Brewing unti with a water heater

1. A brewing unit for production of a beverage, comprising:

a brewing chamber comprising a first brewing chamber portion and a second brewing chamber portion, wherein at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions is movable with respect to the other, the at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions being mechanically connected to an actuator;

a water heater supplying pressurized water to the brewing chamber during brewing of the beverage; and

a structural frame supporting the first and the second brewing chamber portions, wherein forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing are exerted on the structural frame;

wherein said structural frame comprises:

two lateral components arranged laterally along a length of said brewing chamber; and

two end components arranged transverse to the two lateral components and mechanically constrained to said two lateral components at opposite ends of the two lateral components, a first end component of said two end components comprising the first brewing chamber portion, wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components,

wherein said two lateral components and said two end components are configured to form a closed structure surrounding the brewing chamber,

wherein said first brewing chamber portion of the first end component of the closed structure is arranged adjacent to said water heater, the water heater being arranged outside the closed structure,

wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components outside the closed structure,

wherein said first brewing chamber portion and said water heater are each constrained to said two lateral components independently, one from the other, via separate constraining members,

wherein during the brewing, the first brewing chamber portion is pressed by an axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber against the water heater,

wherein the axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing is exerted on said water heater and causes elastic deformation of at least one of the two lateral components to maintain the first brewing chamber portion in a closed position during the brewing, and

wherein the water heater contributes to a mechanical resistance of the structural frame which supports the forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing.

2. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said first brewing chamber portion is fixed with respect to said closed structure, and wherein the second brewing chamber portion is movable with respect to said closed structure.

3. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said two lateral components and said two end components are fixedly and rigidly connected to one another.

4. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a second end component of the two end components supports the second brewing chamber portion.

5. The brewing unit according to claim 4 , wherein said second brewing chamber portion is movable with respect to said structural frame, a manual or servo-actuator being arranged between said second end component and said second brewing chamber portion for controlling a movement of said second brewing chamber portion.

6. The brewing unit according claim 1 , wherein said water heater comprises a main body and protrusions, the protrusions engaging into seats provided in said two lateral components.

7. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said two lateral components comprise tie rods.

8. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said two lateral components form guides configured to slidingly engage said second brewing chamber portion.

9. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said water heater is mechanically constrained to said first brewing chamber portion.

10. The brewing unit according to claim 9 , wherein a hot water duct for feeding hot pressurized water in said brewing chamber from said water heater connects said water heater to said first brewing chamber portion.

11. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein a dispensing duct, from which said beverage is dispensed, extends through a cavity of said water heater.

12. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein said water heater is configured to be in one of a direct and an indirect heat contact with said first brewing chamber portion.

13. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , comprising an arm for pushing capsules into the brewing chamber, said arm supporting a dummy capsule.

14. The brewing unit according to claim 13 , wherein said dummy capsule is movable with respect to said arm to take an operating position and an inactive position.

15. A beverage production machine including a brewing unit, wherein the brewing unit comprises:

a brewing chamber comprising a first brewing chamber portion and a second brewing chamber portion, wherein at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions is movable with respect to the other, the at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions being mechanically connected to an actuator;

a water heater supplying pressurized water to the brewing chamber during brewing of a beverage; and

a structural frame supporting the first and the second brewing chamber portions, wherein forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing are exerted on the structural frame;

wherein said structural frame comprises:

two lateral components arranged laterally along a length of said brewing chamber; and

two end components arranged transverse to the two lateral components and mechanically constrained to said two lateral components at opposite ends of the two lateral components, a first end component of said two end components comprising the first brewing chamber portion, wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components,

wherein said two lateral components and said two end components are configured to form a closed structure surrounding the brewing chamber,

wherein said first brewing chamber portion of the first end component of the closed structure is arranged adjacent to said water heater, the water heater being arranged outside the closed structure,

wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components outside the closed structure,

wherein said first brewing chamber portion and said water heater are each constrained to said two lateral components independently, one from the other, via separate constraining members, and

wherein during the brewing the first brewing chamber portion is pressed by an axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber against the water heater,

wherein the axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing is exerted on said water heater and causes elastic deformation of at least one of the two lateral components to maintain the first brewing chamber portion in a closed position during the brewing, and

wherein the water heater contributes to a mechanical resistance of the structural frame which supports the forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing.

16. The brewing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components by first constraining members, and wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components by second constraining members different from the first constraining members.

17. A brewing unit for production of a beverage, comprising:

a brewing chamber comprising a first brewing chamber portion and a second brewing chamber portion, wherein at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions is movable with respect to the other, the at least one of the first and the second brewing chamber portions being mechanically connected to an actuator;

a water heater supplying pressurized water to the brewing chamber during brewing of the beverage; and

a structural frame having two lateral components arranged laterally along a length of said brewing chamber for supporting the first and the second brewing chamber portions,

wherein the first brewing chamber is constrained to the structural frame,

wherein the water heater is constrained to the structural frame,

wherein the first brewing chamber portion and the water heater are each constrained to the structural frame independently, one from the other, via separate constraining members,

wherein during the brewing, the first brewing chamber portion is pressed by an axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber against the water heater, and

wherein the axial force generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing is exerted on said water heater and causes elastic deformation of at least one of the two lateral components to maintain the first brewing chamber portion in a closed position during the brewing.

18. The brewing unit according to claim 17 , wherein said structural frame comprises

two end components arranged transverse to the two lateral components and mechanically constrained to said two lateral components, a first end component of said two end components comprising the first brewing chamber portion, wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components,

wherein said two lateral components and said two end components are configured to form a closed structure surrounding the brewing chamber,

wherein said first brewing chamber portion of the first end component of the closed structure is arranged adjacent to said water heater, the water heater being arranged outside the closed structure,

wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components outside the closed structure, and

wherein said first brewing chamber portion and said water heater are each constrained to said two lateral components independently, one from the other, via the separate constraining members.

19. The brewing unit according to claim 18 , wherein the first brewing chamber portion is constrained to the two lateral components by first constraining members, and wherein the water heater is constrained to the two lateral components by second constraining members different from the first constraining members.

20. The brewing unit according to claim 17 , wherein the water heater contributes to a mechanical resistance of the structural frame which supports the forces generated by the pressurized water in the brewing chamber during the brewing.