Coffee machine
AssigneesFrancesco Illy, Creaholic S.A.
InventorsFrancesco Illy, Matthias Hell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The coffee machine for different coffee types requires no preheating time and consumes no energy in the standby mode. It essentially comprises a water supply chamber (1), a pump (5), a continuous flow heater (8) for heating the water and a brewing chamber (10) for receiving the coffee (10'). The continuous flow heater (8) has a low heat capacity and can therefore perform large temperature changes within a short time. In order to obtain the desired water starting temperature, use is made of a control loop. The unheated parts (9-12) along the water path between the continuous flow heater (8) and the coffee (10') are so designed that a minimum amount of heat energy is abstracted from the hot water, but at the same time the parts have an adequate strength.
Claims17
A coffee machine having a water supply chamber, a pump and a brewing chamber for receiving coffee comprising:
- a continuous flow heater for heating water comprising an inner tube for allowing water to flow therethrough, at least one inner insulating layer placed around the inner tube, and a filament wound around the at least one inner insulating layer, said continuous flow heater having a low heat capacity;
- at least one temperature sensor disposed at the end of the continuous flow heater or between the latter and the brewing chamber;
- and
- a control loop in communication with the continuous flow heater, whose controlled variable is the water temperature (T) at the end of the continuous flow heater and that, with respect to mechanical and thermal characteristics, unheated parts along the water path between the continuous flow heater and coffee are so optimized, that they have an adequate strength with respect to an overpressure occurring in the system and have low heat capacities and, with respect to water, low heat transmission coefficients.
A coffee machine having a water supply chamber, a pump and a brewing chamber for receiving coffee comprising:
- a continuous flow heater with a low heat capacity for heating water;
- at least one temperature sensor disposed at the end of the continuous flow heater or between the latter and the brewing chamber;
- a control loop in communication with the continuous flow heater, whose controlled variable is the water temperature (T) at the end of the continuous flow heater and that, with respect to mechanical and thermal characteristics, unheated parts along the water path between the continuous flow heater and coffee are so optimized, that they have an adequate strength with respect to an overpressure occurring in the system and have low heat capacities and, with respect to water, low heat transmission coefficients;
- and
- a microprocessor for monitoring and controlling a pumping power (P.sub.p) of the pump, a heating power (P.sub.h) of the continuous flow heater, and a heating-up time (t).
A coffee machine having a pump and a brewing chamber for receiving coffee comprising:
- a continuous flow heater with a low heat capacity for heating water;
- at least one temperature sensor disposed at the end of the continuous flow heater or between the latter and the brewing chamber;
- a control loop in communication with the continuous flow heater, whose controlled variable is the water temperature (T) at the end of the continuous flow heater and that, with respect to mechanical and thermal characteristics, unheated parts along the water path between the continuous flow heater and coffee are so optimized, that they have an adequate strength with respect to an overpressure occurring in the system and have low heat capacities and, with respect to water, low heat transmission coefficients;
- and
- a water supply chamber, said water supply chamber is fitted in a visible manner at the top of the coffee machine, is made from a transparent material, can be removed by a user and is provided with a lid.
A coffee machine having a water supply chamber, a pump and a brewing chamber for receiving coffee comprising:
- a continuous flow heater with a low heat capacity for heating water;
- at least one temperature sensor disposed at the end of the continuous flow heater or between the latter and the brewing chamber;
- a control loop in communication with the continuous flow heater, whose controlled variable is the water temperature (T) at the end of the continuous flow heater and that, with respect to mechanical and thermal characteristics, unheated parts along the water path between the continuous flow heater and coffee are so optimized, that they have an adequate strength with respect to an overpressure occurring in the system and have low heat capacities and, with respect to water, low heat transmission coefficients;
- and
- a weighted base for improving a stability of the coffee machine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.