A coffee machine with an automatic tamping device

Abstract

This invention discloses a coffee machine with an automatic tamping device, comprising a main body and a tamping device. The tamping device includes a tamping mechanism, a power mechanism, and a stop mechanism. The stop mechanism includes an elastic component and two stop members. At least one stop member has a protrusion on its opposite end face. The two ends of the elastic component are respectively connected to each stop member, and the elastic component is connected to the tamping mechanism. When the tamping mechanism is in a first position, the elastic component is in a relaxed state, causing the two stop members to separate. When the tamping mechanism is in a second position, the elastic component is in a compressed state, driving the two stop members to contact the stop. Coffee powder enters the tamping space through the feed inlet. When the coffee puck is tamped, the tamping mechanism is in the second position, at which point the two stop members contact and abut, preventing the tamping mechanism from moving further and ensuring that the thickness of the coffee puck remains unchanged. Even if the power mechanism fails to stop in time, the protrusion on the stop member is deformed by pressure, which can act as a buffer to prevent other parts from being damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of coffee machine technology, and in particular to a coffee machine with an automatic tamping device. Background Technology

[0002] Coffee is a popular beverage today. Tamp the coffee grounds during preparation, a crucial step that significantly impacts the final taste. However, current electric coffee machine tamp modules generally suffer from cumbersome structures, high costs, and insufficient reliability. Furthermore, the electronic sensors are susceptible to environmental interference, leading to poor long-term stability and difficulty in consistently dispensing the correct amount of coffee grounds over extended periods, resulting in inconsistent flavor and taste. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a coffee machine with an automatic tamping device to quantitatively tamp coffee powder.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a coffee machine with an automatic tamping device is provided, comprising a main body and a tamping device, the main body having a tamping space communicating with a feed inlet, the tamping device including a tamping mechanism extendable into the tamping space, the tamping mechanism being reciprocating between a first position and a second position along the tamping direction; a power mechanism for driving the tamping mechanism, the power mechanism being connected to the tamping mechanism; and a stop mechanism, the stop mechanism including an elastic component and two oppositely arranged stop members, at least one of the stop members having a protrusion deformable along the tamping direction on opposite end faces, both ends of the elastic component being respectively connected to each of the stop members, the elastic component being connected to the tamping mechanism; when the tamping mechanism is in the first position, the elastic component is in a relaxed state causing the two stop members to separate; when the tamping mechanism is in the second position, the elastic component is in a compressed state driving the two stop members to contact the stop position.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stop member is further composed mainly of an annular spring body, wherein the spring body is partially bent to form a wave-shaped protrusion, and the protrusion direction of the protrusion is perpendicular to the annular surface.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of protrusions is more than three, and each of the protrusions is distributed at equal angular intervals along the circumferential direction on the spring body.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the powder pressing mechanism further includes a powder pressing shaft and a powder pressing wheel connected to the end of the powder pressing shaft, the elastic component includes an elastic element and two annular mounting seats connected to both ends of the elastic element, the stop member is connected to the annular mounting seats, and the powder pressing shaft passes through the inner hole of the annular mounting seats.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner wall of the annular mounting base is provided with a shoulder, and the two ends of the elastic element abut against each of the shoulders respectively, and the elastic element is sleeved on the powder pressing shaft.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the elastic component further includes a guide member arranged along the powder pressing direction, and the annular mounting base is provided with guide holes, the guide member passing through the guide holes of the two annular mounting bases in sequence.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the end face of the annular mounting base is provided with a limiting groove adapted to the stop member, and the stop member is installed in the limiting groove.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the stop is made of a conductive material and is electrically connected to the power mechanism via the conductive material.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the power mechanism further includes a motor, the output shaft of the motor is equipped with an output gear, the output gear is meshed with the transmission gear, and the transmission gear is connected to the powder pressing mechanism.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the powder pressing mechanism is further provided with a support seat, and the elastic component abuts against the support seat.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Coffee powder enters the tamping space through the feed inlet. During the tamping process, the tamping mechanism gradually moves from a first position to a second position. When the coffee cake is tamped, the tamping mechanism is in the second position, at which point the two stop members come into contact and abut, preventing the tamping mechanism from moving further and ensuring that the thickness of the coffee cake remains constant. Even if the power mechanism fails to stop in time, the protrusions on the stop members deform under pressure, which can act as a buffer to prevent other parts from being squeezed and damaged. This invention achieves precise quantitative tamping of coffee cakes through mechanical limiting, and has a simple structure and high reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly explained below. Obviously, the described drawings are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. Those skilled in the art can obtain other design schemes and drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the powder pressing device in this invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the powder pressing device (excluding the housing and motor) in this invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a front view of the powder pressing device (excluding the housing and motor) in this invention;

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Sectional view of section AA;

[0021] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the powder pressing device in this invention;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a top view structural diagram of the annular mounting base in this invention;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the annular mounting base in this invention from a bottom view angle;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a top view structural diagram of the stop component in this invention;

[0025] Figure 10 This is a bottom view of the stop component in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] This section will describe in detail specific embodiments of the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. The purpose of the drawings is to supplement the textual description with graphics, so that people can intuitively and vividly understand each technical feature and overall technical solution of the present invention, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0029] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0030] Reference Figures 1-2 The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device in this embodiment of the invention includes a main body 4 and a tamping device. The main body 4 has a tamping space, which is connected to a feed inlet 41. Coffee powder enters the tamping space through the feed inlet 41. The tamping device sweeps and compacts the coffee powder in the tamping space until the coffee powder in the tamping space is tamped into a coffee cake with a preset amount and thickness.

[0031] Reference Figures 2-6The tamping device includes a tamping mechanism 10, a power mechanism 20 for driving the tamping mechanism 10, and a stop mechanism 30. The stop mechanism 30 includes an elastic component arranged along the tamping direction and two stop members 33. The two stop members 33 are arranged opposite to each other, and at least one stop member 33 has a protrusion 333 on its opposite end face that can deform along the tamping direction. The two ends of the elastic component are respectively connected to each stop member 33, and the elastic component is connected to the tamping mechanism 10. The power mechanism 20 is connected to the tamping mechanism 10 to drive the tamping mechanism 10 to perform the tamping action and compact the coffee powder in the tamping space. The tamping mechanism 10 can reciprocate between a first position and a second position along the tamping direction. When no coffee powder or insufficient coffee powder is fed into the tamping space, the tamping mechanism 10 is in the first position, and the elastic component is in a relaxed state, causing the two stoppers 33 to separate. When coffee powder is fed into the tamping space, the tamping mechanism 10 is raised by the coffee powder in the tamping space, and the elastic component is continuously compressed as the powder is fed in. The two stoppers 33 approach each other as the elastic component is compressed until a set amount of coffee powder has been fed into the tamping space and it is compacted. At this time, the tamping mechanism 10 is in the second position, and the two stoppers 33 are in contact with the stop. More specifically, at least one of the stoppers 33 has a protrusion 333 in contact with the opposite surface of the other stopper 33. The two stoppers 33 are in contact and abut each other, but the protrusion 333 does not deform. At this time, the elastic component no longer compresses, thus physically stopping the tamping mechanism 10. The position of the tamping mechanism 10 is relatively fixed, and no more coffee powder can be fed into the tamping space, thereby ensuring the quantitative feeding of coffee powder into the tamping space. However, when the powder pressing mechanism 10 is in the second position and the powder feeding of the power mechanism 20 or the powder pressing space fails to stop in time, causing the two stop members 33 to be continuously pressed close together, the protrusion 333 on the stop member 33 can still deform along the powder pressing square to absorb the excessive stroke, so that the clamping force is concentrated on the protrusion 333 rather than the elastic component or the power mechanism 20. The deformable characteristic of the protrusion 333 makes the stop member 33 play a buffering and pressure limiting role in the event of overload, effectively preventing the components from cracking or being permanently damaged due to rigid compression, thus improving the reliability and service life of the structure.

[0032] Reference Figures 9-10 In some embodiments, the stop 33 is mainly composed of an annular spring body 331, with the powder pressing mechanism 10 penetrating the inner hole of the spring body 331. The spring body 331 is partially bent to form a wave-shaped protrusion 333, the protruding direction of which is perpendicular to the annular surface. The protrusion 333 is integrally formed with the spring body 331, resulting in a more compact and reliable structure, and effectively avoiding the possibility of connection point failure under long-term contact or overload compression.

[0033] In some embodiments, the number of protrusions 333 is three or more, and each protrusion 333 is distributed at equal angular intervals along the circumferential direction on the spring body 331. The even distribution of multiple protrusions 333 distributes the contact pressure to multiple points, preventing a single protrusion 333 from bearing the entire load, which could lead to excessive local stress or premature crushing, thus making the buffering effect more balanced and stable. In addition, three or more protrusions 333 ensure that the two stoppers 33 can form a stable support plane when in contact, preventing the two stoppers 33 from tipping over or swaying, and improving the stability and reliability of the structure. Specifically, in this embodiment, the number of protrusions 333 is four, and each adjacent protrusion 333 is distributed at 90-degree intervals along the circumferential direction on the spring body 331.

[0034] In this embodiment, both stop members 33 have the same number of protrusions 333, and the protrusions 333 on each stop member 33 are opposite each other. When the powder pressing mechanism 10 is in the second position, the protrusion 333 on one stop member 33 abuts against the corresponding protrusion 333 on the other stop member 33. Since both stop members 33 have protrusions 333, the buffer stroke and deformation are evenly distributed to both sides, which multiplies the total deformation capacity, thereby absorbing a greater degree of overload stroke. At the same time, the double-sided deformation can make the contact force more symmetrical and uniform, avoiding the uneven load or local stress concentration caused by excessive compression of the protrusion 333 on one side. The same buffer margin can be achieved with a smaller individual protrusion 333 height in a limited space, making the structure more compact and the protection more reliable.

[0035] In some embodiments, the tamping mechanism 10 includes a tamping shaft 11 and a tamping roller 12. One end of the tamping shaft 11 is connected to a power mechanism 20, and the other end is connected to the tamping roller 12. The power mechanism 20 drives the tamping shaft 11, thereby driving the tamping roller 12 to flatten the coffee powder in the tamping space. In this embodiment, the tamping direction is parallel to the axial direction of the tamping shaft 11. As an optional implementation, the elastic component includes a spring, with two stoppers 33 connected to both ends of the spring. When the tamping mechanism 10 is in the second position, the spring is compressed, and the two stoppers 33 move closer to each other and then come into contact with each other as the spring is compressed. When the stoppers 33 come into contact, the spring cannot continue to compress. The position of the tamping mechanism 10 relative to the tamping space is determined, ensuring that the coffee powder in the tamping space is compressed to the maximum possible thickness. In this embodiment, the spring can be sleeved on the outside of the tamping shaft 11, which saves installation space and ensures that the spring always extends and retracts along the tamping direction, avoiding accidental contact of the stoppers 33 due to deformation of the spring in other directions.

[0036] As another optional implementation, the elastic component includes an elastic element 32 and two annular mounting seats 31 connected to both ends of the elastic element 32. A stop element 33 is connected to the annular mounting seats 31 by a pin or other fastener. The elastic element 32 is not directly connected to the stop element 33, facilitating replacement of either the elastic element 32 or the stop element 33 as needed. In some embodiments, refer to... Figures 7-8 The annular mounting base 31 has a limiting groove 312 on its end face that corresponds to the stop 33. The stop 33 is installed in the limiting groove 312 to facilitate installation and reduce the possibility of displacement of the stop 33 relative to the annular mounting base 31. Furthermore, at least one connecting lug 332 extends from the outer edge of the spring body 331 of the stop 33. The annular limiting groove 312 correspondingly extends outward with at least one slot 313 for accommodating the connecting lug 332. The connecting lug 332 of the stop 33 is placed in the slot 313, thus preventing the stop 33 from rotating relative to the annular groove. (Refer to...) Figure 6 and Figure 9 In this embodiment, the outer edge of the stop member 33 spring body 331 also extends two opposing connecting ears 332, and the outer side of the annular limiting groove 312 extends four equally spaced slots 313. The stop member 33 can be inserted into the limiting groove 312 at different relative angles. The connecting ears 332 are provided with connecting holes to allow fasteners to pass through. Pins or other fasteners fix the stop member 33 to the annular mounting base 31 through the connecting ears 332.

[0037] In some embodiments, the pressing shaft 11 passes through the inner hole of the annular mounting base 31, thereby ensuring that the annular mounting base 31 and the stop member 33 thereon always move along the pressing direction during the movement. Optionally, the inner hole sidewall of the annular mounting base 31 is provided with shoulders 311 arranged circumferentially, and the two ends of the elastic member 32 abut against each shoulder 311 respectively. The elastic member 32 is connected to the annular mounting base 31 in a non-fixed manner, which facilitates the replacement and maintenance of parts as needed. Since the two ends of the elastic member 32 abut against the shoulders 311, the situation of non-elastic displacement of the elastic member 32 during the extension and contraction process is effectively reduced. The elastic member 32 can be selected as a spring and sleeved on the pressing shaft 11, saving installation space and ensuring that the elastic member 32 always extends and contracts along the pressing direction.

[0038] In some embodiments, the elastic component further includes a guide member arranged along the powder pressing direction. The annular mounting base 31 has guide holes, and the guide member passes sequentially through the guide holes of two annular mounting bases 31. The guide member includes a guide bolt and a nut. The guide bolt passes through the guide hole and is connected to the nut. When the powder pressing mechanism 10 is in the first position, the annular mounting base 31 closer to the powder pressing space abuts against the nut, which limits the maximum distance between the two annular mounting bases 31. When the two annular mounting bases 31 move relative to each other, both annular mounting bases 31 move along the direction of the guide bolt, i.e., the powder pressing direction.

[0039] In some embodiments, the power mechanism 20 includes a motor 21, the output shaft of which is equipped with an output gear 22, which meshes with a transmission gear 23, which is connected to the powder pressing mechanism 10. The motor 21 drives the powder pressing mechanism 10 to perform the powder pressing action through the meshing of the output gear 22 and the transmission gear 23.

[0040] In some embodiments, the stop 33 is made of a conductive material and is electrically connected to the power mechanism 20 via a conductive element. Preferably, the elastic component is at least partially made of an insulating material; in this embodiment, the annular mounting base 31 is made of an insulating material. When the tamping mechanism 10 is in the second position, the two stop 33 contact each other and send an electrical signal to the power mechanism 20, thereby controlling the power mechanism 20 to pause and the tamping mechanism 10 to stop tamping. The contact of the two stop 33 not only controls the tamping mechanism 10 to stop moving further along the tamping direction, but also pauses the tamping action of the tamping mechanism 10, eliminating the need to manually stop the power mechanism 20. At this time, the coffee powder in the tamping space is tamped and can be removed without affecting the integrity of the coffee puck.

[0041] Reference Figure 2 In some embodiments, the powder pressing mechanism 10 and the stop mechanism 30 are further provided with a housing. One end of the elastic component is installed and connected inside the housing. The housing serves as a mounting base, providing positioning and support for each component, and as a safety shield, isolating external foreign objects from interference and preventing the moving parts from causing mechanical damage to the outside world. Optionally, the powder pressing mechanism 10 is provided with a support seat 13. Specifically, the support seat 13 is disposed on the powder pressing shaft 11. When the powder pressing mechanism 10 is in the first position, the elastic component abuts against the support seat 13, and the support seat 13 serves to support and limit the elastic component.

[0042] The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device in this embodiment operates as follows: Coffee powder enters the tamping space through the feed inlet 41. The power mechanism 20 is activated, and the tamping mechanism 10 extends into the tamping space to sweep and compress the coffee powder. The coffee powder accumulates in the tamping space and is compressed into a coffee cake until the set amount of coffee powder is reached. At this point, the coffee cake accumulates to a certain thickness, causing the elastic component to compress. The protrusions 333 of the two stop members 33 come into contact and abut, thereby limiting the tamping mechanism 10 to no longer move upward, and no more powder is fed into the tamping space. The production of the coffee cake with the set amount and thickness is completed. If, after the protrusions 333 of the two stop members 33 come into contact and abut, the powder feeding does not stop in time due to the power mechanism 20 or other reasons, the protrusions 333 on the stop members 33 will deform along the tamping direction after continuous compression, thereby absorbing the excessive stroke and preventing other parts from cracking or being permanently damaged due to rigid compression.

[0043] The above is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such equivalent modifications or substitutions are included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A coffee machine with an automatic tamping device, comprising a main body and a tamping device, wherein the main body has a tamping space, the tamping space being connected to a feed inlet, characterized in that, The powder pressing device includes: A powder pressing mechanism that can extend into the powder pressing space, the powder pressing mechanism being able to reciprocate between a first position and a second position along the powder pressing direction; A power mechanism for driving the powder pressing mechanism, the power mechanism being connected to the powder pressing mechanism; A stop mechanism, comprising an elastic component and two oppositely arranged stop members, at least one of the stop members having a protrusion on its opposite end face that can deform along the powder pressing direction, the two ends of the elastic component being respectively connected to each of the stop members, and the elastic component being connected to the powder pressing mechanism. When the powder pressing mechanism is in the first position, the elastic component is in a relaxed state, causing the two stops to separate. When the powder pressing mechanism is in the second position, the elastic component is in a compressed state, causing the two stops to contact the stop position.

2. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stop is mainly composed of a circular spring body, and the spring body is partially bent to form a wave-shaped protrusion, the protrusion direction of which is perpendicular to the ring surface.

3. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of protrusions is three or more, and each of the protrusions is distributed at equal angular intervals along the circumferential direction on the spring body.

4. A coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The powder pressing mechanism includes a powder pressing shaft and a powder pressing wheel connected to the end of the powder pressing shaft. The elastic component includes an elastic element and two annular mounting seats connected to both ends of the elastic element. The stop element is connected to the annular mounting seats, and the powder pressing shaft passes through the inner hole of the annular mounting seats.

5. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner wall of the annular mounting base is provided with a shoulder, and the two ends of the elastic element abut against each of the shoulders respectively. The elastic element is sleeved on the powder pressing shaft.

6. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic component also includes a guide member arranged along the powder pressing direction. The annular mounting base is provided with guide holes, and the guide member passes through the guide holes of the two annular mounting bases in sequence.

7. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The end face of the annular mounting base is provided with a limiting groove adapted to the stop member, and the stop member is installed in the limiting groove.

8. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stop is made of conductive material and is electrically connected to the power mechanism via the conductive component.

9. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power mechanism includes a motor, and the output shaft of the motor is equipped with an output gear. The output gear meshes with a transmission gear, and the transmission gear is connected to the powder pressing mechanism.

10. The coffee machine with an automatic tamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The powder pressing mechanism is provided with a support seat, and the elastic component abuts against the support seat.

Images