BEVERAGE PREPARATION DEVICE AND OPERATING METHOD

Abstract

A beverage preparation device (1), in particular a coffee machine, with a housing (2), an outlet (5) for discharging a beverage into a beverage container and a support element (6) for supporting the beverage container, said support element being arranged in a detachable manner in the insert openings (9, 10) which are arranged on the front side of the housing (4) and which are at variable distances to the outlet (5). The insertion openings (9, 10) are associated with closure means (12) for closing the insertion openings (9, 10) when the support device (6) is not inserted.

Claims

1. A beverage preparation device (1), in particular a coffee machine, having a housing (2) and having an outlet (5) for pouring a beverage into a drinking container as well as having a rest device (6) for setting down the drinking container, said rest device (6) being detachably arrangeable on a housing front side (4) in insertion openings (9, 10), which are distanced unequally to the outlet (5), and being arranged with varying distances relative to the outlet (5) wherein the insertion openings (9, 10) are allocated to closing means (12) for closing the insertion openings (9, 10) when the rest device (6) is not inserted.

2. The beverage preparation device according to claim 1, wherein the closing means (12) comprise closing elements (16, 17), which are allocated to the insertion openings (9, 10) and are displaceable between a respective opening position and a respective closing position, in which the closing elements (16, 17) close the respective insertion opening (9, 10).

3. The beverage preparation device according to claim 1, wherein the closing means (12) comprise driving means allocated to the closing elements (16, 17) in order to automatically move the closing elements (16, 17) towards the respective closing position when extracting and/or after having extracted the rest device (6) from the respective insertion opening (9, 10).

4. The beverage preparation device according to claim 3, wherein the driving means are designed so as to exert a closing force on the closing elements (16, 17) when in the closing position.

5. The beverage preparation device according to claim 2, wherein the closing means (12) comprise fastening means allocated to the closing elements (16, 17) in order to accurately position and/or hold the closing elements (16, 17) in the respective closing position.

6. The beverage preparation device according to claim 2, wherein the closing elements (16, 17) are arranged so as to be translationally movable or pivotal between the respective opening position and the respective closing position or so as to be movable in a combined translational and rotatable movement.

7. The beverage preparation device according to claim 2, wherein the closing elements (16, 17) are part of a respective flap (18, 19).

8. The beverage preparation device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion openings (9, 10) are arranged one above the other in the housing front side (4) in a direction (H) extending perpendicular to an installation surface (3).

9. The beverage preparation device according to claim 1, wherein a device for rearward engagement is allocated to the rest device (6) in order to fasten the rest device (6) in the insertion opening (9, 10) against a purely straight removal movement.

10. The beverage preparation device according to claim 1, wherein the rest device (6) is realized as a drip tray having an installation surface (3).

11. The beverage preparation device according to claim 1, wherein a housing section comprising at least a part of the insertion openings (9, 10) is part of a housing drawer (14) having a collecting bin for pomace or a serving size.

12. A method for operating a beverage preparation device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the rest device (6) is removed from one of the insertion openings (9, 10), and wherein this insertion opening (9, 10) is closed by means of the closing means (12), and wherein the rest device (6) is detachably arranged in one of the insertion openings (9, 10) while or after closing the insertion opening (9, 10).

13. The beverage preparation device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion opening (9, 10) are circumferentially closed.

14. The beverage preparation device according to claim 2, wherein, in the opening position, the closing elements (16, 17) are arranged in the housing, and wherein in the closing position, the closing elements (16, 17) are flush with the housing front side (4).

15. The beverage preparation device according to claim 3, wherein the driving means comprises energy storage means (20, 21).

16. The beverage preparation device according to claim 5, wherein the fastening means comprise permanent magnet elements and/or locking elements.

17. The beverage preparation device according to claim 8, wherein the insertion openings (9, 10) comprise identical opening cross section and have a vertical distance to each other in a vertical direction (H) extending perpendicular to the installation surface (3).

18. The beverage preparation device according to claim 10, wherein the drip tray comprises a drip grid.

19. The beverage preparation device according to claim 11, wherein the collecting bin comprise a collecting bin for capsules.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the rest device (6) is removed from a first one of the insertion openings (9, 10) which is automatically closed by means of the closing means (12), and wherein the rest device (6) is detachably arranged in a second one of the insertion openings (9, 10) while or after closing the first one of the insertion openings (9, 10).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Further advantages, features and details of the invention can be derived from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments as well as from the drawings.

[0028] In the following,

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates an inclined view on the front of a housing front side of a beverage preparation device realized according to the concept of the invention,

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a housing-front-side section comprising insertion openings in a view from behind or rather from the housing interior, and

[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates the housing-front-side section according to FIG. 2 in a view from the interior or rather from behind in the design as a collection bin for pomace or serving sizes, in particular a housing drawer comprising capsules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] In the figures, the same elements and elements having the same function are referenced with the same reference numerals.

[0033] In FIG. 1, an exemplary beverage preparation device 1 is illustrated, realized as a coffee capsule machine. The beverage preparation device 1 comprises a housing, which defines an (lower) installation surface 3 directly or via feet (not illustrated), said installation surface 3 generally being oriented horizontal. A housing front side 4 (housing front wall) extends perpendicular to the installation surface 3 in a vertical direction H, which extends perpendicular to the installation surface 3 and is generally oriented vertical. In an area in front of the housing front side 4, an outlet 5 is arranged for a beverage, in this example coffee, made using the beverage preparation device 1. Via the outlet 5, the beverage can flow into a drinking container (not illustrated), for example a mug, a glass or a cup, which is arranged on a rest device 6 in an area below the outlet 5. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the rest device 6 comprises a drip tray 7 and drip or installation grid 8, which covers the drip tray 7 and on which the drinking container can be set.

[0034] The rest device 6 can be positioned in different positions (exactly two in this example) relative to the outlet 5, in which positions the rest device 6 is distanced from the outlet 5 in varying distances in the vertical direction H. The rest device 6 specifically is in an exemplary upper position, which is defined by a first insertion opening 9 in the housing front side 4, said first insertion opening 9 being illustrated in FIG. 2 and being covered by the rest device 6 in FIG. 1, and alternatively thereto is in a second or lower position, which is defined by a second insertion opening 10 in the housing front side. For changing the height or for changing the distance of the rest device 6, more precisely an insertion section of the rest device 6, which protrudes into the housing and preferably reaches through the housing front side, relative to the outlet 5, the rest device 6 only has to be pulled out of the first insertion opening away from the housing 2 in a removal direction E, i.e. essentially perpendicular to the surface extension of the housing front side 4, and be inserted into the second insertion opening 10. The insertion openings 9, 10 are elongated perpendicular to the vertical extension H of the housing 2 and are shaped like slits. From FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 it can be seen that the two insertion openings 9, 10 are distanced from each other via a housing area 11 in the vertical direction H.

[0035] From FIG. 1 it can be seen that the second, in this exemplary instance lower, insertion opening 10, which is not occupied by the rest device 6, is closed by means of closing means 12 of the beverage preparation device 1, said closing means 12 being separate from the rest device 6 and being arranged flush in a frontal housing surface section 13. In this specific exemplary embodiment, as yielded in particular from FIG. 3, the housing surface section 13 is formed by a housing drawer 14, which is inserted from the front into the housing 2 and carries or comprises on its back side a collection bin 15, for coffee capsules in this exemplary embodiment which can fall into the collection bin 15 after a beverage-making process has taken place.

[0036] From the rearview according to FIG. 2 it can be seen that the closing means 12 comprise a first closing element 16 allocated to the first insertion opening 9 as well as a second closing element 17 separate thereto and allocated to the second insertion opening 10. In the specific exemplary embodiment, both closing elements 16, 17 are components of a flap, more precisely a first and a second flap 18, 19, respectively, which are jointed to the housing 2, to the housing front side 4 from the back in this instance.

[0037] In the illustration according to FIG. 2, both closing elements 16, 17 are in a closing position, which is only correct for the lower or second closing element 17 from an illustrative point of view since only the second insertion opening 10 is closed by the second closing element 17. In a correct view, the first closing element 16 would have to be in an opening position pivoted inward with respect to the illustrated closing position since the rest device 6 protrudes into the first insertion opening 9 perpendicular to the vertical direction H and is detachably fixed therein, in particular clamped therein by being tilted.

[0038] It can be seen that both closing elements 16, 17 can be displaced, pivoted in this instance, from the closing position to the opening position contrary to the spring force of energy storage means 20, 21, which are each realized as spring clips each comprising two torsion-spring sections in this specific exemplary embodiment, which support themselves on one end in the interior of the housing front side 4 (housing front wall) as well as on the respective closing element 16, 17 on the rear side and which apply a spring force to the respective closing element in the illustrated closing position.

[0039] In the specific exemplary embodiment, the closing elements 16, 17 can be displaced, or pivoted in this instance, to the opening position by inserting the rest device 6 into the respective insertion opening 9, 10 and by applying a resulting displacement force by means of the rest device 6 itself, said opening position being above the respective insertion opening 9, 10 in this specific exemplary embodiment. Alternatively thereto, the pivoting direction of both locking elements 16, 17 can be oriented downward or one of the closing elements 16, 17 can be pivoted upward and a different closing element 16, 17 can be pivoted downward. In the specific exemplary embodiment for example, the respective joint connections 22, 23 are each above the respective insertion opening 9, 10.

[0040] In order to displace the rest device 6 from the illustrated relative position to the outlet 5 having a smaller distance to the lower position with a greater distance, the rest device 6 first has to be removed from the first insertion opening 9. In the meantime, the first locking element 16 pivots from the opening position (not illustrated) downward, for example, to the closing position (already illustrated), whereupon the rest device 6 is inserted into the second insertion opening 10 and the second closing element 17 pivots upward, in this specific embodiment, to the respective opening position by being subjected to a displacement force.