# US 2021/0274962 A1 · Regulable beverage discharge disposition, beverage preparation machine with said beverage discharge disposition and process of operation of said machine

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- Number: US 2021/0274962 A1
- Document ID: US20210274962A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/332,655
- Filed: 2017-09-12
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-13
- Assignees: Novadelta - ComéRcio E IndúStria De CaféS S.A.
- Applicants: Novadelta-ComéRcio E IndúStria De CaféS S.A.
- Inventors: Rui Miguel NABEIRO; Joao Andre DE FIGUEIREDO BRANCO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210274962A1

## CPC

- A47J 31/4485: {Nozzles dispensing heated and foamed milk, i.e. milk is sucked from a milk container, heated and foamed inside the device, and subsequently dispensed from the nozzle}
- A47J 31/44: Parts or details {or accessories} of beverage-making apparatus (filters or strainers A47J31/06)
- A47J 31/468: {Pumping means}
- B67D 1/1275: {promoting froth}
- B67D 1/1279: {regulating the flow}
- A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F)

## Abstract

The present invention discloses a beverage discharge disposition comprising a discharge casing (1) configured so that can be provided in the front region of a beverage preparation machine (20), including the option of supplying milk and frothed milk, whereby said discharge casing (1) presents a milk circulation disposition (2) adapted so as to provide an ergonomic use of a beverage preparation machine, in particular with milk flux regulation means (3) of more ergonomic use. The present invention further discloses a beverage preparation machine (20) and a process for operating said machine (20), in particular of a respective ergonomic beverage discharge disposition, according to the present invention.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A beverage discharge disposition adapted for frothing a liquid food product, in particular milk, comprising:
a discharge casing (1) provided in a front region of a beverage preparation machine (20), characterized in that said discharge casing (1) comprises:
an attached part associated to the casing of said beverage preparation machine (20) and that presents selection means (5) of beverage type, including a milk option, and a first beverage discharge (15) for discharge of a first beverage type, such as for example coffee; and
a second part that is removable from the discharge casing (1) and corresponds to a milk circulation disposition (2) providing removable flow connection to an exterior supply recipient (6) to said machine (20), and comprising all components exposed to the milk circulation in said machine (20) including a second beverage discharge (12),
whereby said milk flux selection means (3) and said beverage type selection means (5) are provided in different regions and planes of said discharge casing (1), and whereby said milk flux selection means (3) are preferentially provided in a lateral region of said removable part of discharge casing (1), and said beverage type selection means (5) are provided on a frontal region of said attached part of discharge casing (1).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said milk flux selection means (3) are arranged on a region of said milk circulation disposition (2) next to and above of flow connection means, for example in the form of tube, of said milk circulation disposition (2) to said milk supply recipient (6).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said milk flux selection means (3) are provided so can be manually actuated between successive positions along an actuation plane that is at least approximately orthogonal relative to the front plane of said discharge casing (1), and in that said milk flux selection means (3) are adapted so that provide a regulation of air flow, in particular by means of said air valve disposition (10), inside of said milk circulation disposition (2), and thereby of the type of milk flow discharged through said second beverage discharge (12).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The beverage disposition according to claim 3, characterized in that said air valve disposition (10) comprises a regulation disc (17) of air flux, provided in a metal, preferentially in a food grade metallic league.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said selection means (3) of milk flux are provided so that can be moved along a previously defined path, preferentially around a respective rotation axis, between a plurality of at least two and up to five, preferentially up to three previously defined positions, thereby providing a corresponding variation of the type of discharge flow of said liquid food product to be frothed, whereby at least one position corresponds to a substantially continuous milk flow type and a second position corresponds to a substantially frothed milk flow type.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said milk circulation disposition (2) is provided so that can be manually attached in removable manner on said attached part of discharge casing (1), so that said second beverage discharge (12) results next to said fist beverage discharge (15) inside of said discharge casing (1).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said milk circulation disposition (2) presents a plurality of components provided so that can be manually attached in removable manner with each other, preferentially by means of a pressured-fitting, including connection of said milk flux selection means (8) with said air valve disposition (10), and that can be jointly assembled on said attached part of discharge casing (1), and in that said milk circulation disposition (2) is generally provided with a shell part of coherent form with the remanding shell of the discharge casing (1) and with a volume that is smaller than half the volume of said discharge casing (1) and that can be fitted on a lateral region of said attached part of discharge casing (1).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said milk circulation disposition (2) is adapted so that can be attached in removable manner to a lateral portion of said attached part of discharge casing (1), by means of displacement in transversal manner relative thereto, preferentially by guiding means (8) provided in opposite regions, and developing along at least part of the extension of said opposite regions of said milk circulation disposition (2), thereby providing establishing and removal of flow connection of said vapour entry connection (7) with said vapour exit nozzle (13) upstream.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said milk circulation disposition (2) presents a first part (9a) adapted so as to provide support to said milk flux selection means (3) and to said milk entry connection (4), and preferentially configured so as to provide an exterior surface that develops in coherent manner in relation to the remanding exterior surface of said discharge casing (1) when said milk circulation disposition (2) is placed in said discharge casing (1), and further presents a second part (9b) adapted so as to provide support to said vapour entry connection (7), whereby said first and second structural parts (9a, 9b) are configured as elements that can be manually pressure-fitted with each other.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said first and second structural parts (9a, 9b) are adapted so that support an air valve disposition (10), a flow distribution disposition (11) and a milk discharge (12), along a general upstream to downstream direction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The beverage disposition according to claim 10, characterized in that said milk circulation disposition (2) comprises a flow distribution disposition (11) adapted so that presents said milk entry connection (4) and said vapour entry connection (7), and that provides flow connection, preferentially by means of pressure fitting, with said air valve disposition (10), and with said second beverage discharge (12), whereby said flow distribution disposition (11) is preferentially retained in exterior walls of said first and second structural parts (9a, 9b).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said discharge casing (1) is provided so that confines:
a first fluid discharge line adapted for discharge of a first type of beverage and provided in flow connection with an upstream pressurized flow source, such as for example a pressure pump, and with a downstream first beverage discharge (15);
a second fluid discharge line for discharge of milk and that comprises:
a first fluid supply adapted for supplying vapour and provided in flow connection upstream with said pressurized fluid source and downstream with a vapour exit nozzle (13),
a second fluid supply adapted for supplying air and that provides flow connection upstream with an air admission (14) associated with selection means (3) of milk flux that provide regulation of the air flow through an air valve disposition (10), and downstream with a flow distribution disposition (11),
a third fluid supply adapted for supplying milk and that provides flow connection upstream with a milk supply recipient (6) provided outside of said beverage preparation machine, and downstream with said flow distribution disposition (11),
whereby said first, second and third fluid supplies, are provided in flow connection downstream, by means of said flow distribution disposition (11), with a second beverage discharge (12), and
whereby said second and third fluid supplies and respective second fluid discharge (12) are provided so that can be flow connected by means of removable pressure-fitting connection of said flow distribution disposition (11) with said vapour entry connection (7), so that said second and third fluid supplies, flow distribution disposition (11) and second beverage discharge (12) can be jointly removed from connection with said first fluid supply.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The beverage disposition according to claim 1, characterized in that said vapour exit nozzle (13) is adapted for pressure-fitting with a vapour entry connection (7) associated with said flow distribution disposition (11), and in that said connection to the milk supply recipient (6) includes the milk entry connection (4) adapted for pressure-fitting between a connection part of milk supply recipient (6) and a connection part of said discharge casing (1).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A machine for preparing beverages, such as for example aromatic beverages, from an edible substance, characterized in that includes a beverage discharge disposition according to claim 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A process for preparing a beverage including the steps:
providing a beverage preparation machine (20), or similar apparatus, presenting a flow pressurization device, at least one brewing device adapted so that can collect a single portion of edible substance inside thereof and at least one beverage discharge disposition, in particular a beverage discharge disposition according to claim 1,
connecting said milk circulation disposition (2) to a milk supply recipient (6), preferentially by means of a tube;
selecting the milk option amongst the options provided by said beverage type selection means (5);
manually selecting an option amongst at least three and at most five options provided by said milk flux selection means (3), by means of a movement, preferentially a rotation movement, of said milk flux selection means (3) between a first position and a second position corresponding to the desired option; and
actuating the start of the cycle of beverage preparation operation.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The process according to claim 15, characterized in that further includes the following steps:
manually disassembling the milk circulation disposition (2) from said discharge casing (1) by means of outwards and sideways sliding from said attached part of discharge casing (1);
cleaning the milk circulation disposition (2);
manually assembling the milk circulation disposition (2) by means of inwards and sideways sliding into a respective opening on said attached part of discharge casing (1).