SUPPLY CONTAINER ARRANGEMENT FOR A BEVERAGE PREPARATION DEVICE

Abstract

In order to improve a beverage preparation device in terms of operability and ergonomics and in particular to simplify filling of a supply container with solid beverage starting products, a supply container arrangement is provided which has at least one two-part supply container having a lower part-container and a removable upper part-container which can be arranged on the lower part-container. The upper part-container has a bottom with a connection opening on which a closure device is arranged which is designed, when joining together the upper and lower part-containers, to open automatically and to free a connection between the upper and lower part-containers.

Claims

1. A supply container arrangement for a beverage preparation device, for storing and feeding one or more solid starting products for the preparation of hot or cold beverages, the supply container arrangement comprising: at least one two-part supply container (2) having a lower part-container (7) and a removable upper part-container (8) which is arrangeable on the lower part-container (7), the upper part-container (8) includes a bottom (16) with a connection opening (15), and a closure device (17) is arranged on the connection opening (15) and is designed, when joining together the upper part-container (8) to the lower part-container (7), to open automatically and to free a connection between the upper part-container (8) and the lower part-container (7).

2. The supply container arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a rail guide (9) mounted above the lower part-container (7), and the upper part-container (8) is inserted into said rail guide to join together said upper and lower part-containers.

3. The supply container arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the rail guide (9) has an end stop for the upper part-container (8) and is mounted on the lower part-container (7) in two mounting positions in such a way that the upper part-container (8) is insertable into the rail guide (9) either from a first direction or from a second direction opposite to the first direction.

4. The supply container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the closure device has a slide (17) which, when joining together the upper part-container (8) and the lower part-container (7), is pushed into an opened position by a projection (19) arranged on the lower part-container (7).

5. The supply container arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the slide (17) is secured in a closed state by a spring-loaded bar (21) and the bar has an oblique ramp (25) against which the slide (17) is displaced while overcoming a spring force.

6. The supply container arrangement according to claim 4, wherein when removing the upper part-container (8) from the lower part-container (7), the slide (17) is guided into a closed position by a latching nose (20) arranged on the lower part-container (7).

7. The supply container arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the bottom (16) of the upper part-container (8) comprises an oblique bottom inclined towards the connection opening.

8. The supply container arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the bottom (16) of the upper part-container (8) tapers downward in a funnel shape towards the connection opening (15)

9. A beverage preparation device comprising a supply container arrangement according to claim 1.

10. A beverage preparation device according to claim 9, comprising a fully automatic coffee machine including at least one of the two-part supply containers (2) that is adapted to receive and feed coffee beans arranged above a grinding unit of the fully automatic coffee machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Further advantages and refinements of the present invention will emerge from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the figures, in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an isometric illustration of a supply container arrangement for a fully automatic coffee machine,

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the supply container arrangement from FIG. 1,

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the supply container arrangement from FIG. 1,

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the upper part-container in an exploded drawing,

[0022] FIG. 5 shows an isometric illustration of the exploded drawing from FIG. 4, and

[0023] FIG. 6 shows an isometric illustration of a two-part supply container cut open in the longitudinal direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a supply container arrangement 1 for a fully automatic coffee machine. The supply container arrangement 1 comprises a total of four supply containers 2, 3, 4 and 5 which are arranged on a common plate 6 which serves as a cover plate of a fully automatic coffee machine. The two rear supply containers 2, 3 are each designed as two-part supply containers and serve to receive coffee beans. The two front supply containers 4, 5 are designed in one piece in a conventional manner and serve in the exemplary embodiment, without the invention being limited thereto, to receive chocolate powder.

[0025] Of particular interest in connection with the present invention are the two rear supply containers 2, 3, which are each of two-part design. The rear left-hand supply container 2 comprises a lower part-container 7 and an upper part-container 8 connected thereto via a rail guide 9. Here, the upper part-container 8 is inserted into the rail guide 9 from the front in the manner of a drawer or can be extracted forwards from the rail guide 9. For this purpose, it has a handle 10 by which the part-container 8 can be taken hold of and extracted forwards. In addition, the part-container 8 has a cover 11 which can be locked on the part-container 8 by a lock 11. The cover 11 is additionally provided with an elastomer seal 11 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0026] Of the rear right-hand supply container 3, all that is illustrated is its lower part-container 12 with the rail guide 13 arranged thereon. By contrast, the associated upper part-container has been removed. Unlike the left-hand supply container 2, the rail guide 13 of the right-hand supply container is here mounted, by way of example and merely for illustration, in the opposite mounting position, with the result that the associated upper part-container (not shown) can be inserted into the rail guide 13 from the rear or extracted rearwards therefrom.

[0027] FIGS. 2 and 3 show a side view and a rear view of the supply container arrangement. It can be seen in FIG. 2 that the upper part-container 8 can be extracted to the right by its handle 10 from the rail guide 9.

[0028] It becomes clear in FIG. 3 that the rail guide 9 for the supply container 2 is mounted in the opposite direction to the corresponding rail guide 13 of the second supply container 3.

[0029] Whereas the rail guide 9 on the right in FIG. 3 is mounted in such a way that the associated upper part-container 8 is extracted forwards, that is to say into the drawing plane, with respect to the fully automatic coffee machine, the corresponding rail guide 13 of the left-hand supply container 3 is mounted such that the associated upper supply container (not shown) is extracted rearwards, that is to say out of the drawing plane, with respect to the fully automatic coffee machine. The two lower part-containers 7, 12 are here configured as an integrated unit and separated internally from one another by a partition wall 14, which is illustrated by a dashed line.

[0030] The upper part-container 8 is illustrated in more detail in the exploded drawing in FIG. 4. It has an oblique bottom 16 which tapers downwards in a funnel shape towards a connection opening 15 and which forms a chute for coffee beans situated therein. A closure device is provided on the connection opening 15, said closure device automatically opening when inserting the upper part-container 8 into its associated rail guide 9, which is screwed to the lower part-container 7, or closing when extracting the upper part-container 8. The closure device comprises a slide 17 and a frame-shaped guide part 18 in which the slide 17 is displaceably guided in the longitudinal direction of the upper part-container 8. Two projections protruding laterally upwards in the interior of the rail guide 9 (cf. reference 19 in FIG. 1) ensure that the slide 17 is displaced into an opened position when inserting the upper part-container 8 into its rail guide 9, with the result that the connection opening 15 is freed. Additionally provided within the rail guide 9 are resilient latching noses 20 (cf. reference sign 20 in FIG. 1) which latch in behind the opened slide 17 and, when extracting the upper part-container 8, ensure that the slide 17 is moved back into its closing position in which it conceals the connection opening 15. In the exemplary embodiment, the latching noses 20 are arranged on a separate component 20 which is fastened resiliently or elastically below or on the rail guide 9.

[0031] Additionally provided is a locking mechanism which ensures that the slide 17 is secured in its closed position, with the result that, with the part-container 8 extracted, it cannot be inadvertently pushed open. For this purpose, a locking part 21 is provided which, in the manner of a rocker, is articulated on the frame-shaped guide part 18 by way of a hinge 22. A helical compression spring 23 ensures a downwardly directed prestressing force and, with the slide 17 closed, holds the locking part 21 in its locking position. The locking part 21 has a downwardly pointing latch 24 with oblique guide surfaces or ramps 25, 26. To open the slide 17, the locking part must be pressed upwards via the ramp 25 counter to the spring force of the helical spring 23, with the result that the slide 17 can be guided past the latch 24. In its open position, the latch 24 ensures, via the ramp 26, that the slide 17 can be guided back into its closed position only by overcoming the spring force of the spring 23.

[0032] In the isometric illustration of FIG. 5, it is clear that the locking part 21 has in each case two latches 24 which are arranged laterally with respect to the connection opening and are intended for securing the slide 17. In the partially sectioned illustration in FIG. 6, the two-part supply container 2 is illustrated in the joined-together state. The slide 17 is in its right-hand, open position and frees the connection opening 15, with the result that coffee beans can trickle from the upper part-container 8 into the lower part-container 7 via the chute formed by the oblique bottom 16. The rear connecting wall 14 separates the lower part-container 7 of the left-hand supply container 2 from the lower part-container 12 of the right-hand supply container 3 situated alongside. A funnel-shaped oblique bottom 25 is also arranged in the lower part-container 7 and opens in an outlet opening 26 through which the coffee beans can fall into a grinding unit of the fully automatic coffee machine that is situated below.

[0033] To fill the supply containers 2, 3, the associated upper part-container 8 can thus be extracted from its rail guide 9, 13, filled and inserted again without the operation of the associated fully automatic coffee machine being adversely affected or interrupted. The rail guides 9, 13 can each be mounted such that the associated upper part-container 8 can be extracted either forwards, that is to say for use in a fully automatic coffee machine in the service area, or rearwards, for example for use in a fully automatic coffee machine in the self-service area. Interruption-free and convenient filling of the fully automatic coffee machine with coffee beans is thus ensured.