RU2781526C2 - Beverage making device with foam grinding - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: beverage making.

SUBSTANCE: device (1) for dispensing beverage (100) has: beverage guide (10) for guiding beverage (100) using guide (10) to area (2) for placement of a user container; and beverage making unit (5), which has output channel (51) of the unit, through which liquid (100, 101) passes from guiding rail (50) for a beverage to guide (10) located below output channel (51) of the unit. Guide (10) has flow cavity (10a), lower part (10b), and sidewalls (10c) located in such a way that lower part (10b) and sidewalls (10c) limit flow cavity (10a). Guide (10) has element (12) receiving an incoming flow for impact on a flow of beverage (100) supplied from output channel (51) of the unit to element (12) receiving the incoming flow before it reaches lower part (10b) of flow cavity (10a).

EFFECT: creation of a system for control of beverages, which are foamed during their preparation in such a way that the dispensed beverage has adjustable foam.

15 cl, 16 dwg

Description

The technical field to which the invention belongs

The invention relates to devices for preparing a drink, in particular using capsules containing the ingredient of the drink to be prepared, with a device for crushing the foam of the drink obtained with the drink.

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 drink.

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. , and to control the drink.

There is a need for a control system for beverages that froth during preparation so that the dispensed beverage has a controlled froth, such as a controlled crema when the beverage is coffee.

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 as a liquid, 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 configured to dispense espresso, for example with an adjustable volume of 20 to 60 ml per serving, and/or to dispense a 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 in the range of 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 guide for directing the beverage with the guide to an area for receiving a user's container, such as a cup or mug, to collect such dispensed beverage; and a beverage preparation unit having 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 guide has a flow cavity, a bottom part and side walls located in such a way that the bottom part and side walls limit the flow cavity.

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

The guide has an inflow-receiving element, such as a protrusion, which is affected by the inflowing flow, for hitting the beverage flow supplied through the outlet channel of the block onto the inflow-receiving element before it reaches the bottom of the flow cavity.

Thus, when the beverage enters the guide, said inflow receiving element acts on the flow of the beverage.

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 top, e.g. the tapered top, extends into the outlet of the block, e.g. for 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 outlet of the block in the range of 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 deflector may be characterized by at least one of the following features: the inflow deflector is an element extending longitudinally at an angle to the horizontal direction; the inflow deflector is located on the leg of the element receiving the inflow; and an influent deflector is positioned above the bottom of the guide to allow a liquid waste stream to pass under the deflector.

The guide may have an inflow restriction panel to restrict the flow of the beverage that is affected by the influx receiving element. The bounding board may extend more than half the height (eg, average height) of the flow cavity on the bounding board, wherein, for example, the bounding board is substantially vertical; and/or substantially parallel to some or specified influent deflector on which the beverage flow is deflected, which is acted upon by the influent receiving element; 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 restrictive wall, such as one or more vertical restrictive walls, to store a supply of beverage in a cavity above the flow obstruction structure.

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;

- 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;

- at least one boundary wall, which has one or more side walls around which the drink can flow;

- 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.

The guide may be movable from a dispensing position in which the guide is operable to guide the beverage into the placement area; 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.

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 device may include a guide for releasing and an actuator, for example, 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 guide may be configured to deliver the beverage or liquid waste into the discharge guide towards the placement area or towards the waste receptacle. The guide may be movable relative to the release guide, wherein the release guide may be actuated by an actuator to act on the guide so that the guide moves to at least one of the issuing position and the non-issuing position.

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

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 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 the specified biasing device, for example, containing an elastic mechanism with two stable positions.

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

The device may comprise a fixed frame (eg, a frame that is stationary during normal use of the beverage dispenser). The guide can be pivotally and/or translatably mounted directly or indirectly onto the frame, for example around a pivot axis, wherein the ejection guide is pivotally and/or translatably mounted directly or indirectly onto the frame. For example, the guide is rotated by being translated into motion by the release guide.

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 having one or more elements for transmitting motion, selected from connecting rods, swivel joints, gears, gears. wheels, wheels, belts and racks.

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 outlet guide may have a channel, as well as a cuvette or funnel in fluid communication with the channel, and the cuvette or funnel is configured to collect a drink or liquid waste from the guide and direct it into the channel to the area for placement or to the waste collector. 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 device may have a user-removable support frame that supports the guide; and a socket above the placement area for receiving the support frame with the possibility of removing it.

In such a way that by mounting the movable guide on the removable 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.

Said device is optionally characterized by one or more of the following features:

- the support frame has an assembly mechanism for mounting the guide with the ability to move on the support frame, and the guide is made with the ability to move in the support frame from some or specified dispensing position to the non-dispensing position, and vice versa, for example, the assembly mechanism has a bearing for installing the axis of the guide with the ability swivel or has an axis for mounting the bearing of the guide with the possibility of rotation to enable the guide on the support frame to move from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position, and vice versa;

- the guide is moved to some or specified dispensing position or to some or specified non-dispensing position by means of a biasing device 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 and the guide, for example, a guide selectively transferred to the issuance position and the non-issuance position using such a biasing device, which contains an elastic mechanism with two stable positions; and

the user-removable support frame and the guide are fixed in the socket by a fastening mechanism such as a snap mechanism and/or a magnetic mechanism and/or a latch.

The base frame may have:

- an upstream opening adjacent to the outlet channel when the guide and support frame are in the seat, so that the drink and/or liquid waste can pass from the outlet channel of the unit into the guide through an upstream opening, such as the one located above downstream an opening formed in the top panel of the support frame and/or defined by an upper end of the side wall of the support frame; and

- one or more downstream openings to allow the passage of the drink from the guide to the area for placement and / or liquid waste from the guide to the waste collector when the support frame and guide are inserted into the socket, such as (s) located below downstream, an opening(s) formed(s) in the bottom panel of the support frame and/or delimited by the bottom end(s)(s) of the side wall(s) of the support frame.

The device may have a locking mechanism movable between a locking position in which the locking mechanism locks the support frame and guide in the socket; and an unlock position in which the locking mechanism allows at least the support frame and guide to be removed from the socket and optionally the support frame and guide to be inserted into the socket. For example, a locking mechanism is a movable part of the beverage preparation unit, such as a movable part of the mixing or brewing unit of the preparation unit, which can be moved to an open position to introduce an ingredient into the unit (and/or remove an ingredient from the unit), e.g. into the unit chamber, e.g. into the ingredient capsule chamber, and into the closed position to process the ingredient.

The guide has a beverage outlet, which is designed so that the drink can flow from the flow cavity to the area for placement, and optionally a waste outlet, which is designed so that liquid waste can flow from the flow cavity into the waste collector. The beverage outlet or, if present, the waste outlet may be associated with a mechanism for directing the beverage or liquid waste in the desired direction from the outlet. Said mechanism may comprise one or more ribs or rods protruding into the outlet channel or extending along the outlet channel. Optionally, the guide is moved to a dispensing position such that the flow cavity slopes toward the beverage outlet, and moved to a non-dispensing position such that the flow cavity slopes toward the waste outlet. The flow cavity has some or the specified influx baffle positioned between the beverage outlet and the waste outlet, such as an influx baffle positioned at a distance above the bottom of the cavity such that beverage and/or liquid waste can flow out along the bottom. below the inflow deflector.

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 the schematic drawings, in which:

in fig. 1 shows part of a device with a guide having an inflow receiving element according to the present invention, the guide having a dispensing position, the device also having an outlet guide;

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 a guide with an inflow receiving element as shown in FIG. 1 and 2;

in fig. 4 and 8 show a guide with an inflow receiving element and 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 and support frame from the device socket;

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 moving the guide to the dispensing position or the non-dispensing position.

Implementation of the invention

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 comprises a beverage guide 10 for directing the beverage 100 via the guide 10 to the area 2 for receiving a user container, such as a cup or mug, to collect such dispensed beverage 100; and a beverage preparation unit 5 which has a beverage guide 50 and a unit outlet passage 51 through which liquid 100, 101, such as beverage 100 and/or liquid waste 101, passes from the beverage guide 50 to a guide 10 which is positioned below the outlet passage 51 blocks. The guide 10 has a flow cavity 10a, a bottom 10b and side walls 10c arranged such that the bottom 10b and side walls 10c define the flow cavity 10a.

The guide 10 has an inflow-receiving element 12, such as a protrusion 12, which is affected by the inflow, for making the beverage stream 100 supplied from the outlet channel 51 hit the inflow-receiving element 12 before it reaches the bottom of the flow passage 10b. cavity 10a.

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, for example a tapered upper part, extends into the outlet channel 51 of the block, 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 in the range from 0.01 to 5 mm, for example from 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 inflow deflector 13, such as an influx deflector having a plane-like surface to divert the flow of beverage 100 that is affected by the influx receiving member 12.

The inflow deflector 13 may be characterized by at least one of the following features: the inflow deflector 13 is an element extending longitudinally at an angle to the horizontal direction; the deflector 13 of the inflow is located on the leg of the element that receives the inflow; and an inflow baffle 13 is positioned at a distance above the bottom surface 10b of the diverter 10 to allow waste liquid 101 to flow under the baffle 12.

The guide 10 may have an inflow restriction panel 14, 14a to restrict the flow of the beverage 100 which is affected by the inflow receiving element 12. The bounding board 14, 14a may extend more than half the height (eg, average height) of the flow cavity 10a on the bounding board 14, where, for example, the bounding board 14 is substantially vertical; and/or substantially parallel to some or said influent deflector 13 on which the beverage flow 100 is deflected, which is acted upon by the influent receiving element 12; 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. The flow blocking structure may have 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;

at least one boundary wall 15a having a lower edge below which beverage 100 can flow and/or an upper edge above which beverage 100 can flow;

- at least one boundary wall 15b, 15c, 15d, which has one or more side walls around which the drink 100 can flow;

- 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.

The guide 10 may be movable from a dispensing position in which the guide 10 is operable to guide the beverage 100 into the user container accommodating area 2; 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 device 1 may further comprise a release guide 20 and an actuator 30, for example comprising a return spring and/or a motor, such as an electric or hydraulic motor. The guide 10 may be configured to supply the beverage 100 or liquid waste 101 to the discharge guide 20 to the storage area 2 or to the waste container 3 . The guide 10 may be movable relative to the guide 20 for release. 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. For example, the guide 10 can be selectively moved into a dispensing position and a non-dispensing position by said biasing device, which may include a bi-stable resilient mechanism.

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

The device 1 may have a fixed frame 4, wherein the guide 10 is rotatably and/or movable directly or indirectly on the frame 4, for example around a pivot axis 11, the release guide 20 is rotatably and/or movable directly or indirectly. indirectly onto the frame 4. The guide 10 can be rotated by being driven in translation by the guide 20 to release.

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 including one or more elements for transmitting motion, selected from connecting rods, swivel joints , gears, gears, wheels, belts and racks.

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 for disposal or to the collector 3 waste. For example, 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 device 1 may have a user-removable support frame 16 that supports the guide 10; and a socket 52 above the area 2 to accommodate for receiving the support frame 16 with the possibility of its removal. Device 1 may have one or more of the following features:

- the support frame 16 has an assembly mechanism 161 for mounting the guide 10 with the possibility of movement on the support frame 16, and the guide 10 is made movable in the support frame 16 from some or specified 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 axis to mount the bearing of the guide 10 in a rotatable manner to allow the guide 10 to move on the support frame from the dispensing position to the non-dispensing position, and vice versa;

- the guide 10 is moved to some or specified dispensing position or to some or specified 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, which is mounted on the support frame 16 and the guide 10 , and the guide 10 can be selectively moved to the issuing position and the non-issuing position using such a biasing device, which contains, for example, an elastic mechanism with two stable positions; and

the user-removable support frame 16 and the guide 10 can 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 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, 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 the upstream a flow opening 18, such as an upstream opening 18 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 16; and

- one or more downstream openings 19, allowing 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 the support frame 16 and the guide 10 are inserted into the seat 52, such ( s) as located (s) downstream the opening (s) 19 formed (s) in the bottom panel of the support frame 16 and / or limited (s) by the lower (s) end (s) 163 side (s) of the wall (s) of the support frame 16.

The device 1 may have 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 seat 52; and an unlocked position in which the locking mechanism 53 allows at least the removal of the support frame 16 and guide 10 from the seat and optionally the insertion of the support frame 16 and guide 10 into the seat 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 module of the preparation unit 5, which can be moved to an open position to introduce the ingredient into the module (and/or remove the ingredient from the module), for example into the chamber 54 of the module, for example into the chamber 54 of the ingredient capsule; and to the closed position to process the ingredient.

The guide 10 may have a beverage outlet 10' which is configured such that beverage 100 can flow from the flow cavity 10a into the accommodating region 2 and optionally a waste outlet 10'' which is configured such that liquid waste 101 can flow out of the flow cavity 10a into the waste collector 3 . The beverage outlet 10' or (if present) 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 a mechanism 10''' containing 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''. For example, the flow cavity 10a has some or the specified influx deflector 13 located between the beverage outlet 10' and the waste outlet 10'', such as an influx deflector 13 located at a distance above the bottom 10b of the cavity 10a such that that the beverage 100 and/or liquid waste 101 can flow out along the bottom 10b below the inflow deflector 13.

Claims (53)

1. Device (1) for dispensing a drink (100), having: - a beverage guide (10) for directing the beverage (100) with the guide (10) to the area (2) for accommodating the user's container, such as a cup or mug, to collect such dispensed beverage (100); and - a beverage preparation unit (5) which has a beverage guide (50) and an outlet channel (51) of the unit through which liquid (100, 101) such as beverage (100) and/or liquid waste (101) passes from beverage guide (50) to the guide (10) located below the outlet channel (51) of the block, moreover, the guide (10) has: - a flow cavity (10a), a bottom part (10b) and side walls (10c) arranged in such a way that the bottom part (10b) and side walls (10c) define the flow cavity (10a), - an element (12) receiving the inflow, such as a protrusion (12), which is affected by the inflow of the drink (100) supplied from the outlet channel (51) of the block on the element (12) receiving the inflow before it reaches the lower part (10b) of the flow cavity (10a), and - an inflow deflector (13), such as an influx deflector having a plane-like surface for diverting the flow of the beverage (100), which is acted upon by the inflow receiving element (12), characterized in that the deflector (13) of the inflow is located on the leg of the element that receives the inflow. 2. The device according to claim. 1, in which the element (12), which receives the inflow, is characterized by 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), such as the tapered upper part, extends into the outlet channel (51) of the block for a length in the range from 0.01 to 7 mm, preferably from 0.3 to 3 mm, or is located at a distance below the outlet ( 51) block in the range of 0.01 to 5 mm, preferably 0.3 to 3 mm; and - a tapered top (121), such as a tapered top extending over a length in the range of 1 to 7 mm, preferably 2 to 5 mm, extends from a cylindrical or prismatic bottom (122) of an inflow-receiving element, such as a lower part extending over a length in the range of 1 to 15 mm, preferably 3 to 7 mm, wherein the lower part (122) of the inflow-receiving element and the tapering upper part (121) have a length ratio in the range of 1.5 to 7, preferably 2 to 5, more preferably 2.5 to 4. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, in which the deflector (13) of the influent flow is an element extending longitudinally at an angle to the horizontal direction and / or located at a distance above the lower surface (10b) of the guide (10) to ensure the flow of liquid waste (101) under deflector (12). 4. The device according to any preceding claim, in which the guide (10) has a limiting panel (14, 14a) for the inflow to limit the flow of the drink (100), which is affected by the element (12) receiving the inflow, and the limiting panel (14 , 14a) passes: - more than half the height of the flow cavity (10a) on the bounding panel (14), and the limiting panel (14) is vertical; and/or - parallel to said influent deflector (13), on which the beverage flow (100) is deflected, which is affected by the influent receiving element (12); and/or - at a distance above the lower part (10b) of the flow cavity (10a) to allow the drink (100) to flow below the bounding panel (14, 14a). 5. Device according to any preceding claim, in which the guide (10) comprises a structure for obstructing the flow of the drink, formed by at least one restricting wall (15, 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d) for the flow of the drink, in particular one or more vertical restricting walls to accumulate a supply of drink (100) in the cavity (10a) above the flow obstruction structure, the flow obstruction structure comprising one or more of: - two or more restrictive walls (15a, 15c) arranged in series in the cavity (10a) along the direction of flow of the drink (100); 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; - at least one boundary wall (15b, 15c, 15d) which has one or more side walls around which the drink (100) can flow; - 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), in particular a pair of boundary walls (15b, 15d) that extend towards each other from facing each other to each other side walls (10c), in particular a pair of bounding 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 transversely to the direction of flow of the beverage (100) in the cavity, the boundary wall (15b, 15d) extending along a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow or located at an angle to it in the range of 1 up to 45 degrees, preferably from 5 to 30 degrees, more preferably from 10 to 20 degrees; - at least one boundary wall (15a, 15b, 15d) having at least one section extending along a straight direction, in particular along one, two or three different straight directions, the boundary wall consisting of one or more flat sections; and - at least one boundary wall (15c) having at least one section extending along the curved direction, the boundary wall consisting of one or more cylindrical, conical, spherical and ellipsoidal sections. 6. The device according to any preceding paragraph, in which the guide (10) is movable from: the dispensing position, in which the guide (10) is configured to direct the drink (100) to the specified area (2) to accommodate the user's container; to 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. 7. The device according to claim 6, which further comprises a guide (20) for releasing and an actuator (30), such as containing a return spring and / or a motor, such as an electric or hydraulic motor, and the guide (10) is configured to feed the specified drink (100) or the specified liquid waste (101) into the guide (20) for discharge towards the area (2) for placement or towards the waste collector (3), while the guide (10) is movable relative to the guide (20) for releasing, wherein the guide (20) for releasing is configured to be actuated by the actuator (30) to act on the guide (10) so as to move the guide (10) to at least one of the issuance position and the position non-dispensing, while the guide (10) is associated with a biasing device (17), such as a spring, such as a leaf spring, or a wire spring, or a spiral or a helicoidal spring, to move the guide to the issuing position or to the non-issuing position, in particular the guide (10) is selectively transferred to the issuing position and to the non-issuing position using such a biasing device, which contains an elastic mechanism with two stable positions. 8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the release guide (20) is configured to push and/or retract the guide (10), the release guide being activated relative to the guide (10). 9. The device according to claim. 7 or 8, which has a fixed frame (4), and the guide (10) is installed with the possibility of rotation and / or translational movement directly or indirectly on the frame (4), in particular around the axis (11) of rotation, moreover, the guide (20) for releasing is installed with the possibility of rotation and/or translational movement directly or indirectly on the frame (4), while the guide (10) is rotated by bringing it into translational motion with the help of the guide (20) for releasing. 10. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 7-9, which contains a transmission mechanism (31), such as a gear and / or friction transmission, for transmitting movement from the actuator (30) to the release guide (20), such as a transmission mechanism, containing one or more elements for transmission movements selected from connecting rods, swivel joints, gears, cogwheels, wheels, belts and racks. 11. The device according to any one of paragraphs. 7-10, 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 the guide (20) for discharge 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) extends along the direction below the guide (10), wherein the direction of the cuvette or funnel is horizontal, or the cuvette or funnel is inclined at a slight angle to the guide, at such an angle as an angle in the range from 1 to 30 degrees, preferably from 2 to 15 degrees; - the channel (21) is in contact with the actuator (30) and driven by it directly or through the specified transmission mechanism (31); - the channel (21) extends along the vertical direction of the channel and is configured to move linearly along the vertical direction, with the vertical direction directed vertically or at a slight angle, such as an angle in the range of 1 to 30 degrees, preferably 2 to 15 degrees; and - the channel (21) extends downward from the side and/or bottom of the cuvette or funnel (22). 12. The device according to any preceding claim, which has: - a user-removable support frame (16) that supports the guide (10); and - socket (52) above the area (2) for placement for receiving the support frame (16) with the possibility of its extraction, wherein such a device (1) is characterized by one or more of the following features: - the support frame (16) has an assembly mechanism (161) for mounting the guide (10) with the ability to move on the support frame (16), and the guide (10) is movable in the support frame (16) from the specified issuance position to the specified position non-dispensing, and vice versa, in particular, the assembly mechanism has a bearing (161) for mounting the axis (11) of the guide (10) with the possibility of rotation or has an axis for installing the bearing of the guide (10) with the possibility of rotation to ensure the movement of the guide (10) on the support frame from the position of issuance to the position of non-issuance, and vice versa; - the guide (10) is moved to the indicated dispensing position or to the indicated 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, which is mounted on the support frame (16) and the guide (10), in particular the guide (10) is selectively transferred to the issuance position and the non-issuance position using such a biasing device, which contains an elastic mechanism with two stable positions; and - the user-removable support frame (16) and the guide (10) are fixed in the socket (52) by means of a fastening mechanism such as a snap mechanism and/or a magnetic mechanism and/or a latch. 13. The device according to claim 12, in which the support frame (16) has: - an 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). 14. The device according to claim 12 or 13, which has a locking mechanism (53), made with the possibility of moving between: - a locking position in which the locking mechanism (53) locks the support frame (16) and the guide (10) in the seat (52); and - the unlocking position, in which the blocking mechanism (53) makes it possible to at least remove the support frame (16) and the guide (10) from the socket and insert the support frame (16) and the guide (10) into the socket (15), moreover, the blocking mechanism (53) forms a movable part of the block (5) preparation of the drink, such as the movable part (53) of the mixing or brewing unit (5) of the preparation unit (5), which can be moved to the open position to introduce the ingredient into the module (and / or remove the ingredient from the module), namely into the chamber (54) of the module, such as the chamber (54) of the ingredient capsule, and into the closed position for processing said ingredient. 15. The device according to any preceding claim, in which the guide (10) has an outlet channel (10') for a drink, which is designed in such a way that the drink (100) can flow from the flow cavity (10a) into the area (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 specified waste collector (3), and the outlet channel (10') for a drink or (if available) the waste outlet (10'') is connected to a mechanism (10''') for directing the beverage (100) or liquid waste (101) in the desired 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 indicated dispensing position in such a way that the flow cavity ( 10a) tilts towards the beverage outlet (10') and is moved to the indicated non-dispensing position so that the flow cavity (10a) inclines towards the waste outlet (10''), the flow cavity (10a) has said inflow deflector (13) located between the beverage outlet (10') and the outlet (10'') for waste, such as an inflow deflector (13) positioned at a distance above the bottom (10b) of cavity (10a) so that beverage (100) and/or liquid waste (101) can flow out along the bottom part (10b) below the inflow deflector (13).

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