Modular manufacturing of beverage production machines
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A47J-031/057
A47J-031/44
출원번호
US-0747684
(2008-12-09)
등록번호
US-8973485
(2015-03-10)
우선권정보
EP-07123009 (2007-12-12)
국제출원번호
PCT/EP2008/067072
(2008-12-09)
§371/§102 date
20100611
(20100611)
국제공개번호
WO2009/074550
(2009-06-18)
발명자
/ 주소
Kräuchi, Frank
Ozanne, Matthieu
Kaeser, Stefan
Schenk, Rudolf
Piai, Guido
Kreitmayr, Bernhard
Georgiev, Dimitar
출원인 / 주소
Nestec S.A.
대리인 / 주소
Winston & Strawn LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
5인용 특허 :
50
초록▼
A modular method of manufacturing a set of beverage production machines with different beverage-related functions. The machines are designed for producing a beverage on the basis of pre-portioned ingredient packages. The method includes providing a plurality of identical core units having control ci
A modular method of manufacturing a set of beverage production machines with different beverage-related functions. The machines are designed for producing a beverage on the basis of pre-portioned ingredient packages. The method includes providing a plurality of identical core units having control circuitry and a beverage production module for housing an ingredient package and feeding a liquid to the interior of the ingredient package, providing a plurality of different base platforms that differ as to beverage production functions, and manufacturing a set of different beverage production machines by mounting respectively at least one of the core units on a top surface of one of the differing base platforms while also mounting water reservoirs on the base platforms.
대표청구항▼
1. A set of at least two different beverage production machines with each beverage production machine comprising a core unit provided with control circuitry, and a plurality of different base platforms that differ as to beverage production functions relating to the chemical, physical or mechanical p
1. A set of at least two different beverage production machines with each beverage production machine comprising a core unit provided with control circuitry, and a plurality of different base platforms that differ as to beverage production functions relating to the chemical, physical or mechanical processing of the liquid fed to the interior of the ingredient batch of the beverage production machine, with the set including at least one or more of (1) a first machine having a first base platform that includes means to process a first liquid comprising water and being in fluid and electric connection with the core unit of a first beverage production machine; (2) a second machine having a second base platform that includes means to process a second liquid comprising water and being in fluid and electric connection with the core units of two beverage production machines; and (3) a third machine having a third platform and a core unit in fluid and electric connection with the platform and including a milk frother to froth a third liquid comprising milk, wherein each beverage production module includes means for housing an ingredient batch and means for feeding a liquid comprising water to the interior of the ingredient batch, with at least one core unit being fixedly mounted on one of the different base platforms, wherein the first, second and third platforms differ between them in view of the dedicated respective combination with the core(s) and milk frother in order to provide different beverage production functions relating to the chemical, physical or mechanical processing of the liquid fed to the interior of the ingredient batch. 2. The set according to claim 1, wherein the first and second liquids are water and each base platform is provided with a seat for receiving a core unit and a connection for receiving a water tank and the electrical supply means, wherein the ingredient batches are contained in capsules or pods. 3. The set according to claim 2, wherein the base platforms are provided with water guiding means for supplying water from the water tank through the first base platform to a connected core unit. 4. The set according to claim 1, wherein at least one base platform is designed to accommodate at least two core units and to supply them with water from a common water tank. 5. The set according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the core units have a common user power switch. 6. The set according to claim 5, wherein the power switch comprises a toggle-switch, a rotatable wheel or a knob switch, and has two selection positions for switching on and off at least two of the core units simultaneously. 7. The set according to claim 5, wherein the power switch has one or more selection positions for switching on the two core units, with any additional core unit(s) that are present remaining switched off. 8. The set according to claim 7, further comprising a control unit, wherein the selection position(s) for switching on the units is/are permanently associated with one or more of the two core units and designate(s) those core units to be switched on simultaneously, with the control unit being arranged to select which core unit(s) to switch on based on an individual history of use of the core units. 9. The set according to claim 5, wherein each core unit is provided with control circuitry, and the two core units have their control circuitries inter-connected via communication means for exchanging data. 10. The set according to claim 9, wherein one base platform provides the core unit with electrical power and water from a water tank mounted on the base platform, wherein the core unit but not the base platform is provided with a user control interface. 11. The set according to claim 10, wherein one base platform is provided with a seat for receiving the core unit and a connection for receiving the water tank and electrical supply means, with that base platform also provided with water guiding means for supplying water from the water tank to the connected core unit; and wherein the core unit and that base platform are designed such that an electrical connection and a fluid connection between the core unit and that base platform is produced in one step. 12. The set according to claim 9, wherein the communication means is arranged to allow a bidirectional communication between two inter-connected control circuitries and comprises a level shifter. 13. The set according to claim 9, wherein the communication means between a pair of inter-connected control circuitries comprises two transmission cables; a neutral cable extending between the pair of inter-connected control circuitries; and a pair of transistors. 14. The set according to claim 9, wherein one of the connected control circuitries has a master status, and the remaining inter-connected control circuitry(ies) has a slave status, with each inter-connected control circuitry arranged to periodically communicate its current master or slave status to the remaining control circuitry(ies) using a master/slave signal. 15. The set according to claim 14, wherein each inter-connected control circuitry is configured to change its status from slave to master and vice versa, whenever needed, and further wherein each inter-connected control circuitry is configured to be in a slave status as a default status, a master determination process being used to change the status of one of the inter-connected control circuitry to a master status when none of the inter-connected control circuitry has a master status. 16. The set according to claim 14, wherein the inter-connected control circuitries are arranged to communicate between themselves using a synchronisation signal for allocating between the core units one or more shared supply sources of material or power having a limited availability or limited accessibility, so as to provide a synchronised allocation of the supply source(s) between the core units over time. 17. The set according to claim 16, wherein a control circuitry having a master status is arranged to allocate the limited supply sources of material or power as needed for its core unit, one or more control circuitry(ies) having a slave status being arranged to allocate to their respective core unit, a residual allocation capacity of the limited supply sources. 18. The set according to claim 16, wherein the control circuitries of the core units are arranged to send master/slave signals to each other, which signals are superimposed with the synchronisation signal on a same communication channel but separated through time windows. 19. The set according to claim 16, wherein each core unit comprises a thermo-block for heating the liquid prior to feeding to the ingredient batches, the inter-connected control circuitries being arranged to synchronise access by the core units of a common power source with overall limited accessibility per time unit and/or a limited availability, to optimize heating in the thermo-blocks within such overall access and/or power limit. 20. The set of claim 19, wherein the inter-connected control circuitry of each core unit is arranged to send a synchronisation signal to the other inter-connected control circuitries for each individual access to the power source with limited accessibility per time unit, so that the overall access limit of the power source per time unit is not exceeded by the total accesses by the different core units during the corresponding time unit. 21. The set of claim 20, wherein the inter-connected control circuitries are so arranged that all the core units enter a pause mode when the overall access limit during a time unit is reached or close to be reached, no liquid heated by the thermo-blocks being fed to an ingredient batch during the pause mode until the corresponding time unit has ended and a new a time unit has started. 22. The set according to claim 21, wherein the inter-connected control circuitries are arranged to count during a time unit all accesses to the power source for heating batches of the liquid passed through the thermo-blocks and then fed to the ingredient batch, and being so arranged as to enter a pause mode when during said time unit the heating by a thermo-block of a further batch of liquid would necessitate a number of accesses to the power source that would lead to exceeding the overall access limit. 23. The set of claim 1, which includes the first and second machines and platforms. 24. The set of claim 1, which includes the first and third machines and platforms. 25. The set of claim 1, which includes the second and third machines and platforms.
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