MACHINE AND PROCEDURE FOR PREPARING HOT DRINKS

Abstract

Procedure and machine for preparing hot drinks starting from a tank of water at atmospheric pressure that allows fine adjustment of the infusion and extraction parameters, as well as automatic or manual management thereof, by way of at least one control unit, with selection being allowed by way of a rotary coder with a button function, the machine being equipped with a single rotary pump controlled by way of a pulse-width modulation circuit and with wireless communication means. The machine is destined for the industrial sector of manufacturing machines for preparing hot drinks.

Claims

1. A machine for preparing hot drinks for which it is possible to measure and to adjust parameters of pressure, time, and temperature that are needed in the phases of infusion and extraction, wherein said machine has a single DC motorized rotary pump regulated by a pulse width modulation circuit for which the water supply at atmospheric pressure is provided from a tank, the upper portion of which is open, and which has means of ensuring its water level by means of a capacitive water level sensor and by the supplemental operation of an electric valve connected to the supply mains; and in that it has at least one flow meter situated between the tank and the boiler with heating element, a pressure transducer downstream from the pump, a check valve and a dispensing assembly with an actuator, in that it has a control unit to enter the type of beverage being prepared, and for allowing a variation of the parameters for preparing the beverage and recording these for future use in at least one memory, these means of selection being embodied by a rotary encoder with push-button function and a graphics display interface having a conventional keypad; the machine comprises means of communication such as a USB port and/or wireless means such as WiFi or Bluetooth.

2. The machine for preparing hot drinks according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to allow two modes of use, a first mode of personalized adjustment that enables a regulating, at the will of the user, of the parameters of infusion and/or extraction of the raw materials of plant origin during the process of making hot drinks, and a second recipe mode allowing the future dispensing to correspond to that of the personalized adjustment, comprising: at least one memory for storing and subsequently using these parameters; a rotary encoder with push-button function; a data display interface with a keypad; a single DC motorized rotary pump whose speed is regulated by means of a pulse width modulation circuit; a flow rate transducer and a pressure transducer situated upstream from the boiler; a capacitive sensor of the water level of the tank; means of visual and/or acoustic alarm used to indicate when the dispensing time is exceeded or, in the recipe mode, when the dispensing flow rate is outside a pre-established range between a minimum and a maximum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically the procedure for preparing hot drinks when the user has opted for the recipe mode.

[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates the procedure when the personalized adjustment mode is selected.

[0012] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the machine for preparing hot drinks that is the subject of the present disclosure, showing: the element 12 represents the tap water supply valve; 1 represents the open water tank; 2 is the DC rotary vane pump; 3 is the pressure transducer; 4 is the check valve; 5 is the flow rate transducer; 6 is the boiler with heating element; 13 is the capacitive sensor of the tank level; 7 is the dispensing assembly, and 8 is its actuator (which may be mechanical or electromechanical), allowing the water to proceed into the beverage ingredients. The element 15 represents the control unit of the machine for preparing hot drinks; 10 is the incremental rotary encoder; 14 is the means of communication; 9 is the display interface with the input buttons 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0013] A preferred embodiment shall be given as an example, but the disclosure is not limited to this:

[0014] The machine according to this procedure can be seen in FIG. 3; it comprises a tank 1 for containing the water, being open and therefore at atmospheric pressure, which as described previously allows it to maintain a constant and known input pressure; its filling from the mains is conducted by way of the supply valve 12, and it may also be filled by hand, since it is open; it comprises means for ensuring an adequate water level for its functioning, said means composed of a capacitive water level sensor 13. It comprises a single DC rotary pump 2 whose speed is regulated by means of a pulse width modulation circuit; downstream from this there is installed a check valve 4, a boiler with a heating element 6 and a temperature sensor, from which the water for the beverage is routed to the dispensing assembly 7, where the extraction of the beverage is produced; in this preferred embodiment, the assembly is operated by means of an electromechanical actuator 8, the opening of which carries the already prepared beverage to its container.

[0015] In order to detect the parameters needed for the preparing of the beverages, the machine comprises the following transducers: at least one transducer for flow rate and one transducer for pressure, situated upstream from the boiler and heating unit, therefore working at the water inlet temperature, which extends the service life of these components. In order to interpret the signals of the transducers, as well as to adjust the parameters of the machine as a function of the beverage being prepared, the machine comprises at least one control unit 15 with a control logic, at least one memory for storing the data, and a clock to establish a time base for the events and means of communication 14, preferably wireless, such as WiFi or Bluetooth. In order for the user to opt for the recipe or the personalized adjustment mode, as described in the preceding, the machine comprises an incremental rotary encoder with push-button function 10 and a graphics display interface 9 having a keypad 11. It comprises means of alerting the user to situations involving the safety and proper working of the equipment by means of a visual and/or acoustic alarm when: the tank has a water level below the minimum established for an indicated period of time, or when a manual filling is needed, due to lack of filling from the mains; a visual alarm and blocking to prevent a possible overflow, restricting the maximum volume that can be dispensed in a single beverage. These means are embodied in at least one control unit that collects the signals of the transducers and the control algorithm that is performed therein, being displayed as mentioned through the graphics display interface of the machine.

[0016] With reference to FIG. 2, the procedure begins by selecting a mode for producing beverages. choosing between a mode known as the recipe mode and a second mode of personalized adjustment; this initial selection is made by acting on a rotary encoder with push-button function, which will be used to validate the desired option, which in this case shall be called the personalized adjustment mode; the selected mode is shown on the graphics interface; again, by means of the rotary encoder, it is possible to pre-select the initial parameters for the pre-infusion phase of the beverage, in particular giving them values as a function of the preferences of the user of the machine; after these are validated by means of the push-button of the encoder, the machine will not start the preparation of the beverage until the actuator of the dispensing assembly is operated by the user. Once this is done, the user is able to change the parameters of extraction pressure and/or flow rate during the process of preparation of the beverage by means of the rotation function of the encoder, and these parameters will be displayed on the graphics interface.

[0017] Thanks to its control unit and the sensors of the machine as described, the pump is controlled and/or adjusted by a pulse width modulation to ensure that the values that are read conform to those previously entered by the user. The procedure envisions a stopping of the pump when the dispensing assembly is acted upon or when the maximum time of preparation is exceeded, the latter circumstance protecting the machine from possible accidents and/or damage due to overflowing. Finally, the graphics interface will indicate the end of the recipe, providing the option of storing in the memory of the machine the parameters used in the preparation of the beverage, by means of the rotary encoder, and by subsequent validation by means of the push-button, it being possible to select their storage slot in the event of opting for this option, in order to reproduce these adjustments in later beverages by means of the recipe mode, and the cycle will be finished.