Coffee machine and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a coffee machine and a control method thereof, and the coffee machine comprises a storage bin (1) which is used for storing coffee beans and is provided with a discharge port (12); the movable door (4) is arranged at the discharge hole (12) and is used for opening and closing the discharge hole (12); the preheating bin (2) is provided with an inlet (21) communicated with the discharge hole (12); and the temperature regulator (3) is used for heating the coffee beans in the preheating bin (2). According to the technical scheme, the problem that after coffee beans in an existing coffee machine are damped, the taste of made coffee becomes poor is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electrical equipment, and in particular to a coffee machine and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Currently, when users use a fully automatic coffee machine, they may not use up all the coffee beans at once, and the remaining coffee beans remain in the feed bin. The coffee beans in the feed bin are exposed to the air, causing the coffee beans to get damp. The coffee made from damp coffee beans tastes worse, which will bring a bad user experience. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a coffee machine, aiming to solve the problem that the taste of coffee made from coffee beans in the existing coffee machine deteriorates after being damp.

[0004] A coffee machine, comprising:

[0005] A storage bin, used to store coffee beans, with a discharge port;

[0006] A movable door, arranged at the discharge port, for opening and closing the discharge port;

[0007] a preheating chamber, an entrance connected to the discharge port; and

[0008] A temperature regulator is used to heat the coffee beans in the preheating chamber.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the temperature regulator heats the temperature in the preheating chamber to 108° C. to 130° C.; and / or

[0010] The heating time of the thermostat is 8 to 15 minutes.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, the temperature regulator is a resistance heating device, an infrared heating device or an electromagnetic heating device.

[0012] In an illustrative embodiment, the temperature regulator is also used to cool the storage bin.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the temperature regulator reduces the temperature in the storage bin to 2-20°C.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the temperature regulator clamp is disposed between the preheating bin and the storage bin.

[0015] In an illustrative embodiment, the temperature regulator is a positive temperature coefficient resistor or a semiconductor refrigeration chip.

[0016] In an illustrative embodiment, the preheating bin is disposed below the storage bin, the discharge port is disposed at the bottom of the storage bin, and the inlet is disposed at the top of the preheating bin.

[0017] In an illustrative embodiment, a grinding module for grinding coffee beans into powder is further included, and an inlet of the grinding module is connected to an outlet of the preheating chamber.

[0018] In an illustrative embodiment, the control method is implemented based on the coffee machine as described above, and the control method includes:

[0019] Receiving a start instruction, driving the movable door to open so that the coffee beans enter the preheating chamber from the storage chamber;

[0020] The temperature regulator is driven to heat the coffee beans in the preheating chamber until the coffee beans are dried.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the driving temperature regulator heats the coffee beans in the preheating bin until the coffee beans are dried, comprising:

[0022] Driving the temperature regulator to raise the temperature in the preheating chamber to a first preset temperature, and timing the heating time of the temperature regulator;

[0023] When the heating time of the temperature regulator reaches the first preset time, the temperature regulator stops heating.

[0024] In an illustrative embodiment, it also includes:

[0025] After the movable door is opened, the movable door is closed after a preset amount of coffee beans enters the preheating chamber from the storage chamber;

[0026] During or after drying the coffee beans, the temperature regulator is driven to cool to lower the temperature of the storage bin.

[0027] The user can pre-load the coffee beans into the storage bin for storage. The coffee beans stored in the storage bin may absorb moisture in the air and become damp. When the coffee machine makes coffee, first open the movable door to allow at least a portion of the coffee beans to enter the preheating bin from the storage bin, and then use the temperature regulator to heat the coffee beans in the preheating bin to dry the coffee beans. These dried coffee beans can be made into coffee through subsequent steps such as grinding and extraction. Since the coffee beans are pre-dried before being made into coffee, the coffee tastes better and the user experience is better than coffee made directly from damp coffee beans. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0029] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a partial schematic diagram of a coffee machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0031] 1. Storage bin; 10. First cavity; 11. Feed port; 12. Discharge port; 2. Preheating bin; 20. Second cavity; 21. Entrance; 22. Exit; 3. Temperature regulator; 4. Movable door; 5. Grinding module.

[0032] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0035] In addition, in the present invention, descriptions such as "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0036] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0037] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the fact that ordinary technicians in the field can implement it. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The partial structure of a coffee machine in this embodiment is shown. The coffee machine comprises a storage chamber 1, a movable door 4, a preheating chamber 2 and a temperature regulator 3.

[0039] A first cavity 10 is provided in the storage bin 1, and the first cavity 10 is used to store roasted coffee beans. The first cavity 10 may be a cylindrical chamber. A feed port 11 and a discharge port 12 are also provided on the wall of the storage bin 1. The feed port 11 and the discharge port 12 are both connected to the first cavity 10. The feed port 11 may be provided at the top of the storage bin 1, and a lid 6 may be provided on the feed port 11, and the lid 6 may seal the feed port 11. The user may open the lid 6 and add coffee beans to the storage bin 1 through the feed port 11. The discharge port 12 is provided at the bottom of the storage bin 1, and the discharge port 12 may be provided in the middle of the bottom or in the side of the bottom. The discharge port 12 is used to output the coffee beans from the storage bin 1.

[0040] The movable door 4 is arranged on the storage bin 1 and is located at the discharge port 12 of the storage bin 1. The movable door 4 can open and close the discharge port 12 of the storage bin 1. The movable door 4 can be driven by a motor or an electromagnet to open and close the discharge port 12 of the storage bin 1.

[0041] The preheating bin 2 is arranged below the storage bin 1. A second cavity 20 is arranged in the preheating bin 2. The second cavity 20 may be a cylindrical chamber. An inlet 21 and an outlet 22 are also arranged on the wall of the preheating bin 2. The inlet 21 and the outlet 22 are both connected to the second cavity 20. The inlet 21 may be arranged at the top of the preheating bin 2. The inlet 21 of the preheating bin 2 is connected to the feed port 11 of the storage bin 1. The outlet 22 may be arranged at the bottom of the preheating bin 2. The preheating bin 2 and the storage bin 1 may be an integrally formed structure, or the preheating bin 2 and the storage bin 1 may be a split structure.

[0042] When the movable door 4 opens the discharge port 12 of the storage bin 1, since the preheating bin 2 is located below the storage bin 1, the coffee beans in the storage bin 1 can flow downward from the discharge port 12 due to the effect of gravity, and then flow into the preset bin through the inlet 21 of the preheating bin 2. When the movable door 4 closes the discharge port 12 of the storage bin 1, the movable door 4 seals the discharge port 12, and the coffee beans cannot flow out of the storage bin 1 from the discharge port 12.

[0043] The temperature regulator 3 is arranged on the wall of the preheating bin 2. The temperature regulator 3 can heat the coffee beans inside the preheating bin 2. The temperature regulator 3 can heat the wall of the preheating bin 2 so that the temperature inside the preheating bin 2 increases. The temperature regulator 3 can be a resistance heating device, an infrared heating device or an electromagnetic heating device. The resistance heating device can be, for example, an electric heating wire, an electric heating tube or a ceramic heater. The resistance heating device conducts heat to the wall of the preheating bin 2, and the wall of the preheating bin 2 then transfers the heat to the coffee beans in the preheating bin 2. The infrared heating device can emit infrared rays to irradiate the coffee beans in the preheating bin 2, and the coffee beans can absorb the infrared rays and be heated. The preheating bin 2 is made of metal, and the electromagnetic heating device generates a changing magnetic field to generate eddy currents on the wall of the preheating bin 2, thereby heating the wall of the preheating bin 2, and the preheating bin 2 transfers heat to the coffee beans in the preheating bin 2. In this embodiment, the temperature regulator 3 is a positive temperature coefficient resistor, which has a small volume and a compact coffee machine structure.

[0044] The user can pre-load the coffee beans into the storage bin 1 for storage. The coffee beans stored in the storage bin 1 may absorb moisture in the air and become damp. When the coffee machine makes coffee, the movable door 4 is first opened to allow at least a portion of the coffee beans to enter the preheating bin 2 from the storage bin 1, and then the coffee beans in the preheating bin 2 are heated by the temperature regulator 3 to dry the coffee beans. These dried coffee beans can be made into coffee through subsequent steps such as grinding and extraction. Since the coffee beans are pre-dried before being made into coffee, the coffee tastes better and the user experience is better than coffee made directly from damp coffee beans.

[0045] In an illustrative embodiment, the temperature regulator 3 heats the temperature in the preheating chamber 2 to a first preset temperature, and the heating time of the temperature regulator 3 is the first preset time.

[0046] The first preset temperature is a preset value, and the value range of the first preset temperature is 108° C. to 130° C. The first preset time is a preset value, and the value range of the first preset time is 8 to 15 minutes.

[0047] In this way, the temperature regulator 3 heats the preheating chamber 2 to 108°C to 130°C and maintains it for 8 to 15 minutes. This can not only completely dry the damp coffee beans without destroying the flavor of the coffee beans, but also shorten the heating and drying time, reduce the coffee making time, and improve the user experience.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, the temperature regulator 3 can also cool the storage bin 1. The temperature regulator 3 can reduce the temperature in the storage bin 1 to a second preset temperature. The second preset temperature can be in the range of 2 to 20°C.

[0049] The temperature in the storage bin 1 is lowered, and the coffee beans in the storage bin 1 are placed in a low-temperature environment, which reduces the oxidation rate of the coffee beans, slows down the growth and metabolism of microorganisms, and better maintains the original flavor of the coffee beans in the storage bin 1.

[0050] In an illustrative embodiment, the temperature regulator 3 may be disposed between the storage bin 1 and the preheating bin 2. One side of the temperature regulator 3 abuts against the bottom surface of the storage bin 1, and the other side of the temperature regulator 3 abuts against the top surface of the preheating bin 2. The side of the temperature regulator 3 abutting against the storage bin 1 can absorb the heat of the storage bin 1 to cool down the storage bin 1, and the side of the temperature regulator 3 abutting against the preheating bin 2 can release heat to heat the preheating bin 2. The temperature regulator 3 may be a semiconductor refrigeration chip. A semiconductor refrigeration chip is a heat pump device. A semiconductor refrigeration chip utilizes the Peltier effect of a semiconductor material. When direct current passes through a couple formed by two different semiconductor materials connected in series, the two opposite surfaces of the semiconductor refrigeration chip can absorb and release heat respectively.

[0051] The temperature regulator 3 is arranged between the storage chamber 1 and the preheating chamber 2, and cools down the storage chamber 1 and heats the preheating chamber 2 respectively. Such a layout makes the structure of the coffee machine more compact.

[0052] In an illustrative embodiment, the coffee machine further includes a grinding module 5, a first temperature sensor and a controller. The grinding module 5 can grind coffee beans into powder. The inlet of the grinding module 5 is connected to the outlet 22 of the preheating chamber 2. The coffee beans dried in the preheating chamber 2 are output from the outlet 22 of the preheating chamber 2 to the grinding module 5, and the coffee beans are ground into powder by the grinding module 5.

[0053] The first temperature sensor may be disposed on the preheating chamber 2 to measure the temperature in the preheating chamber 2. The first temperature sensor may be a bimetallic thermometer, a glass liquid thermometer, a pressure thermometer, a resistance thermometer, a thermistor, and a thermocouple.

[0054] The controller is a logic control unit of the coffee machine and is electrically connected to the movable door 4 , the first temperature sensor, the temperature regulator 3 and the grinding module 5 .

[0055] This embodiment also proposes a control method for a coffee machine, which is implemented based on the above coffee machine. The control method includes:

[0056] Step S1: The controller receives a start instruction and proceeds to step S2;

[0057] The user can send a start command to the coffee machine through the control panel of the coffee machine or the intelligent terminal. The start command is used to instruct the coffee machine to make coffee.

[0058] Step S2: the controller drives the movable door 4 to open so that the coffee beans enter the preheating chamber 2 from the storage chamber 1, and then proceeds to step S3;

[0059] The controller drives the movable door 4 to open for a preset time and then close, so that the amount of coffee beans required for a single coffee making enters the preheating chamber 2 from the storage chamber 1.

[0060] Step S3: The controller drives the temperature regulator 3 to heat the coffee beans in the preheating chamber 2 until the coffee beans are dried, and then proceeds to step S4.

[0061] Step S4: the controller drives the grinding module 5 to grind the coffee beans in the preheating chamber 2.

[0062] The controller drives the grinding module 5 to grind the dried coffee beans in the preheating chamber 2 into coffee powder.

[0063] In an illustrative embodiment, step S3 includes steps S31 to S33.

[0064] Step S31: the controller drives the temperature regulator 3 to raise the temperature in the preheating chamber 2 to a first preset temperature, and at the same time times the heating time of the temperature regulator 3, and then enters step S32;

[0065] The controller heats the preheating bin 2 through the temperature regulator 3 to dry the coffee beans in the preheating bin 2. At the same time, the controller detects the temperature in the preheating bin 2 through the first temperature sensor. The controller can adjust the temperature in the preheating bin 2 by means of feedback regulation. For example, when the first temperature sensor measures that the temperature in the preheating bin 2 is lower than the first preset temperature, the controller drives the temperature regulator 3 to heat the preheating bin 2. When the first temperature sensor measures that the temperature in the preheating bin 2 reaches the first preset temperature, the controller controls the temperature regulator 3 to stop heating.

[0066] The first preset temperature is a preset value, and the value range of the first preset temperature is 108° C. to 130° C.

[0067] The timer of the controller starts timing when the temperature regulator 3 starts heating the preheating chamber 2.

[0068] Step S32: The controller determines whether the heating time of the temperature regulator 3 reaches the first preset time, if yes, it goes to step S33, otherwise, it repeats step S32;

[0069] Step S33: the controller controls the temperature regulator 3 to stop heating, and enters step S4;

[0070] When the time recorded by the timer of the controller reaches the first preset time, the temperature regulator 3 is controlled to stop heating the preheating chamber 2.

[0071] The first preset time is a preset value, and the value range of the first preset time is 8 to 15 minutes. At this time, the coffee beans in the preheating chamber 2 are continuously heated at the first preset temperature for the first preset time, and the coffee beans have been dried.

[0072] In an illustrative embodiment, step S2 further includes: after the controller drives the movable door 4 to open, after a preset amount of coffee beans enters the preheating chamber 2 from the storage chamber 1, the movable door 4 is closed.

[0073] The controller may be configured to drive the movable door 4 to open for a preset period of time and then close, so that a preset amount of coffee beans required for a single coffee brewing operation enters the preheating chamber 2 from the storage chamber 1 .

[0074] Step S3 also includes: during the process of drying the coffee beans in the preheating bin 2 or after drying the coffee beans in the preheating bin 2, driving the temperature regulator 3 to cool down to lower the temperature of the storage bin 1.

[0075] In this way, after the movable door 4 is closed, the temperature in the storage bin 1 is lowered by cooling through the temperature regulator 3, and the coffee beans in the storage bin 1 are in a low-temperature environment, which reduces the oxidation rate of the coffee beans, slows down the growth and metabolism of microorganisms, and better maintains the original flavor of the coffee beans in the storage bin 1.

[0076] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A coffee machine, characterized in that: include: A storage bin, used to store coffee beans, with a discharge port; A movable door, arranged at the discharge port, for opening and closing the discharge port; A preheating bin having an inlet connected to the discharge port; and A temperature regulator is used to heat the coffee beans in the preheating chamber.

2. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The temperature regulator heats the temperature in the preheating chamber to 108°C to 130°C; and / or The single heating time of the temperature regulator is 8 to 15 minutes.

3. The coffee machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The temperature regulator is a resistance heating device, an infrared heating device or an electromagnetic heating device.

4. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The temperature regulator is also used to cool the storage bin.

5. The coffee machine according to claim 4, characterized in that The temperature regulator reduces the temperature in the storage bin to 2-20°C.

6. The coffee machine according to claim 4, characterized in that The temperature regulator is sandwiched between the preheating chamber and the storage chamber.

7. The coffee machine according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that The temperature regulator is a positive temperature coefficient resistor or a semiconductor refrigeration sheet.

8. The coffee machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The preheating bin is arranged below the storage bin, the discharge port is arranged at the bottom of the storage bin, and the inlet is arranged at the top of the preheating bin.

9. The coffee machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It also includes a grinding module for grinding coffee beans into powder, and the inlet of the grinding module is connected to the outlet of the preheating chamber.

10. A method for controlling a coffee machine, characterized in that: The control method is implemented based on the coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the control method includes: Receiving a start instruction, driving the movable door to open so that the coffee beans enter the preheating chamber from the storage chamber; The temperature regulator is driven to heat the coffee beans in the preheating chamber until the coffee beans are dried.

11. The control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The driving temperature regulator heats the coffee beans in the preheating bin until the coffee beans are dried, comprising: Driving the temperature regulator to raise the temperature in the preheating chamber to a first preset temperature, and timing the heating time of the temperature regulator; When the heating time reaches a first preset time, the temperature regulator stops heating.

12. The control method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The first preset temperature is 108° C. to 130° C., and the first preset time is 8 to 15 minutes.

13. The control method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that: Also includes: After the movable door is opened, the movable door is closed after a preset amount of coffee beans enters the preheating chamber from the storage chamber; During or after drying the coffee beans, the temperature regulator is driven to cool to lower the temperature of the storage bin.

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