A drive assembly for a brewing device and a brewing device

Abstract

A driving assembly of a brewing device and the brewing device. The brewing device comprises a support, a brewing assembly and a driving assembly. The brewing assembly is located on one side of the support and comprises a brewing piston and a brewing cylinder. The driving assembly comprises a rigid screw pair and a driving motor. The rigid screw pair comprises a screw rod and a nut. One end of the screw rod is pivotally connected to the support, and the other end is connected to an output shaft of the driving motor. The nut is at least partially engaged with the screw rod by threads. The brewing piston is fixedly connected to the nut through a connecting piece. A linear guide groove is formed in the support to guide the movement of the connecting piece along the linear guide groove. The driving assembly is arranged on the support, which avoids the formation of a circumferential gap between the driving assembly and the brewing piston and prevents coffee residue from being deposited in the gap.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of beverage brewing equipment, and particularly relates to a driving component and brewing device for a brewing device. Background Technology

[0002] Beverage machines are common everyday items. Taking coffee machines as an example, the coffee preparation process involves grinding and brewing. Specifically, the brewing process includes steps such as feeding coffee grounds, tamping, brewing, top-drinking, and scraping. During the brewing stage, the tamped coffee puck needs to be extracted. At this time, the drive assembly drives the brewing piston and / or brewing cylinder to form a sealed chamber. The coffee puck is located in this sealed chamber, and water flows through the pipes into the sealed chamber for extraction. A certain extraction pressure is required to moisten and extract the coffee puck. To meet different flavor and taste preferences and brewing time requirements, the extraction process needs to be completed in a very short time. Therefore, the extraction pressure needs to be high enough to meet the requirements. This means that the brewing piston, brewing cylinder, and drive assembly all need to withstand significant brewing pressure during the extraction process.

[0003] In the prior art, such as the structure disclosed in US Patent 5259296A, a drive component is built into the brewing rack. However, the problem with this design is that the drive component is a two-part structure, which is not strong enough and is easily deformed under stress during brewing. In addition, the drive components are all made of plastic parts, resulting in high transmission noise. Furthermore, the drive component has a large number of parts, a complex structure, and high requirements for manufacturing process. Moreover, there is a circumferential gap between the drive component and the brewing component, which makes it easy for coffee grounds to accumulate and difficult to clean. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a brewing device with high structural strength, capable of withstanding greater pressure and producing coffee with a better taste.

[0005] Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be further understood from the technical features disclosed herein.

[0006] To achieve one, some, or all of the above objectives or other objectives, the present invention provides a brewing device comprising a support, a brewing assembly, and a driving assembly. The brewing assembly, located on one side of the support, includes a brewing piston and a brewing cylinder. The brewing cylinder is fixedly mounted on the support. The brewing piston can move linearly along its own axis under the drive of the driving assembly to open or close the brewing cylinder. The driving assembly includes a rigid lead screw pair and a drive motor. The rigid lead screw pair includes a lead screw and a nut. One end of the lead screw is pivotally connected to the support, and the other end is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor. The nut is at least partially threaded onto the lead screw. The brewing piston is fixedly connected to the nut via a connecting member. A linear guide groove is provided on the support to guide the connecting member to move along the linear guide groove.

[0007] The advantage of this technical solution is that by placing the drive component on the bracket and not intersecting with the installation position of the brewing component, compared with the existing technology that places the drive component in the brewing component, it avoids the formation of a circumferential gap between the drive component and the brewing piston, thereby avoiding the problem of coffee grounds accumulating in the circumferential gap.

[0008] Preferably, the rigid lead screw assembly is a metal lead screw assembly. Compared to the prior art using plastic materials as drive components, using a metal lead screw assembly as a replacement offers higher strength, enabling it to withstand greater brewing pressure and produce higher quality coffee. Furthermore, when the same brewing pressure needs to be met, the higher strength of metal allows it to achieve the same pressure-bearing capacity as plastic parts in a smaller size, which reduces the volume of the brewing device and facilitates miniaturization. In addition to the above advantages, metal parts have higher processing precision than plastic parts, resulting in better control of the fit clearance between drive mechanisms, higher drive precision, effectively reduced noise during the drive process, and greater wear resistance.

[0009] The nut is fitted onto the lead screw, and the internal thread of the nut engages with the external thread of the lead screw. The connecting member includes a protective seat, on which a through channel is provided for the lead screw to pass through. A receiving groove for accommodating the nut is provided in the middle area of ​​the through channel. The receiving groove is consistent with the outer diameter of the nut at least in the height direction, thereby limiting the nut within the receiving groove.

[0010] The beneficial effect of this technical solution is that, due to the long transmission distance and small diameter of the lead screw, the lead screw needs to withstand the force transmitted from the brewing component during the transmission process, and the lead screw is prone to vibration. To address this problem, a protective seat is added in the height direction. The support of the protective seat in the height direction reduces the vibration of the lead screw during the transmission process and improves the stability of the transmission.

[0011] The bracket includes a first housing and a second housing that are fixedly connected; the brewing cylinder is fixedly installed on the first housing, and the linear guide groove is formed on the first housing; the rigid lead screw is housed in the second housing, and one end of the lead screw is pivotally connected to a through hole in the top plate of the second housing, and the other end passes through a through hole in the bottom plate of the second housing and is connected to the drive motor.

[0012] The beneficial effect of this technical solution is that, considering the weight of the metal lead screw pair, the load-bearing capacity of the bracket needs to be improved. Therefore, two housings are set up. The first housing has a linear guide groove, and the second housing is used to support the lead screw, ensuring the overall load-bearing capacity of the bracket. The first and second housings can be integrally formed or manufactured separately and then assembled. The assembled type is convenient for installation and disassembly, and has lower processing costs.

[0013] A first thrust ball bearing is fitted onto the lead screw, and the first thrust ball bearing abuts against the upper end face of the second housing bottom plate; or / and, a second thrust ball bearing is fitted onto the lead screw, and one end of the second thrust ball bearing abuts against the lower end face of the second housing bottom plate. The beneficial effect of this technical solution is that by fitting a thrust ball bearing onto the lead screw, direct frictional contact between the lead screw and the inner circumferential surface of the second housing is avoided. Instead, the rotating ring of the thrust ball bearing rubs against the inner circumferential surface of the second housing, reducing the contact area and thus reducing frictional force and wear on the lead screw.

[0014] The other end of the second thrust ball bearing abuts against a nut, which is fastened to the lead screw.

[0015] The support also includes a third housing disposed on the opposite side of the first housing, the third housing being fixedly connected to the second housing; the third housing has a reinforcing structure at the location corresponding to the linear guide groove. The advantage of this technical solution is that it can further improve the load-bearing capacity of the support.

[0016] The support also includes a fourth housing located at the bottom of the second and third housings; the fourth housing securely connects the second and third housings; and the fourth housing has a through hole corresponding to the through hole on the bottom plate of the second housing, through which the lead screw passes and connects to the output shaft of the drive motor. The beneficial effect of this technical solution is that the fourth housing supports the overall structure of the first, second, and third housings located above it, making the entire support more stable and serving to support the drive assembly.

[0017] The drive assembly also includes a housing for housing the drive motor, the housing being fixedly connected to the fourth housing.

[0018] The housing comprises multiple detachable half-shells, which are secured to each other by snap-fits and / or V-shaped claws. The advantage of this technical solution is that the drive assembly is easy to install and disassemble, and convenient for maintenance.

[0019] The brewing tank includes a brewing rack, a tank body mounted on the brewing rack, and a tank body transmission assembly. The tank body transmission assembly includes a set of transmission plates and a speed-multiplying transmission structure. One end of the transmission plate is fixedly connected to the connecting member, and the other end is connected to the tank body. The transmission plate can drive the tank body to move linearly and swing along the tank body axis under the drive of the connecting member. The speed-multiplying transmission structure is located at the bottom of the tank body and can move at double speed along the tank body axis under the drive of the transmission plates, thereby pushing the bottom plate of the tank body to rise and fall to achieve top slag removal.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this technical solution are that, during the process of driving the brewing piston, the drive component can also drive the transmission plate to move through the brewing piston at different stages of coffee making, thereby indirectly driving the cylinder body of the brewing cylinder to move. This allows the brewing cylinder to cooperate with the brewing piston to make corresponding movements while the lead screw drives the brewing piston, effectively reducing coffee making time and improving coffee making efficiency and user experience. Furthermore, since the brewing cylinder can cooperate with the brewing piston to move in the opposite direction, the movement distance of the brewing piston can be shortened, effectively reducing the transmission length of the lead screw pair, and thus reducing the overall size of the brewing device.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention mainly include:

[0022] Because the lead screw has a long transmission distance and a small diameter, it needs to withstand the force transmitted from the brewing component during transmission, which can easily cause it to vibrate. To address this issue, a protective seat is added in the height direction. The support of the protective seat in the height direction reduces the vibration during lead screw transmission and improves the stability of the transmission.

[0023] Compared to the use of plastic materials as drive components in the prior art, this application preferably uses a metal lead screw assembly as a replacement, which has higher strength, can withstand greater brewing pressure, and produce higher quality coffee; moreover, when it is necessary to withstand the same brewing pressure, because metal has higher strength, it can achieve the same pressure-bearing capacity as plastic parts in a smaller size, which to some extent reduces the size of the brewing device and facilitates the miniaturization of the brewing device.

[0024] Furthermore, considering the weight of the metal screw pair, the load-bearing capacity of the bracket needs to be improved. Therefore, multiple housings are set up to cooperate in assembly, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the bracket.

[0025] To make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figures 1 to 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the brewing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention from different angles.

[0028] Figures 4 to 5 This is an exploded view of the brewing device of Embodiment 1 of the present invention from different angles.

[0029] Figure 6 A top view of the brewing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figures 7 to 8 It shows Figure 6 Cross-sectional views along the CC and DD directions. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The foregoing and other technical contents, features, and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. The directional terms mentioned in the following embodiments, such as up, down, left, right, front, or back, are merely for reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustrative purposes and not for limiting the present invention.

[0032] Figures 1 to 3 The diagram shows a three-dimensional structural schematic of the brewing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention from different angles. Please refer to the reference. Figures 1 to 3 The brewing device 100 in this embodiment includes a support 1, a brewing component and a driving component.

[0033] The brewing assembly is located on one side of the support 1 and includes a brewing piston 20 and a brewing cylinder. The brewing piston 20 is fixedly connected to the drive assembly via a connector 22. Specifically, in this embodiment, the brewing piston 20 can be fixedly snapped onto the connector 22, which is fixedly connected to the drive assembly. The support 1 has a linear guide groove 101, through which the connector 22 passes and is fixedly connected to the drive assembly. During operation, the connector 22 can move linearly along the linear guide groove 101 under the drive of the drive assembly, thereby causing the brewing piston 20, which is fixedly connected to the connector 22, to move linearly along its own axis, thus opening or closing the cylinder body 210 of the brewing cylinder located below it.

[0034] The brewing container includes a brewing rack 210, a container body 211 mounted on the brewing rack 210, and a container body transmission assembly. The brewing rack 210 is fixedly mounted on the bracket 1. In this embodiment, it can be fixed by screws 214-1, but in other embodiments, it can also be fixed by hooks, slots, or other fixing methods. In addition, the brewing rack 210 is also provided with a powder inlet 215.

[0035] Figure 4 An exploded view of the brewing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is shown. Please refer to... Figures 1 to 4 The cylinder body 211 is built into the brewing rack 210. The cylinder body transmission assembly includes a set of transmission plates 212 and 213 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cylinder body 211, and a speed-doubling transmission structure located at the bottom of the cylinder body 211. In this embodiment, the speed-doubling transmission structure can be a gear transmission set. One end of the transmission plates 212 and 213 is fixedly connected to the connector 22, which is fixed by screws 214-2 in this embodiment. A set of symmetrical L-shaped limiting grooves 216 are provided on the transmission plates 212 and 213, and symmetrical back grooves 217 are provided on the brewing rack 210. A set of fixing ears 218 are provided on the cylinder body 211. The fixing ears 218 are limited in the track formed by the assembly of the L-shaped limiting grooves 216 and the back grooves 217. When working, the drive assembly 3 drives the connector 22 to move linearly, thereby driving the transmission plates 212 and 213 fixedly connected to it to move back and forth, so that the fixing ears 218 move in the track formed by the assembly of the L-shaped limiting grooves 216 and the back grooves 217, realizing the linear movement and swing of the cylinder body 211 along the cylinder body axis. The speed-doubled transmission structure engages with the bottom plate of the cylinder 211 via a thread, and one end of it is also fixedly connected to the fixed ear 218. During the movement of the fixed ear 218, the speed-doubled transmission structure is driven to move, thereby causing the bottom plate of the cylinder 211 to rise and fall along the cylinder axis to achieve the top-crust operation. This speed-doubled motion structure can coordinate with the brewing piston 20 to make corresponding rising and falling movements while the driving component 3 drives the brewing piston 20 to move, effectively reducing the coffee making time, improving coffee making efficiency and user experience, and effectively reducing the overall volume of the brewing device 100.

[0036] To address the problem in existing technologies where the drive assembly is placed within the brewing assembly, resulting in a circumferential gap between the drive assembly and the brewing piston, which easily leads to coffee grounds accumulating in this gap, this embodiment employs a rigid lead screw assembly 30 positioned on one side of the support for power transmission. Figure 5 Another exploded view of the brewing device of this embodiment is shown. Please refer to the reference. Figure 5 The drive assembly in this embodiment includes a rigid lead screw assembly 30 and a drive motor 31. The rigid lead screw assembly 30 can be a metal lead screw assembly or made of other rigid materials, such as plastic. Considering that metal has greater strength and precision than plastic, it can achieve the same pressure-bearing capacity as plastic parts in a smaller size, which is beneficial for the miniaturization of the brewing device 100. Therefore, a metal lead screw assembly is preferred in this embodiment. The metal lead screw assembly includes a lead screw 32 and a nut 33. One end of the lead screw 32 is pivotally connected to the bracket 1, and the other end passes through the bracket 1 and is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 31. In this embodiment, the pivotal connection means that the lead screw 32 is fixed to the bracket 1, and the two can rotate relative to each other. The nut 33 is threaded onto the lead screw 32, and the connecting piece 22 is fixedly connected to the nut 33.

[0037] Because the lead screw 32 is relatively thin and has a long transmission distance, relying solely on the nut 33 engaging with it during transmission, and having to withstand the pressure of the bubbling, the lead screw 32 is prone to vibration. To address this issue, in this embodiment, a protective seat 220 is provided on the connector 22. The protective seat 220 has a through-channel for the lead screw 32 to pass through, and a receiving groove 221 for accommodating the nut 33 is formed in the middle area of ​​the through-channel. The receiving groove 221 is at least the same as the outer diameter of the nut 33 in the height direction, thereby confining the nut 33 within the receiving groove 221. Since the protective seat 220 is greater in height than the nut 33, it stabilizes the lead screw 32 to a certain extent, reducing vibration during transmission and improving transmission stability.

[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 5 Furthermore, considering the weight of the metal material, the load-bearing capacity of the bracket 1 needs to be improved. Therefore, in this embodiment, the bracket 1 specifically includes a first housing 10, a second housing 11, a third housing 12, and a fourth housing 13. The first housing 10, the second housing 11, the third housing 12, and the fourth housing 13 can be assembled and fixedly connected as a whole, or they can be integrally molded. Considering the cost of production and processing molds, this embodiment prefers the assembled type.

[0039] The linear guide groove 101 is formed on the first housing 10, the brewing rack 210 is fixedly installed on the first housing 10, the rigid lead screw pair 30 is housed in the second housing 11, one end of the lead screw 32 is rotatably pivotally connected to the through hole in the top plate 110 of the second housing, and the other end passes through the through hole on the bottom plate 111 of the second housing and is connected to the drive motor 31 at the bottom; the third housing 12 is located on the opposite side of the first housing 10 and is used to further support the second housing 11, and a reinforcing structure can also be provided at the part corresponding to the linear guide groove 101; the fourth housing 13 is located at the bottom of the second housing 11 and the third housing 12 and is used to fasten the second housing 11 and the third housing 12 and bear the overall weight of the housing and the rigid lead screw pair 30 on it. The fourth housing 13 has a through hole corresponding to the through hole on the bottom plate 111 of the second housing so that the lead screw 32 can pass through and be connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 31.

[0040] Furthermore, since the lead screw 32 needs to rotate, its outer circumferential surface will rub against the inner circumferential surface of the through holes opened on the second housing 11 and the fourth housing 13. In order to reduce this friction and reduce the wear of the lead screw, in this embodiment, a first thrust ball bearing 34 and a second thrust ball bearing 35 are installed on the lead screw. Figure 6 A top view of the brewing device of this embodiment is shown. Figures 7 to 8 It shows Figure 6 Sectional views along the CC and DD directions. Please refer to the reference. Figures 6 to 8 Specifically, the first thrust ball bearing 34 abuts against the upper end face of the second housing base plate 111, and one end of the second thrust ball bearing 35 abuts against the lower end face of the second housing base plate 111, while the other end is locked onto the lead screw 32 by a nut 36. The fixed rings of the two thrust ball bearings contact the upper and lower end faces of the second housing base plate 111, respectively. The use of thrust ball bearings solves the friction between the lead screw 32 and the inner circumferential surface of the through hole, thereby reducing the wear of the lead screw 32.

[0041] The fourth housing 13, besides providing overall stability and load-bearing for the structure above it, also serves to support the drive assembly. Specifically, in this embodiment, the drive assembly includes a drive motor 31 and a housing 37 that houses the drive motor 31. The housing 37 is fixedly connected to the fourth housing 13 by screws. Furthermore, for easy assembly and disassembly, the housing 37 includes multiple detachable half-shells 370, 371, 372, and 373. These detachable half-shells 370, 371, 372, and 373 can be assembled using snap-fit ​​mechanisms. In this embodiment, V-shaped clips are further used to secure the entire housing 37, ensuring the overall stability of the drive assembly 3.

[0042] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the bracket 1 is preferably assembled with four shells after comprehensively considering the mold processing cost, assembly steps and structural stability. In other embodiments, the bracket 1 can also be modified based on other considerations. For example, it can include only the first shell 10 and the second shell 11, or include the first shell 10, the second shell 11 and the third shell 12. The shells can be fastened with screws or other means such as buckles.

[0043] The brewing device provided by this invention has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the structure and working principle of this invention. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from the principle of this invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A brewing device, comprising a support, a brewing assembly, and a driving assembly; the brewing assembly is located on one side of the support and includes a brewing piston and a brewing cylinder, the brewing cylinder being fixedly mounted on the support, and the brewing piston being linearly movable along its own axis under the drive of the driving assembly to open or close the brewing cylinder; Its features are, The drive assembly includes a rigid lead screw pair and a drive motor; the rigid lead screw pair includes a lead screw and a nut; wherein, one end of the lead screw is pivotally connected to the bracket, and the other end is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor; the nut is at least partially threaded onto the lead screw; the brewing piston is fixedly connected to the nut via a connector; The bracket is provided with a linear guide groove for guiding the connector to move along the linear guide groove; The brewing tank includes a brewing rack, a tank body mounted on the brewing rack, and a tank body transmission assembly. The tank body transmission assembly includes a set of transmission plates symmetrically arranged on both sides of the tank body, and a speed-multiplying transmission structure located at the bottom of the tank body. The speed-multiplying transmission structure can move at double speed along the axis of the tank body under the drive of the transmission plates, thereby pushing the bottom plate of the tank body to rise and fall to achieve top residue removal. One end of the set of transmission plates is fixedly connected to a connector. The set of transmission plates is provided with a set of symmetrical L-shaped limiting grooves. The L-shaped limiting grooves correspond to the symmetrical loop grooves provided on the brewing rack. The tank body is provided with a set of fixing ears, which are limited in the track formed by the assembly of the L-shaped limiting grooves and the loop grooves.

2. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rigid lead screw assembly is a metal lead screw assembly.

3. The brewing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The nut is sleeved on the lead screw, and the internal thread of the nut engages with the external thread of the lead screw. The connector includes a protective seat with a through channel for the lead screw to pass through. The middle area of ​​the through channel has a receiving groove for accommodating the nut. The receiving groove is consistent with the outer diameter of the nut at least in the height direction, thus confining the nut within the receiving groove.

4. The brewing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The bracket includes a first housing and a second housing that are fixedly connected; the brewing cylinder is fixedly installed on the first housing, and the linear guide groove is formed on the first housing; the rigid lead screw is housed in the second housing, and one end of the lead screw is pivotally connected to a through hole in the top plate of the second housing, and the other end passes through a through hole in the bottom plate of the second housing and is connected to the drive motor.

5. The brewing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A first thrust ball bearing is sleeved on the lead screw, and the first thrust ball bearing abuts against the upper end face of the second housing bottom plate; or / and, a second thrust ball bearing is sleeved on the lead screw, and one end of the second thrust ball bearing abuts against the lower end face of the second housing bottom plate.

6. The brewing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The other end of the second thrust ball bearing abuts against a nut, which is fastened to the lead screw.

7. The brewing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bracket also includes a third housing disposed on the opposite side of the first housing, the third housing being fixedly connected to the second housing; the third housing is provided with a reinforcing structure at the location corresponding to the linear guide groove.

8. The brewing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The bracket also includes a fourth housing located at the bottom of the second housing and the third housing; the fourth housing fastens the second housing and the third housing together; and the fourth housing has a through hole corresponding to the through hole on the bottom plate of the second housing, through which the lead screw passes and is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor.

9. The brewing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drive assembly also includes a housing for housing the drive motor, the housing being fixedly connected to the fourth housing.

10. The brewing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The housing includes multiple detachable half-shells, which are fixed together by snaps and / or V-shaped claws.

11. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The speed-doubled transmission structure engages with the bottom plate of the cylinder via a thread, and one end of the speed-doubled transmission structure is also fixedly connected to the fixed lug. During the movement of the fixed lug, the speed-doubled transmission structure is driven by the fixed lug to achieve displacement, thereby driving the bottom plate of the cylinder to rise and fall along the cylinder axis to achieve the slag removal operation.

12. The brewing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the brewing device is working, the connecting member can move linearly along the linear guide groove under the drive of the drive assembly, thereby driving the brewing piston fixedly connected to the connecting member to move linearly along its own axis, and at the same time driving the set of transmission plates fixedly connected to the connecting member to move back and forth, so that the fixed ear moves in the track formed by the assembly of the L-shaped limiting groove and the return groove, so as to realize the linear movement and swing of the cylinder body along the cylinder body axis.

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