Patent ID: 9039843
Filing Date: 2015-05-26
Classification: A47J,B08B

Abstract:
1. A metering apparatus for a cleaning system of a beverage machine that produces coffee and drinks containing coffee, milk or milk froth, comprising: a storage container; a plurality of cleaning balls or tablets arranged in said container, each of said cleaning balls or tablets containing the same amount of active cleaning substance; a dispensing chute that dispenses said cleaning balls or tablets into the cleaning system; and first and second metering screws positioned between said container and said dispensing chute and that control conveyance of said cleaning balls or tablets from said container to said dispensing chute, said first screw being rotatable in a first direction of rotation and said second screw being rotatable in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation in which said first screw is rotatable, said first and second screws being controlled to rotate and individually transfer each of said cleaning balls or tablets to said dispensing chute, said first and second screws being spaced apart from one another to define a plurality of spaces therebetween, each of said cleaning balls or tablets having a size relative to a size of said spaces between said first and second screws such that each of said plurality of spaces receives and holds only one of said cleaning balls or tablets at any time.