A beverage machine

Abstract

The application provides a beverage machine, and belongs to the technical field of beverage equipment. The beverage machine solves the problem of how to improve the preservation effect of the beverage machine. The beverage machine comprises a machine body, a refrigeration inner container and a top cover, further comprises a cold conduction cover made of a metal cold conduction material and in a barrel shape, the cold conduction cover is located in the top cover and is arranged separately from the top cover, the barrel opening of the cold conduction cover faces downward and is fixedly connected with the top cover, the barrel opening end of the cold conduction cover is provided with a cold conduction part for conducting cold energy and in a ring shape, the barrel opening end of the cold conduction cover is inserted into the refrigeration inner container, and the outer circumferential surface of the cold conduction part is attached to the inner surface of the refrigeration inner container, and the cold conduction cover and the refrigeration inner container are combined to form a preservation cavity for accommodating the whole beverage barrel through the cold conduction part. Through the above design, the beverage machine can refrigerate the whole beverage barrel, thereby greatly improving the refrigeration speed, and the preservation effect is good, the cold energy loss is slow, and the preservation effect of the beverage machine is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of beverage equipment technology and relates to a beverage machine. Background Technology

[0002] A beverage dispenser is a device used to dispense beverages (such as beer, coffee, and soft drinks) from containers. It is commonly used in commercial settings such as bars and cafes, as well as in home settings like parties. Different beverages taste different at different temperatures. To ensure better taste, existing beverage dispensers generally have a refrigeration system to keep the beverages cool and fresh, thus maintaining their optimal taste when dispensed.

[0003] For example, Chinese patent document CN112919396A discloses a beverage dispensing device, which includes a beverage container and a dispenser for mounting the beverage container. The beverage container has an inner bag for holding the beverage. The dispenser has a housing and a cooling component disposed within the housing. The housing has a base, a lower housing part, a limiting cover, and a top cover. The cooling component includes an inner liner, a cooler, and a temperature sensor. The inner liner contains a cooling aluminum block and is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the limiting cover, surrounding the wall of the beverage container. The inner surface of the inner liner has a receiving portion for accommodating the beverage container. The cooler cools the inner liner, thereby cooling the beverage. In existing beverage machines, such as the above-mentioned dispensing device, due to the complex structure and high manufacturing cost of the inner liner, the accommodating depth of the existing cooling inner liner used to provide cooling to the beverage container generally does not exceed half or two-thirds of the beverage container's height. Simultaneously, to prevent internal cooling loss, existing beverage machines have a top cover structure, which is generally made of heat-insulating material to achieve heat insulation.

[0004] However, as users' demands for beverage taste increase, they also place higher demands on the refrigeration and preservation effects of beverage machines. Existing beverage machines are no longer sufficient to meet these needs. The main reasons are twofold: First, when the beverage container is placed inside the machine for refrigeration, due to the aforementioned limitations of the refrigeration inner liner structure, only about half of the container is enclosed. The transfer of cold air within the container takes time, resulting in slower cooling near the rear of the container, ultimately leading to a slower overall cooling rate. Second, the existing plastic top cover has poor insulation, and since the rear of the container is close to the top cover, cold air loss is faster in this area. In other words, the combination of these two unfavorable factors—slow cooling and rapid cold air loss—makes it difficult to maintain the beverage at its optimal temperature, resulting in a deterioration in taste and poor preservation. To address this, those skilled in the art typically improve the insulation of the top cover by thickening it, using a double-layered top cover, or adding an additional layer of heat-insulating material inside the top cover, thereby enhancing the preservation effect. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned problems in existing technologies by proposing a beverage machine. The technical problem this invention aims to solve is how to improve the freshness preservation effect of the beverage machine.

[0006] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solution: A beverage machine includes a body, a refrigeration inner liner disposed within the body, and a top cover covering the refrigeration inner liner. The beverage machine further includes a barrel-shaped cooling shield made of a metal cooling material. The cooling shield is located inside the top cover and is separate from it. The opening of the cooling shield faces downwards and is fixedly connected to the top cover. The opening end of the cooling shield has an annular cooling portion for conducting cold energy. The opening end of the cooling shield is inserted into the refrigeration inner liner, and the outer circumferential surface of the cooling portion is in contact with the inner surface of the refrigeration inner liner. The cooling shield, through the cooling portion, and the refrigeration inner liner together form a preservation chamber for accommodating the entire beverage container.

[0007] Unlike existing technologies, this invention improves the refrigeration structure of beverage machines to enhance preservation. Specifically, it incorporates a separate component, a cooling guide cover, within the beverage machine. This cover, made of a metal cooling material, is separately mounted within the top cover and fixedly connected to it. This design ensures the cooling guide cover is integrated with the top cover, eliminating the hassle of disassembly and reassembly. Furthermore, the cooling guide cover's structure is designed with a cooling guide section at its opening. When installed on the machine with the top cover, the opening of the cooling guide cover inserts into the refrigeration inner liner. Because the cooling guide section is annular, its outer circumference fits snugly against the inner surface of the refrigeration inner liner, allowing for thorough contact. This facilitates rapid transfer of cold energy from the inner liner to the cooling guide cover. The contact between the cooling guide cover and the refrigeration inner liner, through the cooling guide section, creates a relatively sealed preservation chamber. Through the above design, the entire beverage container is placed within a closed chamber capable of generating cold energy. This allows not only the front of the container to be directly cooled by the refrigeration inner liner, but also the middle and rear ends to be directly cooled via the cooling shroud. This ensures the entire container receives direct cooling, thereby increasing the cooling speed and preventing a decline in taste due to slow cooling. Furthermore, because the preservation chamber is relatively closed, the cold energy generated after cooling is not easily lost, resulting in significant insulation and ultimately improving the beverage's freshness. In addition, the cooling shroud itself acts as an additional insulating layer between the container and the outside environment. Especially when the top cover is made of a transparent material, the cooling shroud can block light and also provide physical insulation. Therefore, through the design of the cooling shroud and its coordination with the top cover and refrigeration inner liner, not only is the cooling speed of the beverage increased, but the insulation effect of slowing cold energy loss is also achieved, ultimately improving the beverage machine's freshness preservation effect.

[0008] In the aforementioned beverage machine, the cooling guide is an integrally formed flange on the edge of the cooling guide cover's opening. This flange folds upwards and surrounds the main body of the cooling guide cover. This integral folding design means that the cooling guide itself is part of the cooling guide cover, and the two do not require any connecting parts for contact. This improves the efficiency of cold energy transfer. Furthermore, the upward folding of the flange around the main body of the cooling guide cover increases the contact area between the cooling guide cover and the refrigeration inner tank, thereby improving the cooling speed and enhancing the beverage machine's preservation effect.

[0009] In the aforementioned beverage machine, a deformation space is provided between the inner circumferential surface of the cooling guide section and the outer circumferential surface of the cooling guide cover near the bottle opening. Through this design, when the cooling guide cover is inserted into the refrigeration inner tank, the existence of this deformation space allows the cooling guide section to undergo slight elastic deformation. The elastic force generated by this deformation ensures a tighter contact between the cooling guide section and the refrigeration inner tank, which not only improves the efficiency of cold energy transfer but also creates a certain seal between them, preventing the loss of cold energy from the preservation chamber and thus further enhancing the preservation effect of the beverage machine.

[0010] In the aforementioned beverage machine, the cooling guide section is inclined outward relative to the outer wall of the cooling guide cover body. This design makes the cooling guide section conical and annular, which facilitates its smooth insertion into the cooling inner liner and makes it easier for the cooling guide section to undergo elastic deformation upon contact with the cooling inner liner. This results in a tighter fit between the cooling guide section and the cooling inner liner, thereby improving the beverage machine's preservation effect.

[0011] In the aforementioned beverage machine, a ring-shaped plastic bracket is provided between the inner wall of the top cover and the outer peripheral surface of the cooling shield. This plastic bracket fits over the cooling shield and is fixedly connected to the top cover. The outer periphery of the cooling shield has a positioning part, and the plastic bracket is located below and presses against this positioning part, causing the bottom of the cooling shield to abut against the top wall of the top cover. This plastic bracket design allows the cooling shield to be fixedly connected to the top cover without requiring holes or connecting screws, ensuring the cooling shield remains a single, integrated unit and preventing heat loss at the connection points. Furthermore, the plastic bracket separates the outer peripheral surface of the cooling shield from the inner wall of the top cover, preventing large-area contact between the cooling shield and the top cover and thus preventing heat loss through conduction. Therefore, this plastic bracket design also contributes to improved preservation.

[0012] In the aforementioned beverage machine, the plastic support has a positioning recess. The positioning part is an integrally folded flange formed on the edge of the cooling guide part. The cooling guide part passes through the positioning recess, and the positioning part is annular and engages with the positioning recess to form a positioning fit. Through this flange design, the entire plastic support is perfectly positioned and wrapped around the cooling guide part. The location of the cooling guide part is precisely where the cold energy conduction of the entire cooling cover is most concentrated. The heat insulation properties of the plastic support can slow down the loss of cold energy in this area, thereby improving the freshness preservation effect of the beverage machine.

[0013] In the aforementioned beverage machine, the positioning recess is a stepped hole. The positioning part includes a horizontal part one extending horizontally and connected to the cooling guide part, a vertical part extending vertically and connected to the horizontal part one, and a horizontal part two extending horizontally and connected to the vertical part. The horizontal part one is located inside the small hole of the positioning recess, the vertical part abuts against the inner wall of the small hole, and the horizontal part two abuts against the large hole of the positioning recess. Through the above-mentioned shape design of the positioning recess and the positioning part, on the one hand, the positioning fit between the vertical part and the horizontal part two and the positioning recess makes the positioning of the plastic support and the cooling guide cover more reliable; on the other hand, the positioning part adopts a Z-shaped cross-section design, which helps to improve the structural strength of the positioning part. In other words, this allows the size of the positioning part to be made as small as possible, thereby reducing the loss of cold energy from this point and improving the preservation effect.

[0014] In the aforementioned beverage machine, the top surface of the lid is raised in the middle and has a heat-insulating space between it and the bottom of the cooling shield. This design further reduces the contact area between the lid and the cooling shield, thus helping to prevent the loss of cold energy from the cooling shield through conduction from the lid.

[0015] In the aforementioned beverage machine, the lower surface of the plastic support has a foot extending downwards along the inner wall of the top cover. The foot is located near the open end of the top cover and is fixed to the top cover by screws. This foot design makes the connection and installation of the plastic support very convenient.

[0016] In the aforementioned beverage machine, a foam layer is provided between the outer wall of the cooling shroud and the inner wall of the top cover. This foam layer design further reduces the rate of cold loss from the cooling shroud, thereby improving the beverage machine's heat retention and ultimately enhancing its freshness preservation.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, this beverage machine has the following advantages: By improving the refrigeration structure, this beverage machine can refrigerate the entire beverage container, thereby greatly improving the refrigeration speed, heat preservation effect, and slow cold loss, thus greatly improving the preservation effect of the beverage machine; at the same time, the improved structure of this beverage machine is simple, easy to manufacture, and has low manufacturing cost. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the top cover and body of the beverage machine after the explosion.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the top cover part of this beverage machine.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a partial sectional view of the beverage machine.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0022] Figure 5 This is an exploded structural diagram of the top cover of this beverage machine.

[0023] In the diagram, 1. Body; 2. Refrigeration liner; 3. Top cover; 4. Cooling shroud; 41. Cooling section; 42. Positioning section; 421. Horizontal section one; 422. Vertical section; 423. Horizontal section two; 5. Freshness preservation chamber; 6. Deformation space; 7. Plastic support; 71. Positioning recess; 72. Support leg; 8. Insulation space; a. Beverage container. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0025] Specifically, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this beverage machine includes a body 1, a cooling inner liner 2 disposed within the body 1 for providing cooling to the beverage container a, and a top cover 3 covering the cooling inner liner 2. The top cover 3 is preferably made of heat-insulating material. The open edge of the top cover 3 has locking claws, and the top cover 3 engages with the beverage container through these claws. Further combined... Figure 3 As shown, this beverage machine also includes a barrel-shaped cooling cover 4 made of a metal cooling material. This metal cooling material is existing technology; for example, aluminum alloy can be used. The cooling cover 4 is located inside the top cover 3 and is separate from it. A foam layer is provided between the outer wall of the cooling cover 4 and the inner wall of the top cover 3. The opening of the cooling cover 4 faces downwards and is fixedly connected to the top cover 3. The opening end of the cooling cover 4 has a ring-shaped cooling section 41 for conducting cold energy. The opening end of the cooling cover 4 is inserted into the refrigeration inner liner 2, and the outer circumferential surface of the cooling section 41 is in contact with the inner surface of the refrigeration inner liner 2. The cooling cover 4, through the cooling section 41 and the refrigeration inner liner 2, forms a preservation chamber 5 for accommodating the entire beverage container a.

[0026] More specifically, such as Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the cooling guide portion 41 is an integrally formed flange on the edge of the opening of the cooling guide cover 4. The flange is folded upward and arranged around the circumference of the main body of the cooling guide cover 4. The cooling guide portion 41 is inclined outward relative to the outer wall of the main body of the cooling guide cover 4. A deformation space 6 is left between the inner circumferential surface of the cooling guide portion 41 and the outer circumferential surface of the cooling guide cover 4 near the opening end.

[0027] For example Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, the fixing method between the cooling cover 4 and the top cover 3 is as follows: A ring-shaped plastic bracket 7 is provided between the inner wall of the top cover 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the cooling cover 4. The plastic bracket 7 is sleeved on the outside of the cooling cover 4. The plastic bracket 7 is provided with a positioning recess 71. The outer peripheral surface of the cooling cover 4 has a positioning part 42. The plastic bracket 7 is located below the positioning part 42. The positioning part 42 is an integrally folded flange formed on the edge of the cooling part 41. The cooling part 41 passes through the positioning recess 71. The positioning part 42 is ring-shaped and is inserted into the positioning recess 71 to form a positioning fit with the positioning recess 71. The positioning recess 71 is a stepped hole. The positioning part 42 includes a horizontal part 421 extending horizontally and connected to the cooling part 41, a vertical part 422 extending vertically and connected to the horizontal part 421, and a horizontal part 423 extending horizontally and connected to the vertical part. The horizontal part 421 is located inside the small hole of the positioning recess 71, the vertical part 422 abuts against the inner wall of the small hole of the positioning recess 71, and the horizontal part 423 abuts against the large hole of the positioning recess 71. The plastic bracket 7 presses against the positioning part 42 to make the bottom of the cooling cover 4 abut against the top wall of the top cover 3. The lower surface of the plastic bracket 7 has a support foot 72 extending downward along the inner wall of the top cover 3. The support foot 72 is close to the open end of the top cover 3 and is fixed to the top cover 3 by screws. The middle of the top surface of the top cover 3 is raised upward and a heat insulation space 8 is left between it and the bottom of the cooling cover 4.

[0028] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0029] Although this document frequently uses terms such as body 1, refrigeration inner liner 2, top cover 3, cooling shroud 4, cooling guide section 41, positioning section 42, horizontal section one 421, vertical section 422, horizontal section two 423, preservation chamber 5, deformation space 6, plastic support 7, positioning recess 71, support leg 72, heat insulation space 8, and beverage container a, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. The use of these terms is merely for the convenience of describing and explaining the essence of the invention; interpreting them as any additional limitation would contradict the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A beverage machine, comprising a body (1), a cooling inner liner (2) disposed within the body (1), and a top cover (3) covering the cooling inner liner (2), characterized in that, The beverage machine also includes a barrel-shaped cooling shield (4) made of a metal cooling material. The cooling shield (4) is located inside the top cover (3) and is separate from the top cover (3). The opening of the cooling shield (4) faces downward and is fixedly connected to the top cover (3). The opening end of the cooling shield (4) has a ring-shaped cooling part (41) for conducting cold energy. The opening end of the cooling shield (4) is inserted into the refrigeration inner liner (2), and the outer peripheral surface of the cooling part (41) is in contact with the inner surface of the refrigeration inner liner (2). The cooling shield (4) conducts cold energy through cooling... The part (41) and the refrigeration inner liner (2) together form a preservation chamber (5) for accommodating the entire beverage barrel (a); a ring-shaped plastic bracket (7) is provided between the inner wall of the top cover (3) and the outer peripheral surface of the cooling cover (4). The plastic bracket (7) is fitted over the cooling cover (4) and fixedly connected to the top cover (3). The outer peripheral surface of the cooling cover (4) has a positioning part (42). The plastic bracket (7) is located below the positioning part (42) and presses against the positioning part (42) so that the bottom of the cooling cover (4) abuts against the top wall of the top cover (3).

2. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling section (41) is an integrally formed flange on the edge of the opening of the cooling cover (4). The flange is folded upward and arranged around the main body of the cooling cover (4).

3. The beverage machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, A deformation space (6) is left between the inner circumferential surface of the cooling section (41) and the outer circumferential surface of the cooling cover (4) near the barrel opening.

4. The beverage machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cooling section (41) is inclined outward relative to the outer wall of the cooling cover (4).

5. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plastic bracket (7) is provided with a positioning recess (71). The positioning part (42) is an integrally folded flange formed on the edge of the cooling part (41). The cooling part (41) passes through the positioning recess (71). The positioning part (42) is annular and is inserted into the positioning recess (71) to form a positioning fit with the positioning recess (71).

6. The beverage machine according to claim 5, characterized in that, The positioning recess (71) is a stepped hole. The positioning part (42) includes a horizontal part one (421) extending in the horizontal direction and connected to the cooling part (41), a vertical part (422) extending in the vertical direction and connected to the horizontal part one, and a horizontal part two (423) extending in the horizontal direction and connected to the vertical part. The horizontal part one (421) is located in the small hole of the positioning recess (71), the vertical part (422) abuts against the inner wall of the small hole of the positioning recess (71), and the horizontal part two (423) abuts against the large hole of the positioning recess (71).

7. The beverage machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, characterized in that, The top surface of the top cover (3) is raised upward in the middle and a heat insulation space (8) is left between it and the bottom of the cooling cover (4).

8. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower surface of the plastic bracket (7) has a foot (72) extending downward along the inner wall of the top cover (3), the foot (72) being close to the open end of the top cover (3), and the foot (72) being fixed to the top cover (3) by screws.

9. The beverage machine according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, characterized in that, A foam layer is provided between the outer wall of the cooling shield (4) and the inner wall of the top cover (3).

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