Waterway system of coffee machine

Abstract

The invention provides a waterway system of a coffee machine, and relates to the technical field of coffee machines, the waterway system comprises a water tank, an electromagnetic pump, a boiler and a coffee extractor which are connected in sequence, the electromagnetic pump and the boiler are connected through a pressure stabilizing pipe, and the pressure stabilizing pipe is a silicone tube sleeved with a fiber woven structure. The pressure stabilizing pipe is arranged between the electromagnetic pump and the boiler, the pressure stabilizing pipe is arranged to be the silica gel pipe sleeved with the fiber woven structure, the length, the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the pressure stabilizing pipe are specified, pressure fluctuation of water flow in a pipeline is remarkably reduced, shaking of a meter hand of a pressure meter is remarkably reduced, and more accurate pressure reference is provided for a coffee maker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of coffee machines, and in particular to a water channel system of a coffee machine. Background Art

[0002] Coffee is widely loved around the world and has become an indispensable drink in people's daily lives. As people's requirements for coffee quality and taste continue to increase, the technology of coffee machines is also continuously improving and innovating. Nowadays, coffee machines are not only becoming increasingly popular in households, but also play an important role in various commercial places such as coffee shops and restaurants.

[0003] Coffee machines usually consist of a water tank, a water pump, a heater, a coffee extractor, and a pressure gauge, etc., which work together to complete the water delivery, pressurization, heating, and coffee extraction processes. The internal water system of the coffee machine plays a key role in the entire operation process. When using a coffee machine to extract coffee, the barista will pay close attention to the reading of the pressure gauge to ensure that the pressure of the coffee during the extraction process can be stabilized at 9-10 atmospheres. However, since the water pump will cause the water pressure to fluctuate during the process of pressurizing the water, causing the needle of the pressure gauge to shake violently, the violent shaking of the needle of the pressure gauge will interfere with the barista's judgment of the water pressure, affecting the stability and consistency of the coffee extracted by the barista, resulting in uneven quality of coffee produced each time.

[0004] Chinese utility model patent CN219645532U discloses a brewing chamber water channel structure and a coffee machine, wherein there are two technical solutions to solve the problem of the shaking of the pressure gauge needle: one is to use a shock-resistant pressure gauge, but the shock-resistant pressure gauge is expensive, resulting in a large economic cost for the user, and it is not reliable for long-term use; the other is to improve the water channel structure of the brewing chamber, but the improved brewing chamber structure is relatively complex, which greatly increases the difficulty of production.

[0005] At present, in the water system of the coffee machine, the pipes connecting the water pump, heater, coffee extractor and pressure gauge are usually connected by Teflon pipes or stainless steel pipes. Considering the cost and durability of the pipes, these pipe materials are widely recognized and fixed in the conventional design and use of coffee machines. Summary of the invention

[0006] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention proposes a water system for a coffee machine, in which a pressure-stabilizing tube is set as a fiber-braided silicone tube, and its length, inner diameter and outer diameter are specified, thereby significantly reducing the pressure fluctuation of the water flow in the pipeline, thereby significantly reducing the shaking of the pressure gauge needle, providing a more accurate pressure reference for the barista, ensuring the stability and consistency of each coffee extraction, thereby significantly improving the quality of the coffee.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0008] A water system for a coffee machine comprises a water tank, an electromagnetic pump, a boiler, a coffee extractor and a pressure gauge connected in sequence, wherein the pressure gauge is used to detect the pressure in the coffee extractor, the electromagnetic pump and the boiler are connected via a voltage regulator tube, and the voltage regulator tube is a silicone tube with a fiber braided structure on its outer cover.

[0009] Preferably, the voltage regulator tube has a length of 15 to 150 cm.

[0010] Preferably, the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube is 2 to 4 mm.

[0011] Preferably, the outer diameter of the voltage regulator tube is 4 to 8 mm.

[0012] Preferably, the diameter of the water outlet of the electromagnetic pump is equal to the inner diameter of the voltage-stabilizing tube.

[0013] Preferably, the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube is equal to the diameter of the boiler water inlet.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages.

[0015] 1. When the electromagnetic pump is working, the electromagnetic action makes the piston reciprocate, thereby achieving the purpose of pumping water, and the reciprocating movement of the piston will cause unstable water pressure. Since the silicone tube is a flexible material, when the tube wall is subjected to water pressure, the silicone tube can release and neutralize the unstable water pressure through a certain degree of tension itself, and adding a fiber braided layer to the silicone tube can increase the stability of the silicone tube in withstanding tension. Therefore, by using a fiber braided silicone tube as a voltage-stabilizing tube and specifying its length, inner diameter and outer diameter, the pressure fluctuation of the water flow in the pipeline is significantly reduced, thereby stabilizing the system pressure fluctuation, significantly reducing the shaking of the pressure gauge needle, and providing a more accurate pressure reference for baristas, which helps baristas to accurately control the extraction process and ensure the stability and consistency of each coffee extraction, thereby significantly improving the quality of coffee.

[0016] 2. Set the diameter of the electromagnetic pump outlet to be equal to the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube, and make the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube equal to the diameter of the boiler water inlet, to ensure the smooth transmission of water in the entire water system, avoid pressure mutations and instability caused by pipe diameter mismatch, and further stabilize the system pressure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a water system of a coffee machine according to Example 1 of the present invention.

[0019] Illustration symbols: 1. Water tank; 2. Electromagnetic pump; 3. Boiler; 4. Coffee extractor; 41. Extraction water inlet; 42. First extraction water outlet; 43. Second extraction water outlet; 5. Pressure gauge; 61. Water outlet pipe; 62. Voltage-stabilizing tube; 63. Hot water pipe; 64. Pressure measuring tube. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0023] Example 1

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention discloses a water system of a coffee machine, including a water tank 1, an electromagnetic pump 2, a boiler 3, a coffee extractor 4 and a pressure gauge 5 connected in sequence, the electromagnetic pump 2 is used to pressurize water, the boiler 3 is used to heat water, the pressure gauge 5 is used to detect the pressure in the coffee extractor 4, and the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3 are connected via a voltage regulator tube 62, which is a silicone tube with a fiber braided structure on the outer shell.

[0025] Specifically, the water outlet of the water tank 1 is connected to a water outlet pipe 61, and one end of the water outlet pipe 61 away from the water tank 1 is connected to the water inlet of the electromagnetic pump 2. The water outlet of the electromagnetic pump 2 is connected to a voltage regulator tube 62, and one end of the voltage regulator tube 62 away from the electromagnetic pump 2 is connected to the water inlet of the boiler 3. The coffee extractor 4 is provided with an extraction water inlet 41, a first extraction water outlet 42 and a second extraction water outlet 43. The water outlet of the boiler 3 is connected to a hot water pipe 63, and one end of the hot water pipe 63 away from the boiler 3 is connected to the extraction water inlet 41. The second extraction water outlet 43 is connected to a pressure measuring tube 64, and one end of the pressure measuring tube 64 away from the second extraction water outlet 43 is connected to the water inlet of the pressure gauge 5. The first extraction water outlet 42 of the coffee extractor 4 is used to release coffee liquid. In this embodiment, the hot water pipe 63 and the pressure measuring tube 64 are both made of Teflon tubes. When the coffee machine is running, the electromagnetic pump 2 is turned on, and the water in the water tank 1 passes through the water outlet pipe 61, the electromagnetic pump 2, the voltage regulator tube 62, the boiler 3 and the hot water pipe 63 in sequence into the coffee extractor 4 to extract coffee, and part of the water in the coffee extractor 4 will enter the pressure gauge 5 from the pressure measuring tube 64 to detect the water pressure in the coffee extractor 4.

[0026] The length of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 15 to 150 cm, the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 2 to 4 mm, and the outer diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 4 to 8 mm. Preferably, in this embodiment, the length of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 15 cm, the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 4 mm, the outer diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 8 mm, the wall thickness of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 2 mm, and the ratio of the inner diameter to the outer diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 1:2. Considering the installation space and installation cost of the coffee machine and the durability of the fiber braided silicone tube, the length of the voltage regulator tube 62 is set to 15 cm, the inner diameter is set to 4 mm, and the outer diameter is set to 8 mm, which is a better choice for this embodiment.

[0027] The diameter of the water outlet of the electromagnetic pump 2 is equal to the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62. Setting the diameter of the water outlet of the electromagnetic pump 2 equal to the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 avoids pressure changes and unstable water flow caused by the difference in pipe diameters, ensures smooth transition of water flow at the connection between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the voltage regulator tube 62, reduces pressure fluctuations, and helps stabilize the needle of the pressure gauge 5.

[0028] The inner diameter of the pressure-stabilizing tube 62 is equal to the diameter of the water inlet of the boiler 3. Setting the inner diameter of the pressure-stabilizing tube 62 equal to the diameter of the water inlet of the boiler 3 prevents pressure loss and instability caused by the difference in pipe diameters, ensures the pressure stability of the water flow when entering the boiler 3, and further reduces the shaking of the needle of the pressure gauge 5.

[0029] Comparative Example 1

[0030] The difference from the first embodiment is that the voltage regulator tube 62 is a Teflon tube.

[0031] Comparative Example 2

[0032] The difference from the first embodiment is that the voltage-stabilizing tube 62 is a silicone tube.

[0033] Comparative Example 3

[0034] The difference from the first embodiment is that the length of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 13 cm.

[0035] Comparative Example 4

[0036] The difference from Example 1 is that the hot water pipe 63 is a silicone tube with a fiber braided structure on the outer cover, the length of the hot water pipe 63 is 15 cm, the inner diameter of the hot water pipe 63 is 4 mm, the outer diameter of the hot water pipe 63 is 8 mm, and the wall thickness of the hot water pipe 63 is 2 mm. The water outlet pipe 61, the voltage regulator tube 62, and the pressure measuring tube 64 are Teflon tubes.

[0037] Comparative Example 5

[0038] The difference from Example 1 is that:

[0039] The pressure measuring tube 64 is a silicone tube with a fiber braided structure on the outer cover, with a length of 15 cm, an inner diameter of 4 mm, an outer diameter of 8 mm, and a wall thickness of 2 mm. The water outlet pipe 61, the pressure regulating tube 62, and the hot water pipe 63 are Teflon tubes.

[0040] Comparative Example 6

[0041] The difference from the first embodiment is that the inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 1 mm, the outer diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 3 mm, and the wall thickness of the voltage regulator tube 62 is 1 mm.

[0042] Pressure gauge needle jitter detection:

[0043] The tester grinds the coffee powder and divides the coffee powder into 7 equal portions, each portion of coffee powder is 20 g, and the 7 portions of coffee powder are used to extract coffee in the water system of the coffee machine of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6. During the coffee extraction process, the tester observes the shaking of the pressure gauge needle in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6, and records the fluctuating pressure range of the observed shaking of the pressure gauge needle in Table 1, and repeats the above steps 3 times.

[0044] The extraction pressure in the water system of the coffee machines in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 is 10 Bar, and the extraction time is set to 30 seconds.

[0045] When the tester observes that the needle of the pressure gauge shakes slightly, the pressure range of the pressure gauge needle is 0 to 0.5 Bar;

[0046] When the tester observes that the needle of the pressure gauge shakes obviously, the pressure fluctuation range of the needle of the pressure gauge is 0.5~1Bar;

[0047] When the tester observes that the pressure gauge needle shakes violently, the pressure fluctuation range of the pressure gauge needle is 1 to 3 Bar.

[0048] Table 1

[0049]

[0050] As can be seen from Table 1, the fiber braided silicone tube of specific length and specification is used as the pressure-stabilizing tube 62 in Example 1, which significantly reduces the shaking of the needle of the pressure gauge 5 and provides an extremely stable pressure environment for the water system of the coffee machine. This shows that the arrangement of a suitable fiber braided silicone tube pressure-stabilizing tube between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3 can significantly reduce the influence of water flow pressure fluctuations on the needle of the pressure gauge.

[0051] In comparative example 1, a Teflon tube is used as the pressure-stabilizing tube 62, that is, the water outlet tube 61, the pressure-stabilizing tube 62, the hot water tube 63, and the pressure measuring tube 64 are all conventional choices. At this time, the needle of the pressure gauge 5 shakes violently, and the pressure fluctuation range is large. This shows that the Teflon tube is not effective in alleviating the pressure fluctuation in the water system and cannot provide a stable pressure environment for coffee extraction.

[0052] In comparative example 2, a silicone tube is used as the voltage-stabilizing tube 62, and the needle of the pressure gauge 5 shakes significantly. Compared with example 1, the pressure stability of the ordinary silicone tube is obviously insufficient, and it cannot achieve the voltage-stabilizing effect of the fiber braided silicone tube.

[0053] In comparative example 3, only by shortening the length of the voltage regulator tube 62 to 13 cm, the needle of the pressure gauge 5 began to shake significantly. This fully demonstrates that the length of the fiber braided silicone tube is crucial to stabilizing the pressure. Insufficient length will reduce the pressure buffer space and fail to fully smooth the pressure changes of the water flow.

[0054] In comparative example 4, the hot water pipe 63 is set as a fiber braided silicone tube, and the voltage regulator tube 62 is set as a Teflon tube, and the needle of the pressure gauge 5 shakes violently. This proves that the position of the voltage regulator tube 62 plays a key role in stabilizing the pressure in the entire water system. Setting the hot water pipe 63 as a fiber braided silicone tube cannot effectively reduce the shaking of the pressure gauge needle.

[0055] In comparative example 5, the pressure measuring tube 64 is set as a fiber braided silicone tube, and the voltage regulator tube 62 is set as a Teflon tube. The needle of the pressure gauge 5 also shakes violently, which further emphasizes that the position of the voltage regulator tube 62 is crucial to the shaking of the pressure gauge needle. That is, setting the fiber braided silicone tube between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3 is extremely important for stabilizing the water pressure.

[0056] In comparative example 6, the inner diameter and outer diameter of the voltage regulator tube 62 are changed to 4 mm, 6 mm and 1 mm, and the needle of the pressure gauge 5 shakes violently. This shows that the inner diameter, outer diameter and wall thickness of the voltage regulator tube 62 also have a significant effect on the stable pressure. The appropriate ratio of inner diameter to outer diameter and wall thickness can provide better pressure buffering and stabilization effect.

[0057] In summary, through the analysis of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6, it can be clearly seen that in the water system of the coffee machine, setting the fiber braided silicone tube between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3, and limiting the length, inner diameter and outer diameter of the fiber braided silicone tube are key factors for achieving stable pressure in the water system and greatly reducing the shaking of the needle of the pressure gauge 5. The optimized combination of these parameters can provide the coffee machine with more stable and reliable working performance, effectively reduce the shaking of the needle of the pressure gauge 5, and enable the barista to accurately control the water pressure, thereby making the coffee extraction process more stable and controllable. This provides a strong guarantee for producing coffee with stable quality and excellent taste, greatly reduces the situation of insufficient or excessive extraction due to misjudgment of pressure, and ensures that each brewed coffee can reach a high quality level with a rich and mellow flavor and unique flavor.

[0058] The effect of stabilizing water pressure by placing the voltage-stabilizing tube 62 (i.e., fiber braided silicone tube) between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3 is significantly better than placing it between other components. The inventor speculates that the reason is: first, from the source of pressure fluctuations, the electromagnetic pump 2 is the source of pressure fluctuations, and it pumps water through the reciprocating motion of the piston. This working method will make the water pressure unstable. When water flows out of the electromagnetic pump 2, unstable pressure waves begin to propagate in the water system. If the voltage-stabilizing tube 62 is located between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3, it can be adjusted immediately after the pressure fluctuation occurs, and stabilize it before the pressure wave has a greater impact on subsequent components.

[0059] Secondly, considering the characteristics and pressure stabilization requirements of the boiler 3, the boiler 3 is a component for heating water, and its internal pressure state is crucial to the pressure control during the entire coffee extraction process. If the water pressure entering the boiler 3 fluctuates greatly, on the one hand, it will affect the normal operation of the boiler 3, and on the other hand, it will also cause the pressure in the subsequent coffee extractor 4 to be unstable. By installing the voltage regulator tube 62 between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3, the pressure can be adjusted before the water enters the boiler 3, so that the water pressure entering the boiler 3 is stable, thereby ensuring that the pressure of the hot water flowing out of the boiler 3 and entering the coffee extractor 4 is stable, and finally providing a stable pressure environment for coffee extraction. On the contrary, if the voltage regulator tube 62 is installed between the boiler 3 and the coffee extractor 4, although the water flowing out of the boiler 3 can be stabilized to a certain extent, the initial pressure fluctuation generated by the electromagnetic pump 2 has already caused a series of unstable effects in the previous water path, such as the pressure fluctuation in the boiler 3. This post-pressure stabilization cannot completely eliminate the impact of the pressure fluctuation generated before on the entire system, and cannot effectively stabilize the pressure of the entire system as if it is installed between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3.

[0060] In addition, from the perspective of the pressure transmission path of the entire water system, the link from the electromagnetic pump 2 to the boiler 3 is the key path that affects the pressure state of subsequent components on a large scale for the first time after the pressure fluctuation occurs. Setting a voltage regulator 62 on this path can suppress the pressure fluctuation in the early stage of propagation, and prevent the fluctuation from being further amplified and propagated in subsequent pipelines and components. If the voltage regulator 62 is set on other non-critical paths, such as only stabilizing the hot water pipe 63 or the pressure measuring tube 64, although it may have a certain impact on the local pressure, it cannot play a key role in the pressure stability of the entire system like setting a voltage regulator 62 between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3, because the pressure fluctuations in these local pipelines are only a partial reflection of the pressure fluctuations of the entire system, and it is impossible to solve the problem of pressure instability generated by the electromagnetic pump 2 and affecting the entire system from the root. Therefore, setting the voltage-stabilizing tube 62 between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3 can effectively control the source of pressure fluctuations and suppress the propagation of fluctuations on the key path of pressure transmission. Therefore, setting the voltage-stabilizing tube 62 (i.e., the fiber braided silicone tube) between the electromagnetic pump 2 and the boiler 3 is significantly better than setting it between other components in stabilizing the water pressure.

[0061] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A water system for a coffee machine, characterized in that: The invention comprises a water tank (1), an electromagnetic pump (2), a boiler (3) and a coffee extractor (4) which are connected in sequence, wherein the electromagnetic pump (2) and the boiler (3) are connected via a voltage-stabilizing tube (62), and the voltage-stabilizing tube (62) is a silicone tube with a fiber braided structure as an outer shell.

2. The water system of a coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The voltage regulator tube (62) has a length of 15 to 150 cm.

3. The water system of a coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the voltage regulator tube (62) is 2 to 4 mm.

4. The water system of a coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the voltage regulator tube (62) is 4 to 8 mm.

5. The water system of a coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the water outlet of the electromagnetic pump (2) is equal to the inner diameter of the voltage-stabilizing tube (62).

6. The water system of a coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner diameter of the voltage-stabilizing tube (62) is equal to the diameter of the water inlet of the boiler (3).

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