RU239379U1 - A container for a two-component beverage, containing two annular grooves in the upper part, equipped with a positioner, a positioner jumper, a sealed bag, and a capsule holder support - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to beverage preparation devices, as well as containers specially adapted for specific products. The utility model can be used to operate the claimed device in challenging conditions, such as by passengers in vehicles, particularly taxis. A container for a two-component beverage, comprising in its upper part two annular grooves, one above the other, wherein the container is provided with a holder for two capsules, which has two sockets, the shape and size of which allow the capsules to be installed in them, wherein the holder has a projection allowing it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container, wherein the holder is configured to move from its upper position, in which its projection is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its projection is in the lower groove of the container, wherein the container is provided with a piercer containing two piercing elements, which is located inside the container and is attached to the inside of the container, wherein the piercer is located in such a way that, when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing elements do not interact with the capsules, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing elements pierce the capsules, wherein the piercer is provided with capsule positioners, the internal shape of which repeats the external shape of the lower part of the capsules, wherein The capsule positioners are equipped with a positioner jumper connecting the positioners, while the container contains a sealed bag of water. The interior of the container is equipped with a capsule holder support in the form of a ring-shaped platform, integral with the interior of the container's side wall. The technical result achieved by the utility model consists in increasing the operational safety of the device. 3 fig.

Description

This utility model relates to beverage preparation devices, as well as specially adapted containers for these devices. The utility model can be used for operating the device in challenging conditions, such as by passengers in vehicles, particularly taxis.

State of the art

The prior art discloses containers for preparing and consuming beverages described in RU 218200 U1, 16.05.2023, RU 219996 U1, 18.08.2023, RU 221418 U1, 07.11.2023, RU 220130 U1, 28.08.2023, RU 220368 U1, 20.07.2023, RU 220129 U1, 28.08.2023, as well as in RU 229407 U1, 04.10.2024, RU 229400 U1, 04.10.2024, RU 228658 U1, 09.09.2024, and equipped with capsule holders, and also with piercing tools.

However, existing solutions require two capsules to prepare a two-component drink: one containing, for example, coffee, and the other containing powdered milk or sugar. To do this, after using the first capsule, remove it from the capsule slot, discard it, and insert the second capsule in its place.

In addition, neither the capsule holders nor the piercers are movable, so the capsule is pierced by the user when inserting them into the holder, immediately before preparing the drink.

Therefore, known solutions cannot be stored with capsules installed, and also require the user to properly install the capsules. Operating the coffee machine with incorrectly installed capsules can result in hot water splashing out, which can land on the passenger, burn them, and stain clothing and/or the car's interior.

Thus, the known designs are unsafe to operate.

The technical result achieved by the utility model consists in increasing the safety of operation of the device.

In order to achieve the technical result, a container for a two-component beverage is claimed, containing in its upper part two annular grooves, one above the other, wherein the container is provided with a holder for two capsules, which has two sockets, the shape and size of which allow the capsules to be installed in them, wherein the holder has a protrusion that allows it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container, wherein the holder is configured to move from its upper position, in which its protrusion is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its protrusion is in the lower groove of the container, wherein the container is provided with a piercer containing two piercing elements, which is located inside the container and is attached to the inside of the container, wherein the piercer is located in such a way that, when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing elements do not interact with the capsules, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing elements pierce the capsules, wherein the piercer is provided with capsule positioners, the internal shape of which repeats the external shape of the lower part of the capsules, wherein the capsule positioners are provided with a positioner jumper connecting the positioners, wherein the container contains a sealed bag of water, wherein the inner part of the container is provided with a capsule holder support in the form of an annular platform made inseparable from the inner part of the side wall of the container.

The essence of the utility model is explained by illustrations:

Fig. 1 - device with installed capsule before capsule puncture. Side cross-sectional view.

Fig. 2 - The device with the capsule installed after puncture. Side cross-sectional view.

Fig. 3 - The device. Side sectional view. A - before installation in a car coffee machine. B - after installation in a car coffee machine.

At the same time

1 - Car coffee machine

2 - Capacity

3 - Upper groove of the tank

4 - Lower groove of the tank

5 - Capsule holder

6 - Capsules

7 – Ledge

8 - Piercing elements

9 - Puncturer

10 - Positioner

11 - Positioner jumper

12 - Sealed bag

13 - Capsule holder support.

Implementation of a utility model

The body of the water tank is made with rigidity that ensures the possibility of using the device without its destruction during user manipulation of the device at all stages of operation of the device.

To prepare a two-component drink, two capsules are required: one containing, for example, coffee, and the other, powdered milk or sugar. To do this, after using the first capsule, remove it from the capsule slot, discard it, and insert the second capsule. However, after using the first capsule, the cup already contains liquid. Removing the capsule leaves the liquid open, which can cause liquid to splash onto a passenger and/or the vehicle interior while the vehicle is moving, during sudden maneuvers, or when braking. Furthermore, an removed capsule may leak from the punctures, and liquid from the capsule may stain the passenger or vehicle. To reduce the risk of this hazard, the device holder contains two capsule slots, allowing two capsules to be inserted simultaneously. This solution eliminates the need to remove the first capsule and keeps the liquid inside the cup closed at all times, improving safety.

A beverage container 2 comprises two annular grooves 3 and 4 in its upper portion, one above the other. The container is provided with a holder 5 for two capsules 6, which has two recesses of a shape and size that allow the capsules to be installed therein. The holder has a projection 7 that allows it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container. Furthermore, the holder is movable from its upper position, in which its projection is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its projection is in the lower groove of the container. The container is provided with a piercer 9, containing two piercing elements 8 (e.g., needles), which is located inside the container and is attached to the interior of the container. The piercer is positioned such that when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing elements do not interact with the capsules, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing elements pierce the capsules.

When moving the capsules from the top to the bottom position, the capsules may become misaligned, causing the bottom of the capsules to fail to pierce. This could result in water dispensed through the top piercing hole splashing out through the connection between the top piercer and the capsules, or could cause a rupture in the water lines of the beverage preparation device. This situation creates a risk of hot water splashing onto the user.

To reduce the likelihood of such a hazard, the lancing device is equipped with positioners attached to the lancing device. The internal shape of these positioners matches the external shape of the lower portion of the capsules. These positioners are designed to position the capsules as they are moved from the upper to the lower position and pierced. These positioners prevent the capsules from becoming tilted and ensure that the lower portion of the capsules is pierced, increasing the safety of the device.

Due to the softness of the material from which the positioner may be made, the positioner may deviate to the side, thus, the capsules, entering the positioners, may become crooked and/or get stuck in the positioners, as a result of which the puncture of the lower part of the capsules may not occur.

To reduce the likelihood of such a hazard, the device includes positioner bridges connecting the positioners, which are integrally molded or bonded to the positioners and designed to increase the rigidity of the positioners. Thus, capsule positioners connected by a bridge reduce the likelihood of capsule tilt and increase the likelihood of successful puncture of the lower portion of the capsules, improving the safety of the device.

To prepare the drink, water is forced under pressure through the capsules. To add water to the coffee machine, pour water from a bottle into the device. This involves opening the bottle, turning it upside down, and pouring the water into the device. In a moving vehicle, subject to shaking, braking, or sudden maneuvers, this operation could result in water spilling onto the user and/or interior components. To reduce the risk of this hazard, the device contains the water from which the drink is prepared.

However, water inside the container could leak during its transfer from the production line to storage and/or from storage to use, or at any other stage of the device's operation. To reduce the risk of such a hazard, the water is contained in a sealed bag.

The coffee machine is designed to receive water from a sealed bag using a receiving piercer, a pointed tube designed to pierce the lid and the sealed bag. The tube is lowered vertically to the bottom of the container, for example, by a lever or linear actuator, with the opening of the tube facing down and a pump drawing water out of the sealed bag. The water passes through the beverage preparation components and, through the upper piercer, is fed into the capsules. After passing through the capsule filler, it flows into the container as the finished beverage.

Water in a sealed bag ensures the functional integrity of the device and serves as a medium that functions as part of the device. Without this medium, the functional integrity of the device is compromised, and the technical result—improved operational safety—would not be achieved, as preparing a drink requires pouring water into the coffee machine, which is inconvenient and unsafe in moving vehicles. Furthermore, the presence of water in a sealed bag for preparing a drink ensures procedural integrity. In this case, the sealed bag of water is not simply a container, like water in a drinking glass; it is an active component of the technological process, representing an assembly operation, as the sealed bag is filled with water directly at the production site, and then it is constantly present in the container until the beverage is produced. This eliminates the need for interaction with water, thereby increasing the operational safety of the device.

The capsule holder moves from its upper to its lower position, which is used to pierce the lower portions of the capsules, when the upper capsule piercers, which are part of the beverage preparation device, press onto the capsules. If the device is not installed evenly in the beverage preparation device, or if the capsule seat is deformed, for example, due to improper storage or transportation, or if the capsule piercer mechanism or device holder in the coffee machine is deformed, for example, due to temperature effects from the environment and/or from the beverage preparation device elements, the capsule seat may end up higher than its normal position, i.e., closer to the capsule piercer. This may result in the capsule being crushed and the capsule seat being destroyed when the upper capsule piercers are lowered onto the capsules. This will result in water being sprayed under pressure into the capsules through the capsule piercers, which may burn the user, stain their clothing, and/or the interior of the vehicle.

To reduce the likelihood of this occurring, the device is equipped with a capsule holder support, a ring-shaped platform inseparably molded or bonded to the inside of the container sidewall. The capsule holder support is made of hard plastic and is designed to support the capsule holder in its lowered position. The capsule holder support has several through-holes to allow the beverage to flow when the container is tilted. These holes are designed so that when drinking, the entire beverage flows out of the glass, passing through these holes. The capsule holder support is permanently positioned on the inside of the container wall and does not move when the upper capsule piercers are lowered. This increases the rigidity of the capsule seat in the lowered position, reducing the likelihood of capsule seat failure from excessive pressure from the upper capsule piercers, thereby improving the safety of the device.

The utility model works as follows:

The user can use a beverage container pre-packaged with a capsule corresponding to the beverage's recipe. Alternatively, the user can customize the drink by inserting the appropriate capsules into the beverage container holder. Importantly, the capsules are not punctured during installation, and the user does not need to change the capsule to obtain a two-component beverage.

The user then places the beverage container into the coffee machine, which, by moving the holder, pierces the capsules from below.

The coffee machine is designed to simultaneously pierce the capsules from above with the upper piercers and cut a drinking hole. For this purpose, the coffee machine is equipped with a knife, which is a component of the coffee machine designed to cut a drinking hole when the piercers are lowered onto the device.

The coffee machine then heats and forces pressurized water through the capsules into the container, delivering a ready-to-drink beverage to the user through the opening created by the cutting of the drinking hole. This innovative design improves the safety of the device.

Claims (1)

A container for a two-component beverage, comprising in its upper part two annular grooves, one above the other, wherein the container is provided with a holder for two capsules, which has two sockets, the shape and size of which allow the capsules to be installed in them, wherein the holder has a projection allowing it to be fixed in the upper or lower groove of the container, wherein the holder is configured to move from its upper position, in which its projection is in the upper groove of the container, to its lower position, in which its projection is in the lower groove of the container, wherein the container is provided with a piercer containing two piercing elements, which is located inside the container and is attached to the inside of the container, wherein the piercer is located in such a way that, when the holder is in its upper position, the piercing elements do not interact with the capsules, and when the holder is in its lower position, the piercing elements pierce the capsules, wherein the piercer is provided with capsule positioners, the internal shape of which repeats the external shape of the lower part of the capsules, wherein The capsule positioners are provided with a positioner jumper connecting the positioners, while the container contains a sealed package of water, while the inner part of the container is provided with a capsule holder support in the form of an annular platform made inseparable from the inner part of the side wall of the container.