Infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like

An infusion device for infusion capsules, particularly for espresso coffee machines, comprising a filter basket holder cylinder and a piston which can move with respect to each other from a configuration for loading and unloading at least one capsule for infusions into or from the filter basket holder cylinder to a dispensing configuration and vice versa, the device comprising first elements for movement of at least one of the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston for their first relative movement from the loading and unloading configuration to an intermediate configuration that is comprised between the loading and unloading configuration and the dispensing configuration and vice versa, and second elements for moving at least one of the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston for a second relative movement thereof from the intermediate configuration to the dispensing configuration and vice versa.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like.

BACKGROUND ART

In the field of espresso coffee machines and the like, infusion devices are known which work with infusion capsules and the like and are constituted substantially by a main frame with which a filter basket holder cylinder and a piston are associated.

More precisely, the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston, which can move with respect to each other along a preferred direction, define a receptacle in which the capsule containing the substances through which hot or cold water is to be filtered, thus producing the desired infusion, is inserted.

Generally, the capsule consists of a hermetically closed container which is pierced, typically on two opposite faces, so as to allow the hot or cold water to filter through it, or it consists of a container with entry and exit holes provided on the two opposite faces, so as to allow the hot or cold water to filter through its interior.

In the case of capsules requiring piercing, the filter basket holder cylinder and the feeding piston in fact have hollow piercing tips, which protrude within the receptacle and in the direction of the capsule and are connected to the ducts for delivery of the hot or cold water and the discharge ducts of the infusion device for the outflow of the infusion.

In practice, once the capsule has been inserted in the corresponding receptacle, its piercing occurs by moving the filter basket holder and the piston closer together and mutual clamping of the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston, so that the piercing tips are pushed into the capsule. This piercing is made possible thanks to the presence of adapted lever systems, which are functionally connected to the filter basket holder cylinder or to the piston or to both and can be actuated manually by the operator by means of an actuation lever that can be gripped by the operator.

As an alternative, the actuation lever can be replaced by motor means, for example of the electrical type, so as to facilitate and automate the relative movement between the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston.

More precisely, the lever system, regardless of whether it is operated manually or automatically, moves the two elements, the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston, closer together with a single movement and in theory transmits the thrust required for piercing.

Likewise, these movements can also occur in infusion devices that do not provide for piercings of the capsule that contains the substances through which hot or cold water is to filter, thus producing the desired infusion, since they are already provided with the water passage holes.

These known types of infusion devices are not devoid of drawbacks, which include the fact that the thrust provided by the operator can entail an effort which is inconvenient to said operator both when using capsules to be pierced and when using capsules not to be pierced.

Moreover, if capsules to be pierced are used, the material of which such capsules are made has a resistance to piercing that requires a mutual thrust between the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston that is much greater than the thrust required to achieve the simple mutual approach of the filter basket holder cylinder and the feeding piston.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide an infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like, that makes it possible to provide the mutual approach of the filter basket holder cylinder and of the piston and the piercing of the infusion capsule if necessary, without requiring excessive physical efforts on the part of the operator.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide an infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like, that allows a smooth and controlled mutual approach between the cylinder and piston.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an infusion device that is highly reliable, relatively simple to provide and has competitive costs.

This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like, comprising a filter basket holder cylinder and a piston which can move with respect to each other from a configuration for loading and unloading at least one capsule for infusions and the like into or from said filter basket holder cylinder to a dispensing configuration and vice versa, characterized in that it comprises first means for movement of at least one of said filter basket holder cylinder and said piston for their first relative movement from said loading and unloading configuration to an intermediate configuration that is comprised between said loading and unloading configuration and said dispensing configuration and vice versa, and second means for moving at least one of said filter basket holder cylinder and said piston for a second relative movement thereof from said intermediate configuration to said dispensing configuration and vice versa.

WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the figures, the infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like, generally designated by the reference numeral1, comprises a fixed frame2, which can be fixed to the espresso machine or the like on which the infusion device1is installed, a filter basket holder cylinder3and a piston4which can move with respect to each other from a configuration for loading and unloading at least one capsule5for infusions and the like to a dispensing configuration and vice versa.

As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the expression “loading and unloading configuration” is understood to refer to a configuration of the infusion device1in which the filter basket holder cylinder3and the piston4are arranged, with respect to each other, so as to allow the manual or automatic insertion or extraction of the capsule5from the infusion device1, and the expression “dispensing configuration” is understood to refer to a configuration of the infusion device1in which the filter basket holder cylinder3, the piston4and the capsule5are arranged with respect to each other in the positions provided for filtering hot or cold water through the capsule5and for obtaining the desired infusion.

More precisely, the filter basket holder cylinder3is jointly associated with the fixed frame2, being coupled thereto, and the piston4can move with respect to the filter basket holder cylinder3along a predefined sliding direction6.

The piston4consists substantially of a disk-like body, which is inserted slidingly within a piston supporting element7, which in turn is slidingly associated with the fixed frame2along a sliding direction6. Advantageously, the piston4is kept in an abutment position against an abutment surface8of the piston supporting element7by elastic means22, which comprise for example two helical springs which are conveniently interposed between the piston4and the piston supporting element7.

Differently, the filter basket holder cylinder3consists of a container body, which is for example substantially cylindrical and defines at least one receptacle10that is adapted to contain the capsule5and is open at the face11of the filter basket holder cylinder3that is directed toward the piston4for the insertion and extraction of the capsule5into or from the receptacle10when the filter basket holder cylinder3and the piston4are arranged in the configuration for loading and unloading the infusion device1.

As shown in the figures, the receptacle10is such that the open face11is substantially perpendicular to the predefined sliding direction6.

In this manner, the piston4, by moving toward the filter basket holder cylinder3at the face11and at right angles thereto, closes the receptacle10that contains the capsule5.

This arrangement of the filter basket holder cylinder3, of the piston4and of the capsule5defines the dispensing configuration of the infusion device1.

For allowing extraction of the capsule5from the receptacle10, on the bottom of said receptacle there is, for example, an expulsion spring9, and the capsule5has a radially protruding rim5athat rests against the face11of the filter basket holder cylinder.

In order to allow piercing of the capsule5, first hollow piercing tips12for the capsule5are provided which are associated with the piston4on the side that is directed toward the receptacle10.

More precisely, these first hollow piercing tips12extend outside the piston4on the side directed toward the receptacle10, i.e., inside the receptacle10, with the piston4arranged in the dispensing configuration, in the direction of the capsule5, and are connected to ducts13for delivering hot or cold water so as to inject such hot or cold water into the capsule5to consequently produce the infusion.

Likewise, second hollow tips14for piercing the capsule5are provided which are associated with the filter basket holder cylinder3on the side opposite to the open face11of the receptacle10. More precisely, the second hollow piercing tips14extend within the receptacle10in the direction of the capsule5and are connected to ducts15for discharging the infusion for its outflow from the capsule5.

According to the invention, first means16for moving at least one of the filter basket holder cylinder3and the piston4are provided for a first relative movement thereof from the loading and unloading configuration to an intermediate configuration that is comprised between the loading and unloading configuration and the dispensing configuration and vice versa.

More particularly, the first movement means16are manually actuated and comprise an actuation lever17, which is associated rotatably with the fixed frame2and can be gripped by the operator. The actuation lever17is functionally connected to the piston supporting element7by means of a lever system18, which is constituted by a plurality of levers pivoted to each other and adapted to convert the rotary motion of the actuation lever17into a translational motion of the piston supporting element7.

In this manner, the first relative movement between the loading and unloading configuration and the intermediate configuration and vice versa is provided.

As an alternative, in an automated variation of the infusion device1, shown inFIG. 7, the first movement means16are actuated automatically and comprise motor means30, for example of the electrical type, which are associated with the fixed frame2and are functionally connected to the piston supporting element7so as to replace the actuation lever17and the lever system18to provide the first relative movement between the loading and unloading configuration and the intermediate configuration and vice versa.

According to the invention, second movement means19for at least one of the filter basket holder cylinder3and the piston4are also comprised for a second relative movement thereof from the intermediate configuration described earlier to the dispensing configuration and vice versa.

Advantageously, the second movement means19comprise an expansion chamber20, which is interposed between the piston4and the abutment surface8.

More precisely, the expansion chamber20can be filled with a propellant fluid, for example cold water or gas, which is injected under pressure through at least one passage channel21for the relative movement of the piston4with respect to the piston supporting element7in contrast with the action of the elastic means22, which are constituted for example by helical springs, and the completion of the relative movement between the filter basket holder cylinder3and the piston4, with consequent completion of the piercing of the capsule5by the first and second hollow piercing tips12and14and arrangement of said components in the dispensing configuration.

In a possible variation of the invention, the movement between the filter basket holder cylinder3and the piston4can be reversed. In this case, the piston4is associated jointly with the fixed frame2and the filter basket holder cylinder3is movable with respect to the piston4along the sliding direction6by way of the first and second movement means16and19.

Operation of the infusion device1for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like, is clear and evident from what has been described.

In particular it is noted that once the capsule5been loaded into the adapted receptacle10, by acting on the first movement means16, i.e., by acting manually on the actuation lever17or by activating the motor means30if provided, it is possible to make the piston supporting element7, and consequently the piston4, move toward the filter basket holder cylinder3.

This approach moves the hollow piercing tips12and14into contact with the walls of the capsule5without penetrating the capsule completely.

Then, by way of the second movement means19, it is possible to complete the approach of the piston4to the filter basket holder cylinder3, performing the complete piercing of the capsule5by the hollow piercing tips12and14and sealing the receptacle10with the piston4proper, in order to allow the injection of the hot or cold water and obtain the infusion.

This approach is made possible thanks to the filling of the expansion chamber20with the filling fluid that generates the propulsion required to overcome the resistance of the elastic means22and the piercing resistance of the material of which the capsule5is made, so as to make the hollow piercing tips12and14penetrate completely into the capsule5.

Likewise, if one uses a capsule5of the pre-perforated type, its holes can be connected functionally to the water delivery ducts13for the injection of the water into the at least one capsule5, producing the infusion, and to the discharge ducts15of the infusion for the outflow of the infusion from the at least one capsule5.

In practice it has been found that the infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like, according to the present invention, fully achieves the intended aim and objects, since it allows transition from the loading and unloading configuration to the dispensing configuration in an automated manner, at least for the second part of the movement, without forcing the operator to perform particularly tiring operations both when using capsules of the pre-perforated type and when using capsules to be pierced.

Another advantage of the infusion device according to the present invention consists in that it has a smaller space occupation than known types of infusion devices.

Since the operator does not have to apply a particularly intense thrust in order to make the filter basket holder cylinder and the piston move closer together and make the piercing tips penetrate into the capsule, if a capsule that is not of the pre-perforated type is used, and since the lever systems adapted to convert the rotary motion of the actuation lever or of the motor means into the translational motion of the feeding piston do not have to transmit and amplify said high thrust, such means can use shorter levers, reducing the general space occupation of the infusion device.

A further advantage of the infusion device according to the present invention consists in that it is structurally simple and therefore economically competitive if compared with infusion devices of the known type.

The infusion device for infusion capsules and the like, particularly for espresso coffee machines and the like, according to the present invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2009A001770 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.