Priming valve device for water circuit of a beverage machine
AssigneeNestec S.A.
InventorsStefan Etter, Sandro Zingg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A priming valve device for a beverage machine. The device includes a casing assembly including a water inlet, a water outlet, and a drain and venting portion for discharging water or air during priming and a valve assembly associated with the casing assembly. The valve assembly includes a valve member which is moveable to a closed position which closes the water outlet by elastic return when the pressure in the water inlet decreases under the elastic return pressure of the valve member.
Claims14
A beverage machine that includes a pump and a heater and comprises a priming valve device comprising:
- a casing assembly comprising a water inlet in fluid connection with the pump, a water outlet in fluid connection with the heater, and a drain and a venting portion for draining water or venting air during priming, the drain and venting portion positioned at an opposite end of the casing assembly from the water inlet, and the water outlet positioned between the water inlet and the drain and venting portion, and
- a valve assembly associated with the casing assembly and comprising a valve member configured for selectively moving to a closed position of the drain and venting portion when the water inlet reaches a certain pressure of water during extraction or brewing, and to a closed position of the water outlet by elastic return when the certain water inlet pressure decreases,
- wherein the valve member is moveable to the closed position of the water outlet along a substantially transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the water outlet.
A beverage machine that includes a pump and a heater and comprises a priming valve device comprising:
- a casing assembly comprising a water inlet connectable to the pump side of the beverage machine, a water outlet connectable to the heater side of the beverage machine, and a drain and venting portion for draining water or venting air outside during priming, and
- a valve assembly associated with the casing assembly which comprises a valve member configured for selectively moving to a closed position of the drain and venting portion when the water inlet reaches a certain pressure of water by effect of the pump during extraction or brewing,
- wherein the same valve member is moveable to a closed position of the water outlet, by elastic return, when the pressure in the water inlet decreases under the elastic return pressure of the valve member,
- wherein the valve member comprises a flexible membrane portion that separates in a water-tight manner the water outlet from the drain and venting portion, the valve member comprises a passage comprising an inlet and an outlet between which the flexible membrane portion is positioned, and the casing assembly comprises two component parts that connect together to engage the membrane portion in a water-tight manner, and
- the drain and venting portion comprises a channel to the exterior of the casing assembly, and the water inlet and the channel of the drain and venting portion lie on a longitudinal axis on which the valve member is configured to move, the longitudinal axis substantially transverse relative to the water outlet, and the passage through the valve member is angled relative to the longitudinal axis such that the outlet of the passage is positioned away from the longitudinal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.