Discharge valve device, mixing cup device, and food processing machine

Abstract

This invention discloses a discharge valve device, a stirring cup device, and a food processing machine. The discharge valve device includes a support assembly, a drive assembly, a discharge pipe, and a valve core. The drive assembly is mounted on the support assembly; the discharge pipe is also mounted on the support assembly and has an inlet, a outlet, and a discharge channel connecting the inlet and outlet. The inlet is used to connect to an outlet on an external device. The discharge pipe also has an installation port connecting to the discharge channel. The valve core is installed in the installation port and is driven by the drive assembly. The valve core switches between an expanded state and a contracted state under the drive assembly. In the expanded state, the valve core contacts the inner wall of the discharge pipe to block the discharge channel or the outlet. In the contracted state, the valve core separates from at least a portion of the inner wall of the discharge pipe or from the outlet to open the discharge channel. This invention facilitates cleaning of the food processing machine and improves food hygiene and safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a slurry discharge valve device, a stirring cup device using the slurry discharge valve device, and a food processing machine using the stirring cup device. Background Technology

[0002] In some equipment that requires fluid discharge, a discharge valve is usually installed to control the discharge of fluid. For example, existing food processing machines typically include a machine body and a grinding cup located in the machine body. The bottom of the grinding cup has a discharge hole, and a discharge valve is installed at the discharge hole. The discharge valve is connected to a discharge pipe. The discharge valve includes a valve body, a valve core located in the valve body, and a discharge motor. The valve body is connected to the grinding cup, and the valve core has a flow hole. The flow hole connects with the discharge hole and the discharge pipe to form a discharge channel. The discharge motor drives the valve core to rotate, which connects or disconnects the discharge hole and the discharge pipe. Since the beverage needs to flow through the flow hole of the valve core during the use of the discharge valve, food residue can easily remain at the connection between the valve core and the valve body and in the flow hole of the valve core when the discharge valve is opened and closed. Over time, this is not good for the health of consumers. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide a discharge valve device, which aims to improve the safety of food processing machines.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a slurry discharge valve device comprising:

[0005] Support assembly;

[0006] The drive component is mounted on the bracket assembly;

[0007] A discharge pipe, installed on the bracket assembly, is provided with an inlet, a outlet, and a discharge channel connecting the inlet and the outlet. The inlet is used to connect to a discharge outlet on an external device. The discharge pipe also has an installation port connecting to the discharge channel.

[0008] A valve core with variable volume, the valve core being installed in the mounting port and connected in a driving connection to the drive assembly;

[0009] The valve core switches between an expanded state and a contracted state under the drive of the drive assembly. In the expanded state, the valve core contacts the inner wall of the discharge pipe to block the discharge channel or the valve core blocks the discharge port. In the contracted state, the valve core separates from at least a portion of the inner wall of the discharge pipe or separates from the discharge port to open the discharge channel.

[0010] The technical solution of this invention incorporates a valve core with variable volume in the discharge valve device structure. Driven by a drive component, the valve core switches between an expansion and contraction state. In the expansion state, it closes the discharge channel, while in the contraction state, it opens the discharge channel, thus achieving on / off control of the discharge valve device. Compared to existing discharge valve structures, since the valve core does not have the flow holes found in existing valve cores, food fluid will not enter the flow holes within the valve core during use. This reduces the likelihood of food fluid stagnation in the valve core and its connections. Therefore, during prolonged use, it effectively reduces food safety issues caused by spoilage of stagnant food in the discharge valve device.

[0011] Optionally, the valve core has an expansion cavity inside and a first connector communicating with the expansion cavity. The drive assembly is connected to the first connector through a pipeline assembly and expands the valve core by filling the expansion cavity with a fluid medium.

[0012] Optionally, the driving component is an air pump assembly.

[0013] Optionally, a pressure detection device is also provided on the pipeline between the air pump assembly and the first connector.

[0014] Optionally, the support assembly includes a valve support and a pipe support, the pipe support being detachably connected to the valve support, the drive assembly and the pipeline assembly being mounted on the valve support, and the discharge pipe being mounted on the pipe support.

[0015] Optionally, the piping assembly includes a pipe connected to the drive assembly, a second connector communicating with the pipe, and a clamping mechanism connected to the second connector and mounted on the valve bracket. After the pipe bracket is mounted to the valve bracket, the clamping mechanism clamps the second connector to the first connector to achieve a sealed connection between the two.

[0016] Optionally, the clamping mechanism includes a rotating shaft mounted on the valve bracket, a pressure plate connected to the rotating shaft, and an elastic element. The second connector is connected to one side of the pressure plate, and the elastic element abuts against the other side of the pressure plate. The rotating shaft is disposed between the second connector and the elastic element and tends to drive the pressure plate to rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft. The side of the pressure plate abutting against the elastic element is also provided with a pressing part. The pipe bracket is also provided with a pushing part. After the pipe bracket is installed on the valve bracket, the pushing part abuts against the pressing part to make the pressure plate rotate against the elastic force of the elastic element and drive the second connector to press against the first connector.

[0017] Optionally, the valve support has a mounting groove, and the pipe support is slidably inserted into the mounting groove.

[0018] Optionally, a guide structure is formed between the wall of the mounting groove and the outer wall of the pipe support.

[0019] Optionally, a locking structure is also provided between the valve support and the pipe support.

[0020] Optionally, an installation detection structure is further provided between the valve support and the pipe support, the installation detection structure being used to detect the installation status of the pipe support.

[0021] Optionally, the support assembly is also equipped with a sealing ring that connects to the discharge pipe and surrounds the inlet.

[0022] The present invention also proposes a stirring cup device, including a stirring cup and a discharge valve device as described above. The stirring cup is provided with a discharge port, and the discharge valve device is disposed outside the stirring cup and connected to the discharge port through the feed port.

[0023] The present invention also proposes a food processing machine, including a main unit and a stirring cup device as described above, wherein the stirring cup device is mounted on the main unit. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art 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 the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the food processing machine of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a food processing machine with its exhaust channel closed.

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view at point A in the middle;

[0028] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a food processing machine with its discharge channel open.

[0029] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the food processing machine at the discharge valve device;

[0030] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A diagram illustrating the disassembly of a food processing machine;

[0031] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the assembly of the discharge pipe and pipe support in one embodiment;

[0032] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure in the image;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the discharge pipe and valve core assembly in one embodiment of 6.

[0034] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Exploded view of the valve core;

[0035] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of the valve core according to yet another embodiment.

[0036] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0037] label name label name 500 Food processing machine 140 Discharge pipe 400 host 141 feed inlet 410 chassis 142 discharge port 411 Mounting platform 143 Emission channel 420 Rotary motor 144 Installation port 430 Slurry cup 145 Flow trough 440 Placement platform 146 sealing ring 300 Water supply device 150 valve core 310 water tank 151 First connector 320 Water pump assembly 152 Cavity shell 200 Stirring cup device 153 Expansion chamber 210 Blender 160 Driver components 211 Emission outlet 170 Piping components 220 Crushing device 171 pipeline 100 Slurry discharge valve device 172 Second connector 110 bracket assembly 173 clamping mechanism 120 Valve support 174 pivot 121 Mounting slot 175 pressure plate 122 Guide groove 176 elastic element 130 Pipe support 177 Pressing part 131 Cover 178 Barometric pressure detection device 132 guide 180 Locking structure 133 window 190 Installation detection structure 134 Promotion Department

[0038] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] It should be noted that all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present invention are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0041] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this invention is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the term "and / or" throughout the text includes three solutions; taking A and / or B as an example, it includes technical solution A, technical solution B, and a technical solution that simultaneously satisfies A and B. Furthermore, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of a person skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0042] The present invention proposes a slurry discharge valve device 100.

[0043] The slurry discharge valve device 100 of the present invention can be applied to some electrical appliances that require slurry discharge control, such as milk tea machines, beverage machines, water dispensers, food processors, etc. The slurry discharge valve device 100 is used for automatic control during the slurry discharge process of the above-mentioned electrical appliances. Existing slurry discharge valve devices 100 used in the above-mentioned electrical appliances are usually designed with a structure in which the valve core 150 has a connecting hole. During the slurry discharge process, the slurry needs to pass through the connecting hole on the valve core 150. Therefore, when the slurry discharge valve is closed, a small amount of food may remain in the valve core 150. Thus, with prolonged use, the food remaining in the valve core 150 will have the risk of spoilage and deterioration. This will inevitably lead to a high food hygiene and safety risk during the use of electrical equipment, especially food processing machines 500.

[0044] Therefore, the discharge valve device 100 proposed in this invention reduces the possibility of food residue remaining in the discharge valve device 100, thereby improving the food hygiene and safety of the food processing machine 500. Please refer to the reference. Figures 1 to 4 as well as Figure 9In one embodiment, the slurry discharge valve device 100 includes a support assembly 110, a drive assembly 160, a discharge pipe 140, and a valve core 150 with variable volume. The drive assembly 160 is mounted on the bracket assembly 110, and the discharge pipe 140 is mounted on the bracket assembly 110. The discharge pipe 140 is provided with an inlet 141, a discharge outlet 142, and a discharge channel 143 connecting the inlet 141 and the discharge outlet 142. The inlet 141 is used to connect with the discharge outlet 211 on an external device. The discharge pipe 140 is also provided with an installation port 144 connecting the discharge channel 143. The valve core 150 is installed in the installation port 144 and is driven by the drive assembly 160. The valve core 150 switches between an expanded state and a contracted state under the drive of the drive assembly 160. In the expanded state, the valve core 150 contacts the inner wall of the discharge pipe 140 to block the discharge channel 143 or the valve core 150 blocks the discharge outlet 211. In the contracted state, the valve core 150 separates from at least part of the inner wall of the discharge pipe 140 or separates from the discharge outlet 211 to open the discharge channel 143.

[0045] The bracket assembly 110 is used to install the entire slurry discharge valve device 100 into the electrical equipment to which it is applied, and the bracket assembly 110 is also used to mount the discharge pipe 140 and the drive assembly 160. In this embodiment, the volume of the valve core 150 is variable, meaning that its external dimensions can be changed by the action of the drive assembly 160. In some implementations, the valve core 150 may be made of an elastic material, or at least the part that functions during the sealing process may be made of an elastic material. The drive assembly 160 causes the elastic material to stretch or contract, thereby changing its volume. Of course, the valve core 150 may also be made of a non-elastic material, and instead, the valve core 150 may have multiple nested modular units. Under the action of the drive assembly 160, these modular units extend or retract, thereby changing its volume. Furthermore, the volume change process of the valve core 150 all takes place within the discharge channel 143. Additionally, the mounting port 144 on the discharge pipe 140 is located close to the feed inlet 141. Therefore, when the valve core 150 expands, it can control the on / off state of the discharge valve device 100 in two ways: in one case, the outer wall of the valve core 150 presses against the inner wall of the discharge pipe 140 during expansion, thus blocking the discharge channel 143; in the other case, during expansion, the valve core 150 moves towards the discharge port 211 on the external device connected to the feed inlet 141, thereby sealing the discharge port 211 and closing the discharge valve device 100 from the source. Furthermore, the advantage of the discharge valve device 100 of the present invention is that, in the above two methods, the flow control during the discharge process is more accurate. For example, in the scheme where the outer wall of the valve core 150 is squeezed and contacts the inner wall of the discharge pipe 140 during the expansion process, thereby blocking the discharge channel 143, the volume of the valve core 150 is controlled by precisely controlling the amount of fluid medium input to the valve core 150, so that the contact surface between the valve core 150 and the discharge channel 143 changes to achieve precise flow control. In the scheme where the valve core 150 blocks the discharge port 211, the opening of the discharge port 211 can be controlled by the change in the volume of the valve core 150. The whole control process is smoother and more accurate.

[0046] In other words, the technical solution of the present invention provides a valve core 150 with a variable volume in the structure of the discharge valve device 100. The valve core 150 switches between an expansion state and a contraction state under the drive of the drive component 160. In the expansion state, the discharge channel 143 is closed, and in the contraction state, the discharge channel 143 is opened, thereby realizing the on-off control of the discharge valve device 100. Compared with the existing discharge valve structure, since the valve core 150 does not have the flow hole of the existing valve core 150, the food fluid will not enter the flow hole in the valve core 150 during use. It is not easy for the food fluid to be stuck in the valve core 150 and its connection. Therefore, during long-term use, it can effectively reduce the food safety problems caused by the spoilage of the food due to the stuck food in the discharge valve device 100.

[0047] Preferably, the valve core 150 of this invention is made of an elastic material. In one embodiment, where the drive assembly 160 drives the valve core 150 to stretch and expand, an expansion cavity 153 is formed inside the valve core 150, and a first connector 151 communicating with the expansion cavity 153 is provided. The drive assembly 160 communicates with the first connector 151 through a pipeline assembly 170, and expands the valve core 150 by filling the expansion cavity 153 with a fluid medium. Please refer to... Figure 9 and Figure 10 In this embodiment, the valve core 150 mainly comprises two parts: a cavity shell 152 and a first connector 151 that covers the cavity shell 152. The cavity shell 152 and the first connector 151 can be glued together or integrally formed by secondary injection molding (e.g.,...). Figure 11 As shown), the cavity shell 152 is made of elastic materials such as silicone or rubber, while the first connector 151 can be made of either elastic or rigid material. The first connector 151 is sealed at the mounting port 144 on the discharge pipe 140, and the first connector 151 and the discharge pipe 140 can be glued together.

[0048] The material of the discharge pipe 140 of this invention can be a rigid material or a flexible material, such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, ceramic, glass, silicone, or other materials. As a preferred embodiment, the discharge pipe 140 is a metal pipe, which has the characteristics of high structural strength and relatively low cost. When the drive assembly 160 fills the expansion chamber 153 with fluid medium through the pipe assembly 171 and the first connector 151, the fluid medium drives the wall material of the chamber shell 152 to stretch and expand, so that the chamber shell 152 will contact the inner wall of the discharge pipe 140 to block the discharge channel 143 or the valve core 150 to block the discharge port 211. In this way, the valve core 150 is made of elastic material, which provides flexible contact during the blocking process, resulting in less impact on the discharge pipe 140 and more reliable sealing. During the process of opening the discharge channel 143 by the valve core 150, it is the reverse process of the above blocking, that is, the fluid medium in the expansion chamber 153 is drawn out by the drive component 160 and exited through the first connector 151, thereby the valve core 150 contracts, and the discharge channel 143 is opened.

[0049] The driving component 160 of this invention uses a fluid medium to fill the expansion chamber 153 within the valve core 150, which provides reliable sealing. Further, in this embodiment, the fluid medium is preferably a gaseous medium, wherein the driving component 160 is an air pump assembly. To reduce costs, air is used as the gaseous medium; that is, the air pump assembly directly pumps air into the valve core 150 through the pipeline assembly 170 to achieve the expansion process of the valve core 150. It is understood that, when using a gaseous medium, a high-purity inert gas can also be used. Furthermore, to accurately control the amount of gas pumped during operation, in one embodiment, a pressure detection device 178 is also provided on the pipeline assembly 170 between the air pump assembly and the first connector 151. The pressure detection device 178 can use an existing pressure gauge structure, which will not be elaborated here. In other embodiments, the fluid medium can also be, for example, a liquid. In this case, the driving component 160 is configured as a hydraulic pump assembly, which achieves expansion by pumping water or other fluids into the expansion chamber 153 within the valve core 150.

[0050] It is understood that the valve core 150 of the present invention is made of elastic material. The driving component 160 drives the valve core 150 to stretch the material to expand. In addition to the above-mentioned method of pumping fluid medium into the valve core 150, the driving component 160 can also be connected to an expansion mechanism. The expansion mechanism is located in the expansion chamber 153 of the valve core 150 and performs expansion and contraction movements inside it, thereby causing the valve core 150 to expand and contract. For the sake of structural simplification and cost reduction, this application preferably uses an air pump assembly to pump air in, and the following content will further describe the content of the present invention in detail.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment, the support assembly 110 includes a valve support 120 and a pipe support 130, the pipe support 130 being detachably connected to the valve support 120, the drive assembly 160 and the pipeline assembly 170 being mounted on the valve support 120, and the discharge pipe 140 being mounted on the pipe support 130. In this embodiment, the drive assembly 160 is mounted on the valve bracket 120, and the discharge pipe 140 is mounted on the pipe bracket 130. The valve bracket 120 is used to mount the entire discharge valve device 100 onto the food processing machine 500. The valve bracket 120 and the pipe bracket 130 in the bracket assembly 110 are detachably connected. Thus, during the assembly process, the drive assembly 160 and the pipeline assembly 170 can be assembled onto the valve bracket 120, and the discharge pipe 140 can be assembled onto the pipe bracket 130. Then, during the process of assembling the pipe bracket 130 onto the valve bracket 120, the pipeline assembly 170 and the valve core 150 can be connected. The pipe bracket 130 includes two caps 131 that are connected to each other. The two caps 131 can be detachably fixed by means of buckles, screws, etc. At the same time, a window 133 is provided on the pipe bracket 130, and the valve core 150 mentioned above can extend out of the window 133 and connect to the pipeline assembly 170. The above structural design allows for modular operation of the entire assembly process, which is beneficial to improving production efficiency. At the same time, separating the drive component 160 (which is the power-conducting structure) and the discharge pipe 140 (which directly contacts the liquid) also facilitates disassembly and assembly during subsequent maintenance.

[0052] Please refer to the reference. Figure 5 and Figure 6In one embodiment, the pipe support 130 and valve support 120 are detachably connected. The valve support 120 has a mounting groove 121, and the pipe support 130 is slidably inserted into the mounting groove 121. In this embodiment, the pipe support 130 is a frame structure, and the cross-sectional opening shape of the mounting groove 121 is adapted to the outer contour shape of the pipe support 130. That is, in this embodiment, the mounting groove 121 is formed to accommodate and limit the pipe support 130, so that the pipe support 130 can be pulled in and out of the valve support 120 by sliding along the mounting groove 121, which is convenient for disassembly and cleaning. In this embodiment, the mounting groove 121 has a clearance opening formed at the bottom of the valve support 120 and an insertion opening opened on the side of the valve support 120. The pipe support 130 is inserted into the mounting groove 121 from one side of the valve support 120 through the insertion opening, and the discharge pipe 140 portion of the discharge pipe 140 extends downward from the clearance opening. Therefore, by setting three openings in the mounting groove 121, one of the insertion ports on opposite sides of the valve bracket 120 is connected to the discharge port 211. After the pipe bracket 130 is inserted from the other side of the insertion port, it can be directly connected to the discharge port 211. Since the discharge pipe 140 can extend from the clearance port, there will be no interference with the discharge pipe 140 during the pulling process. The discharge pipe 140 can be designed to be inclined downwards, which makes the discharge process more convenient. In order to reduce slurry splashing during the discharge process, the present invention also provides a feeding trough 145 at the discharge port 142 of the discharge pipe 140.

[0053] In other embodiments, the sliding connection between the pipe support 130 and the valve support 120, besides the aforementioned method where the pipe support 130 slides along the mounting groove 121, can also be a configuration where a guide rod and a bushing are provided between the pipe support 130 and the valve support 120. That is, the pipe support 130 has a bushing, and the valve support 120 has a guide rod extending towards the discharge port 211. The bushing slides along the guide rod, allowing the discharge pipe 140 to move towards the stirring cup 210 and connect with the discharge port 211. Alternatively, a structure of rollers and a track can be provided between the pipe support 130 and the valve support 120. The track can be provided on the valve support 120, and the pipe support 130 has rollers. The track extends towards the discharge port 211, and the rollers slide along the track, which also achieves the connection process between the discharge pipe 140 and the discharge port 211.

[0054] Since the valve support 120 and pipe support 130 of the present invention are designed to be detachable to improve the convenience of cleaning and disassembly, this design raises the crucial question of how to effectively connect the pipe assembly 170 on the valve support 120 and the valve core 150 on the pipe support 130 to avoid leakage during gas pumping. Therefore, please refer to the reference... Figures 1 to 4The present invention further configures the pipeline assembly 170 as including a pipe 171 connected to the drive assembly 160, a second connector 172 communicating with the pipe 171, and a clamping mechanism 173 connected to the second connector 172 and installed on the valve support 120. After the pipe support 130 is installed on the valve support 120, the clamping mechanism 173 clamps the second connector 172 to the first connector 151 to make the two seal together. As a relatively simple design, the clamping mechanism 173 includes a rotating shaft 174 mounted on the valve bracket 120, a pressure plate 175 connected to the rotating shaft 174, and an elastic element 176. The second connector 172 is connected to one side of the pressure plate 175, and the elastic element 176 abuts against the other side of the pressure plate 175. The rotating shaft 174 is disposed between the second connector 172 and the elastic element 176 and tends to drive the pressure plate 175 to rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 174. The side of the pressure plate 175 that abuts against the elastic element 176 is also provided with a pressing part 177. The pipe bracket 130 is also provided with a pushing part 134. After the pipe bracket 130 is installed on the valve bracket 120, the pushing part 134 abuts against the pressing part 177 to make the pressure plate 175 rotate against the elastic force of the elastic element 176, and drive the second connector 172 to press against the first connector 151.

[0055] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 174 is rotatably connected to the valve bracket 120, while the pressure plate 175 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 174. The discharge valve device 100 is equipped with a pressure block fixedly connected to the valve bracket 120. The pressure block and the valve bracket 120 cooperate to clamp the rotating shaft 174. Thus, the pressure plate 175 and the rotating shaft 174 rotate together around the axis of the rotating shaft 174, forming a seesaw principle. The second connector 172 is connected to one end of the pressure plate 175, while one end of the elastic element 176 abuts against the upper surface of the other end of the pressure plate 175. The other end of the elastic element 176 abuts against the valve bracket 120. Thus, the elastic force provided by the elastic element 176 drives the second connector 172 upwards, moving it away from the mounting groove 121. In this embodiment, the elastic element 176 can be a spring or a sheet spring; the figure shows a spring. To ensure stable installation, a limiting post is formed on the pressure plate 175, and a spring is sleeved on the limiting post. A pressing part 177 on the pressure plate 175 is located on its lower surface, while a driving part on the pipe support 130 is located on its upper side. For smooth operation, a guide ramp is provided between the pressing part 177 and the driving part 134 for mutual sliding engagement. During the process of pushing the pipe support 130 into the mounting groove 121, the spring is compressed by the pressure of the guide ramp between the pressing part 177 and the driving part 134, causing the second connector 172 to move towards the interior of the mounting groove 121 and press against the first connector 151 to achieve connection. Therefore, when the pipe support 130 is in the mounting groove 121, both the first connector 151 and the second connector 172 are in a connected state, resulting in a more reliable sealing connection. Furthermore, to improve sealing, at least one of the first connector 151 and the second connector 172 can have a sealing rib structure formed on its contact surface.

[0056] It is understood that, in addition to forming a seesaw as described above, the present invention can also directly use the elastic element 176 to drive the second connector 172 to press down on the structure of the pressing mechanism 173. Alternatively, in the case of using a seesaw structure, the installation position of the elastic element 176 can be changed so that the second connector 172 initially tends to move towards the mounting groove 121.

[0057] For the sake of connection stability and manufacturing cost considerations, the present invention preferably provides an installation groove 121 on the valve support 120, and inserts the pipe support 130 into the installation groove 121 and slides along the installation groove 121 to align with the discharge port 211. Furthermore, to further improve the accuracy of the alignment between the discharge pipe 140 and the discharge port 211, in one embodiment, a guide structure is formed between the groove wall of the installation groove 121 and the outer wall of the pipe support 130. In practical applications, because the pipe support 130 drives the entire discharge pipe 140 from the installation groove 121 into the valve support 120, for ease of operation, the opening of the installation groove 121 is generally slightly larger than the outer contour of the entire discharge pipe 140. Therefore, in this embodiment, the guide structure further controls the attitude of the pipe support 130 as it slides along the installation groove 121, thereby ensuring accurate alignment between the discharge pipe 140 and the discharge port 211 and reducing the likelihood of leakage during slurry discharge due to inaccurate alignment.

[0058] Please refer to this again. Figures 4 to 6 In one embodiment, the guiding structure includes a guide rail 132 and a guide groove 122 formed between the groove wall of the mounting groove 121 and the outer wall of the pipe support 130, with the guide rail 132 inserted into the guide groove 122. In this embodiment, guide grooves 122 are formed on the two opposite groove walls of the mounting groove 121, and protruding guide rails 132 are formed on the two opposite outer walls of the pipe support 130. The guide grooves 122 extend towards the discharge port 211. The cross-sectional shape of the guide rails 132 and guide grooves 122 can be square, semi-circular, or dovetail-shaped. Thus, during the sliding process of the pipe support 130 along the mounting groove 121, the guide rails 132 and guide grooves 122 further limit the posture of the pipe support 130, preventing leakage during discharge due to assembly errors between the pipe support 130 and the mounting groove 121, which could lead to deviations when the discharge pipe 140 connects to the discharge port 211. It is understood that in other embodiments, the guide structure may also be a combination structure of roller and guide groove 122, or a combination structure of positioning pin and guide groove 122, and this application does not limit it.

[0059] Furthermore, in the process of reinstalling the discharge pipe 140 into the valve bracket 120 after cleaning, to ensure that the discharge pipe 140 is properly aligned with the discharge port 211, the present invention also provides an installation detection structure 190 between the pipe bracket 130 and the valve bracket 120. In some configurations, the installation detection structure 190 includes a detection element and a sensing element, wherein the detection element is mounted on the valve bracket 120, and the sensing element is mounted on the pipe bracket 130. The structure formed by the detection element and the sensing element can be a Hall switch structure, a photoelectric switch structure, a micro switch structure, a reed switch structure, etc. For example, in the Hall switch structure, the detection element is a Hall element mounted on the valve bracket 120, and the sensing element is a magnetic trigger element mounted on the pipe bracket 130 that cooperates with the Hall element. The Hall switch structure is positioned in... After the discharge pipe 140 is pushed into the valve bracket 120, the discharge pipe 140 can be connected to the position of the discharge port 211. After the discharge pipe 140 is pushed into the valve bracket 120 and the discharge port 211 is connected, the slurry discharge operation can be performed. However, since the food processing machine 500 will vibrate during operation, in order to prevent the discharge pipe 140 from sliding out of the valve bracket 120 or becoming loose from the discharge port 211 due to the vibration of the food processing machine 500, which would cause leakage of fluid food, the present invention also provides a locking structure 180 between the valve bracket 120 and the pipe bracket 130.

[0060] In one embodiment, please refer to the reference Figures 1 to 7 The locking structure 180 includes a magnetic attraction structure disposed on the pipe support 130 and the valve support 120. The magnetic attraction structure can be a magnet embedded and fixed on the pipe support 130 and a magnet disposed on the valve support 120 or a soft material block. When the locking structure 180 is set as a magnetic attraction structure, it has the feature of being easy to pull out during use.

[0061] In other embodiments, the locking structure 180 may include a locking assembly mounted on the pipe support 130 and a locking groove disposed on the valve support 120, wherein the locking assembly and the locking groove are separable. During use, when the discharge pipe 140 is pushed into the predetermined position within the mounting groove 121, causing the mounting detection structure 190 to generate a detection signal, the discharge pipe 140 and the discharge port 211 are successfully connected. Simultaneously, the locking assembly engages with the locking groove, preventing the discharge pipe 140 and the discharge port 211 from loosening due to vibration during the operation of the food processing machine 500. Furthermore, the user can easily remove the discharge pipe 140 from the valve support 120 by operating the locking assembly to separate it from the locking groove, thus making it more convenient to use.

[0062] The present invention also proposes a stirring cup device 200, which includes a stirring cup 210 and a discharge valve device 100. The specific structure of the discharge valve device 100 is as described in the above embodiments. Since the stirring cup device 200 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here. The bottom of the stirring cup 210 is provided with a discharge port 211. The discharge valve device 100 is disposed outside the stirring cup 210 and is connected to the discharge port 211 through the discharge channel 143. Further, the stirring cup device 200 also includes a pulverizing device 220 disposed inside the stirring cup 210. The pulverizing device 220 can be a stirring blade, stirring rod, grinder, or other structures. In some configurations, a heating element for heating the interior of the stirring cup 210 is also installed on the stirring cup 210. The heating element can be installed at the bottom or side of the stirring cup 210, and the form of the heating element includes, but is not limited to, heating tubes, heating wires, and heating films.

[0063] Please refer to the reference. Figures 1 to 11 The present invention also proposes a food processing machine 500, which includes a main unit 400 and a stirring cup device 200 installed on the main unit 400. The specific structure of the stirring cup device 200 is as described in the above embodiments. Since the food processing machine 500 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0064] The food processing machine 500 of this invention can be a commercially available product such as a blender, soy milk maker, or juicer. The main unit 400 includes a housing 410 and a rotary motor 420 housed within the housing 410. After the mixing cup device 200 is installed onto the main unit 400, the pulverizing device 220 in the mixing cup device 200 will be coupled to the rotary motor 420. Furthermore, in the above description, the valve support 120 of the discharge valve device 100 can be formed as a cover plate, and the cover plate is connected to one side opening of the housing 410. That is, the valve support 120 can be assembled with the housing 410 of the main unit 400. In other forms... In this embodiment, the valve support 120 can also be formed as a seat structure and connected to the mixing cup 210. For example, a column structure integral with the mixing cup 210 can be formed on the outer wall of the mixing cup 210, and the valve support 120 and the column structure are threadedly connected. Furthermore, the present invention can also install a sealing ring 146 on the support assembly 110 of the discharge valve device 100, which is connected to the discharge pipe 140 and surrounds the feed port 141. After the discharge valve device 100 is installed on the outside of the mixing cup 210, the sealing ring 146 is pressed between the support assembly 110 and the mixing cup 210 to achieve a seal at the discharge port 211.

[0065] Furthermore, the food processor 500 of the present invention may also include a water supply device 300. In one embodiment, the water supply device 300 includes a water tank 310 and a water pump assembly 320. The housing 410 forms a mounting platform 411, the water tank 310 is mounted on the mounting platform 411, and the water tank 310 and the housing 410 are detachably connected. The water pump assembly 320 includes a water pump, a pipeline, and a nozzle. The nozzle is mounted on the mixing cup 210. Thus, the water in the water tank 310 can be drawn into the mixing cup 210 by the drive of the water pump. This enables the food processor 500 to have automatic processing or automatic cleaning functions. It is understood that in other embodiments of the water supply device 300, the water supply device 300 may also be a pipeline directly connected to an external water source and a valve installed on the pipeline. The valve may be electrically connected to the main unit 400 so that it can be closed by the main control board controller during the operation of the food processor. Of course, the valve may also be manually controlled.

[0066] In one embodiment, the housing 410 is further provided with a placement platform 440 located below the slurry discharge valve device 100 for placing the slurry receiving cup 430.

[0067] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A slurry discharge valve device, characterized in that, include: A support assembly, comprising a valve support and a pipe support, wherein the pipe support is detachably connected to the valve support; Driver components; A discharge pipe, installed on the bracket assembly, is provided with an inlet, a outlet, and a discharge channel connecting the inlet and the outlet. The inlet is used to connect to a discharge outlet on an external device. The discharge pipe also has an installation port connecting to the discharge channel. A variable volume valve core is installed in the mounting port and is connected to the drive assembly. An expansion cavity is formed inside the valve core and a first connector is provided that communicates with the expansion cavity. The drive assembly is connected to the first connector through a pipeline assembly and expands the valve core by filling the expansion cavity with a fluid medium. The drive assembly and the pipeline assembly are installed on the valve support, and the discharge pipe is installed on the pipe support. The piping assembly includes a pipe connected to the drive assembly, a second connector communicating with the pipe, and a clamping mechanism connected to the second connector and mounted on the valve bracket. After the pipe bracket is mounted to the valve bracket, the clamping mechanism clamps the second connector to the first connector to make the two seal together. The clamping mechanism includes a rotating shaft mounted on the valve bracket, a pressure plate connected to the rotating shaft, and an elastic element. The second connector is connected to one side of the pressure plate, and the elastic element abuts against the other side of the pressure plate. The rotating shaft is disposed between the second connector and the elastic element and tends to drive the pressure plate to rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft. The side of the pressure plate abutting against the elastic element is also provided with a pressing part. The pipe bracket is also provided with a pushing part. After the pipe bracket is installed on the valve bracket, the pushing part abuts against the pressing part to make the pressure plate rotate against the elastic force of the elastic element and drive the second connector to press against the first connector. The valve core switches between an expanded state and a contracted state under the drive of the drive assembly. In the expanded state, the valve core contacts the inner wall of the discharge pipe to block the discharge channel or the valve core blocks the discharge port. In the contracted state, the valve core separates from at least a portion of the inner wall of the discharge pipe or separates from the discharge port to open the discharge channel.

2. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive component is an air pump assembly.

3. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The pipeline assembly is also equipped with a pressure detection device.

4. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The valve support has a mounting groove, and the pipe support is slidably inserted into the mounting groove.

5. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A guide structure is formed between the wall of the mounting groove and the outer wall of the pipe support.

6. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A locking structure is also provided between the valve support and the pipe support.

7. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, An installation detection structure is also provided between the valve support and the pipe support, which is used to detect the installation status of the pipe support.

8. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support assembly is also equipped with a sealing ring that connects to the discharge pipe and surrounds the feed inlet.

9. The slurry discharge valve device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge pipe is a metal pipe.

10. A stirring cup device, characterized in that, The device includes a mixing cup and a discharge valve device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the mixing cup is provided with a discharge port, and the discharge valve device is disposed outside the mixing cup and connected to the discharge port through the feed port.

11. A food processing machine, characterized in that, It includes a main unit and a stirring cup device as described in claim 10, wherein the stirring cup device is mounted on the main unit.

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