Patent EP-0117583-A1 (EP)
Inventor: GASPARELLA VALENTINO
IPC: A47J31/40
Filed: 1984-02-16
Abstract: 1. Automatic mechanism for the production of espresso coffee, designed for use with a standard assembly comprising a coffee mill for producing coffee with its electric drive motor and a boiler for producing pressurised hot water, said mechanism being of the type that includes the following : - a fixed container (7) in which coffee infusion takes place, - a lower bottom (25) which moves vertically in both directions inside said container between a lower, coffee-producing position and an upper position for discharging the spent tablet in alignment with the upper edge of said container, said bottom being fast with a rod (27), - an upper pressure member (9) which moves vertically in both directions between a lower, coffee-producing position inside said container (7) and an upper position outside of said container (7), - a channel (22) for supplying fresh coffee to the container (7) which pivots between a position in which coffee is supplied to the container (7) and a retracted position which allows the pressure member (9) to pass, - a scraper (21) associated with the supply channel and adapted to be applied by pivoting against the top discharge opening of the container (7) for the purpose of removing the surplus coffee which comes past the top level of said container (7) and of causing the expressed coffee to be expelled outside said container (7), - means for supplying hot water to the interior of said container when the pressure member and the lower bottom are in their coffee-producing position, - means (26) for evacuating the infusion obtained following the passage of the hot water through the measure of coffee disposed in the container, - and means for mechanically actuating said movements of the lower bottom (25), the pressure member (9), the supply channel (22), the scraper (21) and for causing the hot water to arrive, characterised in that the automatic mechanism further includes the following : - a plate (1) which is vertically movable with respect to a fixed panel (5), - a block (8) carrying the pressure member (9), mounted fast with the movable plate, - means (11, 46) for controlling the vertical movement of the plate, and in that : - the rod (27) joined to the lower bottom is articulated on a rocker bar (29) which swings on an axle (31) under the action of a lever (30) having a cam mechanism (32) actuated by a member (33) fast with the movable plate (1), - the supply channel (22) and the scraper (21) are rotatably mounted on the fixed portion of the automatic mechanism and pivot under the action of a sliding rail (18) into which a groove (19) has been cut in which a member (20) fast in translation with the plate (1) is displaced, - the block (8) carrying the pressure member, the rocker (29), as well as the cam lever (30) and the member (33) fast with the plate (1) causing the lower bottom (25) to move, the sliding rail (18) provided with a groove (19) in which the member (20) fast in translation with the plate (1) is displaced, causing the supply channel (22) and the scraper (21) to move, are so arranged that the successive vertical lowering and lifting movement of the movable plate (1), from a starting phase in which the plate (1) is in its top position until it returns to this position, controls the filling of the filter-bearing container (7), the levelling of the batch of coffee powder, the lowering of the pressure member (9), the preparation of the infusion, as well as the lifting of the lower bottom by which the tablet of expressed coffee is taken outside the container, and the ejection thereof by means of the scraper (21) at the end of the operating cycle.