COFFEE MACHINE

Abstract

A coffee machine has a container for coffee beans, a grinder to which coffee beans can be fed from the container, a filter holder into which ground coffee can be fed from the grinder via a shaft, and a supply device for hot water which can be introduced into the filter holder. In the shaft between the grinder and the filter holder a closing device is provided with a rotatable flap which is movable between an open and a closed position. The flap is rotatable about an axis which extends substantially parallel to a plane of the flap and has a seal arranged on the outer periphery. This allows the shaft to be effectively opened and closed.

Claims

1. A coffee machine comprising: a) a container configured for holding coffee beans; b) a grinder configured for receiving coffee beans fed from the container; c) a filter holder configured for receiving ground coffee from the grinder fed via a shaft; d) a supply device configured for introducing hot water into the filter holder; and e) a closing device with a rotatable flap, the flap being disposed in a shaft between the grinder and the filter holder, which flap is movable between an open and a closed position, wherein the flap is rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to a plane of the flap, and wherein the flap has a seal disposed on an outer periphery of the flap.

2. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the plane of the flap corresponds to a sealing plane in the closed position of the flap.

3. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the flap in the closed position has an upper side arranged at least partially in the shaft and wherein the upper side of the flap in the open position forms a wall portion facing an inner side of the shaft.

4. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the flap is arranged outside the shaft.

5. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the flap is rotatable between the opening and closing positions at an angle between 60° to 120°.

6. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the axis extends in a horizontal plane.

7. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein a downwardly open receiving chamber is formed next to the shaft, into which the flap is insertable in the open position.

8. The coffee machine according to claim 7, wherein the flap in the closed position closes the shaft and the downwardly open receiving chamber.

9. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the flap, in the closed position, has an underside which, in the open position, faces the outside of the shaft.

10. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the shaft below the flap is designed to spread open.

11. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein a stop is formed on the flap, which stop is configured to be placed against a wall of the shaft.

12. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein an integrally formed bearing for receiving the axis is formed on the flap.

13. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the seal has an outwardly projecting flexible sealing lip.

14. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the flap is rotatable by means of a motor which is connected to the axis of the flap by means of a gear.

15. The coffee machine according to claim 1, wherein the shaft between the grinder and the filter holder is angular.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

[0020] In the drawings,

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a view of the coffee machine according to the invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through the coffee machine in the area of the shaft with the flap open;

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view in the area of the shaft with the flap closed;

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the shaft in the closed position; and

[0025] FIGS. 5A and 5B show two detailed views of the flap with the axis.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] A coffee machine 1 comprises a container 2 for storing coffee beans, which is arranged above a grinder 3. Below the grinder 3 is a filter holder 4 in which ground coffee for brewing coffee can be received, the brewed coffee being collectable in a jug 5 below the filter holder 4. The jug 5 is placed on a base 6 of a housing, which has a control unit 7 with a control system. A water tank 8 is detachably held on the housing, from which water can be conveyed by a pump to a heating device in order to then introduce the hot water into the filter holder 4 via a supply line.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through the coffee machine 1, showing the area between the grinder 3 and the filter holder 4. The grinder 3 comprises two grinding discs 30 and 31, which are rotatable relative to each other and are used to grind coffee beans from the container 2. The grinder 3 has an outlet 9 which leads to a shaft 10. The shaft 10 is angular in shape and includes, adjacent to the outlet 9, a chute 11 and an adjoining vertical section. The shaft 10 may also have a different geometry for conveying the ground coffee from the grinder 3 into the filter holder 4.

[0028] A closing device with a rotatable flap 12 is arranged in the shaft 10, which flap is essentially plate-shaped and can be rotated about an axis 13. The axis 13 is located outside the shaft 10, which is bounded adjacent to the axis 13 by a wall 14 which is oriented substantially vertically. Adjacent to the shaft 10, a downwardly open chamber 15 is formed, into which the flap 12 can be at least partially inserted in an open position, so that the flap 12 is arranged in a protected manner in the open position.

[0029] FIG. 3 shows a closed position of the flap 12. By rotating the flap 12 about the axis 13 by about 90°, the flap 12 has been moved from a vertical position to a horizontal position. An upper side 19 of a part of the flap 12 thereby seals the shaft 10 towards the upper side, while another part of the flap 12 seals the chamber 15. A bottom 20 of the flap 12 faces a space that water vapor can also reach when brewing coffee, so that the flap 12 prevents water vapor from entering the shaft 10 and the chamber 15.

[0030] The flap 12 is substantially plate-shaped and comprises a seal 17 at the outer periphery, which has a projecting bendable sealing lip 18 which can be placed against a wall in the region of the shaft 10. These abutment lines of the sealing lip 18 define a plane to which the axis 13 is oriented substantially parallel.

[0031] The area of the shaft 10 below the flap 12 is bounded by walls 16 which are splayed, for example at an angle of between 20° to 60° inclined to the vertical, so that coffee grounds falling down through the shaft 10 do not contact the walls 16, which may become coated with condensation during the brewing process.

[0032] A stop 24 is formed on the flap 12, which can strike against a wall 14 of the shaft 10 in the open position in order to limit the rotary movement of the flap 12. In this case, the wall 14 forms the partition between the shaft 10 and the receiving chamber 15, which is open towards the front, for receiving a part of the flap 12.

[0033] When the flap 12 is rotated in the closing direction, an upper side 19 of the flap 12 forms a stop and can come into contact with the lower end face of the wall 14, so that this rotational movement is also limited.

[0034] In FIG. 4, the area of the shaft 10 with a closed flap 12 is shown from below. Around the flap 12 are walls 16 which are arranged to spread open. The flap 12 is essentially square in plan view, but can also be rectangular or oval or have another geometry.

[0035] FIGS. 5A and 5B show the flap 12 with the axis 13 in detail. The substantially plate-shaped flap 12 has an integrally formed bearing 21 which serves for the passage of the pin-shaped axis 13. The bearing 21 does not have an exactly circular cross-section, but rather a chamber 22 projecting radially from the axis 13, into which a driver 23 is inserted, which is connected to or integrally formed with the axis 13. As a result, the flap 12 is connected to the shaft 10 in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0036] A block is further fixed or integrally formed on the axis 13 with the stop 24, on which a pin 25 is provided for connection to drive means. The pin 25 may, for example, be coupled by a gear with gears to a motor or other drive which is actuated by a control to move the flap 12 to the open position when coffee beans are ground by the grinder 3 and then to the closed position prior to the brewing operation.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the axis 13 is arranged substantially centrally on the flap 12. It is also possible to arrange the flap 12 asymmetrically relative to the axis 13 to reduce the size of the downwardly open chamber 15. For example, the portion of the flap 12 projecting to the left side of the axis 13 in FIG. 3 could be shortened or omitted.

[0038] Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0039] 1 Coffee machine [0040] 2 Container [0041] 3 Grinder [0042] 4 Filter holder [0043] 5 Jug [0044] 6 Base [0045] 7 Control unit [0046] 8 Water tank [0047] 9 Outlet [0048] 10 Shaft [0049] 11 Chute [0050] 12 Flap [0051] 13 Axis [0052] 14 Wall [0053] 15 Chamber [0054] 16 Wall [0055] 17 Seal [0056] 18 Sealing lip [0057] 19 Upper side [0058] 20 Bottom [0059] 21 Bearing [0060] 22 Chamber [0061] 23 Driver [0062] 24 Stop [0063] 25 Pin [0064] 30 Grinding disc [0065] 31 Grinding disc