Method and apparatus for the preparation of beverages

Claim 2

An automatic machine for household use for the preparation of artificial mineral waters, comprising means for demineralizing water introduced into the machine from a water main, further means introducing into the demineralized water the ion characteristic of the water to be prepared thereby mineralizing the water, control means for automation of the machine, programming and selecting means operative to prepare selectively artificial mineral waters of different compositions, said demineralizing means consisting of means for the fractional crystallization of the introduced water and means for originating a continuous relative motion between said crystallization means and the water, in order to obtain the deposition, on said crystallization means, of crystals of demineralized water.

Claim 3

The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for originating a continuous relative motion consists of an impeller driven to rotation during the time in which said crystallization means are operative.

Claim 4

The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said crystallization means consist of the evaporation circuit of a conventional refrigerating device, and means to invert the refrigerating circuit of said refrigerating device on completion of the fractional crystallization step.

Claim 5

The machine accOrding to claim 1, characterized by automatic timing means for a plurality of stages of the cycle of the machine and a selection device to control the actuation of said stages.

Claim 6

The machine according to claim 4, characterized by a device for carbonating the mineralized water, said device and mineralizing means being controlled by the selection device during said cycle, in order to permit the dispensing of mineral waters of at least two different compositions.

Claim 7

The machine according to claim 5, characterized by a device for dispensing substantially demineralized water controlled by the selection device.

Claim 8

The machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said selection device is adapted to be manually shifted to at least one of three positions, in a first position of said selection device the machine being adapted to dispense carbonated mineral water, in a second position the machine being adapted to dispense virtually demineralized water.

Claim 9

The machine according to claim 4, characterized by a conditioning device for the artificial mineral water, said conditioning device being in parallel with said evaporation circuit and being normally inactive, the automatic timing means being adapted to actuate said conditioning device.

Claim 10

The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, for the feed of the mineralizing salts in dosage units or tablets, a boxlike container is provided, which contains a certain unit dosage batch or tablets of mineralizing salts, said container comprising a shell seated in a correspondingly shaped chamber of the machine, a discharge port adapted to come into registry with a dispensing duct provided in the machine, rotatable means equipped with seats to contain individual dosage units of mineralizing salts, said seats being positioned in sequence and one at a time in registry with said discharge port and means to bring said discharge port in free communication with the seat which is in registry therewith.

Claim 11

The machine according to claim 9, characterized in that said rotatable means is formed by a pin wheel and said dosage units are preset in hollow spaces formed between two strips sealably united together, each hollow space having a notch in correspondence with the meridian top circumference, said pins of said pin wheel being engaged by corresponding bores formed in the composite strip formed by said two strips, said container having in addition a wedge having its pointed end directed and axially aligned towards said discharge port, the composite strip formed by said two strips being caused to pass at an acute angle about said wedge, and said pin wheel being keyed to an actuating arbor which is actuated in turn by an electric motor controlled by the main timing programmer of the machine.

Claim 12

The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that switching means are provided, actuated by said pin wheel for signalling that a complete revolution of said wheel is about to be made.

Claim 13

The machine according to claim 9, characterized in that said rotatable means is formed by a wheel whose peripheral surface has hollow spaces for individual unit dosages of mineralization salts, said hollow spaces being closed by an adjacent wall of the container casing, with the exception in correspondence with said discharge port, and said wheel being keyed to the shaft of an electric actuation motor which is intermittently energized by the main programming timer of the machine.

Claim 14

The machine according to claim 9, characterized in that said rotatable means consists of a wheel, whose periphery has hollow spaces for providing a seat for individual dosage units of mineralizing salts, said hollow spaces being closed by a sealing tape, adapted to be stripped before the corresponding hollow spaces come into registry with said discharge port.

Claim 15

The machine according to claim 13, characterized in that, for the rotation of said wheel, an actuating motor is provided, which is adapted to drive a toothed wheel about which the sealing tape is Wrapped.

Claim 16

The machine according to claim 1, characterized by means for obtaining the relative displacement of said crystallization means relatively to a container for the introduced water, and collecting means for collecting the material deposited on said crystallization means on completion of the crystallization stage.

Claim 17

An automatic machine for household use for the preparation of artificial mineral waters, comprising means for demineralizing water introduced into the machine from a water main, further means introducing into the demineralized water the ion characteristic of the water to be prepared thereby mineralizing the water, control means for automation of the machine, programming and selecting means operative to prepare selectively artificial mineral waters of different compositions, a boiler for evaporating the introduced water, said boiler having a top, a feed duct at the top for starting the condensation of steam, a refrigerating circuit including a collecting vessel provided with cooling means, the residual steam and condensates from the boiler being discharged into the collecting vessel, the collecting vessel having means controlling the level of the condensates and a thermostat regulating the water temperature, a mineralizing vessel, a pump transferring the demineralized water from the collecting vessel to the mineralizing vessel, the mineralizing vessel being provided with means mechanically stirring the water therein, means introducing carbon dioxide therein, spray means for washing the vessel, a dispenser for mineralizing salts, heating means, cooling means, and outlet and dispensing means constituted by a discharge pump.

Claim 18

An automatic machine for household use for the preparation of artificial mineral waters, comprising means for demineralizing water introduced into the machine from a water main, further means introducing into the demineralized water the ion characteristic of the water to be prepared thereby mineralizing the water, control means for automation of the machine, programming and selecting means operative to prepare selectively artificial mineral waters of different compositions, a boiler for evaporating the introduced water, said boiler having a top, a feed duct at the top for starting the condensation of steam, a refrigerating circuit including a collecting vessel provided with cooling means, the residual steam and condensates from the boiler being discharged into the collecting vessel, the collecting vessel having means controlling the level of the condensates and a thermostat regulating the water temperature, a mineralizing vessel, a pump transferring the demineralized water from the collecting vessel to the mineralizing vessel, the mineralizing vessel being provided with means mechanically stirring the water therein, means introducing carbon dioxide therein, spray means for washing the vessel, a dispenser for mineralizing salts, heating means, cooling means, and outlet and dispensing means constituted by a discharge pump.

Claim 19

The machine according to claim 16, characterized in that said dispenser of mineralizing salts comprises a plurality of discrete and selectable feeds for different salts.

Claim 20

The machine as claimed in claim 16 including a feed to the boiler for the introduced water, a filter in the feed, and the feed having a branch duct directly feeding the spray means.

Claim 21

The machine as claimed in claim 16 in which said boiler includes a heating electric resistor and the cooling means is the evaporative section of the refrigerating circuit including a compressor and a condensor section.

Claim 22

The machine according to claim 19, characterized in that said means for controlling the level of the condensates in said collecting reservoir are connected so as to control the actuation and deenergization of said electric heating resistor of said boiler.

Claim 23

The machine according to claim 19, characterized in that said thermostat for regulating the temperature of the water in said vessel for collecting the condensates, controls the actuation and de-energization of said heating resistor in said mineralizing vessel and the degree of cooling of the condensates by means of said refrigerating circuit.