CAPSULE-CONTROLLED MOTORIZED BREWING UNIT

摘要

A system is formed of an ingredient capsule (30) and a motorized beverage machine (1) that has a brewing unit (2). The unit comprises a first assembly (13) and a second assembly (14) cooperating together, each assembly (13, 14) delimiting part of a brewing chamber (29) for containing the capsule. At least one of these assemblies (14) is movable: away from the cooperating assembly (13) into an open position within such machine for forming between said assemblies a passage (31) for inserting into and/or removing from the brewing unit the ingredient capsule (30); and to the cooperating assembly into a closed position for forming the brewing chamber (29). The machine comprises activation means including: a motor (3) for driving the movable assembly between the open and closed positions and transmission means for transmitting the drive action of the motor to the movable assembly; water supply means for supplying heated water to brewing chamber; control means (10) for controlling the drive action of the motor comprising means for measuring at least one parameter (40, 40′, 40a, 41, 41′, 41a) representative of the motor power consumption and for comparing the evolution of said measured parameter over time during the transfer of the assembly from the open to the closed position to a set reference (42, 42′) and means for providing an input to at least one of the activation means as a result of the compared evolution of the measured parameter to the set reference.

主权项

1. A system comprising a capsule and a beverage machine having a brewing unit and an activation member, wherein:
the capsule has a sidewall joined to a capsule bottom, and a capsule top the sidewall, bottom and top forming a generally cup-shaped container for containing a beverage ingredient; the brewing unit comprises a first assembly and a second assembly cooperating together, one of the assemblies comprising a capsule receptacle, having a sidewall and a mouth and defining with the other assembly at least part of a brewing chamber for containing the ingredient capsule; the activation member includes a water supply, to the brewing chamber and member for driving at least one of the assemblies: away from the cooperating assembly into an open position for forming between the assemblies a passage for inserting into and/or removing from the brewing unit the ingredient capsule; and to the cooperating assembly into a closed position for forming said brewing chamber; the capsule, the brewing unit and the member for driving being arranged so that: when the assemblies are in the open position, the capsule inserted via the passage is retained between the assemblies in a retained position; when the assemblies are driven by the member for driving to transfer the assemblies from the open position to the closed position, the capsule bottom and at least part of the capsule sidewall enter the capsule receptacle via its mouth; and when the assemblies are in the closed position, the capsule is in a brewing position in the brewing chamber; the activation members include a motor for driving the assemblies between the open and closed positions and controller for controlling the water supply and the drive action of the motor, the controller comprising: a member for measuring at least one electrical parameter representative of a consumption of power by the motor and for comparing to at least one set reference an evolution of the measured parameter over time during the transfer of the assemblies from the open to the closed position; and a member for providing to the activation member an input resulting from the comparison of the evolution of the measured parameter(s) to the set reference(s); and the assemblies and the capsule are arranged so that, when the capsule is retained in the open position and the assemblies are then driven from the open position towards the closed position, the capsule sidewall and the mouth of the capsule receptacle are urged together and contact each other in a sliding friction relationship over a fraction of the capsule sidewall so as to create a capsule-generated resistance against closure of the assemblies that affects the power consumption of the motor during closure and the measured parameter over time to generate a corresponding input to the activation member.