BREWING MODULE, CAPSULE RECOGNITION MODULE, AND BEVERAGE PREPARATION MACHINE

Abstract

A capsule recognition module for a brewing module for preparing a brewed beverage from a single serve capsule includes: an optical sensor for sensing optical properties of the capsule that is located in a capsule recognition position, a capsule recognition window that is made of a transparent material and is located between the capsule recognition position and the camera, and a fan for generating an air flow from the capsule recognition window towards the capsule recognition position.

Claims

1. A capsule recognition module for a brewing module for preparing a brewed beverage from a portion capsule, comprising: an optical sensor that comprises a camera, said optical sensor being adapted to detect optical characteristics of the capsule located at a capsule recognition position, a capsule recognition window of a transparent material, between the capsule recognition position and the camera, and a fan for producing an airflow at the side of the capsule recognition window that is towards the capsule recognition position.

2. The capsule recognition module according to claim 1, wherein the capsule recognition window is arranged at a non-right angle to an axis between the capsule recognition position and the optical sensor.

3. The capsule recognition module according to claim 1, comprising at least one light source for the illumination of the capsule at the capsule recognition position, wherein the light source is arranged at the side of the capsule recognition window that is towards the optical sensor.

4. The capsule recognition module according to claim 3, comprising a diffuser for light produced by the light source.

5. A brewing module for preparing a brewed beverage from a portion capsule, comprising: a housing, which comprises a capsule insert opening, through which the capsule can be inserted; a first brewing module part and a second brewing module part, which is movable relative to this, wherein a brewing chamber can be formed by the first and the second brewing module part, said brewing chamber at least partly surrounding the capsule located in a brewing position during the brewing procedure, wherein the brewing module is designed to brew a brewed beverage by way of the introduction of a brewing fluid into the capsule and to discharge this beverage out of the capsule; and a capsule recognition module according to claim 1.

6. The brewing module according to claim 5, wherein the capsule recognition module is arranged such that the capsule recognition position is vertically above the brewing position.

7. The brewing module according to claim 6, wherein the first and the second brewing module parts are movable relative to one another, between three different, defined positions, wherein the brewing chamber is formed in the first position, wherein the capsule located in the brewing chamber drops downwards into a capsule container under the effect of gravity after a movement from the first into the second position, wherein however in the second position the brewing module parts have the effect that a capsule which is inserted through the capsule insert opening is held vertically above a height of the brewing position, at the capsule recognition position, wherein in the third position, a capsule located at the capsule recognition position can drop downwards from this, essentially down to the height of the brewing position, and wherein the second position is between the first position and the third position.

8. The brewing module according to claim 5, wherein the movability of the second brewing module part relative to the first brewing module part permits a purely linear relative movement.

9. A beverage preparation machine, comprising a water feed, a pump and a water heater, as well as a capsule recognition module according to claim 1 or a brewing module according to claim 5.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Embodiment examples of the invention are hereinafter described by way of the figures. In the figures, the same reference numerals describe the same or analogous elements. There are shown in:

[0041] FIG. 1 is a lateral view of the brewing module;

[0042] FIG. 2 is a sectioned representation of the brewing module of FIG. 1, sectioned along the plane II-II in FIG. 3;

[0043] FIG. 3 is a view of the brewing module of FIG. 1, from above;

[0044] FIG. 4 is an exploded representation of elements of the brewing module according to FIG. 1-3 (without some of the housing parts);

[0045] FIG. 5-9 is, in each case, a sectioned representation of the brewing module according to FIG. 1-3, during different phases of the operation;

[0046] FIG. 10 is a detail of a possible embodiment of a discharge device;

[0047] FIG. 11 is an exploded representation of the elements of the brewing module with the capsules recognition module, which are present at the upper side,

[0048] FIG. 12 is an exploded representation of a camera unit of the capsule recognition module; and

[0049] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a drinks preparation machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] The brewing module 1 according to FIGS. 1-3, whose elements are to be seen in FIG. 4 in an exploded representation (wherein some elements, in particular housing parts, have been omitted), includes an outer brewing module housing 2. In the represented embodiment example, this is composed of an upper housing part (capsule recognition housing) and of a lower housing part (brewing chamber unit housing). Two brewing module parts, specifically a discharge device 3 and an injector 4 and which are movable relative to one another, are guided in the brewing module housing 2.

[0051] The injector 4 includes perforation elements for piercing a capsule 10, which is able to be introduced into the brewing module via an insert opening 11 and which is at least partly filled with extraction material, for example ground coffee. The injector 4 is designed to introduce a fluid—for example hot water—through the perforation elements or past these, into the pierced capsule, wherein the water can be fed via a water feed 12 which for example can include flexible tubing.

[0052] With the embodiment example described here, the discharge device 3 also includes perforation elements, specifically extraction side piercing tips 39. These can be designed for example as is described in WO 2015/039258 or in WO 2010/118544, or have another design, and the application of principles other than piercing tips, of example with grating-like structures are also possible.

[0053] The discharge device moreover includes guide means 31, which, at both sides of the capsule, project towards the injector side, as are described for example in WO 2015/048914, the contents of which relating to the manner of functioning of these guide means as well as to the respective retrieval means of the injector being expressly referred to here.

[0054] As is known per se, for preparing a brewed drink, a capsule is placed between the discharge device 3 and the injector 4, and these are moved towards one another such that a brewing chamber encompassing the capsule is formed between these. The hot water is fed under pressure through the injector to the capsule, and the extraction product flows through the discharge device 3 via a drinks outlet 13 into a drinks vessel, which is placed therebelow for example.

[0055] The relative movement of the brewing module parts - the discharge device and the injector - in the embodiment example described here is achieved by way of the discharge device 3 being assembled in a manner in which it is fixed to the housing, whereas the injector 4 is movable along the horizontal axis. The drive of the injector is effected via a toggle lever driven in a motorised manner. A pinion shaft 24, which is in connection with an electric motor (not visible in the figures, for example covered by a drive housing 25), drives a toothed drive disc 20, which is connected to a first toggle lever arm 21 in a rotationally fixed manner, so that a pivoting movement of the drive disc 20 about its axis 26 pivots the first toggle lever arm 21 likewise about this axis. A second toggle lever arm 22 is connected at one side to the first toggle lever arm 21 via a toggle lever bolt 23 and at the other side cooperates with a guide pin 41 of the injector 4. Since the injector is mounted by the housing such that it is only linearly displaceable along the essentially horizontal axis, a pivot movement of the drive disc and of the first toggle lever arm therefore effects a stretching or sharp bending of the toggle joint formed by the toggle lever and, on account of this, a linear displacement of the injector 4.

[0056] The brewing module, above the brewing chamber unit with the discharge device 3 and injector 4 includes a capsule recognition module 5 with a camera, whose construction and manner of functioning is hereinafter dealt with in more detail.

[0057] The course of operation is described by way of FIGS. 5-9.

[0058] On inserting the capsule 10, the injector 4 is located, for example, at the second position, as is represented in FIG. 5. In this position, although the brewing chamber is opened, the injector however is retracted to the injector side only to such an extent that that a rest portion 42 of the injector 4 holds back the capsule 10, which is guided in the insert opening 11 by way of a lateral guide 28, at the capsule recognition position, which is represented in FIG. 6.

[0059] The capsule recognition, which is yet described hereafter, is carried out whilst the capsule 10 is located at this capsule recognition position according to FIG. 6, for which capsule recognition, for example, an optical feature present on the side of the capsule (capsule base) that faces the injection side is detected.

[0060] As the case may be and in a manner depending on the result of the capsule recognition, the injector 4 is subsequently moved even further towards the injection side into the third position, which is illustrated in FIG. 7. The rest portion is displaced away from the capsule by way of this, and the capsule can drop downwards. It is stopped at the height of the brewing position by way of a rest of the lateral guide means 31. This can be effected, for example, by way of a rest 35, on which a collar and or another portion of the capsule comes to lie, when this capsule drops downwards, guided with the collar in a (first) track 33 connecting to the lateral guide 28. This principle is illustrated in FIG. 10 and is described in detail in WO 2015/048914.

[0061] The brewing chamber is subsequently closed after activation by the user or automatically, for which the injector is moved from the third into the first position. FIG. 8 shows the brewing module with the injector in the first position. The capsule 10 is pierced at both sides, and the brewing process takes place, for example by way of hot water being led under pressure into the capsule. On closing the brewing chamber, for example, the capsule collar is also displaced out of the mentioned first track 33.

[0062] Optionally, a further capsule 10′ can already be inserted during the brewing process, and this further capsule then lies on the already mentioned rest portion 42 or on a further rest portion 43 and remains in the capsule recognition position. The recognition of the second capsule 10′ can therefore already be effected during the brewing process of the first capsule 10.

[0063] The injector is moved back into the second position after completion of the brewing process. The spent capsule 10 can drop downwards into a capsule container (FIG. 9).

[0064] The fact that the spent capsule can drop downwards can be accomplished by way of the capsule position after the brewing process being displaced with respect to the position after the insertion, such that it no longer lies on the rest 35, but the collar, for example, is guided in a second track 36, as is likewise described in WO 2015/048914. Thereby, the option of the second track 36 running further to the injector side in comparison to the first track 33 and vice versa is also given.

[0065] As an alternative to this procedure according to WO 2015/048914, one can also envisage, for example, the lateral guide means being pivoted outwards after completion of the brewing process, or holding or guide means being moved relative to the capsule some other way, on closing the brewing chamber and/or on opening it after the brewing process.

[0066] Instead of a movement from the first into the second position, a movement directly into the third position can be effected, if a capsule recognition process of a second capsule, which takes place during a brewing procedure, is already completed.

[0067] FIG. 11 shows the capsule recognition module including the respective parts of the housing 2, in an exploded view. FIG. 12 shows parts of the camera, as well as of the illumination means of the capsule recognition module, likewise in an exploded representation. Some of the respective elements are also visible in FIG. 5.

[0068] After the brewing procedure, water vapour also gets into the region above the brewing position and into the environment of the capsule recognition position. The capsule recognition module apart from the camera unit therefore also includes a capsule recognition window 52, which separates the camera and, as the case may be other optical or electronic components, from the region, into which water vapour can get.

[0069] Amongst other things, several LEDs 62 as light sources are arranged on a circuit board 57, and during the capsule recognition process produce light, which is thrown upon the capsule via a diffuser 53 (cf. also FIG. 5) and a capsule recognition window 52. A suitable, optically readable feature, for example a barcode, a 2D matrix code (for example QR code or Aztec code), another defined code, a pictogram (icon) and/or also a certain colouring, is present on the capsule.

[0070] The side of the capsule that is illuminated by the light sources is detected by the camera and is evaluated in the camera or by way of a separate module (not represented), which, for example, is likewise present in the coffee machine.

[0071] The light, which is reflected from the illuminated capsule for this purpose, gets through the capsule recognition window 52 and a diffuser window 54 in the diffuser 53 (the diffuser effect exists only around the diffuser window 54—the diffuser widow 54 itself is transparent) to the camera which includes an aperture 58, at least one lens 59 as well as the camera sensor 51, for example with a CCD or CMOS sensor array, which is likewise present on the circuit board 57.

[0072] The diffuser window 54 here is held by a diffuser window holder 55, and the lens 59 is guided in a lens fixation 60, which for its part is held by a lens holder 61 assembled on the circuit board 57. The mechanical details of the camera optics and the design of the diffuser, however, can also be selected differently without further ado.

[0073] An optional sealing frame 56, which, together with the diffuser itself, ensures an additional protection of the camera electronics is present between the diffuser 53 and the circuit board 57.

[0074] With regard to the capsule recognition position, a fan is located in front of the capsule recognition window 52 and during the capsule recognition procedure and/or before this produces an airflow in front of the capsule recognition window, by way of it sucking air from outside the coffee machine and blowing it through a slot 71 in the housing 2 to in front of the capsule recognition window 52.

[0075] A further feature of the capsule recognition window, for example, is likewise represented in FIG. 11. The capsule recognition window 2 is arranged at a non-right angle to the axis 65 between the capsule recognition position and the camera sensor 51. By way of this, reflections of the light sources are efficiently prevented from being able to superimpose on the image of the capsule on the camera sensor and from being able to adulterate the evaluation. The angle of the capsule recognition window plane to the perpendicular to the axis 65 ‘capsule recognition position—camera sensor’ (defined as the axis going in each case through the middle of the camera sensor surface and the capsule located at the capsule recognition position, respectively, see FIG. 5; the axis 65 can coincide with the optical axis of the camera) for example is at least 10°, in particular at least 15°

[0076] A machine according to the invention, for preparing a brewed drink from a portion capsule, here specifically a coffee machine, with a brewing module, is represented schematically in FIG. 13. Apart from the brewing module, it includes a water tank 91, a pump 92 for feeding brewing water to the injector 4 and a water heating device 93 (for example continuous-flow heater). The capsule recognition module 5 with the camera 50 in particular is located above the brewing chamber. After the capsule recognition process, an inserted capsule can be transported further, downwards by way of the effect of gravity as has been described above. Moreover, a capsule container 95 into which the capsules 1 drop or are transported during the brewing process is arranged below the brewing module. The reference numeral 98 indicates a coffee cup.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0077] 1 brewing module [0078] 2 housing [0079] 3 discharge device [0080] 4 injector [0081] 5 capsule recognition module [0082] 10 capsule [0083] 10′ second capsule [0084] 11 insert opening [0085] 12 water feed [0086] 13 drinks outlet [0087] 20 drive disc [0088] 21 first toggle lever arm [0089] 22 second toggle lever arm [0090] 23 toggle lever bolt [0091] 24 pinion shaft [0092] 25 drive housing [0093] 26 axis [0094] 28 guide [0095] 31 guide means [0096] 33 first track [0097] 35 rest [0098] 36 second track [0099] 39 extraction-side piercing tips [0100] 41 guide pins [0101] 42 rest portion [0102] 43 further rest portion [0103] 50 camera [0104] 51 camera sensor [0105] 52 capsule recognition window [0106] 53 diffuser [0107] 54 diffuser window [0108] 55 diffuser window holder [0109] 56 sealing frame [0110] 57 circuit board [0111] 58 aperture [0112] 59 lens [0113] 60 lens fixation [0114] 61 lens holder [0115] 62 LED [0116] 65 axis [0117] 70 fan [0118] 71 slot [0119] 91 water tank [0120] 92 pump [0121] 93 water heater device [0122] 95 capsule container [0123] 98 coffee cup