# US 8,770,095 B2 · Infusion device to prepare beverages form single-serving capsules with capsule centering device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,095 B2 - Document ID: US8770095B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/525,971 - Filed: 2008-01-31 - Published: 2010-02-18 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-07 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Andrea Pecci; Romeo Mattioli - Inventors: Andrea Pecci; Romeo Mattioli - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770095B2 ## CPC - A47J 31/3628: {Perforating means therefor} - A47J 31/3633: {Means to perform transfer from a loading position to an infusing position} - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the infusion chamber is closed with a capsule therewithin, said centering member is set back with resect to said edge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edge of said seat forms a pressure surface, co-acting with a sealing surface carried by said second portion of the infusion chamber, said edge having a diameter larger than said capsule centering member. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising capsule engaging elements, arranged and designed to support a capsule while the infusion chamber is being closed and to engage and remove a capsule from said infusion chamber when the infusion chamber is being opened and said capsule is pushed outside the seat by said centering member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said guide surface is conical, converging towards the base of said seat. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said centering member has an annular shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The infusion device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said centering member has an outer edge facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber and an inner edge, surrounding a block inside said seat, said at least one perforator being arranged on said block. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the edge of said seat forms a pressure surface, co-acting with a sealing surface carried by said second portion of the infusion chamber, said edge having a diameter larger than said capsule centering member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The infusion device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising capsule engaging elements, arranged and designed to support a capsule while the infusion chamber is being closed and to engage and remove a capsule from said infusion chamber when the infusion chamber is being opened and said capsule is pushed outside the seat by said centering member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The infusion device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said pressure surface is formed on a disk supported by said second portion of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The infusion device according to claim 10, wherein said disk is elastically stressed towards the first portion of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The infusion device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said disk comprises at least one hole through which a perforator projects when said disk is pushed elastically towards the inside of a housing provided in said second portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The infusion device as claimed in claim 12, wherein: in said second portion of the infusion chamber there are disposed a plurality of perforators; and said disk comprises a corresponding plurality of holes through which said perforators can project when the disk is retracted inside said housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, the capsule engaging elements are configured to support the capsule while the infusion chamber is being closed and to engage and remove the capsule from said infusion chamber when the infusion chamber is being opened and said capsule is pushed outside the seat by said centering member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member has a guide surface which is conical, converging towards parallel walls of said seat near a base of said seat. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member has an annular shape. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The infusion device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said centering member has outer edge facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber and an inner edge, surrounding a block inside said seat, said at least one perforator being arranged on said block. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member comprises at least one guide surface sliding on a complementary guide surface integral with said first portion of the infusion chamber, said guide surfaces extending substantially parallel to a direction of perforation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The infusion device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said direction of perforation is substantially parallel to an axis of said at least one perforator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said seat there is disposed an inner wall, positioned on which is said at least one perforator, surrounded by an annular cavity in which said centering member is slidingly guided. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The infusion device as claimed in claim 20, wherein in said annular cavity there is housed an elastic compression member, which acts on the centering member, stressing said centering member to project from said seat. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The infusion device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said annular cavity surrounds a base through which there extends said second duct for delivery of the food product and fixed on which is said at least one perforator. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The infusion device as claimed in claim 22, wherein on said base there is fixed a plate, disposed on which is said at least one perforator, between said base and said plate there being provided a channel to collect the food product, in connection with said second duct. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The infusion device as claimed in claim 23, wherein a plurality of perforators are provided on said plate. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said opposite movable capsule engaging elements comprise respective extractor members to extract the capsule from the seat in said first portion of the infusion chamber, when said first and second portion are opened. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The infusion device as claimed in claim 25, wherein on each of said movable capsule engaging elements the channel and the extractor member are disposed in sequence along the opening and closing direction of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The infusion device of claim 26, wherein said channels are disposed more distant from the second portion of the infusion chamber than the extractor members. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable capsule engaging elements have an opening movement in a plane parallel to the direction of the reciprocal opening and closing movement of the first and of the second portion of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said movable capsule engaging elements are constrained to the second portion of the infusion chamber; and the movement to open said movable capsule engaging elements is caused by interaction of said movable capsule engaging elements with the first portion of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable capsule engaging elements are disposed at the sides of the second portion of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first portion of the infusion chamber has thrust profiles cooperating with corresponding thrust profiles of said movable capsule engaging elements to cause reciprocal opening of said movable capsule engaging elements. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said first portion of the infusion chamber has opposite outer surfaces sloping with respect to the opening and closing direction of the infusion chamber, forming said thrust profiles. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the thrust profiles of the movable capsule engaging elements are formed of surfaces sloping with respect to the opening and closing direction of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide channels are associated with a bottom stop which defines a retaining position of the capsule in the space between the first portion of the infusion chamber and the second portion of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The infusion device as claimed in claim 34, wherein said guide channels are configured so that in said retaining position the capsule is held with the axis thereof substantially coincident with the axis of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said guide channels terminates with a bottom stop, said stops defining a retaining position of the capsule in the space between the first portion of the infusion chamber and the second portion of the infusion chamber. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first portion of the infusion chamber and said second portion of the infusion chamber are movable according to substantially horizontal direction, said guide channels are substantially vertical and said movable capsule engaging elements are provided with an opening movement in a substantially horizontal plane. ### Claim 38 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber is movable and said first portion of the infusion chamber is fixed with respect to a load-bearing structure. ### Claim 39 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lever mechanism for manual control of opening and closing of the infusion chamber, wherein the lever mechanism is configured to move the second part towards the first part along an axis passing through the first part and the second part, wherein the axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the infusion device. ### Claim 40 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber and said movable capsule engaging elements are constrained to a common support. ### Claim 41 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable capsule engagning elements are substantially laminar in shape. ### Claim 42 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member is made in a single monolithic piece. ### Claim 43 (depends on 1) The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member is divided into several portions or sectors. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The infusion device as claimed in claim 43, wherein each portion or sector into which said centering member is divided is stressed by at least one elastic member. ### Claim 45 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.