초록 ▼

An infusion device includes an infusion chamber with first and second portions, movable with respect to each other, one of which defines a seat for a capsule. At least one perforator is disposed in the seat to perforate the capsule. A first duct feeds an infusion fluid into the chamber and a second

An infusion device includes an infusion chamber with first and second portions, movable with respect to each other, one of which defines a seat for a capsule. At least one perforator is disposed in the seat to perforate the capsule. A first duct feeds an infusion fluid into the chamber and a second duct allows delivery of food product from the infusion chamber. A centering member of the capsules is housed in the seat, elastically movable in an axial direction and provided with a guide.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An infusion device for preparing a food product from capsules, comprising: an infusion chamber with a first portion and a second portion, movable with respect to each other, the first portion defining a seat for said capsules, said seat being delimited by a cylindrical wall with an edge facing to

1. An infusion device for preparing a food product from capsules, comprising: an infusion chamber with a first portion and a second portion, movable with respect to each other, the first portion defining a seat for said capsules, said seat being delimited by a cylindrical wall with an edge facing towards said second portion of the infusion chamber and surrounding access to said seat;at least one perforator disposed in said seat;a first duct, to feed an infusion fluid into said infusion chamber;a second duct to deliver the food product from said infusion chamber;a capsule centering member housed in said seat, which is elastically movable in an axial direction and provided with a capsule guide and centering surface, facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber,wherein said centering member is elastically stressed to partially project from said seat when said infusion chamber is open, wherein closing of the infusion chamber causes a retraction movement of said centering member towards inside of said seat, such that, when the infusion chamber is dosed with a capsule therewithin, said centering member is completely inserted inside said seat,wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber is associated with two opposite and openable movable capsule engaging elements having fixed ends and moveable ends located opposite the fixed ends, wherein the fixed ends are fixed to the second portion and the moveable ends comprise guide channels to insert and retain the capsule in a space between said first portion and said second portion of the infusion chamber when said first portion and said second portion are in the open position, wherein said movable capsule engaging elements are elastically deformable so that the moveable ends move away from each other to release the capsule when the infusion chamber is closed with the capsule therewithin, andwherein the moveable ends are closer to the first portion defining the seat than the fixed ends. 2. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the infusion chamber is closed with a capsule therewithin, said centering member is set back with resect to said edge. 3. The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edge of said seat forms a pressure surface, co-acting with a sealing surface carried by said second portion of the infusion chamber, said edge having a diameter larger than said capsule centering member. 4. The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising capsule engaging elements, arranged and designed to support a capsule while the infusion chamber is being closed and to engage and remove a capsule from said infusion chamber when the infusion chamber is being opened and said capsule is pushed outside the seat by said centering member. 5. The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said guide surface is conical, converging towards the base of said seat. 6. The infusion device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said centering member has an annular shape. 7. The infusion device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said centering member has an outer edge facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber and an inner edge, surrounding a block inside said seat, said at least one perforator being arranged on said block. 8. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the edge of said seat forms a pressure surface, co-acting with a sealing surface carried by said second portion of the infusion chamber, said edge having a diameter larger than said capsule centering member. 9. The infusion device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising capsule engaging elements, arranged and designed to support a capsule while the infusion chamber is being closed and to engage and remove a capsule from said infusion chamber when the infusion chamber is being opened and said capsule is pushed outside the seat by said centering member. 10. The infusion device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said pressure surface is formed on a disk supported by said second portion of the infusion chamber. 11. The infusion device according to claim 10, wherein said disk is elastically stressed towards the first portion of the infusion chamber. 12. The infusion device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said disk comprises at least one hole through which a perforator projects when said disk is pushed elastically towards the inside of a housing provided in said second portion. 13. The infusion device as claimed in claim 12, wherein: in said second portion of the infusion chamber there are disposed a plurality of perforators; andsaid disk comprises a corresponding plurality of holes through which said perforators can project when the disk is retracted inside said housing. 14. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, the capsule engaging elements are configured to support the capsule while the infusion chamber is being closed and to engage and remove the capsule from said infusion chamber when the infusion chamber is being opened and said capsule is pushed outside the seat by said centering member. 15. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member has a guide surface which is conical, converging towards parallel walls of said seat near a base of said seat. 16. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member has an annular shape. 17. The infusion device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said centering member has outer edge facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber and an inner edge, surrounding a block inside said seat, said at least one perforator being arranged on said block. 18. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member comprises at least one guide surface sliding on a complementary guide surface integral with said first portion of the infusion chamber, said guide surfaces extending substantially parallel to a direction of perforation. 19. The infusion device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said direction of perforation is substantially parallel to an axis of said at least one perforator. 20. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in said seat there is disposed an inner wall, positioned on which is said at least one perforator, surrounded by an annular cavity in which said centering member is slidingly guided. 21. The infusion device as claimed in claim 20, wherein in said annular cavity there is housed an elastic compression member, which acts on the centering member, stressing said centering member to project from said seat. 22. The infusion device as claimed in claim 20, wherein said annular cavity surrounds a base through which there extends said second duct for delivery of the food product and fixed on which is said at least one perforator. 23. The infusion device as claimed in claim 22, wherein on said base there is fixed a plate, disposed on which is said at least one perforator, between said base and said plate there being provided a channel to collect the food product, in connection with said second duct. 24. The infusion device as claimed in claim 23, wherein a plurality of perforators are provided on said plate. 25. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said opposite movable capsule engaging elements comprise respective extractor members to extract the capsule from the seat in said first portion of the infusion chamber, when said first and second portion are opened. 26. The infusion device as claimed in claim 25, wherein on each of said movable capsule engaging elements the channel and the extractor member are disposed in sequence along the opening and closing direction of the infusion chamber. 27. The infusion device of claim 26, wherein said channels are disposed more distant from the second portion of the infusion chamber than the extractor members. 28. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable capsule engaging elements have an opening movement in a plane parallel to the direction of the reciprocal opening and closing movement of the first and of the second portion of the infusion chamber. 29. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said movable capsule engaging elements are constrained to the second portion of the infusion chamber; andthe movement to open said movable capsule engaging elements is caused by interaction of said movable capsule engaging elements with the first portion of the infusion chamber. 30. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable capsule engaging elements are disposed at the sides of the second portion of the infusion chamber. 31. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first portion of the infusion chamber has thrust profiles cooperating with corresponding thrust profiles of said movable capsule engaging elements to cause reciprocal opening of said movable capsule engaging elements. 32. The infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said first portion of the infusion chamber has opposite outer surfaces sloping with respect to the opening and closing direction of the infusion chamber, forming said thrust profiles. 33. The infusion device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the thrust profiles of the movable capsule engaging elements are formed of surfaces sloping with respect to the opening and closing direction of the infusion chamber. 34. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said guide channels are associated with a bottom stop which defines a retaining position of the capsule in the space between the first portion of the infusion chamber and the second portion of the infusion chamber. 35. The infusion device as claimed in claim 34, wherein said guide channels are configured so that in said retaining position the capsule is held with the axis thereof substantially coincident with the axis of the infusion chamber. 36. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said guide channels terminates with a bottom stop, said stops defining a retaining position of the capsule in the space between the first portion of the infusion chamber and the second portion of the infusion chamber. 37. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first portion of the infusion chamber and said second portion of the infusion chamber are movable according to substantially horizontal direction, said guide channels are substantially vertical and said movable capsule engaging elements are provided with an opening movement in a substantially horizontal plane. 38. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber is movable and said first portion of the infusion chamber is fixed with respect to a load-bearing structure. 39. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lever mechanism for manual control of opening and closing of the infusion chamber, wherein the lever mechanism is configured to move the second part towards the first part along an axis passing through the first part and the second part, wherein the axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the infusion device. 40. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber and said movable capsule engaging elements are constrained to a common support. 41. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said movable capsule engagning elements are substantially laminar in shape. 42. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member is made in a single monolithic piece. 43. The infusion device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said centering member is divided into several portions or sectors. 44. The infusion device as claimed in claim 43, wherein each portion or sector into which said centering member is divided is stressed by at least one elastic member. 45. A coffee machine comprising: an infusion device, said infusion device comprising: an infusion chamber with a portion and a second portion, movable with respect to each other, the first portion defining a seat for a capsule, said seat being delimited by a cylindrical wall with an edge facing towards said second portion of the infusion chamber and surrounding access to said seat;at least one perforator disposed in said seat;a first duct to feed an infusion fluid into said infusion chamber;a second duct to deliver food product from said infusion chamber;a capsule centering member housed in said seat which is elastically movable in an axial direction and provided with a capsule guide and centering surface, facing towards the second portion of the infusion chamber, wherein said centering member is elastically stressed to partially project from said seat when said infusion chamber is opens wherein closing of the infusion chamber causes a retraction movement of said centering member towards the inside of said seat such that when the infusion chamber is closed with the capsule therewithin, said centering member is completely inserted inside said seat,wherein said second portion of the infusion chamber is associated with two opposite and openable movable capsule engaging elements having fixed ends and moveable ends located opposite the fixed ends, wherein the fixed ends are fixed to the second portion and the moveable ends comprise guide channels to insert and retain the capsule in a space between said first portion and said second portion of the infusion chamber when said first portion and said second portion are in the open position, wherein said movable capsule engaging elements are elastically deformable so that the moveable ends move away from each other to release the capsule when the infusion chamber is closed with the capsule therewithin, andwherein the moveable ends are closer to the first portion defining the seat than the fixed ends.