* * *

The present invention relates to a machine for preparing a beverage.

In particular, the present invention relates to a machine for preparing coffee from a raw material contained inside a pod or a capsule.

In the present description the term:

- "pod" is understood as meaning a packaging of the soft type obtained by joining together along their perimeter two flexible sheets of food-grade material, for example a polylaminate material; and

- "capsule" is understood as meaning a packaging of the rigid type, comprising a cup- shaped body, made for example from a polymer, provided with one or more films of food- grade material.

In the continuation of the present description, in order to facilitate reading, reference will be made to a machine for preparing coffee from a powdery or granular substance contained inside a pod, it being clearly understood that such a reference is not intended to be exclusive. In particular, the machine according to the present invention may also be used for the preparation of other beverages, as will become clear from the description below.

According to the present state of the art there exist many types of machines for preparing coffee, in which pods or capsules may be used.

The machines according to the prior art generally comprise:

- a pod loading zone, where the user positions or inserts the pod;

- an infusion zone, where pressurized hot water is injected inside the pod;

- a zone for dispensing the beverage obtained; and

- an unloading zone, where the pod is unloaded. The unloading zone usually consists of a tray which, once full, or whenever required, may be extracted from the machine for emptying.

Also known are other types of machines in which pods are used, it being envisaged manually positioning a pod made of permeable paper on the seat provided in the infusion zone. The machine comprises an infusion unit which is provided with ducts for supplying water and which may be lowered manually towards the seat. Once the upper element is lowered so that its side edge makes sealing contact with the side edge of the seat, pressurized hot water is injected inside the pod. Once the operation has been completed, the upper element is operated in reverse and the used capsule is removed from the seat.

The prior art although widely used and well-regarded is not without drawbacks.

The used pod or capsule comprises a compostable portion (the coffee powder) and a recyclable portion (for example aluminium or a polymer). In accordance with the prior art, disposed of along with the so-called unsorted part of solid urban waste.

It is known to the person skilled in the art that, for a long time now, the authorities concerned have been attempting to reduce the unsorted part of solid urban waste and it is likewise known that there is a growing public awareness regarding these issues.

It is clear therefore that disposal of the used pod as unsorted waste is inefficient from an ecological and economic point of view.

Therefore, if pods and capsules are to be disposed of efficiently, the compostable portion must be separated from the recyclable portion. In order to achieve this using the machines according to the prior art it is necessary to extract after each dispensing operation, or after a series of dispensing operations, the collection tray in order to dispose of the used pods or capsules one-by-one.

It is clear that this operation is not easy and certainly does not encourage the user to perform it regularly because part of the machine must be disassembled and because it is an operation which may be put off until a later time since the tray is designed to contain more than one pod. Performing emptying at a later time may result in the tray becoming full, also with a large number of used pods or capsules, with the result that the user tends to empty the collection tray directly into the non-recyclable waste.

Moreover, in machines where the pod is extracted manually from the seat, there is however a problem of positioning the pod inside the infusion zone. In fact, the pod must be deposited manually so that, in the closed condition, its edges are pressed between the edges of the seat and the upper element, so as to prevent it being displaced during the infusion step.

The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome at least partially the drawbacks of the prior art.

A first task of the present invention is to provide a machine which is simple to use.

A second task of the present invention is to provide a machine in which the pod may be easily inserted and where the user encounters no difficulty in centring the pod with respect to the seat.

A further task of the present invention is to provide a machine for preparing a beverage in which extraction of the used pod for disposal thereof is facilitated.

The object and the tasks are achieved with a machine for preparing a beverage according to Claim 1.

Advantageous characteristic features of the machine for preparing a beverage according to the present invention are contained in the dependent claims.

The advantages and characteristic features of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the detailed description below of a number of examples of embodiment provided by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a machine according to the present invention; and 4 show in schematic form a part of a machine according to the present invention during three different operating steps.

In Figure 1, the reference number 12 denotes a machine for preparing a beverage according to the present invention, and the reference number 14 denotes a pod.

The machine 12 comprises an inlet opening 16.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the inlet opening 16 may have a rectangular cross-section. According to alternative embodiments, the opening may have any other shape and in particular may reproduce the cross-section of the pod or the capsule which can be used with the machine.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the inlet opening 16 may be shaped and may be adapted to allow a partial insertion of two fingers, one on top of the other, by the user. The inlet opening may have an elongated rectangular shape, with two semi-circles arranged at the midway point of the two longer sides.

The inlet opening 16 is designed so that the user may position the pod or the capsule at least in the vicinity of an infusion zone 18. Advantageously, the inlet opening 16 may be arranged in the vicinity of the infusion zone 18 so that the user may position the pod or the capsule directly therein.

The infusion zone 18 comprises a support seat 20 and an infusion unit 22.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the support seat 20 may be flat. Other embodiments of the seat, for example a cup-shaped seat, are nevertheless possible. Advantageously the support seat 20 may be flat and inclined with respect to the horizontal. The support seat 20 may be inclined and may have the highest point in the vicinity of the inlet opening 16.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention, a slide 24 may be provided between the inlet opening 16 and support seat 20. The slide 24 is adapted to allow sliding of the pod towards the support seat 20; moreover the slide 24 may form an extension, towards the inlet opening 16, of the support seat 20.

The support seat 20 is provided with a stop element 26 for the pod or capsule at least in a position opposite to the inlet opening 16.

Advantageously, the stop element 26 may be an element projecting in a direction substantially perpendicular to the position in which the seat 20 lies. In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the stop element 26 may be a continuous edge with a front opening via which the pod or capsule may be inserted. Advantageously, the stop element 26 may comprise a plurality of locating elements arranged around the seat part which, during operation, has the function of housing the pod or the capsule.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the seat 20, in a position diametrically opposite to the inlet opening 16, may have formed therein a discharge )le for discharging any leaking liquids onto a tray 40 positioned underneath the seat. Advantageously the tray 40 may be extractable. The discharge opening 35 may be formed by a gap in the stop element 26 (as shown in Figure 1) .

The support seat 20 and the infusion unit 22 are adapted to be moved relatively towards or away from each other.

According to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the support seat 20 and the infusion unit 22 are adapted to be moved relatively between:

- a loading position (shown in Figure 2), in which a pod or a capsule may be positioned on the support seat 20, the support seat 20 and infusion unit 22 being spaced from each other;

- an infusion position (shown in Figure 3), in which the support seat 20 and the infusion unit 22 are close together; and

- an extraction position (shown in Figure 4), in which the support seat 20 and the infusion unit 22 are spaced from each other, so as to allow extraction of the pod or the capsule.

Advantageously, the machine according to the present invention comprises movement means 25 adapted to move the support seat 20 or the infusion unit 22 or both of them.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 1, the movement means 25 are adapted to move the infusion unit 22. The movement means 25 may comprise a lever 28 which, in a manner known per se, moves the infusion unit between the spaced position and the close position. The mechanism can per se be easily imagined and realized by the person skilled in the art and therefore will not be further described.

The infusion unit 22 may consist of a dome-shaped element provided with piercing and injection tips 30 designed to pierce the top wall of the pod or the capsule and inject pressurized hot water inside the pod or the capsule. Advantageously, the edge of the dome- shaped element may be provided with a seal 31. The seal 31 may therefore be used as a sealing gasket when the infusion unit and the seat are moved close together. The seal is designed to press a flat edge of a pod against the seat (as shown in the attached figures).

The infusion unit may have a form matching a part of the pod or the capsule and may in any case be provided with piercing and injection tips.

The machine also comprises a unit for supplying pressurized hot water, which comprises: a tank 42, a pump 44, a heating device 46 and a valve 48. All these parts, since they are known per se to the person skilled in the art, will not be further described.

The support seat 18 may comprise piercing or discharge elements 32 by means of which it is possible to pierce the bottom surface of the pod or the capsule in order to erage produced.

The piercing and discharge elements 32 are in fluid communication with a collection chamber 34 inside which the beverage produced may be collected before being poured into a receptacle.

Advantageously, the collection chamber is positioned underneath the support seat so that the beverage may flow more easily from the piercing elements to the collection zone. In accordance with the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the collection chamber 34 may have an inclination directed towards a spout 36.

In accordance with a possible embodiment of the present invention, the spout 36 may be provided with a frothing device 38. The frothing device 38 may of the type known per se to the person skilled in the art, and therefore will not be further described.

A possible procedure for using a machine for preparing a beverage according to the present invention will now be described.

The user may position manually a pod on the support seat 20 via the inlet opening 16. In the embodiment in which the slide 24 is provided, the pod is inserted inside the inlet opening 16 and falls towards the seat 20.

Once the position close to the stop element 26 is reached, the operator lowers the lever 28, moving the infusion unit 22 towards the support seat 20, so that the perimetral edge of the pod is pressed between the support seat 20 and the seal 31. At the same time, the piercing and infusion tips 30 and the piercing and discharge elements 32 penetrate into the top part and the bottom part of the pod, respectively.

By means of a control unit (not shown) in automatic mode or via an operator command, the supplying of pressurized hot water inside the pod is activated.

The beverage obtained passes through the piercing and discharge elements 32 and flows into the collection chamber 34 towards the dispensing spout 36.

Any leaking liquids, in view of the inclination of the support seat 20, are conveyed towards the rear part of the machine and, via the discharge outlet 35, flow towards the tray 40.

Once the beverage has been completed, the machine stops automatically or following an operator command, and the infusion unit is moved away from the support seat, for example via a raising movement of the lever.

In the extraction position, the user may retrieve the pod manually through the inlet opening 16 and perform disposal thereof.

Therefore the advantages which may be achieved using a machine and a method according to the present invention are numerous.

Firstly the machine according to the present invention is simple and straightforward to use. the pod or the capsule may be easily positioned on the support seat and there is no difficulty in centring the pod or the capsule with respect to the infusion unit, as instead occurs in the machines of the prior art.

Moreover, the fact that the used pod is immediately accessible for the user makes the disposal operation, with separation of the waste into a compostable part and recyclable part, easy and fast. In other words, the user is encouraged to perform more efficient recycling of the waste.

Moreover, owing to its constructional simplicity, the machine is less prone to breakages and moreover less costly since there is no need to provide mechanical mechanisms for collection of used capsules, trays or sensors adapted to detect the filling level of the collection tray.

As will be obvious to the person skilled in the art after reading the present description, the innovative principles of the present invention may be advantageously applied also to the preparation of other beverages in addition to coffee, such as tea, infusions, herbal teas, etc., in which the raw material may be contained inside a pod or a capsule.

The person skilled in the art, in order to satisfy specific requirements, may make modifications to the embodiments described above and/ or replace the parts described with equivalent parts, without thereby departing from the scope of the accompanying claims.

For example it is possible to provide means suitable for extracting the pod or the capsule manually or automatically. Grippers or other elements may be provided for manually gripping the pods or the capsules. Embodiments may also be envisaged where there is an automatic device which may be easily realized by the person skilled in the art and is adapted to extract the pod or the capsule in such a way that it may be easily gripped by the user.