Intelligent beverage preparation equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses intelligent beverage preparation equipment, which comprises a weighing unit for placing a beverage cup and sensing the weight of liquid currently contained in the beverage cup, a stirring and outputting unit for stirring the liquid input into the weighing unit and outputting the liquid to the beverage cup, a liquid supply module for supplying the liquid to the stirring and outputting unit, and a control unit, the control module is used for controlling the liquid supply module to supply a preset amount of liquid to the stirring and outputting unit according to a beverage preparation instruction, and controlling the stirring and outputting unit to stir the liquid and output the liquid to the beverage cup; and when the control unit judges that the weight provided by the weighing unit reaches the preset liquid weight according to the preset liquid weight related to the beverage preparation instruction, the control unit controls the stirring and outputting unit to stop outputting the liquid to the beverage cup.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a beverage mixing device, in particular to an intelligent beverage mixing device capable of automatically mixing beverages. Background Art

[0002] The main reason why ready-mixed drinks are popular among the public is that they provide a variety of customized drinks to choose from. However, as ready-mixed drinks have developed to the present, there have been a series of operational problems, such as excessive pesticides in raw materials and bacteria counts in ice cubes, difficulty in controlling the quality of drinks (flavor, ingredients), and high staff turnover and labor shortages in ready-mixed drink shops, which often require retraining of new employees. Therefore, ready-mixed drink shops are also introducing semi-automatic equipment to assist operations, such as the now commonly seen fructose dosing machines, tea machines, and automatic cooking equipment, in order to stabilize quality, improve the efficiency of mixing drinks, and reduce labor. However, the above practices still require manual mixing of drinks by staff. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an intelligent beverage mixing device that can automatically mix beverages. The device can customize beverages (sweetness, volume, etc.) according to customer needs, and automatically control the device to quickly and accurately mix beverages according to the beverage mixing process corresponding to the customized beverage. The device is not only simple to operate, but also ensures stable quantity and quality of the mixed beverages.

[0004] The present invention discloses an intelligent beverage mixing device, which is used to automatically mix beverages and serve the beverages in a beverage cup; the intelligent beverage mixing device comprises a weighing unit, a stirring and outputting unit, a liquid supply module and a control unit; the weighing unit is for the beverage cup to be placed and senses the weight of the liquid currently served in the beverage cup; the stirring and outputting unit stirs the liquid input therein and then outputs it to the beverage cup; the liquid supply module supplies liquid to the stirring and outputting unit; the control unit is electrically connected to the stirring and outputting unit, the liquid supply module and the weighing unit, and controls the liquid supply module to supply a preset amount of liquid to the stirring and outputting unit according to a beverage mixing instruction, and controls the stirring and outputting unit to stir the liquid and then output it to the beverage cup; and the control unit determines, based on the preset liquid weight related to the beverage mixing instruction, that when the weight provided by the weighing unit reaches the preset liquid weight, it controls the stirring and outputting unit to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present invention, when the control unit determines that the preset amount of liquid supplied by the liquid supply module to the stirring and output unit has been fully output to the beverage cup, but the weight provided by the weighing unit has not reached the preset liquid weight, the control unit controls the liquid supply module to continue supplying liquid to the stirring and output unit, and controls the stirring and output unit to continue outputting the liquid to the beverage cup after stirring the liquid, until the control unit determines that the weight provided by the weighing unit reaches the preset liquid weight, and the control unit controls the stirring and output unit to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup.

[0006] In some embodiments of the present invention, the stirring and output unit includes a stirring tank for containing liquid, a stirring mechanism for stirring the liquid in the stirring tank, and a motor for driving the stirring mechanism, and the control unit is electrically connected to the motor to control whether the motor is running or not.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the stirring mechanism includes a magnetic stirring bar arranged in the stirring tank to stir the liquid, a strong magnet arranged outside the stirring tank and corresponding to the magnetic stirring bar to drive the magnetic stirring bar to move, and the motor drives the strong magnet to rotate to drive the magnetic stirring bar to move.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, an output pipeline is provided between the stirring tank and the beverage cup, the output pipeline having an input end connected to the output port of the stirring tank and a first output end and a second output end connected to the input end, the first output end corresponds to the beverage cup; and the stirring and output unit also includes a first switch and a second switch provided in the output pipeline and controlled by the control unit, the control unit controls the first switch whether to allow the liquid to be output from the output port of the stirring tank and flow to the first output end or the second output end, and the control unit controls the second switch whether to allow the liquid flowing to the first output end to be output to the beverage cup.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid supply module includes a liquid cartridge for storing liquid raw materials and a liquid delivery unit, the liquid cartridge has a liquid output port, the liquid delivery unit includes a liquid pump controlled by the control unit, a flow stabilizing device and a third switch controlled by the control unit, the input end of the liquid pump is connected to the liquid output port through a first tube body, the output end of the liquid pump is connected to one end of the flow stabilizing device through a second tube body, the other end of the flow stabilizing device is connected to the stirring and output unit through a third tube body, and the third switch controls whether the third tube body outputs liquid; when the liquid cartridge is controlled to supply liquid to the stirring and output unit, the control unit controls the liquid pump and the third switch to operate so as to extract liquid from the liquid cartridge and output it to the stirring and output unit through the liquid output port, the first tube body, the second tube body, the flow stabilizing device and the third tube body, and the flow stabilizing device will hinder the turbulence generated by the liquid flowing therethrough, slow down the flow rate of the liquid, and control the flow rate of the liquid.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid supply module includes a liquid cartridge for storing liquid raw materials and a liquid delivery unit, the lower end of the liquid cartridge has a liquid output port corresponding to the position of the stirring and output unit, the upper end of the liquid cartridge has a gas input port, the liquid delivery unit includes a gas storage barrel, a gas filter, a gas pump, a pressure monitor and a fourth switch, the output end of the gas storage barrel is connected to the gas input port through a fourth tube body, the input end of the gas storage barrel is connected to the gas pump through a fifth tube body, the gas filter is arranged on the fifth tube body to filter out impurities and microorganisms in the gas to be introduced into the gas storage barrel; the gas pump provides gas to the gas storage barrel, and the pressure monitor is arranged on the liquid cartridge to monitor the pressure in the liquid cartridge. The fourth switch is arranged at the liquid output port; when the liquid cartridge is controlled to supply liquid to the stirring and outputting unit, the control unit controls the gas pump and the fourth switch to operate, so that the gas pump generates air which passes through the fifth pipeline and the gas filter to filter the air, and then outputs the filtered air to the gas storage barrel, and then the gas storage barrel supplies the filtered air to the liquid cartridge through the fourth tube body, and the liquid in the liquid cartridge is output to the stirring and outputting unit through the liquid output port and the fourth switch by gas pressurization; and the control unit controls the gas pump to operate according to the monitoring value provided by the pressure monitor, so that the gas pressure in the liquid cartridge is maintained at a preset pressure.

[0011] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention, the liquid output port of the liquid cartridge is fixed on the cartridge fixing seat of the intelligent beverage mixing device, and the cartridge fixing seat has a liquid conduit connecting the liquid output port and the stirring tank; the gas input port is arranged on the upper cover of the liquid cartridge; the fourth switch is a non-contact intercepting device, which includes a blocking member arranged on one side of the liquid conduit and a shut-off member arranged on the other side of the liquid conduit and relative to the blocking member, and the shut-off member will be controlled by the control unit to move toward the blocking member to prohibit the liquid conduit from outputting liquid to the stirring tank, or move in the direction away from the blocking member to allow the liquid conduit to output liquid to the stirring tank.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the liquid supply module also includes a liquid level sensor disposed on the liquid cartridge, which senses the liquid level in the liquid cartridge to generate a sensing value, and provides the sensing value to the control unit. When the control unit determines whether the liquid in the liquid cartridge is insufficient or excessive based on the sensing value, it generates and outputs a warning message.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the weighing unit includes a cup body placement portion for placing the beverage cup and a weight sensor disposed in the cup body placement portion for sensing the weight of the liquid currently contained in the beverage cup, and the intelligent beverage preparation device also includes an image capture unit disposed at the cup body placement portion, the image capture unit obtains an object image of an object placed on the cup body placement portion and provides the object image to the control unit, the control unit identifies the object in the object image, and when it is determined based on the identification result that the object in the object image is not a cup body or the object is not placed correctly, the control unit generates and outputs a warning message.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the smart beverage mixing equipment also includes a barcode reading device, which can read the barcode on the liquid cartridge to obtain raw material information of the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge, and provide the raw material information to the control unit; the control unit obtains the pre-stored raw material information corresponding to the liquid cartridge based on the raw material information, and when the raw material information obtained from the barcode is inconsistent with the pre-stored raw material information, a warning message is generated and output.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the intelligent beverage mixing device also includes a touch display electrically connected to the control unit, and the control unit causes the touch display to display a user operation interface, which presents at least one beverage option related to the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge for selection, and when one of the at least one beverage option presented on the user operation interface is selected, the control unit generates the beverage mixing instruction based on the selected beverage option.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the intelligent beverage preparation device also includes a touch display electrically connected to the control unit, and the control unit causes the touch display to display a user operation interface, which presents at least one beverage option related to the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge for selection, and when one of the at least one beverage option presented on the user operation interface is selected, the control unit generates a beverage preparation QR code containing the beverage preparation instruction based on the selected beverage option, and the control unit presents the beverage preparation QR code on the beverage preparation order through an output device, and the control unit also reads the beverage preparation QR code on the beverage preparation order through a barcode reading device and decodes it to obtain the beverage preparation instruction.

[0017] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that: the control unit automatically controls the (or the described) liquid supply module to supply a preset amount of liquid to the stirring and output unit according to the beverage preparation instruction, and controls the stirring and output unit to stir the liquid therein and then output it to the beverage cup. At the same time, the control unit determines whether the weight of the beverage contained in the beverage cup provided by the weighing unit reaches the preset liquid weight. If so, the stirring and output unit is controlled to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup, thereby achieving the purpose of fully automatically preparing the beverage and accurately filling the beverage into the beverage cup. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of the main hardware components of the first embodiment of the intelligent beverage mixing device of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the construction of some major hardware components of the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of some main hardware components included in the second embodiment of the intelligent beverage mixing device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] Before the present invention is described in detail, it should be noted that similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the following description.

[0023] See also Figure 1As shown, it is the first embodiment of the intelligent beverage mixing device 2 of the present invention, which is used to automatically mix beverages and put the beverages in the beverage cup 1; the intelligent beverage mixing device 2 mainly includes a weighing unit 21, a stirring and output unit 22, a liquid supply module 23 and a control unit 24. The weighing unit 21 is placed on the beverage cup 1 to weigh the weight of the liquid (beverage) currently contained in the beverage cup 1; the stirring and output unit 22 is used to stir the liquid input therein and then output it to the beverage cup 1; the liquid supply module 23 supplies liquid (raw materials) to the stirring and output unit 22; the control unit 24 is electrically connected to the weighing unit 21, the stirring and output unit 22 and the liquid supply module 23 to receive the weight of the liquid (beverage) currently contained in the beverage cup 1 transmitted by the weighing unit 21, and control whether the stirring and output unit 22 and the liquid supply module 23 are activated or not.

[0024] Thus, when the control unit 24 receives a drink mixing instruction, the control unit 24 controls the liquid supply module 23 to supply a preset amount of liquid indicated by the drink mixing instruction to the stirring and outputting unit 22 according to the drink mixing instruction, and controls the stirring and outputting unit 22 to stir the liquid input therein and output the stirred liquid to the beverage cup 1; at the same time, the control unit 24 determines whether the weight provided by the weighing unit 21 (i.e., the weight of the liquid (drink) contained in the beverage cup 1) reaches the preset liquid weight according to the preset liquid weight associated with the drink mixing instruction. If so, the control unit 24 controls the stirring and outputting unit 22 to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup 1; otherwise, if the control unit 24 determines that the liquid supply module 23 When the preset amount of liquid supplied to the stirring and outputting unit 22 has been completely output to the beverage cup 1 (for example, a preset number of seconds, such as 2 seconds, is waited for after the liquid is output), but the weight provided by the weighing unit 21 has not reached the preset liquid weight, the control unit 24 controls the liquid supply module 23 to continue supplying liquid to the stirring and outputting unit 22, and controls the stirring and outputting unit 22 to continue outputting the stirred liquid to the beverage cup 1 after stirring the liquid, until the control unit 24 determines that the weight provided by the weighing unit 21 reaches the preset liquid weight, the control unit 24 controls the stirring and outputting unit 22 to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup 1, thereby achieving the purpose of fully automatically preparing the beverage and accurately filling the beverage cup 1 with the beverage amount.

[0025] Specifically, if Figure 2As shown, the weighing unit 21 has a cup body placement portion 211 for placing the beverage cup 1 and a weight sensor 212 arranged in the cup body placement portion 211, and the weight of the liquid currently contained in the beverage cup 1 is sensed (weighed) by the weight sensor 212, that is, the weighing unit 21 will subtract the weight of the beverage cup 1 itself from the total weight currently sensed by the weight sensor 212 to obtain the weight of the liquid contained in the beverage cup 1, and provide the weight to the control unit 24, so when the beverage cup 1 is an empty cup (no beverage is contained), the weight should be zero.

[0026] Specifically, if Figure 2 As shown, the stirring and output unit 22 includes a stirring tank 221 for containing liquid, a stirring mechanism for stirring the liquid in the stirring tank 221, and a motor 224 for driving the stirring mechanism to operate; and in the present embodiment, the stirring mechanism may be but is not limited to including a magnetic stirring bar 222 disposed in the stirring tank 221 for stirring the liquid, a strong magnet 223 disposed outside the stirring tank 221 and corresponding to the magnetic stirring bar 222 for driving the magnetic stirring bar 222 to perform stirring, and the motor 224 drives the strong magnet 223 to rotate to drive the magnetic stirring bar 222 to operate, and the control unit 24 is electrically connected to the motor 224 to control whether the motor 224 is running or not.

[0027] In addition, the stirring and output unit 22 also includes an output pipeline 225 arranged between the stirring tank 221 and the beverage cup, the output pipeline 225 has an input end 225a connected to the output port 221a of the stirring tank 221 and a first output end 225b and a second output end 225c communicated with the input end 225a, the first output end 225b corresponds to the beverage cup 1, and the second output end 225c serves as a discharge port for waste liquid; and the stirring and output unit 22 also includes a first switch 226 and a second switch 227 arranged in the output pipeline 225 and controlled by the control unit 24, the control unit 24 controls the first switch 226 whether to allow the liquid to be output from the output port 221a of the stirring tank 221 and flow to the first output end 225b or the second output end 225c, and the control unit 24 controls the second switch 227 whether to allow the liquid flowing to the first output end 225b to be output to the beverage cup 1. In this embodiment, the first switch 226 and the second switch 227 are solenoid valves, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0028] like Figure 2As shown, specifically, the liquid supply module 23 uses a mechanical pump to transport liquid, and includes a liquid cartridge 231 for storing liquid raw materials (such as fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice, syrup, tea, boiled water, water, etc.) and a liquid transport unit 232. The liquid cartridge 231 has a liquid output port 231a, and the liquid transport unit 232 includes a liquid pump 233 controlled by the control unit 24, a flow stabilizing device 234, and a third switch 235 controlled by the control unit 24; the input end 233a of the liquid pump 233 is connected to the liquid in the liquid cartridge 231 through a first tube 236. The output port 231a is connected, the output end 233b of the liquid pump 233 is connected to one end of the flow stabilizing device 234 through the second tube 237, and the liquid pump 233 is used to extract the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 231 through the first tube 236 and output it to the flow stabilizing device 234 through the second tube 237, and the flow stabilizing device 234 is a tube with a fixed diameter and a diameter smaller than the first tube 236, which will hinder the turbulence generated by the liquid flowing therethrough, slow down the flow rate of the liquid and control the flow rate of the liquid to a default value (for example, a flow rate of 100 mL per second). The other end of the flow stabilizing device 234 is connected to the stirring tank 221 of the stirring and output unit 22 through the third tube 238, and the third switch 235 is provided on the third tube 238 to control whether the third tube 238 outputs liquid to the stirring tank 221, and in the present embodiment, the third switch 235 is a solenoid valve but is not limited thereto. Therefore, the control unit 24 can calculate the total amount (mL) of liquid input into the stirring tank 221 according to the default value (flow rate) and the time for the third tube 238 to output the liquid, and determine whether the total amount has reached the preset liquid amount indicated by the above-mentioned beverage preparation instruction.

[0029] In addition, there can be multiple liquid supply modules 23 to store different liquid raw materials (such as fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice, syrup, tea, boiled water, water, etc.), and each liquid supply module 23 transports the liquid in its own liquid cartridge 231 to the stirring tank 221 through the above-mentioned liquid transport unit 232.

[0030] Furthermore, the control unit 24 can be but is not limited to a processor, a microprocessor or a microcontroller, and specifically, the control unit 24 is electrically connected to the weight sensor 212 of the weighing unit 21, the motor 224 of the stirring and output unit, the first switch 226, the second switch 227, the liquid pump 233 of (each) the liquid supply module 23 and the third switch 235 to control whether the aforementioned components are activated or not.

[0031] For example, when the control unit 24 controls the liquid pump 233 of (each) the liquid supply module 23 and the third switch 235 to operate and transport the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 231 to the stirring tank 221, the control unit 24 controls the motor 224 of the stirring and output unit 22 to operate synchronously to drive the magnetic stirring rod 222 to stir, and controls the first switch 226 to prohibit the liquid from being output from the output port 221a of the stirring tank 221; when the liquid delivered to the stirring tank 221 by the (each) liquid supply module 23 reaches the predetermined amount required by the control unit 24, the control unit 24 controls the liquid pump 233 of (each) the liquid supply module 23 and the third switch 235 to operate and transport the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 231 to the stirring tank 221. 235 stops conveying the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 231 to the stirring tank 221, and controls the first switch 226 to allow the liquid to be output from the output port 221a of the stirring tank 221, and controls the second switch 227 to allow the liquid flowing to the first output end 225b to be output to the beverage cup 1; and the control unit 24 repeats the above control action multiple times (depending on the amount of beverage to be made) to convey the predetermined amount of liquid to the stirring tank 221 in batches for stirring and then output it to the beverage cup 1 in batches, until the total amount of liquid accumulated by the multiple predetermined amounts output to the beverage cup 1 reaches the preset liquid amount, and then controls the magnetic stirring bar 222 to stop stirring. In this way, the various liquid raw materials input into the stirring tank 221 can be fully stirred and then output, and the capacity of the stirring tank 221 can be reduced (for example, below 300 mL), and the stirring tank 221 can be quickly cleaned using only a small amount of water, and the clean water for cleaning the stirring tank 221 is stored in a liquid cartridge 231 of a liquid supply module 23.

[0032] In addition, in other embodiments, the liquid may not be output to the beverage cup 1 in batches, that is, the control unit 24 controls the liquid supply module 23 to supply the preset amount of liquid indicated by the beverage preparation instruction to the stirring tank 221 at one time and controls the motor 224 to drive the magnetic stirring rod 222 to stir, and then the control unit 24 controls the first switch 226 to allow the liquid to be output from the output port 221a of the stirring tank 221, and controls the second switch 227 to allow the liquid flowing to the first output end 225b to be output to the beverage cup 1; or, the control unit 24 controls the liquid supply module 23 to supply liquid to During the process of the stirring tank 221 controlling the motor 224 to drive the magnetic stirring rod 222 to stir, the control unit 24 also simultaneously controls the first switch 226 to allow the liquid to be output from the output port 221a of the stirring tank 221, and controls the second switch 227 to allow the liquid flowing to the first output end 225b to be output to the beverage cup 1, until the control unit 24 determines that the amount of liquid supplied to the stirring tank 221 by the liquid supply module 23 has reached the preset liquid amount, and then the control unit 24 controls the liquid supply module 23 to stop supplying liquid to the stirring tank 221 and controls the magnetic stirring rod 222 to stop stirring.

[0033] Moreover, when the control unit 24 determines that the weight of the liquid contained in the beverage cup 1 reaches the preset liquid weight, the control unit 24 controls the second switch 227 to prohibit the first output end 225b from outputting liquid to the beverage cup 1, and controls the first switch 226 to allow the remaining liquid in the stirring tank 221 to be output from the output port 221a and flow to the second output end 225c, and then the control unit 24 controls the liquid supply module 23 storing clean water to supply clean water to the stirring tank 221 for a cleaning procedure, and outputs the cleaning waste water from the output port 221a to the second output end 225c.

[0034] In addition, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the liquid cartridge 231 of the present embodiment is a soft bag cartridge, and the control unit 24 accumulates the cumulative value of the amount of liquid output by the soft bag cartridge, and when it is determined that the amount of liquid in the soft bag cartridge is insufficient based on the cumulative value, the control unit 24 generates and outputs a warning message, which may be a warning sound and / or a warning word or symbol displayed on a display, etc., to remind on-site personnel to replenish the liquid (raw material) into the liquid cartridge 231 in time; in addition, the warning message may also be an instruction, which instructs an automatic liquid replenishment mechanism (not shown) connected to the liquid cartridge 231 to replenish the liquid (raw material) into the liquid cartridge 231.

[0035] Furthermore, if Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the present embodiment may further include an image capture unit 25 disposed at the cup body placement portion 211. The image capture unit 25 is a camera lens, which photographs an object placed on the cup body placement portion 211 to generate an object image and provide the object image to the control unit 24. The control unit 24 utilizes an image recognition module therein (not shown, such as image recognition software) to recognize the object in the object image, and when it is determined based on the recognition result that the object in the object image is not a cup body or the object is not correctly placed, the control unit 24 will generate and output a warning message, which may be a warning sound and / or a warning word or symbol displayed on a display, etc., to remind on-site personnel to place a container that can hold liquid on the cup body placement portion 211 or to adjust the cup placed on the cup body placement portion 211 to the correct position.

[0036] In addition, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the smart beverage mixing device 2 of this embodiment may also include a barcode reading device 26, which can read the barcode on the liquid cartridge 231 installed on the smart beverage mixing device 2 to obtain the raw material information of the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 231, and provide the raw material information to the control unit 24; the control unit 24 can obtain the pre-stored raw material information corresponding to the liquid cartridge 231 according to the raw material information (for example, the raw material information includes a serial number of the liquid cartridge 231), and when the raw material information obtained from the barcode is inconsistent with the pre-stored raw material information (for example, the raw material names, ingredients, types or expiration dates of the two are different), a warning message is generated and output. The warning message can be a warning sound and / or a warning word or symbol displayed on a display, etc., to remind on-site personnel to further confirm whether the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 231 is correct, and to avoid using raw materials of unknown origin.

[0037] Furthermore, if Figure 1As shown, the smart beverage mixing device 2 of this embodiment may also include a touch display 27 electrically connected to the control unit 24, and the control unit 24 enables the touch display 27 to display a user operation interface (not shown), the user operation interface will present multiple or at least one beverage option for selection, and the beverage option is related to the liquid (raw material) stored in the multiple liquid cartridges 231 installed in the smart beverage mixing device 2. For example, after the liquid cartridge 231 is installed in the smart beverage mixing device 2, and a raw material information of the liquid cartridge 231 is provided to the control unit 24, for example, by manually inputting each of the raw material information or by the above-mentioned barcode reading device 26 reading the barcode on the liquid cartridge 231 installed on the smart beverage mixing device 2 to obtain the raw material information of the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 231, the control unit 24 can select at least one beverage option that can mix a corresponding beverage according to the raw material information from the pre-stored multiple beverage options according to the raw material information, and display the selected at least one beverage option in the user operation interface for selection. When one of the at least one beverage option presented on the user operation interface is selected, the control unit 24 generates the beverage preparation instruction according to the selected beverage option.

[0038] In addition, in another embodiment, the control unit 24 generates a drink preparation QR code including the drink preparation instructions based on the selected drink option, and presents the drink preparation QR code on the drink preparation order through an output device (such as but not limited to a printer, not shown), and the control unit 24 also reads the drink preparation QR code on the drink preparation order through the above-mentioned barcode reading device 26 or another barcode reading device and decodes it to obtain the drink preparation instructions, and the control unit 24 then prepares the drink according to the drink preparation instructions obtained from the drink preparation QR code.

[0039] For example, taking the output of liquid to the beverage cup 1 in batches as an example, if the selected beverage option is (500mL black tea + half sugar (10mL)), the beverage preparation instruction instructs the liquid supply module 23 supplying black tea water to output 500mL black tea water and instructs the liquid supply module 23 supplying syrup to output 10mL syrup. As mentioned above, the control unit 24 can control the two liquid supply modules 23 to output liquid raw materials in batches (for example, 5 times, each outputting 100mL black tea water and 2mL syrup) to the stirring and output unit 22.

[0040] See also Figure 32 is a second embodiment of the intelligent beverage mixing device of the present invention. The main difference from the first embodiment is that the second embodiment uses another liquid supply module 28 for conveying liquid by air pressure, which includes a liquid cartridge 281 for storing liquid raw materials and a liquid conveying unit 282; the lower end of the liquid cartridge 281 has a liquid output port 281a, and the upper end of the liquid cartridge 281 has a gas input port 281b. The liquid cartridge 281 is installed on the intelligent beverage mixing device 2 by fixing the liquid output port 281a on a cartridge fixing seat 283. The cartridge fixing seat 283 has a liquid conduit 283a connecting the liquid output port 281a and the stirring tank 221; the gas input port 281b is arranged on the upper cover 281c of the liquid cartridge 281, and will not directly contact the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 281.

[0041] The liquid delivery unit 282 includes a gas storage barrel 284, a gas filter 285, a gas pump 286, a pressure monitor 287 and a fourth switch 288; the output end 284a of the gas storage barrel 284 is connected to the gas input port 281b through a fourth tube 289, and the input end 284b of the gas storage barrel 284 is connected to the gas pump 286 through a fifth tube 280; the gas filter 285 is disposed on the fifth tube 280 to filter out impurities and microorganisms in the gas to enter the gas storage barrel 284. The gas pump 286 provides gas to the gas storage barrel 284. The pressure monitor 287 is disposed on the upper cover 281c of the liquid cartridge 281 to monitor the gas pressure in the liquid cartridge 281 to generate a monitoring value, and provide the monitoring value to the control unit 24. The control unit 24 determines whether the gas pressure is maintained at a preset pressure according to the monitoring value, and controls the gas pump 286 to operate according to the determination result, so that the gas pressure in the liquid cartridge 281 is maintained at the preset pressure.

[0042] The fourth switch 288 is disposed at the liquid outlet 281a to control whether the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 281 is output from the liquid outlet 281a to the stirring tank 221; specifically, in the present embodiment, the fourth switch 288 is a non-contact intercepting device disposed outside the liquid conduit 283a of the cartridge fixing seat 283; the non-contact intercepting device mainly includes a blocking member 288a disposed on one side of the liquid conduit 283a and a shutoff member 288b disposed on the other side of the liquid conduit 283a and opposite to the blocking member 288a, and the shutoff member 288b will be controlled by the control unit 24 to move toward the blocking member 288a to block the liquid conduit 283a, or move away from the blocking member 288a to open the liquid conduit 283a; and when the liquid conduit 283a is opened, the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge 281 will be squeezed by the gas pressure and output from the liquid output port 281a and input into the stirring tank 221 through the liquid conduit 283a, and because the gas pressure is maintained at the preset pressure, the flow rate of the liquid output from the liquid output port 281a is maintained at a fixed flow rate. In this way, the control unit 24 can calculate the total amount (mL) of the liquid output from the liquid cartridge 281 to the stirring tank 221 according to the liquid output time. In addition, the liquid supply module 28 may also include a liquid level sensor 239 provided on the liquid cartridge 281, which senses a liquid level (water level) of the liquid in the liquid cartridge 281 and generates and provides a sensing value to the control unit 24. When the control unit 24 determines that the liquid in the liquid cartridge 281 is insufficient or excessive based on the sensing value, it will generate and output a warning message. The warning message may be a warning sound and / or a warning word or symbol displayed on a display, etc., to remind on-site personnel to replenish or stop inputting liquid (raw materials) into the liquid cartridge 281 in a timely manner; in addition, the warning message may also be an instruction, which instructs an automatic liquid replenishment mechanism (not shown) connected to the liquid cartridge 281 to replenish or stop replenishing liquid (raw materials) to the liquid cartridge 281.

[0043] Except for the liquid supply module 28 mentioned above, other components included in the second embodiment and the control method of the control unit 24 are the same as those of the first embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0044] In addition, in the third embodiment of the intelligent beverage mixing device of the present invention, the intelligent beverage mixing device 2 can also choose to use the liquid supply module 23 and / or the liquid supply module 28 depending on the viscosity of the liquid to be supplied. For example, when the viscosity of the liquid to be supplied is less than 1200cp, the liquid supply module 28 is used to transport the liquid; and when the viscosity of the liquid to be supplied is less than 820cp, the liquid supply module 23 is used to transport the liquid.

[0045] It is worth mentioning that Figure 3 As shown, a liquid supply port 281 d may be further provided on the upper cover 281 c of the liquid cartridge 281 , and the liquid supply port 281 d may be connected to the third tube 238 of the liquid supply module 23 so as to supply liquid to the liquid cartridge 281 via the liquid supply module 23 .

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 24 in the above-described embodiment can also communicate with a cloud database (not shown), which stores the recipes and operating parameters of various beverages. By operating the above-mentioned user operation interface, personnel can enable the control unit 24 to download the recipes and operating parameters of various beverages from the cloud database for data storage and updating, and upload various business data to the cloud database.

[0047] In summary, in the above embodiment, the control unit 24 automatically controls the liquid supply module 23 (28) to supply a preset amount of liquid to the stirring and outputting unit 22 according to the beverage mixing instruction, and controls the stirring and outputting unit 22 to stir the liquid therein and output it to the beverage cup 1. At the same time, the control unit 24 determines whether the weight of the beverage contained in the beverage cup 1 provided by the weighing unit 21 reaches the preset liquid weight. If so, the stirring and outputting unit 22 is controlled to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup 1, thereby achieving the effect and purpose of the present invention of fully automatically mixing beverages and accurately filling the beverage amount into the beverage cup.

Claims

1. An intelligent beverage preparation device for automatically preparing a beverage and serving the beverage in a beverage cup; characterized in that: The smart beverage preparation device includes: A weighing unit, which is used to place the beverage cup and sense the weight of the liquid currently contained in the beverage cup; A stirring and output unit, which stirs the liquid input therein and then outputs it to the beverage cup; a liquid supply module that supplies liquid to the stirring and output unit; and A control unit is electrically connected to the stirring and outputting unit, the liquid supply module and the weighing unit, and controls the liquid supply module to supply a preset amount of liquid to the stirring and outputting unit according to a beverage preparation instruction, and controls the stirring and outputting unit to stir the liquid and then output it to the beverage cup; and when the control unit determines that the weight provided by the weighing unit reaches the preset liquid weight related to the beverage preparation instruction based on the preset liquid weight, the control unit controls the stirring and outputting unit to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup.

2. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the control unit determines that the preset amount of liquid supplied by the liquid supply module to the stirring and output unit has been fully output to the beverage cup, but the weight provided by the weighing unit has not reached the preset liquid weight, the control unit controls the liquid supply module to continue supplying liquid to the stirring and output unit, and controls the stirring and output unit to continue outputting liquid to the beverage cup after stirring the liquid, until the control unit determines that the weight provided by the weighing unit reaches the preset liquid weight, and the control unit controls the stirring and output unit to stop outputting liquid to the beverage cup.

3. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stirring and output unit comprises a stirring tank for containing liquid, a stirring mechanism for stirring the liquid in the stirring tank, and a motor for driving the stirring mechanism, and the control unit is electrically connected to the motor to control whether the motor is running or not.

4. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The stirring mechanism comprises a magnetic stirring rod arranged in the stirring tank to stir the liquid, a strong magnet arranged outside the stirring tank and corresponding to the magnetic stirring rod to drive the magnetic stirring rod to move, and the motor drives the strong magnet to rotate to drive the magnetic stirring rod to move.

5. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: An output pipeline is provided between the stirring tank and the beverage cup, the output pipeline having an input end connected to the output port of the stirring tank and a first output end and a second output end connected to the input end, the first output end corresponding to the beverage cup; and the stirring and output unit also includes a first switch and a second switch provided in the output pipeline and controlled by the control unit, the control unit controls the first switch whether to allow the liquid to be output from the output port of the stirring tank and flow to the first output end or the second output end, and the control unit controls the second switch whether to allow the liquid flowing to the first output end to be output to the beverage cup.

6. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid supply module includes a liquid cartridge for storing liquid raw materials and a liquid delivery unit, the liquid cartridge has a liquid output port, the liquid delivery unit includes a liquid pump controlled by the control unit, a flow stabilizing device and a third switch controlled by the control unit, the input end of the liquid pump is connected to the liquid output port through a first tube body, the output end of the liquid pump is connected to one end of the flow stabilizing device through a second tube body, the other end of the flow stabilizing device is connected to the stirring and output unit through a third tube body, and the third switch controls whether the third tube body outputs liquid; when the liquid cartridge is controlled to supply liquid to the stirring and output unit, the control unit controls the liquid pump and the third switch to operate so as to extract liquid from the liquid cartridge and output it to the stirring and output unit through the liquid output port, the first tube body, the second tube body, the flow stabilizing device and the third tube body, and the flow stabilizing device will hinder the turbulence generated by the liquid flowing therethrough, slow down the flow rate of the liquid, and control the flow rate of the liquid.

7. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid supply module includes a liquid cartridge for storing liquid raw materials and a liquid delivery unit. The lower end of the liquid cartridge has a liquid output port corresponding to the position of the stirring and output unit, and the upper end of the liquid cartridge has a gas input port. The liquid delivery unit includes a gas storage barrel, a gas filter, a gas pump, a pressure monitor and a fourth switch. The output end of the gas storage barrel is connected to the gas input port through a fourth tube body, and the input end of the gas storage barrel is connected to the gas pump through a fifth tube body. The gas filter is arranged on the fifth tube body to filter out impurities and microorganisms in the gas to be introduced into the gas storage barrel; the gas pump provides gas to the gas storage barrel, and the pressure monitor is arranged on the liquid cartridge to monitor the gas pressure in the liquid cartridge. The fourth switch is arranged at the liquid output port; when the liquid cartridge is controlled to supply liquid to the stirring and output unit, the control unit controls the gas pump and the fourth switch to operate, so that the gas pump generates air which passes through the fifth pipeline and the gas filter to filter the air, and then outputs the filtered air to the gas storage tank, and then the gas storage tank supplies the filtered air to the liquid cartridge through the fourth tube body, and the liquid in the liquid cartridge is output to the stirring and output unit through the liquid output port and the fourth switch by gas pressurization; and the control unit controls the gas pump to operate according to the monitoring value provided by the pressure monitor, so that the gas pressure in the liquid cartridge is maintained at a preset pressure.

8. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid output port of the liquid cartridge is fixed on the cartridge fixing seat of the intelligent beverage mixing device, and the cartridge fixing seat has a liquid conduit connecting the liquid output port and the stirring tank; the gas input port is arranged on the upper cover of the liquid cartridge; the fourth switch is a non-contact intercepting device, which includes a blocking member arranged on one side of the liquid conduit and a shut-off member arranged on the other side of the liquid conduit and relative to the blocking member, and the shut-off member will be controlled by the control unit to move toward the blocking member to prohibit the liquid conduit from outputting liquid to the stirring tank, or move in a direction away from the blocking member to allow the liquid conduit to output liquid to the stirring tank.

9. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The liquid supply module also includes a liquid level sensor arranged on the liquid cartridge, which senses the liquid level in the liquid cartridge to generate a sensing value and provides the sensing value to the control unit. When the control unit determines that the liquid in the liquid cartridge is insufficient or excessive based on the sensing value, it generates and outputs a warning message.

10. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The weighing unit includes a cup body placement portion for placing the beverage cup and a weight sensor arranged in the cup body placement portion to sense the weight of the liquid currently contained in the beverage cup, and the intelligent beverage preparation equipment also includes an image capture unit arranged at the cup body placement portion, the image capture unit obtains an object image of an object placed on the cup body placement portion and provides the object image to the control unit, the control unit identifies the object in the object image, and when it is determined based on the identification result that the object in the object image is not a cup body or the object is not placed correctly, the control unit generates and outputs a warning message.

11. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The intelligent beverage preparation equipment also includes a barcode reading device, which can read the barcode on the liquid cartridge to obtain the raw material information of the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge and provide the raw material information to the control unit; the control unit obtains the pre-stored raw material information corresponding to the liquid cartridge according to the raw material information, and when the raw material information obtained from the barcode is inconsistent with the pre-stored raw material information, a warning message is generated and output.

12. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent beverage mixing device also includes a touch display electrically connected to the control unit. The control unit causes the touch display to display a user operation interface. The user operation interface presents at least one beverage option related to the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge for selection. When one of the at least one beverage option presented on the user operation interface is selected, the control unit generates the beverage mixing instruction according to the selected beverage option.

13. The intelligent beverage mixing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intelligent beverage preparation device also includes a touch display electrically connected to the control unit, and the control unit causes the touch display to display a user operation interface, which presents at least one beverage option related to the liquid stored in the liquid cartridge for selection, and when one of the at least one beverage option presented on the user operation interface is selected, the control unit generates a beverage preparation QR code containing the beverage preparation instruction according to the selected beverage option, and the control unit presents the beverage preparation QR code on the beverage preparation order through an output device, and the control unit also reads the beverage preparation QR code on the beverage preparation order through a barcode reading device and decodes it to obtain the beverage preparation instruction.

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