Patent Description:
As it is known, automatic coffee machines have a reservoir for the water destined to supply the brewing unit.

The reservoir is positioned extractably in a compartment provided in the body of the coffee machine.

Extraction is often frontal and is done by sliding the water reservoir on the cup-rest grille of the drip tray with which the coffee machine is normally equipped.

Once emptied, the reservoir is extracted from the coffee machine and transported elsewhere in order to be filled for example at a municipal water supply tap or from a bottle of water.

A drawback of the known filling system is linked to the need to extract the reservoir from the coffee machine.

In fact it can occur that, in some versions of coffee machines with frontal extraction of the water reservoir, there are cups present on the drip tray grille which interfere with the extraction trajectory of the water reservoir and must therefore be appropriately removed.

In many applications the drawback has been resolved by including an orifice on the top of the coffee machine from which water can be poured into the reservoir which is positioned in the compartment underlying the orifice.

However, this solution adopted in the prior art has other drawbacks.

In particular, water that might leak from the internal side can pool and escape, putting all the electrical and electronic components it meets on its pathway at risk of damage.

Moreover this type of filling with the reservoir in the machine requires raising the jug with the water recharge above the orifice which is located on the top, and therefore at a rather high level. However, the jug, which has to be held in a raised position, is also rather heavy and this complicates the operation.

<CIT> discloses a machine for filtered coffee having a pivoting manifold able to load a fixed water reservoir.

<CIT> discloses a coffee machine having a manifold pivotable to enter in and load a water reservoir.

The technical task of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a coffee machine with a filling system of the water reservoir which obviates the above-described technical drawbacks of the prior art.

Within the context of this technical task, an object of the invention is to provide a coffee machine having a filling system of the water reservoir that is convenient, practical and safe.

The technical task, as well as these and other objects, according to the present invention are attained by providing a coffee machine according to claim <NUM>.

The filling system of the reservoir is particularly advantageous because the filling from above does not happen from the top of the coffee machine but from a lower position.

An accidental spillage of water in gravitational fall inside the coffee machine during the filling cannot therefore reach the electrical and electronic components located in the higher position.

Further, filling from the lower position is easier as it requires a smaller raising of the jug or other type of container used.

Said external wall of said machine body is preferably a vertical wall of said machine body.

Said vertical external wall of said machine body is preferably a side wall of said machine body.

In other applications said through opening can be provided on a front or rear wall of the machine body.

Said reservoir preferably comprises an overflow and a channel that connects said overflow to a drain.

Said drain is preferably provided in a cup-rest grille of a drip tray of said coffee machine.

The coffee machine preferably has a level sensor for the maximum filling level of said reservoir comprising a floating element on the free surface of the water in said reservoir and an element fixed to said machine body in a position proximal to the top of said reservoir.

Said filling means preferably further comprises a fixed manifold interposed between said reservoir and said movable manifold, said fixed manifold having a loading mouth configured so that said unloading mouth of said movable manifold remains within the space enclosed by the vertical generatrices of said loading mouth of said fixed manifold both in said operative position and in said non-operative position of said movable manifold.

In other applications said movable manifold can directly supply said reservoir. Said reservoir is horizontally extractable from the front side of said coffee machine.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more fully emerge from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the coffee machine according to the finding, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:.

With reference to the figures cited, a coffee machine is shown and indicated in its entirety by reference number <NUM>.

The coffee machine <NUM> comprises, in a known way, a machine body formed by a shell and a frame which supports the mechanical, hydraulic and electronic components.

The machine body comprises a front wall <NUM> and a rear wall <NUM>, two side walls <NUM>, <NUM>, a top <NUM> and a base <NUM> anteriorly of which a drip tray <NUM> is positioned, superiorly equipped with a support grille for the cups.

The hydraulic circuit comprises, in cascade, a water reservoir <NUM> housed in a housing compartment <NUM> provided in the machine body, a pump for supplying water (not illustrated), a boiler (not illustrated), a brewing unit (not illustrated), and an external dispenser <NUM> of the coffee.

The external coffee dispenser <NUM> is fixed to the front wall <NUM> of the machine body but in a variant that is not illustrated it can be fixed to an openable front door supported by the machine body.

A filling means for filling said reservoir <NUM> from above by gravitational fall is advantageously present in the coffee machine <NUM>.

The filling means comprises a manifold <NUM> for supplying the reservoir <NUM> that has an upper loading mouth 13a and a lower unloading mouth 13b.

The manifold <NUM> is housed in the machine body in a housing compartment <NUM> delimited by an external wall <NUM> of the machine body that has a through opening <NUM> for access to the manifold <NUM>.

The manifold <NUM> is movable between an operative position in which the loading mouth 13a is accessible for filling and a non-operative position in which it is inaccessible.

The external wall <NUM> of the machine body having the through opening <NUM> for access to the manifold <NUM> is a vertical wall of the machine body, in particular a side wall <NUM> of the machine body.

In this case the housing compartment <NUM> for housing the reservoir <NUM> is fashioned in the same side wall <NUM> of the machine body.

The housing compartment <NUM> for housing the reservoir <NUM> more precisely extends up to the front wall <NUM> of the machine body and is equipped with horizontal sliding guides <NUM> in which the reservoir <NUM> is engaged so that it can be frontally extracted from the coffee machine <NUM>.

The housing compartment <NUM> for housing the manifold <NUM> is positioned above the housing compartment <NUM> for housing the reservoir <NUM> and communicates below with the housing compartment <NUM> for housing the reservoir <NUM>.

The manifold <NUM> is slidable through the through opening <NUM>, in particular with a horizontal sliding direction.

The housing compartment <NUM> has support guides <NUM> of the manifold <NUM> which guides the manifold <NUM> moving through the through opening <NUM>.

Specifically the manifold <NUM> is in the form of a horizontal drawer having a front grip 13c.

In the drawer manifold <NUM> the loading mouth 13a is defined by the open top of the drawer and the unloading mouth 13b is an opening located posteriorly on the bottom of the drawer.

In the operative position the manifold <NUM> is arranged through the through opening <NUM> with the unloading mouth 13b located inside the housing compartment <NUM> for housing the manifold <NUM> and the loading mouth 13a at least partly located outside the side wall <NUM> of the machine body so as to be accessible in order to carry out the filling.

The filling means further comprises a fixed manifold <NUM> interposed between the reservoir <NUM> and the manifold <NUM>.

The fixed manifold <NUM> has a loading mouth 16a configured so that the unloading mouth 13b of the movable manifold <NUM> remains within the space enclosed by the vertical generatrices of the loading mouth 16a of the fixed manifold <NUM> both in the operative position and in the non-operative position of the movable manifold <NUM>.

Therefore, even in the non-operative position of the manifold <NUM>, residues of water that might be present in the manifold <NUM> flow in any case into the reservoir <NUM>.

Lastly, the fixed manifold <NUM> has an unloading mouth 16b orientated towards a filling hole <NUM> provided in a removable cover <NUM> of the reservoir <NUM>.

The reservoir <NUM> comprises an overflow <NUM> and a channel that connects the overflow <NUM> to a drain <NUM>.

The channel is positioned frontally in the reservoir <NUM>.

The drain <NUM> is provided in the cup-rest grille <NUM> of the drip tray 8a for collecting residual drops of coffee which fall from the external coffee dispenser <NUM>.

The overflow <NUM> is in particular formed by a lowered part 20b of the upper edge of an internal vertical wall 9a of the reservoir <NUM> which delimits a collection chamber 9b of the water.

The channel in particular comprises a chamber 9c of the reservoir <NUM> enclosed between the internal vertical wall 9a of the reservoir <NUM>, the front wall 9d of the reservoir <NUM>, the side walls 9e, 9f of the reservoir <NUM> and the lower face <NUM> of the reservoir <NUM>.

The chamber 9c comprises an outlet hole <NUM> at the lower face <NUM> of the reservoir <NUM>. Alternatively (not illustrated) the channel can more simply comprise a vertical groove on the external side of the front wall 9d of the reservoir <NUM>.

In particular the drain <NUM> comprises a hole 22a of the cup-rest grille <NUM> that is vertically aligned below the outlet hole <NUM> of the channel.

Lastly, the coffee machine <NUM> has a sensor <NUM>, <NUM> for the maximum filling level of the reservoir <NUM>.

The level sensor <NUM>, <NUM> comprises a floating element <NUM> on the free surface of the water in the reservoir <NUM> and an element <NUM> fixed to the machine body in a position proximal to the top of the reservoir <NUM>.

For example the level sensor <NUM>, <NUM> is a Hall-effect magnetic sensor comprising a magnet 23a incorporated in the floating element <NUM> and able to interact with a magnetic element <NUM> facing the compartment <NUM> of the housing of the reservoir <NUM>. The floating element <NUM> is guided in an appropriate vertical channel <NUM> of the reservoir <NUM> which is faced by the magnetic element <NUM>.

The maximum level sensor <NUM>, <NUM> pilots a signal emitter for the user.

The signal can be of any type, for example acoustic or luminous or in the form of an indication appearing on a display on the dashboard <NUM> of the coffee machine <NUM>. A minimum level sensor <NUM>, <NUM> of the filling of the reservoir <NUM> can also be provided.

In the illustrated case the minimum level sensor <NUM>, <NUM> is once more a Hall-effect magnetic sensor which comprises the same floating element <NUM> provided with a magnet 23a and a magnetic element <NUM> fixed to the machine body in a proximal position to the base of the reservoir <NUM> and facing the vertical channel <NUM> of the reservoir <NUM>.

The minimum level sensor <NUM>, <NUM>, if present, also pilots a signal emitter for the user.

The operation of the filling system according to the invention appears clear from the description and illustrations and, in particular, is substantially as follows.

The already-filled reservoir <NUM> is housed in the compartment <NUM> thereof and the drawer manifold <NUM> is retracted in the compartment <NUM> thereof in the non-operative position.

In this state the reservoir <NUM> cannot be loaded as the loading mouth 13a is inaccessible to the user.

In fact the loading mouth 13a is entirely located on the side of the opening <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> of the machine body facing towards the inside of the housing compartment <NUM> of the manifold <NUM>.

After a certain number of dispensing cycles the water level in the reservoir <NUM> reaches the minimum level which does not enable carrying out a subsequent dispensing cycle in the correct way.

The minimum level sensor <NUM>, <NUM> pilots the controller of the coffee machine <NUM> which signals the event to the user.

The user brings the drawer manifold <NUM> into the operative position by extracting it partially from the opening <NUM> until the loading mouth 13a is accessible to the user and is arranged at least partly on the side of the opening <NUM> of the side wall <NUM> of the machine body facing towards the outside of the housing compartment <NUM> of the manifold <NUM>.

At this point, with a jug <NUM> positioned above the accessible part of the loading mouth 13a the user pours the water from above into the manifold <NUM>.

The water pours from the unloading mouth 13b of the manifold <NUM> into the underlying fixed manifold <NUM> from which it is conveyed towards the hole <NUM> of the cover <NUM> of the underlying reservoir <NUM>.

When the water level in the reservoir <NUM> reaches the maximum level, the maximum level sensor <NUM>, <NUM> pilots the controller of the coffee machine <NUM> which signals the event to the user, who then halts the filling operation.

Any excess of water is drained from the overflow <NUM> towards the front chamber 9c of the reservoir <NUM>.

The outlet hole <NUM> of the chamber 9c unloads the drained water into the hole 22a of the cup-rest grille <NUM> and it collects in the tray 8a.

A float <NUM> is present in the tray 8a and, at the moment when it projects externally of a calibrated hole <NUM> of the cup-rest grille <NUM>, it visually indicates to the user that the tray 8a needs to be emptied.

Alternatively the tray includes any other type of control of the filling level, for example a level sensor (resistive).

On completion of the filling of the reservoir <NUM> the drawer manifold <NUM> is returned into the non-operative position.

The drawer manifold <NUM> can have, in a variant that is not illustrated, an opening system of the push-pull type which does not require a grip.

The reservoir <NUM> can have a transparent window for visual inspection of the filling level.

The reservoir <NUM> can be frontally exposed and on a side wall, as illustrated, or the side wall of the reservoir can be protected by a wall of the machine body.

The housing compartment for housing the manifold can be obtained from the shell of the machine body, as illustrated, but also in the frame of the machine body or partially from both.

Claim 1:
A coffee machine (<NUM>) comprising a machine body, the machine body having a front wall (<NUM>), a rear wall (<NUM>), two side walls (<NUM>, <NUM>), a top (<NUM>) and a base (<NUM>), the coffee machine comprising a reservoir (<NUM>) for water, a compartment (<NUM>) in said machine body for housing said reservoir (<NUM>) in an horizontally extractable manner from the front wall (<NUM>) of the coffee machine, and a means for filling said reservoir (<NUM>) from above by gravitational fall, characterized in that said filling means comprises a manifold (<NUM>) for supplying said reservoir (<NUM>) that has an upper loading mouth (13a) and a lower unloading mouth (13b) located above said underlying reservoir (<NUM>), said manifold (<NUM>) is housed in said machine body in a housing compartment (<NUM>) delimited by an external wall (<NUM>) of said machine body that has a through opening (<NUM>) for access to said manifold (<NUM>), said manifold (<NUM>) being in the form of a horizontal drawer slidable with a horizontal direction through said opening (<NUM>) between an operative position in which said loading mouth (13a) is accessible for filling and a non-operative position in which it is inaccessible, said housing compartment (<NUM>) for housing said manifold (<NUM>) being positioned above said housing compartment (<NUM>) for housing said reservoir (<NUM>) and communicating below with said housing compartment (<NUM>) for housing said reservoir (<NUM>).