BREWER WITH COMPACTING FORCE ACTIVATION

摘要

The present disclosure includes an extraction assembly for use in an automatic espresso brewer. The extraction assembly includes components and methods for controllably extracting espresso beverage from a quantity of brewing substance. The components, assemblies, and methods facilitate improved control and operation of the extraction assembly and improve the reliability of the extraction assembly. The brewing substance is compacted between a pair of opposing pistons. Compacting force is monitored through at least one sensor carried on the extraction assembly to provide a signal to a controller. A predetermined compacting force may be programmed into the system for all brewing cycles or dependent upon the brewing substance used. The pair of pistons operates relative to a brew chamber for use in the espresso extraction process. The pistons provide compacting force and boundaries within the chamber and facilitate removal of a spent brewing substance puck at the end of the brewing cycle. Compacting force is monitored at the start of the brewing process and a predetermined force is required before the brewing process can be started. During the brewing process compacting force can be maintained and controllably adjusted. A variety of sensor methods and locations can be used to detect and monitoring compacting force.

主权项

1. A beverage extraction assembly for use with a brewing machine, the extraction assembly including: a brew chamber positioned on a carriage with a controllably movable frame positioned movement relative to the carriage, a first piston retained on a portion of the frame moves relative to the brew chamber for insertion into and removal from the brew chamber during a brewing process, a second piston carried on the brew chamber and displaceable against a portion of the frame during the brewing process to remove beverage brewing substance at the end of a brewing process, brewing substance dispensed into a cavity of the brew chamber being compressed between the first and second pistons, a sensor carried on the extraction assembly operatively associated with at least one of the pistons and coupled to a controller, a sensor detecting a compaction characteristic associated with compacting brewing substance for facilitating compacting brewing substance to a predetermined level, a drive mechanism positioned on the carriage and controllably operating movement of the movable frame for moving the frame relative to the brew chamber, the drive mechanism coupled to the controller, the extraction assembly controllably operating to compress the brewing substance in the brewing chamber to a predetermined level of compaction before initiating the brew extraction process, the controller operating the drive mechanism to displace the brew chamber relative to the first piston to achieve the predetermined compaction.