PROCESS AND MULTIPLE PUMP APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE PREPARATION OF BEVERAGES
A dispensing apparatus for hot beverages is provided with means ( 4,5 ) to filter hot pressurised water through ground edible ingredients such as coffee, tea or herbal remedies in a chamber, has two or more pumps to feed water to said brewing chamber ( 2,82 ); the pumps are connected in series.
1 . A process of controlling brewing and dispensing of beverages from a brewing chamber ( 2 ; 82 ) provided with means ( 6 , 7 ; 86 , 87 ) for filtering hot pressurized water through ground edible ingredients, comprising a brewing procedure that includes steps of feeding the hot pressurized water through the ground edible ingredients and into a brewing chamber volume of the brewing chamber; adjusting a flow rate of the hot pressurized water fed to the brewing chamber ( 2 ; 82 ) with a plurality of pumps ( 14 , 14 A); brewing contents of the brewing chamber to form beverages; and dispensing the beverages.
2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein said pumps are connected in series.
3 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pumps are operated separately or at the same time as applicable in accordance with the brewing procedure.
4 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising storing data in memory of a controlling unit ( 16 ), further comprising carrying out the following steps with the controlling unit ( 16 ):
a) detecting real-time data that includes at least beverage flow rate data of the beverages being dispensed during said brewing procedure;
b) comparing said detected real-time data with data stored in said memory to determine whether a correction to actual beverage flow rate should be made; and
c) adjusting a beverage brewing parameter to bring the beverage flow rate in line with said stored data by selecting the beverage brewing parameter from the group consisting of the flow rate of the hot pressurized water fed to said brewing chamber ( 2 ; 82 ) and the brewing chamber volume.
5 . The process according to claim 4 , wherein said adjusting of the brewing parameters is carried out in real-time, during the brewing procedure.
6 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of detecting humidity data and adjusting particle size of said ground edible ingredients according to said humidity data.
7 . An apparatus ( 1 ) for controlling brewing and dispensing of beverages from a brewing chamber ( 2 ; 82 ) provided with means ( 4 - 7 ) for filtering hot pressurized water through ground edible ingredients, comprising means for feeding the hot pressurized water through the ground edible ingredients and into the brewing chamber; means for adjusting a flow rate of the hot pressurized water fed to the brewing chamber ( 2 , 82 ) with two or more pumps; means for brewing contents of the brewing chamber within a brewing chamber volume to form beverages; and means for dispensing the beverages.
8 . The dispensing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said pumps are connected in series.
9 . The dispensing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said pumps are vibration pumps.
10 . The dispensing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said pumps are differ from each other.
11 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising means ( 17 , 18 , 20 ) for detecting brewing parameters as real-time data when brewing said beverage, a controlling unit ( 16 ) having memory and means for storing data in the memory and for comparing said real-time data to a set of stored data to determine whether a correction to the brewing parameters should be made, means for detecting said beverage flow rate and means for adjusting a beverage brewing parameter to bring the beverage flow rate in line with said stored data with equipment selected from the group consisting of means for modifying the flow rate of the hot pressurized water fed to the brewing chamber ( 2 ; 82 ) and means for modifying the brewing chamber volume.
12 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising at least two pistons ( 4 , 5 ) for said brewing chamber ( 2 ; 82 ) independently operated by motors ( 8 , 9 ).
13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising sensors having an absorption rate of at least one of the motors ( 8 , 9 ) operating said brewing pistons ( 4 , 5 ).
14 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said means for modifying the flow rate of hot pressurized water entering the said brewing chamber comprises a feed-back circuit branched from a water circuit to feed the hot pressurized water to said brewing chamber, said feed back circuit including a valve ( 24 ), a plenum chamber ( 25 ) and a duct ( 27 ) connecting said plenum with said water circuit.
15 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said means for altering brewing parameters further comprises means ( 22 ) for modifying grinding parameters of the beverages.
16 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the ground edible ingredients are selected from the group consisting of coffee, tea and herbal remedies.
17 . The process according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting the ground edible ingredients from the group consisting of coffee, tea and herbal remedies.