HK1147468B - System and device for preparing and delivering products from a mixture made up of a base liquid and a diluent - Google Patents

Description

System and device for preparing and dispensing a product from a mixture made of a base liquid and a diluent

This application is a divisional application of patent application No.200580023153.7 entitled "system and apparatus for preparing and delivering a food product from a mixture made of a food liquid and a diluent" filed on 2005, 13.06.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system for preparing and delivering a mixture of a base liquid and a diluent. More particularly, the present invention relates to the preparation and delivery of beverages or other liquid food products by metering a food liquid and mixing the food liquid with a diluent. The invention can be used to sanitarily, easily and quickly deliver a hot or cold beverage, with or without foam, with a concentrate and water, even when the volume to be prepared is large.

Background

In conventional beverage dispensers, the beverage may be reconstituted with a concentrate or powder contained within a reservoir. The concentrate or powder is metered and then mixed through a tube, pump and mixing tank with a diluent, usually hot or cold water, in a dispenser. Mixing is usually performed by a mechanical stirrer housed in the chamber. Thus, traditional beverage preparation requires extensive maintenance and cleaning in order to keep the parts in contact with the food product clean at all times and to avoid the risk of contamination and bacterial growth. Such machines also imply a great investment on the part of the operator. Finally, even if the current trend is to expand the choice of hot, cold, frothy or non-frothy beverages, these machines lack versatility in terms of choice of output beverages.

There do exist systems for delivering juice from disposable or reusable packages containing a concentrate, said packages containing a pump operated by a dispensing device external to the package. Such a system is described, for example, in patent US 5615801.

Previously, the pump forms part of the dispenser itself, but in order to alleviate the drawbacks related to maintenance and cleaning of the pump and related elements, the solution of patent US 5615801 is to contain the food liquid pump inside the package and activate it with the machine by connecting the package to the machine and more specifically by connecting the pump to the machine. The operator need only replace the package and replace it with a new or different package in order to continue dispensing another beverage. Thus, no cleaning is required. Patent US 5615801 improves this type of packaging by providing a Moineau pump that can generate a continuous flow of concentrate that is spread out in the form of a film through a valve and allowed to mix with a diluent, in this case water, in a mixing chamber belonging to the packaging.

However, this solution has some drawbacks. The mixing in such a system is not optimized due to the way the diluent and concentrate merge in the mixing chamber. In addition, there is a risk that diluent will rise and flow back into the concentrate line. If so, a sanitary problem may be caused. In addition, concentrate metering can be limited by the design of the system and the viscosity of the concentrate. In particular, the device is not suitable for certain thick concentrates, which therefore cannot be passed through a valve to produce a membrane and thus be mixed. In addition, in order to meter correctly, the concentrate flow rate is reduced by the feature that the pump must itself overcome the large pressure drop created by the valve. It is therefore not possible to produce large quantities of beverage with a particular type of concentrate, for example coffee or cocoa-based concentrates, within a reasonable time interval of about 10 to 40 seconds. The device is also not designed to foam when preparing the beverage, for example. Currently, there is a need to produce a sparkling beverage obtained from a concentrate and water, such as black coffee, latte, espresso or hot chocolate. Another disadvantage derives from the complexity of such a system and the large amount of space it occupies, since the system has a large number of components. Therefore, such systems are expensive.

Patents US 5305923 and US 5842603 describe similar devices which have the same drawbacks as the patents already described.

Patent US 6568565 relates to a method and apparatus for dispensing a beverage from a concentrate contained in a disposable multi-dose container. The container comprises an adapter on which a metering pump, which is disposable in itself, is tightly fitted. A mixing chamber is provided in which the diluent is mixed with the metered concentrate. The beverage is delivered through a non-disposable delivery nozzle. The system is complex, heavy and expensive, since the pump, mixing chamber and nozzle comprise many separate components connected together by many couplings. The pump is started by a system that is also complex, equipped with a pump operating system that drives the forks.

Patent application WO 01/21292 relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a beverage, wherein a concentrate is fed to a confluence area in a mixing chamber; within the confluence region, the concentrate is joined with a diluent. A gas is supplied to a gas zone within the mixing chamber, which gas zone causes a flow of the mixture of concentrate and diluent, and which gas zone is located downstream of the junction zone. First of all, this solution is not a compact solution for preparing liquid food products from a concentrate, since the apparatus is associated with a peristaltic pump for metering the concentrate, which is separate from the apparatus itself. Secondly, for food concentrates with higher solids concentrations, metering with a peristaltic pump is not sufficiently accurate. The doses are not uniform from dose to dose due to the discontinuous peristaltic arrangement of the output food pulses. Third, the device is not packaged and cannot be discarded after use. Therefore, the device must be cleaned in order to be able to be reused without hygienic risks. Fourth, there is no pressure reduction sufficient to prevent the risk of diluent rising back into the concentrate line, and therefore a valve needs to be placed on the concentrate line to prevent this risk. Despite the provision of the valve, the risk of diluent entering the concentrate line is still high. Finally, the manner in which air is drawn into the chamber is not optimal due to the lack of pressure differentials and the size and relative position of the ducts.

There is therefore a need for a simpler, hygienic, compact and economical system and to provide a solution to all of the above problems.

Disclosure of Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for metering a base liquid and mixing this base liquid with a diluent to prepare a food product, the apparatus being connectable to a container containing said liquid and comprising:

a liquid pump configured to meter an amount of liquid through the liquid metering tube,

-a diluent inlet with a diluent duct,

-a mixing chamber for mixing a liquid and a diluent, wherein:

the diluent tube is arranged relative to the liquid metering tube such that the diluent flow merges with the liquid flow before or within the mixing chamber, and the apparatus comprises means for increasing the velocity of the diluent flow at the point where the diluent flow and the liquid flow merge relative to the velocity of the diluent at the diluent inlet.

The device according to the invention thus provides an improved solution for metering and then correctly mixing the liquid and the diluent. Fluid shear and fluid mixing within the mixing chamber is improved by the velocity of the diluent itself and the merging of the tubes. More precisely, the liquid arriving at a very low velocity is entrained at the junction by the diluent arriving at a higher velocity; this facilitates the entrainment of the liquid, forcing it to move and generating turbulence within the mixing chamber to form the mixture. The diluent accelerates such that the pressure at the flow junction is lower than or equal to the pressure in the liquid tube at the pump outlet.

The advantages are twofold:

increased shear forces, facilitating mixing in the mixing chamber; and

backflow of diluent up into the liquid pipe, which could cause hygiene problems, is prevented, especially when the pump is switched off.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for increasing the velocity of the diluent comprise a venturi device in the form of at least one constriction provided on the diluent duct before or at the point of flow merging. Thus, the constriction may accelerate the flow of diluent when it merges with the liquid, so that the pressure may advantageously be reduced. This principle can be implemented simply because it does not contain any moving parts. The diluent merges with the metering liquid at a higher velocity, creating a shearing action and also preventing the diluent from rising back up into the liquid metering tube. The velocity of the fluid is then reduced in a mixing chamber having a larger cross-section, which is advantageous for producing a homogeneous liquid-diluent mixture in the chamber.

The diluent tube is preferably directed towards the outlet of the liquid metering tube or slightly below the outlet to ensure that the diluent and liquid streams collide with each other. In one possible mode, the diluent tube and the liquid metering tube are disposed directly to intersect. In an alternative mode, the two tubes are arranged to terminate in enlarged mixing chambers, respectively, but still terminate at their flow junctions.

Preferably, the diluent tube comprises at least one terminal portion forming a linear arrangement with the constriction and the mixing chamber inlet. The liquid tube for the passage of liquid at the pump outlet is transverse to the alignment. This configuration may achieve a particularly effective venturi effect, wherein the diluent moves more or less linearly to create a sufficiently large pressure drop. The pressure drop also enables the liquid to be drawn through the tube at the pump outlet when the pump is switched off, without diluent rising back into the liquid tube. The term "straight line" is to be understood as meaning that there is no right angle bend or sharp bend that could interrupt or significantly slow the flow of diluent through the constriction.

According to one possible aspect, the apparatus is configured to produce a brewed preparation. The device comprises an air inlet in communication with at least one duct, either before the mixing chamber or within the mixing chamber itself, to bring air into the mixture and to foam the preparation. Preferably, the air inlet is arranged in communication with the constriction so as to benefit from the suction generated and to entrain air and foam into at least some of the diluted liquid, e.g. beverage, in the mixing chamber. Thus, the air inlet is sized to bring a desired amount of air into the mixing chamber. The air is also used to clean the chamber at the end of the dispensing operation and to evacuate any amount of beverage and/or foam remaining in the chamber from the chamber towards the end of the dispensing cycle.

In one mode, the air inlet is disposed relative to the diluent tube and the liquid metering tube such that air is drawn into the diluent flow before the diluent merges or collides with the liquid flow. For example, the air inlet may be arranged to intersect the diluent tube before the diluent and liquid streams merge. In this arrangement, gas bubbles are drawn into the diluent stream prior to mixing of the diluent and liquid. The point of collision between the aerated diluent and the liquid may be located within or before the mixing chamber, i.e. at the junction of the diluent and liquid tubes. This arrangement solves the problem of air inlet contamination. In practice, it has been noted that the product enters the air passage when it is arranged in the mixing chamber after the junction. According to physical principles, the diluent does not enter the air passage due to the velocity and the resulting pressure differential, and therefore the air passage cannot be cleaned by the flush cycle of the diluent. As a result, this causes problems with bacterial growth. By having the air inlet only at the level of the diluent it can be ensured that the product, e.g. diluted concentrate, does not contaminate the air channel.

The pump may be any pump capable of delivering a liquid having a wide viscosity range, particularly between 1 and 5000 centipoise. The pump may be a gear pump, a peristaltic pump or a piston pump.

The metering and mixing device according to the invention is intended to be controlled by a dispensing base device with which it abuts in a complementary manner. For the sake of greater simplicity and clarity, the second device that abuts the first device is referred to as the "base station" in the rest of this description. Thus, the coupling means are arranged and configured to connect the metering and mixing device to a base station, which itself is capable of providing a diluent supply and means for driving the liquid pump. Having the metering and mixing device independent of the functions of driving the pump and supplying the diluent can provide significant advantages: the metering and mixing device can be replaced each time necessary, for example with a new device assembled with a new container. Such replacement makes it possible to dispense with or at least significantly reduce the need for maintenance and cleaning of the metering and mixing device. This also allows for more flexibility in the choice of metering and mixing by replacing the metering and mixing equipment while maintaining a common base station.

However, in a preferred embodiment, the pump is of the gear pump type. Such a pump includes a series of rotating members that are matingly received therein. The pump includes an inlet passage for liquid to enter the pump chamber and a liquid outlet passage connecting the pump chamber to the liquid metering tube, the liquid inlet and outlet passages being more or less aligned with the transmission formed by the series of rotors. The gear pump in the context of the present invention makes the flow of the liquid being metered more uniform, the amount of liquid being metered more accurate, and provides a more compact configuration containing a relatively limited number of moving parts. Therefore, the number of the rotating members is preferably two, although the number of the pair of rotating members is not limited by itself. Preferably, the first rotation element is extended by coupling means connected to complementary coupling means associated with drive means belonging to the base station. As known per se, the rotary member comprising the coupling device is generally referred to as "driving" element, while the other rotary member is generally referred to as "driven" element.

In one possible mode, a check valve is provided in the liquid metering tube to prevent any possible dripping from the pump to the junction and into the mixing chamber. In fact, despite the sealing function of the gear pump, it is not possible to ensure a complete liquid seal during periods of non-operation of the plant, in particular when using concentrates with low viscosity.

Since one of the purposes of the present invention is to limit any possible interaction between the product and the machine components, the metering and mixing device itself comprises a duct for outputting the diluted and mixed flow of food liquid from downstream of the mixing chamber directly into the receptacle. A receptacle should be understood to mean, for example, a glass, bowl or mug or any other receptacle used by a consumer.

In a preferred construction, the metering and mixing device of the present invention is in the form of a cap connected to the container by suitable connecting means. Thus, more precisely, the mixing device comprises two half-shells assembled together along a parting line passing through the suction means and the pump. The construction in the form of a lid with two half-shells has the following advantages: this configuration requires fewer assembly parts and is more compact than known configurations that typically incorporate pumping and mixing devices.

One or the other half-shell or both half-shells are assembled by passing through their parting line to define:

-a pump chamber and a metering tube,

-an inhalation device comprising at least one constriction,

-a diluent tube for the diluent,

-a mixing chamber for mixing the components,

optionally an air tube, and

preferably a tube for outputting a food preparation, such as a beverage.

In this configuration of the two half-shells, the metering and mixing device is preferably made of plastic, for example injection-molded or injection-molded plastic. Thus, the device can be used for a limited number of metering operations and then discarded or recycled.

In a more preferred embodiment, the device is associated with a container which together with the metering and mixing device forms a disposable or reusable package. The container may be a non-collapsible or collapsible member. It may be, for example, a bottle, brick, sachet, pouch, or the like. It may be made of plastic, cardboard, paper, aluminum or mixtures and/or laminates of these materials. The container and the device may be connected in a permanent manner or in a removable manner. The permanent means can be designed as sealing, welding, adhesive bonding, irreversible clamping, etc. By removable is meant an assembly formed by a threaded portion or equivalent complementary mechanical engagement means on the cap forming the metering device and a threaded portion or complementary mechanical engagement means belonging to the container cooperating therewith.

The metering and mixing device is mounted on the base station in a simple and rapid manner. To this end, the coupling means of the device are preferably located on the same side, so as to allow the coupling to be made by manual insertion into the abutment panel of the base station itself comprising complementary coupling means. Thus, the user can easily perform the abutment operation by simple movement by hand by holding the mixing and metering device, on which the container is preferably mounted, and pushing it against the face plate of the base station. More specifically, the coupling means also comprise means for translational guiding, together with complementary guiding means on the abutment panel of the base station, in at least one direction facilitating insertion or abutment. Obviously, other abutment methods may be used which combine multiple insertion directions, such as translation and rotation directions, or multiple directions combined along/around multiple translation and/or rotation axes.

The metering and mixing device according to the invention also comprises a code that can be read by a reader associated with the base station. The code comprises information relating to the characteristics and/or features of the product, and/or parameters relating to the activation of the diluent supply and/or the activation of the liquid pump drive. The code may for example be used to manage the flow rate of the liquid pump and/or the flow rate of the diluent pump housed within the base station, in order to control the liquid: the diluent ratio. The code may also have other uses, such as checking the authenticity of the product contained within the container or adjusting a device that changes the temperature of the diluent.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a package for metering a liquid and mixing this liquid with a diluent for preparing a food product, the package comprising:

a multi-dose container forming a liquid reservoir;

a metering and mixing apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

-an inlet for a diluent,

a liquid pump for metering the amount of liquid,

a mixing chamber for mixing the liquid and the diluent,

-coupling means configured to connect the metering and mixing device to a base station capable of providing a diluent supply and means for driving a concentrate pump, characterized in that the metering and mixing device forms a cap connected to the container.

In fact, there is no package in the prior art that has the advantages of hygiene associated with the use of a metering pump contained within the package, and of simple and inexpensive construction suitable for use or re-use over a limited period of time. The present invention therefore meets these combined objectives by making a metering device, which is generally complex and composed of a plurality of elements assembled together by coupling means, take the form of a cap associated with the container as a closure.

More specifically, the cover comprises two half-shells assembled together along a substantially longitudinal parting line, said half-shells being configured to define at least the profile of the pumping chamber and of the mixing chamber. In other words, the two parts are assembled together longitudinally along a separation line in the direction of transport of the fluid, in particular in the direction of transport of the liquid and of the mixture consisting of the liquid and the diluent. In contrast, the prior art generally provides a plurality of pipes and coupling devices one after the other in the direction of fluid transport, which leads to higher complexity, rapid contamination and greater hygienic risk due to the change in cross section and the use of a large number of components, and also to higher manufacturing costs.

According to the invention, the liquid metering tube is arranged to merge with the diluent tube before the mixing chamber. The metering and mixing device comprises means for increasing the velocity of the diluent to the point where the streams meet in order to supplement the liquid metering pump. Such means are preferably constrictions communicating with the diluent inlet upstream of the mixing chamber, so that the flow of diluent is accelerated through the constrictions.

When the inhalation device further comprises an air inlet, the preparation, e.g. beverage, can foam, which air inlet allows air to be entrained within the mixture and foam the liquid-diluent mixture, e.g. beverage, within the mixing chamber. However, when the preparation does not require foaming, the air inlet may be omitted or alternatively closed. The cross-section of the air inlet may vary depending on the characteristics of the food liquid contained in the package. Thus, the cross-section of the air tube may be between 0.05 and 2mm²Preferably between 0.1 and 0.5mm²To change between.

The liquid may be a food concentrate for reconstituting a hot or cold, frothy or non-frothy beverage. For example, the liquid is a concentrate based on coffee, cocoa, milk, tea, fruit juice or a combination of these components. The concentrate may be a liquid for producing, for example, latte, including coffee concentrate and condensed milk or cheese. The viscosity of the liquid may vary depending on the characteristics of the concentrate.

Typically, the viscosity is between 1 and 5000 centipoise, preferably between 200 and 1000 centipoise, more preferably between 300 and 600 centipoise.

Finally, the invention relates to a base station on which the metering and mixing device or package defined above is to be abutted.

The base station includes:

a) a technical area, the technical area comprising:

-a diluent supply means for supplying a diluent to the reaction chamber,

-a liquid pump drive means for driving the liquid pump,

2) an interface region for a user, the interface region comprising:

coupling means complementary to coupling means belonging to the metering and mixing device, the complementary coupling means being configured to receive the metering and mixing device in a predetermined position and comprising diluent coupling means and means for coupling the pump,

-means for controlling the supply of diluent and driving the liquid pump.

Thus, the preferred base station includes two separate areas, including an interface region that is accessible to a user. This area may be protected by a protective means, such as a cover or the like, but this is not essential. Instead, a portion of this area may be visible to allow for better interactivity with the user so that the package may be replaced more easily.

More precisely, the diluent supply means comprise a water supply pipe connected to a water pump and to a system for controlling the water temperature. The temperature control system may be a heating system, such as a heating block, a heating cartridge, a boiler, or any other equivalent device. The control system may also be a refrigeration system capable of producing a frozen beverage or dessert.

The pump drive means may comprise an electric motor and a drive shaft connected to said complementary coupling means for connection with the coupling means of the liquid pump. The coupling means may be formed by a mechanical push-on connection of the male-female type, a magnetizing mechanism, a screw-fastening system, a plugging-in system or any other equivalent means.

The interface region includes guides complementary to the guides of the metering and mixing apparatus to allow the apparatus to abut. The complementary guiding means are configured to guide the metering device in a translational direction or in one or more other directions during abutment. Means may be provided for securing the metering device in the abutting position.

The base station includes a controller associated with the control device, the controller programmed to control and regulate activation of the liquid pump drive and activation of the diluent supply. When the metering and mixing device or package includes a code, the controller is associated with a reader capable of reading the code and processing the read information.

Drawings

The features and advantages of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a preparation system according to the present invention, including a multiple-serving package according to the present invention in a position separate from a base station;

FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the system of FIG. 1 with the multiple portion package in an abutting position against a base station;

FIG. 3 is a view of the front half-shell of the metering and mixing device according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of the rear half-shell of the metering and mixing device according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4;

fig. 6 is an internal view of the front half-shell of the apparatus of fig. 3 to 5, without the gear elements;

fig. 7 is an internal view of the rear half-shell of the apparatus according to fig. 3 to 5;

FIG. 8 is a detailed partial cross-sectional view of the pump of the apparatus of FIGS. 3 to 7;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of a rotating member of the liquid metering pump;

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the rotary member in a given engaged configuration;

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of the interior of the base station;

FIG. 12 is a detailed view of the base station coupling arrangement;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the apparatus of the present invention according to a different fluid arrangement;

fig. 14 is a detailed cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, in particular a check valve at the pump outlet position to prevent dripping of liquid.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 and 2 are an overall view of one example of a system for reforming and outputting a food product, in particular a system 1 for preparing hot or cold beverages, according to the invention.

The system comprises on the one hand at least one functional package 2 formed by a dosing and mixing device 3 and a container 4 and on the other hand a base station 5 for fixing the functional package 2 for preparing and delivering a beverage by means of the dosing and mixing device 3. The device 3 is connected to a container 4, which can be of any type, such as a bottle, brick, pouch, packet, etc. The container contains a food liquid to be diluted by a diluent, typically hot, ambient or cold water, supplied to the metering device 3 via the base station 5. The liquid may be a concentrate of coffee, milk, cocoa, juice or a mixture, such as a preparation based on coffee concentrate, an emulsifier, a flavouring agent, sugar or artificial sweetener, a preservative or other components. The liquid may comprise a pure liquid phase, possibly with solid or pasty matter, such as particles of sugar, nuts, fruit, etc. The liquid is preferably designed to be preserved for days, weeks or even months at ambient temperature. Therefore, the water activity of the concentrate is usually set to a value that allows it to be preserved for a desired time at ordinary temperature.

The metering and mixing device 3 and the container 4 are preferably designed to be discarded or recycled once the contents of the container have been emptied. The container is kept in an inverted position, with its opening facing downwards and its bottom facing upwards, so as to constantly supply the liquid under the action of gravity to the metering and mixing device 3, which houses, in particular, a liquid metering pump. The container 4 and the device 3 are connected together by connecting means, which may be removable or permanent, depending on the actual situation. However, it is preferred to provide permanent connection means in order to avoid excessive long-term use of the metering and mixing device, which would lead to hygiene problems if it were not cleaned after an excessively long working time. Thus, once the container has been emptied, even before this-if the metering and mixing device is not used for a long time or there is a hygienic risk-the permanent connection may force the replacement of the entire package 2. However, the interior of the apparatus 3 is also designed to be able to be cleaned and/or flushed with diluent at elevated temperatures, e.g. periodically-e.g. during a flushing cycle, which is programmed or manually initiated and controlled from the base station 5.

Fig. 3 to 9 show the metering and mixing device 3 of the invention according to a preferred embodiment in detail. The device 3 is preferably in the form of a lid which closes the opening of the container in a sealing manner when the container is in an inverted position with its opening facing downwards. The cap has a tubular connecting portion 30 equipped with connecting means, for example an internal thread 31, complementary to connecting means 41 belonging to the container, for example also of the threaded type. Within the connecting portion there is an end face and an inlet 32 through the end face for liquid to enter the device. It should be noted that the inverted position of the container is only suitable if the container has an air inlet for equalizing the pressure inside the container and therefore does not collapse when said container is empty. If instead, the liquid can be metered when the container is in a position that is not necessarily an inverted position with a lid, such as in the case of a bag that collapses in the absence of air.

The device 3 is preferably constituted in particular by two half-shells 3A, 3B assembled together along a separation line P more or less in the longitudinal direction of the pipes circulating inside the device, in particular of the liquid pipes and of the mixing chamber. The construction of the two half-shells, i.e. the front part 3A and the rear part 3B, makes it possible to simplify the apparatus, while defining the continuity of the pipes and chambers required for metering, mixing, possibly foaming and outputting the mixture.

When the container is a non-collapsible container, an air inlet must be provided in the container to compensate for the discharge of liquid. Such an inlet may be provided through the container itself, for example at an opening in the bottom of the container when the container is in an inverted position, or through at least one air passage of a tubular connecting portion 30 of the device which communicates with the inlet of the container.

The basic principle of the metering and mixing device 3 will be explained in detail below. The device comprises a built-in metering pump 6 for metering the liquid through the opening 32. The pump is preferably a gear pump defined by a chamber 60 having a support seat 61, 62, 63, 64 at the bottom of each lateral surface 67, 68 of the chamber and able to guide two rotary members 65, 66 which cooperate in meshing manner so as to form a mobile metering element of the pump inside the chamber. The rotary 65 is a "positive" element equipped with a shaft 650 which is associated with a coupling device 651, which coupling device 651 can engage with a complementary coupling device belonging to the base station 5 (to be described later). A lip seal is preferably provided between the bearing block 64 and the shaft 650 to seal the pump chamber from the outside. The internal pressure of the pump during operation helps maintain the seal by compressing the seal. The rotary member 66 is a "driven" element that is driven in the opposite rotational direction by the driving element. The rotary metering elements 65, 66 are driven in the direction A, B shown in fig. 8 and 10 to enable metering of liquid through the chamber. The half-shell form is configured such that the chamber is defined by the assembly of the two parts 3A, 3B. Thus, the chamber 60 may be defined as a cavity within the front component 3A, with the bottom surface 67 defining one of the sides. The other part encloses the chamber by a more or less flat surface portion 68, which for example comprises a bearing block 64 bearing a drive shaft 650 which extends rearwardly through a passage 78 of the housing part 3B.

Thus, the liquid is metered through the reduced cross-section liquid outlet tube 69. The diameter (of the tube) is about 0.2 to 4mm, preferably 0.5 to 2 mm. The tube 69 allows fine control of the flow rate of liquid leaving the pump and allows a narrower flow of liquid to be formed, thereby facilitating fine metering.

The apparatus comprises a pipe 70 for supplying diluent, which pipe intersects the liquid pipe 69. The diluent is fed into the apparatus through a diluent inlet 71 located in the rear part 3B of the lid. The inlet is in the form of a coupling tube capable of a tight fit with a tubular coupling on the base station 5 and a seal in the diluent supply. The diluent flow rate is controlled by a diluent pump located within the base station 5. The diluent tube 70 terminates in a constriction 72 that begins more or less upstream of the point at which the liquid tube 69 and diluent tube 70 meet, and extends at least to and preferably beyond that point of meeting. The constriction may accelerate the diluent and this makes use of the venturi phenomenon so that the pressure at the junction is lower than or equal to the pressure of the liquid at the liquid outlet pipe 69. When the pump is switched off, the pressure balance or pressure difference will ensure that the diluent passes the junction and flows straight into the (mixing) chamber without rising back into the liquid pipe. The liquid pump is stopped and diluent continues to pass through the device, e.g. towards the end of the beverage preparation cycle, in order to obtain the desired dilution of the beverage. Also, the diluent is used to periodically flush the apparatus. Thus, the liquid, e.g. coffee or a condensable liquid, in the container or pump is prevented from being contaminated by the diluent sucked back into the tube 69.

The constriction is therefore dimensioned so that a slight depression can be created at the point of confluence. However, the low pressure needs to be controlled so as not to be well below boiling point and to allow the diluent to boil inside the tube when preparing the hot beverage.

Preferably, the diameter of the constriction is between 0.2 and 5mm, more preferably between 0.5 and 2 mm.

After the junction point, the same tube 73 carries the fluid. The widening of the tube is preferably designed to reduce the pressure drop and to account for the increase in volume of the fluids that combine once they meet at the junction. The widened tube 73 suitably extends into a mixing chamber 80, in which the product is uniformly mixed. Of course, the tube portion 73 and the chamber 80 may form the same tube or the same chamber without major changes.

When it is desired to froth the liquid-diluent mixture, it is preferred to provide an air inlet, in particular an air tube 74 open to the atmosphere. Preferably, the air tube may be disposed to intersect the constriction. The air tube is located in a region where the venturi effect is felt and therefore the pressure drop is greatest due to the acceleration of the fluid. Thus, the air tube may be arranged to intersect the tube portion 73, for example. The position of the air inlet may vary and may also be positioned to open into the diluent or liquid tubes 70, 69. Thus, preferably, the air inlet is positioned such that air is drawn in under the effect of the diluent accelerating through the constriction.

In a possible mode (not shown), an air pump may be connected to the air inlet. An air pump may be used to create a positive pressure within the air inlet, which may cause air to mix with the diluent flow. Typically, the constriction of the diluent tube is sufficient to draw in a sufficient amount of air to create bubbles within the mixture, but an air pump has proven useful, particularly as the diluent temperature increases, which can begin to form vapor within the device as the diluent temperature increases, resulting in insufficient air being drawn. The air pump may also be used to deliver air into the mixing chamber at the end of a dispense cycle in order to evacuate the mixture from the chamber and/or dry the mixing chamber for hygienic purposes. The inlet port may also be connected to atmospheric pressure at the end of the dispense cycle to ensure that the mixing chamber will be completely evacuated. This atmospheric pressure balance may be achieved by an active valve located at a higher point of the air supply system.

The width of the mixing chamber 80 is at least about 5 times, preferably at least 10 or 20 times, the cross-section of the tube portion 73 more or less at the point of exit from the junction. The wide chamber is preferably a simple tube to promote mixing and also to prevent any liquid from being drawn back into the venturi system when the device is not in operation, as this would be detrimental to maintaining good hygiene within the device. In principle, however, the chamber may be replaced by a tube of smaller cross-section.

The chamber also allows the mixture to decelerate, avoiding the mixture from discharging too suddenly and possibly causing the mixture to splash at the output. For this purpose, the chamber is preferably arched, even preferably S-shaped, so as to lengthen the path of the mixture and reduce the speed of the mixture.

The chamber is mainly connected to an output pipe 85 for outputting the mixture. A siphon 81 may also be provided to completely evacuate the chamber after each output beverage cycle due to the arcuate shape of the chamber.

The tube preferably comprises elements 86, 87, 88 for breaking the kinetic energy of the mixture inside the tube. These elements may for example be walls extending in the transverse direction of the tube and intersecting the flow of the mixture and forcing the mixture to flow along a curved path. These elements may also have the effect of homogenizing the mixture before it flows out. Of course, other forms for interrupting the flow of beverage are possible.

The metering and mixing device according to the invention also preferably comprises guide means which allow abutment with the base station and which facilitate, inter alia, alignment of the diluent coupling means and the pump drive means. These guide means can be, for example, parts which pass through the surfaces 33, 34, 35, 36 of the metering and mixing device, for example, perpendicularly to the components 3A, 3B. The surface may for example be a partially or fully cylindrical portion. The guide also serves to support the weight of the package and ensure a firm abutment. These means may of course take other shapes which vary widely.

The components 3A, 3B may be assembled together by any suitable method, such as welding, gluing, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the two parts are laser welded together. Laser welding can be computer controlled and, unlike vibration welding, has the advantage of welding the parts together without any movement; this improves the adaptability to dimensional tolerances and the accuracy of the welding. For laser welding, one part may be formed of a material that is more absorptive of laser energy, while the other part is made of a plastic that is transparent to laser energy. However, other welding techniques, such as vibration welding, may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Preferably, a connection joint 79, such as a weld, is provided that partially or completely surrounds the tube and chamber of the metering and mixing device. The joint is preferably completely sealed. However, a joint with an unwelded area may be provided to control air ingress into the device.

Fig. 9 and 10 show the rotary members 65, 66 of the liquid pump in detail. In an advantageous configuration, each engagement member is provided with teeth 652, 660 of complementary shape having a rounded cross section towards the ends and, at the base of each tooth, a zone 661 of reduced cross section. This rounded tooth geometry allows for the creation of a closed volumetric metering region 662 that is not compressed and outputs a constant volume of liquid with each rotation. This configuration has the effect of reducing the compression on the liquid being metered, which increases the efficiency of the pump and reduces the load on the pump. More preferably, the outermost portion 664 of each tooth is flattened with a radius greater than the radius of the side surface 663 of each tooth. In particular, flattening of the outermost portion 664 enables the teeth to be closer to the surface of the pump chamber, reducing the clearance and improving the seal.

The apparatus may include a plurality of liquid pumps, each liquid pump including a liquid pipe merging with a diluent pipe. This has the advantage that a plurality of different liquids can be mixed at a rate ratio determined by each pump. The pumps may be located in the same plane or in parallel planes. The container may comprise a plurality of chambers containing different liquids, each chamber being in communication with its respective pump. Thus, the prepared beverage may comprise two components which have to be separated for stability, shelf life reasons, or preferably for example a concentrate base liquid and a flavouring agent, requiring metering by different pumps to reconstitute a flavoured beverage or a beverage with a better taste. It is also possible to provide a separate diluent pipe for each liquid pipe.

It should be noted that the apparatus can meter liquids with a wide range of viscosities. However, when the fluidity of the liquid is too high, a valve must be added to the liquid metering tube 69 or the inlet 32 to prevent the risk of liquid leakage. The valve is configured to open under the liquid thrust exerted by the pump and remain closed and sealed when the pump is switched off, so as to prevent any liquid from leaking through the device.

It should also be noted that the container, if not specifically designed to be collapsible, needs to be returned to a pressure in equilibrium with the external environment by venting means. If the container does not have a venting device, the container may collapse and may rupture due to the reduced pressure inside. The venting means may be a valve, such as a duckbill valve or the like. Another way of venting the container may be to drive the pump in a direction opposite to the metering direction for a number of revolutions.

With reference to fig. 1-2, 11 and 12, the system according to the invention also comprises a base station 5 forming a machine part opposite the package 2. The susceptor table includes a technical area 50, which is typically internal and at least partially protected by a cover 55, and an interface area 51 that a user can directly contact. The interface region also provides control means 53 for controlling the output of the beverage. The control means may be in the form of an electronic control panel (fig. 1 and 2) or a lever (fig. 11).

Interface region 51 is configured to allow abutment of at least one package 2 by at least one abutment 52. A plurality of docking stations may be provided, arranged in rows, each receiving a package containing a different or the same food liquid, so that a variety of beverage options are possible, or so as to enhance the serviceability of the system. As shown in detail in fig. 12, the abutment comprises diluent coupling means 520 and means 521 for coupling the drive to the metering pump. The means 520 may be a portion of a tube fitted with a check valve having a diameter complementary to the diameter of the diluent inlet 71 of the metering and mixing device for engagement therewith. Assembly may be accomplished using one or more seals. The coupling means 521 are for example part of a shaft terminating in a head with a smaller cross section and having a surface complementary to the inner surface of the coupling means 651 belonging to the metering and mixing device. The head may be pointed, for example with a polygonal cross-section, or star-shaped, in order to achieve speed engagement and reliability of the rotary drive of the pump. The abutment station may also comprise guides 522, 523 complementary to the guides 33, 34 of the metering and mixing device. These means 522, 523 can be simple bars or fingers to slidingly receive the surface of the guide means. Of course, the shape of the guides 522, 523, 33, 34 may take many forms without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the guides 522, 523 of the abutment stage may be hollow in shape, while the guides 33, 34 are convex in shape.

As shown in fig. 11, the base station has a technical area 50 which combines the main components for supplying the diluent to the metering and mixing device 3 and for driving the liquid pump. To this end, the base station includes a diluent supply, such as a potable water reservoir 90 connected to a water pumping system 91. The water is then conveyed along a pipe (not shown) all the way to the water temperature control system 92. The system may be a heating system and/or a cooling system that allows the water to be raised or lowered to a desired temperature before being introduced into the metering and mixing device 3. Further, the base table has a motor 93 controlled by a controller 94. The motor 93 includes a drive shaft 524 that passes through the abutment panel 58.

Preferably, the system according to the invention makes it possible to vary the metering of the liquid on demand using a control panel 53 in the interface zone by selection of buttons, each selecting a specific beverage dispensing program. In particular, the liquid can be varied by varying the speed at which the pump is driven: dilution ratio of the diluent. When the speed is low and the diluent pump system 91 keeps the diluent flow rate for this portion constant, the liquid: the diluent ratio is reduced resulting in a thinner beverage being delivered. Conversely, if the liquid pump speed is higher, the strength of the beverage increases. Another controllable parameter may be the volume of beverage, which may be controlled by controlling the length of time the diluent pump system is actuated and the length of time the liquid pump is driven. Thus, the controller 94 contains all the necessary beverage programs corresponding to the selections made by each button on the control panel 53.

The metered mixing device or container may also include a code that can be read by a reader associated with the base station 5. The code comprises information relating to the characteristics and/or features of the product, and/or parameters relating to the activation of the diluent supply and/or the liquid pump drive. The code may for example be used to manage the flow rate of the liquid pump and/or the flow rate of the diluent pump housed within the base station, in order to control the liquid: the diluent ratio. The code may also be used to control the opening or closing of the air inlet in order to obtain a beverage with or without bubbles.

As shown in fig. 13, an air inlet or air passage 74 may be provided to intersect the diluent tube 70. Thus, it may be located before the point of convergence of the liquid flow and the diluent flow. A problem with arranging the air passage behind the point of convergence of the liquid pipe and the diluent pipe is that the air passage may be contaminated by the diluted liquid, which may lead to bacterial growth. This problem is mainly caused by geometrical and physical factors such as liquid level tension, phase changes, etc. The air passage is not well cleaned by the cleaning liquid (i.e. hot water) during the rinsing cycle, since the constriction may cause a suction effect from the air passage to the mixing chamber, which may prevent the cleaning liquid from entering the air passage. This new arrangement may thus ensure that no food liquid can enter the air channel. In this example, the dilution tube 70 and the liquid metering tube 69 do not directly intersect, but instead merge with a mixing chamber 80. However, the diluent tube 70 may be arranged such that the diluent flow is towards the liquid flow, i.e. in the direction of the liquid outlet or slightly below. Furthermore, an air inlet 74 is provided in the region of the constriction 72. The diluent velocity is such that air is drawn into the diluent flow in this region before the diluent flow merges with the liquid flow. This arrangement reduces the risk of the air inlet being accidentally contaminated by dilution product entering the air inlet.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 14, the device comprises a non-return valve for the liquid being metered. In fact, since complete tightness cannot be fully ensured-especially for liquids with low viscosity-a valve 690 is added downstream of the liquid metering tube of the pump. Since the junction area (constriction) 72 and the small amount of water in the mixing chamber cannot be removed, if liquid drips from the pump into these areas, the diluent can contaminate the liquid, creating soil that may be beneficial for bacterial growth after hours of inactivity. The valve solves this problem by preventing liquid dripping during periods when the device is not operating. The valve may be any type of check valve. In fig. 14, the valve includes an elastomeric or silicone slit valve (slit valve) component or layer 691 that is held laterally within the liquid tube 69 by two rigid laminations, such as two metal plates 692, 693. The valve 690 may be inserted through slots in the two half-shells 3A, 3B. The slit valve member is configured such that the slit opens downwardly when fluid pressure upstream of the valve increases due to pump actuation within pump chamber 60 (pump member not shown). As soon as the pump is braked, the valve springs back sufficiently to close the outlet.

The invention also extends to the non-food preparation field. For example, the invention may be used in the field of dispensing products which may become liquid form capable of being diluted, such as washing powders, soaps, detergents or other similar products.

Claims (25)

1. A metering and mixing device (3) for metering a base liquid and mixing this base liquid with a diluent, which device is connectable to a container (4) containing said liquid, and which device (3) comprises:

-a liquid metering tube (69),

-a diluent inlet (71) with a diluent duct (70),

-a mixing chamber (80) for mixing a liquid and a diluent, wherein:

the diluent pipe (70) is arranged relative to the liquid metering pipe (69) such that the diluent flow and the liquid flow merge before the mixing chamber (80) or within the mixing chamber (80),

a liquid pump (6) is provided to meter the liquid in the liquid metering tube, the liquid pump being part of the apparatus and the apparatus comprising means for increasing the velocity of the diluent flow, the means for increasing the velocity of the diluent flow in the region where the diluent meets the liquid relative to the velocity of the diluent flow at the diluent inlet (71);

characterized in that it comprises two half-shells (3A, 3B), said two half-shells (3A, 3B) being assembled together along a separation line (P) in the direction of transport of the liquid and of the mixture constituted by the liquid and the diluent.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for increasing the velocity of the diluent flow comprises at least one constriction (72) provided on the diluent tube before or at the point where the liquid flow and the diluent flow meet.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the constriction has a diameter between 0.2 and 5 mm.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that said diluent duct (70) comprises at least one terminal portion forming, together with the constriction (72) and the inlet of the mixing chamber (80), a rectilinear alignment, perpendicular to which the liquid metering duct (69) for the passage of the liquid is arranged.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, including an air inlet (74) in communication with the at least one tube before or within the mixing chamber (80) to entrain air into the mixture and cause foaming of the mixture.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, including an air inlet (74) in communication with the constriction (72).

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the air inlet (74) is arranged relative to the diluent pipe (70) and the liquid metering pipe (69) such that air is drawn into the diluent flow before it merges with the liquid flow.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that diluent and liquid pump coupling means (651) are provided, configured to detachably connect said metering and mixing apparatus (3) to a base station (5) capable of providing diluent supply means and liquid pump drive means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the liquid pump (6) comprises a chamber (60) in which is housed a series of rotating members (65, 66) cooperating in meshing engagement.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that one of said rotary members (65) is extended by a liquid pump coupling device (651), said liquid pump coupling device (651) being intended to be connected to a complementary liquid pump coupling device (521) associated with a drive device (93) belonging to the base station (5).

11. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it comprises itself a duct (85) for outputting the diluted and mixed liquid flow from downstream of the mixing chamber (80) directly into the receptacle.

12. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises two half-shells (3A, 3B) assembled together along a separation line (P) passing through the liquid pump (6) and the mixing chamber (80).

13. Device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that said diluent coupling means and said liquid pump coupling means (651) are located on the same side of said metering and mixing device (3) so as to allow the coupling to be made by manual insertion into an abutment panel (58) of a base station (5) itself comprising complementary coupling means.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises guide means (33, 34) for translational guiding, together with complementary guide means (522, 523) on the abutment panel (58) of the base station (5), in a direction that facilitates the insertion of the metering and mixing device.

15. Device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that it comprises a code that can be read with a reader associated with said base station, this code comprising information relating to the characteristics and/or features of the product, and/or parameters relating to the activation of the diluent supply means and/or the liquid pump drive means.

16. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises connection means (31) allowing the device to be connected to the container (4), so as to form a disposable or reusable package as a whole.

17. A base station (5) on which a metering and mixing device (3) according to any one of the preceding claims is to be abutted (5), comprising:

a) a technical area (50) comprising:

-a diluent supply means for supplying a diluent to the reaction chamber,

-a liquid pump drive means for driving the liquid pump,

b) an interface area (51) for a user, the interface area comprising:

-complementary coupling means complementary to coupling means belonging to the metering and mixing device, said complementary coupling means being configured to receive the metering and mixing device in a predetermined position and comprising complementary diluent coupling means (520) and complementary liquid pump coupling means (521),

-control means (53) for controlling the supply of diluent and driving the liquid pump (6).

18. A susceptor table according to claim 17, characterized in that the diluent supply means comprises a water supply pipe connected to a water pump (91) and a water heating system (92).

19. A base station according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the liquid pump drive means comprise an electric motor (93) and a drive shaft (524) connected to the complementary liquid pump coupling means (521) for connection with a liquid pump coupling means (651) of the metering and mixing device (3).

20. Susceptor table according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that said interface zone (51) comprises complementary guiding means (522, 523) complementary to the guiding means (33, 34) of the metering and mixing device so as to allow abutment of said metering and mixing device (3).

21. A susceptor table according to claim 20, characterized in that the complementary guiding means (522, 523) are configured to guide the metering and mixing device in a translational direction during abutment.

22. A susceptor table according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that it further comprises a controller associated with the control device (53) and programmed to control and regulate the activation of the liquid pump drive device and the activation of the diluent supply device.

23. A base station according to claim 22, wherein the controller is associated with a reader capable of reading a code relating to the metering and mixing apparatus, the code comprising information relating to a characteristic or feature of the product, or a parameter relating to activation of the diluent supply and/or liquid pump drive.

24. A package (2) for metering a liquid and mixing this liquid with a diluent to prepare a product, the package comprising:

a multi-dose container (4) forming a liquid reservoir; and

a device according to any one of claims 1-16 connected to said multi-dose container (4).

25. The package of claim 24, wherein the liquid is soap or detergent.