Patent ID: 7066079

Claim:
An automatic coffee machine, comprising: a housing; a sliding block, said sliding block being fixedly connected to said housing; a brewing unit, said brewing unit including an upper locking element having an axis, a lower locking element and a tube section having a vertical axis, said upper and lower locking elements and said tube section being designed and arranged to alternately attain a brewing position, a stand-by position and a parking position, said upper locking element in the brewing position protruding into said tube section such that a brewing chamber is formed in which coffee can be brewed, said upper locking element in the stand-by position not protruding into said tube section and the axis of said upper locking element being aligned with the axis of said tube section, said upper locking element in the parking position not protruding into said tube section and the axis of said upper locking element not being aligned with the axis of said tube section; a rotary arm, said rotary arm being connected to said upper locking element; and a pivot column, said pivot column having a circumference and an axis, said pivot column being connected to said rotary arm, said pivot column being designed and arranged to be movable in an axial direction and to be rotatable about its axis, said pivot column including a sliding path, said sliding path including a first portion which is parallel to the axis of said pivot column and a second portion which extends about at least a part of the circumference of said pivot column in a way similar to a thread and not to be parallel to the axis of said pivot column, said first portion of said sliding path of said pivot column being designed and arranged such that said sliding block engages said first portion to alternately attain the brewing position and the stand-by position, said second portion of said sliding path of said pivot column being designed and arranged such that said sliding block engages said second portion to alternately attain the stand-by position and the parking position.