Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
  • G01F11/00—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it
  • G01F11/10—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with measuring chambers moved during operation
  • G01F11/12—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with measuring chambers moved during operation of the valve type, i.e. the separating being effected by fluid-tight or powder-tight movements
  • G01F11/14—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with measuring chambers moved during operation of the valve type, i.e. the separating being effected by fluid-tight or powder-tight movements wherein the measuring chamber reciprocates
  • G01F11/18—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with measuring chambers moved during operation of the valve type, i.e. the separating being effected by fluid-tight or powder-tight movements wherein the measuring chamber reciprocates for fluent solid material
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
  • A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
  • A47J31/40—Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
  • A47J31/404—Powder dosing devices

Definitions

• Dosing device for powdered or flaked or fine-grained Dosiergut preferably coffee, milk or cocoa powder
• the invention relates to a metering device for powdered or flaked or fine-grained Dosiergut, preferably coffee, milk or cocoa powder according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
• a coffee machine with a metering device of the type described above in which at the outlet of a container filled with Dosiergut a trained in the form of a screw actuator is arranged, which according to its revolutions more or less Dosiergut to a discharge opening into a funnel underneath.
• this metering device it is to be regarded as less advantageous that the funnel is in direct contact with the brewing chamber, that is, when the funnel for filling the dosing to the brewing chamber is opened, hot fumes can rise from the brewing chamber in succession after repeated use, which moisten the dispensing opening of the metering device. After prolonged use, this can lead to moisture collecting at the discharge opening, to which the dispensed dosage material sticks. Over a longer period, more and more dosing material can accumulate at the discharge opening and constrict it over a longer period of time until it is finally closed. The result is that the metering device completely fails.
• the dosing material adhering to the dispensing opening is constantly moistened by the rising vapor in such a way that it can become obstructed and begin to mold after prolonged use or even harmful bacteria can form on it.
• the result may also be that inedible coffee can arise with the metering device.
• the object of the invention is to provide a metering device that always works reliably without mold or bacteria can arise. Furthermore, a metering device is to be provided, via which the metered material also enters the brewing container, if it is not formed directly above the brewing chamber.
• the inventive device of a fan flow to the metering device this is detected by the fan flow after delivery of the metered and conveyed into a collecting container.
• the collecting container may be an intermediate container to which a brewing chamber for brewing a drink connects, but it may also be itself the brewing chamber of a beverage preparation machine, in which the dosing is brewed.
• the metering device can no longer clog and there is no damage to the dosing, for example, by mold or bacteria, cause.
• the fan flow is directed in the direction of ejection of the metered material, ie away from the discharge opening. But it can also extend transversely to the direction of ejection of the dosing, so that then the Dosiergut undergoes a deflection and is also guided in a targeted manner in the collecting container.
• the features of claim 3 lead to a particularly effective discharge device of the dosing, wherein the strength of the fan flow due to the targeted guidance in the limited channel can be kept within narrow limits. This is achieved by a channel surrounding the discharge opening into which the blower stream is introduced from the discharge opening.
• the fan flow may be substantially parallel to the channel, but it can also be introduced across several nozzles transversely and in the longitudinal direction of the channel in the channel to capture by the thus occurring turbulence particularly accurate all Dosiergut and promote collection containers.
• the features of claim 4 provide a simple and easy to manufacture embodiment in which individual, radially outside the discharge opening into the channel entering nozzle channels are provided, which extend in the direction of the output of the channel, that is substantially parallel to him in the channel space.
• a channel cross section may also form the inlet cross section of the channel which surrounds the wall of the dispensing opening from the outside.
• an annular contiguous fan flow is created, which is introduced into the channel, which is directed either parallel to the channel or slightly inward to the center of the channel in order to detect all dispensed dosing material from the fan flow and to be able to transport it to the exit of the channel.
• a precisely metered amount of dosage is dispensed per piston stroke and ejected at the discharge opening.
• a very specific dosage of powder is delivered, ie, the dosage is kept small per stroke, the strength of a brewed beverage can be dosed very accurately by, for example, only one to three strokes of the piston in a light, less strong drink and in the case of a strong dosing drink, about four to seven strokes are carried out on the piston and seven small quantities of dosing material are dispensed.
• the metering chamber is sized so large that the metering amount per piston stroke is about 0.1 g, ie, if experience is required for a medium strong coffee about 2 g for a cup of soluble ground coffee, the piston must know twenty strokes cover in a short time. This then poses no time problem if the features of claim 6 form the drive means of the piston. Namely, in this stroke generated by magnetic forces, the piston forms the magnetic core and the coil generates the magnetic field to move the piston in the coil. This can be done in such a fast time that only twenty seconds are needed for the twenty strokes. If the coil is oriented so that it moves the piston only in one direction, a spring must ensure that the piston is always moved back to its original position. But the coil and the piston can also be coordinated so that the piston is moved in both the one direction as in the opposite direction of the coil.
• the fan flow is generated by an electrically driven impeller, wherein the impeller could be formed by both a radial and an axial.
• the electric motor In order to use a particularly small in size fan impeller, while the electric motor must generate a relatively high speed, for example, 8,000 to 20,000 revolutions.
• the features of claim 8 now provide the metering device for a beverage preparation machine under protection, wherein the collecting container forms the brewing chamber itself or a funnel, which is directed towards the brewing chamber. Due to the blower current according to the invention in a beverage preparation machine which can be used in the domestic sector, the brewing chamber can even - as already described in the prior art. ben - be formed directly below the discharge opening when the fan flow blows away the votes of the brewing chamber steam from the discharge opening.
• Fig. 1 is a metering device according to the invention, in which the piston the outlet of the metering chamber just releases so that dosing can occur in the metering chamber, which represents the actuated position of the metering and
• the piston has already closed the outlet of the metering chamber and conveyed the metered product from the discharge opening, which represents the starting position of the metering device.
• a metering device 1 is shown schematically or only in principle.
• the metering device 1 consists of an upwardly open, preferably by a lid 40 (Fig. 2) closable, funnel-shaped container 2, which serves as a memory of powdered or flake-shaped or fine-grained Dosiergut 3.
• the container 2 tapers in the drawing down.
• an outlet 4 is formed, which adjoins the bottom of a perpendicular to the outlet 4 extending bore 5.
• the cross section of the bore 5 is preferably circular.
• the bore 5 is arranged in a housing 6, in which at the same time the container 2 is integrated.
• a reciprocating piston 7 is arranged, which is guided at its right in the drawing end 14 in a further bore 8 of a arranged in a further housing 9 bobbin 10.
• the holes 5 and 8 are aligned with each other, so that the piston 7 can be performed smoothly.
• the housing 9 forms with the bobbin 10 and the piston 7, the actuator 11 of the metering device 1.
• the actuator 11 is fixed to the metering device, for example, in a beverage preparation machine, which is not shown here, attached.
• the bobbin 10 consists of an embedded in an annular chamber 12, the current well-conductive copper wire 42, which, when it is flowed through by electricity, a magnetic field and thus pulls the piston 7 in the bore 8.
• the power connection is not shown in the drawing.
• a helically shaped compression spring 15 In the bore 8 of the actuator 11 is located between the bottom 13 of the housing 9 and the free end in the drawing 14 of the piston 7, a helically shaped compression spring 15, the non-actuation of the actuator 11, the piston 7 so far into the bore 5 of the housing 6 of the metering device 1 displaces that it completely closes the outlet 4 (FIG. 2), and extends even further in the bore 5 up to the discharge opening 18.
• the valve assembly 16 shown here is thus formed by a slide valve.
• annular projection 17 at the free end of a discharge opening 18 is formed.
• a pipe section 19 which is also integrated into the housing 6, with this preferably forms a part and extending over the neck 17 further to the left.
• annular space 20 is formed because the outer diameter of the projection 17 is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe section 19.
• the annular space 20 is connected via a flow channel 21 with an impeller 44 of a fan 22, the here only hinted at.
• the blower device 22 may also be connected via a to the end of the flow channel 21, which is here formed by a pipe socket 23, via a hose (not shown), so that the blower device 22, regardless of the metering device 1 also at a farther location in the device can be trained.
• the pipe section 19 extends substantially parallel to the piston 7 and the bore 5.
• the edge 24 of the pipe section 19 defines the outlet 43 for the metered Dosiergut 25, which is idealized in the metered form shown as a pellet.
• the side walls 26 of the dosing product 25 do not form straight, rectangular surfaces.
• a brewing chamber 27 is shown schematically, in which preferably the Dosiergut 25 falls into it, to then be mixed or dissolved with hot water.
• a baffle 28 extends on the left side of the brewing chamber 27.
• the brewing chamber 27 is open at the top and the edge 29 of the filling opening 30 is offset with respect to the free end 24 left below.
• the brewing chamber 27 shown in FIG. 1 is also present in FIG. 2. but for the sake of simplicity it has been omitted here to avoid repetition.
• the mode of operation of the metering device 1 according to the invention is the following:
• the starting position of the metering device 1 is that which is shown in Fig. 2, because here the piston 7 blocks the outlet 4 and thus no Dosiergut 3 can flow into the metering chamber 31.
• the metering chamber 31 extends over the region in the bore 5, over which also the outlet 4 extends to the bore 5.
• the compression spring 15 determines the closed position shown in Fig. 2 of the metering device 1, since it is attached both to the bottom 13 of the housing 9 as at the free end 14 of the piston 7 and so holds the piston 7 in the illustrated position in its relaxed position.
• dosing material 3 must be conveyed out of the container 2 into the brewing chamber 27.
• the coil body 10 is energized, so that a magnetic field is created, which pulls the piston 7 against the force of the spring 15 as shown in FIG. 1 in the direction of arrow 35 to the right in the bore 8.
• the outlet 3 is released and it can be dosed 3 in the metering chamber 31 until it is completely filled.
• the blower device 22 was turned on and it is an air flow 39 generated via the flow channel 21 in the annular space 20, from where this according to the arrow directions 36 to the free end 24 of the pipe section 19 and from there to the outside.
• the air flow 39 at the entrance can also be preheated by a heater, not shown, to keep the entire metering device 1 warm and dry and at the same time possibly slightly moist Dosiergut 25 also to dry. In this way, neither the neck 17 nor the tube cut 19 Dosiergut 25 deposit and so clog the metering device 1.
• the piston 7 is moved back and forth, with a precisely predetermined amount of dosing product 25 being delivered at each piston stroke, which corresponds to the volume of the dosing chamber 31. If a brewing process is completed, the blower device 22 can be switched off immediately or after a certain delay time, which also serves to clean and dry the dosing device 1.
• the housing 6 with the container 2 and the pipe section 19 is preferably molded from a single molded plastic part.
• the piston 7 may preferably be formed of plastic to keep the moving masses low.
• the brewing chamber 27, which is only indicated in FIG. 1, may be part of the mixing device for mixing a pulverulent, soluble extract, as described in the earlier patent application PCT / EP03 / 12026. For this reason, parts of this earlier application can be the subject of this application and therefore also count in this application to the disclosure content.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Apparatus For Making Beverages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34609112

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (32)

Family Cites Families (12)

• 2003
  • 2003-11-19 DE DE10354003A patent/DE10354003A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2004
  • 2004-10-20 CN CNB2004800343171A patent/CN100508844C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2004-10-20 WO PCT/EP2004/011841 patent/WO2005048791A1/de not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2004-10-20 EP EP04790653A patent/EP1684620A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2006
  • 2006-05-19 US US11/437,290 patent/US7398725B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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