The present invention refers to systems and processes for distribution of edible products, in particular including apparatuses of preparation of aromatic beverages by means of extraction of a respective edible substance, said apparatuses including beverage discharge means to the interior of a beverage recipient, in particular discharge means along a direction opposite to the direction of the gravity force.
The prior art presents several solutions of beverage discharge in beverage preparation machines.
In particular in the case of aromatic beverages such as for example espresso type coffee, this beverage discharge is a relevant process with potential impact on the beverage quality obtained in the recipient. In fact, in particular in the case of espresso type coffee, the main characteristics of the discharge flow determines several aspects as the production of crème and retention thereof inside the cup, and the variation of temperature as a result of the exposition to air during the discharge to the cup.
The document EP 2120652 B1 discloses a system of the type of the present invention, adapted for integration into an automobile vehicle. Said system seems to present a beverage discharge adapted so that a glass can be placed thereon and so that the beverage can be discharged through the base of said glass. In particular, said beverage discharge is provided in form of a valve of automatic actuation by the placement of the glass.
The document DE 2009 048233 A1 discloses a system of the type of the present invention whereby portions of edible substance are provided to a collection space by means of raising a lid-like disposition that comprises the beverage discharge means. This solution presents construction complexity and ergonomic constrains. Moreover, said lid-like disposition does not provide selective access to said beverage discharge means.
The document WO 2014/086915 A1 discloses a similar system whereby there seems to be an opening for introduction of portion of edible substance and a beverage discharge provided at a similar height. However, the document does not disclose a compact and ergonomic disposition of said elements.
The document WO 2015/084203 A1 filed by the author of the present application discloses a system for preparation of aromatic beverages with particularly reduced configuration and dimensions, so that provide advantages in terms of portability of the apparatus.
The document WO 2017/200409 A1 also filed by the author of the present application discloses a system for preparing aromatic beverages with an optimized beverage discharge disposition and also presenting advantageous configurations of the apparatus.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a system of distribution of edible products, in particular including an apparatus and a recipient that can be operatively placed on a recipient placement disposition of said apparatus, and presenting a discharge of edible product associated with said recipient placement disposition, in particular an upwards-oriented product discharge, said apparatus being adapted so as to provide selective access to the recipient placement disposition and respective edible product discharge, including through the cover thereof, so as to mitigate the accumulation of dusts and other dirt, as well as so as to provide a simpler construction, more compact and ergonomic, that minimizes the possibility of accumulation of dusts and makes easier cleaning the exterior.
This objective is attained according to the present invention by means of a system of distribution of edible products according to claim 1.
In particular, the objective above is solved by means of a system comprising an apparatus presenting an access disposition configured as at least part of the exterior envelope of the apparatus and that can provide selective access to said recipient placement disposition, including completely covering the recipient placement disposition and product discharge associated therewith, at least in case the recipient is not placed on said recipient placement disposition.
In particular, the access disposition is adapted so that confines the recipient placement disposition, and respective product discharge, relative to the exterior in case in the closed position, and provides placement of recipient, for example drinking recipient, on the placement disposition in case is in at least one other position, including in an open position.
The access disposition can present a lid-like shape, or similar, and can be adapted so that can be operated between a closed position and at least one non-closed position where provides access for placement of recipient on the placement disposition.
The access disposition can be associated with the apparatus casing and can be adapted so that can be operated between a closed position and an open position, in functional connection with the remaining apparatus casing.
The access disposition can be operated manually or by mechanical means.
Said access disposition can be configured as at least part of the exterior envelope of apparatus, can correspond to the only part of the exterior envelope of apparatus, or can form such exterior envelope together with a part of apparatus casing.
The access disposition and the apparatus casing can provide adjacent and concomitant exterior surfaces of exterior envelope, preferentially in a substantially continuous alignment and of at least one of similar material and similar visual aspect.
It is preferred when the access disposition and apparatus casing are the only two parts that form the exterior envelope of the apparatus.
The access disposition and apparatus casing can jointly provide at least most part of the material exterior envelope of said apparatus, preferentially the totality of the material exterior envelope directly exposed to the local environment.
Said access disposition can be provided as a planar-like shape, for example of lid type or similar, preferentially with a plane exterior surface devoid of openings, adapted so that can totally cover and provide access to said placement disposition, including possibility of placing a drinking recipient upon the product discharge associated with the recipient placement disposition.
The access disposition and apparatus casing can jointly configure at least part of a coherent geometry, or a set of at least part of coherent geometries, that preferentially corresponds at least approximately to the exterior envelope of said apparatus.
Said access disposition is devoid of any fluid passageway.
In the scope of the present invention, the expression “coherent geometry” is understood as the geometry of a regular volume, including cube, prisms, cones, pyramids, cylinders, and spheres.
The access disposition and apparatus casing can jointly define a reference surface of exterior envelope of the apparatus, both developing on a single plane and in substantially continuous manner, devoid of concavities or openings, preferentially at least part, more preferentially the totality of at least one region of apparatus visible to the user.
The access disposition and apparatus casing can jointly define a reference volume or a composition of reference volumes, of geometry or at least part of geometry, at least approximately regular, such as for example at least part of a cylinder, of a cube, of a cone frustum, of a pyramid frustum, or similar, along at least part, preferentially at least most part, particularly preferentially the totality the height of the exterior envelope of apparatus, preferentially along at least most part of the height of the apparatus casing, including the top region of the apparatus casing.
The apparatus casing can present a top region and a base region with a cross-section in top view of similar shape, including a square, a circle, whereby the dimension of at least one of said top and base regions is smaller than the other.
The apparatus casing can present a non-rectangular cross-section when seen in at least one of: side view, frontal view and top view.
The access disposition and apparatus casing can jointly configure volume geometry, in particular a volume of regular or concomitant shape, or a composition of volume geometries, that does not correspond to a regular parallelepiped.
The apparatus casing can configure at least approximately the exterior shape of the apparatus.
The apparatus casing can present at least one of two total dimensions and two similar dimensions of the apparatus, preferentially including at least one height and one width of the apparatus.
Said apparatus can present a recipient placement disposition adapted so that provides support for placement of at least one type of recipient for collection of said edible product, for example a drinking recipient, such as a glass or a cup. In particular, the recipient is adapted so that can be placed in operative manner, including so that can be retained on said recipient placement disposition and that said product can be discharged in a direction opposite to the gravity force.
The apparatus can present a discharge of edible product associated with said recipient placement disposition and adapted so as to inject said product, for example beverage, along the direction contrary the gravity force.
The apparatus can be adapted for preparing beverages, in particular of aromatic beverages such as for example espresso type coffee, based upon the injection of a fluid into an extraction device and mixture thereof with a corresponding portion of edible substance introduced through an introduction passageway, thereby generating residues that can be collected in a collection recipient that provides part of the apparatus casing.
The apparatus can present an introduction passageway for portions, adapted for collecting a portion of edible substance, optionally provided inside of a capsule, and in connection with said extraction device.
The apparatus can present a recipient placement disposition and an introduction passageway at least approximately on a common surface that develops along a single plane, preferentially on a surface of the envelope of the apparatus top part.
It is preferred when said apparatus top part only presents said recipient placement disposition and said introduction passageway for portions of edible substance.
Said top part of apparatus can present the access disposition, and is preferentially devoid of any other elements of interaction with or operation of the apparatus.
The access disposition can be provided so that can selectively cover the recipient placement disposition and the introduction passageway for portions.
The invention shall hereinafter be explained in greater detail based upon preferred embodiments and on the attached Figures.
The Figures show, in simplified schematic representations:
In the case of the embodiment described hereinafter and that corresponds to a preferred embodiment of the invention, without exclusion of other in the scope thereof, the apparatus of distribution of edible products, is a beverage preparation apparatus (1), for example of espresso coffee, based upon a portion (7) of edible substance, for example roasted and ground coffee, that is impinged by a pressurized fluid in a product preparation device (5), for example an extraction device that can be actuated between an open and closed position, and vice-versa, and of which results a beverage flow that is discharged to a product recipient (10, 10′), in this case a drinking recipient, operatively placed in a recipient placement disposition (2).
As represented, said apparatus (1) presents an extraction device (5), in this case provided inside of the apparatus casing (3) of said apparatus (1), whereby said extraction device (5) is provided so that can collect a portion (7) of beverage precursor edible substance, eventually contained inside of a capsule.
Said apparatus (1) further presents at least one introduction passageway (8) that provides the supply of said portion (7) of edible substance to said extraction device (5).
Moreover, said apparatus (1) can include a fluid reservoir (not represented), as well as a fluid pressurization device (6) and a fluid heating device (not represented), so that can supply a flow (FS) at a temperature comprised between 60 and 100° C. and at a pressure comprised between 1 e 20 bar, so as to interact with said edible substance. These means are known to the skilled in the art so that one herewith abdicates from a more detailed representation or description thereof.
After extraction of the beverage, the beverage discharge flow (BD) is conducted to an exit of said extraction device (5) and to a placement disposition (2) that includes a beverage discharge (21) disposed downstream thereof so that the beverage discharge to the interior of the beverage recipient (10, 10′) unfolds through said base zone (11) thereof.
The recipient (10, 10′) can present flow regulation means (13) disposed in a base portion (11) thereof an adapted so that only provide flow entry into said recipient if the flow pressure is bigger than a previously defined flow pressure.
The placement disposition (2) can present at least one of:
As represented, the apparatus (1) in this case presents an apparatus casing (3) and an access disposition (4) that jointly define, at least substantially, the volume geometry of the apparatus (1), in particular in a coherent geometry that in this case corresponds at least approximately to a cube.
Advantageously, said access disposition (4) provides selective access to said placement disposition (2) and product discharge (21), so that prevents the possibility of accumulation of dusts and other residues as a result of exposition to ambient air of a given location of use of the apparatus (1).
It is particularly preferred, when the product discharge (21) is herewith selectively confined with relation to the exterior of the apparatus (1), so that the possibility of contamination thereof is mitigated.
Moreover, said apparatus casing (3) and access disposition (4) jointly define a material volume that is preferentially substantially continuous, devoid of projection or cavities.
According to a particularly advantageous aspect, said apparatus casing (3) and access disposition (4) jointly configure a volume that at least approximately corresponds to a coherent geometry, in particular regular, including a cube, a cone frustum, whereby said volume is devoid of projections or cavities, at least in case said access disposition (4) is at a closed position.
The access disposition (4) can be actuated, for example by mechanical actuation means triggered by a pressure gesture thereupon, in a rotation movement between a closed position—
Alternatively, the access disposition (4) can be actuated in a sliding movement in a plane at least approximately parallel to the plane of said placement disposition (2)—see
It is preferred when the access disposition (4) can occupy at least an intercalary position between the closed (I) and open position (II), for example corresponding to a semi-open position where provides access to the product discharge (21), but not to the introduction passageway (8) of portions.
As represented, the apparatus (1) presents in this case an apparatus casing (3) and an access disposition (4) that jointly define, at least substantially, the volume geometry of the apparatus (1), in particular in a coherent geometry that in this case corresponds at least approximately to a cylinder.
It is preferred when, as represented in
The access disposition (4) in this case comprises two access parts (41, 42) that can be actuated separately, thereby providing access to the placement disposition (2) and product discharge (21), and to the introduction passage (8) of portions.
As represented in
Alternatively, as represented in
It is particularly preferred when the apparatus casing (3) and the access disposition (4) jointly define a coherent geometry, or a set of at most three, preferentially at most two coherent geometries, for example two cone frustums, as represented in
Moreover, it is particularly preferred when the access disposition (4) extends over the entire top part of the apparatus, thereby defining the coherent geometry of the apparatus (1).
The access disposition (4) can be provided as a lid adapted so that can be retained and removed from the top region of the apparatus casing (3).
The apparatus casing (3) can present a use interface (34) adapted for providing at least one of: manipulation, portability, energy, information display, as can be observed in
Moreover, the apparatus casing (3) and the access disposition (4) can present at least two regions with materials of different optical transmission properties, including opaque, transparent, semi-transparent or different degrees thereof, whereby it is preferred when the apparatus casing (3) presents at most two different materials, particularly preferentially only one type of material.
As represented in
The access disposition (4) can, as further represented in
The access disposition (4) can further comprise a use interface (43) that can be an information interface, an energy interface, or a manipulation interface.
The information interface can be of screen type, including of interactive screen type by touch screen.
The energy interface can be a heating surface for pre-heating of recipients (10).
The manipulation interface can further be a handle adapted so that the apparatus (1) can be carried by hand.
The access disposition (4) can present functional connection means (44), in this case in the form of contact detection means, so as to provide input relating to the placement thereof, or not.
Said first access part (41) is provided as a mechanism of diaphragm type that can be actuated between a closed position (I) and an open position (II), and vice-versa.
Said second access part (42) can be provided as a lid that can be pushed inwards by a portion (7) of edible substance, for example by swivelling around an axis developing on a top edge of the second access part (42), and automatically recovering the initial position thereafter.
As referred, it is a mechanism of diaphragm type comprising a plurality of access parts (411) adapted so that can be moved in coordinated manner between a closed position (I) and an open position (II), and vice-versa. It is preferred when said access disposition (4) in this case presents three access parts (411) provided so that can engage in a support part (412) thereof. In particular, said support part (412) can be moved in rotation around a central axis thereof and along guideways associated with elements provided stationary, and the access parts (411) engage in mobile manner along guideways configured in the support part (4112) so as to enable the individual coordinated movement of all said access parts (411) as a result of said rotation movement by the support part (412).
The access parts (411) can be actuated manually, such as for example in the represented case by means of a handle (413) associated with the support part (412), or mechanically.
As represented in
The access disposition (4) can, as further represented in
As represented in
Moreover, the apparatus (1) presents an apparatus casing (3) that comprises a plurality of casing parts (31, 32, 33) that confine different elements of the apparatus (1) and adapted so that can be retained in removable manner between each other.
As represented in
Alternatively, at least one of said movements can be triggered by another input. The closing movement can be triggered by the removal of a first recipient (10), and non-placement of a second recipient on the placement disposition (2) during a previously defined period of time.
Alternatively, the access disposition (4) could further be provided in the form of a lid that can cover the whole frontal part of the apparatus (1).
It is preferred when the access disposition (41, 42), in case of being placed in a closed position (I) as represented in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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115096 | Oct 2018 | PT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/PT2019/050038 | 10/22/2019 | WO | 00 |