Brewing module and its cleaning method, food processor, storage medium

Abstract

The application discloses a brewing module and a cleaning method thereof, a food processor and a storage medium. The brewing module comprises a brewing cylinder, two piston members, a driving mechanism and a water supply assembly. The brewing cylinder is provided with a channel. At least one piston member is movable along the channel and has a flushing state when a gap between the two piston members meets a preset condition. The driving mechanism is drivingly connected with the movably arranged piston member. The water supply assembly is used for introducing liquid into the gap when the two piston members are in the flushing state. The preset condition includes that the width of the gap is not greater than a preset threshold. In the application, when the two piston members are in the flushing state, there is a gap between the two piston members, but the two piston members are close to each other. At this time, liquid is introduced into the gap between the two piston members through the water supply assembly, and the two piston members can be flushed with the liquid, so that the residues remaining at least the piston heads of the two piston members are cleaned in time and thoroughly, and the cleaning effect of the piston members is optimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food processor technology, specifically to a brewing module and its cleaning method, a food processor, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Existing blenders, such as coffee machines, typically consist of a brewing cylinder and pistons within it. The pistons can be vertically arranged (upper and lower pistons) or horizontally arranged (left and right pistons), depending on the cylinder's configuration. The brewing cylinder has a channel through which both the upper and lower pistons can move up and down. When preparing a beverage, the pistons move close together within the channel and press the powder together to form a coffee cake. Over time, residue may accumulate inside the cylinder and on the piston surfaces of the upper and lower pistons. Current technology generally uses a scraper outside the brewing cylinder to remove this residue from the piston heads, but this method is prone to incomplete scraping, reducing the effectiveness of cleaning the upper and lower pistons. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide a brewing module and its cleaning method, a food processor, and a storage medium, aiming to solve the problem of poor cleaning effect of the upper and lower piston parts in traditional food processors.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a brewing module, comprising:

[0005] The brewing tank has a through passageway;

[0006] Two piston components are movably disposed relative to the brewing cylinder, and have a rinsing state in which the gap between the two piston components meets a preset condition;

[0007] The drive mechanism is drivably connected to the piston element that is movably configured; and,

[0008] A water supply assembly is used to supply liquid into the gap after the two pistons are in the flushing state;

[0009] The preset condition includes that the width of the gap is not greater than a preset threshold.

[0010] Optionally, the preset threshold is 10 mm.

[0011] Optionally, the preset condition also includes maintaining communication between the gap and the outside of the channel.

[0012] Optionally, when in the flushing state, at least one of the piston members is located outside the channel, such that the gap is at least partially exposed outside the channel.

[0013] Optionally, when in the flushing state, one of the pistons is flush with one end of the channel, the other piston is located outside the channel, and the two pistons are positioned opposite each other.

[0014] Optionally, the channel extends vertically and has a first port and a second port arranged opposite to each other from bottom to top;

[0015] When in the flushing state, one of the piston members is flush with the second port, and the other piston member is located vertically above the second port; or,

[0016] When in the flushing state, one of the piston members is flush with the first port, and the other piston member is located vertically below the first port.

[0017] Optionally, after the driving mechanism drives one of the pistons to a preset position, it drives the other piston to move closer to the flushing state.

[0018] The preset position is located either inside or outside the channel.

[0019] Optionally, after the driving mechanism drives the two pistons to move closer together to the flushing state, it drives the two pistons to move synchronously so that the gap communicates with the outside of the channel.

[0020] Optionally, one of the piston components has a water supply hole extending through its piston head, and the water supply assembly is connected in communication with the water supply hole; and / or,

[0021] The piston component has a suction hole extending through its piston head, and the brewing module also includes a suction assembly, which is connected to the suction hole.

[0022] Optionally, the two piston components are a first piston component and a second piston component arranged sequentially from bottom to top;

[0023] The brewing module is provided with a water supply hole, and the water supply component is connected to the water supply hole. The opening of the water supply hole is set upward so that the liquid flows against the direction of gravity to the second piston and then falls to the first piston in the direction of gravity.

[0024] Optionally, one end of the channel is a slag discharge port, and the two pistons are respectively a proximal piston located near the slag discharge port and a distal piston located away from the slag discharge port;

[0025] Driven by the driving mechanism, the proximal piston can disengage from the channel through the slag discharge port, and the distal piston can move toward the slag discharge port until it is exposed outside the slag discharge port, so as to scrape the slag in the channel outward through the slag discharge port.

[0026] Optionally, the brewing module further includes a slag scraper, which is located outside the channel and adjacent to the slag discharge port;

[0027] When the distal piston is exposed outside the slag discharge port, at least one of the slag scraper and the brewing tank is movably arranged relative to the other to drive the slag scraper to scrape off the slag at the distal piston.

[0028] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a cleaning method for the brewing module as described above, comprising:

[0029] Upon receiving a cleaning command, the control drive mechanism moves the two piston components closer together;

[0030] When the two pistons are moved to the flushing state, the water supply assembly is controlled to supply liquid into the gap.

[0031] Optionally, the water supply component provides a first water pressure when the brewing module is running in brewing mode and a second water pressure when the cleaning command is executed, wherein the second water pressure is less than the first water pressure.

[0032] Optionally, one of the piston components has a water supply hole extending through its piston head, and the water supply assembly is connected to the water supply hole;

[0033] In the step of controlling the water supply component to introduce liquid into the gap, the ejection height of the water supply component is not less than the width of the gap, and / or the water supply volume of the water supply component is not less than the volume of the gap.

[0034] Optionally, the cleaning command is manually triggered by the user; or,

[0035] The cleaning command is generated by association with a preset mode, wherein the preset mode includes at least one of brewing mode, debugging mode, power-on mode, and power-off mode.

[0036] Optionally, the cleaning instruction includes:

[0037] The first cleaning instruction is generated after each brewing mode is executed; or...

[0038] The second cleaning instruction is generated after each set number of brewing modes are executed.

[0039] Optionally, the brewing module generates a first cleaning intensity when executing the first cleaning command and a second cleaning intensity when executing the second cleaning command, wherein the second cleaning intensity is greater than the first cleaning intensity.

[0040] Optionally, the set number of times is determined by manual input from the user.

[0041] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a cleaning method for the brewing module as described above, comprising:

[0042] Upon receiving a cleaning command, the control drive mechanism drives the proximal piston to disengage from the channel through the slag discharge port, and drives the distal piston to move toward the slag discharge port until it is exposed outside the slag discharge port.

[0043] Remove the debris that was caught by the distal piston component;

[0044] The drive mechanism is controlled to drive the two piston components to move closer together;

[0045] When the two pistons are activated to the flushing state, the water supply assembly is controlled to supply liquid into the channel.

[0046] Optionally, the brewing module further includes a slag scraper;

[0047] The step of removing the debris received by the distal piston includes:

[0048] The scraper and / or the brewing cylinder are controlled to move relative to each other, so as to drive the scraper to scrape off the slag received by the distal piston.

[0049] Optionally, the step of removing the debris received by the distal piston is performed once or repeated at least twice.

[0050] Optionally, before and / or after the step of removing the debris received by the distal piston member, the method further includes:

[0051] The drive mechanism is controlled to move the distal piston into the channel;

[0052] Control the water supply assembly to introduce liquid into the gap;

[0053] The drive mechanism is controlled to drive the distal piston to translate within the channel;

[0054] The wastewater in the channel is discharged outwards.

[0055] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a food processor, comprising:

[0056] The brewing module as described above; and,

[0057] The control device includes a memory, a processor, and a cleaning program for the brewing module stored in the memory and executable on the processor, the cleaning program for the brewing module being configured to implement the steps of the cleaning method for the brewing module as described above.

[0058] In addition, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a storage medium storing a cleaning program for a brewing module, wherein when the cleaning program for the brewing module is executed by a processor, the steps of the cleaning method for the brewing module as described above are implemented.

[0059] In the technical solution provided by the present invention, when the driving mechanism drives the two pistons to be in the flushing state, there is a gap between the two pistons but they are close enough. At this time, liquid is introduced into the gap between the two pistons through the water supply assembly, and the liquid can be used to flush at least the piston head of the two pistons, thereby ensuring that the residue at least the piston head of the two pistons is cleaned in a timely and thorough manner, and optimizing the cleaning effect on the pistons. Attached Figure Description

[0060] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0061] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of the brewing module provided by the present invention;

[0062] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A longitudinal sectional view of the first embodiment of the central brewing tank and two piston components in the rinsing state;

[0063] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A longitudinal sectional view of the second embodiment of the central brewing tank and two piston components in the rinsing state;

[0064] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control device for the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of an embodiment of the cleaning method for the brewing module provided by the present invention.

[0066] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0067] 100 Brewing tank; 110 Channel; 111 First port; 112 Second port; 210 First piston; 211 Water supply hole; 220 Second piston; 221 Suction hole; 310 First drive mechanism; 320 Second drive mechanism; 400 Control device; 410 Processor; 420 Communication bus; 430 User interface; 440 Network interface; 450 Memory.

[0068] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0069] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0070] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0071] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions; for example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.

[0072] Please see Figures 1 to 4 This invention provides a brewing module and a blender in which it is applied. The blender may also include a control device 400.

[0073] In practical applications, the specific form of a blender is not limited. Taking coffee beverage blending equipment as an example: in practical applications, a blender can be directly set as a brewing machine, that is, a device that basically only performs the function of brewing, capable of tamping and brewing existing coffee powder. Alternatively, a blender can be set as a fully automatic or semi-automatic coffee machine. Depending on actual needs, the coffee machine also includes a grinding mechanism that can grind coffee beans into coffee powder, and then transfer the coffee powder to the brewing module for tamping and brewing.

[0074] The brewing module includes a brewing cylinder 100, two pistons, a drive mechanism, and a water supply assembly. The brewing cylinder 100 has a channel 110. At least one of the two pistons is movably disposed along the channel 110, allowing the two pistons to move close together and form a gap between them. When the gap meets a preset condition, the two pistons are in a rinsing state. The drive mechanism is driven by the movably disposed piston. The water supply assembly is used to introduce liquid into the gap simultaneously with or after the two pistons are in the rinsing state. The preset condition includes that the width of the gap is not greater than a preset threshold.

[0075] In the technical solution provided by the present invention, when the driving mechanism drives the two pistons to be in the flushing state, there is a gap between the two pistons but they are close enough. At this time, liquid is introduced into the gap between the two pistons through the water supply assembly, and the liquid can be used to flush at least the piston head of the two pistons, thereby ensuring that the residue at least the piston head of the two pistons is cleaned in a timely and thorough manner, and optimizing the cleaning effect on the pistons.

[0076] It should be noted that this design does not restrict the specific installation orientation of the brewing module. However, for ease of understanding, in the following embodiments, the brewing tank 100 is generally cylindrical, and its channel 110 extends generally vertically. The channel 110 has a first port 111 and a second port 112 arranged opposite to each other. The relative orientation of the first port 111 and the second port 112 is not limited; for example… Figures 1 to 3 In the structure shown, the first port 111 can be located vertically below the second port 112.

[0077] The two pistons can be a first piston 210 and a second piston 220, respectively. The first piston 210 can be a piston that extends into the channel 110 from the first port 111; the second piston 220 can be a piston that extends into the channel 110 from the second port 112.

[0078] In this design, one of the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 can be fixed relative to the brewing cylinder 100, while the other can reciprocate along the channel 110. For example, the first piston 210 can extend into the channel 110 from the first port 111, or remain flush with the first port 111, so that the bottom of the brewing cylinder 100 is blocked by the first piston 210. The second piston 220 can move outside the channel 110, opening the second port 112, through which coffee powder can be introduced into the channel 110; then the second piston 220 can extend into the channel 110 from the second port 112, and can move toward the first port 111, moving closer to the first piston 210, to compress the coffee powder into a cake, and finally to brew and extract the coffee cake.

[0079] Alternatively, both the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 may be movably disposed relative to the brewing tank 100. For example, the first piston 210 may extend from outside the channel 110 into the channel 110 via the first port 111 and may move toward the second port 112; the second piston 220 may extend from outside the channel 110 into the channel 110 via the second port 112 and may move toward the first port 111.

[0080] To drive the movement of the first piston 210 and / or the second piston 220, the brewing module also includes a drive mechanism, which can be a first drive mechanism 310 for driving the first piston 210 and / or a second drive mechanism 320 for driving the second piston 220. The specific form of the first drive mechanism 310 and / or the second drive mechanism 320 is not limited; it can be a linear cylinder or other actuator, or a combination of a linear cylinder, motor, or other actuator with a transmission component. The transmission component can be configured as a reversing transmission component, such as a rack and pinion mechanism or a lead screw and nut mechanism, depending on actual needs; it can also be configured as a speed-regulating or position-regulating transmission component, such as a gear set.

[0081] In the above embodiment, a piston member has a water supply hole 211 extending through its piston head, and a water supply assembly is connected to the water supply hole 211. Specifically, for example, a first piston member 210 extends from bottom to top through its piston head to form the water supply hole 211. The water supply assembly includes, for example, a water tank, a pump body, and a connecting pipe, with the connecting pipe connecting the water supply hole 211 and the water tank. Driven by the pump body, the liquid stored in the water tank enters the water supply hole 211 through the connecting pipe and finally enters the gap. It should be noted that in this process, the liquid can be directly room temperature water, such as tap water; it can also be hot water obtained after heating by the heating module, steam obtained after heating and pressurizing by the heating module, or cleaning liquid obtained after adding chemicals or cleaning agents, etc. Specifically, the first piston member 210 described above may have the water supply hole 211 extending through it.

[0082] In practical applications, when the two piston components, as described above, are arranged sequentially from bottom to top as the first piston component 210 and the second piston component 220, the end face of the piston head of the first piston component 210 faces upward, and the end face of the piston head of the second piston component 220 faces downward. Specifically, the brewing module is provided with a water supply hole 211, and the water supply component is connected to the water supply hole 211. The opening of the water supply hole 211 is set upward, so that the liquid provided by the water supply component enters the channel 110 through the water supply hole 211 and first shoots against the direction of gravity towards the second piston component 220, cleaning the end face of the piston head of the second piston component 220. Then the liquid falls with the direction of gravity to the first piston component 210, cleaning the end face of the piston head of the first piston component 210, which further facilitates the efficient cleaning of the first piston component 210 and the second piston component 220. Specifically, the water supply hole 211 can be directly opened in the first piston component 210 and is set through the end face of the piston head of the first piston component 210. Alternatively, the water supply hole 211 can be specifically opened at the brewing tank 100, penetrating through the side wall of the brewing tank 100.

[0083] A piston member 220 may have a suction hole 221 extending through its piston head. The brewing module may also include a suction assembly connected to the suction hole 221. Specifically, for example, a second piston member 220 may have a suction hole 221 extending from top to bottom through its piston head. The suction assembly may include, for example, another pump body and another connecting pipe, which connects to the suction hole 221. Driven by the pump body, liquid in the gap may be drawn through the connecting pipe into the suction hole 221, and finally discharged into, for example, a water tank in front of a blender or a pulp container inside the blender. Specifically, the aforementioned second piston member 220 may have a suction hole 221 extending through it.

[0084] In view of the above, the brewing module has a preset brewing mode. When the control device 400 controls the operation of the brewing mode, firstly, the second piston 220 is extended into the channel 110, and the first piston 210 extends out of the channel 110. The brewing cylinder 100, together with the second piston 220, moves to the powder receiving position to receive powder discharged from, for example, the grinding module or the powder supply module. Then, the brewing cylinder 100, together with the second piston 220, moves to the brewing position (wherein, the powder receiving position and the brewing position can be two independently spaced positions, or they can be the same position). The first piston 210 extends into the channel 110 and moves closer to the second piston 220 to press the powder received by the second piston 220 into a powder cake. Then, the water supply component introduces liquid through the water supply hole 211 into the gap between the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 to brew and extract the powder cake to finally obtain a beverage. The suction component dispenses the beverage outward through the suction hole 221.

[0085] The brewing module also has a preset slag discharge mode. Understandably, the slag discharge mode is typically activated after each brewing cycle. Therefore, one port of channel 110 is the slag discharge port. The two pistons are a proximal piston located near the slag discharge port and a distal piston located away from the slag discharge port. Driven by the drive mechanism, the proximal piston can disengage from the slag discharge port and exit channel 110, while the distal piston can move towards the slag discharge port until it is exposed outside the slag discharge port, thus scraping the slag from channel 110 outwards through the slag discharge port.

[0086] The brewing module also has a preset slag scraping mode. It is understood that the slag scraping mode is generally activated after each slag discharge mode. Based on this, the brewing module also includes a slag scraper, which is located outside the channel 110 and adjacent to the slag discharge port. When the distal piston is exposed outside the slag discharge port, at least one of the slag scraper and the brewing cylinder 100 is movably positioned relative to the other, so that the slag scraper removes the slag from the distal piston.

[0087] Specifically, when the first port 111 is the slag discharge port, the first piston 210 constitutes the proximal piston, and the second piston 220 constitutes the distal piston. The first drive mechanism 310 drives the first piston 210 to move upward until it disengages from the first port 111 and exits the channel 110. The second drive mechanism 320 drives the second piston 220 to move upward until it is flush with the first port 111 or extends upward beyond the first port 111. During this process, the second piston 220 scrapes the slag remaining on the inner wall of the channel 110 upward, achieving upward slag discharge. For ease of understanding, the current position of the second piston 220 is defined below as the upward slag discharge position.

[0088] Next, the scraper is positioned above the first port 111, and when the second piston 220 is in the upper slag discharge position, the scraper comes into contact with the second piston 220. Specifically, the positions of the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 can be fixed while the scraper can move laterally; or the positions of the scraper can be fixed while the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 can move laterally; or both the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 and the scraper can move laterally, creating a relative lateral movement between the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 and the scraper. During this relative movement, the scraper can remove the residue remaining at the second piston 220.

[0089] When the second port 112 is the slag discharge port, the second piston 220 constitutes the proximal piston, and the first piston 210 constitutes the distal piston. The second drive mechanism 320 drives the second piston 220 downward to move outward through the second port 112 and outside the channel 110. The first drive mechanism 310 drives the first piston 210 downward to move flush with the second port 112 or to extend downward beyond the second port 112. During this process, the first piston 210 scrapes the slag remaining on the inner wall of the channel 110 downward, achieving downward slag discharge. For ease of understanding, the current position of the first piston 210 is defined below as the downward slag discharge position.

[0090] Next, the scraper is positioned below the second port 112, and when the first piston 210 is in the lower slag discharge position, the scraper comes into contact with the first piston 210. Specifically, the positions of the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 can be fixed while the scraper can move laterally; or the positions of the scraper can be fixed while the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 can move laterally; or both the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 and the scraper can move laterally, creating a relative lateral travel between the brewing cylinder 100 / second piston 220 and the scraper. During this relative travel, the scraper can remove the residue remaining at the first piston 210.

[0091] Of course, the brewing module can also be preset with a cleaning mode in response to a cleaning command:

[0092] Specifically, when the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 move to form a gap between them and the gap meets the preset conditions, the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 are in a flushing state.

[0093] The preset conditions include that the width of the gap is not greater than a preset threshold. The width of the gap refers to the distance between the first piston 210 and the second piston 220. In order to clean the first piston 210 and the second piston 220, the width of the gap must be at least greater than zero and not greater than the preset threshold. The preset threshold can be specifically set according to actual needs. For example, the preset threshold can be automatically set by the food processor before leaving the factory; it can also be manually set by the user based on the input module such as the touch panel fixed to the food processor. In a specific application, the preset threshold can be set to 10mm, that is, when the distance between the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 is not greater than 10mm, they are in a rinsing state.

[0094] And / or, the preset conditions may also include the gap being connected to the outside of the channel 110. That is, the gap formed between the first piston member 210 and the second piston member 220 will not remain a closed gap. When the gap is connected to the outside of the channel 110, on the one hand, the first piston member 210 and the second piston member 220 can be cleaned and discharged outward from the gap, avoiding the residue of dirty liquid in the gap; on the other hand, the structure outside the brewing tank 100 can be cleaned with the outward discharged liquid, which will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0095] To achieve external communication between the gap and channel 110:

[0096] In one embodiment, a connecting hole may be provided on the cylinder body of the brewing tank 100, at the first piston member 210 and / or the second piston member 220. In this case, both the first piston member 210 and the second piston member 220 can extend into the channel 110, forming a gap within the channel 110. The connecting hole can be controlled, for example, by a valve body structure, to be both open and closed. When the connecting hole is closed, the gap is sealed by the inner wall of the channel 110, forming a sealed space. The water supply assembly introduces liquid into the gap, and cleaning of at least the piston heads of the first piston member 210 and the second piston member 220 can be achieved through liquid flushing, soaking, or other methods. After the cleaning operation is completed, the connection gap and the external environment of the channel 110 can be controlled to discharge the liquid from the gap.

[0097] Alternatively, in one embodiment, when in the flushing state, at least one piston member may be positioned outside the channel 110, such that the gap is at least partially exposed outside the channel 110. Specifically:

[0098] For example, a first piston 210 can be configured to extend into the channel 110 via a first port 111, while a second piston 220 is located outside the channel 110. In this case, a portion of the gap defined by the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 is located inside the channel 110, and a portion is located outside the channel 110.

[0099] Alternatively, for example, a second piston 220 can be configured to extend into the channel 110 via a second port 112, while the first piston 210 is located outside the channel 110. In this case, a portion of the gap defined by the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 is located inside the channel 110, and a portion is located outside the channel 110.

[0100] Or such as Figure 2As shown, taking the first port 111 being vertically below the second port 112 as an example, the first piston 210 can be moved downwards from the first port 111 out of the channel 110, and the second piston 220 can be moved along the channel 110 from the second port 112 towards the first port 111 until it is flush with the first port 111. During this process, the second piston 220 can also remove slag from the brewing tank 100, that is, scrape the slag remaining on the inner wall of the brewing tank 100 downwards. When the second piston 220 is flush with the first port 111, and the distance between the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 meets the above conditions, the water supply assembly can be operated to fill the gap with water.

[0101] Or such as Figure 3 As shown, taking the example of the first port 111 being vertically below the second port 112, the first piston 210 can be operated to move from the first port 111 along the channel 110 towards the second port 112 until it is flush with the second port 112. During this process, the first piston 210 can also remove slag from the brewing tank 100, that is, scrape the slag remaining on the inner wall of the brewing tank 100 upwards. Then, the second piston 220 is operated to move to a position outside the second port 112, and is positioned opposite the first piston 210 at a distance. When the distance between the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 meets the above conditions, the water supply assembly can be operated to fill the gap with water. In this embodiment, the liquid supplied by the water supply assembly into the gap can, on the one hand, rinse at least the piston heads of the first piston 210 and the second piston 220, and on the other hand, the liquid discharged outward through the gap can rinse the outer wall of the brewing tank 100 under the action of gravity.

[0102] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, the first piston 210 may be moved until it is flush with the second port 112, and then the second piston 220 may be moved closer to the first piston 210 to form a gap between them that meets the preset conditions; or the second piston 220 may be moved until it is flush with the first port 111, and then the first piston 210 may be moved closer to the second piston 220 to form a gap between them that meets the preset conditions. During this process, the upper or lower slag discharge is completed before the cleaning operation of the first piston 210 and the second piston 220.

[0103] Alternatively, in one application, the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 can be driven to form a gap within the channel 110 that meets preset conditions. The water supply assembly then introduces liquid into the gap to clean the first piston 210 and the second piston 220. Simultaneously or subsequently, the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 can be driven to move synchronously toward the first port 111 or the second port 112 until the gap connects with the external environment of the channel 110. They can further move until the first piston 210 is flush with the second port 112, or until the second piston 220 is flush with the first port 111. During this synchronous movement, the distance between the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 remains unchanged, meaning it has virtually no impact on the cleaning of the first piston 210 and the second piston 220 by the liquid. Furthermore, the first piston 210 and / or the second piston 220 can scrape off any residue remaining in the channel 110 and use the liquid in the gap to clean the inner wall of the channel 110, thus completing the slag removal and cleaning of the brewing tank 100.

[0104] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the control device 400 for the hardware operating environment involved in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] like Figure 4 As shown, the control device 400 may include: a processor 410, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a communication bus 420, a user interface 430, a network interface 440, and a memory 450. The communication bus 420 is used to enable communication between these components. The user interface 430 may include a display screen and an input unit such as a keyboard; optionally, the user interface 430 may also include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface. The network interface 440 may optionally include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface (such as a Wi-Fi interface). The memory 450 may be a high-speed random access memory (RAM) or a stable non-volatile memory (NVM), such as a disk storage device. Optionally, the memory 450 may also be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 410.

[0106] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 4 The structure shown does not constitute a limitation on the control device 400, and may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0107] like Figure 4 As shown, the memory 450, which serves as a storage medium, may include an operating system, a network communication module, a user interface 430 module, and a cleaning program for the brewing module.

[0108] exist Figure 4 In the control device 400 shown, the network interface 440 is mainly used for data communication with the network server; the user interface 430 is mainly used for data interaction with the user; the processor 410 and the memory 450 in the control device 400 of the present invention can be set in the food processor. The control device 400 calls the cleaning program of the brewing module stored in the memory 450 through the processor 410 and executes the cleaning method of the brewing module provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0109] Please refer to Figure 5 This invention provides a first embodiment of a cleaning method for a brewing module. Specifically, the cleaning method for the brewing module includes:

[0110] Step S100: Upon receiving a cleaning command, the control drive mechanism moves the two piston components closer together;

[0111] Step S200: When it is determined that the two pistons are in the flushing state, control the water supply assembly to introduce liquid into the gap.

[0112] In this embodiment, the method of generating the cleaning command is not limited: specifically, the cleaning command can be generated directly by the user manually. The brewing module / food processor may have a pre-installed input module. The input module can be electrically connected to the control device 400 and directly fixed to the food processor. Alternatively, the input module can be wirelessly connected to the control device 400 and separately located from the food processor, such as a mobile terminal like a smartphone or tablet. The input module can specifically take the form of, for example, virtual buttons, physical buttons, a voice recognition module, or a motion recognition module.

[0113] Of course, the cleaning command can also be generated by associating one or more preset modes of the brewing module. The preset modes include at least one of the following: brewing mode, debugging mode, power-on mode, and power-off mode. Alternatively, the preset mode can be other operating modes besides those mentioned above. In practical applications, when a preset mode completes its operation or is in the process of operating, one or more cleaning commands can be generated, thereby enabling the cleaning mode to run under the control of the control device 400.

[0114] Taking the generation of a cleaning instruction linked to a brewing mode as an example, the cleaning instruction can be configured to include a first cleaning instruction and / or a second cleaning instruction, depending on actual needs. The first cleaning instruction is generated after each execution of a brewing mode. That is, a cleaning mode is run once after each beverage is brewed and prepared. The second cleaning instruction is generated after a set number of brewing modes are executed. That is, a cleaning mode is run once after a set number of cups of beverage are brewed and prepared.

[0115] If the brewing module is defined to generate a first cleaning intensity when executing the first cleaning command and a second cleaning intensity when executing the second cleaning command, then when a blender only has one or the other preset, the relationship between the first and second cleaning intensities can be arbitrarily set according to actual needs, for example, the first cleaning intensity can be equal to, greater than, or less than the second cleaning intensity. However, when a blender has both the first and second cleaning commands preset, the first and second cleaning intensities can generally be differentiated, for example, the second cleaning intensity can be greater than the first cleaning intensity. A shallow cleaning is performed after each brewing cycle, and a deep cleaning is performed after a set number of brewing cycles.

[0116] It should be noted that the cleaning intensity can be reflected in several aspects, such as the water supply volume, water pressure, and spray height provided by the water supply component; the type of liquid; the cleaning performance of the liquid; the temperature of the liquid; the water supply frequency of the water supply component; and the number of times steps S100 to S200 are run. Similarly, the set number of times can be manually determined by the user based on the above input module, or it can be generated by default by a pre-set program, or it can be generated in association with a set mode, etc.

[0117] If the water supply component is defined as providing a first water pressure when the brewing module is running in brewing mode, and a second water pressure when executing the cleaning command, then in practical applications, the second water pressure can be set to be lower than the first water pressure. It can be understood that when running brewing mode, the water supply component needs to brew and extract the pressed powder, and the magnitude of the first water pressure affects the final brewing quality. When running cleaning mode, the purpose is to rinse the inner wall of channel 110, the piston heads of the first piston 210 and the second piston 220. Therefore, it only needs to meet the target cleaning requirements, and can be combined with factors such as the type of liquid, liquid temperature, and number of cleaning cycles. There is no restriction that the second water pressure needs to be excessively high, which helps to achieve energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0118] Specifically, when a piston member (e.g., the second piston member 220) as described above has a water supply hole 211 extending through its piston head, and the water supply assembly is connected to the water supply hole 211, in the step of controlling the water supply assembly to introduce liquid into the gap, the ejection height of the water supply assembly is not less than the width of the gap, and / or the water supply volume of the water supply assembly is not less than the volume of the gap. The ejection height ensures that the ejected water column can powerfully flush the other piston member (e.g., the first piston member 210); the water supply volume ensures that both the first piston member 210 and the second piston member 220 are immersed in the liquid, thereby contributing to the thorough cleaning of both piston members 210 and 220.

[0119] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a second embodiment of a cleaning method for a brewing module. The second embodiment can be based on the first embodiment or can be configured independently of the first embodiment. Specifically, the brewing module used in the second embodiment can be preset with a slag discharge mode (upper slag discharge and / or lower slag discharge) as described above, and can further be preset with a slag scraping mode.

[0120] Specifically, the cleaning method for the brewing module includes:

[0121] Step A100: Upon receiving a cleaning command, the control drive mechanism drives the proximal piston to disengage from the slag discharge port to outside the channel 110, and drives the distal piston to move toward the slag discharge port until it is exposed outside the slag discharge port.

[0122] Step A200: Remove the debris received by the distal piston component;

[0123] Step A300: Control the drive mechanism to drive the two pistons to move closer together;

[0124] Step A400: When it is determined that the two pistons are in the flushing state, control the water supply assembly to introduce liquid into the gap.

[0125] It is understood that the cleaning mode, slag discharge mode, and slag scraping mode of the brewing module can be operated in conjunction. Among them, steps A300 to A400 in the cleaning mode can refer to the first embodiment above, and will not be described in detail.

[0126] When the cleaning command is triggered as described above, the slag discharge mode can be run first, specifically the upper or lower slag discharge mentioned above.

[0127] After completing one slag discharge cycle, the slag scraping cycle can then be run. Specifically, step A200 may include:

[0128] Step A210: Control the scraper and / or the brewing cylinder 100 to move relative to each other, so as to drive the scraper to scrape off the slag received by the distal piston.

[0129] The residue remaining at the distal piston is removed by the relative movement between the scraper and the brewing tank 100 / distal piston.

[0130] It should be noted that the aforementioned slag discharge mode and slag scraping mode can be performed once or at least twice. For example, the single slag discharge mode can be operated in conjunction with the single slag scraping mode, or the single slag discharge mode can be operated in conjunction with the multiple slag scraping mode, or the multiple slag discharge mode can be operated in conjunction with the single slag scraping mode, or the multiple slag discharge mode can be operated in conjunction with the multiple slag scraping mode, in order to achieve the purpose of thoroughly removing slag from the inner wall of the channel 110, the first piston member 210, and the second piston member 220.

[0131] Before or after one or more slag-scraping modes, or between multiple slag-scraping modes, the following steps can be performed:

[0132] Step A510: Control the drive mechanism to drive the distal piston to move into the channel 110;

[0133] Step A520: Control the water supply assembly to introduce liquid into the channel 110;

[0134] Step A530: Control the drive mechanism to drive the distal piston to translate within the channel 110;

[0135] Step A540: Discharge the wastewater in the channel 110 outward.

[0136] Specifically, for example, after the slag discharge is completed, the first piston 210 disengages from the channel 110, and the second piston 220 moves to the first port 111. At this point, the second piston 220 needs to be moved downwards a certain distance. It should be moved at least to a position sufficient to expose the section of channel 110 where slag may remain. For example, when the cleaning mode is associated with the brewing mode, the second piston 220 should be moved downwards to a position no higher than its lowest position in the brewing mode. Alternatively, the second piston 220 can be moved downwards directly to a position sufficiently close to the first port 111.

[0137] Then, the water supply assembly is operated to introduce liquid into channel 110. This step can be specifically referred to step S200 above. However, it can be understood that since the first port 111 of the brewing tank 100 is currently open and the second piston 220 is spaced a certain distance from the first port 111, an empty segment of channel 110 is formed. Therefore, the amount of water introduced into channel 110 by the water supply assembly can either exactly fill the empty segment of channel 110, or it can only be poured into a part of the empty segment of channel 110.

[0138] Then, the second piston 220 is moved towards the first port 111. During this process, the second piston 220 can move directly to the first port 111 and stop, pushing the remaining sludge-liquid mixture in the channel 110 outwards through the first port 111. Alternatively, the second piston 220 can move to a certain distance (either to the first port 111 or not) and then return to its original position, repeating this process once or several times. During this reciprocating process, some or all of the water in the channel 110 may be pushed out. In this case, a water supply component can be set to replenish liquid into the channel 110 once or multiple times until the second piston 220 finally moves to the first port 111 and stops, completely pushing out the sludge-liquid mixture in the channel 110.

[0139] It should be noted that step A200 can be executed before step A510 or after step A540. Specifically, when steps A510 to A540 are repeated at least twice, step A200 can be executed after each step A540, after a certain number of steps A540, or after the last step A540.

[0140] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A brewing module, characterized in that, The brewing cylinder is provided with a channel; Two piston members are movably arranged relative to the brewing cylinder and have a flushing state when a gap between the two piston members meets a preset condition; A driving mechanism is in driving connection with the movably arranged piston members; A water supply assembly is used to access liquid into the gap after the two piston members are in the flushing state; The preset condition includes that the width of the gap is not greater than a preset threshold; the preset condition also includes that the gap remains in communication with the outside of the channel. The preset threshold is 10 mm. When in the flushing state, at least one of the piston members is located outside the channel so that the gap is at least partially exposed outside the channel.

2. The brewing module according to claim 1, characterized in that, When in the flushing state, one of the piston members is flush with one port of the channel, and the other piston member is located outside the channel, and the two piston members are arranged opposite to each other.

3. The brewing module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The channel extends along the vertical direction and has a first port and a second port arranged opposite to each other from bottom to top; 4. The brewing module of claim 1, wherein When in the flushing state, one of the piston members is flush with the second port, and the other piston member is located vertically above the second port; 5) The brewing module according to claim 4, characterized in that, Alternatively, When in the flushing state, one of the piston members is flush with the first port, and the other piston member is located vertically below the first port. After the driving mechanism drives one of the piston members to move to a preset position, the driving mechanism drives the other piston member to move close to the flushing state; The preset position is located inside the channel or outside the channel.

6. The brewing module according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the driving mechanism drives the two piston members to move close to the flushing state, the driving mechanism drives the two piston members to move synchronously to make the gap in communication with the outside of the channel. One of the piston members is provided with a water supply hole through the piston head, and the water supply assembly is in communication connection with the water supply hole; and / or 7) The brewing module according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the piston members is provided with a suction hole through the piston head, and the brewing module further comprises a suction assembly in communication connection with the suction hole.

8. The brewing module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two piston members are a first piston member and a second piston member arranged in sequence from bottom to top; The brewing module is provided with a water supply hole, the water supply assembly is in communication connection with the water supply hole, and the water supply hole has an upwardly arranged hole opening, so that liquid flows to the second piston member against the direction of gravity and then falls to the first piston member along the direction of gravity. 9) The brewing module according to claim 1, characterized in that, One port of the channel is a residue discharge port, and the two piston members are a proximal piston member arranged close to the residue discharge port and a distal piston member arranged away from the residue discharge port; Under the driving of the driving mechanism, the proximal piston member can be separated from the residue discharge port to the outside of the channel, and the distal piston member can be moved towards the residue discharge port to be exposed outside the residue discharge port to scrape the residue in the channel outwards through the residue discharge port. 10) The brewing module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The brewing module further comprises a residue scraping member arranged outside the channel and adjacent to the residue discharge port; ​ 11. The brewing module according to claim 10, characterized in that, ​ When the distal piston member is exposed outside the residue discharging port, at least one of the residue scraping member and the brewing cylinder is movable relative to the other to drive the residue scraping member to scrape off the residue at the distal piston member.

12. A method of cleaning a brewing module, characterized in that, The cleaning method of the brewing module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 comprises: Upon receiving a cleaning instruction, controlling the driving mechanism to drive the two piston members to move close to each other; Upon determining that the two piston members have moved to a flushing state, controlling the water supply assembly to supply liquid into the gap.

13. The cleaning method of an infusion group according to claim 12, characterized in that, The water pressure provided by the water supply assembly when the brewing module is in a brewing mode is a first water pressure, and the water pressure provided by the water supply assembly when the cleaning instruction is executed is a second water pressure, the second water pressure being less than the first water pressure. 14) The method of cleaning a brew module according to claim 12, wherein, The water supply assembly is connected in communication with a water supply hole provided in the piston member through the piston head thereof; In the step of controlling the water supply assembly to supply liquid into the gap, the water supply assembly has a projection height that is not less than the width of the gap, and / or the water supply assembly has a water supply amount that is not less than the volume of the gap. 15) The method of cleaning a brew module according to claim 12, wherein, The cleaning instruction is manually triggered by a user; or The cleaning instruction is associatedly generated by a preset mode, wherein the preset mode comprises at least one of a brewing mode, a debugging mode, a startup mode, and a shutdown mode. 16) The method of cleaning a brew module according to claim 12, wherein, The cleaning instruction comprises: a first cleaning instruction, which is associatedly generated after each execution of a brewing mode; or a second cleaning instruction, which is associatedly generated after each execution of a brewing mode for a set number of times. 17) The method of cleaning a brew module according to claim 16, wherein, The brewing module forms a first cleaning intensity when the first cleaning instruction is executed, and forms a second cleaning intensity when the second cleaning instruction is executed, the second cleaning intensity being greater than the first cleaning intensity. 18) The method of cleaning a brew module according to claim 16, wherein, The set number of times is manually inputted by a user.

19. A method of cleaning a brewing module, characterized in that, The cleaning method of the brewing module as claimed in claim 9 comprises: Upon receiving a cleaning instruction, controlling the driving mechanism to drive the proximal piston member to move out of the channel via the residue discharging port, and to drive the distal piston member to move towards the residue discharging port to be exposed outside the residue discharging port; removing residue received by the distal piston member; controlling the driving mechanism to drive the two piston members to move close to each other; Upon determining that the two piston members have moved to a flushing state, controlling the water supply assembly to supply liquid into the gap. 20) The method of cleaning a brew module according to claim 19, wherein, The brewing module further comprises a residue scraping member; The step of removing residue received by the distal piston member comprises: controlling the residue scraping member and / or the brewing cylinder to move relatively to drive the residue scraping member to scrape off the residue received by the distal piston member.

21. The method for cleaning a brewing module according to claim 19, characterized in that, The step of removing residue received by the distal piston member is executed once or repeatedly executed at least twice.

22. The method for cleaning a brewing module according to claim 19, characterized in that, Before and / or after the step of removing residue received by the distal piston member, the method further comprises: controlling the driving mechanism to drive the distal piston member to move into the channel; controlling the water supply assembly to supply liquid into the channel; controlling the driving mechanism to drive the distal piston member to translate in the channel; discharging wastewater in the channel outwards.

23. A food processor, characterized in that, The cleaning method of the brewing module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 comprises: Brewing module according to any one of claims 1 to 11 ; and, A control device comprising a memory, a processor and a brewing module cleaning program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the brewing module cleaning program being configured to implement the steps of the brewing module cleaning method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

24. A storage medium, characterized by A storage medium having stored thereon a brewing module cleaning program, the brewing module cleaning program being executable by a processor to implement the steps of the brewing module cleaning method according to any one of claims 12 to 22.

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