BEVERAGE MACHINE WITH A WASTE BIN
A beverage machine has a waste bin which is translationally moved into and out of a body of the machine. A pivot arrangement is also provided for pivoting the waste bin or a portion thereof thereby to reveal visually the content of the waste bin without use of the translational movement. This gives a convenient way for the user to inspect how full the waste bin is at any time.
1 . A beverage machine, comprising:
a beverage receiving area for receiving a beverage product;
a hot water supply system for supplying hot water to the beverage product in the beverage receiving area;
a beverage delivery unit for delivering a beverage formed by passing the hot water though the beverage product;
a waste bin for collecting beverage product waste;
a waste bin receiving area for receiving the waste bin by a translational movement; and
a pivot arrangement for pivoting the waste bin or a portion thereof thereby to reveal visually content of the waste bin without the translational movement of the waste bin.
2 . The beverage machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the beverage product comprises a beverage container such as a capsule or pod and the beverage product waste comprises an emptied container; or
the beverage product comprises ground coffee and the beverage product waste comprises a used coffee cake.
3 . The beverage machine of claim 1 , wherein the waste bin is slidably insertable into, and slidably removable from, the waste bin receiving area.
4 . The beverage machine of claim 1 , wherein the waste bin has a front wall, and wherein the pivot arrangement is for pivoting open the front wall or a front wall portion thereof.
5 . The beverage machine of claim 4 , wherein the front wall or the front wall portion is coupled to side walls which maintain a closed vessel base when the front wall or the front wall portion is pivoted open.
6 . The beverage machine of claim 4 , wherein the pivot arrangement comprises a living hinge.
7 . The beverage machine of claim 1 , wherein the pivot arrangement is for pivoting the entire waste bin.
8 . The beverage machine of claim 1 , wherein the waste bin is translationally movable out of the waste bin receiving area:
with or without first operating the pivot arrangement; or
only after operating the pivot arrangement.
9 . The beverage machine of claim 8 , wherein the pivot arrangement is for implementing a first stage of a waste bin removal operation and the translational movement is for implementing a second stage of the waste bin removal operation.
10 . The beverage machine of claim 9 , wherein the first stage and the second stage of the waste bin removal operation are implemented in sequence by a continuous application of a waste bin removal force by a user.
11 . The beverage machine of claim 1 , further comprising a support, wherein the waste bin is mounted on the support, wherein the pivot arrangement is for pivoting only the waste bin or a portion thereof without movement of the support, and wherein the translational movement is for moving the support and the waste bin as a unit.
12 . The beverage machine of claim 11 , wherein the support comprises a vessel support portion for supporting a vessel to receive the beverage and a rear support portion, and wherein the waste bin is mounted on the rear support portion.
13 . The beverage machine of claim 11 , wherein the support comprises a drip tray, optionally with a drip tray cover.
14 . The beverage machine of claim 11 , wherein the support comprises a waste water collector.
15 . The beverage machine of claim 1 , further comprising a coffee machine such as an espresso coffee machine.
16 . A method, comprising:
receiving, by a beverage receiving area, the beverage product;
supplying, by a hot water supply system, hot water to the beverage product in the beverage receiving area;
delivering, by a beverage delivery unit, a beverage formed by passing the hot water though the beverage product;
collecting, by a waste bin, beverage product waste; and
pivoting, by a pivot arrangement, the waste bin or a portion thereof thereby to reveal visually content of the waste bin or a portion thereof without a translational movement of the waste bin or a portion thereof.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the waste bin is slidably insertable into, and slidably removable from, a waste bin receiving area.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the waste bin has a front wall, and wherein the pivot arrangement is for pivoting open the front wall or a front wall portion thereof.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the front wall or the front wall portion is coupled to side walls which maintain a closed vessel base when the front wall or the front wall portion is pivoted open.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the pivot arrangement comprises a living hinge.