Particle delivery device and beverage machine

Abstract

The application provides a granular material delivery device and a beverage machine, the granular material delivery device comprising: a fixing base; a storage box arranged above the fixing base, the storage box having a storage cavity for accommodating granular material; a driving mechanism comprising a motor and a transmission shaft driven to rotate by the motor; the storage box comprises a support plate for supporting the granular material, the support plate is provided with a discharge port in communication with the storage cavity, the transmission shaft is in transmission connection with the support plate, and the support plate is movably arranged relative to the transmission shaft; under the driving of the transmission shaft, the support plate can move relative to the fixing base. The support plate is driven by the transmission shaft, the movement of the support plate can drive the granular material in the storage cavity, the granular material is prevented from being stuck during the movement to the discharge port, and the reliable delivery of the granular material is ensured.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of beverage machines, in particular to a granular material dispensing device and a beverage machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] Beverage machines on the market need to inject a brewing material and a certain amount of water into a brewing chamber to prepare a beverage. Taking an automatic coffee machine as an example, coffee particles can be transported into the brewing chamber, and after brewing is completed, the coffee liquid can be discharged from the brewing chamber. Thus, the brewing chamber needs to be cleaned regularly to remove grease and particles left over during brewing. In order to clean the brewing chamber, cleaning material needs to be introduced into the brewing chamber for cleaning, which can be a liquid cleaner or a solid granular material.

[0003] When cleaning the automatic coffee machine, if a liquid cleaner is used to clean the brewing chamber, the amount of cleaner needs to be strictly controlled to avoid residual cleaner, which requires a complex system to control and detect the amount of cleaner, and the user is also likely to cause the cleaner to spill or overflow when adding the liquid cleaner.

[0004] When cleaning the automatic coffee machine, of course, a solid granular material can also be used. When the brewing chamber needs to be cleaned, the user can manually add an appropriate amount of granular material into the brewing chamber, for example, a channel with an external opening can be provided to introduce the granular material into the brewing chamber, and the user only needs to put the granular material from the external opening. However, each cleaning operation needs to be performed manually by the user, which is time-consuming and laborious, and brings great inconvenience to the user. In order to improve the convenience of cleaning, an automatic granular material dispensing device can be used, but in the prior art, the granular material is easily jammed during automatic dispensing, so that the granular material cannot be smoothly dispensed into the brewing chamber, and the user experience is poor. SUMMARY

[0005] One object of the present application is to provide a granular material dispensing device that is reliable to use.

[0006] Another object of the present application is to provide a beverage machine that is reliable to use.

[0007] To achieve one of the above objects, the present application provides a granular material dispensing device, comprising:

[0008] a fixed seat;

[0009] a storage box arranged above the fixed seat, the storage box having a storage cavity for accommodating granular material;

[0010] a drive mechanism comprising a motor and a transmission shaft driven to rotate by the motor;

[0011] The storage box comprises a support plate for supporting the particles, the support plate is provided with a discharge port communicated with the accommodating cavity, the transmission shaft is in transmission connection with the support plate, and the support plate is movably arranged relative to the transmission shaft; under the driving of the transmission shaft, the support plate can move relative to the fixed seat.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are that the support plate is driven by the transmission shaft, the movement of the support plate can drive the particles in the accommodating cavity, prevent the particles from being stuck during the movement to the discharge port, and ensure reliable particle conveying. Moreover, the movement of the support plate can also prevent the particles from sticking together, ensure reliable particle conveying, and provide a good user experience.

[0013] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the movement of the support plate relative to the fixed seat is intermittent movement, and the number of movements of the support plate relative to the fixed seat per unit time is greater than or equal to the number of rotations of the transmission shaft.

[0014] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the support plate intermittently moves in the first direction under the driving of the transmission shaft, the support plate is connected to a reset element, and the reset element applies a reset force to the support plate in the reverse direction of the first direction.

[0015] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the support plate relative to the fixed seat can perform at least one of the following movements:

[0016] Moving radially along the transmission shaft; moving axially along the transmission shaft; rotating around the transmission shaft.

[0017] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the storage box further comprises a box wall, the support plate is arranged in the surrounding space of the box wall, and the accommodating cavity is defined by the box wall and the support plate; the support plate is movably arranged relative to the box wall, and under the driving of the transmission shaft, the support plate moves relative to the box wall along the radial direction of the transmission shaft.

[0018] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the support plate and the box wall have a preset gap in the first direction, and through the preset gap, the support plate can move linearly relative to the box wall in the first direction.

[0019] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the storage box further comprises a bottom plate, the bottom plate is fixedly arranged at the bottom of the box wall; the transmission shaft passes through the bottom plate and is in transmission connection with the support plate, and the support plate is movably supported above the bottom plate in the first direction.

[0020] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, the bottom plate is integrally arranged with the box wall, the support plate is slidingly connected with the bottom plate in the first direction, and the bottom plate can shield the preset gap.

[0021] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, the support plate is connected with a reset element, a first end of the reset element is in abutment with the bottom plate, a second end of the reset element is in abutment with the support plate, and the reset element provides a reset force to the support plate in the reverse direction of the first direction.

[0022] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, a first limiting portion is arranged on the side of the support plate facing the bottom plate, the bottom plate is provided with a second limiting portion matched with the first limiting portion, and the second end is in abutment with the first limiting portion; the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion can be in abutment in the first direction to limit the movement stroke of the support plate relative to the bottom plate in the opposite direction of the first direction.

[0023] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, a blocking portion is arranged on the support plate, and a driving portion is arranged on the transmission shaft and in transmission connection with the blocking portion; under the driving of the transmission shaft, the driving teeth are in transmission abutment with the blocking portion to drive the movement of the support plate relative to the fixed seat.

[0024] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, a clearance hole is arranged on the support plate for the transmission shaft to pass through, a protruding rib is arranged on the side of the support plate facing the fixed seat, the protruding rib at least partially surrounds the clearance hole to form a matching groove, and the blocking portion is formed in the matching groove.

[0025] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, at least one driving tooth is arranged on the transmission shaft, the driving tooth forms the driving portion, and in the case that a plurality of driving teeth are arranged on the transmission shaft, the plurality of driving teeth are arranged in a spaced manner along the circumference of the transmission shaft; the driving tooth is in intermittent transmission abutment with the blocking portion to intermittently drive the movement of the support plate relative to the fixed seat.

[0026] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, a cam is arranged on the transmission shaft, the cam forms the driving portion, and along the circumference of the transmission shaft, the cam can be in transmission abutment with the blocking portion.

[0027] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the application, a lever is connected with the transmission shaft, the transmission shaft is in transmission connection with the lever through the support plate, and the transmission shaft can drive the lever to rotate synchronously.

[0028] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present application, the granular material is spherical, the cross section of the lever is polygonal, and the difference between the radius of the circumscribed circle and the radius of the inscribed circle of the polygon is less than the radius of the granular material.

[0029] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present application, the support plate comprises a bearing surface for supporting the granular material, and the bearing surface is configured as a spiral surface with the center line of the discharge port as the spiral center line.

[0030] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present application, the spiral surface at least satisfies one of the following features:

[0031] Along the radial direction of the spiral center line, the spiral surface is inclined downward towards the center of the discharge port;

[0032] Along the axial direction of the spiral center line, the height difference between the highest point and the lowest point of the spiral surface is less than or equal to one pitch.

[0033] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present application, the end of the transmission shaft towards the fixed seat is provided with a conveying disc, and the fixed seat is provided with a conveying outlet; the conveying disc is provided with at least one conveying cavity, and the conveying disc drives the conveying cavity to sequentially communicate with the discharge port and the conveying outlet as the transmission shaft rotates.

[0034] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present application, the outer periphery of the conveying disc is provided with transmission teeth, the motor drives the conveying disc to rotate through the transmission teeth, and the transmission shaft is integrally arranged with the conveying disc.

[0035] As a further improvement of the embodiment of the present application, the storage box further comprises a bottom plate and a box wall arranged on the bottom plate, the support plate is arranged above the bottom plate, the bottom plate is provided with a storage channel communicating with the discharge port, and the storage channel can communicate the containing cavity and the conveying cavity; the storage channel has a storage space, and along the direction of the granular material entering the storage channel, the storage space is arranged to be capable of accommodating at least one granular material.

[0036] The present application also provides a beverage machine comprising a main body, the main body is provided with a target cleaning chamber, and the main body is provided with the granular material delivery device according to any one of the above embodiments, and the granular material delivery device is used to distribute granular material to the target cleaning chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic view of the granular material delivery device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Figure 2 isFigure 1 Enlarged schematic view of the granular material delivery device a portion of the device in Fig.

[0039] Figure 3 Figure 1 Perspective exploded schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig.

[0040] Figure 4 Figure 1 Cross-sectional schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig.

[0041] Figure 5 Similar to Fig. Figure 4

[0042] Figure 6 Cross-sectional schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig. Figure 5

[0043] Figure 7 Cross-sectional schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig. Figure 4

[0044] Figure 8 Cross-sectional schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig. Figure 7

[0045] Figure 9 Enlarged schematic view of the push lever.

[0046] Figure 10 Perspective schematic view of the support plate.

[0047] Figure 11 Figure 10 Perspective schematic view of the support plate in Fig.

[0048] Figure 12 Figure 7 Cross-sectional schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig.

[0049] Figure 13 Similar to Fig. Figure 7 Cross-sectional schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig.

[0050] Figure 14 Similar to Fig. Figure 7 Cross-sectional schematic view of the granular material delivery device in Fig.

[0051] Figure 15 Similar to Fig. Figure 7 ​​​​​​​​The cross-sectional view of the particulate delivery device along line EE is similar to that shown in the schematic diagram of the particulate conveying process, in which the conveying chamber is in the output position.

[0052] Figure 16 and Figure 7 The cross-sectional view of the particulate delivery device along line EE is similar to that shown in the schematic diagram of the particulate conveying process, in which the conveying chamber is in the detection position.

[0053] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of a beverage machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] The repeated use of reference numerals in this specification and the accompanying drawings is intended to indicate the same or similar features or elements of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0055] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0056] It should be understood that terms such as “above,” “over,” “below,” and “under” used herein to indicate spatial relative position are for illustrative purposes to describe the relationship of one unit or feature relative to another unit or feature as shown in the accompanying drawings. The terms “spatial relative position” may be intended to include different orientations of the equipment in use or operation other than those shown in the figures.

[0057] The particulate matter delivery device in this specific embodiment of the invention will be described using a particulate matter delivery device 100 for a coffee machine as an example. A coffee machine generally includes a brewer, into which beverage particles and water are introduced to prepare the beverage. A coffee machine may also include a milk frother for making hot milk or milk foam to create different flavored beverages. Both the brewer and the milk frother require regular cleaning to ensure safer and more hygienic use of the coffee machine. Particulate matter used for auxiliary cleaning can be added to the brewer or milk frother, or it can be mixed with water and introduced into the brewer or milk frother through a cleaning channel. The brewer and milk frother constitute the target cleaning chamber of the coffee machine. Of course, other cavities that need cleaning can also be considered as target cleaning chambers.

[0058] The particulate dispensing device 100 can be connected to a beverage machine, particularly an automatic or semi-automatic beverage machine, such as a coffee machine or tea machine, via a connecting device or support. In the illustrated embodiment, the particulate dispensing device 100 can be permanently integrated into the beverage machine; alternatively, it can be detachably mounted to the beverage machine using screws or a bracket of the particulate dispensing device itself.

[0059] Referring to Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the granular material feeding device 100 comprises a fixed seat 20, a storage box 30 arranged above the fixed seat 20, and a driving mechanism. The storage box 30 has a containing cavity 31 containing granular material, and the fixed seat 20 is used to support the storage box 30 and install the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism comprises a motor 41 arranged on the fixed seat 20 and a transmission shaft 42 driven to rotate by the motor 41. The fixed seat 20 can be a separate structure or a frame structure of the beverage machine itself. The storage box 30 can be any container capable of containing granular material.

[0060] The storage box 30 comprises a support plate 32 for supporting the granular material, and the support plate 32 is provided with a discharge port 321 communicating with the containing cavity 31. The transmission shaft 42 is in transmission connection with the support plate 32, and the support plate 32 is movably arranged relative to the transmission shaft 42. Under the driving of the transmission shaft 42, the support plate 32 can move relative to the fixed seat 20. The movement of the support plate 32 relative to the fixed seat 20 can drive the granular material in the containing cavity 31, prevent the granular material from being stuck during the movement towards the discharge port 321, and ensure reliable delivery of the granular material. Moreover, the movement of the support plate 32 can also prevent the granular material from sticking to each other, ensuring reliable delivery of the granular material and good user experience.

[0061] In this embodiment, the support plate 32 is movably arranged relative to the transmission shaft 42. It can be understood that the support plate 32 and the transmission shaft 42 can move relative to each other, i.e., the support plate 32 and the transmission shaft 42 are not fixed relative to each other. The relative movement between the support plate 32 and the transmission shaft 42 can further improve the anti-sticking effect of the granular material.

[0062] The transmission connection between the transmission shaft 42 and the support plate 32 can have various forms. The movement of the support plate 32 relative to the fixed seat 20 is intermittent movement. In unit time, the number of movements of the support plate 32 relative to the fixed seat 20 is greater than or equal to the number of rotations of the transmission shaft 42. The transmission shaft 42 rotates one circle, and the support plate 32 moves at least once. The intermittent movement of the support plate 32 can more easily drive the granular material to move through the dynamic and static combination.

[0063] For example, the transmission shaft 42 rotates one circle, and the support plate 32 moves intermittently three times. It can be understood that during the rotation of the transmission shaft 42, the support plate 32 is driven to move first, second and third times in turn. The first movement and the second movement, and the second movement and the third movement are separated by the same or different preset time.

[0064] Further, the support plate 32 intermittently moves along the first direction under the drive of the transmission shaft 42, the support plate 32 is connected with the reset element 34, and the reset element 34 applies a reset force to the support plate 32 in the reverse direction of the first direction. By arranging the reset element 34, the reset of the one-way movement of the support plate 32 along the first direction is realized, so that the support plate 32 forms a reciprocating motion. By this arrangement, only one-way driving of the support plate 42 by the transmission shaft 42 is needed in the structure, and the support plate 42 can automatically reset under the reset force of the reset element 34, so that the structure is simple. In addition, the reset movement of the support plate 32 driven by the reset element 34 can generate greater vibration potential energy, and the effects of preventing clamping and adhesion of the particulate matter are better.

[0065] The support plate 32 can move relative to the fixed seat 20 in at least one of the following ways: moving along the radial direction of the transmission shaft 42; moving along the axial direction of the transmission shaft 42; rotating around the transmission shaft 42. Taking the axial direction of the transmission shaft 42 as the vertical direction as an example, the movement of the support plate 32 along the radial direction of the transmission shaft 42 can be horizontal movement, the movement of the support plate 32 along the axial direction of the transmission shaft 42 can be vertical movement, and the rotation of the support plate 32 around the transmission shaft 42 can be the rotation of the support plate 32. For example, in the case that the outer contour of the support plate 32 is circular, the movement of the support plate 32 relative to the fixed seat 20 can be the rotation of the support plate 32 around the transmission shaft 42. Of course, the movement of the support plate 32 can also be a combination of any two of the above movements, for example, the support plate 42 has both vertical movement and horizontal movement; or the support plate 42 has both vertical or horizontal movement and rotation. The support plate 32 is movably arranged relative to the transmission shaft 42, and the support plate 32 cannot always rotate synchronously with the transmission shaft 42, which is more conducive to the movement of the support plate 32 to drive the particulate matter, so as to further improve the clamping prevention effect of the particulate matter.

[0066] In the embodiment, the storage box 30 further includes a box wall 301, the support plate 32 is arranged in the space surrounded by the box wall 301, and the box containing cavity 31 is defined by the box wall 301 and the support plate 32; the support plate 32 is movably arranged relative to the box wall 301, and under the drive of the transmission shaft 42, the support plate 32 moves relative to the box wall 301 along the radial direction of the transmission shaft 42. The support plate 32 moves inside the box wall 301 and does not affect the use of the user.

[0067] The support plate 32 has a preset gap S relative to the box wall 301 along the first direction, and through the preset gap, the support plate 32 can move linearly relative to the box wall 301 along the first direction. It can be understood that the preset gap can provide a clearance space for the movement of the support plate 32 relative to the box wall 301. In the embodiment, the first direction can be exemplified by the direction of the arrow M in Figure 4 Figure 4 It can be understood that the box wall 301 is a side wall.​

[0068] In particular, the storage box 30 further comprises a bottom plate 302 fixedly arranged at the bottom of the box wall 301; the transmission shaft 42 is in transmission connection with the support plate 32 through the bottom plate 302, and the support plate 32 is movably supported above the bottom plate 302 in the first direction. The support plate 32 is movably supported above the bottom plate 302, which facilitates the manufacturing and assembly of the storage box 30. The transmission shaft 42 only drives the movement of the support plate 32, without driving the bottom plate 302, which can reduce the transmission load of the motor 41.

[0069] The bottom plate 302 and the box wall 301 can be integrally arranged, i.e. the bottom plate 302 and the box wall 301 constitute a box body of the storage box 30, and the support plate 32 is installed inside the box body. The support plate 32 is a separate component independent of the box body, which facilitates the installation and replacement of the support plate 32 when damaged. The support plate 32 is in sliding connection with the bottom plate 302 in the first direction, i.e. the support plate 32 can slide on the bottom plate 302 in the first direction or in the opposite direction of the first direction. The bottom plate 302 can block the preset gap to prevent the leakage of the powder of the particulate matter, and the structure is simple and the support of the support plate 32 is more reliable.

[0070] To facilitate the installation of the reset element 34, the first end 341 of the reset element 34 abuts against the bottom plate 302, and the second end 342 of the reset element 34 abuts against the support plate 32. The reset element 34 provides a reset force to the support plate 32 in the opposite direction of the first direction, and the first end 341 and the second end 342 are oppositely arranged. Specifically, the support plate 32 can be moved to a first limit position in the first direction under the driving of the transmission shaft 42. Under the reset force of the reset element 34, the support plate 32 can perform a reset movement in the opposite direction of the first direction from the first limit position to a second limit position. The first limit position and the second limit position are two limit positions of the support plate 32 in the first direction. The arrangement of the reset element 34 can make the transmission shaft 42 only need to drive the support plate 32 to move in one direction, and the movement of the support plate 32 in the opposite direction is driven by the reset element 34. The reset movement of the support plate 32 driven by the reset element 34 can generate greater potential energy of vibration, and the effect of preventing the particulate matter from being stuck and adhered is better. The reset element 34 is configured as a compression spring, and can also be other elements that can generate a reset force, such as repelling magnets.

[0071] In addition, the support plate 32 is provided with a first limiting portion 329 on one side thereof facing the bottom plate 302, the bottom plate 302 is provided with a second limiting portion 309 matched with the first limiting portion 329, and the second end of the reset element 34 abuts against the first limiting portion 329; the first limiting portion 329 and the second limiting portion 309 can abut against each other in the first direction to limit the movement stroke of the support plate 32 in the opposite direction of the first direction relative to the bottom plate 302. The movement stroke of the support plate 32 is limited by the abutment of the two limiting portions, which can make the movement of the support plate 32 more reliable and prevent the support plate 32 from impacting the box wall 301. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , one side of the first limiting portion 329 abuts against the reset element 34 to enable the reset element 34 to drive the support plate 32 to perform a reset movement through the first limiting portion 329, and the other side of the first limiting portion 329 can abut against the second limiting portion 309 to limit the reset movement stroke of the support plate 32, the first limiting portion 329 has high functional integration, which can simplify the structure and make the structure compact on the basis of functional implementation.

[0072] Further, to reduce the collision noise between the first limiting portion 329 and the second limiting portion 309, an elastic gasket can be arranged at the contact position of the first limiting portion 329 and the second limiting portion 309, which can buffer the movement of the first limiting portion 329 to the second limiting portion 309, reduce the noise, and also increase the service life of the support plate 32.

[0073] Continuing to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the support plate 32 is provided with a blocking portion 327, and the transmission shaft 42 is provided with a driving portion 426 in transmission connection with the blocking portion 327, which, under the driving of the transmission shaft 40, abuts against and transmits with the blocking portion 327 to drive the support plate 32 to move relative to the fixed seat 20. The driving portion 426 and the blocking portion 327 can abut against each other to realize the movement of the support plate 32 relative to the fixed seat 20. Figure 4 The direction of the arrow R in the above figure can exemplify the counterclockwise direction in the present embodiment. The arrangement of the driving portion 426 can simplify the transmission connection between the transmission shaft 42 and the support plate 32, thereby making the structure of the delivery device compact and low in cost. Here, the blocking portion 327 and the driving portion 426 interfere with each other in the first direction; under the driving of the transmission shaft 42, the driving portion 426 moves in the counterclockwise direction towards the blocking portion 327, after the contact of the driving portion 426 with the blocking portion 327, the driving portion 426 can drive the blocking portion 327 to move to enable the support plate 32 to move in the first direction, and after the driving portion 426 moves in the counterclockwise direction beyond the blocking portion 327, i.e. after the disconnection of the driving portion 426 from the blocking portion 327, the support plate 32 can be driven by the reset element 34 to perform a reset movement in the opposite direction of the first direction.

[0074] The transmission shaft 42 rotates in the direction of the arrow R, the driving portion 426 abuts against the blocking portion 327, and the driving portion 426 drives the support plate 32 to move in the first direction until Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 6, the driving portion 426 passes the blocking portion 327 in the direction of the arrow, and the support plate 32 is reset in the reverse direction of the first direction under the action of the reset element 34.

[0075] In the embodiment, the transmission shaft 42 is provided with at least one driving tooth 4261, the driving tooth 4261 forms the driving portion 426, and the driving tooth 4261 can be provided one or multiple in the circumferential direction of the transmission shaft 42. In the case where the transmission shaft 42 is provided with multiple driving teeth 4261, the multiple driving teeth 4261 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the transmission shaft 42 at intervals, and the driving tooth 4261 intermittently abuts against the blocking portion 327 for transmission, so that the transmission shaft 42 intermittently drives the support plate 32 to move relative to the fixed seat 20. In the embodiment, the driving tooth 4261 is provided three in the circumferential direction of the transmission shaft 42 at intervals, and the transmission shaft 421 rotates one circle to drive the support plate 32 three times. In this way, the frequency of the reciprocating vibration of the support plate 32 can be increased, and the particles can be further prevented from being stuck or adhered.

[0076] In addition, referring to Figure 11 The support plate 32 is provided with a clearance hole 324 for the transmission shaft 42 to pass through, and the side of the support plate 32 away from the bearing surface 325 is provided with a protruding rib 328, that is, the side of the support plate 32 facing the fixed seat 20 is provided with the protruding rib 328. The protruding rib 328 at least partially surrounds the clearance hole 324 to form a matching groove 326, and the transmission shaft 42 and the matching groove 326 have a gap in the radial direction of the transmission shaft 42. The blocking portion 327 is formed in the matching groove 326. The matching groove 326 is formed by arranging the protruding rib 328 on the back of the support plate 32, and the thickness, material, and protruding height of the protruding rib can be optimized and designed, so that the transmission connection between the transmission shaft 42 and the blocking portion 327 is more reliable, and the service life of the support plate 32 is improved.

[0077] In other implementable schemes, the transmission shaft 42 is provided with a cam, the cam forms the driving portion 426, and the cam can abut against the blocking portion 327 for transmission in the circumferential direction of the transmission shaft 42. The cam can be various forms, for example, an eccentric wheel. The cam can also drive the support plate 32 to move through the blocking portion 327.

[0078] In particular, the transmission shaft 42 is provided with a transmission disc 423 at one end thereof towards the fixed base 20, and the motor 41 and the transmission disc 423 are arranged on the fixed base 20. The fixed base 20 is provided with a conveying outlet 201, and the transmission disc 423 is provided with at least one conveying cavity 422. With rotation of the transmission shaft 42, the transmission disc 423 drives the conveying cavities 422 to be communicated with the discharge outlet 321 and the conveying outlet 201 in sequence. Through rotation of the transmission disc 423, the conveying cavities 422 are communicated with the discharge outlet 321 to automatically receive the granular materials, and the conveying cavities 422 are communicated with the conveying outlet 201 to automatically output the granular materials, so that the granular materials can be quantitatively and automatically delivered, the cleaning capacity can be controlled by measuring the granular materials, the best cleaning effect can be obtained, and the beverage machine can completely automatically perform the cleaning process, thereby facilitating the user to use. The driving mechanism is arranged below the bottom plate 302, and the discharge outlet 321 is offset relative to the rotation axis of the transmission disc 423, so that the transmission disc 423 can conveniently receive the granular materials. In the embodiment, one conveying cavity 422 is arranged, and in other optional embodiments, the number of the conveying cavities 422 can be two, three or more. The plurality of conveying cavities 422 are arranged in a circumferential direction of the transmission disc 423, and each conveying cavity 422 can be communicated with the discharge outlet 321 and the conveying outlet 201 in sequence with one rotation of the transmission disc 423, so that the number of the granular materials delivered per unit time can be increased under the condition that the rotation speed of the transmission disc 423 is unchanged.

[0079] In a specific embodiment, three conveying cavities 422 are arranged, and each conveying cavity 422 can only accommodate one granular material. Each of the three conveying cavities 422 can be communicated with the discharge outlet 321 to receive the granular material under the driving of the transmission disc 42, and then communicated with the conveying outlet 201 to output the granular material. With one rotation of the transmission disc 42, three granular materials can be delivered.

[0080] Optionally, the axis of the motor 41 is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the conveying disc 423, and the outer periphery of the conveying disc 423 is provided with transmission teeth 421, and the motor 41 drives the conveying disc 423 to rotate through the transmission teeth 421. The motor 41 is transversely arranged relative to the conveying disc 423, which can reduce the height of the delivery device along the axial direction of the conveying disc 423, better utilize the space on the fixing base 20, and make the delivery device more compact. A plurality of gear stages can be arranged between the motor 41 and the conveying disc 423 to transmit the power of the motor 41 to the conveying disc 423. Specifically, the output shaft of the motor 41 is connected with a worm 411, a worm wheel 412 and a gear 413 are connected between the conveying disc 423 and the worm 411, the worm 411 is engaged with the worm wheel 412, the worm wheel 412 is coaxially fixed with the gear 413, and the gear 413 is engaged with the transmission teeth 421 on the conveying disc 423. That is, the driving of the motor 41 to the conveying disc 423 is realized through two-stage transmission. The transmission ratio of the worm and the worm wheel is large, and the worm and worm wheel structure can change the transmission direction. The transmission teeth 421 are directly arranged on the outer periphery of the conveying disc 423 to realize the speed reduction transmission of the motor 41 to the conveying disc 423, which is reliable in transmission and makes the entire transmission mechanism more compact. The motor 41 and the conveying disc 423 can also be connected by other transmission mechanisms, such as one or more of bevel gear transmission, chain transmission, and belt transmission.

[0081] In some specific embodiments, the worm wheel 412 and the gear 413 are integrally arranged, which simplifies the structure and improves the strength and stability of the transmission. The transmission shaft 42 is integrally arranged with the conveying disc 423, and the motor 41 drives the conveying disc 423 to rotate at the same time, which drives the transmission shaft 42 to rotate. The structure is simple and the cost is lower.

[0082] It can be understood that the conveying disc 423 drives the conveying cavity 422 to rotate to transport and deliver the particulate matter, and at the same time, the transmission shaft 42 rotates synchronously with the conveying disc 423, the transmission shaft 42 drives the support plate 32 to move, and then drives the particulate matter supported on the support plate 32 to move, thereby realizing the anti-blocking and anti-adhesion of the particulate matter. The support plate 32 can be indirectly driven by the conveying disc 423 for transporting the particulate matter, without the need to separately arrange a corresponding drive for driving the support plate 32, which is a clever and simple structure design.

[0083] The bottom plate 302 is provided with a storage channel 322 communicating with the discharge port 321, and the storage channel 322 extends towards the conveying disc 423. One end of the storage channel 322 communicates with the accommodating cavity 31, and the other end of the storage channel 322 can intermittently communicate with the conveying cavity 422. Specifically, the storage channel 322 has a storage space, and the storage space can be arranged to accommodate at least a single particle in the direction of the particle entering the storage channel 322. In this embodiment, the size of the storage space is arranged to accommodate only a single particle, and another particle can be pre-stored in the storage space when the conveying disc 423 conveys a particle, so as to ensure reliable conveying next time. Specifically, the conveying cavity 422 can also be arranged to accommodate only a single particle, so as to ensure the quantitative output of the particles.

[0084] Of course, the storage space can also be arranged to accommodate multiple particles, and the multiple particles can be sequentially stacked in the storage space in the direction of the particle entering the storage channel 322, so as to prevent the multiple particles from being stuck in the storage space, and facilitate the particles to smoothly and accurately enter the conveying cavity 422 from the storage channel 322. In this embodiment, it can be understood that the multiple particles are sequentially stacked in the storage space in an up-down manner. Of course, the storage space can also extend in a direction that is at an angle to the height direction of the beverage machine, and the multiple particles are sequentially stacked in the storage space in the extension direction of the storage space.

[0085] Further, with reference to Figures 6 to 9 The transmission shaft 42 is connected with the stirring rod 43, the stirring rod 43 extends into the accommodating cavity 31, and the transmission shaft 42 can drive the stirring rod 43 to rotate synchronously. In this way, the transmission shaft 42 can drive the stirring rod 43 to stir the particles stored in the accommodating cavity 31 while moving the support plate 32, so as to prevent multiple particles from being stuck in the dead angle or being unable to enter the discharge port 321 due to being bonded together. The transmission shaft 42 penetrates through the bottom plate 302 and the support plate 32, and is in transmission connection with the stirring rod 43. The stirring rod 43 is directly driven to rotate by the transmission shaft 42, and does not need to be provided with an additional power drive, which can improve the functional integration of the transmission shaft 42 and will not increase the cost of the dispensing device.

[0086] The stirring rod 43 can be any shape that facilitates stirring of the particles. With reference to Figure 8 and Figure 9In the embodiment, the particles are spherical particles, the poking rod 43 is coaxially arranged with the conveying disc 423, the cross section of the poking rod 43 is configured as a polygon, and the radius difference between the circumscribed circle and the inscribed circle of the polygon is less than the radius of the particles. By setting the size of the poking rod 43, the particles can be smoothly stirred, and the probability of the poking rod 43 being stuck by the particles during rotation can be reduced. In the embodiment, the cross section of the poking rod 43 is configured as a triangle, and the radius difference between the circumscribed circle R and the inscribed circle r of the triangle is less than the radius of the particles K. The cross section of the poking rod 43 is configured as a triangle, which is more conducive to stirring the particles and can prevent the poking rod 43 from being stuck by the particles.

[0087] The transmission shaft 42 is fixedly connected with the conveying disc 423, the bottom plate 302 is provided with a positioning hole 323, one end of the transmission shaft 42 away from the conveying cavity 422 passes through the positioning hole 323 into the containing cavity 31 and is connected with the poking rod 43. The conveying disc 423 and the bottom plate 302 can be positioned by the transmission shaft 42, and the transmission shaft 42 is also convenient for connecting the poking rod 43 in the containing cavity 31, so that the conveying of the particles is more reliable. The transmission shaft 42 can not only position the conveying disc 423, but also drive the poking rod 43, so that the dispensing device is more compact in structure on the basis of function realization.

[0088] Of course, the transmission shaft 42 can be integrally arranged on the conveying disc 423 or can be separately arranged on the conveying disc 423. Preferably, in the embodiment, the transmission shaft 42 is integrally arranged with the conveying disc 423, so that the assembly complexity of the dispensing device can be reduced, and the reliability of transmission can be improved.

[0089] Referring to Figure 7 The conveying disc 423 and the fixed seat 20 are provided with an elastic member 46, which can be a compression spring. The two ends of the compression spring abut against the conveying disc 423 and the fixed seat 20, respectively. The elastic member 46 provides an elastic force for the conveying disc 423 to move away from the fixed seat 20 along the direction of the rotation axis, so as to increase the rotation damping of the conveying disc 423 and reduce the rotation noise of the conveying disc 423, thereby realizing noise reduction and improving user experience.

[0090] In order to ensure that the particles can reliably reach the discharge port 321, the support plate 32 can include a bearing surface 325 for supporting the particles. The bearing surface 325 is configured as a spiral surface, and the spiral surface has a center line of the discharge port 321 as a spiral center line. In the height direction of the beverage machine, the part of the bearing surface 325 away from the discharge port 321 is higher than the part of the bearing surface 325 close to the discharge port 321. In this way, the spiral surface can guide the movement of the particles. Due to the action of gravity, the particles can orderly roll or slide to the discharge port 321 under the guidance of the spiral surface. Compared with the bearing surface 325 configured as a flat bottom surface, the bearing surface 325 configured as a spiral surface can reliably convey the particles even when the remaining particles are small.

[0091] In particular, the carrying surface 325 is inclined downwardly along the radial direction of the helical center line towards the center of the discharge port 321. The support plate 32 and the bottom plate 302 are separately arranged, and the support plate 32 can be manufactured separately, so that the shape and size of the support plate 32 are easier to guarantee, and the structure and manufacturing of the storage box 30 itself are simplified, thereby reducing the cost. In addition, the inclination of the carrying surface 325 can form an inclined helical surface, and the particles can be more reliably guided to move towards the discharge port 321.

[0092] In the embodiment, the storage box 30 is configured in a cuboid shape, and the center of the conveying disc 423 is concentrically arranged with the center of the cuboid. Along the width direction of the cuboid, the discharge port 321 deviates from the center of the conveying disc 423. Referring to Figure 10 , along the axial direction of the helical center line, the height difference H between the highest point and the lowest point of the helical surface is less than or equal to one pitch. The size of the helical surface can more reasonably utilize the space in the storage box 30, and the number of particles stored will not affect the reliable output of the particles.

[0093] Referring to Figures 13 to 15 , in the embodiment, one conveying cavity 422 is arranged, and the conveying disc 42 only conveys one particle during one rotation. Along the movement direction of the conveying cavity 422, the conveying cavity 422 sequentially has a waiting position, a receiving position, and an output position. In the waiting position, the conveying cavity 422 is staggered with the discharge port 321 and the conveying outlet 201, as shown in Figure 13 . In the receiving position, the conveying cavity 422 is in communication with the discharge port 321, and the conveying disc 42 is in a receiving particle state, as shown in Figure 14 . In the output position, the conveying cavity 422 is in communication with the conveying outlet 201, and the conveying disc 42 is in a dispensing particle state, as shown in Figure 15 .

[0094] When the conveying disc 42 is in the standby state, the conveying cavity 422 is staggered with the discharge port 321 and the conveying outlet 201, and the particles cannot be contained in the conveying cavity 422 for a long time, which can prevent the particles from being unable to be output due to being stuck in the conveying cavity 422 because of moisture. In addition, when the conveying disc 42 drives the conveying cavity 422 to rotate, the push rod 43 is also driven to rotate, which further ensures that the particles can smoothly fall into the conveying cavity 422 from the discharge port 321.

[0095] In other alternative embodiments, a plurality of conveying cavities 422 can also be arranged, and the conveying disc 42 can convey a plurality of particles during one rotation. Along the movement direction of the conveying disc 42, each of the plurality of conveying cavities 422 sequentially has a waiting position, a receiving position, and an output position. When the conveying disc 42 is in the standby state, each of the conveying cavities 422 is staggered with the discharge port 321 and the conveying outlet 201.

[0096] In particular, the conveying cavity 422 also has a detection position, such as Figure 16 As shown, along the movement direction of the conveying cavity 422, the receiving position, the detection position and the output position are sequentially arranged. When the conveying cavity 422 reaches the detection position, the detection of the cleaning particles in the conveying cavity 422 can be performed, which can improve the accuracy of the detection.

[0097] The fixed seat refers to Figure 17 The beverage machine provided by the present application comprises a main body 10, the target cleaning chamber 12 is arranged in the main body 10, and the particle delivery device is arranged above the main body 10, so that the user can conveniently add particles. The main body 10 is provided with a conveying channel 11, and the conveying channel 11 is connected with the conveying outlet 201 and the target cleaning chamber 12. The particle delivery device arranged on the beverage machine can realize automatic quantitative delivery of particles, and the beverage machine can completely automatically perform a cleaning process to obtain the best cleaning effect, thereby facilitating the use of the user.

[0098] It should be understood that, although the present specification is described in terms of embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution, and the description of the specification is only for the sake of clarity, and those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0099] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of the feasible embodiments of the present application, and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present application, and any equivalent embodiments or changes made without departing from the spirit of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A granular material dispensing device, comprising: a fixed base; a storage box arranged above the fixed base, the storage box having a storage cavity for accommodating granular material; a driving mechanism comprising a motor and a transmission shaft driven to rotate by the motor; characterized in that the storage box comprises a support plate for supporting the granular material, the support plate being provided with a discharge opening in communication with the storage cavity, the transmission shaft being in transmission connection with the support plate, and the support plate being movably arranged relative to the transmission shaft; under the driving of the transmission shaft, the support plate is capable of reciprocating relative to the fixed base, the support plate being driven by the transmission shaft to move in a first direction, the support plate being connected to a reset element, the reset element exerting a reset force on the support plate in the reverse direction of the first direction.

2. The particulate delivery device of claim 1, wherein The movement of the support plate relative to the fixed base is intermittent movement, and in unit time, the number of movements of the support plate relative to the fixed base is greater than or equal to the number of rotations of the transmission shaft.

3. The particulate delivery device of claim 1, wherein, The support plate is capable of at least one of the following movements relative to the fixed base: radial movement along the transmission shaft; axial movement along the transmission shaft; rotation around the transmission shaft.

4. The particulate delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The storage box further comprises a box wall, the support plate is arranged in the surrounding space of the box wall, and the storage cavity is defined by the box wall and the support plate; the support plate is movably arranged relative to the box wall, and under the driving of the transmission shaft, the support plate moves relative to the box wall in the radial direction of the transmission shaft.

5. The particulate delivery device of claim 4, wherein, The support plate and the box wall have a preset gap in the first direction, and through the preset gap, the support plate can move linearly relative to the box wall in the first direction.

6. The particulate delivery device of claim 5, wherein, The storage box further comprises a bottom plate, the bottom plate being fixedly arranged at the bottom of the box wall; the transmission shaft passes through the bottom plate and is in transmission connection with the support plate, and the support plate is movably supported above the bottom plate in the first direction.

7. The particulate delivery device of claim 6, wherein The bottom plate and the box wall are integrally arranged, the support plate and the bottom plate are in sliding connection in the first direction, and the bottom plate can shield the preset gap.

8. The particulate delivery device of claim 6, wherein, The support plate is connected to a reset element, a first end of the reset element abuts against the bottom plate, a second end of the reset element abuts against the support plate, and the reset element provides a reset force on the support plate in the reverse direction of the first direction.

9. The particulate delivery device of claim 8, wherein, A first limiting portion is arranged on the side of the support plate facing the bottom plate, the bottom plate is provided with a second limiting portion matched with the first limiting portion, and the second end abuts against the first limiting portion; the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion can abut against each other in the first direction to limit the movement stroke of the support plate relative to the bottom plate in the opposite direction of the first direction.

10. The particulate delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein A blocking portion is arranged on the support plate, and a driving portion is arranged on the transmission shaft and in transmission connection with the blocking portion; under the driving of the transmission shaft, the driving portion abuts against and drives the blocking portion to drive the support plate to move relative to the fixed base.

11. The particulate delivery device of claim 10, wherein, The support plate is provided with a clearance hole for the transmission shaft to pass through, and a protruding rib is arranged on the side of the support plate facing the fixed seat, the protruding rib at least partially surrounds the clearance hole to form a matching groove, and the blocking part is formed in the matching groove.

12. The particulate delivery device of claim 10, wherein, The transmission shaft is provided with at least one driving tooth, and the driving tooth forms the driving part; in the case where a plurality of driving teeth are arranged on the transmission shaft, the plurality of driving teeth are arranged in a circumferential direction of the transmission shaft. The driving tooth and the blocking part are intermittently in contact and transmission, so that the transmission shaft intermittently drives the support plate to move relative to the fixed seat.

13. The particulate delivery device of claim 10, wherein, The transmission shaft is provided with a cam, and the cam forms the driving part; along the circumferential direction of the transmission shaft, the cam can be in contact with the blocking part for transmission.

14. The particulate delivery device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The support plate comprises a bearing surface for supporting the particles, and the bearing surface is configured as a spiral surface, and the spiral surface takes the center line of the discharge port as a spiral center line. The spiral surface at least meets one of the following characteristics: Along the radial direction of the spiral center line, the spiral surface is arranged downwardly and inclined toward the center of the discharge port; Along the axial direction of the spiral center line, the height difference between the highest point and the lowest point of the spiral surface is less than or equal to one pitch.

15. The particulate delivery device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The accommodating cavity is provided with a stirring rod, the transmission shaft is in transmission connection with the stirring rod through the support plate, and the transmission shaft can drive the stirring rod to rotate synchronously.

16. The particulate delivery device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The transmission shaft is provided with a conveying disc at one end facing the fixed seat, and the fixed seat is provided with a conveying outlet; the conveying disc is provided with at least one conveying cavity, and the conveying disc drives the conveying cavities to be communicated with the discharge port and the conveying outlet in sequence with the rotation of the transmission shaft.

17. The particulate delivery device of claim 16, wherein, The outer circumferential surface of the conveying disc is provided with a transmission tooth, the motor drives the conveying disc to rotate through the transmission tooth, and the transmission shaft and the conveying disc are integrally arranged.

18. The particulate delivery device of claim 16, wherein, The storage box further comprises a bottom plate and a box wall arranged on the bottom plate, the support plate is arranged above the bottom plate, the bottom plate is provided with a storage channel communicating with the discharge port, and the storage channel can communicate the accommodating cavity and the conveying cavity; The storage channel has a storage space, and along the direction in which the particles enter the storage channel, the storage space is arranged to be capable of accommodating at least one particle.

19. A beverage machine comprising a main body, inside which a target cleaning chamber is provided, characterized in that, The main body is provided with the particle delivery device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18, and the particle delivery device is used for dispensing particles to the target cleaning chamber.

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