Hopper for feeding doses of beans, corresponding machine and corresponding method for preparing beverages
AssigneeDe' Longhi Appliances S.R.L. Con Unico Socio
InventorsSimone Rosetta, Enrico Zaratin, Marco Facco
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Abstract
A hopper for feeding predefined doses of beans includes a container for beans provided with a lower aperture with which there is associated a closing base plate disposed rotatable with respect to said container in order to selectively open and close a passage aperture for said beans and a dosing device disposed inside said container. The invention also includes a machine and a method for preparing a coffee beverage.
Claims15
A hopper for feeding predefined doses of beans, comprising a container for beans provided with a lower aperture with which there is associated a closing base plate provided with a passage aperture and disposed rotatable with respect to said container in order to selectively open and close an outlet aperture of a dosing device disposed inside said container, wherein said dosing device comprises a lower plate provided with said outlet aperture which, in an open position, aligns with said passage aperture, an upper plate provided with an inlet aperture and a transporter member disposed between said upper plate and said lower plate and comprising at least two rotatable blades, which define at least two sectors with said plates, said two sectors having a pre-defined volume and being suitable to each contain a defined dose of beans, said transporter member being able to be driven in order to rotate said sectors with respect to an axis of rotation so as to selectively take one of them in correspondence with said outlet aperture.
A method for preparing a beverage, comprising:
- inserting, into a housing compartment of a machine, a removable hopper comprising a container, a dosing device inside said container, and a closing base plate, wherein said dosing device comprises a lower plate provided with an outlet aperture, an upper plate provided with an inlet aperture, and a transporter member disposed between said upper plate and said lower plate and comprising at least two rotatable blades, which define at least two sectors with said plates, said sectors having a pre-defined volume and being suitable to each contain a defined dose of beans;
- rotating said container to clamp said hopper in said housing compartment and align a passage aperture of said base plate with said outlet aperture;
- receiving a command for the preparation of a beverage and determine a quantity of beans necessary and sufficient to prepare said selected beverage;
- driving said transporter member to rotate said sectors around an axis of rotation and selectively take one of said sectors in correspondence with said outlet aperture until said determinate quantity of beans is supplied to a grinding device;
- driving said grinding device to completely grind said quantity of beans and obtain a powder to be fed to a brewing unit;
- subjecting said powder to brewing and delivering the beverage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.