Drinking recipients with flow regulation means of minimal construction, systems and processes with said drinking recipients
View Patent ↗Drinking recipients such as glasses, cups and the like, that present a flow regulation mechanism at a base region and is adapted to provide better retention, use longevity and reliability, and better regulation of the flow passage there through, at least for flow pressures of up to 20 bar, and to simultaneously provide liquid sealing relative to an injection device upstream. Further disclosed are systems and processes for distributing beverages, in particular of espresso coffee and similar aromatic beverages, having at least one type of said drinking recipient, and an apparatus having a beverage discharge disposition adapted for operative retention of the drinking recipient and for beverage discharge in a pressurized flow through the base region, at least for flow pressures of up to 20 bar.
1 . A drinking recipient comprising:
a base wall and a sidewall extending from the base wall thereby confining a fluid collection volume of the drinking recipient, and collecting a beverage discharged through the base wall in a prevailing flow direction opposite the direction of the gravity force, wherein
the base wall has a base opening extending along the prevailing flow direction and comprises flow regulation means configured to only provide flow passage in case of being impinged with an upstream flow pressure bigger than a previously defined value of flow pressure,
the flow regulation means is a single piece that regulates the flow passage and that provides liquid sealing of the base wall, the flow regulation means extends at least partially inside of the base opening,
the flow regulation means present:
only an upstream portion with an exterior surface, and wherein the flow regulation means is configured to be removably retained on the base opening, or
the upstream portion and a downstream portion with an exterior surface, and wherein the flow regulation means is configured to be removably retained on the base opening, and
wherein at least one of the upstream portion and the downstream portion has a tubular shape confining a flow passage section upstream of a flow regulation wall of the flow regulation means,
the flow regulation wall comprising at least one flow passageway extending transversally relative to the prevailing flow direction and
the at least one flow passageway being configured to be elastically enlarged from a closed position to an open position, in case of being impinged with the upstream flow pressure bigger than the previously defined value of flow pressure.
2 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein the base opening comprises at least one retention portion with a width similar to the width of at least one of the upstream portion and the downstream portion of the flow regulation means such that at least one of the upstream portion and the downstream portion is pressure-fitted inside the base opening, and the base opening comprises at least one seating portion having at least one surface extending in a rim-like manner in a transversal direction relative to the prevailing flow direction, said at least one seating portion reducing a diameter of said base opening.
3 . The drinking recipient according to claim 2 , wherein the upstream portion extends at least partially outside of the base wall.
4 . The drinking recipient according to claim 2 , wherein the downstream portion extends at least partially outside of the at least one retention portion.
5 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein the flow regulation means is configured such that at least one of:
said upstream portion comprises the flow regulation wall arranged at least in a proximity of a downstream edge of the upstream portion, or
said downstream portion comprises the flow regulation wall arranged at least in the proximity of a downstream edge of the downstream portion, and
a wall thickness of the flow regulation wall is smaller than at least one of a wall thickness of the said upstream portion and the said downstream portion.
6 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one flow passageway is slot-like, with at least one of: a linear shape and a curved shape, and the at least one flow passageway only opens in case of being impinged with the flow pressure bigger than the previously defined value of flow pressure.
7 . The drinking recipient according to claim 2 , wherein
the upstream portion extends completely inside of the base wall with at least most of the upstream portion extending along the prevailing flow direction inside of said at least one retention portion.
8 . The drinking recipient according to claim 2 , wherein
the downstream portion extends completely inside of said base wall with at least a majority extending inside of said at least one retention portion along the prevailing flow direction.
9 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein
the upstream portion has an exterior dimension in a direction transverse to the prevailing flow direction different from an exterior dimension of the downstream portion.
10 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein
the upstream portion comprises a transversal section of flow passage that is similar to the transversal section of the flow passage of the downstream portion, and the upstream portion has an upstream-oriented surface that extends in a rim-like transversal extension beyond the flow passage section and provides a perimeter surface configured for liquid sealing of said flow passage.
11 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein
the flow regulation means has at least one of:
a maximum length along the prevailing flow direction of 8 mm;
a maximum width along the direction transversal to the prevailing flow direction of 12 mm;
a flow width of the flow passage section upstream of the flow regulation wall smaller than 10 mm; or
a width dimension of the at least one flow passageway on the flow regulation wall smaller than 7 mm.
12 . The drinking recipient according to claim 2 , wherein
an exterior contour of at least one of said upstream portion and said downstream portion is similar to an interior contour of a respective retention portion of the at least one retention portion, and the flow regulation means is pressured fitted to the respective retention portion by at least one of said downstream portion or said upstream portion.
13 . The drinking recipient according to claim 2 , wherein
the flow regulation means is arranged on the at least one seating portion with a slot-like perimeter space associated with one of said upstream portion and said downstream portion, not the other one of said upstream portion and said downstream portion.
14 . The drinking recipient according to claim 2 , wherein
the flow regulation means is arranged on the at least one seating portion with at least an upstream-oriented face of said upstream portion being aligned with, or being projected in an engagement extension above of, an upstream-oriented face of said base opening of the base wall.
15 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein
the drinking recipient is configured to be operatively placed on a beverage discharge disposition functionally connected to a beverage preparation apparatus and retained, via a base region, to the beverage discharge disposition by means of mechanical engagement, and
the drinking recipient further comprises flow constraining means associated with the base opening, to control the beverage flow to enter the drinking recipient along a non-vertical direction or a direction different from the prevailing flow direction.
16 . The drinking recipient according to claim 1 , wherein
the liquid sealing of the base wall prevents radial flow, and
the flow regulations means contacts the base wall.
17 . A system for distribution of edible products, comprising:
the drinking recipient according to claim 1 ;
an individual portion of an edible substance; and
a beverage preparation apparatus comprising:
a beverage discharge disposition configured to provides support for operative placement of the drinking recipient, and comprising discharge means configured to discharge a beverage discharge (BD) along the prevailing flow direction opposite to the direction of the gravity force into the drinking recipient;
a beverage preparation device configured to be actuated between a first and second position, and vice-versa, to collect and eject the individual portion, wherein
the drinking recipient is configured to be placed in operative position of beverage discharge and retained on the beverage discharge disposition,
the drinking recipient and beverage discharge are configured for, based on the drinking recipient being in the operative position, direct contact between the flow regulation means of the drinking recipient and the discharge means through which the flow regulation means is compressed by the discharge means along the prevailing flow direction, and
the upstream portion of the flow regulation means provides the only liquid sealing means of a fluid connection between the drinking recipient and beverage discharge disposition.
18 . A process for operating a drinking recipient, comprising:
providing the drinking recipient according to claim 1 ;
providing a beverage preparation apparatus comprising beverage discharge means; and
placing the drinking recipient on a beverage discharge disposition of the beverage preparation apparatus, and moving the drinking recipient to an operative position where the beverage discharge disposition retains the drinking recipient;
wherein the beverage discharge means elastically compresses the upstream portion of the flow regulation means provided on a base region of said drinking recipient when the drinking recipient is moved to said operative position, and the upstream portion of the flow regulation means provides the liquid sealing between the drinking recipient and the beverage discharge disposition.