A capsule structure

Abstract

This invention discloses a capsule structure, comprising a shell (1) with an internal accommodating cavity (11), characterized in that: it further comprises a water outlet plate (13) with a perforation (131) at its center; and an insert rod (21) inserted into the perforation (131), the outer diameter of which gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the shell (1); the water outlet plate (13) is elastic and has at least two states: in the absence of external force, a gap (1311) is formed between the inner peripheral wall of the perforation (131) and the outer peripheral wall of the insert rod (21); when water is injected into the accommodating cavity (11), the middle part of the water outlet plate (13) deforms towards the second end of the shell (1) under the action of water pressure, overcoming its own elasticity, so that the width of the gap (1311) gradually expands until the water flows out smoothly through the gap (1311). Compared with the prior art, the capsule structure of this invention can set the brewing pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of beverage extraction technology, specifically to a capsule structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, there are many types of brewing and extraction devices for preparing infusion beverages like coffee. Coffee machines are a representative product among them. Traditional beverage brewing devices include water tanks, heating elements, and water pumps. Various beverage preparation materials, such as roasted and ground coffee, instant coffee, tea, or other dehydrated products, are packaged in a sealed capsule similar to a jelly bag. When in use, the capsule containing the beverage extraction material is placed in the device for preparing the beverage extraction material. During use, heated water is pumped into the chamber where the packaged material is placed in the device for preparing the beverage extraction material. The water flows through the material to be extracted, such as coffee, and the beverage flows from the coffee machine's water outlet into the cup.

[0003] In order to obtain hot water under certain pressure to extract the beverage ingredients in the capsule, a one-way valve is usually installed at the water outlet of the coffee machine's water supply device. For details, please refer to the applicant's earlier Chinese invention patent application No. CN200910153126.1 (publication No. CN101669767A), entitled "A Beverage Brewing Apparatus". During the extraction process, at the beginning stage of extraction, because the water pressure is less than the opening force of the one-way valve assembly but greater than the sealing resistance between the piston and the inner wall of the second cavity, the water flows along the outer peripheral surface of the connecting seat to the rear end face of the piston. The piston, which functions to seal the first cavity, can move forward under the push of the water pressure and stick tightly to the rear end face of the first component, effectively ensuring that a well-sealed extraction space is formed between the piston and the first cavity. As the piston is blocked, the water pressure continues to increase until it exceeds the sealing force of the one-way valve assembly. The water will then enter the capsule through the channel of the rear needle, completing the beverage extraction process. It can be seen that the opening force of the one-way valve assembly almost determines the brewing pressure of the beverage extraction raw materials in the capsule, and the water outlet pressure of the existing one-way valve is determined by the selected spring.

[0004] However, there are many types of beverage capsules available, such as coffee powder, milk powder, goat milk powder, herbal tea, and health drinks. Each type of beverage requires a different brewing pressure. If the brewing pressure needs to be adjusted, the entire one-way valve must be disassembled and the spring replaced, which is a complicated operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a capsule structure that can set the brewing pressure, in light of the current state of the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problem is as follows: a capsule structure, including a shell, the interior of which has a receiving cavity for accommodating beverage filler, and a water inlet communicating with the receiving cavity at the first end of the shell, characterized in that: it further includes...

[0007] The water outlet plate, located at the second end of the housing, has a through hole in the middle; and

[0008] A plug rod is fixed relative to the housing and passes through the hole. The outer diameter of the plug rod gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the housing.

[0009] The water outlet plate is elastic and has at least two states:

[0010] In the absence of external force, the inner peripheral wall of the perforation of the water outlet plate and the outer peripheral wall of the insertion rod are fitted together to form a gap.

[0011] When water is injected into the accommodating cavity, the middle part of the water outlet plate overcomes its own elasticity and deforms towards the second end of the shell under the action of water pressure, so that the width of the gap gradually expands until the water flows out smoothly through the gap.

[0012] To prevent the extracted beverage residue from being discharged with the water flow and affecting the taste, a filter cover is provided inside the receiving cavity. The filter cover is placed on the water outlet plate and forms a liquid outlet cavity between the filter cover and the water outlet plate. Multiple filter holes are arranged at intervals on the wall surface of the filter cover.

[0013] To facilitate the processing of the insert rod, the filter cover has the insert rod extending toward the water outlet plate at the middle position of the inner wall on the side facing the water outlet plate.

[0014] To ensure that the width of the gap is as consistent as possible along the axial direction, the diameter of the perforations in the water outlet plate gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the shell.

[0015] To ensure that the width of the gap is as consistent as possible along the circumference, the insertion rod is arranged coaxially with the water outlet plate.

[0016] To facilitate the formation of the water outlet passage, the housing has an outwardly extending enclosure at the edge of the outer periphery of the water outlet plate, and a water outlet is formed at the port of the enclosure.

[0017] To ensure the airtightness of the accommodating cavity, the inlet and outlet of the shell are respectively covered with a first sealing film and a second sealing film.

[0018] To prevent the extracted beverage residue from being discharged with the water flow and affecting the taste, a first filter membrane and a second filter membrane are respectively provided at the first and second ends of the accommodating cavity near the shell, and the beverage filler is sandwiched between the first filter membrane and the second filter membrane.

[0019] In order to set a suitable brewing pressure, the width of the gap is 0.02 to 1 mm when no external force is applied.

[0020] To facilitate the processing of the water outlet plate, the water outlet plate and the shell are integrated as one piece and are made of elastic plastic.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this invention are as follows: By inserting a rod with an outer diameter that gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the shell into a perforation in the middle of the water outlet plate, the water outlet plate is elastic. Before extraction, in the absence of external force, the inner peripheral wall of the perforation of the water outlet plate and the outer peripheral wall of the rod are in clearance fit to form a gap. During extraction, with water flowing into the receiving cavity, the extracted beverage flows out through the gap into the water outlet passage. Under the action of water pressure, the middle part of the water outlet plate overcomes its own elasticity and deforms towards the second end of the shell to gradually widen the gap until the water flows out smoothly through the gap. The deformation of the water outlet plate also stabilizes. Finally, the entire brewing process is completed under stable brewing pressure. In this way, by pre-setting gaps of different widths, different brewing pressures can be achieved to meet the brewing requirements of different beverages, and there is no need to install a one-way valve at the machine end, resulting in low cost. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the capsule structure of the present invention in a non-extraction state;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional exploded view;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the middle shell from another direction;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A longitudinal sectional view;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the capsule structure of the present invention in the extraction state. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 5The image shows a preferred embodiment of the capsule structure of the present invention. The capsule structure includes a shell 1, a filter cover 2, a first sealing film 3a, a second sealing film 3b, a first filter membrane 4a, a second filter membrane 4b, and a beverage filler 5.

[0029] The shell 1 is bowl-shaped and made of elastic plastic, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the interior of the housing 1 has a receiving cavity 11; the top of the housing 1 has an opening as a water inlet 12; the bottom wall of the housing 1 is called a water outlet plate 13, and a through hole 131 is provided through the middle position of the water outlet plate 13, the diameter of the through hole 131 gradually decreases from top to bottom; the housing 1 has a downwardly extending surrounding portion 14 at the outer periphery of the water outlet plate 13, and a water outlet 140 is formed at the bottom port of the surrounding portion 14.

[0030] The filter cover 2 is disposed inside the receiving cavity 11 and covers the water outlet plate 13, forming a liquid outlet cavity 20 between the filter cover 2 and the water outlet plate 13. Specifically, a downwardly extending insertion rod 21 is provided at the middle position of the downward-facing inner wall of the filter cover 2. The insertion rod 21 is coaxially arranged with the water outlet plate 13 and passes through the through hole 131 of the water outlet plate 13, and the outer diameter of the insertion rod 21 gradually decreases from top to bottom; a plurality of filter holes 22 are vertically arranged along the circumferential spacing of the insertion rod 21 on the top wall of the filter cover 2.

[0031] The first sealing film 3a covers the water inlet 12 of the shell 1, and the second sealing film 3b covers the water outlet 140 of the shell 1. Specifically, a food-grade film can be used as the sealing film. During extraction, the needle structures at the inlet and outlet ends of the capsule will puncture the first sealing film 3a and the second sealing film 3b respectively to form the water inlet passage and the water outlet passage.

[0032] The first filter membrane 4a is tightly attached to the bottom surface of the first sealing membrane 3a, and the middle and peripheral parts of the second filter membrane 4b are tightly attached to the top surface of the filter cover 2 and the inner peripheral wall of the lower part of the housing 1, respectively. Specifically, non-woven filter paper can be used as the filter membrane.

[0033] The beverage filler 5 is housed in the receiving cavity 11 of the housing 1 and sandwiched between the first filter membrane 4a and the second filter membrane 4b. Specifically, the beverage filler 5 can be coffee powder, milk powder, goat milk powder, herbal tea, health drinks, etc.

[0034] The aforementioned water outlet plate 13 has at least two states:

[0035] In the absence of external forces, such as Figure 4 As shown, the inner peripheral wall of the perforation 131 of the water outlet plate 13 and the outer peripheral wall of the insertion rod 21 are fitted together to form a gap 1311. At this time, the width of the gap 1311 is 0.02 to 1 mm.

[0036] With water flowing into the accommodating cavity 11, as follows Figure 5 As shown, the middle part of the water outlet plate 13 deforms downward under the action of water pressure to overcome its own elasticity so that the width of the gap 1311 gradually expands until the water flows out smoothly through the gap 1311.

[0037] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows:

[0038] (1) Before extraction, such as Figure 4 As shown, the inner peripheral wall of the perforation 131 of the water outlet plate 13 and the outer peripheral wall of the insertion rod 21 are fitted together to form a gap 1311. The water inlet 12 and the water outlet 140 are both sealed and covered for easy storage.

[0039] (2) During extraction, such as Figure 5 As shown, the needle structures at the inlet and outlet ends of the capsule puncture the first sealing film 3a and the second sealing film 3b respectively to form a water inlet passage and a water outlet passage. Hot water is injected into the receiving cavity 11 through the water inlet passage to extract the beverage filler 5. The extracted beverage enters the liquid outlet cavity 20 through the filter hole 22, and then flows out to the water outlet passage through the gap 1311. Since the width of the gap 1311 is small in the initial stage, the water pressure in the liquid outlet cavity 20 will continue to rise as water is continuously injected. The middle part of the water outlet plate 13 overcomes its own elasticity and deforms downward under the action of water pressure to gradually expand the width of the gap 1311 until the water flows out smoothly through the gap 1311. The deformation of the water outlet plate 13 also stabilizes. Finally, the entire brewing process is completed under stable brewing pressure.

[0040] For the above solution, by adjusting the diameter of the perforation 131 on the water outlet plate 13 or the outer diameter of the insertion rod 21 on the filter cover 2, different widths of gap 1311 can be preset, thereby achieving different brewing pressures (the adjustable pressure range is tentatively set to 0.5 to 16 bar), adapting to different beverage brewing requirements, and without the need to install a one-way valve at the machine end, the cost is low.

Claims

1. A capsule structure comprising a casing (1) having an internal accommodation cavity (11) for accommodating a beverage filling (5), a first end of the casing (1) having a water inlet (12) in communication with said accommodation cavity (11), characterised in that: Also included are The water outlet plate (13) is located at the second end of the shell (1), and a through hole (131) is provided at the middle position; and The insertion rod (21) is fixed relative to the shell (1) and is inserted into the through hole (131), and the outer diameter of the insertion rod (21) gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the shell (1); The water outlet plate (13) has elasticity and at least two states: In the state without external force, the inner circumferential wall of the through hole (131) of the water outlet plate (13) and the outer circumferential wall of the insertion rod (21) are gap-fitted to form a gap (1311); In the state of water flow injection into the containing cavity (11), the middle part of the water outlet plate (13) is deformed to the second end of the shell (1) under the action of water flow pressure to gradually expand the width of the gap (1311), until the water flow flows out smoothly through the gap (1311).

2. The capsule structure of claim 1, wherein: The containing cavity (11) is provided with a filter cover (2), which is covered on the water outlet plate (13) and surrounds the liquid outlet cavity (20) with the water outlet plate (13).

3. The capsule structure of claim 2, wherein: The filter cover (2) has the insertion rod (21) extending towards the water outlet plate (13) at the middle position of the inner wall opposite to the water outlet plate (13).

4. The capsule structure of claim 1, wherein: The hole diameter of the through hole (131) of the water outlet plate (13) gradually decreases from the first end to the second end of the shell (1).

5. The capsule structure of claim 1, wherein: The insertion rod (21) is coaxially arranged with the water outlet plate (13).

6. The capsule structure of claim 1, wherein: The shell (1) has an outwardly extending surrounding portion (14) at the edge of the outer periphery of the water outlet plate (13), and the water outlet (140) is formed at the port of the surrounding portion (14).

7. The capsule structure of claim 6, wherein: The water inlet (12) and the water outlet (140) of the shell (1) are respectively covered with a first sealing film (3a) and a second sealing film (3b).

8. The capsule structure of claim 1, wherein: The containing cavity (11) is provided with a first filter film (4a) and a second filter film (4b) near the first end and the second end of the shell (1), respectively, and the beverage filling (5) is clamped between the first filter film (4a) and the second filter film (4b).

9. The capsule structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: In the state without external force, the width of the gap (1311) is 0.02-1mm.

10. The capsule structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The water outlet plate (13) and the shell (1) are an integral part, and are made of elastic plastic.

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