Automatic machine for preparing espresso coffee

Automatic machine for preparing espresso coffee from coffee beans, comprising essentially:

• a motor-driven coffee grinder with a container for receiving a supply of coffee beans;
• a source of pressurised hot water;
• a percolation chamber connected through a supply duct to the output of the coffee grinder to receive a charge of ground coffee, and having means for closing the chamber and for compressing the charge, means for expelling the compressed coffee, a port for the inlet of hot water from the source, and an outlet spout for the drink of coffee, and
• programmed means for controlling a cycle comprising, in succession, the grinding of the coffee and its supply to the percolation chamber, closure of the chamber and compression of the charge, percolation, and expulsion of the exhausted coffee grounds, characterised in that the percolation chamber (78) has an associated prechamber (64) into which the supply duct (62) opens, in that the means for closing the percolation chamber (78) and compressing the charge (C) of coffee comprise a tamper (92) which is reciprocable between a withdrawn position in which it does not occupy the prechamber and closes its side opposite the percolation chamber and an advanced position of compressing the charge (C) in the chamber and sealing the chamber in that the percolation chamber (78) is a through-chamber with open ends, one being a continuation of the through-chamber and the other, as part of the means for closing the chamber, being associated with a counter-tamper obturator (94) movable towards and away from an advanced position in which it closes the other end both to allow the compression of the charge (C) of ground coffee in the chamber by means of the tamper (92) and to seal the chamber and in that the tamper (92) is movable to an even further advanced position beyond the said other end of the chamber to expel the compressed coffee.

Automatic machine for preparing espresso coffee from coffee beans, comprising essentially:

• a motor-driven coffee grinder with a container for receiving a supply of coffee beans;
• a source of pressurised hot water;
• a percolation chamber connected through a supply duct to the output of the coffee grinder to receive a charge of ground coffee, and having means for closing the chamber and compressing the charge, means for expelling the compressed coffee, a port for the inlet of hot water from the source, and an outlet spout for the drink of coffee, and
• programmed means for controlling a cycle comprising, in succession, the grinding of the coffee and its supply to the percolation chamber, closure of the chamber and compression of the charge, percolation, and expulsion of the exhausted coffee grounds, characterised in that the percolation chamber (78) has a single port (114) for the inlet of the pressurised hot water located on the one side and a grating wall (116) for the outlet of the coffee drink located on the opposite side and communicating with the spout (124) to obtain a flow of water with a fan-shaped path (F) through the charge (C) of ground coffee.