrusion that is affected by the influx, for causing the flow of the beverage supplied through the outlet channel to the influx-receiving element when the guide is in the dispensing position.

Thus, when the beverage enters the guide, said inflow receiving member, if present, acts on the beverage flow.

Such action of the inflow-receiving element may cause large bubbles carried with the beverage to be separated to break up the beverage foam generated by the bubbles, such as creamy foam in the case of coffee preparation. In this case, the crushed foam beverage then reaches the bottom of the flow cavity along which it is poured into the user's container in the accommodating area.

The effect of the influent receiving element may result in a constriction of the beverage flow section, for example, if and when the influent receiving element enters the outlet channel of the block, to reduce the flow of beverage entering the guide, for example, to increase the preparation time of the upstream drink regarding the leader.

The impact of the element receiving the inflowing flow may lead to separation of the flow of the beverage supplied to the guide.

The element that receives the inflow can be one or more of the following:

- vertically located, essentially, spear-shaped element has a cross-section in the form of a cross, or a star, or a circle, or a convex polygon;

- the upper part, e.g. the tapered upper part, extends into the exit channel of the block when the guide is in the dispensing position, e.g. a length in the range of 0.01 to 7 mm, e.g. 0.3 to 3 mm, or is at a distance below the exit block holes in the range from 0.01 to 5 mm, for example from 0.3 to 3 mm; and

- a tapering top, for example a tapering top extending over a length in the range of 1 to 7 mm, for example 2 to 5 mm, extends from a cylindrical or prismatic bottom of the inflow-receiving element, for example a bottom extending over a length in the range from 1 to 15 mm, for example from 3 to 7 mm, and optionally the lower part of the element receiving the inflow flow, and the tapering upper part have a length ratio in the range from 1.5 to 7, for example from 2 to 5, for example 2.5 to four.

The guide may have an inflow baffle, such as an influx deflector having a plane-like surface for diverting the flow of beverage supplied to it from the outlet of the unit when the guide is in the dispensing position. The inflow baffle may be an element extending longitudinally at an angle to the horizontal direction and/or positioned at a distance above the bottom surface of the diverter to allow liquid waste to flow below the deflector when the diverter is in the non-dispensing position.

The guide may have an inflow restriction panel to restrict the flow of beverage supplied through the block outlet as it enters the guide. The bounding bar can pass:

more than half the height (for example, the average height) of the flow cavity on the limiting panel, and the limiting panel is, for example, essentially vertical when the guide is in the issuing position; and/or

substantially parallel to some or said influx baffle which diverts the flow of beverage supplied through the outlet of the unit when the guide, together with the restrictive panel, is in the dispensing position; and/or

- some distance above the bottom of the flow cavity to allow the beverage to flow below the boundary panel.

The bounding bar, if present, can be used to form a beverage supply to contain large bubbles in the beverage behind the bounding bar such that only liquid beverage and small beverage bubbles (if present) exit the bounding bar.

The guide may include a beverage flow obstruction structure formed by at least one beverage flow restriction wall, such as one or more vertical restriction walls, to store a supply of beverage in a cavity above the flow obstruction structure when the guide is in a dispensing position.

Such a barrier structure (if present) may provide a supply of beverage upstream of said barrier structure. Thus, in the case of preparing a (liquid) beverage with foam, such a reserve can improve the foam control of the beverage dispensed outside the device.

The flow blocking structure may include one or more of:

- two or more restrictive walls located in series in the cavity along the direction of flow of the drink, when the guide is in the dispensing position;

- at least one boundary wall having a lower edge below which the drink can flow and/or an upper edge above which the drink can flow when the guide is in the dispensing position;

- at least one boundary wall, which has one or more side walls around which the drink can flow when the guide is in the dispensing position;

- at least one boundary wall that extends from the bottom of the cavity;

- at least one boundary wall extending from at least one side wall of the cavity, for example a pair of boundary walls that extend towards each other from side walls facing each other, for example a pair of boundary walls extending in the same direction or in mutually intersecting directions ;

- at least one boundary wall, located at a distance from all side walls of the cavity;

at least one boundary wall that extends substantially transverse to the direction of flow of the beverage in the cavity, optionally the boundary wall extends along a direction perpendicular to or at an angle to the direction of flow in the range of 1 to 45 degrees, such as 5 to 30 degrees, for example from 10 to 20 degrees;

at least one boundary wall having at least one section extending along a straight direction, for example along one, two or three different straight directions, the boundary wall optionally consisting of one or more flat sections; and

at least one boundary wall having at least one section extending along the curved direction, optionally the boundary wall consisting of one or more cylindrical, conical, spherical and ellipsoidal sections.

When reference is made herein to an orientation or position relative to a device or parts thereof, such as "above" or "below" or "vertical" or "horizontal", the indicated orientation or position is taken as the approximate position and orientation of the device during its operation. when processing a liquid food product in a food product cavity, unless otherwise noted.

Brief description of the drawings

The following is a description of the invention with reference to schematic drawings, and:

- in Fig. 1 shows part of a device with a guide in the dispensing position according to the present invention, the device also having a guide for release;

- in Fig. 2 shows the same details as in Fig. 1, with the guide in the non-dispensing position;

- in Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guide shown in FIG. 1 and 2;

- in Fig. 4 and 8 show a guide with a flow cavity and various elements for controlling the flow in the cavity;

- in Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a beverage preparation device according to the present invention, which has a locking mechanism in the position of blocking the guide and support frame in the corresponding socket of the device;

- in Fig. 10 shows the device shown in FIG. 9 in which the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position;

- in Fig. 11-13 is a sequence illustrating the removal of the guide in the support frame from the socket of the device;

- in Fig. 14 is a bottom perspective view of the guide in the support frame;

- in Fig. 15 is a top perspective view of the guide in the support frame; and

- in Fig. 16 is an exploded view of the components of the guide, the support frame, and the bias member for shifting the guide to the dispensing position or the non-dispensing position.

The description below, in conjunction with the accompanying figures, illustrates a non-limiting example of an apparatus and its possible variations in accordance with the present invention.

In FIG. 1-16 shows an example of a beverage dispensing device 1 100 (FIGS. 9 and 10) in accordance with the present invention, as well as its details (FIGS. 1-3 and 11-16) and their variations (FIGS. 4-8) .

The device 1 has a beverage preparation unit 5, a fixed frame 4 and a beverage guide 10, which is mounted on the fixed frame 4, for example, with the possibility of rotation and/or translational movement. The guide 10 is movable relative to the fixed frame 4 from the dispensing position to direct the beverage 100 with the guide 10 to the area 2 to accommodate the user's container, such as a cup or mug, to collect said dispensed beverage 100; to a non-dispensing position for directing, by means of the guide 10, liquid wastes 101, such as beverage residues and/or cleaning fluid, to the waste collector 3; and vice versa.

The beverage preparation unit 5 comprises a beverage guide 50 and a block outlet 51 through which liquid, such as beverage 100 and/or liquid waste 101, passes from the beverage guide 50 to a guide 10 located below the block outlet 51.

The fixed frame 4 has a seat 52 above the placement area 2, the guide 10 being supported by a removable support frame 16 which is inserted into the seat 52 so that the guide 10 can move between the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position; and could be removed by the user with guide 10 from socket 52 to remove guide 10 from fixed frame 4 and optionally subsequently remove guide 10 from support frame 16.

The user-removable support frame 16 and the guide 10 may be secured in the socket 52 by a fastening mechanism such as a snap mechanism and/or a magnetic mechanism and/or a latch.

The support frame 16 may be stationary when placed in the seat 52 and may have an assembly mechanism 161 for mounting the guide 10 to move onto the support frame 16. Thus, the guide 10 can be configured to move relative to the support frame 16 from a dispensing position to a non-dispensing position. , and vice versa. The assembly mechanism may have a bearing 161 to mount the axis 11 of the guide 10 in a rotatable manner, or may have an axle to mount the bearing of the guide 10 in a rotatable manner to allow the guide 10 to move relative to the support frame from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position, and vice versa.

The guide 10 can be moved to the dispensing position or the non-dispensing position by means of a biasing device 17, such as a spring, such as a leaf spring, or a wire spring, or a helical or helicoidal spring, mounted on the support frame 16 and the guide 10. The guide 10 can be selectively transferred to the issuance position and in the non-issuance position using a biasing device, which may include an elastic mechanism with two stable positions.

The support frame 16 may have an upstream opening 18 adjacent to the outlet channel 51 when the guide 10 and the support frame 16 are in the seat 52 such that the beverage 100 and/or liquid waste 101 can pass from the outlet channel 51 of the unit to the guide 10 through the upstream opening 18. The upstream opening 18 may be formed in the top panel 162 of the support frame 16 and/or defined by the upper end of the side wall of the support frame.

Support frame 16 may have one or more downstream openings 19 to allow passage of beverage 100 from guide 10 to storage area 2 and/or liquid waste 101 from guide 10 to waste receptacle 3 when support frame 16 and guide are inserted 10 into socket 52. The downstream opening(s) 19 may be formed(s) in the bottom panel of the support frame and/or delimited(s) by the bottom end(s) 163 side wall(s) of support frame 16.

The device 1 may include a locking mechanism 53 movable between a locking position, in which the locking mechanism 53 locks the support frame 16 and guide 10 in the socket 52, and an unlocked position, in which the locking mechanism 53 allows at least the extraction of the support frame 16 and guide 10 out of the socket, and optionally inserting the support frame 16 and guide 10 into the socket 15. The locking mechanism 53 may be a movable part of the beverage preparation unit 5, such as a movable part 53 of the mixing or brewing unit of the preparation unit 5, which can be moved to the open position for introducing the ingredient into the module (and/or removing the ingredient from the module), eg into the chamber 54 of the module, eg into the chamber 54 of the ingredient capsule; and to the closed position to process the ingredient.

The guide 10 has a flow cavity 10a, a beverage outlet 10' which is configured such that beverage 100 can flow from the flow cavity 10a into an accommodating zone 2, and a waste outlet 10'' which is configured such that liquid the waste 101 can flow out of the flow cavity 10a into the waste collector 3 . The beverage outlet 10' or the waste outlet 10'' may be associated with a mechanism 10''' for directing the beverage 100 or liquid waste 101 in the desired direction from the outlet 10', 10'', such as the mechanism 10'' 'having one or more ribs or rods protruding into the outlet channel 10', 10'' or extending along the outlet channel. The guide 10 can be moved to a dispensing position such that the flow cavity 10a tilts towards the beverage outlet 10', and can be moved to a non-dispensing position such that the flow cavity 10a tilts towards the waste outlet 10''. The flow cavity 10a may have a beverage inflow region 12, 13, such as an influx receiving element 12 and/or an influx baffle 13 positioned between the beverage outlet 10' and the waste outlet 10'', such as an inflow region, located at some distance above the lower part 10b of the cavity 10a so that the beverage 100 and/or liquid waste 101 can flow along the lower part 10b below the inflow area 12, 13.

The device 1 may include a discharge guide 20, wherein the guide 10 is configured to deliver the beverage 100 or liquid waste 101 into the discharge guide 20 towards the storage area 2 or waste container 3 . The guide 10 may be movable relative to the guide 20 for release.

The device 1 may include an actuator 30, such as an actuator containing a return spring and/or a motor, such as an electric or hydraulic motor. The release guide 20 may be configured to be actuated by the actuator 30 to act on the guide 10 so that the guide 10 moves to at least one of the issue position and the non-issue position. The guide 10 may be associated with a biasing device 17, such as a spring, such as a leaf spring, or a wire spring, or a helical or helicoidal spring, to move the guide 10 into a dispensing position or a non-dispensing position. The guide 10 can be selectively moved to the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position by means of said biasing device, which comprises a resilient mechanism with two stable positions.

The device 1 may include a transmission mechanism 31, such as a gear and/or friction transmission, for transmitting motion from the actuator 30 to the release guide 20, such as a transmission mechanism containing one or more elements for transmitting motion, selected from connecting rods, swivel joints , gears, gears, wheels, belts and racks.

The release guide 20 may be configured to push and/or retract the guide 10, with the release guide being activated relative to the guide 10, for example.

The guide 10 can be installed with the possibility of rotation and/or translation directly or indirectly on the fixed frame 4, for example around the axis 11 of rotation. The release guide can be pivotally and/or movable directly or indirectly on the fixed frame 4. The guide 10 can be rotated by being translated into motion by the release guide 20.

The outlet guide 20 may have a channel 21 and a cuvette or funnel 22 in fluid communication with the channel 21. The cuvette or funnel 22 may be configured to collect beverage 100 or liquid waste 101 from the guide 10 and direct them into the channel 21, passing to the area 2 for placement or to the collector 3 waste. The outlet guide 20 may have one or more of the following features:

- the cuvette or funnel 22 is configured to come into contact with the guide 10 to move it between the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position;

- the cuvette or funnel 22 extends substantially along the direction below the guide 10, and the direction of the cuvette or funnel is not necessarily essentially horizontal, or the cuvette or funnel is inclined at a slight angle to the guide, for example at an angle in the range from 1 to 30 degrees , for example from 2 to 15 degrees;

- the channel 21 is in contact with the actuator 30 and driven by it directly or through the transmission mechanism 31;

- the channel 21 extends along a substantially vertical direction of the channel and is movable linearly along a substantially vertical direction, optionally the vertical direction is directed vertically or at a slight angle, for example at an angle in the range from 1 to 30 degrees, for example from 2 to 15 degrees; and

- the channel 21 extends substantially downward from the side and/or bottom of the cuvette or funnel 22.

The guide 10 may have a flow cavity 10a, a bottom 10b, and side walls 10c positioned such that the bottom 10b and side walls 10c define the flow cavity 10a. The guide 10 may have an inflow-receiving element 12, such as a protrusion 12, which is affected by the inflow, to direct the beverage stream 100 supplied from the outlet 51 onto the inflow-receiving element 12 when the guide 10 is in the dispensing position. The inflow-receiving element 12 may be one or more of the following:

- vertically located, essentially, spear-shaped element has a cross-section in the form of a cross, or a star, or a circle, or a convex polygon;

- the upper part 121, such as the tapered upper part, extends into the exit channel 51 of the block when the guide 10 is in the dispensing position, for example a length in the range of 0.01 to 7 mm, for example 0.3 to 3 mm, or is at a distance below the block outlet 51 in the range of 0.01 to 5 mm, such as 0.3 to 3 mm; and

- a tapering top 121, such as a tapering top extending over a length in the range of 1 to 7 mm, such as 2 to 5 mm, extends from a cylindrical or prismatic bottom 122 of the inflow-receiving element, such as a bottom extending over a length in the range from 1 to 15 mm, for example from 3 to 7 mm, and optionally the lower part 122 of the element receiving the inflow flow, and the tapering upper part 121 have a length ratio in the range from 1.5 to 7, for example from 2 to 5, for example 2.5 to 4.

The guide 10 may have an influx baffle 13, such as an inflow deflector having a flat-like surface to divert the flow of beverage 100 supplied to it from the block outlet 51 when the guide 10 is in the dispensing position. The inflow baffle 13 may be an element extending longitudinally at an angle to the horizontal direction and/or located at a distance above the bottom surface 10b of the diverter 10 to allow liquid waste 101 to flow below the deflector 12 when the diverter 10 is in the non-dispensing position.

The guide 10 may have an inflow restriction panel 14, 14a to restrict the flow of the beverage 100 supplied through the outlet channel 51 of the block as it enters the guide 10. The restriction panel 14, 14a may extend:

more than half the height of the flow cavity 10a on the bounding board 14, whereby, for example, the bounding board 14 is substantially vertical when the guide 10 is in the dispensing position; and/or

substantially parallel to the influent deflector 13, which deflects the flow of the beverage 100 supplied through the block outlet 51 when the guide 10, together with the restrictive panel 14a, is in the dispensing position; and/or

- some distance above the bottom 10b of the flow cavity 10a to allow the beverage 100 to flow below the boundary panel 14, 14a.

The guide 10 may comprise a beverage flow obstruction structure formed by at least one beverage flow boundary wall 15, 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, such as one or more vertical boundary walls, to store a beverage supply 100 in a cavity 10a above the beverage flow structure. flow obstruction when the guide 10 is in the dispensing position. The flow blocking structure may include one or more of:

- two or more boundary walls 15a, 15c arranged in series in the cavity 10a along the flow direction of the beverage 100 when the guide 10 is in the dispensing position;

at least one boundary wall 15a having a bottom edge below which beverage 100 can flow and/or an upper edge above which drink 100 can flow when guide 10 is in the dispensing position;

- at least one boundary wall 15b, 15c, 15d, which has one or more side walls around which the drink 100 can flow when the guide 10 is in the dispensing position;

- at least one boundary wall 15, 15c, which extends from the lower part 10b of the cavity 10a;

- at least one boundary wall 15a, 15b, 15d extending from at least one side wall 10c of the cavity 10a, such as a pair of boundary walls 15b, 15d that extend towards each other from side walls 10c facing each other, such as a pair of boundary walls 15b, 15d extending in the same direction or in mutually intersecting directions;

- at least one boundary wall 15c, located at a distance from all side walls 10c of the cavity 10a;

at least one boundary wall 15b, 15d, which extends substantially transverse to the direction of flow of the beverage 100 in a cavity, optionally a boundary wall 15b, 15d, extending along a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow or at an angle to it in the range of 1 to 45 degrees, such as 5 to 30 degrees, such as 10 to 20 degrees;

at least one boundary wall 15a, 15b, 15d having at least one section extending along a straight direction, for example along one, two or three different straight directions, the boundary wall optionally consisting of one or more flat sections; and

at least one boundary wall 15c having at least one section extending along the curved direction, optionally the boundary wall consisting of one or more cylindrical, conical, spherical and ellipsoidal sections.

Claims (46)

1. The device (1) for issuing a drink (100) has a block (5) for preparing a drink, a fixed frame (4) and a guide (10) of the drink, which is installed, for example, with the possibility of rotation and / or translational movement on a fixed frame (4 ) and is made with the possibility of movement relative to the fixed frame (4) from: - dispensing positions for directing said beverage (100) with a guide (10) to an area (2) for placing a user container, such as a cup or mug, to collect such dispensed beverage (100); in - a non-dispensing position for directing liquid wastes (101), such as beverage residues and/or cleaning fluid, with the help of the guide (10) into the waste collector (3), and vice versa, moreover, the beverage preparation unit (5) has a beverage guide (50) and an outlet channel (51) of the unit through which liquid, for example, said beverage (100) and/or said liquid waste (101), pass from the beverage guide (50) to the guide (10) located below the outlet channel (51) of the block, characterized in that the fixed frame (4) has a socket (52) located above the area (2) for placement, and the guide (10) is supported by a removable support frame (16), which: - configured to be inserted into the socket (52) so that the guide (10) can be moved between the dispensing position or the non-dispensing position; and - made with the possibility of removal by the user with the guide (10) from the socket (52) to remove the guide (10) from the fixed frame (4) and optionally to remove the guide (10) from the support frame (16), optionally, the user-removable support frame (16) and the guide (10) are fixed in the seat (52) by a fastening mechanism such as a snap mechanism and/or a magnetic mechanism and/or a latch. 2. The device according to claim 1, in which the support frame (16) is fixed when placed in the socket (52) and has an assembly mechanism (161) for mounting the guide (10) with the possibility of moving on the support frame (16), and the guide ( 10) is configured to move relative to the support frame (16) from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position and vice versa, for example, the assembly mechanism has a bearing (161) for installing the axis (11) of the guide (10) with the possibility of rotation or has an axis for installing the guide bearing ( 10) with the possibility of rotation to enable the guide (10) to move relative to the support frame from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position and vice versa. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the guide (10) is moved to the dispensing position or to the non-dispensing position using a biasing device (17), such as a spring, for example a leaf spring, or a wire spring, or a helical or helicoidal spring, which is mounted on the support frame (16) and the guide (10), for example the guide (10) is selectively transferred to the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position using such a biasing device, which contains an elastic mechanism with two stable positions. 4. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support frame (16) has: - located upstream opening (18), adjacent to the outlet channel (51), when the guide (10) and the support frame (16) are in the seat (52) so that the drink (100) and/or liquid waste (101) can pass from the outlet channel (51) of the unit to the guide (10) through an upstream opening (18), such as an upstream opening (18) formed in the top panel (162) of the support frame (16) and/or limited by the upper end of the side wall of the support frame; and - one or more openings (19) located downstream to ensure the passage of the drink (100) from the guide (10) to the area (2) for placement and / or liquid waste (101) from the guide (10) to the waste collector (3) when inserting the support frame (16) and the guide (10) into the socket (52), such as the downstream opening(s) (19) formed in the bottom panel of the support frame and/or bounded by the lower end(s) (163) of the side wall(s) of the support frame (16). 5. Device according to any preceding claim, which has a locking mechanism (53) movable between a locking position in which the locking mechanism (53) locks the support frame (16) and the guide (10) in the socket (52) and the position unlocking, in which the locking mechanism (53) provides the possibility of at least removing the support frame (16) and guide (10) from the socket and optionally inserting the support frame (16) and guide (10) into the socket (15), for example, a locking mechanism ( 53) represents the movable part of the beverage preparation unit (5), such as the movable part (53) of the mixing or brewing unit of the preparation unit (5), which can be moved to the open position to introduce the ingredient into the unit (and/or remove the ingredient from the unit) , for example, into the chamber (54) of the module, for example, into the chamber (54) of the ingredient capsule, and to the closed position for processing said ingredient. 6. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the guide (10) has a flow cavity (10a), a beverage outlet (10') which is configured such that beverage (100) can flow from the flow cavity (10a) into the zone (2) for placement, and an outlet channel (10'') for waste, which is designed in such a way that liquid waste (101) can flow from the flow cavity (10a) into the waste collector (3), and the outlet channel (10') for a beverage or a waste outlet (10'') is optionally connected to a mechanism (10''') for directing the beverage (100) or liquid waste (101) in the required direction from the outlet (10', 10''), such as a mechanism (10''') having one or more ribs or rods protruding into the outlet channel (10', 10'') or passing along it, and the guide (10) is moved to the dispensing position in such a way that the flow cavity ( 10a) tilts towards the beverage outlet (10') and moves to the non-dispensing position so that the flow cavity (1 0a) tilts towards the waste outlet channel (10''), optionally the flow cavity (10a) has a beverage inflow area (12, 13), for example an inflow receiving element (12) and/or an inflow deflector (13), placed between the beverage outlet (10') and the waste outlet (10''), such as an inflow region located some distance above the bottom (10b) of the cavity (10a) such that the beverage (100) and/ or liquid waste (101) may flow out along the bottom (10b) below the inflow area (12, 13). 7. The device according to any preceding claim, which contains a guide (20) for discharge, and the guide (10) is configured to supply a drink (100) or liquid waste (101) to the guide (20) for discharge to the area (2) for placement or to the waste collector (3), while the guide (10) is movable relative to the guide (20) for release. 8. The device according to claim 7, which contains an actuator (30), such as an actuator containing a return spring and / or a motor, such as an electric or hydraulic motor, and wherein the guide (20) for releasing is made with the possibility of actuating it an actuator (30) for acting on the guide (10) in such a way as to move the guide (10) to at least one of the issuing and non-issuing positions, and optionally the guide (10) is associated with a biasing device (17), such as a spring , for example, a leaf spring, or a wire spring, or a helical or helical spring, to move the guide (10) to the issuing position or to the non-issuing position, for example, the guide (10) is selectively moved to the issuing position and to the non-issuing position using such a biasing device, which contains an elastic mechanism with two stable positions. 9. The device according to claim. 8, which contains a transmission mechanism (31), such as a gear and / or friction transmission, for transmitting movement from the actuator (30) to the guide (20) for release, such as a transmission mechanism containing one or more elements for transmitting motion, selected from connecting rods, swivel joints, gears, gears, wheels, belts and racks. 10. Apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the release guide (20) is configured to push and/or retract the guide (10), wherein the release guide is, for example, activated relative to the guide (10). 11. The device according to any one of claims 7 or 10, in which the guide (10) is installed with the possibility of rotation and / or translational movement directly or indirectly on the fixed frame (4), for example around the axis (11) of rotation, and the guide (20) for release is installed with the possibility of rotation and / or translational movement directly or indirectly on a fixed frame (4), optionally the guide (10) is rotated by bringing it into translational motion with the help of the guide (20) for release. 12. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 7-11, in which the discharge guide (20) has a channel (21) and a cuvette or funnel (22) in fluid communication with the channel (21), and the cuvette or funnel (22) is configured to collect the drink (100) or liquid waste (101) from the guide (10) and their direction into the channel (21) to the area (2) for placement or to the collector (3) of waste, and optionally the guide (20) for release is characterized by one or more of the following features: - the cuvette or funnel (22) is configured to come into contact with the guide (10) to move it between the dispensing position and the non-dispensing position; - the cuvette or funnel (22) runs along the direction below the guide (10), and the direction of the cuvette or funnel is not necessarily horizontal, or the cuvette or funnel is inclined at a slight angle to the guide, for example at an angle in the range from 1 to 30 degrees, for example from 2 up to 15 degrees; - the channel (21) is in contact with some or the specified actuator (30) and is driven by it directly or through some or the specified transmission mechanism (31); - the channel (21) extends along the vertical direction of the channel and is movable linearly along the vertical direction, optionally the vertical direction is directed vertically or at a slight angle, for example at an angle in the range from 1 to 30 degrees, for example from 2 to 15 degrees; and - the channel (21) extends downward from the side and/or bottom of the cuvette or funnel (22). 13. Device according to any preceding claim, wherein the guide (10) has a flow cavity (10a), a bottom (10b) and side walls (10c) such that the bottom (10b) and side walls (10c) define the flow cavity ( 10a), and optionally the guide (10) has an element (12) that receives the inflow, such as a protrusion (12), which is affected by the inflow, to get the drink flow (100) supplied from the outlet channel (51) of the block to the inflow receiving element (12) when the guide (10) is in the dispensing position, the inflow receiving element (12) having one or more of the following features: - a vertically located spear-shaped element has a cross-section in the form of a cross, or a star, or a circle, or a convex polygon; - the upper part (121), for example the tapered upper part, extends into the outlet channel (51) of the block when the guide (10) is in the dispensing position, for example, for a length in the range from 0.01 to 7 mm, for example from 0.3 to 3 mm, or is located at a distance below the outlet (51) of the block in the range from 0.01 to 5 mm, for example from 0.3 to 3 mm; and - a tapered upper part (121), for example a tapered upper part extending over a length in the range of 1 to 7 mm, for example 2 to 5 mm, extends from a cylindrical or prismatic lower part (122) of the inflow-receiving element, for example the bottom , extending over a length in the range from 1 to 15 mm, for example from 3 to 7 mm, and optionally the lower part (122) of the element receiving the influent flow, and the tapering upper part (121) have a length ratio in the range from 1.5 to 7 e.g. 2 to 5, e.g. 2.5 to 4. 14. The device according to claim 13, in which the guide (10) has: - an inflow deflector (13), such as an inflow deflector having a plane-like surface for diverting the flow of beverage (100) supplied to it from the outlet channel (51) of the unit when the guide (10) is in the dispensing position, wherein optionally, the influent deflector (13) is an element extending longitudinally at an angle to the horizontal direction and/or located at a distance above the bottom surface (10b) of the guide (10), to allow liquid waste (101) to flow below the deflector (12) when the guide (10) is in the non-dispensing position; and/or - a limiting panel (14, 14a) for the inflow to limit the flow of the drink (100) supplied through the outlet channel (51) of the unit, when it enters the guide (10), optionally the limiting panel (14, 14a) passes: - more than half the height of the flow cavity (10a) on the limiting panel (14), and, for example, the limiting panel (14) is vertical when the guide (10) is in the issuing position; and/or - in parallel with some or the specified deflector (13) of the influx, on which the flow of the drink (100) supplied through the outlet channel (51) of the unit is deflected when the guide (10) together with the restrictive panel (14a) is in the dispensing position; and/or - some distance above the bottom (10b) of the flow cavity (10a) to allow the drink (100) to flow below the bounding panel (14, 14a). 15. The device according to claim. 13 or 14, in which the guide (10) contains a structure for blocking the flow of the drink, formed by at least one restrictive wall (15, 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d) for the flow of the drink, for example, one or more vertical bounding walls to accumulate a supply of drink (100) in the cavity (10a) above the flow obstruction structure when the guide (10) is in the dispensing position, optionally the flow obstruction structure comprises one or more of: - two or more restrictive walls (15a, 15c) located in series in the cavity (10a) along the direction of flow of the drink (100) when the guide (10) is in the dispensing position; - at least one boundary wall (15a) having a lower edge below which the drink (100) can flow and/or an upper edge above which the drink (100) can flow when the guide (10) is in the dispensing position; - at least one boundary wall (15b, 15c, 15d) which has one or more side walls around which the drink (100) can flow when the guide (10) is in the dispensing position; - at least one boundary wall (15, 15c) which extends from the bottom (10b) of the cavity (10a); - at least one boundary wall (15a, 15b, 15d) extending from at least one side wall (10c) of the cavity (10a), for example a pair of boundary walls (15b, 15d) that extend towards each other from facing each other side walls (10c), such as a pair of boundary walls (15b, 15d) extending in the same direction or in mutually intersecting directions; - at least one boundary wall (15c) located at a distance from all side walls (10c) of the cavity (10a); - at least one boundary wall (15b, 15d) which runs transverse to the direction of flow of the beverage (100) in the cavity, optionally the boundary wall (15b, 15d) extends along a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow or located at an angle to it in the range from 1 to 45 degrees, such as 5 to 30 degrees, such as 10 to 20 degrees; - at least one boundary wall (15a, 15b, 15d) having at least one section extending along a straight direction, for example along one, two or three different straight directions, optionally the boundary wall consists of one or more flat sections; and - at least one boundary wall (15c) having at least one section extending along the curved direction, optionally the boundary wall consisting of one or more cylindrical, conical, spherical and ellipsoidal sections.

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