MACHINE AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING A BEVERAGE

Abstract

In a machine for preparing coffee or other beverages by infusion, the flow of water to the infusion chamber is controlled through a variable-flow valve; the valve is driven by a device manually operable by the barista thus controlling the flow of the beverage in the delivering step.

Claims

1. Machine (1) for preparing a beverage, comprising a pressurized (5) water supply (3), a boiler (4) for heating the water, an infusion unit (6) comprising an infusion chamber (7), a hydraulic circuit (20a-20e) fluidically connecting said pressurized water supply with said boiler and said infusion unit; a control unit (8) adapted to control the delivery of the beverage from said infusion chamber, characterized by further comprising a variable-flow valve (9) and valve driving means to drive said valve, said valve being positioned on said hydraulic circuit upstream of the infusion chamber (7), said valve driving means comprising a manually operable device (10, 17).

2. Machine according to claim 1, wherein the position of said valve (9) is selected between said boiler (4) and said infusion chamber (7) or between a pump (5) and said boiler (4).

3. Machine according to claim 1, wherein said valve (9) is a proportional electrovalve.

4. Machine according to claim 1, wherein said manually operable device (10, 17) is combined with a device (14, 16) adapted to detect the position of the manually operable device with respect to a path (14, 18) and to send a signal indicative of the detected position to said control unit (8).

5. Machine according to claim 4, wherein said manually operable device comprises a lever (10) and said device detecting the lever position comprises a potentiometer (14) combined with said lever.

6. Machine according to claim 4, wherein said manually operated device is an image (17) visible on a touch device (16) and said valve (9) is operated by changing the position of said image (17) on the device (16).

7. Machine according to claim 1, further comprising at least one flow rate sensor (11) and/or at least one pressure sensor (12), which are adapted to detect a flow rate and/or pressure value.

8. Machine according to claim 1, comprising a storage unit (19) to store at least one plurality of data selected among: the positions of said manually operable device (10, 17), the values of pressure in the hydraulic circuit, the values of flow rate in the hydraulic circuit, or a combination thereof.

9. Machine according to claim 8, wherein said control unit (8) is programmable to generate at least one profile (21) of said positions and comprises a display for displaying said profile(s).

10. Method for controlling the delivery of a beverage in a machine (1) comprising a pressurized water supply (3, 5) a boiler (4) for heating the water, an infusion chamber (7), a hydraulic circuit (20a-20e) fluidically connecting said pressurized water supply, said boiler and said infusion unit; a control unit (8) adapted to control the delivery of the beverage from said infusion chamber (7), a variable-flow valve (9) and valve driving means to drive said valve, said valve being positioned on said hydraulic conduit upstream of the infusion chamber (7), said valve driving means comprising a manually operable device (10, 17), the method comprising controlling the water supplied to said infusion chamber (7) by a variable-flow valve (9), characterized by controlling the opening degree of said variable-flow valve (9) through at least one manually operable device (10, 17) in order to change the beverage flow rate in the delivering step.

11. Method according to claim 10, comprising the step of detecting a position of said manually operated device (10, 17) and wherein said control unit (8) is connected to the variable-flow valve (9) and operates said valve depending on the detected position of said device (10, 17).

12. Method according to claim 10 or 11, comprising the steps of detecting a plurality of positions (10, 10a) taken by said manual device (10) which controls the variable-flow valve (9) during a beverage delivery, storing said signals and optionally generating one or more position profiles (21).

13. Method according to claim 10, comprising the steps of detecting the pressure and/or flow rate values in the hydraulic circuit, generating a plurality of profiles (21) of pressure and/or flow rate.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said profiles (21) is displayed in a display (16).

15. Method according to claim 10, wherein said manually operated device is a lever (10) combined with a rheostat (14).

16. Method according to claim 10, wherein said manually operated device is an image (17) visible on a device including a touch display (16) and said valve (9) is operated by changing the position of said image (17).

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein said image (17) and at least one of said profiles (21) are displayed on said display (16).

18. A storage device adapted to be read by a computer and/or control unit, said device comprising instructions that, once they have been read by a control unit of a machine according to claim 1, make said machine carry out a method for controlling the delivery of a beverage in a machine (1) comprising a pressurized water supply (3, 5) a boiler (4) for heating the water, an infusion chamber (7), a hydraulic circuit (20a-20e) fluidically connecting said pressurized water supply, said boiler and said infusion unit; a control unit (8) adapted to control the delivery of the beverage from said infusion chamber (7), a variable-flow valve (9) and valve driving means to drive said valve, said valve being positioned on said hydraulic conduit upstream of the infusion chamber (7), said valve driving means comprising a manually operable device (10, 17), the method comprising controlling the water supplied to said infusion chamber (7) by a variable-flow valve (9), characterized by controlling the opening degree of said variable-flow valve (9) through at least one manually operable device (10, 17) in order to change the beverage flow rate in the delivering step.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] These and other advantages of the present invention will become clearer in the following description and accompanying drawings, provided by way of example and without limitations and in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 schematically shows a possible embodiment of the machine according to the invention;

[0034] FIG. 2 schematically shows a further possible and alternative embodiment of the machine for preparing a beverage, according to the invention and wherein by-pass conduits are present;

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically shows a further possible and alternative embodiment of the machine for preparing a beverage, according to the invention and wherein a pump supplying water to the delivering assemblies of the machine is present, wherein each delivering assembly is provided with its own valve for controlling the flow rate.

METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

[0036] With reference to FIG. 1, a machine comprising three beverage delivering assemblies 2, 2a, 2b is shown. In the embodiment shown, each assembly 2-2b is provided with its own pump 5; it should be noted that a single pump supplying pressurized water to the three delivering assemblies can also be present, such as, for example, shown in the possible embodiment of FIG. 3. The following description will refer to one of the three delivering assemblies, although the description is also applicable to the similar assemblies present in the machine.

[0037] The machine 1 of the invention comprises a water supply 3 connected to the pump 5 for supplying pressurized water to a hydraulic circuit 20a-20c in the FIGS. 1 and 3 (20a-20e in FIG. 2). The machine further comprises at least one boiler 4 for heating the water, at least one infusion unit 6 comprising an infusion chamber 7. The hydraulic circuit fluidically connects the pump 5 to the boiler 4 and infusion unit 6. The machine further comprises a control unit 8 adapted for controlling the delivery of the beverage from the infusion chamber. This control occurs, at least in part, by means of the variable-flow valve 9 positioned on the hydraulic circuit, upstream of the infusion chamber 7; the valve 9 is directly or, preferably, indirectly driven by means comprising a manually operable device depicted with the reference 10 in the figures.

[0038] The variable-flow valve 9 is preferably a proportional electrovalve connected to the control unit 8. The machine preferably also comprises at least one among a flow rate sensor 11 or a pressure sensor 12, which are preferably arranged between the pump 5 and the boiler 4. A non-return valve 13 can also be present in this section of the circuit.

[0039] The manually operable device 10, which is used to drive the proportional valve 9, is combined with a further device 14, which is adapted to detect the position of the manually operable device with respect to a path, and to send a signal indicative of the detected position for the device 10 to the aforesaid control unit. Depending on the signal indicative of the position of the device 10, the valve 9 is driven to change the flow rate of water crossing it.

[0040] In the possible embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the manually operable device 10 comprises a lever rotatable between a plurality of positions, preferably in a continuous way; in this embodiment, the device 14 for detecting the position of the lever comprises a potentiometer, or rheostat, combined with the lever and connected to the control unit 8. In this embodiment, the lever moves and changes the value detected by the potentiometer 14, a value that is connected with a position of a plurality of positions schematically depicted with the references 10, 10a and 10b, of the lever and which is read by the control unit 8. The valve 9 is driven by the unit 8 to change the water flow rate crossing it, depending on the value read by the potentiometer 14, i.e. depending on the positions 10-10b that the lever has taken depending on the selection of the barista acting on the lever.

[0041] The machine according to the invention preferably provides a display 16 connected to the control unit 8. As mentioned above, the flow sensor and the pressure sensor (if the latter is present) are connected to the control unit 8 and are adapted to respectively generate a flow rate and pressure measurement signal read by the unit 8. The signals generated and read are representative of the flow rate and pressure during the delivery of the beverage. These values can be visualized on a display 16 in the form of a plot or profile 21. It should be noted that, according to an aspect of the present invention, the flow rate and/or pressure values are not used by the control unit 8 to carry out a feedback control, since, as mentioned, the valve 9 is controlled depending on the position of the manually operable device, for example the lever 10, which is, for example, manually operated by the user.

[0042] In alternative, or in addition to the use of a physical device, such as the aforesaid lever, the invention provides the possibility to use a manually operated device of the digital or virtual type for driving the valve 9. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment comprising a physical manual device (the lever 10 combined with the rheostat 14) and a digital manual device depicted with reference 17 on the display 16. In this embodiment, the manually operated device is an image, or icon, 17 that serves as a valve drive indicator and that can be visualized on a touch device, for example a touchscreen. The valve 9 is operated by changing the position of said indicator 17 along a path 18 on the touch device. In FIG. 1, the entire display 16 is a touch device, but the display can be separated from the touchscreen.

[0043] In an embodiment, the machine comprises a storage unit 19 to store at least one plurality of data selected among: the positions of said manually operable device, 10 or 17, the pressure values in the hydraulic circuit, the flow rate values in the hydraulic circuit. If desirable, the control unit is programmable to generate and store at least one profile of said positions of the manual device 10 or 17; the profiles generated can be visualized on the display 16 before, during and after the delivery of a beverage. The pressure and/or flow rate profiles can also be generated, stored and eventually displayed on the display 16.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a variant of the embodiment in FIG. 1, with the difference that the valve 9 is positioned on a by-pass conduit 20e leaving from a portion 20b of the hydraulic circuit, downstream of the pump 5 (with respect to the water flow direction), and which meets to the portion 20a of the hydraulic circuit upstream of the pump 5.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a further possible embodiment of the present invention, wherein the machine is provided with a single pump 5 supplying the hydraulic circuits bringing water to a respective infusion chamber. A valve 9 is provided downstream of the pump 5 and arranged in a row on each hydraulic circuit bringing water from the single pump 5 to each infusion chamber. Also in this embodiment, the position of the device 10 allows to drive each valve 9 by changing the water flow rate crossing it. For example, the value of the position of the device 10 is appropriately converted into a signal which is sent, for example by the control unit 8, to the valve 9, which consequently changes the water flow rate crossing it.

[0046] The operations of the aforesaid machine according to the method of the invention for controlling the delivery of a beverage provides for controlling, and therefore for setting the water flow rate supplying the infusion chamber, by means of the variable-flow valve 9 and for controlling the opening degree of the variable-flow valve 9 with at least one device, 10 or 17, manually operable by the barista or by a generic user, for example to change the flow rate of the beverage during the beverage delivering step, i.e. the flow can be changed during the delivery of the beverage.

[0047] During the delivery, at least one position of the device manually operable by the barista is detected and the control unit, which is connected to the variable-flow valve 9, regulates the opening or closing degree of the valve depending on the position detected of the manual device. This way, the barista controls the water flow rate during the production of the beverage, e.g. a coffee, and can change the infusion conditions and therefore the type and quality of the beverage by moving the lever 10 or image 17 or equivalent device manually, in case continuously.

[0048] As seen above, the method can comprise the steps of detecting a plurality of positions taken by the device operated by the barista (lever, image on the touchscreen or other) during the delivery of a beverage, storing these positions and optionally generating one or more position profiles. This allows the barista to recognize the best positions, i.e. best profiles, depending on the quality assessment of the beverage delivered from time to time. The barista can therefore learn from the experience and deliveries carried out to improve the next deliveries. Naturally, data acquired from the control unit can be recalled and processed.

[0049] Moreover, the method provides the possibility to detect, during delivery, the pressure and/or flow rate values in the hydraulic circuit and to generate a plurality of pressure and/or flow rate profiles indicative of the respective values during delivery. In other words, the flow rate and/or pressure performance of a delivery during the delivery itself can be visualized on the display, practically in real time. As mentioned, the profiles or values detected are not preferably used by the control unit for controlling the water flow through the valve 9.

[0050] In a possible embodiment, the display is of the touch type or comprises a touchscreen part, the valve is a proportional valve, the device manually operable by the barista is a lever combined with a rheostat, the display shows the water flow rate and/or pressure values.

[0051] A further object of the invention is a storage device adapted to be read by a computer and/or control unit, said device comprising instructions that, once they have been read by a control unit of a machine according to one of claims 1 to 9, make the machine carry out the steps of a method according to one of claims 10 to 17.