Device for Cleaning an Espresso Machine
AssigneeStrategic Exits LLC
InventorDouglas Weber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A back-blush cleaning container may have a spring-biased piston that allows the container to fill with hot water when attached to a group head of the espresso machine. When the hot water of the espresso machine is turned off, the piston due to the spring urges the hot water out and back through a 3-way valve to clean the espresso machine. The backflush cleaning container also may have a steam conduit that allows steam from a steam wand of the espresso machine to clean the group head, 3-way valve and tubes. Moreover, the container may have a window which based on the position of the piston, a particular color is shown. The colors indicate whether the container is safe to remove from the group head of the espresso machine and when the container is full of water.
Claims6
A method of cleaning a group head, valve and tubes of an espresso machine, the method comprising the steps of:
- attaching a backflush cleaning container to a group head of the espresso machine, the backflush cleaning container having a variable volume between a first volume and a second volume, the first volume being larger than the second volume, the first volume being associated with a piston of the backflush cleaning container positioned at a down position, the second volume being associated with the piston of the backflush cleaning container positioned at an up position, the piston being biased from the down position to the up position;
- turning on a hot water supply to flow hot water through the group head to establish fluid communication between a water tank and the group head;
- flowing water through a heater to make the water hot;
- filling the variable volume with the hot water so the piston traverses toward the bottom position until the backflush cleaning container holds more than the second volume of hot water;
- turning off the hot water supply to block fluid communication between the water tank and the group head and establish fluid communication between the group head and a drip tray through the valve;
- and
- allowing hot water in the backflush cleaning container to flow back through the valve and into the drip tray for cleaning the group head, valve and tubes of the espresso machine.
A method of cleaning an espresso machine, the method comprising the steps of:
- attaching a backflush cleaning container to a group head of an espresso machine, the backflush cleaning container comprising:
- a body having an interior cavity for holding water, the body having a lower portion and an upper portion with an opening at the upper portion;
- a piston slidably disposed within the interior cavity of the body between an up position and a down position, the piston and the opening of the body at the upper portion defining a variable volume for cleaning the espresso machine;
- and
- a first spring disposed in the interior cavity underneath the piston for biasing the piston to the up position;
- flowing water through the group head so the piston traverses toward the down position;
- and
- allowing water in the backflush cleaning container to flow back through the group head for cleaning the espresso machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.