Capsule coffee machine with cup throwing structure

Abstract

The present invention discloses a cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine, which is provided with a flippable cup throwing assembly and a locking member capable of restraining the flipping thereof on a sliding tray for transporting capsules; wherein an elastic member is further provided between the cup throwing assembly and the sliding tray to impart an outward-turning force to the cup throwing assembly; a restraining structure, a locking structure and an unlocking structure are provided on a guide rail for movement of the sliding tray; the restraining structure is used to restrain the flipping of the cup throwing assembly; the locking structure is used to drive the locking member to restrain the cup throwing assembly; the unlocking structure is used to drive the locking member to release the restraint of the cup throwing assembly; in the process of the sliding tray moving toward the end of the guide rail, after the cup throwing assembly leaves the restraining structure, the unlocking structure will drive the locking member to release the restraint of the cup throwing assembly; in the reverse movement, after the cup throwing assembly enters the restraining structure, the locking structure will drive the locking member to restrain the cup throwing assembly. The cup throwing structure can realize the function of automatically throwing the capsule into a recycling bucket after extraction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of coffee machines, in particular to the field of capsule coffee machines. Background Art

[0002] The so-called capsule coffee machine (hereinafter referred to as the coffee machine) is a machine where the manufacturer pre-loads coffee powder into a plastic capsule shaped like jelly, and then fills it with nitrogen to preserve freshness. When you need to drink coffee, put the capsule into the coffee machine and use the coffee machine to brew coffee simply, conveniently and quickly. The usage process is as follows: first open the lid of the coffee machine capsule entrance, put the capsule into the coffee machine, cover the lid, press the switch to start brewing coffee. During the brewing process, the outside of the capsule will first be pierced by the needle, and then the heated hot water will quickly enter the capsule under a certain pressure, and the coffee powder will be extracted through the filter inside the capsule and flow into the coffee cup below, thereby completing the coffee brewing. After brewing coffee once, if you want to brew it again, you can open the lid, put another capsule in, and start the brewing step again.

[0003] Although the current capsule coffee machines are generally welcomed by the majority of users and bring users a good user experience, the applicant, as a company focusing on intelligent service robots, considers that if the coffee machine can be combined with robot technology and mobile Internet technology to make the coffee machine "move", it can move autonomously in crowded environments, wander around and sell, and realize scanning code orders and payments, and can also autonomously complete the process of taking capsules-putting capsules-extracting coffee, and even autonomously recycle the extracted capsules, it will definitely bring a qualitative change to the user experience, and such a combination can also attract more customers and bring rich profits to the merchants.

[0004] Based on this, the applicant intends to design a mobile capsule coffee machine that integrates capsule storage and autonomous capsule taking-putting-coffee extraction-capsule recovery, wherein the capsule can be moved along the track to a predetermined position after being taken out, and then pierced by the corresponding needle for the extraction step. In order to enable the capsule to continue to move along the track after extraction and be automatically thrown into the capsule recovery bucket, the applicant designed the cup throwing structure of this application.

[0005] It should be noted that the "cup" in this article refers to a capsule for holding coffee powder, rather than a cup for holding liquid coffee. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine, so that the extracted capsule can be automatically thrown into a subsequent capsule recovery bucket.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: to provide a cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine, characterized in that:

[0008] A flippable tossing cup assembly and a locking member that can restrict the flipping of the tossing cup assembly when the tossing cup assembly is placed flat on the sliding tray are provided on the sliding tray; wherein an elastic member is also provided at the connection between the tossing cup assembly and the sliding tray, and the elastic member imparts a force for flipping the tossing cup assembly to the side away from the sliding tray;

[0009] A restraining structure, a locking structure and an unlocking structure are arranged on the guide rail for the sliding tray to move; the restraining structure is used to limit the flipping of the throwing cup assembly so that it is placed flat on the sliding tray; the locking structure is used to drive the locking member to restrain the throwing cup assembly; the unlocking structure is used to drive the locking member to release the restraint on the throwing cup assembly;

[0010] When the sliding tray moves along the guide rail to the end of the guide rail, after the tossing cup assembly leaves the constraint structure, the unlocking structure will drive the locking piece to release the constraint on the tossing cup assembly; when the sliding tray moves along the guide rail from the end of the guide rail to the beginning of the guide rail, after the tossing cup assembly enters the constraint structure, the locking structure will drive the locking piece to constrain the tossing cup assembly.

[0011] Furthermore, the throwing cup assembly includes a throwing plate and a throwing plate seat, wherein the throwing plate is fixed on the throwing plate seat, and the throwing plate seat is hinged to one side of the sliding tray close to the end of the guide rail; the elastic member is installed at the connection between the throwing plate seat and the sliding tray.

[0012] Furthermore, the locking piece is hinged to a side of the sliding tray away from the end of the guide rail, and a slot is provided on the side of the locking piece facing the throwing plate. When the throwing plate is placed flat on the sliding tray, the slot can accommodate the side of the throwing plate away from the throwing plate seat.

[0013] Furthermore, the number of the guide rails is two, namely a first guide rail and a second guide rail;

[0014] The restraining structure is a bar rail A arranged below the sliding surface of the first guide rail, and the upper surface of the bar rail A is bent downward at a position close to the end of the first guide rail to form a side elevation;

[0015] A protrusion is formed on the side of the throwing plate seat away from the throwing plate;

[0016] When the throwing plate seat is located above the bar rail A, the protrusion is restricted by the upper surface of the bar rail A and cannot flip over, so that the throwing plate is placed flat above the sliding tray; when the throwing plate seat moves away from the bar rail A, the elastic member drives the throwing plate seat to flip the throwing plate to the side away from the sliding tray, and the flipping angle is limited by the contact between the protrusion and the side surface of the bar rail A.

[0017] Furthermore, a bar rail B is installed on the upper surface of the outer side of the sliding surface of the first guide rail, and the locking structure and the unlocking structure are both arranged on the bar rail B;

[0018] The locking member extends an end portion on a side close to the first guide rail, and the end portion rides on the upper surface of the bar rail B.

[0019] Further, the unlocking structure is a lug arranged on the upper surface of the bar rail B;

[0020] The locking structure is an inclined surface formed on the upper surface of the bar rail B, and the inclined surface is located on the side of the lug away from the end of the bar rail B.

[0021] Furthermore, a smooth limiting surface is formed on the side of the inclined surface away from the end of the bar rail B to limit the end of the locking member to prevent it from turning over, and the smooth limiting surface is parallel to the sliding surface of the first guide rail.

[0022] Further, the upper surface of the bar rail B between the inclined surface and the lug is defined as a transition plane, and the height of the transition plane is lower than the height of the smooth limiting surface;

[0023] When the locking piece is in a state of releasing the constraint on the throwing cup assembly, the height of the lowest point of the end of the locking piece is higher than the transition plane and lower than the smooth limit surface.

[0024] Furthermore, when the elastic member is in a natural state, the angle between the throwing plate and the upper surface of the sliding tray is not less than 90°.

[0025] Furthermore, a rubber ring is provided between the locking member and the sliding tray to provide damping for the rotation of the locking member.

[0026] The working process of the above technical solution is as follows: after the coffee is extracted, the sliding tray will move with the extracted capsule to the end of the guide rail. During the movement, when the throwing plate seat leaves the bar rail A, the upper surface of the bar rail A no longer limits the protrusion of the throwing plate seat. At the same time, the end of the locking member will flip after colliding with the lug and release the constraint on the throwing plate. Therefore, under the action of the elastic member, the throwing plate will automatically bounce up (that is, quickly flip to the side away from the sliding tray), thereby lifting and throwing the capsule out, and then throwing it into the subsequent capsule recovery bucket; after that, the sliding tray moves in the opposite direction to the starting end of the guide rail, and in the moving During the process, when the throwing plate seat enters the bar rail A, it is constrained by the bar rail A, and the throwing plate seat will flip over and reset with the throwing plate (that is, flip to the side close to the sliding tray and place it flat on the sliding tray). After resetting, the sliding tray continues to move for a distance, and the end of the locking piece will collide with the inclined surface again. The inclined surface will drive the locking piece to flip and thus restore the constraint on the throwing plate. After that, when the sliding tray continues to move toward the starting end of the guide rail, the end of the locking piece will move along the upper surface of the smooth limit surface. The smooth limit surface can limit the flipping of the end and thus limit the flipping of the locking piece, so as to prevent the locking piece from releasing the constraint on the throwing plate.

[0027] The beneficial effect of the above technical solution is that after the extracted capsule moves a certain distance to the end of the track driven by the sliding tray, it can automatically bounce up and be thrown into the subsequent capsule recovery bucket, so that the capsule coffee machine can realize the function of automatic capsule recovery; and after recovery, the sliding tray moves a certain distance in the opposite direction, and the throwing plate can automatically recover to prepare for the next capsule delivery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a preferred embodiment of the cup throwing structure of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the middle sliding tray, the cup assembly and the locking member;

[0030] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the throwing board after it is flipped up;

[0031] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the sliding tray when it moves to the end of the guide rail;

[0032] Figure 5 Is the sliding tray in Figure 4 Lateral cross-sectional view in position;

[0033] Reference numerals: 50 - throwing cup assembly, 51 - locking member, 52 - elastic member, 53 - rubber ring, 501 - throwing plate, 502 - throwing plate seat, 511 - slot, 512 - end, 5021 - protrusion;

[0034] 60-bar rail A, 601-side elevation, 61-bar rail B, 611-inclined surface, 612-lug, 613-smooth limiting surface, 614-transition plane;

[0035] b-sliding tray, c-guide rail, c1-first guide rail, c2-second guide rail, c11-sliding surface, D1-starting end of guide rail, D2-end of guide rail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] The present invention is further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto.

[0037] The applicant has designed a mobile capsule coffee machine that integrates capsule storage and autonomous capsule taking-capsule placing-coffee extraction-capsule recovery. After the capsule is taken out, it can be moved along the track to a predetermined position and then pierced by a corresponding needle for the extraction step. In order to enable the capsule to continue to move along the track after extraction and be automatically thrown into the subsequent capsule recovery bucket, the applicant has designed the following cup throwing structure.

[0038] Among them, in the above technical scheme, the movement of the capsule is driven by the sliding tray b, and the sliding tray b can move along the corresponding guide rail. The movement of the sliding tray b is driven by a driving mechanism (such as a synchronous belt, a motor and other components), and an opening is provided in the center of the sliding tray b to hold the capsule in the air.

[0039] The following lists a specific composition and structure of a preferred cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine, and details are shown in the following embodiments.

[0040] Example:

[0041] This embodiment provides a cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine. Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, its main design points are:

[0042] A flippable cup assembly 50 and a locking member 51 that can restrict the flipping of the cup assembly 50 when the cup assembly 50 is placed flat on the sliding tray b are provided on the capsule transporting tray b; wherein an elastic member 52 is also provided at the connection between the cup assembly 50 and the sliding tray b, and the elastic member 52 imparts a force for the cup assembly 50 to flip toward the side away from the sliding tray b;

[0043] A restraining structure, a locking structure and an unlocking structure are arranged on the guide rail c for the sliding tray b to move; the restraining structure is used to restrict the flipping of the throwing cup assembly 50 so that it is placed flat on the sliding tray b; the locking structure is used to drive the locking member 51 to restrain the throwing cup assembly 50; the unlocking structure is used to drive the locking member 51 to release the restraint on the throwing cup assembly 50;

[0044] When the sliding tray b moves along the guide rail c toward the end D2 of the guide rail, after the tossing cup assembly 50 leaves the constraint structure, the unlocking structure will drive the locking member 51 to release the constraint on the tossing cup assembly 50; when the sliding tray b moves along the guide rail c from the end D2 of the guide rail to the beginning D1 of the guide rail, after the tossing cup assembly 50 enters the constraint structure, the locking structure will drive the locking member 51 to constrain the tossing cup assembly 50.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the throwing cup assembly 50 includes a throwing plate 501 and a throwing plate seat 502, wherein the throwing plate 501 is fixed on the throwing plate seat 502, and a circular hole is provided in the center of the throwing plate 501 for the capsule to pass through and hold it, and the circular hole overlaps with the opening in the center of the sliding tray b and has the same or slightly larger diameter, and the throwing plate seat 502 is hinged to the side of the sliding tray b close to the end D2 of the guide rail; the elastic member 52 is installed at the connection between the throwing plate seat 502 and the sliding tray b.

[0046] like Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, the locking member 51 is hinged to the side of the sliding tray b away from the end D2 of the guide rail, and a slot 511 is provided on the side of the locking member 51 facing the throwing plate 501. When the throwing plate 501 is placed flat on the sliding tray b, the slot 511 can accommodate the side of the throwing plate 501 away from the throwing plate seat 502 and be stuck therein.

[0047] See also Figure 1 As shown, the number of the guide rails c is two, namely the first guide rail c1 and the second guide rail c2. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The restraining structure is a bar rail A60 disposed below the sliding surface c11 of the first rail c1, the upper surface of which is bent downward near the end of the first rail c1 to form a side elevation 601. A protrusion 5021 is formed on the side of the throwing plate seat 502 away from the throwing plate 501. When the throwing plate seat 502 is located above the bar rail A60, the protrusion 5021 is restricted by the upper surface of the bar rail A60 and cannot be flipped, so that the throwing plate 501 can only be placed flat on the sliding tray b; when the throwing plate seat 502 moves away from the bar rail A60, the elastic member 52 drives the throwing plate seat 502 to drive the throwing plate 501 to flip to the side away from the sliding tray b, and the flipping angle is limited by the contact between the protrusion 5021 and the side elevation 601 of the bar rail A60, that is, when the throwing plate 501 flips to the position where the protrusion 5021 contacts the side elevation 601, the throwing plate 501 will stop flipping, so as long as the throwing plate 501 flips fast enough, the capsule can be easily ejected.

[0048] See also Figure 1 As shown, a bar rail B61 is installed on the upper surface of the outer side of the sliding surface c11 of the first guide rail c1, and the locking structure and unlocking structure are both arranged on the bar rail B61. In addition, the locking member 51 extends an end 512 on the side close to the first guide rail c1, and the end 512 rides on the upper surface of the bar rail B61.

[0049] See also Figure 1 As shown, the unlocking structure is a lug 612 disposed on the upper surface of the bar rail B61; the locking structure is a slope 611 formed on the upper surface of the bar rail B61, and the slope 611 is located on the side of the lug 612 away from the end of the bar rail B61.

[0050] See also Figure 1 As shown, a smooth limiting surface 613 is formed on the side of the inclined surface 611 away from the end of the bar rail B61 to limit the end 512 of the locking member 51 from turning over, and the smooth limiting surface 613 is parallel to the sliding surface c11 of the first guide rail c1.

[0051] See also Figure 1As shown, the upper surface of the bar rail B61 between the inclined surface 611 and the lug 612 is defined as a transition plane 614, and the height of the transition plane 614 is lower than the height of the smooth limit surface 613. When the locking member 51 is in a state of releasing the constraint on the cup assembly 50, the height of the lowest point of the end 512 of the locking member 51 is higher than the transition plane 614 and lower than the smooth limit surface 613.

[0052] Preferably, in order to facilitate the smooth ejection of the capsule, the following constraints may be imposed: when the elastic member 52 is in a natural state, the angle between the ejection plate 501 and the upper surface of the sliding tray b is not less than 90°, wherein the technical solution shown in the figure is an angle equal to 90°.

[0053] Preferably, a rubber ring 53 is provided between the locking member 51 and the sliding tray b to provide damping for the rotation of the locking member 51, so as to prevent factors such as vibration from affecting the state of the locking member 51 and avoid mis-locking.

[0054] The working process of this embodiment is as follows: after the coffee is extracted, the sliding tray b will move with the extracted capsule to the end D2 of the guide rail. During the movement, when the throwing plate seat 502 leaves the bar rail A60, the upper surface of the bar rail A60 no longer limits the protrusion 5021 of the throwing plate seat 502. At the same time, the end 512 of the locking member 51 will flip after colliding with the lug 612 to release the constraint on the throwing plate 501. Therefore, under the action of the elastic member 52, the throwing plate 501 will automatically pop up (that is, quickly flip to the side away from the sliding tray b), thereby lifting and throwing the capsule out, and then throwing it into the subsequent capsule recovery bucket; thereafter, the sliding tray b moves in the opposite direction to the starting end D1 of the guide rail. During the movement, when the throwing plate seat 50 When entering the bar rail A60, the throwing plate seat 502 will be constrained by the bar rail A60 and will turn over with the throwing plate 501 in the opposite direction and reset (i.e., turn over to the side close to the sliding tray b and then lie flat on the sliding tray b). After resetting, the sliding tray b continues to move for a certain distance, and the end 512 of the locking member 51 will collide with the inclined surface 611 again. The inclined surface 611 will drive the locking member 51 to turn over and thus restore the constraint on the throwing plate 501. After that, when the sliding tray b continues to move toward the starting end D1 of the guide rail, the end 512 of the locking member 51 will move along the upper surface of the smooth limiting surface 613. The smooth limiting surface 613 can limit the turning over of the end 512 and thus limit the turning over of the locking member 51, so as to prevent the locking member 51 from releasing the constraint on the throwing plate 501.

[0055] It can be seen that in this embodiment, after the extracted capsule moves a certain distance toward the track end D2 driven by the sliding tray b, it can automatically bounce up and be thrown into the subsequent capsule recovery bucket, so that the capsule coffee machine can realize the function of automatic capsule recovery. After recovery, after the sliding tray b moves a certain distance in the opposite direction, the throwing plate 501 can automatically recover to prepare for the next capsule delivery.

[0056] In the description of the present invention, the terms "connection", "installation", "fixation" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0057] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine, characterized in that: A flippable tossing cup assembly (50) and a locking member (51) capable of restraining the tossing cup assembly (50) from flipping when the tossing cup assembly (50) is placed flat on the sliding tray (b) are provided on the sliding tray (b); wherein an elastic member (52) is further provided at the connection between the tossing cup assembly (50) and the sliding tray (b), and the elastic member (52) imparts a force to flip the tossing cup assembly (50) to a side away from the sliding tray (b); A restraining structure, a locking structure and an unlocking structure are arranged on a guide rail (c) for the sliding tray (b) to move; The number of the guide rails (c) is two, namely a first guide rail (c1) and a second guide rail (c2); the restraining structure is a bar rail A (60) arranged below the sliding surface (c11) of the first guide rail (c1); the upper surface of the bar rail A (60) is bent downward at a position close to the end of the first guide rail (c1) to form a side vertical surface (601); A bar rail B (61) is installed on the upper surface of the outer side of the sliding surface (c11) of the first guide rail (c1), and the locking structure and the unlocking structure are both arranged on the bar rail B (61); The locking structure is an inclined surface (611) formed on the upper surface of the bar rail B (61); The unlocking structure is a lug (612) arranged on the upper surface of the bar rail B (61); The restraining structure is used to restrict the flipping of the throwing cup assembly (50) so that it is placed flat on the sliding tray (b); the locking structure is used to drive the locking member (51) to restrain the throwing cup assembly (50); and the unlocking structure is used to drive the locking member (51) to release the restraint on the throwing cup assembly (50); When the sliding tray (b) moves along the guide rail (c) toward the end (D2) of the guide rail, after the throwing cup assembly (50) leaves the restraining structure, the unlocking structure drives the locking member (51) to release the restraint on the throwing cup assembly (50); when the sliding tray (b) moves along the guide rail (c) from the end (D2) of the guide rail to the beginning (D1) of the guide rail, after the throwing cup assembly (50) enters the restraining structure, the locking structure drives the locking member (51) to restrain the throwing cup assembly (50).

2. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cup throwing assembly (50) comprises a throwing plate (501) and a throwing plate seat (502), wherein the throwing plate (501) is fixed on the throwing plate seat (502), and the throwing plate seat (502) is hinged to a side of the sliding tray (b) close to the end (D2) of the guide rail; and the elastic member (52) is installed at the connection between the throwing plate seat (502) and the sliding tray (b).

3. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The locking member (51) is hinged to a side of the sliding tray (b) away from the end (D2) of the guide rail, and a slot (511) is provided on a side of the locking member (51) facing the throwing plate (501). When the throwing plate (501) is placed flat on the sliding tray (b), the slot (511) can accommodate the side of the throwing plate (501) away from the throwing plate seat (502) and be stuck therein.

4. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: A protrusion (5021) is formed on a side of the throwing plate seat (502) facing away from the throwing plate (501); When the throwing plate seat (502) is located above the bar rail A (60), the protrusion (5021) is restricted by the upper surface of the bar rail A (60) and cannot be turned over, so that the throwing plate (501) is placed flat above the sliding tray (b); when the throwing plate seat (502) moves away from the bar rail A (60), the elastic member (52) drives the throwing plate seat (502) to drive the throwing plate (501) to turn to the side away from the sliding tray (b), and the turning angle is limited by the contact between the protrusion (5021) and the side surface (601) of the bar rail A (60).

5. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking member (51) extends an end portion (512) on a side close to the first guide rail (c1), and the end portion (512) rides on the upper surface of the bar rail B (61).

6. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inclined surface (611) is located on a side of the lug (612) away from the end of the bar rail B (61).

7. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: A smooth limiting surface (613) is formed on the side of the inclined surface (611) away from the end of the bar rail B (61) to limit the end (512) of the locking member (51) to prevent it from turning over. The smooth limiting surface (613) is parallel to the sliding surface (c11) of the first guide rail (c1).

8. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The upper surface of the bar rail B (61) between the inclined surface (611) and the lug (612) is defined as a transition plane (614), and the height of the transition plane (614) is lower than the height of the smooth limiting surface (613); When the locking member (51) is in a state of releasing the constraint on the throwing cup assembly (50), the height of the lowest point of the end (512) of the locking member (51) is higher than the transition plane (614) and lower than the smooth limit surface (613).

9. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: When the elastic member (52) is in a natural state, the angle between the throwing plate (501) and the upper surface of the sliding tray (b) is not less than 90°.

10. The cup throwing structure for a capsule coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: A rubber ring (53) is provided between the locking member (51) and the sliding tray (b) to provide damping for the rotation of the locking member (51).

Images