Apparatus for preparing coffee

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Office for Industrial Property The Netherlands © 1007169 © C OCTROOI²⁰ (2l) Patent application: 1007169 (5l) Int.CI.⁶

A47J31 / 40, A47J31 / 24, A47J31 / 06 © Submitted: 30.09.97

<td>© Registered: 31.03.99</td><td>© Patent holder (s): Sara Lee / DE NV in Utrecht.</td>

<td>{© Date: 31.03.99</td><td>© Inventor (s): Diederik Kraan in Apeldoorn</td>

<td>© Published: 01.06.99 IE 99/06</td><td>© Authorized representative: Mr. Drs. SU Ottevangers cs in 2508 DH The Hague.</td>

^ 4) Coffee maker.

The coffee-making device is provided with a holder adapted to receive a pouch made of filter material and filled with an extractable product. The container is provided with at least one outflow opening and an access opening for placing the pouch in the container. The device is further provided with a lid for closing and releasing the access opening and clamping means for pressing the container and the lid together when the lid closes the access opening of the container. The clamping means for pushing the lid and the container together engage at least at a position of the lid which is approximately in the middle of an outer surface of the lid. This provides a perfect liquid seal between the container and the lid.

NL C 1007169

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The contents of this patent correspond to the original filed description with claim (s) and any drawings.

VO 1144

Title: Coffee-making device.

The invention relates to a device for preparing coffee, provided with a holder which is adapted to receive a pouch made of filter material and filled with an extractable product, the holder being provided with at least one outflow opening and an access opening for placing of the pouch in the holder, the device further comprising a lid for closing and releasing the access opening and clamping means for pressing the container and the lid together when the lid closes the access opening of the container.

Such a device is known from international patent application WO 94/02059. Here, as shown in Figure 11, the device is provided with clamping means which engage on a peripheral edge of the lid for pressing the lid and the container together when the lid closes the container. A drawback of the known device is that with frequent opening and closing of the container, the reliability of the liquid seal between the lid and the container decreases. Therefore, when hot water is supplied to the container under high pressure for preparing coffee, it may occur that water leaks out of the container.

This is caused by the lid and holder not closing properly. When the water leaks, even if only slightly, the pressure in the container drops. When the pressure in the container drops, this results in a decrease in the quality of the coffee extract obtained. This is particularly the case when the outflow opening has such a small diameter that the coffee extract spouts from the outflow opening for obtaining coffee with a small-bubble froth layer (café crème). However, when the pressure drops, the speed at which the coffee extract spouts from the outflow opening may not be sufficient to prepare café crème.

The object of the invention is to provide a device that offers a solution to the above-mentioned problem. The construction must be so reliable that a still reliable seal between lid and container can be obtained even after the container has been frequently closed and reopened.

The device according to the invention has the feature for this purpose that the clamping means for pressing the lid and the container together when the lid closes the access opening of the container engage at least at a position of the lid which is approximately in the middle of an outer surface of the lid is on.

Since the clamping means engage at approximately the middle of the outer surface of the lid, it is achieved that the force exerted on the lid is uniformly distributed over the lid. As a result, a good liquid seal is always obtained between the lid and the container. In particular, for this purpose the outer surface is at least circular in main seed.

According to a preferred embodiment of the device, the device is further provided with a housing with which the holder is detachably connected, wherein the clamping means are provided with a rotating element with a first and second opposite end, wherein the rotating element is rotatably connected to the housing around its first end about a horizontally oriented first rotation axis between a first and second rotation position for closing the access opening of the holder in the second rotation position and releasing the first opening position in the first rotation position. access opening, the device further comprising a closure device for releasably connecting the rotating element to the housing near the second end when the lid in the first rotating position closes the access opening, the lid being attached to the rotating element in such a way that the first rotation position the axis of rotation extends along a first side of the cover and the

1007'6S second end is on a second side of the lid located opposite the first side.

According to a first further elaboration of this embodiment, it holds that the first axis of rotation is above a flat surface through the access opening of the holder. An advantage of this embodiment is that the housing can be made relatively narrow. The device can herein be further characterized in that the plane clamped by the first axis of rotation and the second end and the plane through the opening enclose an acute angle when the lid closes the container in the second rotation position.

In particular, the lid is movably connected to the rotating element so that the lid can position itself optimally relative to the container when the container is closed.

According to a further elaboration, it holds that the cover is rotatably connected to the rotation element about a second rotation axis, with the second rotation axis running at least substantially parallel to the first rotation axis. When, on closing the lid, part of the edge of the lid begins to touch the container, as the closure element rotates further about the first axis of rotation, the lid can simultaneously rotate about the second axis of rotation at a limited angle. This ensures that the lid is positioned optimally relative to the container, that is to say, that the lid is positioned such that it closes the container liquid-tight. To ensure that the lid and the container initially touch each other only at one point when closing the container, the device is preferably further provided with resilient means which exert such a force on the lid that a bottom side of the lid comes to lie approximately parallel to the plane clamped by the first rotation axis and the second end by rotation of the rotation element around the second axis of rotation when the lid of the container is lifted by rotation of the rotating element about the first axis of rotation.

According to a very advantageous embodiment, the resilient means are provided with a flexible hose which is attached to the lid for supplying hot water to the container. The flexible hose then has a double function.

According to another variant of the invention, it holds that the first axis of rotation is at least substantially in a flat plane through the access opening of the container. For this variant, the housing will be slightly wider than the aforementioned variant. Also for this variant it holds that the lid is preferably movably connected to the rotation element.

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the drawing. Herein shows:

Figure 1 shows a cross section of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention, wherein a container is closed by a lid;

figure 2 shows a cross-section of the device according to figure 1, wherein a first step is taken to open the container;

figure 3 shows a cross-section of the device according to figure 1 with a second step being taken to open the container;

figure 4 shows a cross-section of the device according to figure 1 with a third step being taken to open the container;

figure 5a shows a cross-section of the device according to figure 1, wherein a fourth and last step has been taken to open the container;

figure 5b shows a front view of the device of figure 1 in the situation according to figure 5a;

figure 6a shows a cross-section of a second possible embodiment of a device according to the invention of the device according to plane AA of figure 6b;

figure 6b shows a cross-section of the device according to plane BB of figure 6a;

001 Figure 7a shows a cross-section of the device as shown in Figure 6a when a first step has been taken to open the container;

figure 7b shows a cross section according to the plane BB of figure 7a;

figure 8a shows a cross-section of the device according to figure 6a with a second and last step being taken to open the container;

figure 8b shows a cross-section of the device along the line AA of figure 8a.

figure 9a shows a top view of a pouch which can be used in the device according to figure 1; and figure 9b shows a cross-section according to plane AA of figure 9a.

A first embodiment of a device according to the invention will now be discussed with reference to Figures 1-5b.

The coffee-making device 1 is provided with a housing 2 which comprises a holder 4 detachably connected to the housing. The holder 4 is adapted to receive a pouch 6 made of filter material and a pouch 6 filled with an extractable product such as ground coffee, as shown in Figures 9a and 9b.

In this example, the pouch 6 consists of a top sheet 8 and a bottom sheet 10, each of which is made of filter paper. The topsheet 8 and the bottom sheet 10 are each disc-shaped and joined together near their longitudinal edges 12. Said connection forms a circumferential sealing seam 14 closed in itself. The holder 4 is cup-shaped and consists of a bottom 16 and an upright, circumferential side wall 18 connected to the bottom. In the bottom 16 there is a recess 20 which is provided with at least one outflow opening 22. At its top side, the container is provided with an access opening 24.

The housing 2 further comprises a liquid collection space 25 which comprises an outflow opening 26. A cup-shaped collecting reservoir 28 is placed in the liquid collection space 25.

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An opening 30 is arranged in a bottom of the collection reservoir 28. In this example, the liquid collection space 25 is formed by a cup-shaped element 32 open at its top, which is designed at its top such that the container 4 can be detachably placed thereon.

The device is further provided with a lid 34 for closing and releasing the access opening 24 of the container. The lid 34 is provided on its underside with a sealing ring 36 which can interact with the container 4 in use. The lid is provided on its top with an inflow opening 38 which is connected via a liquid line 40 to a device 42 for heating hot water . The device 42 is of a type known per se, such as for instance a hot water boiler, so that no further explanation can be omitted on this point.

The device further includes a rotation element with a first 46 and second 48 ends that are opposite each other. The rotating element is rotatably connected to the housing 2 near its first end 46 about a horizontally oriented first rotation axis 50. The rotation element can herein rotate around the first axis of rotation 50 between a first (see figure 5) and second (see figure 1) rotation position. When the rotating element 44 is in the first rotating position, the access opening 24 of the holder 4 is released (see figure 5). On the other hand, when the rotating element is in the second rotating position, the container is closed, i.e. the access opening 24 is closed by the lid 34 (see figure 1).

The device is further provided with a closing device

52 for releasably connecting the rotating element to the housing 2 near the second end 48 of the rotating element 44 when the lid 34 closes the access opening 24 in the first rotating position (see also figure 1).

As can be clearly seen in figure 1, the cover is attached to the rotation element 44 in such a way that in the first rotation position the rotation axis 50 extends along a first side 54 of the cover and the second end 48 extends on a counterpart.

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second side 56 of the cover located on the first side (see figure 2).

The lid 34 is movably connected to the rotation element 44. As can be clearly seen in Figure 5b, the rotation element for this purpose comprises two parallel arms 44a and 44b, each of which is provided with an opening 56 through which a second rotation axis 58 extends. The second axis of rotation 58 is connected to the lid 34. Furthermore, the apertures 56 each have a diameter which is larger than the diameter of the rotary axis 58. This means that in addition to being rotatable about the axis of rotation 58, the lid is also connected to the rotation element 44 in a translatable manner over a certain distance.

Characteristic for the embodiment according to Figures 1-5b is that the first rotation axis 50 is located above a flat surface 60 through the access opening 24 of the holder 4 (Figure 1). The first axis of rotation 50 is parallel to this plane 60. Furthermore, it holds that the second axis of rotation 58 is at least substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation 50. The cover is thus rotatably connected to the rotation element 44 about a limited angle of rotation about the second axis of rotation.

As can be clearly seen in Figure 1, it holds that the plane 64 clamped by the rotation axis 50 and the second end 48 and the plane 60 through the access opening 24 enclose an acute angle α when the lid closes the container in the second rotation position. A cutting line 66 of the two latter surfaces is located near the second end 48.

The device is further provided with resilient means 62a and 62b which exert such force on the lid 34 that the lid rotates about the second axis of rotation 58 in a direction where the angle α decreases when the lid of the container is lifted by rotation of the rotation element 44 around the axis of rotation 50 (see also figure 5). In this example, the resilient means 62b include the flexible conduit 40.

The device is further provided with clamping means 68, 70 for pushing the container and the lid together when the lid closes the access opening of the container.

According to the invention, the clamping means 68, 70 for pressing the lid 34 and the container 4 towards each other when the lid closes the access opening 24 of the container 4 engage at a position 72 of the lid 4 which is approximately in the middle of a outer surface 74 of the lid. In this example, the outer surface 74 is at least substantially circular (see Figure 5b) so that the center of the outer surface of the lid coincides with the center of the circle formed by the edge of the outer surface.

The clamping means comprises a button-shaped pressure part 68 which, in the second rotational position of the rotating element, presses about the center 72 of the outside 74 of the cover 34 when the cover 34 closes the access opening 24. The outside of the lid is provided with a button-shaped element 70 on which the button-shaped pressing part 68 engages when the lid closes the opening and the rotation element is in the second rotation position.

The operation of the device is as follows. First of all, the closing device 52 is operated so that the lid 34 can be lifted from the holder 4 by rotation of the rotation element 44 around the rotation axis 50. The situation thus created is shown in figure 5. Then the pouch 6, as shown in figures 9a and 9b placed in holder 4. The holder 4 can be removed from the housing 2 for this purpose, after which the holder 4 is placed back together with the pouch 6 in the housing 2. After this, the lid can be closed by moving the first end 46 of the rotating element 44 downwards. The rotation element 44 herein rotates about the first rotation axis 50. The resilient means 62a, 62b cause such a force to be exerted on the lid that a bottom side of the lid will be approximately parallel to the plane clamped by the first rotation axis and the second end by rotation of the rotation element about the second rotation axis when the lid of the container is lifted by rotation of the rotation element about the first rotation axis. This means that when closing the second side 56 of the lid first touches the container. At that moment, the button-shaped pressure part 68 does not yet press on the button-shaped element 70. When the second end 48 is subsequently moved further downwards, the first side 54 of the lid will gradually be moved towards the holder 4. The angle β between the plane 64 and the plane 90 through the underside of the cover 34 will increase. As a result of this movement, it has been effected that the lid 34 is placed symmetrically on the holder 4. This situation is shown in figure 3.

Then, the closing device 52 is operated, with the result that the second end 48 of the rotating element 44 is pressed downwards. As a result, the button-shaped pressure part 68 will press on the button-shaped element 70 in a vertically downward direction. The result is the lid

34 is pressed at a position approximately in the middle of the outer surface of the lid. The force between the sealing ring 36 on the one hand and the holder 4 on the other hand will then be approximately the same at each point of the sealing ring. The deformation of the sealing ring will therefore also be approximately the same at any point of the sealing ring. The latter in turn results in an optimum and reliable sealing between the lid and the container. Subsequently, the closing device 52 is further operated (see figures 1 and 2) for locking the rotating element.

In this example, the closing device 52 is provided with an operating lip 76 which is rotatably connected to the rotation element 44 near the second end 48 about a rotation axis 78. Furthermore, the closing device 52 comprises a closing tab 80 which is rotatably connected to the operating lip 76 about a rotation axis 82. In the closed position, as shown in figure 1, it holds that the rotation axis 82 is above the rotation axis 78, in addition, it holds that the distance between the rotation axis 78 and the holder 4 is smaller than the distance between the rotation axis 82 and the holder 4. A free end 84 of the closing lip 80 hooks in this example under a projection 86 of the housing 2.

When the closure device 52 is to be opened, a free end 88 of the actuating lip 76 is moved upward as shown in Figure 2. This will cause the free end 84 of the actuating lip 80 to move downward (see Figure 2) so that the free end 84 of the protrusion 86 can be released. This situation is shown in figure 3.

The spring 62a causes the free end 84 to move in a direction away from the housing 2 and thus automatically detaches from the protrusion 86. This situation is also shown in figure 3. Then the operating lip 76 is moved further upwards (see figure 4), whereby the angle α then decreases. After this, the lid can be further opened, as shown in Figures 5a and 5b. To close the lid, the steps discussed with reference to Figures 1-5b are followed in the opposite direction.

It is noted that the advantage of the above-described closing device 52 is that the opening and closing of the closing device can be performed with a very light operation of the operating lip 76. Due to the temporary downward weighing of the closing lip 80 when the operating lip 76 is moved upwards (see figure

2) and the opposite effect of moving the closing lip 80 upwards when the operating lip 76 is moved downwards, is that in the closed position, as shown in figure 1, a stable situation is obtained. In addition, by moving the operating tab from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 1, the rotating element 44 is rotated counterclockwise around the axis of rotation 50, so that the lid 34 is properly seated on the container printed.

In the closed position, as shown in Figure 1, hot water can then be supplied to the conduit 40. This hotter water is supplied via the lid 34 to the top of the pouch 6. This hot water goes through the pouch and then collects in the floor as a coffee extract

20. Then the coffee extract spouts through the spout opening 22 into the collection reservoir 28. The collection reservoir 28 is thus filled with coffee extract. Because the coffee extract is in the liquid level of the collection reservoir 28

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a good café crème is formed. This café crème flows out of the collecting reservoir via the opening 30 to leave the housing via the outlet opening 26.

A second embodiment of a device according to the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 6a-8b. Parts corresponding to parts according to Figures 1-5 are provided with the same reference number.

A characteristic difference with the device discussed earlier is that the first axis of rotation 50 is at least substantially in the plane 60 through the access opening 24 of the holder 4. Again, it holds that the first axis of rotation 50 is parallel to this plane 60. An underside of the lid lies at least substantially in the plane 64 clamped by the axis of rotation 50 and the second end when the lid closes the container. This is in contrast to the device according to figure 1, in which the bottom side of the lid is at least substantially below the plane clamped by the axis of rotation and the second end when the lid closes the container in the second rotation position. The angles α and β defined in Figure 1 are therefore at least substantially equal to 0 in this embodiment. Moreover, it holds that the first axis of rotation is parallel to the plane 60 through the access opening. Furthermore, it holds that the surface 64 clamped by the rotation axis 50 and the second end and the surface 60 through the opening run at least substantially parallel to each other when the lid closes the container in the second rotation position. This is in contrast to the device according to figure 1, wherein said surfaces are not parallel, but have a cutting line 66 which lies near the second end 48 of the rotation element 44 when the lid closes the container in the second rotation position.

The operation of the device is as follows. When the lid of the container is lifted, as shown in Figures 8a and 8b, a pouch 6 can be placed in the container 4, as discussed previously in connection with Figures 1-5b. Then the second end 48 of the rotation 12 element 44 is moved downwards by hand. This situation is shown in Figures 7a and 7b. The cover will generally not rotate around the second axis of rotation 58. The plane 90 through the underside of the lid therefore remains parallel to the plane 64. In other words, the angle β is and remains approximately equal to 0 (Figure 8a). Then, by operating the closing device 52, the second end 48 is pressed downwards. This situation is shown in Figures 6a and 6b. Hereby, the button-shaped pressure part 68 will press towards the center of the lid 34 in the direction of the holder 4. This also ensures that the sealing ring 36 is uniformly loaded as a result of the force between the lid 34 and the container 4.

In this example, the closing device 52 consists of an operating lip 76 'mounted on the housing 2, which is rotatably connected to the housing 2 about an axis of rotation 78'. Furthermore, a closing lip 80 'is rotatably connected about an axis of rotation 82' to the operating lip 76 '. As can be seen in figure 8a, the rotation element 44 is still provided near its second end 48 with an engagement point 92 and a pressure point 94.

Furthermore, the closing device 52 is further provided with a spring 96 which is mounted in such a way that it actuates the operating lip 76 'in the position shown in figure 6a such that the operating lip 76' rotates in a direction counterclockwise around the axis of rotation 78 '. However, in the position shown in Figure 8a, the spring will rotate the actuating lip 76 'in an opposite direction about said axis of rotation 78'.

The operation of the device is as follows. In the position shown in figure 8b, a stable situation is shown. A bottom 98 of the actuating lip 76 is pressed by the spring 96 against a part 100 of the housing.

Then, when the second end 48 of the rotation element 44 is moved downward, so that the rotation 35 element 44 rotates about the rotation axis 50, as shown in Figure 7a, pressure point 94, the operating lip 76 'will touch such that the operating lip 76' is rotated counterclockwise around the axis of rotation 78 '. At the same time, this will cause the axis of rotation 82 'to move slightly upwards in a direction of the holder 4. As a result, an underside of the closing lip 80 'moves over the engagement point 92 and presses it down, as shown in figure 6a.

Simultaneously with the movement of the operating lip 76 'about the axis of rotation 78', the closing lip 80 'will rotate in a counterclockwise direction about the axis of rotation 82'. In the position shown in Figure 6a, a stopper 102 of the operating lip 76 'ensures that the closing lip 80 cannot rotate further around the axis of rotation 82'. In this situation, the underside of the closing lip 80 'presses the engagement point 92' down. The spring ensures that the situation, as shown in Figure 6a, is stable.

When a pouch is placed in the container 4 and the lid 34 closes the container 4, hot water can be supplied to the pouch, as discussed in connection with Figures 1-5.

The invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiments. Other embodiments of the closing device 52 are thus conceivable. Also, the container and lid can take other shapes than shown. The container and the lid can for instance comprise a square instead of a round cross section. Also, it is not necessary to use a collection reservoir 28 as shown in the drawing.

Such variants are considered to fall within the scope of the invention.

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