Dual-size automatic beverage machine, beverage machine restocking method and brewing method

Abstract

This invention discloses a dual-specification automatic beverage machine, a beverage machine replenishment method, and a beverage machine brewing method. The beverage machine includes: a cabinet; a storage module disposed inside the cabinet, including a rotatable rotating cylinder and multiple vertical storage channels surrounding the side walls, storing beverage capsules of two specifications, with the protruding length of the first beverage capsule being greater than that of the second beverage capsule; an extraction module for extracting the beverage capsules and generating a beverage; a conveying module for transporting the beverage capsules to the extraction module; a brewing module for providing hot water for extraction; a replenishment module including a grating assembly and a camera, the grating assembly including a grating group for sensing the beverage capsules; a camera for identifying the number of beverage capsules; a cup-dropping module for storing and dropping beverage containers; a supply platform module for receiving beverage containers; and a control unit for controlling each module. This invention improves the intelligence and automation of the beverage cabinet and further enhances its reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent vending equipment, and in particular to a dual-specification automatic beverage machine, a beverage machine replenishment method, and a brewing method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, self-service beverage vending machines are increasingly being used in various aspects of daily life. Current self-service dual-size automatic beverage machines, including coffee machines and milk tea machines, all require the brewing and extraction of beverage ingredients within the machine before dispensing the beverage to the user from the outlet. Existing beverage machines often only dispense a single type of beverage. If a user needs a beverage of different sizes, the machine often needs to dispense the beverage ingredients multiple times to brew a larger volume and ensure the correct concentration. Even beverage machines that use beverage capsules for brewing and dispensing can only provide a single type of capsule. Adjusting beverage volume in this way is not only inefficient but also unable to accurately identify the number of beverages that can be made. Furthermore, repeatedly dispensing small amounts of ingredients reduces overall brewing efficiency, resulting in a low level of intelligence and automation for the beverage machine as a whole. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a dual-specification automatic beverage machine, a beverage machine replenishment method, and a brewing method. It aims to solve the problems of existing beverage machines, which cannot quickly adjust the beverage capacity when the supplied beverage capacity needs to be adjusted, and cannot sensitively detect whether the currently stored beverage ingredients can still be supplied for brewing beverages of different capacities next time, resulting in low levels of automation and intelligence.

[0004] This invention provides a dual-specification automatic beverage machine, comprising:

[0005] The cabinet includes a cabinet door that is movably disposed on one side;

[0006] A storage module is disposed inside the cabinet; the storage module includes a rotating cylinder rotatable about an axial direction and multiple vertically arranged storage channels surrounding the side wall of the rotating cylinder; each storage channel contains multiple beverage capsules for holding beverage ingredients stacked vertically, each beverage capsule protruding from the storage channel in a direction away from the rotating cylinder; each beverage capsule includes a first beverage capsule and a second beverage capsule; the first length of the first beverage capsule protruding from the storage channel is greater than the second length of the second beverage capsule protruding from the storage channel; the beverage capsule can be placed into the storage channel from the top and fall down along the storage channel; wherein, a single storage channel stores only one of the first beverage capsule and the second beverage capsule;

[0007] An extraction module is used to extract the beverage capsules and generate a beverage;

[0008] A conveying module is used to transport the beverage capsule from the storage module to the extraction module; the rotating cylinder can rotate to align the single storage channel above the conveying module; the beverage capsule can fall from the bottom of the storage channel and be received by the conveying module.

[0009] The brewing module is connected to the extraction module and is used to provide the hot water required for extraction.

[0010] The replenishment module includes a grating assembly and a camera; the camera is positioned opposite the side wall of the storage module and is used to capture images of the storage channel aligned with the conveying module; the grating assembly includes multiple grating groups for sensing the beverage capsules; each grating group is located at the same height as each beverage capsule in the storage channel aligned with the conveying module; the distance between each grating group and the storage channel aligned with the conveying module is greater than the second length and less than or equal to the first length;

[0011] A cup-dropping module is used to store and drop beverage containers, which are used to receive beverages below the extraction module;

[0012] A supply platform module is used to receive the beverage container and store the beverage container below the extraction module;

[0013] The control unit is electrically connected to the storage module, extraction module, conveying module, brewing module, replenishment module, cup dropping module, and supply platform module.

[0014] In some embodiments, the conveying module includes a first conveying module and a second conveying module arranged side-by-side below the storage module; both the first conveying module and the second conveying module include a capsule holder assembly and a guide assembly; the capsule holder assembly is tractively connected to the guide assembly and can move axially along the guide assembly between the storage module and the extraction module; the capsule holder assembly has a receiving slot for accommodating the beverage capsule; the capsule holder assembly can rotate axially about the guide assembly; when the capsule holder assembly rotates in a first direction, the receiving slot faces the bottom of the storage channel to receive the beverage capsule falling from the storage channel; when the capsule holder assembly rotates in a second direction, the receiving slot tilts away from the storage module and causes the extracted beverage capsule to fall from the receiving slot; the capsule holder assembly in the first conveying module and the capsule holder assembly in the second conveying module are respectively a first capsule holder assembly and a second capsule holder assembly; the receiving slot of the first capsule holder assembly is adapted to the first beverage capsule, and the receiving slot of the second capsule holder assembly is adapted to the second beverage capsule.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cup-dropping module vertically stacks and stores multiple beverage containers; the cup-dropping module includes a first cup-dropping module and a second cup-dropping module arranged side by side; the beverage containers stored in the first cup-dropping module are first beverage containers; the beverage containers stored in the second cup-dropping module are second beverage containers; the supply platform module can move to below the first cup-dropping module or the second cup-dropping module and receive the first beverage container falling from the bottom of the first cup-dropping module or the second beverage container falling from the bottom of the second cup-dropping module; the internal volume of the first beverage container is larger than the internal volume of the second beverage container; the first beverage container is used to receive the beverage produced after extraction from the first beverage capsule; the second beverage container is used to receive the beverage produced after extraction from the second beverage capsule.

[0016] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a beverage machine replenishment method, which is applied in a control unit of a dual-specification automatic beverage machine as described in the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0017] In response to a replenishment request, based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the storage channel requiring replenishment of beverage capsules is rotated above the conveying module using a rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is designated as the current storage channel; wherein, the storage information includes a first quantity of beverage capsules in the current storage channel and category information of the beverage capsules; the category information corresponds to a first beverage capsule or a second beverage capsule;

[0018] When the camera detects that a new beverage capsule has been added to the current storage channel, the first quantity is incremented by one.

[0019] The first comparison quantity is determined based on the number of grating groups currently sensed in the beverage capsule;

[0020] When the beverage capsule is the first beverage capsule, if the first comparison quantity is less than the first quantity, a first warning message is generated;

[0021] When the beverage capsule is the second beverage capsule, if the first comparison quantity is greater than zero, a second warning message is generated.

[0022] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a beverage brewing method for a beverage machine, which is applied in a control unit of a dual-specification automatic beverage machine as described in the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0023] In response to a beverage brewing request, based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the storage channel containing the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage brewing request is rotated above the conveying module by a rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is designated as the current storage channel; wherein, the beverage brewing request includes the category information of the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage; both the storage information and the category information correspond to a first beverage capsule or a second beverage capsule;

[0024] The beverage capsule located at the bottom of the current storage channel is dropped so that it falls into the conveying module.

[0025] The beverage capsules are transported to the extraction module via the conveying module.

[0026] The beverage container in the cup dropping module is dropped, and the beverage container is transported to the bottom of the extraction module through the supply platform module;

[0027] Hot water is supplied to the extraction module through the brewing module to extract the beverage capsules and allow the resulting beverage to fall into the beverage container.

[0028] Based on the above structure and its connection relationships, as well as the corresponding replenishment and brewing methods, the dual-specification automatic beverage machine provided in this embodiment of the invention provides two water outlets in the brewing module, supplying users with hot water for brewing beverages and purified hot water respectively, thus meeting users' different needs for hot water; by setting up a cup-dropping module, a lid-dropping module, and a packaging module, the various steps of beverage brewing and serving are automatically performed, avoiding manual operation by users and improving the efficiency of automatic beverage brewing; by setting up a supply platform module, the various steps of beverage brewing are connected in an orderly manner, thereby improving the efficiency of beverage preparation, greatly enhancing the intelligence and automation of the internal operation of the beverage cabinet, and further improving the reliability of the beverage cabinet. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the disassembled dual-specification automatic beverage machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the storage module, conveying module, and extraction module in a dual-specification automatic beverage machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working state between the conveying module and the extraction module in a dual-specification automatic beverage machine provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 (a) is a schematic diagram of the capsule holder assembly transporting beverage capsules to the extraction module. Figure 3 (b) is a schematic diagram of the capsule holder assembly in a non-working state;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart illustrating the beverage machine replenishment method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the first sub-process of the beverage machine replenishment method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second sub-process of the beverage machine replenishment method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the beverage brewing method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the first sub-process of the beverage machine brewing method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] The specific reference numerals in the attached figures are as follows:

[0039] 10. Dual-specification automatic beverage machine; 100. Storage module; 110. Rotating drum; 120. Storage channel; 130. Beverage capsule; 131. First beverage capsule; 132. Second beverage capsule; 200. Extraction module; 300. Conveying module; 301. First conveying module; 302. Second conveying module; 310. Capsule holder assembly; 311. First capsule holder assembly; 312. Second capsule holder assembly; 320. Container 330, guide assembly; 400, brewing module; 500, replenishment module; 510, grating assembly; 511, grating group; 520, camera; 600, cup dropping module; 601, first cup dropping module; 602, second cup dropping module; 610, beverage container; 611, first beverage container; 612, second beverage container; 700, supply platform module; 800, cabinet; 810, cabinet door; 20, control unit. Detailed Implementation

[0040] 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 some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be understood that, when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" indicate the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0042] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0043] It should also be further understood that the term "and / or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0044] Please see Figures 1-3 ,like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a dual-specification automatic beverage machine 10, including: a cabinet 800, the cabinet 800 including a cabinet door 810 movably disposed on one side; a storage module 100 disposed inside the cabinet 800; the storage module 100 includes a rotating cylinder 110 rotatable about an axial direction and a plurality of vertically arranged storage channels 120 surrounding the side wall of the rotating cylinder 110; each of the storage channels 120 vertically stacks and stores a plurality of beverage capsules 130 for containing beverage ingredients, each beverage capsule 130 protruding from the storage channel 120 in a direction away from the rotating cylinder 110; each beverage capsule 130 includes a first beverage capsule 131 and a second beverage capsule 130. Capsule 132; the first beverage capsule 131 protruding from the storage channel 120 by a first length greater than the second beverage capsule 132 protruding from the storage channel 120 by a second length; the beverage capsule 130 can be placed into the storage channel 120 from the top and fall down along the storage channel 120; wherein, only one of the first beverage capsule 131 and the second beverage capsule 132 is stored in a single storage channel 120; extraction module 200 is used to extract the beverage capsule 130 and generate a beverage; conveying module 300 is used to transport the beverage capsule 130 from the storage module 100 to the extraction module 200; the rotating cylinder 110 is rotatable. The storage channel 120 is aligned with the top of the conveying module 300; the beverage capsule 130 can fall from the bottom of the storage channel 120 and be received by the conveying module 300; the brewing module 400, connected to the extraction module 200, is used to provide hot water for extraction; the replenishment module 500 includes a grating assembly 510 and a camera 520; the camera 520 is positioned opposite the side wall of the storage module 100 and is used to capture images of the storage channel 120 aligned with the conveying module 300; the grating assembly 510 includes multiple grating groups 511 for sensing the beverage capsule 130; each grating group 511 is respectively aligned with the storage channel 120 of the conveying module 300. All beverage capsules 130 in module 0 are located at the same height; the distance between each grating group 511 and the storage channel 120 aligned with the conveying module 300 is greater than the second length and less than or equal to the first length; a cup-dropping module 600 is used to store and drop beverage containers 610, which are used to receive beverages below the extraction module 200; a supply platform module is used to receive the beverage containers 610 and store them below the extraction module 200; and a control unit is electrically connected to the storage module 100, extraction module 200, conveying module 300, brewing module 400, replenishment module 500, cup-dropping module 600, and supply platform module.

[0045] In this embodiment, the cabinet 800 is a hollow cavity structure that houses the control unit, storage module 100, extraction module 200, conveying module 300, brewing module 400, replenishment module 500, cup-dropping module 600, and supply platform module. The control unit can be a micro-CPU or other control device with computing capabilities. The control unit is electrically connected to the storage module 100, extraction module 200, conveying module 300, brewing module 400, replenishment module 500, cup-dropping module 600, and supply platform module. It can send control commands to each module or receive status information from each module to control the operation of each module inside the cabinet 800. The cabinet 800 can be configured as a cuboid structure, with one side of the cuboid serving as a door 810. A hinge is provided on one side of the door 810, and the hinge is connected to the rest of the cabinet 800, allowing the door 810 to open from the cabinet 800 around the hinge. When cabinet door 810 is opened, the various modules housed inside cabinet 800 are exposed, allowing maintenance personnel to perform repairs, maintenance, and restocking operations on the dual-specification automatic beverage machine 10. During daily operation, cabinet door 810 can be locked with a latch to prevent damage to the internal modules. Cabinet door 810 has a retrieval slot, which can be used in conjunction with a movable retrieval door. The retrieval door can be a sliding door structure located on the inside of cabinet door 810 (i.e., the side closest to the interior of cabinet 800). When the dual-specification automatic beverage machine 10 is not in operation, or when the brewing and packaging operations are not completed, the retrieval slot is closed by the retrieval door. When the dual-specification automatic beverage machine 10 has completed the brewing and packaging operations and needs to provide the user with a prepared beverage, the retrieval door will slide open to one side, releasing the closure of the retrieval slot, allowing the user to obtain the brewed beverage located inside cabinet 800 through the retrieval slot. A touchscreen for ordering can be installed on the side of the cabinet door 810 facing the customer. A camera 520 can also be installed on the touchscreen for facial recognition payment and other operations. Ventilation vents can be installed on other ends of the cabinet 800 without the cabinet door 810, and connected to exhaust fans, to ventilate the interior of the cabinet 800, ensuring heat dissipation during operation and maintaining the quality of beverage ingredients. Furthermore, lighting can be installed inside the cabinet 800 to provide good visibility for maintenance personnel. The touchscreen can also be electrically connected to a control unit, which can receive order information from the touchscreen and control other modules to brew beverages accordingly.

[0046] The storage module 100 is a rotatable module, in which the rotating cylinder 110 is a cylindrical structure and is rotatably mounted inside the cabinet 800, with its axis of rotation perpendicular to the ground. Multiple storage channels 120 are arranged around the side wall of the rotating cylinder 110, with the central axes of each channel 120 parallel to each other and each channel 120 perpendicular to the ground. Each storage channel 120 can store multiple beverage capsules 130. The beverage capsule 130 stores beverage ingredients for brewing beverages, which can be in powder or concentrate form. The beverage capsule 130 has an opening at the top and a storage cavity at the bottom. The opening engages with the storage channel 120, and the beverage capsule 130 can move up and down along the corresponding storage channel 120 through the opening. Multiple beverage capsules 130 can be stacked and stored in a single storage channel 120; when the bottom beverage capsule 130 falls, the other beverage capsules 130 above it can naturally move downwards.

[0047] Specifically, each storage channel 120 has two sets of push rods at the bottom of its sidewall. These two sets of push rods are located above and below the bottommost beverage capsule 130, respectively. The upper push rod is positioned between the bottommost beverage capsule 130 and the beverage capsule 130 adjacent to it. Under normal conditions, the lower push rod is extended and protrudes from the sidewall of the storage channel 120, supporting all the beverage capsules 130 from below. When the bottommost beverage capsule 130 needs to be lowered, the upper push rod extends and supports all the other beverage capsules 130 except the bottommost one. Then, the lower push rod retracts into the storage channel 120, allowing the bottommost beverage capsule 130 to fall. Subsequently, the lower push rod extends again and pushes the falling beverage capsule 130 out of the storage channel 120. Before the bottommost beverage capsule 130 falls, the conveying module 300 moves to the designated falling position. Once the beverage capsule 130 falls from the storage module 100, it is received by the conveying module 300 and transported to the extraction module 200. Subsequently, the top lever at the top guides the contents of the storage channel 120, allowing the other beverage capsules 130 located at the top to move naturally downwards and be supported by the bottom lever.

[0048] When the beverage capsule 130 is transported to the extraction module 200, it is moved by the conveyor module 300 to a position below the extraction outlet of the extraction module 200. The extraction module 200 then performs the extraction operation on the beverage capsule 130. During the extraction process, the extraction outlet in the extraction module 200 punctures the sealing membrane in the opening of the beverage capsule 130 and extends into the interior of the beverage capsule 130. The brewing module 400 pumps pre-heated water and delivers it to the extraction module 200. After receiving the hot water from the brewing module 400 via the water inlet, the hot water is sprayed out from the extraction outlet and enters the beverage capsule 130. The hot water will soak and extract the beverage ingredients within the beverage capsule 130.

[0049] Each storage channel 120 in the storage module 100 stores only one type of beverage capsule 130. The beverage capsule 130 includes two types: a first beverage capsule 131 with more beverage ingredients and a larger volume, and a second beverage capsule 132 with fewer beverage ingredients and a smaller volume. The first beverage capsule 131 is longer than the second beverage capsule 132. Therefore, when the first beverage capsule 131 and the second beverage capsule 132 are stored in the storage channel 120, the length of the first beverage capsule 131 protruding from the storage channel 120 will be greater than the length of the second beverage capsule 132 protruding from the storage channel 120. When a user needs a larger volume of beverage, the first beverage capsule 131 can directly provide a larger volume of beverage, greatly improving the supply efficiency of large-volume beverages.

[0050] Before the extraction operation, the cup-dropping module 600 performs a cup-dropping operation. Specifically, the cup-dropping module 600 stores a certain number of beverage containers 610, which can be beverage cups, bowls, or other containers capable of holding beverages. During the cup-dropping operation, the cup-dropping module 600 separates a single beverage container 610 from multiple overlapping stored beverage containers 610 and drops it. At this time, the supply platform module has moved below the cup-dropping module 600, and the beverage container 610, after falling from the cup-dropping module 600, will land on the supply platform module. Subsequently, the supply platform module will move the beverage container 610 below the extraction module 200, aligning the beverage container 610 with the beverage capsule 130 already stored in the extraction module 200, in preparation for receiving the beverage. During the extraction process, hot water enters the beverage capsule 130, immersing the beverage ingredients and generating a beverage. The beverage then flows out from the filter at the bottom of the storage chamber of the beverage capsule 130, completing the liquid extraction process. The beverage flowing out of the beverage capsule 130 falls into the beverage container 610 located below the extraction module 200.

[0051] Once the extraction process is complete, no more beverage will flow from the beverage capsule 130. At this point, the conveyor module 300 will move the extracted beverage capsule 130 out of the extraction module 200. After the beverage capsule 130 is removed from the extraction module 200, the conveyor module 300 can also drop and discard the beverage capsule 130, causing it to fall into a waste collection device. The waste collection device can specifically be a receiving device located below the extraction module 200 and below the conveyor module 300, which can receive the discarded beverage capsule 130 and any residual beverage dripping from the extraction module 200.

[0052] Thus, through the coordinated operation of each module, a complete beverage brewing process can be completed fully automatically.

[0053] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the replenishment module 500 is mainly used for replenishing the beverage capsules 130 in the storage module 100 and for monitoring the status of the storage module 100. Both the camera 520 and the grating assembly 510 are electrically connected to the control unit. The camera 520 faces the storage channel 120 located above the conveying module 300 in the storage module 100. It can capture images of the storage channel 120 and transmit them to the transmission unit, where image recognition is performed to determine the quantity of beverage capsules 130 stored in the storage channel 120. The grating assembly 510 includes multiple grating groups 511, each including an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver. The infrared emitter and receiver are located on opposite sides of the storage channel 120 above the conveying module 300, and an infrared trajectory is generated between the infrared emitter and receiver. If the beverage capsule 130 stored in the storage channel 120 above the conveying module 300 is the first beverage capsule 131, then the first beverage capsule 131 can pass through the infrared trajectory generated by the grating group 511 and be sensed by the grating group 511. At this time, since each grating group 511 corresponds to only one beverage capsule 130, the control unit can determine the number of first beverage capsules 131 in the storage channel 120 by the number of grating groups 511 that generate senses in the grating assembly 510. When the storage channel 120 stores the second beverage capsule 132, the grating group 511 cannot sense the second beverage capsule 132. At this time, the grating assembly 510 plays an error correction role. Specifically, if the storage channel 120 that should store the second beverage capsule 132 contains the first beverage capsule 131, the grating group 511 can sense the first beverage capsule 131 and feed back an indication message to the control unit that the beverage capsule 130 specification is incorrectly filled.

[0054] In one embodiment, such as Figure 3As shown, the conveying module 300 includes a first conveying module 301 and a second conveying module 302 arranged side-by-side below the storage module 100; both the first conveying module 301 and the second conveying module 302 include a capsule holder assembly 310 and a guide assembly 330; the capsule holder assembly 310 is tractively connected to the guide assembly 330 and can move axially along the guide assembly 330 between the storage module 100 and the extraction module 200; the capsule holder assembly 310 has a receiving groove 320 for accommodating the beverage capsule 130; the capsule holder assembly 310 can rotate axially around the guide assembly 330; when the capsule holder assembly 310 rotates in a first direction, the receiving groove 320 faces the... The bottom end of the storage channel 120 is used to receive the beverage capsule 130 falling from the storage channel 120; when the capsule holder assembly 310 rotates in the second direction, the receiving groove 320 tilts away from the storage module 100 and causes the extracted beverage capsule 130 to fall from the receiving groove 320; the capsule holder assembly 310 in the first conveying module 301 and the capsule holder assembly 310 in the second conveying module 302 are respectively the first capsule holder assembly 311 and the second capsule holder assembly 312; the receiving groove 320 of the first capsule holder assembly 311 is adapted to the first beverage capsule 131, and the receiving groove 320 of the second capsule holder assembly 312 is adapted to the second beverage capsule 132.

[0055] In this embodiment, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in (b), the first conveying module 301 and the second conveying module 302 are arranged side by side below the storage module 100. Specifically, for the first capsule holder assembly 311 or the second capsule holder assembly 312, when the capsule holder assembly 310 rotates in the first direction, the capsule holder assembly 310 actually rotates towards the gap between the first conveying module 301 and the second conveying module 302, and the storage channel 120 for the beverage capsules 130 to be dropped, located above the conveying module 300, is directly opposite to the gap between the first conveying module 301 and the second conveying module 302. That is, the first direction of rotation of the first capsule holder assembly 311 and the second direction of rotation of the second capsule holder assembly 312 are opposite, and the second direction is also opposite. The guide assembly 330 may specifically include a first motor and a lead screw, with the capsule holder assembly 310 screwed onto the lead screw, and the first motor being drivenly connected to the lead screw. When the first motor drives the lead screw to rotate, the capsule holder assembly 310 can move axially along the lead screw and move between the storage module 100 and the extraction module 200. The capsule holder assembly 310 may specifically include a capsule holder and a rotating assembly, which is sleeved on the lead screw, and the rotating assembly also has an independent second motor, which can drive the capsule holder to rotate in a first direction or a second direction.

[0056] As the capsule holder assembly 310 rotates in the first direction, it eventually aligns the top opening of the receiving slot 320 with the storage channel 120 of the beverage capsule 130 that is about to fall, and maintains the position of the capsule holder assembly 310 in preparation to receive the beverage capsule 130, at which point the top opening of the receiving slot 320 remains horizontal. Subsequently, as... Figure 3 As shown in (a), the capsule holder assembly 310 transports the beverage capsule 130 to the extraction module 200, where the extraction module 200 extracts the beverage capsule 130 located in the receiving tank 320. After extraction, the discarded beverage capsule 130 remains in the capsule holder assembly 310. At this time, the capsule holder assembly 310 moves a distance along the guide assembly 330 towards the storage module 100, and rotates in the second direction when it moves above the waste collection device, so that the top opening of the receiving tank 320 gradually faces downward, allowing the discarded beverage capsule 130 to fall naturally into the waste collection device. When the first capsule holder assembly 311 and the second capsule holder assembly 312 do not need to transport the beverage capsule 130, they both rotate in the second direction and keep the top opening of the receiving tank 320 facing downward, so that they do not interfere with each other when one of the first capsule holder assembly 311 and the second capsule holder assembly 312 needs to rotate. It is understandable that when the first beverage capsule 131 or the second beverage capsule 132 rotates in the first direction, the top opening of its receiving slot 320 eventually reaches the same position.

[0057] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cup-dropping module 600 vertically stacks and stores multiple beverage containers 610; the cup-dropping module 600 includes a first cup-dropping module 601 and a second cup-dropping module 602 arranged side by side; the beverage containers 610 stored in the first cup-dropping module 601 are first beverage containers 611; the beverage containers 610 stored in the second cup-dropping module 602 are second beverage containers 612; the supply platform module can move to below the first cup-dropping module 601 or the second cup-dropping module 602 and receive the first beverage container 611 falling from the bottom of the first cup-dropping module 601 or the second beverage container 612 falling from the bottom of the second cup-dropping module 602; the internal volume of the first beverage container 611 is larger than the internal volume of the second beverage container 612; the first beverage container 611 is used to receive the beverage produced after extraction by the first beverage capsule 131; the second beverage container 612 is used to receive the beverage produced after extraction by the second beverage capsule 132.

[0058] In this embodiment, the first cup-dropping module 601 and the second cup-dropping module 602 can be respectively disposed on both sides of the extraction module 200. The supply platform module can be moved horizontally below the first cup-dropping module 601, the second cup-dropping module 602, and the extraction module 200 to transport the first beverage container 611 or the second beverage container 612 to the extraction module 200 to collect the beverage. Specifically, the internal structures of the first cup-dropping module 601 and the second cup-dropping module 602 can be configured to have the same structure. The first beverage container 611 and the second beverage container 612 can also be configured to have different heights but the same opening diameter, so that the first cup-dropping module 601 and the second cup-dropping module 602 can be adapted to first beverage containers 611 and second beverage containers 612 of different specifications.

[0059] Please see Figures 4-6 ,like Figure 4 As shown, the invention also provides a beverage machine replenishment method for the above-described dual-specification automatic beverage machine 10, the method comprising the following steps S110-S190:

[0060] S110. In response to a replenishment request, based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the storage channel for which beverage capsules need to be replenished is rotated above the conveying module via a rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is designated as the current storage channel; wherein, the storage information includes a first quantity of beverage capsules in the current storage channel and category information of the beverage capsules; the category information corresponds to a first beverage capsule or a second beverage capsule.

[0061] Replenishment personnel can select or input replenishment commands on the touchscreen. The control unit will then receive the replenishment request and open the cabinet door 810, exposing all modules located inside the cabinet 800. The control unit will automatically select the storage channel 120 that needs replenishing beverage capsules 130 based on the current storage information in each storage channel 120. During this process, the initial quantity of each storage channel 120 is the data automatically recorded and updated by the control unit through the camera 520 and the grating assembly 510 after the last capsule was dropped into that storage channel 120. Specifically, each storage channel 120 has its own maximum quantity. If the control unit obtains a storage channel 120 whose current initial quantity is less than the maximum quantity, it can determine that it is a storage channel 120 that needs replenishing beverage capsules 130. The control unit can control the rotating cylinder 110 to rotate one or more preset angles to rotate the current storage channel 120 above the conveying module 300. The preset angle is the rotation angle required for a storage channel 120 to rotate to the position of an adjacent storage channel 120. Specifically, if the storage channel 120 currently above the conveyor module 300 is the storage channel 120 that needs to be replenished with beverage capsules 130, the control unit maintains the current position of the storage cylinder. If the storage channel 120 currently above the conveyor module 300 does not need replenishment, the number of preset angles to rotate the other storage channel 120 that needs replenishment is determined based on the number of storage channels 120 between the other storage channel 120 that needs replenishment and the storage channel 120 currently above the conveyor module 300. For example, if there is a gap of 1 storage channel 120, rotate 2 preset angles; if there is a gap of 2 storage channels 120, rotate 3 preset angles. Simultaneously, the control unit can also obtain the pre-set category information of the beverage capsules 130 for each storage channel 120 to perform the corresponding replenishment process. Each storage channel 120 has its corresponding sensor, and the control unit can determine the relative position of each storage channel 120 by the location of the sensor in each storage channel 120.

[0062] S120. When a new beverage capsule is detected by the camera and placed into the current storage channel, the first quantity is incremented by one.

[0063] When a replenishment worker loads a new beverage capsule 130 into the current storage channel 120, the camera 520 can identify in real time that a new beverage capsule 130 has been added to the current storage channel 120. At this point, the initial quantity needs to be updated by one. This step reflects the actual quantity of beverage capsules 130 in the current storage channel 120, that is, the initial quantity after the update.

[0064] S130. Determine the first comparison quantity based on the number of grating groups currently sensed by the beverage capsule.

[0065] Subsequently, the control unit needs to determine the number of grating groups 511 that are currently sensing beverage capsules 130, and use the number of grating groups 511 that are sensing beverage capsules 130 as the first comparison quantity. Then, based on the relationship between the first comparison quantity and the first quantity, it determines whether the replenishment personnel should load the correct specifications of beverage capsules 130 into the current storage channel 120, so that the specifications of the loaded beverage capsules 130 correspond to the category information of the current storage channel 120.

[0066] S140. Determine whether the category information of the beverage capsule corresponding to the current storage channel corresponds to the first beverage capsule. If yes, proceed to step S150; otherwise, proceed to step S170.

[0067] At this point, it is necessary to first determine whether the category information corresponding to the current storage channel 120 is the first beverage capsule 131 or the second beverage capsule 132, in order to perform different verification operations.

[0068] S150. Determine whether the first comparison quantity is less than the first quantity. If yes, proceed to step S160; otherwise, proceed to step S190.

[0069] If the category information corresponding to the current storage channel 120 is the first beverage capsule 131, then after the replenishment personnel correctly loads a new first beverage capsule 131, a new grating group 511 will sense the newly loaded first beverage capsule 131. Consequently, the first comparison quantity should also be updated along with the first quantity. That is, if the replenishment personnel add a correct first beverage capsule 131 to the current storage channel 120 with the category information of first beverage capsule 131, the first comparison quantity should be equal to the first quantity.

[0070] S160, Generate the first warning message.

[0071] If a replenishment operator adds a beverage capsule 130 to the current storage channel 120 corresponding to the first beverage capsule 131, and the first comparison quantity does not update accordingly, it means that the newly added beverage capsule 130 was not detected by the grating group 511. This implies two possible scenarios: first, the beverage capsule 130 was not installed in the current storage channel 120 in the correct orientation; second, the beverage capsule 130 is not the first beverage capsule 131, but the second beverage capsule 132, indicating a replenishment error by the operator. Consequently, the control unit will generate a first warning message, which can be displayed on the screen or played through a speaker accompanied by flashing lights to alert the operator of the replenishment error, requesting the replenishment of the first beverage capsule 131 or checking whether the beverage capsule 130 is installed in the correct orientation.

[0072] S170. Determine if the first comparison quantity is greater than zero. If yes, proceed to step S180; otherwise, proceed to step S190.

[0073] If the category information corresponding to the current storage channel 120 is the second beverage capsule 132, then after the replenishment personnel correctly insert a new second beverage capsule 132, the various grating groups 511 that were originally unable to sense the second beverage capsule 132 will not be sensed at this time. Consequently, the first comparison quantity should also remain zero. That is, if the replenishment personnel add a correct second beverage capsule 132 to the current storage channel 120 with the category information of second beverage capsule 132, the first comparison quantity should always be zero.

[0074] S180, Generate a second warning message.

[0075] If a replenishment operator adds a beverage capsule 130 to the current storage channel 120 corresponding to the second beverage capsule 132, and the first comparison quantity becomes greater than zero, it means that the newly added beverage capsule 130 has been detected by the new grating group 511. This indicates that the beverage capsule 130 has fallen outside the storage channel 120 or that the beverage capsule 130 is the first beverage capsule 131. Subsequently, the control unit will generate a second warning message, which can be displayed on the screen or played through a speaker in conjunction with flashing lights to remind the replenishment operator of a replenishment error, requesting the replenishment of the second beverage capsule 132 or checking whether the beverage capsule 130 is installed in the correct position.

[0076] S190, Confirmation that the new beverage capsules have been successfully restocked.

[0077] If the type information of the current storage channel 120 corresponds to the first beverage capsule 131, and the first quantity and the first comparison quantity are consistent, then it can be determined that the operation of adding beverage capsule 130 this time has been completed correctly; if the type information of the current storage channel 120 corresponds to the second beverage capsule 132, and the first comparison quantity remains zero, then it can be determined that the operation of adding beverage capsule 130 this time has been completed correctly.

[0078] In one embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the storage information also includes the maximum number of beverage capsules 130 contained in the current storage channel 120. In this case, step S190 may further include steps S210-S230:

[0079] S210. Determine whether the first quantity is equal to the maximum quantity; if yes, execute steps S220-S230 in sequence; if no, execute step S240.

[0080] S220, Generate the third warning message.

[0081] S230. In response to the third warning information, according to the storage information corresponding to each of the storage channels, another storage channel that needs to be replenished with beverage capsules is rotated to the top of the conveying module by the rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is updated to the current storage channel.

[0082] S240, Maintain the current position of the storage channel.

[0083] In this embodiment, each storage channel 120 corresponds to its own maximum quantity, which represents the maximum number of beverage capsules 130 that the storage channel 120 can store. If a replenishment personnel adds a new beverage capsule 130 with the correct specifications and category information to the current storage channel 120, the control unit can update the current first quantity and the maximum quantity. If the first quantity and the maximum quantity are equal, the control unit will generate a third warning message. This third warning message can be displayed on the screen or played through a speaker and accompanied by flashing lights to remind the replenishment personnel that the current storage channel 120 has been replenished. Subsequently, the control unit will automatically identify another storage channel 120 that needs to be replenished with beverage capsules 130 and rotate the other storage channel 120 above the conveyor module 300 so that the replenishment personnel can replenish the other storage channel 120. If the first quantity is still less than the maximum quantity, the current storage channel 120 will remain stationary so that the replenishment personnel can continue replenishing. It can be seen that the above steps can ensure that the current storage channel 120 is replenished with a sufficient amount of beverage capsules 130.

[0084] In one embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, step S230 may specifically include the following steps:

[0085] S231. Obtain the first number of beverage capsules corresponding to each of the storage channels;

[0086] S232. Sort each of the storage channels in descending order according to the corresponding first quantity to obtain the first ranking of each of the storage channels;

[0087] S233. Determine whether there is another storage channel whose first ranking is lower than the current storage channel; if so, proceed to step S234; if not, proceed to step S235.

[0088] S234. Rotate the other storage channel, whose first position is lower than the current storage channel and whose first position is adjacent to the current storage channel, to above the transmission module by rotating the rotating cylinder;

[0089] S235. Confirm that all storage channels have been replenished.

[0090] In this embodiment, another storage channel 120 needs to be selected for continued replenishment. At this time, the first quantity corresponding to each storage channel 120 can be obtained and sorted in descending order. After sorting the first quantities in descending order, the storage channel 120 with the highest first-ranking quantity is the storage channel 120 with the largest first quantity. If the first storage channel 120 has been replenished, the rotating cylinder 110 can rotate the other storage channel 120, whose first-ranking quantity is second only to the current storage channel 120, to the top of the conveyor module 300. This other storage channel 120 is the storage channel 120 with the second-highest first quantity. The purpose of this step is to replenish the beverage capsules 130 in a single storage channel 120 to the maximum quantity as much as possible, preventing insufficient quantity of beverage capsules 130 carried by the replenishment personnel. If there is no other storage channel 120 with a lower first-ranking quantity than the current storage channel 120, it means that the first quantity of all storage channels 120 is equal to the maximum quantity, and it can be determined that all storage channels 120 have been replenished. The first quantity of beverage capsules 130 corresponding to each storage channel 120 is the first quantity recorded by the camera 520 for each storage channel 120 during the last replenishment operation.

[0091] In another implementation, such as Figure 6 As shown, step S230 may further include the following steps S2301-S2307:

[0092] S2301. Obtain the category information corresponding to each of the storage channels;

[0093] S2302. Determine whether there exists a storage channel of the same type as the current storage channel, and the first number is less than the maximum number; if yes, proceed with steps S2303-S2305 in sequence; if no, proceed with step S2306.

[0094] S2303. Obtain the second number of storage channels that are spaced apart from each similar storage channel and the current storage channel;

[0095] S2304. Sort each of the same type of storage channels in ascending order according to the corresponding second quantity to obtain the second ranking corresponding to each of the same type of storage channels.

[0096] S2305. Rotate the second highest-ranking storage channel of the same type to above the transmission module using a rotating cylinder;

[0097] S2306. Rotate any dissimilar storage channel that is different from the category information of the current storage channel to the top of the transmission module by rotating the rotating cylinder.

[0098] In this implementation, the next storage channel 120 to be replenished is determined based on the type information corresponding to the storage channel 120. If there is a storage channel 120 of the same type as the current storage channel 120 that has not yet been replenished with beverage capsules 130 (the first quantity is less than the maximum quantity), then the number of storage channels 120 between all similar storage channels 120 and the current storage channel 120 is sorted in ascending order to obtain the second rank of each similar storage channel 120. The higher the second rank of a similar storage channel 120, the fewer the number of storage channels 120 between it and the current storage channel 120. Subsequently, the similar storage channel 120 with the highest second rank is rotated above the conveyor module 300 for replenishment. Through the above operation, the nearest similar storage channel 120 can be replenished first, ensuring that beverage capsules 130 of the same specification are replenished first, while speeding up the replenishment efficiency. If no similar storage channel 120 needs replenishment, the dissimilar storage channel 120 with different information is rotated above the conveyor module 300 for replenishment of another type of beverage capsule 130. Alternatively, the dissimilar storage channels 120 can be sorted in ascending order based on the number of storage channels 120 adjacent to the current storage channel 120, resulting in a third ranking, and the dissimilar storage channel 120 with the highest third ranking is rotated above the conveyor module 300.

[0099] As can be seen, in the beverage machine replenishment method provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the coordinated operation of the grating component 510 and the camera 520 enables strict monitoring of the replenishment of beverage capsules 130, which plays a role in preventing errors by replenishment personnel. It effectively prevents the incorrect correspondence between the specifications of beverage capsules 130 and the storage information of storage channels 120, and also prevents the incorrect installation posture of beverage capsules 130, thereby effectively ensuring the accuracy of providing beverages to users. On the other hand, it can effectively speed up the replenishment efficiency and prioritize ensuring that the beverage capsules 130 in each storage channel 120 corresponding to different specifications of beverage capsules 130 are replenished to the maximum quantity, ensuring smooth supply to users.

[0100] Please see Figures 7-8 ,like Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides a beverage brewing method for the above-mentioned dual-specification automatic beverage machine 10, the method comprising the following steps S310-S350:

[0101] S310. In response to a beverage brewing request, based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the storage channel storing the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage brewing request is rotated above the conveying module by a rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is designated as the current storage channel; wherein, the beverage brewing request includes category information of the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage; the storage information and the category information both correspond to a first beverage capsule or a second beverage capsule.

[0102] Users can select on the touchscreen to generate a beverage brewing request. For example, if a user selects a beverage with a larger capacity, the beverage brewing request corresponds to the first beverage capsule 131. Subsequently, the control unit rotates the storage channel 120 corresponding to the first beverage capsule 131 above the conveying module 300 and uses the storage channel 120 as the current storage channel 120.

[0103] S320. The beverage capsule located at the bottom of the current storage channel is dropped so that it falls into the conveying module.

[0104] Subsequently, the control unit can control the top rod in the storage channel 120 to move so that the beverage capsule 130 located at the bottom of the current storage channel 120 falls into the conveying module 300 below.

[0105] S330. The beverage capsule is transported to the extraction module via the conveying module.

[0106] The conveyor module 300 can transport the fallen beverage capsule 130 to the extraction module 200, and then wait for the beverage container 610 to arrive below the extraction module 200.

[0107] S340. The beverage container in the cup dropping module is dropped, and the beverage container is transported to the bottom of the extraction module through the supply platform module.

[0108] The cup-dropping module 600 can drop the beverage container 610 onto the supply platform module, and then transport the beverage container 610 to below the extraction module via the supply platform module. Specifically, the cup-dropping module 600 is divided into a first cup-dropping module 601 and a second cup-dropping module 602. If the beverage capsule 130 is the first beverage capsule 131, then the first cup-dropping module 601 drops the first beverage container 611; if the beverage capsule 130 is the second beverage capsule 132, then the second cup-dropping module 602 drops the second beverage container 612.

[0109] S350. Hot water is supplied to the extraction module through the brewing module to extract the beverage capsule and allow the resulting beverage to fall into the beverage container.

[0110] In this embodiment, after the brewing module 400 generates hot water, it can be delivered to the extraction module 200. The extraction module 200 can extract the beverage ingredients inside the beverage capsule 130, and the resulting beverage falls into the beverage container 610, completing the brewing process. Finally, the retrieval door on the cabinet door 810 opens, and the user can retrieve the beverage through the retrieval slot.

[0111] In one embodiment, such as Figure 8 As shown, the following steps may be included before step S340:

[0112] S341. Determine whether the bottommost grating group in the grating assembly has sensed the beverage capsule; if yes, proceed with steps S342-S343 in sequence; if no, proceed with step S346.

[0113] S342. Obtain the storage information corresponding to the current storage channel;

[0114] S343. Determine whether the category information corresponds to the second beverage capsule; if yes, proceed with steps S344-S345 in sequence; if no, proceed with step S348.

[0115] S344. Mark the current storage channel as a faulty storage channel;

[0116] S345. Based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, rotate the other storage channel storing the second beverage capsule to the top of the conveying module through the rotating cylinder, update the other storage channel to the current storage channel, and return to step S341.

[0117] S346. Determine whether the category information corresponds to the first beverage capsule; if not, proceed to step S347; if yes, proceed to step S348.

[0118] S347. Based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the other storage channel storing the first beverage capsule is rotated above the conveying module by the rotating cylinder, and the other storage channel is updated to the current storage channel;

[0119] S348. Determine that the current storage channel is in normal storage state.

[0120] In this embodiment, it is first necessary to determine whether the bottommost grating group 511 has sensed the beverage capsule 130. If the beverage capsule 130 has been sensed, and the current storage channel 120 corresponds to the second beverage capsule 132, it can be determined that the beverage capsule 130 at the bottom of the current storage channel 120 is the first beverage capsule 131, or the beverage capsule 130 at the bottom of the current storage channel 120 is not in the correct position. If the beverage capsule 130 is forcibly dropped at this time, it may result in the dropping of a beverage capsule of the wrong specification or damage to the beverage capsule 130. Therefore, the current storage channel 120 needs to be marked as a faulty storage channel 120 so that maintenance personnel can be aware of the faulty storage channel 120 and repair it in time. At the same time, the storage channel 120 corresponding to the second beverage capsule 132 needs to be rotated to the top of the conveying module 300 and used as the new current storage channel 120, and the sensing status of the bottommost grating group 511 needs to be determined again. Correspondingly, if the bottommost grating assembly 511 does not detect the beverage capsule 130, but the current storage channel 120 corresponds to the first beverage capsule 131, it is also necessary to determine that the current storage channel 120 is malfunctioning. The grating assembly 510 can further ensure the correctness of the beverage capsule 130's specifications before it falls.

[0121] In one embodiment, the conveying module 300 includes a first conveying module 301 and a second conveying module 302 arranged side-by-side below the storage module 100; both the first conveying module 301 and the second conveying module 302 include a capsule holder assembly 310 and a guide assembly 330; the capsule holder assembly 310 is tractively connected to the guide assembly 330 and can move axially along the guide assembly 330 between the storage module 100 and the extraction module 200; the capsule holder assembly 310 has a receiving groove 320 for accommodating the beverage capsule 130; the capsule holder assembly 310 can rotate axially around the guide assembly 330; when the capsule holder assembly 310 rotates in a first direction, the receiving groove 320 faces... The beverage capsule 130 is received at the bottom of the storage channel 120 as it falls from the storage channel 120; when the capsule holder assembly 310 rotates in the second direction, the receiving groove 320 tilts away from the storage module 100, causing the extracted beverage capsule 130 to fall from the receiving groove 320; the capsule holder assembly 310 in the first conveying module 301 and the capsule holder assembly 310 in the second conveying module 302 are respectively the first capsule holder assembly 311 and the second capsule holder assembly 312; the receiving groove 320 of the first capsule holder assembly 311 is adapted to the first beverage capsule 131, and the receiving groove 320 of the second capsule holder assembly 312 is adapted to the second beverage capsule 132;

[0122] At this point, the following steps may be further included before step S340:

[0123] Based on the category information of the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage brewing request, determine whether the category information corresponds to the first beverage capsule;

[0124] If the category information corresponds to the first beverage capsule, then the first capsule holder assembly is moved below the extraction module, and the first capsule holder assembly is used as the current capsule holder assembly;

[0125] If the category information does not correspond to the first beverage capsule, the second capsule holder assembly is moved below the extraction module and used as the current capsule holder assembly.

[0126] Rotate the current capsule holder assembly so that the receiving slot of the current capsule holder assembly faces the bottom of the current storage channel.

[0127] In this embodiment, the control unit can select either the first conveying module 301 or the second conveying module 302 based on the type information of the beverage capsule 130 corresponding to the current storage channel 120, so as to ensure the stable transportation of the beverage capsule 130.

[0128] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A dual-specification automatic beverage machine, characterized in that, include: The cabinet includes a cabinet door that is movably disposed on one side; A storage module is disposed inside the cabinet; the storage module includes a rotating cylinder rotatable about an axial direction and multiple vertically arranged storage channels surrounding the side wall of the rotating cylinder; each storage channel contains multiple beverage capsules for holding beverage ingredients stacked vertically, each beverage capsule protruding from the storage channel in a direction away from the rotating cylinder; each beverage capsule includes a first beverage capsule and a second beverage capsule; the first length of the first beverage capsule protruding from the storage channel is greater than the second length of the second beverage capsule protruding from the storage channel; the beverage capsule can be placed into the storage channel from the top and fall down along the storage channel; wherein, a single storage channel stores only one of the first beverage capsule and the second beverage capsule; An extraction module is used to extract the beverage capsules and generate a beverage; A conveying module is used to transport the beverage capsule from the storage module to the extraction module; the rotating cylinder can rotate to align the single storage channel above the conveying module; the beverage capsule can fall from the bottom of the storage channel and be received by the conveying module. The brewing module is connected to the extraction module and is used to provide the hot water required for extraction. The replenishment module includes a grating assembly and a camera; the camera is positioned opposite the side wall of the storage module and is used to capture images of the storage channel aligned with the conveying module; the grating assembly includes multiple grating groups for sensing the beverage capsules; each grating group is located at the same height as each beverage capsule in the storage channel aligned with the conveying module; the distance between each grating group and the storage channel aligned with the conveying module is greater than the second length and less than or equal to the first length; A cup-dropping module is used to store and drop beverage containers, which are used to receive beverages below the extraction module; A supply platform module is used to receive the beverage container and store the beverage container below the extraction module; The control unit is electrically connected to the storage module, extraction module, conveying module, brewing module, replenishment module, cup dropping module, and supply platform module.

2. The dual-specification automatic beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying module includes a first conveying module and a second conveying module arranged side-by-side below the storage module; both the first and second conveying modules include a capsule holder assembly and a guide assembly; the capsule holder assembly is tractively connected to the guide assembly and can move axially along the guide assembly between the storage module and the extraction module; the capsule holder assembly has a receiving slot for accommodating the beverage capsules; the capsule holder assembly can rotate axially around the guide assembly; when the capsule holder assembly rotates in a first direction, the receiving slot faces the bottom of the storage channel to receive the beverage capsules falling from the storage channel; when the capsule holder assembly rotates in a second direction, the receiving slot tilts away from the storage module and causes the extracted beverage capsules to fall from the receiving slot. The capsule holder assembly in the first conveying module and the capsule holder assembly in the second conveying module are respectively a first capsule holder assembly and a second capsule holder assembly; the receiving slot of the first capsule holder assembly is adapted to the first beverage capsule, and the receiving slot of the second capsule holder assembly is adapted to the second beverage capsule.

3. The dual-specification automatic beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cup-dropping module vertically stacks and stores multiple beverage containers; the cup-dropping module includes a first cup-dropping module and a second cup-dropping module arranged side by side; the beverage containers stored in the first cup-dropping module are first beverage containers; the beverage containers stored in the second cup-dropping module are second beverage containers; the supply platform module can move to below the first cup-dropping module or the second cup-dropping module and receive the first beverage container falling from the bottom of the first cup-dropping module or the second beverage container falling from the bottom of the second cup-dropping module; the internal volume of the first beverage container is larger than the internal volume of the second beverage container; the first beverage container is used to receive the beverage produced after extraction from the first beverage capsule; the second beverage container is used to receive the beverage produced after extraction from the second beverage capsule.

4. A beverage machine replenishment method, applied to the control unit of a dual-specification automatic beverage machine as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method includes: In response to a replenishment request, based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the storage channel requiring replenishment of beverage capsules is rotated above the conveying module using a rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is designated as the current storage channel; wherein, the storage information includes a first quantity of beverage capsules in the current storage channel and category information of the beverage capsules; the category information corresponds to a first beverage capsule or a second beverage capsule; When the camera detects that a new beverage capsule has been added to the current storage channel, the first quantity is incremented by one. The first comparison quantity is determined based on the number of grating groups currently sensed in the beverage capsule; When the beverage capsule is the first beverage capsule, if the first comparison quantity is less than the first quantity, a first warning message is generated; When the beverage capsule is the second beverage capsule, if the first comparison quantity is greater than zero, a second warning message is generated.

5. The beverage machine replenishment method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The storage information also includes the maximum number of beverage capsules that can be held in the current storage channel; After generating the second warning message, the process also includes: If the first quantity is equal to the maximum quantity, then a third warning message is generated; In response to the third warning message, based on the storage information corresponding to each of the storage channels, another storage channel that needs to be replenished with beverage capsules is rotated above the conveying module by a rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is updated to the current storage channel.

6. The beverage machine replenishment method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Based on the storage information corresponding to each of the storage channels, another storage channel requiring replenishment of beverage capsules is rotated above the conveying module via a rotating cylinder, including: Obtain the first number of beverage capsules corresponding to each of the storage channels; The storage channels are sorted in descending order according to the corresponding first quantity to obtain the first ranking of each storage channel; If there is another storage channel whose first position is lower than the current storage channel, the other storage channel whose first position is lower than the current storage channel and whose first position is adjacent to the current storage channel is rotated to above the transmission module by a rotating cylinder.

7. The beverage machine replenishment method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Based on the storage information corresponding to each of the storage channels, another storage channel requiring replenishment of beverage capsules is rotated above the conveying module via a rotating cylinder, including: Obtain the category information corresponding to each of the aforementioned storage channels; If there exists a similar storage channel with the same category information as the current storage channel, and the first number is less than the maximum number, obtain the second number of storage channels that are spaced apart from the current storage channel for each similar storage channel. Sort each of the same type of storage channels in ascending order according to the corresponding second quantity to obtain the second ranking of each of the same type of storage channels. The second-highest storage channel of the same type is rotated above the transfer module by a rotating cylinder.

8. A beverage machine brewing method, applied to the control unit of a dual-specification automatic beverage machine as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method includes: In response to a beverage brewing request, based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the storage channel containing the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage brewing request is rotated above the conveying module by a rotating cylinder, and the storage channel located above the conveying module is designated as the current storage channel; wherein, the beverage brewing request includes the category information of the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage; both the storage information and the category information correspond to a first beverage capsule or a second beverage capsule; The beverage capsule located at the bottom of the current storage channel is dropped so that it falls into the conveying module. The beverage capsules are transported to the extraction module via the conveying module. The beverage container in the cup dropping module is dropped, and the beverage container is transported to the bottom of the extraction module through the supply platform module; Hot water is supplied to the extraction module through the brewing module to extract the beverage capsules and allow the resulting beverage to fall into the beverage container.

9. The beverage machine brewing method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The step of dropping the beverage capsule located at the bottom of the current storage channel before it falls into the conveying module includes: Determine whether the bottommost grating group in the grating assembly senses the beverage capsule; If the bottommost grating group in the grating assembly senses the beverage capsule, then the storage information corresponding to the current storage channel is obtained; If the category information corresponds to the second beverage capsule, then the current storage channel is marked as a faulty storage channel; Based on the storage information corresponding to each storage channel, the rotating cylinder rotates another storage channel storing the second beverage capsule to the top of the conveying module, and updates the other storage channel to the current storage channel.

10. The beverage machine brewing method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The conveying module includes a first conveying module and a second conveying module arranged side-by-side below the storage module; both the first and second conveying modules include a capsule holder assembly and a guide assembly; the capsule holder assembly is tractively connected to the guide assembly and can move axially along the guide assembly between the storage module and the extraction module; the capsule holder assembly has a receiving slot for accommodating the beverage capsules; the capsule holder assembly can rotate axially around the guide assembly; when the capsule holder assembly rotates in a first direction, the receiving slot faces the bottom of the storage channel to receive the beverage capsules falling from the storage channel; when the capsule holder assembly rotates in a second direction, the receiving slot tilts away from the storage module and causes the extracted beverage capsules to fall from the receiving slot. The capsule holder assembly in the first conveying module and the capsule holder assembly in the second conveying module are respectively a first capsule holder assembly and a second capsule holder assembly; the receiving slot of the first capsule holder assembly is adapted to the first beverage capsule, and the receiving slot of the second capsule holder assembly is adapted to the second beverage capsule; Before dropping the beverage capsule located at the bottom of the current storage channel, the following steps are included: Based on the category information of the beverage capsule corresponding to the beverage brewing request, determine whether the category information corresponds to the first beverage capsule; If the category information corresponds to the first beverage capsule, then the first capsule holder assembly is moved below the extraction module, and the first capsule holder assembly is used as the current capsule holder assembly; If the category information does not correspond to the first beverage capsule, the second capsule holder assembly is moved below the extraction module and used as the current capsule holder assembly. Rotate the current capsule holder assembly so that the receiving slot of the current capsule holder assembly faces the bottom of the current storage channel.

Images