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US 8,770,095 B2Granted
Infusion device to prepare beverages form single-serving capsules with capsule centering device
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsAndrea Pecci, Romeo Mattioli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An infusion device includes an infusion chamber with first and second portions, movable with respect to each other, one of which defines a seat for a capsule. At least one perforator is disposed in the seat to perforate the capsule. A first duct feeds an infusion fluid into the chamber and a second duct allows delivery of food product from the infusion chamber. A centering member of the capsules is housed in the seat, elastically movable in an axial direction and provided with a guide.
Claims45
An infusion device for preparing a food product from capsules, comprising:
- an infusion chamber with a first portion and a second portion, movable with respect to each other, the first portion defining a seat for said capsules, said seat being delimited by a cylindrical wall with an edge facing towards said second portion of the infusion chamber and surrounding access to said seat;
- at least one perforator disposed in said seat;
- a first duct, to feed an infusion fluid into said infusion chamber;
- a second duct to deliver the food product from said infusion chamber;
- a capsule centering member housed in said seat, which is elastically movable in an axial direction and provided with a capsule guide and centering surface, facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber,
- wherein said centering member is elastically stressed to partially project from said seat when said infusion chamber is open, wherein closing of the infusion chamber causes a retraction movement of said centering member towards inside of said seat, such that, when the infusion chamber is dosed with a capsule therewithin, said centering member is completely inserted inside said seat,
- wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber is associated with two opposite and openable movable capsule engaging elements having fixed ends and moveable ends located opposite the fixed ends, wherein the fixed ends are fixed to the second portion and the moveable ends comprise guide channels to insert and retain the capsule in a space between said first portion and said second portion of the infusion chamber when said first portion and said second portion are in the open position,
- wherein said movable capsule engaging elements are elastically deformable so that the moveable ends move away from each other to release the capsule when the infusion chamber is closed with the capsule therewithin, and
- wherein the moveable ends are closer to the first portion defining the seat than the fixed ends.
6 more elements
A coffee machine comprising:
- an infusion device, said infusion device comprising:
- an infusion chamber with a portion and a second portion, movable with respect to each other, the first portion defining a seat for a capsule, said seat being delimited by a cylindrical wall with an edge facing towards said second portion of the infusion chamber and surrounding access to said seat;
- at least one perforator disposed in said seat;
- a first duct to feed an infusion fluid into said infusion chamber;
- a second duct to deliver food product from said infusion chamber;
- a capsule centering member housed in said seat which is elastically movable in an axial direction and provided with a capsule guide and centering surface, facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber, wherein said centering member is elastically stressed to partially project from said seat when said infusion chamber is opens wherein closing of the infusion chamber causes a retraction movement of said centering member towards the inside of said seat such that when the infusion chamber is closed with the capsule therewithin, said centering member is completely inserted inside said seat,
- wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber is associated with two opposite and openable movable capsule engaging elements having fixed ends and moveable ends located opposite the fixed ends, wherein the fixed ends are fixed to the second portion and the moveable ends comprise guide channels to insert and retain the capsule in a space between said first portion and said second portion of the infusion chamber when said first portion and said second portion are in the open position, wherein said movable capsule engaging elements are elastically deformable so that the moveable ends move away from each other to release the capsule when the infusion chamber is closed with the capsule therewithin, and
- wherein the moveable ends are closer to the first portion defining the seat than the fixed ends.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.