Abstract:
A dispensing machine for producing beverages from a beverage ingredient powder comprising: a diluent supply member, a powder storing member, a dosing member for metering a dose of powder from the powder storing member, a guide for delivering the dose of powder from the dosing member to a container, and a valve that is able to close or open the bottom extremity of the guide.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to European Priority Patent Application 10178021.1 filed Sep. 21, 2010, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a dispenser for producing beverage from soluble beverage powders. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A beverage dispenser according to the disclosure is provided that prepares a beverage from one or more beverage ingredients by having the ingredients interact with a liquid. In some types of beverage dispensers, beverage sources that include concentrates and/or powders are mixed with a liquid, such as water for example, in order to prepare a beverage. Thereby, in particular in the field of hot beverages such as coffee, tea or hot chocolate, powders are used for the preparation of the beverage. 
         [0004]    The known beverage dispensers therefore comprise a dosing device for dosing a predefined amount of soluble powder stored in a storage chamber into a mixing chamber or into a dedicated vessel. Therein, liquid can be introduced in order to interact with the soluble powder and hence, form a food composition. 
         [0005]    The present invention particularly relates to dispensers in which the soluble powder is mixed with the liquid in the drinking cup and not in a mixing chamber. In such dispensers, the powder is usually metered by the dosing device and guided through a funnel or tube to the drinking cup. Liquid is simultaneously fed to the drinking cup so that dissolution occurs. Several issues exist with such a configuration. First due to the fact that the guiding tube emerges above the drinking cup then vapour and humidity from the beverage prepared in the drinking cup raises and enters the guiding tube. If another beverage is rapidly prepared after another one then the new dose of powder delivered by the tube reacts partially with the humidity in the tube and creates non hygienic deposits at the bottom extremity of the tube. This problem is generally solved by blowing air at the tube to deviate vapours. Secondly, the travel made by the powder from the dosing device through the guiding funnel until the bottom of the drinking cup can represent an important falling height. Consequently, when powder falls out of the funnel then fine particles of powder fly in the air and dirty the dispenser. 
         [0006]    The present disclosure provides a dispenser for producing beverage from soluble beverage powders in which the presence of fines out of the drinking cup is reduced. 
         [0007]    According to a first embodiment, the invention concerns a dispensing machine for producing beverages from a beverage ingredient powder comprising: 
         [0008]    a diluent supply means, 
         [0009]    at least one powder storing means, 
         [0010]    at least one dosing means for metering a dose of powder from the powder storing means, 
         [0011]    guiding means for delivering the dose of powder from the dosing means to a container, 
         [0012]    wherein it further comprises valve means able to close or open the bottom extremity of the guiding means. 
         [0013]    Preferably in the dispenser of the present invention, the diluent supply means delivers the diluent in the container, which is usually a drinking cup. Consequently the beverage is prepared directly in the container and not in a mixing device of the dispenser. 
         [0014]    The powder storing means can be a tank in which bulk powder is introduced. It can also be a housing for receiving a container containing a soluble powder. The container can a rigid vessel like a can, a canister, or a flexible pouch. The powder can be any soluble beverage ingredient like soluble coffee, tea, chocolate, milk, soup, cappuccino, . . . 
         [0015]    The dosing means can be any means able to meter a dose of powder from the storing means and deliver it to the guiding means. The dosing means can be any of a rotary pierced disc, a dosing auger, a shut off valve, an endless screw, a barrel, a sliding chamber or other known powder dosing devices. It can be part of the powder storing means or it can be an independent device in which an outlet of the powder storing means emerges. Preferably the dosing means is a member which is rotatably mounted and which comprises at least one recessed portion for receiving powder supplied by the powder storing means in a first rotational position and discharging powder to the guiding means in a second rotational position. 
         [0016]    The guiding means for delivering the dose of powder to a container preferably comprises a tube of which bottom extremity emerges above the container. A part of the guiding means can be a hopper of which larger opening encompasses the outlet of the dosing means and of which smallest opening is linked to a tube evacuating the powder into the container. According to specific embodiment, the dispenser can comprise several powder storing means storing different powders and the guiding means can be divided in different channels separately guiding the different powders to the container. The hopper and the tube of the guiding means can be separated in as numerous channels as the number of powders. This embodiment avoids the cross-contamination of the guiding means with different beverage ingredients of different tastes (like coffee, coffee mixes comprising milk or soup). 
         [0017]    The valve means can be a paddle operable to open or close the extremity of the guiding means above the container. The paddle can be operated according to a rotative or a linear movement. 
         [0018]    Preferably the valve means closes the extremity of the guiding means when the dispenser is at rest. This embodiment enables the protection of the guiding means and their cleanliness. For example it prevents pests (like ants, cockroaches, . . . ) to introduce themselves in the guiding means. It also prevents humidity from entering in the guiding means in humid climate conditions. 
         [0019]    Preferably the valve means closes the extremity of the guiding means when the dosing means is being actuated. Due to this configuration the metered dose of powder falls on the paddle closing the guiding means bottom extremity, then the valve means retains the dose of powder in the guiding means and the powder fines settle in the guiding means and not around the dispenser. According to the invention the dosing means is not actuated when the valve means is opening the guiding means bottom extremity. 
         [0020]    The diluent supply means can be actuated when or after the valve means opens the extremity of the guiding means. Preferably the diluent supply means is being actuated after the valve means has opened and closed again the extremity of the guiding means so that vapours from the diluent cannot enter in the guiding means. 
         [0021]    In a second aspect the invention concerns a method for producing a beverage by means of a dispenser such as described above wherein it comprises the steps of: 
         [0022]    metering a dose of powder and delivering said dose to the guiding means while the valve means closes the bottom extremity of the guiding means so that the valve means retains the dose of powder, 
         [0023]    opening the extremity of the guiding means to deliver the dose of powder to a container while keeping the dosing means inactivated and simultaneously or subsequently supplying diluent to the container. 
         [0024]    Preferably the method comprises the step of closing the extremity of the guiding means after its opening for delivering the dose of powder to the container and before supplying diluent to the container. 
         [0025]    Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0026]    The features and advantages of the invention will be better understood in relation to: 
           [0027]      FIG. 1  illustrates a dispenser according to the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   c  illustrate a variant of the valve means of  FIG. 1  wherein the paddle is operable according to a rotating movement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0029]      FIG. 1  shows a sectional side view of a dispenser  1  according to the present invention. The device  1  comprises a housing  1   a  containing diluent supply means comprising at least a liquid reservoir (not shown), a heater  11 , a pump  12  and a nozzle  13 . The liquid reservoir is provided in order to supply liquid such as water to the heater  11  and the pump  12 , and hence to the nozzle  13 . The dispenser further comprises a stand  16  for a receptacle such as a cup  2 . The dispenser  1  can comprise a cover member  17  for selectively enclosing the drinking cup  2  therein. Hence, a customer may open the cover member  17 , place a cup  2  on the stand  16  and close the cover member again. Accordingly, a safe preparation of the beverage is enabled. 
         [0030]    In the illustrated embodiment, the device  1  further comprises powder storing means  3  which houses two tin cans  31  of soluble powder. Yet the dispenser of the invention can comprise powder storing means  3  which is housing one or more than two tin cans  31  of soluble powder. In order to enable a provision of powder from the tin cans  31 , the tin cans  31  comprise an aperture  31   a  facing downwardly. The storing means  3  comprise at least one aperture  3   a  for each tin can aperture  31   a  through which powder may be supplied to dosing means  4  connected to the storing means  3 . To each of the dosing means  4 , a motor  40  is connected in order to enable a rotation of the dosing means  4  and hence, a discharging of powder from the storing means  3 . 
         [0031]    As two tin cans  31  of soluble powder are provided in the device, at least two different powders can be supplied in order to prepare different beverages. Of course, the number of tin cans  31  and dosing means  4  within the dispenser may vary. 
         [0032]    Powder which is discharged by the dosing means  4  is received by a hopper  5  which guides the powder from the dosing member  4  to the hopper bottom extremity  52  within the drinking cup  2 . Preferably the hopper  5  comprises a tube  51  of bottom extremity  52  emerges above the drinking cup  2 . 
         [0033]    The dispenser preferably comprises a single button  18  for starting the beverage preparation process. In addition, the dispenser may comprise additional buttons for selectively supplying either cold or hot water to the drinking cup  2  and for selecting the beverage powder. Accordingly, a user can choose whether to prepare a cold or hot beverage. The device further comprises a main switch (not shown) and a plurality of control indicators (not shown) which may inform the user about the operating status of the dispenser. 
         [0034]    During operation, the dosing means  4 , the guiding means  5  and the powder storing means  3  enables a provision of a predefined dose of soluble powder to the drinking cup  2 . After the powder has been supplied to the drinking cup  2 , a predefined amount of liquid such as water is provided to the drinking cup  2  in order to interact with the dose of powder contained therein. Accordingly, a convenient and fast preparation of a beverage product is enabled by the dispenser. 
         [0035]    According to the invention, the dispenser comprises valve means  6  for closing and opening the bottom extremity  52  of the tube  51  comprised in the hopper  5 . In the dispenser of  FIG. 1  the valve means comprises a paddle  61 . This paddle can be actuated by a motor operating a solenoid  62  to be: 
         [0036]    either pushed in front of the opening of the bottom extremity  52  of the powder guiding means  5  where it retains the powder dosed by the dosing means  4  inside the hopper  5 . 
         [0037]    or retracted from the opening of the bottom extremity  52  of the powder guiding means  5  where it lets the powder that it was retaining fall inside the cup  2 . 
         [0038]    The dispenser further comprises control means  14  for controlling the dosing means and the valve means and for coordinating their activation. According to the invention, the dosing means is activated only after the valve means closed the bottom extremity of the guiding means  5 . Then the powder dosed by the dosing means falls in the guiding means  5  through its tube  51  and is retained by the paddle  61  closing the bottom extremity  52  of the powder guiding means  5 . The paddle is not immediately actuated so that the whole dose of powder and in particularly the fines can settle above the paddle  61 . Then the valve means opens the bottom extremity  52  of the powder guiding means  5  and let the dose of powder falls in the cup  2 . Due to the little distance between the bottom extremity  52  of the powder guiding means  5  and the bottom of the cup  2 , the fines of the powder do not fly out of the cup  2  and do not dirty the stand  16 . 
         [0039]    Preferably the valve means retains the dosed powder as closed as possible from the bottom of the cup  2  to avoid the flying effect of the fines. 
         [0040]    Preferably the valve means retains the dosed powder some seconds in the guiding means before it opens the bottom extremity  52  of the powder guiding means  5  so that the powder dust can settle on the valve means before being dispensed to the cup  2 . 
         [0041]    Usually the control means  14  also controls the pump  12  so that the diluent is supplied to the cup  2  while or, preferably, after the valve means  6  is opening the bottom extremity  52  of the guiding means  5 . Preferably the paddle  61  closes again the extremity  52  of the guiding means before the diluent is supplied in the cup. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   c  illustrate another type of valve means that can be used in a dispenser of the present invention. These valve means closes and opens the bottom extremity  52  of the guiding means  5  according to a rotating movement of the paddle  61 . According to the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2   a  the paddle  61  is fixed to the both arms  64  of a handle  65 . These arms  64  are curved and pivotally mounted at the powder guiding means of the dispenser. The handle is actuated by a motorised actuator  62 . The motor can drive a solenoid able to push the actuator so that the handle  65  and the arms are rotated about the pivot  63 , it causes the paddle  61  to rotate away from its closing position. The handle  65  may be formed integrally with the arms  64  and the paddle  61 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 2   b  illustrates the paddle  61  in two different positions relative to the bottom extremity the guiding means  5 . In straight line, the paddle  61  is in the position in which it closes the bottom extremity of the guiding means  5 : the actuator  62  does not exert any force on the handle  65 . In dotted line, the actuator  62  pushes the handle  65  and makes the curved arms  64  rotates around the pivot  63  which displaces the paddle  61  away from the bottom extremity of the guiding means. A spring fixed at the pivot  63  may be included to bias the handle  65  to move toward its non actuated position and consequently to move the paddle  61  so that it closes the guiding means  5 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 2   c  is a section view of  FIG. 2   b  according to axis AA. It makes apparent that the guiding means  5  is divided in two funnels  53 ,  54 . This variant avoids the mixture of different powders issues from different storing means in the guiding means and the contamination of one beverage by the powder of a different taste. 
         [0045]    The dispenser of the present invention presents the advantage of avoiding the dirtiness of the dispenser due to the fines. 
         [0046]    The dispenser of the present invention presents also the advantage of avoiding the necessity to blow air at the guiding means bottom extremity since the valve means can automatically close this extremity when diluent is introduced in the cup. 
         [0047]    It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.