Patent Grant
8585827
The present invention relates to a beverage preparation machine designed with a scale removal system for removing the limestone scale that settles on the fluid contact surfaces of the machine. The invention also relates to a method for automatically removing limestone scale in a beverage preparation device using this system.
It is a well known problem with any beverage producing device having an integrated heater, e.g., a thermoblock or heating cartridges, that limestone scale is prone to deposit on the heating/heated contact surfaces with the circulated water or steam. The water scale comes essentially from water insoluble solid, i.e., calcium carbonate that formed from calcium ions and carbonate ions which react together and precipitate. The deposition increases in hot water because calcium carbonate is less soluble in hot water than in cold water. Therefore, the degree of deposition of calcium carbonate solid can be dependent on the content of these ions in water, also called “water hardness” but also on the water temperature, the frequency of use of the machine, and other factors.
To descale the beverage preparation machine, it is known to periodically have a decalcifying agent be passed through the water contact surfaces of the fluid circuit of the machine, e.g., heaters, tubings, water/steam injecting nozzle or needles, etc. The descaling agent (e.g., a chemical composition comprising acetic acid, phosphoric acid and/or a phosphonic acid) dissolves the scale that forms on the surfaces of the machine. After having passed the descaling agent, it is necessary to have a certain volume of clear water be circulated in the fluid circuit of the machine to eliminate taste perceptible trace of descaling agent that may affect the taste of subsequently produced beverages.
Therefore, a typical procedure for descaling a beverage producing device, e.g., a coffee machine, consists in mixing an effective dose of descaling agent with water in the water reservoir of the machine to form a descaling aqueous mixture, circulating the descaling aqueous mixture in the fluid circuit of the machine, rinsing the fluid circuit with clear water filled into the reservoir when the effective descaling agent has been fully circulated. This procedure requires several manual operations and a periodic surveillance from the user who achieves these different operations. In particular, the user must fill the reservoir with water twice, collect and also discard the liquid waste twice at the collecting side of the machine, i.e., at the beverage discharge outlet. This also requires several switches-on/switches-off on the board for controlling by the pump the circulation of water. Therefore, it is fastidious for the user to stay in front of the machine until the descaling procedure is completed. Another problem comes from a difficulty to control the effective quantities of the descaling agent and of the rinsing liquid. Therefore, the effectiveness of the method highly depends on the respect of these quantities by the user himself.
W02006/090183 relates to a beverage dispenser comprising a clean-in-place system wherein the cleaning fluid is pumped from a storage area to the beverage line. The cleaning operation is carried out automatically in response to a predetermined event. However, the cleaning agent is not directly placed in the beverage line and it so requires to be pumped in the beverage line by pumping means.
Therefore there is an advantage to propose a solution that eases the descaling procedure, in particular, makes it simpler to use, requires less attention from the user and is also better controlled for an improved descaling efficiency.
For this, the invention relates to a beverage preparation device comprising:
a fluid circuit comprising a water reservoir, a water pump, an in-line heating means designed for heating circulating water, a beverage producing module, which are fluidically connected for circulating water from the reservoir to the beverage producing module, wherein an in-line descaling system is provided in the fluid circuit downstream of the reservoir, comprising a dedicated compartment arranged for receiving a predetermined dose of a water soluble/dispersible descaling agent and a water inlet and water outlet for water to circulate through the compartment.
Therefore, a dedicated descaling agent reserve is arranged in the fluid circuit, downstream of the water reservoir, so that a predetermined quantity of water of the water reservoir can be utilized both for descaling purpose and for rinsing purpose. This arrangement is such that there is no need to refill the water tank with clear water since the water thank is not directly contaminated with the descaling agent.
In a mode, the compartment is fluidically placed between the water reservoir and the pump. In particular, a one-way valve is interposed between the water reservoir and the compartment; wherein the valve is allowed by design or actively controlled to open only when water is drawn from the water reservoir to the compartment, e.g., by suction effect of the pump which opens the valve.
Therefore, a back-flow of the descaling agent in the reservoir containing clear water can be prevented when the pump is stopped, for instance, during pause(s) in the descaling procedure. Therefore, the continuous descaling-rinsing procedure can be carried out successfully without intervention from the user for rinsing or refilling the water tank. The one-way valve can be a passive valve such as a rubber-elastic slit valve or such as a ball spring-biased valve. The one-way valve can also be an electromagnetic valve controllable in opening/closing by the control unit of the device. The valve can be placed in a wall that separates the water reservoir from the descaling compartment. The wall can advantageously be the bottom wall of the water reservoir and/or an entry wall of the compartment.
In a particular mode, for reducing the complexity of the device, the reservoir and the compartment can be placed adjacent one another. For example, the compartment and the reservoir have complementary stacking means for enabling the reservoir to be stacked on the compartment. Water sealing means can further be provided between the stacking means. Sealing means can be an O-ring of rubber elastic material.
In a possible alternative solution, the compartment is placed between two portions of hose and fluidically distant from the water reservoir.
In a possible embodiment, the compartment for the descaling agent is fluidically placed between the pump and the in-line heating means. In this case, the compartment and its connections to the fluid circuit must resist to the fluid pressure exerted in this pressurized portion of the fluid circuit to the repeated beverage brewing and descaling cycles.
According to an aspect of the invention, the beverage preparation device comprises a control unit and a control command for controlling the circulation of a predetermined quantity of water from the reservoir in the fluid circuit. The control unit further comprises at least one program designed for automatically controlling the activation of the pump as a response to the activation of the control command to circulate the predetermined quantity of water in the fluid circuit.
A predetermined quantity of water to be circulated can be controlled by the control unit on any one or more of the following control schemes:
timing of the pump electrical supply,
filling level sensing in the water reservoir
water volume sensing by a flow meter and/or
sensing the acidity level in the fluid circuit.
The descaling agent can be a water soluble/dispersible sachet or non-soluble/non-dispersible porous sachet containing a water soluble/dispersible descaling substance, a tablet made of a solid water soluble/dispersible descaling substance, granules of a solid water soluble/dispersible descaling substance or a liquid descaling substance.
The compartment for the descaling agent can also be a removable cartridge of the device which contains a predose of descaling agent. In this case, the cartridge can be designed as a single-use cartridge which is recycled or thrown away after use in the device. The cartridge may also be designed to be refillable by a dose of descaling material.
The device and the descaling agent can form together a kit.
The present invention further comprises a method for descaling a beverage preparation machine automatically under the control of a control unit of the machine, wherein it comprises, after the user placing a dose of descaling agent in the compartment and filling the reservoir with a predetermined quantity of water:
circulating a first part of the predetermined quantity of water from the reservoir, in the fluid circuit, whereby the descaling agent is dissolved or dispersed progressively by water passing through the compartment to form descaling liquid circulating through the heating means,
automatically circulating a second or remaining part of the said quantity of water from the reservoir in the fluid circuit through the heating means after the descaling agent has dissolved or dispersed in the compartment to rinse the said fluid circuit.
The circulation of the first and second parts of the predetermined quantity of water is commanded by the control unit which activates the pump automatically on and off.
The first and second parts of said quantity of water are automatically sequentially circulated upon the user activating a descaling procedure's command and according to a descaling program of the control unit, without requiring intervention of the user.
The total quantity of water in the reservoir is determined as a function of the dissolvability/dispersability of the descaling agent so that a second or remaining part of said quantity of water can be circulated to rinse the fluid circuit after the descaling agent has been removed from the compartment. The quantity of water can be materialized by a visual indicator of level in the reservoir and/or can be sensed electronically by the control system and used in the descaling program of the control unit for managing the activation of the pump.
According to an aspect of the invention, the first quantity and second quantity of water are circulated sequentially automatically upon the user activating a descaling procedure's command and without any more intervention of the user. In other words, it means that the control unit of the machine is programmed in such a way that the second quantity of water for rinsing purpose is circulated, automatically after the first quantity of water, without requiring intervention to activate the rinsing phase or for refilling the reservoir unless, eventually, an insufficient quantity of water is detected in the water reservoir and/or the fluid circuit is empty of water.
An insufficient level of water in the water tank can be detected by a water sensor placed in the water tank for instance. Similarly, a lack of water in the fluid circuit can be detected by a flow meter or any equivalent sensing means.
Therefore, the descaling and rinsing phases can be programmed in the control unit of the device to operate automatically, for example, as a response of the activation of a command (e.g., a push of a button or pressure on a touch screen).
The method can comprise a programmed operation during which the water level in the water tank is sensed, e.g., by a water level sensor associated to the reservoir, to verify that the reservoir is filled with the predetermined quantity of water necessary for the descaling procedure. As part of this program, the descaling procedure can be interrupted, e.g., the water pump is not started, if the quantity of water sensed in the reservoir is lower than the predetermined quantity of water. The interruption of the descaling procedure can be maintained as long as the predetermined water quantity in the reservoir is not reached. This would so require the user to fill the reservoir with the predetermined quantity of water.
The descaling program may also comprise an operation for which the acidity level of the water in the fluid circuit is sensed, e.g., by an in-line pH probe associated to the fluid circuit, to verify the level of rinsing of the fluid circuit before ending the descaling procedure, e.g., stopping the water pump.
Other verifications may be envisaged in a descaling program stored in the control unit of the beverage preparation device such as the presence of the collecting recipient under the beverage outlet to collect the descaling and rinsing liquid such as by a light sensor or a mechanical switch.
For an improved descaling efficiency, during the descaling procedure, one or more pause can be allowed during which descaling liquid remains present in the fluid circuit. For instance, the pause can be programmed to last from 10 seconds to 20 minutes. The pause(s) is (are) controlled by the control unit momentarily stopping the water pump during the descaling phase.
As aforementioned, for the descaling procedure the dose of descaling agent and the quantity of water in the reservoir are determined so that a sufficient part of said quantity of water is circulated from the reservoir to the module after the descaling agent is entirely dissolved or dispersed to rinse the fluid circuit. For example, about from ⅓ to ⅔ of the initial quantity of water is circulated from the reservoir for the rinsing purpose when the descaling agent is entirely dissolved or dispersed.
Additional features and advantages are described herein, and will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the figures.
In
In the present invention, the different components of the device in the fluid circuit can take different configurations without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the water supply can be replaced by a water connection means able to plug to a domestic water tap. The water transport means can be a pressure pump such as a solenoid pump that provides high static pressure for the preparation of espresso coffees. However, it may also be any other types of pumps such as a peristaltic pump or a membrane pump.
The water heater 7 may be a thermoblock or other types of in-line heater which heats a circulating liquid such as heating cartridges with ceramic-coated heating elements or a tubular thick film heater. The beverage preparation module 9 can be designed to receive a controlled portion of beverage ingredients in the form of capsules, pods or sachets which are brewed by hot water passing through the ingredients at a certain controlled pressure. The module could also be associated to a milling system and so designed to receive directly a ground portion of ingredient in a brewing chamber of the device. The beverage is collected by a beverage outlet 14.
A preferred in-line descaling system 3 is proposed in
In a preferred design, the compartment is placed below the water reservoir in a stacking configuration in order to facilitate the opening of the compartment and the placing of the decaling agent.
Therefore, the compartment comprises a cup-shape element and an upper wall of the compartment which is defined by the bottom wall 21 of the reservoir. The upper wall comprises the water inlet 70 of the descaling system. Therefore, water can transfer directly from the reservoir to the compartment without tubing. The bottom wall of the cup-shaped element of the compartment comprises the outlet 71 which is connected to the portion of hose 6 of the fluid circuit via a short duct portion for instance.
The reservoir and the compartment comprise complementary stacking means 16. For instance, the compartment comprises an enlarged portion of wall 17 which receives a base portion 18 of the reservoir. The base portion 18 of the reservoir can thus inserts itself in the enlarged portion of the compartment by simple press-fitting engagement. Water sealing means 22 can be placed between base portion 18 and the enlarged portion 17 of the compartment. The sealing may be a rubber O-ring or a similar means. Therefore, when the reservoir is lifted by the user, the compartment is uncovered and can be loaded with a dose 19 of the descaling agent.
A one-way valve 20 is preferably placed fluidically between the reservoir and the compartment, for instance, at the bottom wall 21 of the reservoir. The valve acts to ensure that water can be circulated from the reservoir into the compartment only when suction forces are effected by the pump (
The descaling agent can be any suitable descaling substance provided in a porous or water soluble/dispersible package such as a sachet and the like or it may be a compacted tablet formed of the substance. The descaling agent may also be a liquid, gel or granules which fill a plastic compartment designed with a product release passage to free the liquid, gel or granules progressively as water circulates in the compartment. For example, the compartment may comprise a venturi for sucking the descaling liquid and a mixing chamber for mixing it to water in a suitable proportion. The descaling agent may also be encapsulated in water soluble/dispersible capsules.
According to an aspect of the invention, the beverage preparation device can be programmed to operate a descaling cycle automatically upon the validation of a descaling command by the user. For example, the control unit 11 comprises a descaling program which is operated by the push of the command button 130 on the keyboard 12. When the user presses the command, the control unit receiving the command signal from the board, runs the pump to start the descaling program. A water fill level sensor 60 may be placed in the reservoir at a predetermined level to ensure that the reservoir is properly filled with the required amount of water. If no signal from the fill level sensor is received by the control, the pump is not started and a proper alert signal 61 (e.g., a flashing led) may be sent to the board of the machine. Therefore, the user is prompted by the machine to fill the reservoir to the proper level before the start of the descaling program. The reservoir may also comprise a descaling level which is materialized by, for instance, a visual mark on the reservoir itself to indicate to the user how to properly fill the reservoir up. The control unit may also switch on the thermoblock for warming the descaling liquid as it passes through it to increase the descaling efficiency. The liquid may be warmed within a temperature range suitable for descaling, e.g., 45-60 degrees Celsius. The quantity of descaling agent in the compartment is determined to deplete or be entirely dissolved or be dispersed in less than all the quantity of water contained in the reservoir necessary for the full descaling program.
Preferably, the quantity of water to be filled in the reservoir for the full descaling program must be such that still a sufficient quantity of clear water in the reservoir is left and is circulated after all the descaling agent is dispersed/dissolved in the descaling compartment. This principle is illustrated in
For example, the control of the quantity of circulated water may not necessarily be carried out by the control unit, in which case, water is circulated until no more water is left in the water reservoir. The control procedure is therefore simplified.
In possible alternatives, the quantity of circulated water may be controlled by different possible sensing means. The predetermined quantity of circulated water can be controlled, for instance, by timing of the electrical supply of the pump. The water volume may also be sensed by a flow meter placed at any location in the fluid circuit, e.g., on the second portion of hose 8 or integrated to the structure of the pump or heater. The volume of water may also be sensed by a fill level sensor placed in the water reservoir. Of course, the pump may be temporally interrupted at certain intervals during a few seconds or minutes to provide soaking of the descaling liquid in the fluid circuit.
The descaling programs for running the descaling procedure can be stored in a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM) or other types of memories such as a programmable memory (EEPROM) connected to a microprocessor of the control unit. The memories are configured for storing relevant descaling parameters such as pause time, water level, flow rates, Ph value, etc. The control unit is arranged to manage through interface units (e.g., I/O interface) the treatment of the signals obtained from the sensors placed in the device (e.g., flow meter, fill sensor, in-line Ph probe, etc.), the signals for managing the control of the pump and water heater and the signals obtained from the keyboard.
As shown in
In the embodiment of
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Finally referring to the program of
Of course, the device can be designed to run the descaling procedure remotely for instance if the device is equipped with a remote control system communicating by wifi, internet and/or bluetooth. The descaling program may be part of a maintenance program which is stored in the machine or activated via said communication means from a remote computer including a laptop, mobile phone or palm.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08154151 | Apr 2008 | EP | regional |
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/936,497 filed Oct. 5, 2010, which is a continuation of International application PCT/EP09/050902 filed Jan. 28, 2009, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.
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