Patents by Inventor RALF HEUBERGER

RALF HEUBERGER has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11559165
    Abstract: A coffee brewer contains a brewing unit in which coffee grounds having been poured in are compressed by a plunger driven by an actuator. Heated water flows through the compressed coffee grounds. A control device controls the actuator in accordance with signals of an angle of rotation sensor. The control device first moves the plunger against a stop in an ejection position to calibrate the sensor, then moves the plunger by a predetermined distance in a downwards direction into a pouring-in position. Afterwards the control device moves the plunger by a second distance into the brewing position, a length of the predetermined distance and the second distance corresponds to a number of pulses of the sensor which are stored in the memory. The control device subsequently moves the plunger by a third distance back into the ejection position in which the coffee grounds are removed from the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: SPENGLER GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Ralf Heuberger
  • Publication number: 20210228016
    Abstract: A method for the dispensing of a hot beverage in a beverage vending machine, comprising a hot water generating system for the generation of hot water and a brewing chamber, wherein the brewing chamber is filled with brewing material for brewing a hot beverage, and following this, is loaded with hot water via a hot water inlet, and after the brewing process, the hot beverage is delivered from the brewing chamber into a vessel via a hot beverage outlet and a drain line connected therewith, wherein the hot beverage outlet can be loaded with compressed gas from a compressed gas source during a brewing process. Also includes a device for carrying out the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: Spengler GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Ralf HEUBERGER, Lukas URECH, Jan BILFINGER
  • Patent number: 10952561
    Abstract: A coffee brewer contains a brewing unit in which coffee grounds having been poured in are compressed by a plunger driven by an actuator. Heated water flows through the compressed coffee grounds. A control device controls the actuator in accordance with signals of an angle of rotation sensor. The control device first moves the plunger against a stop in an ejection position to calibrate the sensor, then moves the plunger by a predetermined distance in a downwards direction into a pouring-in position. Afterwards the control device moves the plunger by a second distance into the brewing position, a length of the predetermined distance and the second distance corresponds to a number of pulses of the sensor which are stored in the memory. The control device subsequently moves the plunger by a third distance back into the ejection position in which the coffee grounds are removed from the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: SPENGLER GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Ralf Heuberger
  • Publication number: 20210007542
    Abstract: A coffee brewer contains a brewing unit in which coffee grounds having been poured in are compressed by a plunger driven by an actuator. Heated water flows through the compressed coffee grounds. A control device controls the actuator in accordance with signals of an angle of rotation sensor. The control device first moves the plunger against a stop in an ejection position to calibrate the sensor, then moves the plunger by a predetermined distance in a downwards direction into a pouring-in position. Afterwards the control device moves the plunger by a second distance into the brewing position, a length of the predetermined distance and the second distance corresponds to a number of pulses of the sensor which are stored in the memory. The control device subsequently moves the plunger by a third distance back into the ejection position in which the coffee grounds are removed from the plunger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventor: RALF HEUBERGER
  • Publication number: 20190029463
    Abstract: A coffee brewer contains a brewing unit in which coffee grounds having been poured in are compressed by a plunger driven by an actuator. Heated water flows through the compressed coffee grounds. A control device controls the actuator in accordance with signals of an angle of rotation sensor. The control device first moves the plunger against a stop in an ejection position to calibrate the sensor, then moves the plunger by a predetermined distance in a downwards direction into a pouring-in position. Afterwards the control device moves the plunger by a second distance into the brewing position, a length of the predetermined distance and the second distance corresponds to a number of pulses of the sensor which are stored in the memory. The control device subsequently moves the plunger by a third distance back into the ejection position in which the coffee grounds are removed from the plunger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventor: RALF HEUBERGER