Patent Publication Number: US-2010107890-A1

Title: Perforation Device for Capsules and Machine for Preparing Beverages Incorporating said Device

Description:
DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention relates to machines for preparing beverages which use hermetically sealed capsules containing powder material, for example coffee. 
     Below reference will be made, for the sake of convenience of the description, to the preparation of a coffee infusion, in particular espresso coffee, although this must not be understood as having a limiting meaning. 
     In particular, the present invention refers to a machine which uses a capsule of the type described for example in the European patent 1,608,569 in the name of the same Applicant (to which specific reference is made herein). This capsule comprises a moulded-plastic casing which is sealed at the top by a perforatable top foil, being divided into a top chamber, delimited by the aforementioned top foil and by a bottom wall, said chamber being intended to contain a quantity of coffee powder, and a bottom chamber or infusion chamber, delimited at the top by said bottom wall and at the bottom by a perforatable sealing foil (bottom foil). Communication between the two chambers is ensured by holes formed in the aforementioned wall. 
     A machine of this kind, which is described in the European patent 1,796,517 (also in the name of the same Applicant, to which specific reference is also made herein), envisages an infusion station or area where the capsule undergoes in sequence perforation of the aforementioned bottom foil and perforation of the top foil. 
     The machine comprises a perforation device in the form of an L-shaped lever with its fulcrum at the top end and with a punch at the other end. This lever has a rest position, which does not interfere with the capsule, and a working position, which can be reached with the aid of an actuating solenoid and where the punch penetrates from below upwards into the capsule with the result that the bottom foil is perforated so as to create there an opening or spout for discharging the coffee infusion which forms inside the infusion chamber. 
     The top foil is then perforated and pressurized hot water is introduced so as to permeate the first coffee powder, passing into the bottom chamber of the capsule (i.e. that defined between the bottom wall and the bottom foil), the form of the chamber resulting in the formation of the emulsified infusion of coffee and air, which is characteristic of espresso coffee. The coffee is dispensed through the spout directly into an underlying receiving receptacle without wetting the lever (which is moved back into the rest position by a recall spring) or other parts of the machine, thus avoiding problems of a mechanical or hygienic/sanitary nature associated with conventional machines for preparing espresso coffee. 
     The undoubted advantage achieved with this machine and the associated capsule is offset by the industrial problem consisting in the fact that this machine, which has a relatively complex design, may be subject to malfunctions, in particular of the actuating solenoid and the mechanism for recalling the lever-shaped perforation device. 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost device with a simple design for perforating the bottom foil of a capsule filled with coffee powder. 
     Another object is to provide a machine for preparing and dispensing beverages, comprising this perforation device. 
     These and other objects are achieved by a perforation device and a machine as defined in claim  1 . 
     In brief, according to the invention, a capsule is inserted into the machine in the vertical position, this meaning that the capsule is positioned so that the respectively top and bottom foils are arranged horizontally and are engaged by first perforating means, as regards the bottom foil, and by second means for performing perforation and supply pressurized hot water, as regards the top foil. The introduction of the capsules is performed by means of a flap which is also vertical and provided with pushing means on its side. 
     When the flap is closed, the pushing means displaces the capsule towards the aforementioned infusion station or area where the edge of the bottom of the capsule rests on a collar. During this displacement, which is linear, the capsule passes over a device for perforating the bottom sealing foil, actuating it directly without the aid of any operating means. The aforementioned means for perforating the top sealing foil and introducing pressurized hot water into the capsule operate inside the infusion area. In this case also, as in the already mentioned European patent 1,796,517, the perforation device creates in the bottom foil a spout for directly dispensing the beverage into the receiving receptacle situated underneath the collar on which the capsule rests. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention the perforation device is a star-shaped element with arms terminating in cutting tips and centrally pivoted on a freely rotating horizontal-axis pin. 
     It is precisely the linear displacement of the capsule which causes the penetration of a tip into the bottom sealing foil and creates the spout, before the capsule reaches the infusion area where there is no physical interference between the beverage dispensing means and the perforation device. 
    
    
     
       The characteristic features of the present invention and the consequent advantages are explained more clearly in the following description, provided solely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the operating assembly of a machine for preparing beverages according to the invention in the rest condition; 
         FIG. 2  is a view, similar to that of  FIG. 1 , showing the operating assembly during operation; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a perforation device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial top plan view of the operating assembly inside which said perforation device according to the invention operates; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section along the line V-V of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-section along the line VI-VI of  FIG. 5  where the capsule perforation device is shown in the rest condition, namely immediately before starting operation; 
         FIG. 7  is a view, similar to that of  FIG. 6 , in which the capsule perforation device is shown during operation. 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows the main operating unit, i.e. the subassembly of a machine for preparing coffee and other beverages which uses capsules which are filled with a quantity of powder material and are preferably of the type described in the already mentioned European patent 1,608,569. As explained in greater detail below with reference to  FIG. 2 , the capsule denoted by the reference number  100  is used in the machine in the already defined vertical position. The operating unit comprises a zone  10  for loading a capsule  100 , a perforation device  40  (discussed in greater detail below), an infusion zone  50  co-operating with an infusion unit  55  and a chute  56  for discharging the capsule after use. 
     The loading zone  10  of the machine comprises a substantially parallelepiped compartment  12  defined by the following:
         a first and a second vertical opening  14  and  16  which respectively connect the loading zone  10  to the exterior of the machine and the infusion zone  50 ;   a slightly curved part  17  of an upper wall  18 ;   two vertical side walls  21  which are spaced from each other by slightly more than the outer diameter of a capsule  100  and have a shoulder  23  with a height slightly greater than the distance between the bottom edge and the top edge of the capsule;   a horizontal bottom wall  20  which has a slit  22  which extends centrally between the two open vertical sides  14  and  16 .       

     The first opening  14  is provided in a wall  24  which forms the front of the operating unit. A flap  30 , which is provided with a handle  28  and the hinge  32  of which is supported by the front wall  24 , has the function of closing the opening  14 . According to an important characteristic feature of the present invention, a pushing element  34 , in the form of a projecting lug with a free and tapered end  36 , is rigidly fixed to the inner side of the flap  30 —see  FIG. 1 . For greater clarity the flap  30  is shown only in the overall view of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The perforation device  40  comprises a star-shaped element  42  with angularly spaced cutting tips  44 : in this embodiment the tips are four in number and spaced at 90° from each other—see FIG.  3 —but could also be three or more than four, depending on the dimensional parameters of the machine and the capsule. In the remainder of this description each tip is indicated by the letter A to D appended to the reference number  44  so as to indicate their sequential order. The star-shaped element  42  is mounted idle on a horizontal-axis pin  43  which is subject the action of a pair of springs  45 , the function of which is explained below. The ends of the pin  43  project through respective eyelets  46  formed in a pair of vertical walls  47  and the bottom ends of the springs  45  are housed inside respective seats  48  provided in a horizontal base  49  parallel to the horizontal bottom wall  20  which defines the compartment  12 . The springs  45  keep the star-shaped element  42  pushed upwards so as to cause one or two of the cutting tips  44  to project inside the compartment  12 , through the slit  22  of the horizontal bottom base  20 , while allowing the element  42  to move downwards—see  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
     The main function of the springs  45  is to allow the tips of the star-shaped perforator to be pushed downwards, exerting a suitable pressure when the capsule path must be freed, for example when there is a defective capsule or a capsule not suitable for the particular infusion assembly. 
     The function of the springs is therefore that of allowing emergency action to be taken. 
     The infusion zone  50  comprises a base  52  which is substantially the continuation of the horizontal bottom wall  20  of the compartment  12 , but has an opening  54  and also comprises an infusion unit  55  incorporating both the device for perforation of the top foil of the capsule and the means for introducing pressurized hot water. Means for keeping the capsule stationary during infusion and for releasing it after use are also present in the infusion zone. 
     In this condition the arrival in the infusion zone of a new capsule, pushed by the pushing element  34 , causes the displacement of the capsule present in the same infusion zone towards a discharge chute  60  which is situated in the rear part of the machine. These parts of the machine are not described here in detail both because they do not form part of the present invention, as defined in the following claims, and because they are described in European patent 1,796,517 in the name of the same Applicant to which (as mentioned further above) specific reference is made here. 
     If we now consider operation of the machine, reference is made to the example of a capsule of the type forming the subject of the already mentioned European patent 1,608,569. The sole operation required of the user is to load a capsule  100  inside the compartment  12  through the opening  14 , so that the top edge  102  of the capsule rests on the shoulder  23  of the vertical side walls  21 , following which the flap  30  is closed using the handle  28 . This condition is shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Obviously, the user must also previously position a receptacle for receiving the beverage, typically a cup (not shown), below the opening  54  provided on the base  52  of the infusion zone  50 . 
     As a result of the closing action of the flap  30 , the pushing element  34  by means of the free end  36  displaces the capsule  100  towards the infusion zone  50  in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axis of the pin  43  of the star-shaped element  42 . 
     It must remembered that, in the rest condition (as shown in  FIG. 6 ), as a result of the upwards pushing force exerted by the springs  45 , at least one cutting tip  44 A of the star-shaped element  42  of the perforation device  40  projects through the slit  22  from the horizontal bottom wall  20  of the loading compartment  12 . At the start of the movement involving displacement of the capsule  100 , caused by closure of the flap  30 , the side surface  110  of the capsule  100  strikes against the tip  44 A (first tip) projecting into the compartment  12  from the bottom wall  20 , with the result that the star-shaped element  42  rotates about the pin  43  in the anti-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow F in  FIG. 6 , until the first tip  44 A is positioned flush with the surface of the bottom wall  20 . In the meantime, the following tip  44 B (second tip) has moved from the bottom up to the level of the slit  22 , engaging with the bottom of the capsule. 
     The size of the star-shaped element  42  (understood as meaning the length of the arms terminating in the cutting tips  44 ) is such that, when the front edge of the capsule pushes forwards the arm  44 A of the star, the central part of the bottom of the capsule is situated above the second tip  44 B. 
     In this condition, the combined effect of the thrust exerted by the front edge of the capsule on the arm  44 A of the star and the upwards thrust of the springs  44  prevails such that the star-shaped element  42  continues its rotation in the direction of the arrow F, with the result that the bottom foil  104  of the capsule  100  is perforated by the tip  44 B which creates a spout  106  at the perforation point. In the meantime, the following tip  44 C (third tip) has moved from the bottom up to the level of the slit  22 , but without projecting owing to the presence of the capsule bottom. 
     The final part of the movement of the capsule  100  results in the capsule being housed inside the infusion area  50 . 
     Continuously together with formation of the spout  106 , the movement produced by the pushing element  34  brings the capsule  100  into the infusion area  50 , i.e. into alignment with the infusion unit  55  and with the opening  54 , underneath which the receptacle for receiving the beverage has been positioned. Consequently, following perforation of the top foil  108  and the introduction of pressurized hot water inside the capsule  100 , the beverage is produced and instantaneously dispensed through the spout  106 , without touching any part of the machine. 
     The above description also confirms that the invention likewise achieves the other objects previously mentioned, in particular the constructional and functional simplicity of the perforation device which no longer requires any active operating system, but operates solely as a result of the translation of the new capsule introduced into the loading compartment. 
     This results in a significant increase in the reliability of the entire machine. 
     Finally it is understood that, within the scope of the following claims, the present invention may have different embodiments. 
     For example, in place of the single-piece star-shaped perforator shown in  FIG. 3 , it is possible to envisage that the perforation tips are mounted on a chain in turn meshing with one or more pinions, in order to perform the same functions. 
     Likewise it is possible to envisage that the pushing means  34 , instead of taking the form of a pushing element projecting from the closing flap of the capsule loading compartment, may be formed differently, separate from this flap, while still performing the function of causing translation of the capsule loaded into the compartment  12  as far as the infusion zone so as to actuate the perforation device.