Cartridge for Inserting into a Beverage-Preparing Machine and Method for Operating a Cartridge of This Type

Abstract

The invention relates to a cartridge (1) for inserting into a beverage-preparing machine, comprising a cartridge body (3) and a cartridge cover (2) connected to the cartridge body (3), wherein: the cartridge body (3) has a plurality of chambers (4) filled with beverage substance; the cartridge cover (2) has a cartridge-emptying unit (20), a mixing chamber (14), and a fluid feed (15) leading into the mixing chamber (14); the cartridge-emptying unit (20) is provided for transferring beverage substance from one of the chambers (4) into the mixing chamber (14); and the mixing chamber (14) is provided for producing a beverage by mixing the beverage substance transferred from the one chamber (4) into the mixing chamber (14) with a liquid fed into the mixing chamber (14) by means of the fluid feed (15); the cartridge being characterized in that the cartridge body (3) and the cartridge cover (2) can be rotated relative to each other about a longitudinal axis (L) of the cartridge body (3). The invention also relates to a method for operating a cartridge (1).

Claims

1. A cartridge for inserting into a beverage-preparing machine, the cartridge comprising: a) a cartridge body having a plurality of chambers filled with a beverage substance; and b) a cartridge lid connected to the cartridge body, the cartridge lid comprising: i. a cartridge emptying unit; ii. a mixing chamber; and wherein the cartridge emptying unit is provided for transferring the beverage substance from one of the chambers into the mixing chamber; wherein the mixing chamber is provided for producing a beverage by mixing the beverage substance transferred from the one chamber into the mixing chamber with a liquid fed into the mixing chamber by the fluid infeed; and wherein the cartridge body and the cartridge lid are configured so as to be rotatable relative to one another about a longitudinal axis of the cartridge body.

2. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge emptying unit is configured in such a manner that the latter transfers the beverage substance from exactly one chamber into the mixing chamber, wherein this chamber is selectable by a relative rotating movement of the cartridge body relation to the cartridge lid.

3. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge body has a barrel-shaped external wall, and the plurality of chambers are mutually separated by internal walls running in a star-shaped manner from the longitudinal axis of the cartridge body radially outward to the external wall.

4. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein a base side of the cartridge body that faces the cartridge lid is closed by a sealing element, wherein the sealing element is a sealing film/foil which is fastened in a materially integral manner to a peripheral region or a flange of the cartridge body.

5. The cartridge as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sealing element extends across a plurality of chambers and is connected in a materially integral manner to peripheral regions of internal walls.

6. The cartridge claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge emptying unit has an opening means for opening a sealing element in a region of a chamber.

7. The cartridge as claimed in claim 6, wherein the opening means comprises a perforation needle which is displaceable between a retracted position in which the perforation needle is spaced apart from the sealing element, and a deployed position in which the perforation needle pierces the sealing element.

8. The cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the perforation needle has a compressed air duct for directing compressed air into the respective chamber in the deployed position.

9. The cartridge as claimed in claim 7, wherein the perforation needle has a transfer duct for transferring the beverage substance from the respective chamber into the mixing chamber in the deployed position.

10. The cartridge as claimed in claim 8, wherein the compressed air duct is configured as a unilaterally open groove on an external face of the perforation needle or as a tubular line within the perforation needle.

11. The cartridge as claimed in claim 6, wherein a ratchet mechanism that defines latching positions in which the opening means is in each case disposed centrally below a chamber is configured between the cartridge body and the cartridge lid.

12. The cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein a blocking mechanism, which is adjustable between a blocking position in which a relative rotating movement of the cartridge body in relation to the cartridge lid is blocked, and a releasing position in which the relative rotating movement of the cartridge body in relation to the cartridge lid is released, is configured between the cartridge body and the cartridge lid.

13. A method for operating a cartridge as claimed in claim 1, comprising the following method steps: a. rotating the cartridge body relative to the cartridge lid until the cartridge emptying unit is co-aligned with a desired chamber in a first method step; b. opening the chamber by means of the cartridge emptying unit in a second method step; c. transferring the beverage substance disposed in the chamber into the mixing chamber by means of the cartridge emptying unit in a third method step; and d. feeding a liquid into the mixing chamber by means of the fluid infeed in the third method step.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in a fourth method step, the cartridge body is again rotated relative to the cartridge lid until the cartridge emptying unit is co-aligned with a further chamber, and repeating the second and the third method step with the further chamber.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the second method step, a sealing element closing the chamber is perforated in that a perforation needle is displaced from a retracted position into a deployed position.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein, in the third method step, compressed air is directed through a compressed air duct of the perforation needle into the chamber, and the beverage substance is directed through a transfer duct of the perforation needle from the chamber into the mixing chamber.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein in an intermediate step, which is carried out after the third method step and before the fourth method step, a perforation tip is displaced from a deployed position into a retracted position.

18. The cartridge as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sealing element extends completely across the base side of the cartridge body.

19. The cartridge as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transfer duct is configured as a unilaterally open groove on an external face of the perforation needle or as a tubular line within the perforation needle.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0042] The invention will be explained hereunder by means of FIGS. 1 and 2. These explanations are merely exemplary and do not limit the general concept of the invention. The explanations apply to the cartridge according to the invention and likewise to the method according to the invention. Identical elements are in particular provided with the same reference signs.

[0043] FIG. 1 (a) (c) shows a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and an individual cartridge body of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as seen from different angles; and

[0044] FIG. 2 (a) (c) shows a cartridge lid cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as seen from different angles.

[0045] Illustrated in a perspective view in FIG. 1 (a) is a cartridge 1 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cartridge 1 has a cartridge body 3 having a plurality of chambers 4, and a cartridge lid 2. A beverage substance for preparing a beverage in a beverage-preparing machine (not illustrated) is disposed in each of the chambers 4. The same beverage substance may be disposed in each of the chambers 4. However, it is also conceivable that a first beverage substance is disposed in a chamber 4.1, and a second beverage substance is disposed in a further chamber 4.2.

[0046] The cartridge 1, and in particular the external wall 5 of the cartridge body 3, can have a substantially arbitrary shape, for example a round or angular cross section, and dimensions, in particular of length and diameter, which are in a wide potential range. The only condition is that the cartridge body 3 has to be configured in such a manner that the cartridge lid 2 of the cartridge 1 is connectable thereto.

[0047] The chambers 4 are formed by internal walls 7 which are preferably made from a plastics material and which, proceeding from a center of the cartridge body 3 that is disposed on a longitudinal axis L of the cartridge body 3, are disposed so as to run in a star-shaped manner to an external wall 5 of the cartridge body 3. The internal walls 7 thus divide the cartridge body 3 into chambers 4 like pie slices. Illustrated is a cartridge body 3 having eight chambers 4 of identical size. However, any other number greater than one is also conceivable. It is furthermore conceivable that the chambers 4 are of dissimilar sizes.

[0048] The external wall 7 of the cartridge body 3 is preferably cylindrical and made at least partially from a plastics material and/or a metal.

[0049] The cartridge body 3 is disposed on a cartridge lid 2. The cartridge lid 2 has a beverage outlet 6 and serves as an interface to the beverage-preparing machine.

[0050] The cartridge lid 2 and the cartridge body 3 are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis L (illustrated by arrows).

[0051] The cartridge body 3 is plotted in a view from above in FIG. 1 (b). In order to highlight the technical effect of a rotation about the longitudinal axis (here orthogonal to the paper plane), a cartridge emptying unit 20 of the cartridge lid is plotted here, which in a view from above would actually be obscured by the cartridge body 3. The cartridge emptying unit 20 serves for retrieving the beverage substance from a chamber 4 so as to prepare a beverage with the beverage substance.

[0052] The cartridge emptying unit 20 is disposed centrally below a chamber 4, 4.1. In this position, the beverage substance by way of the cartridge emptying unit 20 can be retrieved from the chamber 4, 4.1 and fed to a beverage preparation. When the cartridge body 3 and the cartridge lid now are rotated relative to one another about the longitudinal axis L (illustrated by the dashed arrow), the position of the cartridge emptying unit 20 relative to the cartridge body 3 also changes.

[0053] The cartridge 1 between the cartridge body 3 and the cartridge lid 2 has a latching mechanism (not illustrated for reasons of clarity) which defines latching positions in which the cartridge emptying unit 20 is disposed centrally below a chamber 4. In the position illustrated, a beverage can be prepared using the beverage substance from the chamber 4, 4.1. If a further beverage is to be prepared, the cartridge body 3 does not have to be retrieved. By a rotation about the longitudinal axis L the cartridge body 3 is disposed such that the latching mechanism latches in a latching position and the cartridge emptying unit 20 is disposed centrally below a further chamber 4.2.

[0054] In order to prevent any unintentional rotation of the cartridge body 3 relative to the cartridge lid 2, the cartridge 1 has a blocking mechanism (not illustrated). The blocking mechanism can be transferred from a blocking position in which rotation is suppressed, to a releasing position in which rotation is released, and back. To this end it is conceivable that, for transferring the blocking mechanism from the blocking position to the releasing position, the cartridge body 3 is pressed onto the cartridge lid 2, or the cartridge body 3 is pulled away from the cartridge lid 2, or the cartridge body 3 is laterally impressed.

[0055] The cartridge body 3 in FIG. 1 (c) is plotted in a perspective view onto a base side that faces the cartridge lid 2. In order for the beverage substance to be securely stored in the chambers 4 until the beverage preparation, a sealing element 19, preferably in the form of a sealing film/foil, for example from a plastics material or a metal, is provided on the base side of the cartridge body 3. The sealing element 19 extends completely across the base side and covers all chambers 4 of the cartridge body 3. To this end, said sealing element 19 is fastened, for example welded or sealed, to a peripheral region, in particular to the end of the external wall 5 that faces the base side, in a materially integral manner to the cartridge body 3. In order to mutually separate the chambers 4 and to prevent that the beverage substance makes its way from one chamber 4 into another chamber 4, the sealing element 19 is furthermore fastened in a materially integral manner to those ends of the internal walls 7 that face the base side, for example welded or sealed to said ends.

[0056] The sealing element 19 in particular hermetically closes the chambers, i.e. inter alia in a fluid-tight and air-tight manner. The chambers here serve as a reservoir for a preferably liquid beverage substance. The person skilled in the art understands that instead of a beverage substance there may also be an in particular liquid foodstuff substance such as, for example, baby food, pulp, soup, or medicinal products such as high-calorie nutrition. It is vital that the (beverage) substance is provided to be mixed with a liquid, in particular water.

[0057] Shown in FIG. 2 (a) is a perspective view of the cartridge lid 2 of a cartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] The shaping of the cartridge lid 2, which here is merely by way of example, can be seen in particular here. Said cartridge lid 2 on the upper end thereof, which corresponds to the lower end according to the illustrations in FIGS. 1 (a) and 2 (b), has a wall-type, rectangular peripheral region within which are disposed the beverage outlet 6, a gas outlet 16, and an actuator receptacle 9 on a perforation needle 8. The cartridge lid 2 is preferably made from a plastics material.

[0059] With the exception of this region, the cartridge lid 2 here substantially has a dome shape, i.e. at the end thereof that lies opposite the opening is fundamentally configured so as to be rounded.

[0060] Furthermore illustrated in FIG. 2 (a) in the beverage outlet 6 is a jet-forming element 18 which here is configured in a ribbed, cruciform manner. The length of the beverage outlet 6, the cross section thereof, and the jet-forming element 15, conjointly serve for forming and/or orienting the exiting beverage jet.

[0061] A schematic cross section of a cartridge lid 2 of a cartridge 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 (b).

[0062] The cartridge lid 2 is open toward the cartridge body 3, in particular toward the sealing means 19. The cartridge lid 2 at the opposite end has at least two openings. The one opening is the beverage outlet 6 by way of which the finished mixed beverage can exit and is transferred preferably directly into a beverage container such as a cup, a tumbler or a glass. The beverage outlet 6 is preferably configured in the manner of a duct, i.e. in a longitudinal extent comprises lateral walls. The length of the beverage outlet 6 here is in particular chosen in such a manner that a directed and homogeneous beverage jet is generated. The beverage outlet to this end particularly preferably also comprises a jet-forming element 18, for example a cross, which is disposed in the lower region and is configured to shape the jet in the desired manner.

[0063] A fluid infeed 15 which here is configured as a hole, in particular with a conical rim, is provided in a lateral wall of the cartridge lid 2. In the beverage-preparing machine this fluid infeed 15 interacts with a coupling element (not illustrated) by way of which a liquid, in particular chilled and/or carbonized water, is introduced into the cartridge lid 2 by way of the fluid infeed 15.

[0064] The free volume of the cartridge lid 2 here serves as a mixing chamber 14 in which the beverage substance is mixed with the inflowing liquid, thus forming the desired beverage before the latter exits through the beverage outlet 6.

[0065] As can be derived from the image, an upper opening of the beverage outlet 6 lies above a lower region of the mixing chamber 15 so that a sufficient length for forming the jet is achieved. So that the beverage generated in the mixing chamber 14 can nevertheless be totally directed out of the cartridge receptacle 1, and subsequent dripping when retrieving the cartridge system from the beverage-preparing machine and a residual dead volume, which cannot be utilized, can thus in particular be avoided, the cartridge receptacle 1 furthermore has a residue outlet 21 which is provided in particular at the lowest point of the mixing chamber (in the orientation as is present in the arrangement assembled in the beverage-preparing machine). The residue outlet 21 is particularly preferably provided so as to be adjacent to the beverage outlet 6 and/or is at least partially part of the beverage outlet 6. Here, for example, the beverage outlet 6 is provided in such a manner that the latter has a substantially circular cross section, whereby a small region of the cross section in a region of the circumference is configured as a residue outlet 21, however. In particular, the upper entry face of the residue outlet 21 is disposed lower than the upper entry face of the beverage outlet 6. It is consequently also presently the case that the length and the cross-sectional area of the residue outlet 21 are significantly smaller than the length and the cross-sectional area of the beverage outlet 6 because the residue outlet 21 is provided only for discharging a comparatively minor residual volume.

[0066] In order for the beverage substance to be transferred from the chamber 4 into the mixing chamber 14, the cartridge lid 2 has a cartridge unloading installation 20. The cartridge lid 2 below the fluid infeed 15 has a compressed air connector 13 which here likewise has a conical rim so as to interact with a compressed air infeed of the beverage-preparing machine so that compressed air can be introduced into the cartridge lid 2. A coupling element on the machine preferably comprises a compressed air line as well as a liquid line so that the coupling element is able to be coupled, in particular simultaneously, to both openings, i.e. the fluid infeed 15 and the compressed air connector 13. The compressed air from the compressed air connector 13 is directed in the direction of a mandrel guide 17. The latter here is configured as an opening which receives a perforation needle 8 in a form-fitting manner such that the latter is longitudinally displaceable between a retracted position and a deployed position. The mandrel guide 17 and the perforation needle 8 here are part of the cartridge unloading installation 20.

[0067] The perforation needle 8 is provided in such a manner that the latter interacts with an actuator element (not illustrated) of the beverage-preparing machine so that the perforation needle 8 is able to be transferred from the retracted position thereof to the deployed position. The perforation needle 8 in the deployed position perforates the sealing element 19 so that the beverage substance can flow through the sealing film/foil 19 into the mixing chamber 14, in particular by way of at least one transfer duct 10 in the form of a groove-shaped duct which is disposed on the external circumference of the perforation needle 8. Because a vacuum would or could be created in the chamber 4 when transferring the beverage substance out of the latter, the perforation needle 8 has an internal tubular compressed air duct 11 which opens into the tip of the perforation needle 8, wherein the perforation needle 8 and in particular the compressed air line 12 are configured in such a manner that the compressed air duct 11 is fluidically connected to the compressed air connector 13 only in the deployed position. It is ensured as a result that compressed air is not inadvertently introduced into the mixing chamber 14. The compressed air is introduced into the chamber 4 during the preparation of the beverage and in said chamber 4 replaces the volume that has become vacant by the outflow of the beverage substance into the mixing chamber 14, and forces out the beverage substance.

[0068] It is conceivable that the beverage-preparing machine controls the compressed air infeed in such a manner that, toward the end of the beverage preparation, a residual volume of the beverage substance, of the liquid and/or of the beverage is forced out of the cartridge 1 by way of the residue outlet 21.

[0069] Nevertheless, a certain volume of gas, in particular carbon dioxide, is typically released in the mixing chamber. This gas could escape into the environment by way of the beverage outlet 6, for example, and in the process however disturb the beverage jet. For example, an intermittent jet, or splashes or bubbles, may occur. This is not desirable. Therefore, the cartridge lid 2 has a gas outlet 16 which is in particular configured so as to be separate from the beverage outlet 6. Separate here means in particular that liquid and/or gas downstream of the mixing chamber 14 cannot make its way from the beverage outlet 6 into the gas outlet 16 and vice versa. There are thus no holes or fluidic connections between the two outlets which are preferably configured in the manner of ducts. It is thus ensured in turn that no liquid, thus neither the introduced liquid, nor the beverage substance or the finished beverage, exits by way of the gas outlet 16, but the beverage is primarily discharged by way of the beverage outlet 6 and secondarily by way of the smaller residue outlet 21, if an upper entry face of the gas outlet 16 is disposed higher than the upper entry face of the beverage outlet 6, as is depicted here.

[0070] The gas outlet 16 here is provided so as to be substantially centric in the cartridge receptacle 1 but may also be disposed in a peripheral region, for example. The arrangement shown here is however advantageous as it is desirable in the first place that, in the context of complete mixing, the liquid and the beverage substance travel an ideally long path between the fluid infeed 15 and the beverage outlet 6, and the centric region between the mandrel guide 17 and the beverage outlet 6 is thus advantageously available.

[0071] The perforation needle preferably has a tip and an obliquely disposed face which facilitate the perforation of the sealing element 19. The compressed air duct 10 preferably opens out in the aforementioned face and in particular centrically in the perforation needle 8.

[0072] The perforation needle 8 on the lower end thereof has an actuator receptacle 9, a region which here is embodied as a depression, in which the actuator element of the beverage-preparing machine engages in order to transfer the perforation needle 8 from the retracted position to the deployed position. This region is preferably configured so as to at least in portions taper toward the top, thus in the direction of the tip of the perforation needle 8, so as to enable simple centering of the actuator element, as a result of which tilting of the perforation needle 8 in the mandrel guide 17 and any potential resultant damage to the cartridge 1 and/or the beverage-preparing machine is avoided.

[0073] The lower end region of the cartridge lid 2 is presently provided so as to be oblique, but this is primarily an esthetic decision; for example, a substantially horizontally disposed end region, which is oriented so as to be in particular parallel to the opening plane defined by the connecting region and in particular the upper encircling edge, would also be possible.

[0074] The gas outlet 16 and the beverage outlet 6 here have a substantially circular cross section, with the exception of a small region which in the case of the beverage outlet 6 is occupied by the residue outlet 21. The person skilled in the art however understands that other cross sections, for example oval or polygonal cross sections, are also possible in principle.

[0075] FIG. 2 (c) now shows a view of the cartridge lid 2 from the direction of the sealing element 19 of the cartridge body 3. This embodiment corresponds substantially to the embodiments already explained above so that the explanations pertaining to the latter are also relevant here. It can be seen here in particular that the cartridge lid 2 has a substantially circular cross section with a flattening in the region of the fluid infeed 15 and the compressed air connector 13, so as to enable easier coupling to the beverage-preparing machine.

[0076] The mandrel guide 17, the gas outlet 16, the beverage outlet 6 and/or the residue outlet 21 are preferably integrally formed.

[0077] The groove-shaped transfer ducts 10 and the compressed air duct 11 of the perforation needle 8 of the cartridge emptying unit 20 can be readily seen here.

[0078] It can finally be seen from the illustration in FIG. 2 (c) that in particular the residue outlet 21, the beverage outlet 6, the gas outlet 16, the mandrel guide 17 and the fluid infeed 15 as well as the compressed air connector 13 lie substantially on an imaginary axis which runs from the left to the right in the picture, and that the mixing chamber 14 is largely provided on both sides of this axis.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0079] 1 Cartridge [0080] 2 Cartridge lid [0081] 3 Cartridge body [0082] 4, 4.1 Chamber [0083] 4.2 Further chamber [0084] External wall [0085] 6 Beverage outlet [0086] 7 Internal wall [0087] 8 Perforation needle [0088] 9 Actuator receptacle [0089] Transfer duct [0090] 11 Compressed air duct [0091] 12 Compressed air line [0092] 13 Compressed air connector [0093] 14 Mixing chamber [0094] Fluid infeed [0095] 16 Gas outlet [0096] 17 Mandrel guide [0097] 18 Jet-forming element [0098] 19 Sealing element [0099] Cartridge emptying unit [0100] L Longitudinal axis