Abstract:
A coffee machine comprising a drawer for supplying coffee pads into a brew chamber of the coffee machine. In order to supply and dispose of the coffee pads as easily as possible, the drawer is positioned on the coffee machine in a detachable manner for the withdrawal thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a coffee machine comprising a drawer for supply coffee pads. 
     Coffee machines in the prior art operate according to different principles. The most common models are the so-called pressureless coffee machines. In these water flows from a storage container into an electrically heatable pipe. Particularly as a result of the evolution of steam in this pipe, heated water is then pushed through a riser to an outlet via which the heated water then drips into a coffee filter. The filter coffee can then flow from this coffee filter at atmospheric pressure into a pot. 
     In contrast, in espresso machines an elevated pressure prevails in the area of the coffee grounds, for example 15 bar. This is achieved by supplying water from a water container or another water supply to an electric-motor-driven pump which then supplies the water at high pressure via an electrically heatable area to a coffee grounds receiving device. This coffee grounds receiving device generally comprises a filter for receiving the coffee. In order to generate the high pressure in the coffee area, during operation the coffee grounds receiving device is located in an area which is sealed towards the atmosphere, which can be designated as a pressure chamber or brewing chamber. 
     In another coffee machine which operates on a different principle, it is provided to first transfer the water for preparing the coffee from a water container into a heatable intermediate container. From this intermediate container the heated water is passed to an electric-motor-driven pump from which it is supplied at elevated pressure, for example 2 to 3 bar, to a coffee grounds receiving device. In this case, it is provided that unlike in the espresso machine the coffee is not introduced into the coffee grounds receiving device in loose form as coffee grounds but is inserted in a retainer in the form of a coffee pad, that is, in compacted form surrounded by filter paper. The retainer with a retainer cover via which water is supplied can form a sealed pressure chamber. At the same time, the retainer for the coffee pads is allocated a plurality of functions. Firstly, the retainer provides a sealing surface so that a pressure chamber can be formed. Moreover, the retainer has an outlet opening from which the coffee can emerge. Furthermore, the coffee pad should be mounted in the retainer in a manner such that flow through the coffee pad is not impeded. Such a coffee machine occupies an intermediate position between a conventional pressureless coffee machine and an espresso machine. 
     WO 01/15582 A1 relates to a coffee machine to which the coffee grounds are supplied in the form of coffee pads. The coffee pads are inserted in a lower portion of the brewing chamber and the upper portion of the brewing chamber can be folded onto the lower portion by the user by means of a hinge, wherein an engaging connection between the two housing portions which are hinged relative to one another provides for a seal of the brewing chamber. A problem with this system is that after the brewing process the coffee pad can stick to the upper portion of the brewing chamber when opening the coffee machine. Another problem can arise if the coffee machine is actuated when opened since hot water can then spray in the direction of the user of the coffee machine. 
     Known from EP 1 050 258 A1 is a coffee machine wherein coffee pads are inserted in a pulled-out drawer and are then brought into the brewing position by pulling in the drawer. For sealing the brewing chamber, a brewing chamber upper portion is automatically moved over the coffee pad from above before the brewing process. After the brewing process, the coffee pads are automatically removed inside the coffee machine in a collecting container. Particularly as a result of the motor-driven components of the coffee machine, this is very complex and therefore expensive to produce. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is the object of the invention to provide a simple possibility for supplying or removing coffee pads in a coffee machine comprising a drawer. 
     This object is achieved with the features of the independent claim. 
     Advantageous embodiments of the invention are given in the dependent claims. 
     The invention builds on the generic coffee machine in that the drawer is positioned on the coffee machine in a detachable manner for the withdrawal thereof. In this way, the used coffee pad can be removed from the coffee machine together with the drawer before then being removed from the drawer. This removal of the coffee pad from the drawer can preferably be effected without touching the coffee pad, by tipping out the drawer. 
     It is usefully provided that the drawer has continuations which project substantially in the slide-in direction, engaging in guides of the coffee machine housing for mounting the drawer in an open position. These continuations prevent any tilting of the drawer during insertion into the housing. As a result of the centring effect of the continuations, the drawer is already largely aligned with respect to the housing during insertion of the actual receiving area of the drawer. 
     It is particularly useful if the ends of the continuations for the centring insertion of the drawer are at least slightly bevelled with respect to the direction of insertion. The drawer thereby slides into the housing with low resistance and without tilting. 
     It is provided that in a closed position the drawer abuts at least partially positively against the housing. In this case, the continuations are housed in recesses on the rear side of the housing whilst other areas of the drawer abut positively against the correspondingly shaped housing parts. 
     The invention is advantageously further developed whereby the drawer can be inserted substantially horizontally into a niche of the coffee machine and the drawer has at least one opening in its base which, in the closed position of the drawer, is at least partially surrounded by at least one substantially vertically displaceable retaining device so that the coffee pad retainer can be raised by the retaining device and the brewing chamber is closed by raising the coffee pad retainer. In such an embodiment wherein clamps are provided to raise the coffee pad retainer, it is particularly useful to provide guide continuations. These prevent the drawer from hitting the clamps of the retaining device. 
     The drawer is usefully constructed such that in addition to a central opening in the bottom of the drawer, further openings are provided. These further openings allow steam produced underneath the brewing chamber to escape upwards through openings in the bottom of the drawer. 
     In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the coffee pad retainer is mounted in a telescopic manner on the drawer. The coffee pad retainer is thereby reliably guided in the drawer for raising and lowering. Such guidance which is preferably embodied as telescopic according to the invention, can for example be formed by coaxially nested pipe sections on the coffee pad holder and on the drawer. This telescopic guidance ensures perturbation-free raising and lowering of the coffee pad holder. 
     The invention is based on the finding that a drawer which is in particular fitted with guide continuations and is mounted on the coffee machine in a detachable manner for the withdrawal thereof, allows convenient handling of a coffee machine. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is now explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings using particularly preferred embodiments. In the figures: 
         FIG. 1   a  is a perspective view of a coffee machine in a first state to explain the invention; 
         FIG. 1   b  is a perspective view of a coffee machine in a second state to explain the invention; 
         FIG. 2   a  is a plan view of a drawer according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2   b  is a side view of a drawer according to the invention with a coffee pad retainer inserted; 
         FIG. 3   a  is a frontal sectional view of a housing part of a coffee machine according to the invention; and 
         FIG. 3   b  is a sectional view from above of a coffee machine with a drawer according to the invention with a coffee pad retainer inserted therein 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1   a  shows a perspective view of a coffee machine in a first state to explain the invention.  FIG. 1   b  shows a perspective view of a coffee machine in a second state to explain the invention. The coffee machine  110  according to the invention comprises a flat front portion  112  and a columnar rear assembly  114 . Cups for removing coffee via an outlet  116  can be arranged on the front portion  112 . A water container  118  is inserted in the rear assembly  114 . The rear assembly  114  further comprises a slide-in area  120  into which a drawer  122  with a coffee pad retainer inserted therein can be slid, this being described in further detail in connection with  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b . The drawer  122  provided with guide continuations  130  is shown in the inserted state in  FIG. 1   a  and in the removed state in  FIG. 1   b . Located above the slide-in area  120  inside the housing are a water supply and a retainer cover which together with the retainer sitting in the drawer  122  form the brewing chamber. This is sealed after inserting the drawer  122  by shifting the lever  124  and lifting the clamps  126 ,  128  hereby effected by pressing together the retainer and retainer cover. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 2   a  shows a plan view of drawer according to the invention. The drawer  210  has a base area  212  and an elevated edge area  214 ,  216 . Guide continuations  218  are further provided to facilitate the insertion of the drawer  210  in the slide-in area  120  (see  FIG. 1   b ). The guide continuations  218  have slopes  228  which face the side walls of the slide-in area  120  (see  FIG. 1   b ) during insertion. Further openings can be provided in the bottom of the drawer  210  adjacent to the edge zone  214  of the drawer  210 . Steam produced underneath the drawer  210  can escape via these. 
       FIG. 2   b  shows a side view of a drawer according to the invention with a coffee pad retainer inserted therein. It can be seen here that the drawer  210  is produced using little material and positively receives the coffee pad retainer  220 . The coffee pad retainer  220  itself has a circumferential edge  224  and the base area  226  of the coffee pad retainer  220  is constructed as sloping towards the centre, that is towards the outlet opening  222 . The base area  226  can be provided with spacers not shown here, which can be formed for example by knobs or circular segments having different angles of ascent. It is also possible to place a grid, for example, a wire grid on the base area  226  and thus ensure a spacing between the coffee pad and the base area  226 . 
       FIG. 3   a  shows a frontal sectional view of a housing part of a coffee machine according to the invention.  FIG. 3   b  shows a sectional view from above of a coffee machine comprising a drawer according to the invention with a coffee pad retainer inserted therein. Numerous details of the coffee machine according to the invention are shown. In particular, the brewing chamber  330  formed from the coffee pad retainer  320  and a retainer cover  328  can be seen. The retainer cover  328  is preferably made of elastic silicone whilst the coffee pad retainer  320  is made of hard plastic. Consequently, a sealed pressure chamber or a sealed brewing chamber  330  can be formed by pressing the coffee pad retainer  320  on to the retainer cover  328 . The water required for preparing the coffee is supplied to a channel  332  above the brewing chamber  330  and from there it passes through openings in the retainer cover  328 , which are not shown, into the brewing chamber  330 . Furthermore, projections  334  can be provided on the retainer cover  328  which press the inserted coffee pad against the coffee pad retainer  320 . The coffee pad retainer  320  is pressed against the retainer cover  328  by lifting the clamps  336 ,  338 . These clamps  336 ,  338  grip under the coffee pad retainer  320  with continuations at their lower end and rest on end regions of a shaft  340  with continuations at the opposite end. These end regions of the shaft  340  have a larger diameter in the sectional plane than perpendicular to the sectional plane so that the clamps  336 ,  338  can be lowered by twisting the shaft through  900 . The coffee pad retainer  220  can hereby be lowered whereupon it can be removed together with the drawer  342  from the coffee machine. In the inserted state of the drawer  342 , the continuations  344  of the drawer  342  lie in recesses  354  which are formed in the transition zone between the front portion  346  and the rear assembly  348 . Furthermore, the edge zone  356  of the drawer  342  abuts positively against a correspondingly shaped housing region. The drawer  342  can thus be centred by the continuations  344  during insertion and then sits in a defined manner in the housing as a result of the positive connection. The other edge zone  358  of the drawer  342  is in alignment with the outer contour of the adjacent housing areas. In the diagram in  FIG. 3   b  a drip grid  352  placed on the front portion  346  and a water container  350  placed on the rear assembly  348  are additionally shown. 
     The features of the invention disclosed in the preceding description, in the drawings and in the claims can be important for carrying out the invention both individually and also in any combination. 
     Reference List 
       110  Coffee machine 
       112  Front portion 
       114  Rear assembly 
       116  Outlet 
       118  Water container 
       120  Slide-in area, niche 
       122  Drawer 
       124  Lever 
       126  Clamp 
       128  Clamp 
       130  Guide continuations 
       210  Drawer 
       212  Base area 
       214  Edge area 
       216  Edge area 
       218  Guide continuations 
       220  Coffee pad retainer 
       222  Outlet opening 
       224  Circumferential edge 
       226  Base area 
       228  Slopes 
       320  Coffee pad retainer 
       328  Retainer cover 
       330  Brewing chamber 
       332  Channel 
       334  Projections 
       336  Clamp 
       338  Clamp 
       340  Shaft 
       342  Drawer 
       344  Guide continuations 
       346  Front portion 
       348  Rear assembly 
       350  Water container 
       352  Drip grid 
       354  Recesses 
       356  Edge zone 
       358  Edge zone