WO2016156096A1

WO2016156096A1 - A hot beverage preparation machine with decreased stand-by energy consumption

Info

Publication number: WO2016156096A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/056192
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ahmet SOZEN; Musa OZDEMIR; Oner Hatipoglu
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2015-04-03
Filing date: 2016-03-22
Publication date: 2016-10-06

Abstract

The present invention relates to a beverage preparation machine (1) comprising a body (2); a housing (3) inside the body (2); a brewing receptacle (4) that is placed into the housing (3), that has a handle (5) facilitating its handling and wherein the beverage is brewed and/or served, and a proximity sensor (6) that provides the detection of the user.

Description

A HOT BEVERAGE PREPARATION MACHINE WITH DECREASED STAND-BY ENERGY CONSUMPTION

The present invention relates to a hot beverage preparation machine comprising a brewing receptacle wherein the beverage is brewed or served.

In beverage preparation machines, especially in hot beverage preparation machines such as coffee machine, etc. in accordance with the industry standards, the device should consume energy at a level lower than a certain power level in the stand-by mode. This is achieved by using a proximity sensor that is known in the technique and that can be used in the stand-by mode and for switching to the ready mode. In the technique, the proximity sensor is disposed in the body of the beverage preparation machine and when the user approaches the machine and brings his/her hand close to the proximity sensor, with the data received from the proximity sensor, the control unit switches the beverage preparation machine to the ready mode by powering the electronic circuit. The positioning of the proximity sensor on the body affects the structural design of the beverage preparation machine and the producer's esthetic design preferences are restricted due to the obligation of positioning the proximity sensor on the front surface of the body. Moreover, the user should know the position of the proximity sensor, for example he/she shakes his/her hand in front of the body and only then, the beverage preparation machine becomes operable. This type of usage is not intuitive for the user.

In the state of the art International Patent Application No. WO2011100944, an electric machine is disclosed, that is switched from the stand-by mode to the operating mode by means of a proximity sensor on the body thereof.

In the state of the art German Patent Application No. DE102010012371, a coffee machine is disclosed, that detects the gender of the person in the vicinity thereof and operates accordingly by means of the sensor on the body thereof and its software.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a beverage preparation machine wherein the stand-by energy consumption is reduced and the user is quickly detected.

The hot beverage preparation machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention and explicated in the claims, comprises a control unit that is disposed on the body and a proximity sensor that is disposed at the handle of the brewing receptacle and that detects the proximity or the contact of the user. In the beverage preparation machine, the detection unit that enables the detection of the user is positioned in the handle. When the user reaches out towards the handle to hold the brewing receptacle, in a version of the present invention, the detection unit comprises an electrode providing the transfer of the capacitive electrical load and provides the detection of the user after he/she touches the handle, and in another version, the detection unit serves as an antenna and provides the detection of the user in a contact-free manner, and in another version provides the detection of the user optically. Thus, by means of the proximity sensor, the user is not required to make a second gesture for the action to be realized, the user is detected by means of the detection unit when he/she has normally reached the handle and with the information received from the detection unit the control unit switches the beverage preparation machine from the stand-by mode to the ready mode or shows the information about the beverage preparation machine.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the beverage preparation machine comprises a pin that is disposed at the ceiling of the housing wherein the brewing receptacle is placed and that is connected to the control unit and a conductive plate that is disposed on the handle, that is connected to the detection unit and that provides communication by contacting to the pins when the brewing receptacle is placed into the housing. By means of the conductive plate on the handle and the pins at the ceiling of the housing, the signal received from the detection unit is transmitted to the control unit.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the handle is produced from a non-conducting material and thus, by decreasing the interference on the detection unit, the user is enabled to be detected in a more effective and precise manner.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the pin is disposed so as to cover the housing ceiling preferably in arc shape so that the pin remains in contact with the conductive plate even when the brewing receptacle is placed at different angles. In this embodiment, when the brewing receptacle is placed into the housing so that the handle remains at different angles, the connection between the pins and the conductive plate is prevented from getting interrupted.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the pin has a spring-loaded structure that enables the same to reach into the housing and moves towards the ceiling of the housing with the contact of the conductive plate. With the pins being stretched into the housing, the continuity between the conductive plate and the pin is provided.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit is integrated with the handle.

In the beverage preparation machine of the present invention, by means of the detection unit being positioned on the handle, the user is not required to make an additional gesture to be detected by the proximity sensor and when the user intuitively reaches out towards the handle, the user is enabled to be detected by means of the detection unit. Energy consumption is decreased by means of the beverage preparation machine switching from the stand-by mode to the ready mode with the user's touch.

The beverage preparation machine realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 – is the perspective view of a beverage preparation machine.

Figure 2 – is the sideways schematic view of a brewing receptacle in the housing in an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 – is the sideways cross-sectional view of a brewing receptacle in the housing in another embodiment of the present invention.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Beverage preparation machine
Body
Housing
Brewing receptacle
Handle
Proximity sensor
Detection unit
Control unit
Pin
Conductive plate

The beverage preparation machine (1) comprises a body (2); a housing (3) inside the body (2); a brewing receptacle (4) that is placed into the housing (3), that has a handle (5) facilitating its handling and wherein the beverage is brewed and/or served, and a proximity sensor (6) that provides the detection of the user.

In the beverage preparation machine (1), the beverage can be brewed in the brewing receptacle (4) or can be brewed in another brewing chamber and transferred into the brewing receptacle (4) for serving. The user can hold the brewing receptacle (4) from the handle (5) and transfer the beverage into a glass or another recipient. When not in use, the brewing receptacle (4) is placed into the housing (3) and can be heated by means of the heaters (not shown in the figures) of the beverage preparation machine (1) in order to keep the beverage hot. The beverage preparation machine (1) powers the proximity sensor in the stand-by mode and when the user is detected, the beverage preparation machine (1) is switched from the stand-by mode to the ready-to-use mode. Thus, the user is not required to press a button in order to use the beverage preparation machine (1). In addition to being used for switching the beverage preparation machine (1) from the stand-by mode to the ready mode, the proximity sensor (6) can be used for various embodiments such as displaying information about the operation of the beverage preparation machine (1) on the indicators and warning the user visually and aurally.

The proximity sensor (6) disposed in the beverage preparation machine (1) comprises a detection unit (7) that is disposed on the handle (5) and that detects the user's proximity or the contact and a control unit (8) that is disposed on the body (2) and that processes the data received from the detection unit (7). The detection unit (7) of the proximity sensor (6), that provides the detection of the user, is disposed on the handle (5). Thus, when the user touches or reaches out towards the handle (5), preferably capacitance change is detected by means of the detection unit (7) and the capacitive electrical load of the user is transmitted to the control unit (8). The detection unit (7) transmits to the control unit (8) the data obtained as a result of the detection operation and the control unit (8) realizes operations such as switching from the stand-by mode to the ready mode, etc. The data transfer between the detection unit (7) and the control unit (8) can be realized by the methods known in the technique. By means of the present invention, it is aimed to realize the positioning of a proximity sensor (6) that provides the detection of the user without the user changing his/her intuitive usage gestures.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit (7) comprises an electrode of a type that is used in touch sensors, that detects and transmits the capacitive electrical load and capacitive changes. The proximity sensor (6) can be also a touch sensor and performs its function with the user's touch.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit (7) comprises an antenna that enables the user to be remotely detected (preferably from a distance of 5-6 cm) and that is sensitive enough to measure the electromagnetic signals. In this embodiment, the detection unit (7) can be of different types, for example a cable antenna, PCB antenna, etc.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit (7) comprises an optical sensor that has a receiver and a transmitter. In this embodiment, by means of the detection unit (7), the user is optically detected.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the beverage preparation machine (1) comprises a pin (9) that is disposed at the ceiling of the housing (3), that provides the transmission between the detection unit (7) and the control unit (8) and that is connected to the control unit (8) and a conductive plate (10) that is disposed on the handle (5) so as to be in contact with the pins (9) when the brewing receptacle (4) is placed into the housing (3) and that is connected to the detection unit (7) (Figure 2).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the handle (5) is produced from non-conducting materials such as Plexiglas, glass, plastic, etc. In this embodiment, the handle (5) is prevented from generating false signals on the detection unit (7) and by decreasing the signal interference on the detection unit (7), the user is enabled to be sensitively detected.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the pin (9) covers the ceiling of the housing (3) so as to be always in contact with the conductive plate (10) when the brewing receptacle (4) is inside the housing (3), in other words, so that the conductive plate (10) is in contact with the pins (9) at the angles swept by the conductive plate (10) with the brewing receptacle (4) being rotated around the central axis inside the housing (3). In this embodiment, the pin (9) at the ceiling of the housing (3) is arc-shaped and is enabled to be in contact with the conductive plate (10) in cases wherein the user places the brewing receptacle (4) into the housing (3) at different angles.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the pin (9) has a spring-loaded structure that extends into the housing (3) and that moves upwards with the contact of the conductive plate (10). In this embodiment, thanks to its spring-loaded structure, the pin (9) continuously extends into the housing (3) so as to stretch in the reverse direction. When the brewing receptacle (4) is inside the housing (3), the pins (9) are enabled to be continuously in contact with the conductive plate (10). Thus, the proximity sensor (6) continuously transmits data and a problem that occur in the detection of the user is solved (Figure 3).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the detection unit (7) is integrated with the handle (5). By means of this embodiment, the esthetic appearance of the beverage preparation machine (1) is maintained. Moreover, the detection unit (7) is prevented from being affected from external factors such as the washing of the handle (5).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the beverage preparation machine (1) is a Turkish coffee machine. The brewing receptacle (4) is used as a pot and the user brews the coffee in the brewing receptacle (4). When the user reaches out towards the handle (5) in order to fill coffee into the brewing receptacle (4), the detection unit (7) provides the detection of the user.

In the beverage preparation machine (1) of the present invention, by means of the detection unit (7) being placed into the handle (5), the user is enabled to be detected as the user reaches out towards the handle (5). By means of the present invention, the user is not required to change his/her intuitive gestures in order to use the beverage preparation machine (1).

Claims

A beverage preparation machine (1) comprising a body (2); a housing (3) inside the body (2); a brewing receptacle (4) that is placed into the housing (3), that has a handle (5) facilitating its handling and wherein the beverage is brewed and/or served, and a proximity sensor (6) that provides the detection of the user, characterized by the proximity sensor (6) that comprises a detection unit (7) that is disposed on the handle (5) and that detects the user's proximity or the contact and a control unit (8) that is disposed on the body (2) and that processes the data received from the detection unit (7).
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the detection unit (7) that comprises an electrode that detects and transmits the capacitive electrical load and the capacitive changes.
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the detection unit (7) that comprises an antenna that enables the user to be remotely detected.
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by the detection unit (7) that comprises an optical sensor having a receiver and a transmitter.
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a pin (9) that is disposed at the ceiling of the housing (3), that provides the transmission between the detection unit (7) and the control unit (8) and that is connected to the control unit (8) and a conductive plate (10) that is disposed on the handle (5) so as to be in contact with the pins (9) when the brewing receptacle (4) is placed into the housing (3) and that is connected to the detection unit (7).
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in any one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterized by the handle (5) that is produced from a non-conducting material.
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by the pin (9) that is arc shaped so as to be always in contact with the conductive plate (10) when the brewing receptacle (4) is inside the housing (3).
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in Claim 5, characterized by the spring-loaded pin (9) that extends into the housing (3) and that moves upwards with the contact of the conductive plate (10).
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in any one of the Claims 1 to 4, characterized by the detection unit (7) that is integrated into the handle (5).
A beverage preparation machine (1) as in any one of the above claims, that can prepare Turkish coffee.