Beverage preparation method and beverage machine

Abstract

The application discloses a beverage preparation method and a beverage machine. The beverage preparation method comprises the following steps: receiving a beverage preparation signal; obtaining a beverage temperature, a beverage concentration and a beverage cup volume corresponding to the beverage preparation signal; setting a water supply amount based on at least one of the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration and the beverage cup volume, wherein the water supply amount comprises a first water supply amount and a second water supply amount; in a brewing stage, controlling a water pump to supply the first water supply amount to a brewing device, during which the water pump operates at a first target power lower than full power; in a brewing stage, controlling the water pump to supply the second water supply amount to the brewing device, during which the water pump operates at full power; and wherein the second water supply amount is greater than the first water supply amount. The water supply amount and the water pump power are controlled according to different beverage preparation stages, so that the concentration and taste of the beverage are optimized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of beverage preparation, in particular to a beverage preparation method and a beverage machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous improvement of people's requirements for beverage quality, modern beverage making equipment is constantly developing in design and function to meet the diversified needs of consumers for taste, concentration and flavor. Especially in the automatic preparation process of beverages such as coffee and tea, how to accurately control various parameters is the key to improving beverage quality and production efficiency. At present, many household and commercial beverage making equipment adopts preset programs to control the preparation process through standardized processes, but these devices can only operate within a relatively fixed parameter range, often unable to meet the precise needs of users for different concentrations and temperatures, resulting in beverage concentration and taste that cannot fully meet user needs.

[0003] For example, existing various automatic or semi-automatic beverage machines, especially coffee machines, ignore the influence of variables such as different grinding fineness, powder volume, beverage concentration and temperature on the final beverage quality when brewing coffee, thereby affecting extraction efficiency and final TDS (total dissolved solids), and cannot achieve ideal beverage concentration and taste effect. SUMMARY

[0004] One object of the present application is to provide a beverage preparation method capable of improving beverage quality.

[0005] Another object of the present application is to provide a beverage machine capable of improving beverage quality.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present application provides a beverage preparation method, comprising the following steps:

[0007] receiving a beverage preparation signal;

[0008] obtaining a beverage temperature, a beverage concentration and a beverage cup volume corresponding to the beverage preparation signal;

[0009] setting a water supply amount based on at least one of the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration and the beverage cup volume, the water supply amount comprising a first water supply amount and a second water supply amount;

[0010] in the infusion stage, controlling the water pump to supply the first water supply amount to the brewer, during which the water pump operates at a first target power lower than full power;

[0011] in the brewing stage, controlling the water pump to supply the second water supply amount to the brewer, during which the water pump operates at full power;

[0012] wherein the second water supply amount is greater than the first water supply amount.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beverage preparation method provided by the application controls the water supply and the water pump power according to different stages of beverage preparation during the beverage preparation process, ensures that the water flow speed is slowed down in the soaking stage, so that the beverage raw materials can be fully and uniformly soaked, solves the problem of beverage concentration loss caused by insufficient soaking of beverage raw materials, ensures the beverage concentration, and optimizes the taste of the beverage; the soaking stage with slowed-down water flow speed and the brewing stage with accelerated water flow speed can improve the beverage concentration and taste under the premise of ensuring the beverage preparation efficiency.

[0014] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, in the soaking stage, the temperature of the water input into the brewing device is obtained, and the first target power is dynamically adjusted based on the temperature of the water according to the positive relationship between the first target power and the temperature of the water.

[0015] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, the first target power at least meets one of the following characteristics:

[0016] The first target power is inversely proportional to the beverage concentration, the beverage concentration includes a first beverage concentration and a second beverage concentration, the first beverage concentration is less than the second beverage concentration, and in the soaking stage, the first target power corresponding to the first beverage concentration is greater than the first target power corresponding to the second beverage concentration;

[0017] The first target power is proportional to the beverage temperature, the beverage temperature includes a first beverage temperature and a second beverage temperature, the first beverage temperature is less than the second beverage temperature, and in the soaking stage, the first target power corresponding to the first beverage temperature is less than the first target power corresponding to the second beverage temperature.

[0018] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, the beverage preparation signal includes a raw material grinding gear value, a raw material gear coefficient corresponding to the raw material grinding gear value is obtained, a weight coefficient corresponding to the beverage concentration is obtained, and a beverage raw material weight associated with the raw material gear coefficient and the weight coefficient is obtained based on a preset first calculation rule; the first target power is determined according to the inverse relationship between the first target power and the beverage raw material weight.

[0019] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, the preset first calculation rule is:

[0020] g=g1+g2×K2×K1;

[0021] Wherein, g is the weight of the beverage raw material, g1 represents the base weight parameter set by the brewer, g2 represents the capacity limit weight parameter set by the brewer, K1 represents the raw material gear coefficient, and K2 represents the weight coefficient.

[0022] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, a water passing coefficient corresponding to the raw material grinding gear value is obtained, and the first target power is obtained based on a preset second calculation rule; the second calculation rule represents a relationship among the raw material grinding gear value, the weight of the beverage raw material, the temperature of the water input into the brewer, and the water passing coefficient.

[0023] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the preset second calculation rule is:

[0024]

[0025] Wherein, W represents the first target power, and g represents the weight of the beverage raw material; Kw represents a constant coefficient; L represents the raw material grinding gear value; Tw represents a temperature coefficient, which is calculated based on the temperature of the water input into the brewer by using a preset mapping relationship; and Lw represents the water passing coefficient.

[0026] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the first water supply amount is determined based on the raw material grinding gear value and the weight of the beverage raw material according to a relationship that the first water supply amount is inversely proportional to the raw material grinding gear value and a relationship that the first water supply amount is proportional to the weight of the beverage raw material.

[0027] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the weight of the beverage raw material and the raw material grinding gear value corresponding to the beverage preparation signal are obtained, and the first target power is determined according to the weight of the beverage raw material and the raw material grinding gear value, wherein the first target power is inversely proportional to the weight of the beverage raw material, the first target power is proportional to the raw material grinding gear value, and the weight of the beverage raw material has a greater weight on the first target power than the raw material grinding gear value.

[0028] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present application, the weight of the beverage raw material and the temperature of the water input into the brewer corresponding to the beverage preparation signal are obtained, and the first target power is determined according to the weight of the beverage raw material and the temperature of the water, wherein the first target power is inversely proportional to the weight of the beverage raw material, the first target power is proportional to the temperature of the water, and the weight of the beverage raw material has a greater weight on the first target power than the temperature of the water.

[0029] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, the water supply amount is set based on at least one of the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration and the beverage cup amount, the water supply amount comprising a first water supply amount and a second water supply amount, comprising at least one of the following features:

[0030] According to a positive correlation between the beverage concentration and the beverage raw material weight, the beverage raw material weight corresponding to the beverage concentration is determined based on the beverage concentration; the first water supply amount is determined based on the beverage raw material weight;

[0031] According to a positive correlation between the beverage cup amount and the second water supply amount, the second water supply amount is determined according to the beverage cup amount.

[0032] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, in the soaking stage, the first target power is obtained, when the first target power is lower than a preset lower limit of power, the first target power is determined as the preset lower limit of power, and the power of the heater is controlled to increase to increase the temperature of the water input to the brewing device.

[0033] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, the method comprises at least one of the following features:

[0034] In the soaking stage, the emptying pump is controlled to be turned on to empty the pipeline from the brewing device to the beverage outlet;

[0035] The temperature of the water input to the brewing device in the soaking stage is higher than the temperature of the water input to the brewing device in the brewing stage;

[0036] The beverage temperature comprises a first beverage temperature and a second beverage temperature, the first beverage temperature is lower than the second beverage temperature, the power of the heater corresponding to the first beverage temperature is lower than the power of the heater corresponding to the second beverage temperature, the heater is used to heat the water input to the brewing device;

[0037] In the soaking stage, the water pump is controlled to operate at the first target power lower than the full power.

[0038] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the application, the beverage preparation signal comprises a hot beverage preparation signal and a cold beverage preparation signal, the method further comprises:

[0039] In response to the hot beverage preparation signal, in the soaking stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the first water supply amount to the brewing device, during which the water pump operates at the first target power lower than the full power; in the brewing stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the second water supply amount to the brewing device, during which the water pump operates at full power;

[0040] In response to the cold beverage making signal, during the infusion stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the first water supply amount to the brewer, during which the water pump is operated at full power; during the brewing stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the second water supply amount to the brewer, during which the water pump is operated at a second target power lower than the full power.

[0041] The present application also provides a beverage machine, comprising a memory and a processor, the memory is used to store a computer program capable of running on the processor, and the processor is used to execute the beverage preparation method as described in any one of the above embodiments when running the computer program. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a water circuit of a beverage machine in an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a beverage preparation method in an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Figure 3 is Figure 2 is a flowchart of one of the beverage preparation methods in the present application for generating a first target power.

[0045] Figure 4 is Figure 2 is a flowchart of another of the beverage preparation methods in the present application for generating a first target power.

[0046] Figure 5 is Figure 2 is a flowchart of yet another of the beverage preparation methods in the present application for generating a first target power.

[0047] Figure 6 is Figure 2 is a flowchart of still another of the beverage preparation methods in the present application for generating a first target power.

[0048] Figure 7 is Figure 2 is a flowchart of still another of the beverage preparation methods in the present application for generating a first target power.

[0049] Figure 8 is Figure 2 is a flowchart of still another of the beverage preparation methods in the present application for generating a first target power.

[0050] Figure 9 is Figure 2 is a flowchart of one example of the beverage preparation method in the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the application, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the application and is not meant as a limitation of the application. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present application without departing from the scope or spirit of the application. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment, can be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present application covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0052] As used herein, the terms "first", "second", and "third" can be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. Terms such as "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the direction of fluid flow relative to the flow of fluid, with "upstream" being the relative side from which flow is coming and "downstream" being the relative side to which flow is going. Approximating language, such as "generally", "approximately", or "about", as used herein, includes values that are within less than or aggregates to the value being described.

[0053] The beverage preparation method of the present application is applied to a beverage machine, and the beverage machine in the embodiments of the present application is described by taking a coffee machine capable of making coffee as an example. Figure 1 A partial water path schematic of the beverage machine according to the present application is provided, which only shows a part of the water path required for the beverage machine to make a beverage associated with the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 The beverage machine includes a brewer 20, a water supply path 31, and an output path 41. The brewer 20 has a brewing chamber for brewing a beverage. The water supply path 31 is connected to the brewer 20 for supplying water to the brewing chamber. The output path 41 is connected to the brewer 20 for outputting liquid from the brewing chamber. An evacuation pump 51 is connected to the output path 41, and the evacuation pump 51 is used to evacuate residual liquid in the output path 41 to a waste water tray 45 through an evacuation path 47.

[0054] The beverage machine further includes a water supply source 32, a water pump 33, and a heater 34. Water from the water supply source 32 is supplied to the heater 34 by the water pump 33, and the heated water is delivered to the water supply path 31. A beverage outlet 43 of the beverage machine is used to output liquid from the brewing chamber, i.e., the brewed beverage can be output to a cup through the beverage outlet 43. A pressure relief valve 35 is provided at a water inlet of the brewer 20, and the pressure of the brewer 20 is discharged to the waste water tray 45 through the pressure relief valve 35.

[0055] Referring to Figure 2 The beverage preparation method in the embodiments includes the following steps:

[0056] receiving a beverage preparation signal;

[0057] acquire the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration and the beverage cup volume corresponding to the beverage preparation signal;

[0058] set the water supply amount based on at least one of the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration and the beverage cup volume, the water supply amount including a first water supply amount and a second water supply amount;

[0059] In the soaking stage, the water pump 33 is controlled to supply the first water supply amount to the brewer 20, during which the water pump 33 operates at a first target power lower than full power;

[0060] In the brewing stage, the water pump 33 is controlled to supply the second water supply amount to the brewer 20, during which the water pump 33 operates at full power;

[0061] wherein the second water supply amount is greater than the first water supply amount.

[0062] The beverage preparation includes a soaking stage and a brewing stage; wherein the soaking stage is to supply water to the brewer 20 by the water pump 33 to wet the beverage raw material in the brewer 20, such as a coffee powder cake; the brewing stage is set after the soaking stage, and the brewing stage is to continue to supply water to the brewer 20 by the water pump 33 to brew the wet beverage raw material in the brewer 20, such as the wet coffee powder cake, and then output the beverage from the beverage outlet 43.

[0063] The setting of the soaking stage helps the extraction of the beverage raw material and improves the beverage concentration.

[0064] During the beverage preparation process, the water supply amount and the power of the water pump 33 are controlled according to different stages of beverage preparation, to ensure that the water flow speed is slowed down in the soaking stage, so that the coffee powder cake can be fully and uniformly soaked, to solve the problem of loss of beverage concentration caused by insufficient soaking of the coffee powder cake, to ensure the beverage concentration, thereby optimizing the taste of the beverage; the water flow speed is accelerated in the brewing stage to improve the brewing efficiency; the soaking stage with slowed-down water flow speed and the brewing stage with accelerated water flow speed can improve the beverage concentration while ensuring the brewing efficiency.

[0065] If the coffee powder cake is not fully soaked, part of the coffee powder cake may still be dry, which cannot be pre-soaked because the dry part does not absorb water.

[0066] The received beverage preparation signal can be the input of the user on the operation panel of the beverage machine, for example, pressing the button to make the beverage, and the related parameters of the beverage corresponding to the signal are acquired according to the signal output by the button; of course, it can also be the remote signal of the mobile device to make the above-mentioned beverage. The beverage preparation signal includes the beverage type, the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration and the beverage cup volume and other parameters.

[0067] The beverage temperature corresponding to the beverage preparation signal can be a preset temperature according to the type of the beverage, and the beverage temperature can also include options such as high temperature, medium temperature, or low temperature that can be individually selected by the user; the beverage concentration can be associated with the type of the beverage, and the beverage concentration can also include options such as strong and light that can be individually selected by the user; and the beverage cup size can be associated with the type of the beverage, and the beverage cup size can also include options such as large cup, medium cup, or small cup that can be individually selected by the user.

[0068] Based on the degree of association between the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration, and the beverage cup size and the selected beverage type, or directly selected by the user, the water supply amount can be determined by at least one of the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration, and the beverage cup size. The corresponding water supply amount is provided in the infusion stage and the brewing stage, respectively, to ensure the accuracy and taste of the extraction.

[0069] The water pump 33 operates at full power, corresponding to the rated flow rate, and the brewing chamber continuously supplies water. The water pump 33 operates at a first target power lower than full power, corresponding to a water flow rate lower than the rated flow rate, and the brewing chamber continuously supplies water or intermittently supplies water.

[0070] The way to adjust the working power of the water pump 33 to the first target power can be a frequency cutting way, a phase cutting way, or an adjustment duty cycle way. For example, the water pump 33 is configured as a direct current pump, and the first target power can be adjusted by adjusting the duty cycle; the water pump 33 is configured as an alternating current pump, and the first target power can be adjusted by frequency cutting, so that the brewing chamber intermittently supplies water, or the first target power can be adjusted by phase cutting. The phase cutting way does not change the working frequency, for example, reducing the working voltage by 10% to reduce the power of the water pump 33 by about 10%, and the brewing chamber continuously supplies water, but the water flow rate is lower than the rated flow rate by a certain percentage.

[0071] In some embodiments, the water pump 33 is configured as an alternating current pump: in the infusion stage, the water pump 33 is frequency controlled to operate at a first target power lower than full power to reduce the water flow rate; and in the brewing stage, the water pump 33 is full-frequency controlled to operate at full power to maintain the water flow rate at the rated flow rate.

[0072] In the infusion stage, compared with phase cutting to adjust the pump power to change the water flow rate, frequency cutting of the water pump 33 to change the pump power to change the water flow rate is not disturbed by voltage, which can improve the stability of water supply in the infusion stage.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first target power is in a positive correlation with the beverage temperature, the beverage temperature includes a first beverage temperature and a second beverage temperature, the first beverage temperature is less than the second beverage temperature, and in the infusion stage, the first target power corresponding to the first beverage temperature is less than the first target power corresponding to the second beverage temperature.

[0074] The extraction temperature corresponding to the ideal beverage concentration and taste is different for different types of beverages, but the beverage temperature is lower, and accordingly, the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20 is also lower. Lower water temperature is not conducive to extraction, and it is more difficult to achieve the ideal beverage concentration. At this time, according to the positive relationship between the first target power and the beverage temperature, the first target power is reduced, and the operating speed of the water pump 33 is slowed down, and the water flow is reduced, thereby helping the beverage raw materials to fully absorb water and uniformly infiltrate, and further ensuring the concentration and taste of the beverage extracted at a lower temperature, and solving the problem of insufficient extraction caused by low beverage temperature.

[0075] In one embodiment, the beverage temperature includes high temperature, medium temperature or low temperature. If the user selects high temperature, the first target power of the water pump 33 during the brewing stage of beverage preparation is relatively high. If the user selects low temperature, the first target power of the water pump 33 during the brewing stage of beverage preparation is also relatively low.

[0076] Referring to Figure 3 During the brewing stage, the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20 is obtained, and the first target power is dynamically adjusted based on the temperature of the water according to the positive relationship between the first target power and the temperature of the water. The lower the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20, the lower the first target power, so that the water flow rate is slower, and the water flow can uniformly and more slowly flow through the beverage raw materials, so that the beverage raw materials are fully wetted.

[0077] The temperature of the water input to the brewer 20 can be detected by a temperature sensor. After obtaining the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20, the corresponding initial first target power can be determined based on the temperature of the water, and the water pump 33 is controlled to operate at the initial first target power. After the water pump 33 operates at the initial first target power, the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20 is continuously detected by the temperature sensor to update the initial first target power based on the re-acquired temperature of the water. The temperature of the water is continuously acquired, and accordingly, the first target power is continuously dynamically adjusted. Dynamically adjusting the first target power avoids over-extraction or under-extraction, and low-temperature beverages can be fully extracted, while high-temperature beverages can be extracted faster and prevented from being over-extracted, ensuring the uniformity of extraction and the stability of taste.

[0078] Continuously acquiring the temperature of the water can be understood as acquiring the temperature of the water every interval of a preset time length, so as to improve the accuracy of the adjustment of the first target power, and further ensure the appropriate water flow rate during the brewing stage.

[0079] In some embodiments, the first target power is inversely proportional to the beverage concentration, and the beverage concentration includes a first beverage concentration and a second beverage concentration, the first beverage concentration being less than the second beverage concentration. During the brewing stage, the first target power corresponding to the first beverage concentration is greater than the first target power corresponding to the second beverage concentration.

[0080] The first beverage concentration can correspond to a beverage concentration of a light taste type, and the second beverage concentration can correspond to a beverage concentration of a strong taste type. When the light taste type beverage is extracted, the water flow is fast; and when the strong taste type beverage is extracted, the water flow is slow; the extraction of the beverage can be accurately controlled, so that different types of beverages can achieve the optimal taste and concentration.

[0081] In one embodiment, the beverage concentration includes light and strong, if the user selects light, then the first target power of the water pump 33 in the brewing stage of beverage preparation is relatively high; if the user selects strong, then the first target power of the water pump 33 in the brewing stage of beverage preparation is also relatively low.

[0082] Referring to Figure 4 The beverage preparation signal includes a raw material grinding gear value L, a raw material gear coefficient K1 corresponding to the raw material grinding gear value L is obtained, and the first target power is determined according to the inverse relationship between the first target power and the raw material gear coefficient K1.

[0083] Among them, different raw material grinding gear values L correspond to different raw material gear coefficients K1, and the corresponding relationship between the two can be pre-set. For example, the raw material grinding gear value L on the beverage machine can be multiple, the larger the raw material grinding gear value L, the larger the particle size of the beverage raw material particles, that is, the coarser the powder, and the smaller the corresponding raw material gear coefficient K1. The finer the powder, the greater the resistance of the powder cake, and the power of the water pump 33 needs to be reduced to reduce the flow rate, so that the powder cake is fully soaked, so as to realize the best flow rate matched with different powder fineness conditions and ensure the uniform wetting of the powder cake in the brewing stage.

[0084] Referring to Figure 5 The above beverage preparation method further includes: obtaining a raw material gear coefficient K1 corresponding to a raw material grinding gear value L, obtaining a weight coefficient K2 corresponding to a beverage concentration, obtaining a beverage raw material weight associated with the raw material gear coefficient K1 and the weight coefficient K2 based on a pre-set first calculation rule; and determining the first target power based on the beverage raw material weight according to the inverse relationship between the first target power and the beverage raw material weight.

[0085] When the beverage preparation signal corresponds to a beverage concentration or the user selects a beverage concentration alone, according to the preset corresponding relationship, different beverage concentrations correspond to different weight coefficients K2, the greater the beverage concentration, the greater the corresponding weight coefficient K2, different raw material grinding gear values L correspond to different raw material gear coefficients K1, the greater the raw material grinding gear value L, the smaller the raw material gear coefficient K1, and the beverage raw material weight can be calculated based on the preset first calculation rule through the raw material gear coefficient K1 and the weight coefficient K2, so that a more accurate beverage raw material weight can be obtained. The first target power is inversely proportional to the beverage raw material weight, and the greater the beverage raw material weight, the lower the power of the water pump 33, so that the flow rate is slower, so that the powder cake can be fully soaked.

[0086] As an example, the preset first calculation rule is:

[0087] g = g1 + g2 x K2 x K1;

[0088] wherein g is the beverage raw material weight, g1 represents the basic weight parameter set by the brewer 20, g2 represents the capacity limiting weight parameter set by the brewer 20, K1 represents the raw material gear coefficient, and K2 represents the weight coefficient. The basic weight parameter set by the brewer 20 can be the set optimal raw material weight; the brewer 20 corresponds to a raw material weight upper limit and a raw material weight lower limit, and the capacity limiting weight parameter can be the difference between the raw material weight upper limit and the raw material weight lower limit of the brewer 20. It can be understood that in order to ensure the normal use of the brewer 20, the beverage raw material weight accommodated by the brewer 20 needs to be between the raw material weight upper limit and the raw material weight lower limit.

[0089] Through the preset first calculation rule, the beverage raw material weight is obtained, the power of the water pump 33 is accurately adjusted according to the raw material weight, the water flow is slowed down when the powder amount is large, so that the powder cake can be fully soaked, and the water flow is fast when the powder amount is small, so as to avoid excessive extraction, optimize the quality of the beverage, and ensure that the beverage concentration meets the standard.

[0090] Further, with reference to Figure 6 The above beverage preparation method further comprises: obtaining a water passing coefficient Lw corresponding to the raw material grinding gear value L, and obtaining the first target power based on a preset second calculation rule; the second calculation rule represents the relationship between the raw material grinding gear value L, the beverage raw material weight g, the temperature T of the water input into the brewer 20, and the water passing coefficient Lw.

[0091] Based on the second calculation rule, the first target power is comprehensively adjusted in combination with parameters such as the raw material grinding gear value L, the beverage raw material weight g, and the temperature T of the water, so as to realize dynamic adjustment of the power of the water pump 33 under multiple parameter conditions, and ensure uniform soaking of the powder cake under different conditions.

[0092] Different raw material grinding gear values L can correspond to different water passing coefficients Lw, or adjacent raw material grinding gear values L correspond to the same water passing coefficient Lw; water passing coefficients Lw with a large gear difference correspond to different water passing coefficients Lw.

[0093] As an example, the preset second calculation rule is:

[0094]

[0095] wherein W represents the first target power, g represents the weight of the beverage raw material; Kw represents a constant coefficient; L represents the raw material grinding gear value; Tw represents the temperature coefficient, which is calculated based on the temperature of the water input to the brewing device 20 using a preset mapping relationship; and Lw represents the water passing coefficient.

[0096] The second calculation rule can further improve the accuracy of the water pump 33 power calculation and optimize the control effect in the infusion stage.

[0097] In the above formula, the water passing coefficient Lw positively or negatively compensates the calculation result of the first target power W; the larger the raw material grinding gear value L, the coarser the raw material particles, and the higher the water passing rate, so the water passing coefficient Lw is negative, and the water passing coefficient Lw negatively compensates the result of the first target power W, so as to slow down the water pump 33 pumping speed to prevent the infusion water from being discharged from the pressure relief valve 35.

[0098] For example, the preset mapping relationship for calculating the temperature coefficient Tw is as follows:

[0099] Tw = 1.4 - T / 200;

[0100] When the temperature T of the water is <60°C, the temperature T of the water is determined to be 60°C; when the temperature T of the water is >100°C, the temperature T of the water is determined to be 100°C, and then the temperature T of the water is mapped to the temperature coefficient Tw through the formula: Tw = 1.4 - T / 200; the temperature coefficient Tw takes a value of 1.1-0.9; for example, when the temperature T of the water is 60°C, the temperature coefficient Tw is 1.1, and when the temperature T of the water is 100°C, the temperature coefficient Tw is 0.9.

[0101] In some embodiments, the first water supply amount is determined based on the raw material grinding gear value and the weight of the beverage raw material according to the inverse relationship between the first water supply amount and the raw material grinding gear value and the positive relationship between the first water supply amount and the weight of the beverage raw material.

[0102] The first water supply amount of the soaking stage is calculated according to the raw material grinding gear value and the beverage raw material weight, and the first water supply amount is ensured to be appropriate while the water flow rate is uniform and slow, so as to avoid that the first water supply amount is too much to be discharged or the first water supply amount is too little to soak the powder cake sufficiently, and the appropriate first water supply amount can further ensure the cup amount after brewing to be stable.

[0103] In some other embodiments, the beverage raw material weight corresponding to the beverage concentration can also be determined based on the beverage concentration according to the positive correlation between the beverage concentration and the beverage raw material weight, and the first water supply amount can be determined based on the beverage raw material weight.

[0104] The first water supply amount is determined only by the beverage raw material weight, and the beverage raw material weight is determined only by the beverage concentration, which simplifies the algorithm of the first water supply amount of the soaking stage, thereby improving the efficiency of beverage preparation.

[0105] In addition, the second water supply amount can also be determined according to the beverage cup amount according to the relationship that the beverage cup amount is consistent with the second water supply amount. The second water supply amount is mainly determined by the beverage cup amount, which ensures the stability of the output beverage cup amount.

[0106] Referring to Figure 7 The beverage preparation method further includes: obtaining the beverage raw material weight and the raw material grinding gear value corresponding to the beverage preparation signal, and determining the first target power according to the beverage raw material weight and the raw material grinding gear value, wherein the first target power is inversely proportional to the beverage raw material weight, and the first target power is proportional to the raw material grinding gear value, and the weight of the beverage raw material weight on the first target power is greater than the weight of the raw material grinding gear value on the first target power.

[0107] The first target power is determined by the beverage raw material weight and the raw material grinding gear value, wherein the influence of the beverage raw material weight on the first target power is greater than the influence of the raw material grinding gear value on the first target power. When the concentration of the beverage is improved, the beverage raw material weight is increased, for example, the beverage raw material weight corresponding to the rich taste is larger, and the beverage raw material weight corresponding to the light taste is smaller. When the first target power is calculated, the weight of the beverage raw material weight on the first target power is increased, so as to further ensure that the water flow is slowed down when the powder amount is large, so that the powder cake can be fully soaked to ensure sufficient extraction, and the water flow is faster when the powder amount is small, so as to avoid excessive extraction. Different beverages can accurately adjust the first target power to accurately adjust the water flow rate and ensure the extraction effect.

[0108] Referring to Figure 8The beverage preparation method further comprises: obtaining the weight of the beverage raw material corresponding to the beverage preparation signal and the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20, and determining the first target power according to the weight of the beverage raw material and the temperature of the water, wherein the first target power is inversely proportional to the weight of the beverage raw material, the first target power is proportional to the temperature of the water, and the weight of the beverage raw material has a greater weight on the first target power than the temperature of the water.

[0109] The first target power is determined by the weight of the beverage raw material and the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20, wherein the weight of the beverage raw material has a greater influence on the first target power than the temperature of the water, and the weight of the beverage raw material is increased in the calculation of the first target power to further ensure that the first target power can be accurately adjusted under different conditions of the weight of the beverage raw material and the temperature, and the water flow rate is accurately adjusted to ensure the extraction effect.

[0110] In some embodiments, the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20 in the soaking stage is higher than the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20 in the brewing stage.

[0111] In the case that the water temperature is not conducive to extraction, the water temperature is increased in the soaking stage, and the water temperature in the brewing stage can match the beverage temperature selected by the user. With the cooperation of the water pump 33 running at the first target power, the degree of soaking of the powder cake is maximized. In addition, there is a fixed waiting stage from the soaking stage to the brewing stage, and the water required in the soaking stage is less, so the increased water temperature in the soaking stage will not affect the final output of the beverage temperature.

[0112] The beverage preparation includes a soaking stage, a waiting stage and a brewing stage, and the waiting stage is arranged between the soaking stage and the brewing stage. The waiting stage is used for the water supplied to the brewer 20 in the soaking stage to further soak the beverage raw material, so as to further ensure the concentration and taste of the beverage. The determination of the above-mentioned first target power, if the calculation result of the first target power is lower than the minimum limit power, may cause the water pump 33 to be unable to run, or may cause the water flow rate to be too slow and seriously affect the beverage preparation efficiency. Therefore, the water pump 33 has a minimum limit power, that is, a preset lower power limit. In the soaking stage, the first target power is obtained, and when the first target power is lower than the preset lower power limit, the first target power is determined as the preset lower power limit, and the power of the heater 34 is controlled to increase the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20.

[0113] Thus, when the calculated first target power is lower than the preset lower limit, the water pump 33 directly operates at the lowest limit power to ensure normal operation of the water pump 33 and the beverage preparation efficiency. When the power of the water pump 33 is maintained at the lowest limit power, the power of the heater 34 can be increased to increase the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20 to assist the infusion, and the first target power can be recalculated and updated, and then the water pump is controlled to continue operating at the updated first target power to maintain the water flow rate at the optimal state during the infusion stage.

[0114] In one embodiment, the heater 34 can be a heating disc.

[0115] The beverage temperature includes a first beverage temperature and a second beverage temperature, the first beverage temperature is lower than the second beverage temperature, and the power of the heater 34 corresponding to the first beverage temperature is lower than the power of the heater 34 corresponding to the second beverage temperature. The heater 34 is used to heat the water input to the brewer 20.

[0116] The beverage temperature is also used to control the heating power of the heater 34. In one embodiment, the beverage temperature includes high temperature and low temperature. If the user selects high temperature, the power of the heater 34 is relatively large; if the user selects low temperature, the power of the heater 34 is relatively small.

[0117] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned beverage preparation method further comprises: during the infusion stage, controlling the emptying pump 51 to be turned on to empty the pipeline from the brewer 20 to the beverage outlet 43.

[0118] During the infusion stage, the emptying pump 51 and the water pump 33 are turned on and off together, air can be discharged through the emptying pump 51, and a small amount of water can be discharged, and air and water can be discharged through the emptying pump 51 to the waste water tray 45 without passing through the beverage outlet 43, thereby preventing the beverage outlet 43 from splashing, and the cup volume is not affected by the water discharged from the beverage outlet 43. In addition, residual liquid of the beverage preparation in the output pipeline 41 can also be discharged, further ensuring the accuracy of the cup volume.

[0119] In the above-mentioned beverage preparation method, the beverage preparation signal includes a hot beverage preparation signal and a cold beverage preparation signal, and the beverage preparation method further comprises:

[0120] In response to the hot beverage preparation signal, during the infusion stage, the water pump 33 is controlled to supply a first water supply amount to the brewer 20, and during this period, the water pump 33 operates at a first target power lower than full power; during the brewing stage, the water pump 33 is controlled to supply a second water supply amount to the brewer 20, and during this period, the water pump 33 operates at full power;

[0121] In response to the cold beverage preparation signal, in the soaking stage, the water pump 33 is controlled to supply the first water supply amount to the brewer 20, during which the water pump 33 is operated at full power; in the brewing stage, the water pump 33 is controlled to supply the second water supply amount to the brewer 20, during which the water pump 33 is operated at the second target power lower than the full power.

[0122] In one embodiment, the water pump 33 is configured as an alternating current pump.

[0123] In one embodiment, the water pump 33 is configured as an alternating current pump.

[0124] In one embodiment, the water pump 33 is configured as an alternating current pump.

[0125] Please refer to Figure 1 , the heater 34 is controlled to work to provide hot water required by the hot extraction to the brewer 20, and the beverage temperature of the hot extraction beverage can include high temperature, medium temperature and low temperature, wherein the heating power of the heater 34 corresponding to the high temperature is larger, and the heating power of the heater 34 corresponding to the low temperature is smaller; the heater 34 is controlled to stop working to provide normal temperature water required by the cold extraction to the brewer 20.

[0126] Based on the different beverage concentration requirements of cold extraction and hot extraction, the cold extraction beverage is slightly light in taste, and it is necessary to avoid excessive wetting of the powder cake in the soaking stage, and to slightly slow down the water flow in the brewing stage, so as to prolong the time of cold extraction, so that the cold extraction beverage is more smooth in taste and lower in astringency.

[0127] Please refer to Figure 9 , the flow steps of the beverage preparation method are exemplarily shown, and the user can make two selections, the taste selection and the raw material grinding gear value L selection, and the beverage preparation signal received includes the beverage concentration and the raw material grinding gear value L, according to the first calculation rule in the method steps shown in Figure 5 , the beverage raw material weight is determined, and according to the beverage raw material weight, the temperature of the water input to the brewer 20, the raw material grinding gear value L, and the corresponding water passing coefficient, the final first target power is obtained based on the second calculation rule in the method steps shown in Figure 6 , in the soaking stage, the water pump 33 is operated at the first target power.

[0128] The water pump 33 has a very flexible power setting, and can effectively adjust the water flow rate in the soaking stage according to the temperature, concentration and cup volume of the beverage, so that the brewing process can fully extract the beverage, and the different beverages can achieve the ideal beverage concentration and taste effect, and improve the quality of the final beverage.

[0129] The application also provides a beverage machine, which comprises a memory and a processor, the memory is used to store a computer program capable of running on the processor, and the processor is used to execute the beverage preparation method in any one of the above embodiments when the computer program is running.

[0130] The water pump 33 has a very flexible power setting, and can effectively adjust the water flow rate in the soaking stage according to the temperature, concentration and cup volume of the beverage, so that the brewing process can fully extract the beverage, and the different beverages can achieve the ideal beverage concentration and taste effect, and improve the quality of the final beverage.

[0131] It should be understood that although the present specification is described in terms of embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution, and the description of the specification is only for the sake of clarity, and those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can be combined appropriately to form other embodiments that those skilled in the art can understand.

[0132] The above series of detailed descriptions are only specific descriptions of the feasible embodiments of the present application, and are not used to limit the protection scope of the present application, and any equivalent embodiments or changes made without departing from the spirit of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a beverage, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Received beverage preparation signal; Obtain the beverage temperature, beverage concentration, and beverage cup volume corresponding to the beverage preparation signal; The water supply is set based on at least one of the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration, and the beverage cup size, and the water supply includes a first water supply and a second water supply. During the soaking stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the first water volume to the brewer, during which the water pump operates at a first target power lower than full power; During the brewing stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the second water volume to the brewer, during which the water pump operates at full power; Wherein, the second water supply is greater than the first water supply; The temperature of the water input to the brewer during the soaking stage is higher than the temperature of the water input to the brewer during the brewing stage.

2. The beverage preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the soaking stage, the temperature of the water input to the brewer is obtained, and the first target power is dynamically adjusted based on the water temperature, since the first target power is proportional to the water temperature.

3. The beverage preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first target power satisfies at least one of the following characteristics: The first target power is inversely proportional to the beverage concentration, which includes a first beverage concentration and a second beverage concentration. The first beverage concentration is less than the second beverage concentration. During the soaking stage, the first target power corresponding to the first beverage concentration is greater than the first target power corresponding to the second beverage concentration. The first target power is directly proportional to the beverage temperature, which includes a first beverage temperature and a second beverage temperature. The first beverage temperature is lower than the second beverage temperature. During the soaking stage, the first target power corresponding to the first beverage temperature is lower than the first target power corresponding to the second beverage temperature.

4. The beverage preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beverage preparation signal includes a raw material grinding level value, obtaining the raw material level coefficient corresponding to the raw material grinding level value, obtaining the weight coefficient corresponding to the beverage concentration, and obtaining the beverage raw material weight associated with the raw material level coefficient and the weight coefficient based on a preset first calculation rule; and determining the first target power based on the inverse relationship between the first target power and the beverage raw material weight.

5. The beverage preparation method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The preset first calculation rule is: ； Wherein, g is the weight of the beverage ingredients, g1 represents the basic weight parameter set by the brewer, g2 represents the capacity-limited weight parameter set by the brewer, K1 represents the ingredient level coefficient, and K2 represents the weight coefficient.

6. The beverage preparation method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The water flow coefficient corresponding to the raw material grinding level is obtained, and the first target power is obtained based on the preset second calculation rule; the second calculation rule represents the relationship between the raw material grinding level, the weight of the beverage raw material, the temperature of the water input to the brewer, and the water flow coefficient.

7. The beverage preparation method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The preset second calculation rule is as follows: ； Wherein, W represents the first target power, g represents the weight of the beverage raw material; Kw represents a constant coefficient; L represents the grinding level of the raw material; Tw represents a temperature coefficient, which is calculated based on the temperature of the water input to the brewer using a preset mapping relationship; and Lw represents the water flow coefficient.

8. The beverage preparation method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first water supply is determined based on the inverse relationship between the first water supply and the raw material grinding level, and the direct relationship between the first water supply and the weight of the beverage raw materials.

9. The beverage preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weight of the beverage ingredients and the grinding level value corresponding to the beverage preparation signal are obtained. The first target power is determined based on the weight of the beverage ingredients and the grinding level value. The first target power is inversely proportional to the weight of the beverage ingredients and directly proportional to the grinding level value. The weight of the beverage ingredients in the first target power has a greater weight than the grinding level value in the first target power.

10. The beverage preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The weight of the beverage ingredients corresponding to the beverage preparation signal and the temperature of the water input to the brewer are obtained. The first target power is determined based on the weight of the beverage ingredients and the temperature of the water. The first target power is inversely proportional to the weight of the beverage ingredients and directly proportional to the temperature of the water. The weight of the beverage ingredients in the first target power has a greater weight than the temperature of the water in the first target power.

11. The beverage preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water supply is set based on at least one of the beverage temperature, the beverage concentration, and the beverage cup size, wherein the water supply includes a first water supply and a second water supply, and includes at least one of the following features: Based on the direct proportionality between the beverage concentration and the weight of the beverage ingredients, the weight of the beverage ingredients corresponding to the beverage concentration is determined; the first water supply volume is determined based on the weight of the beverage ingredients. Based on the relationship between the beverage cup size and the second water supply volume, the second water supply volume is determined according to the beverage cup size.

12. The beverage preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, During the soaking stage, the first target power is obtained. When the first target power is lower than the preset power lower limit, the first target power is determined to be the preset power lower limit, and the power of the heater is controlled to increase, so as to increase the temperature of the water input to the brewer.

13. The beverage preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The method includes at least one of the following features: During the soaking stage, the evacuation pump is turned on to evacuate the pipeline from the brewer to the beverage outlet. The beverage temperature includes a first beverage temperature and a second beverage temperature. The first beverage temperature is lower than the second beverage temperature. The power of the heater corresponding to the first beverage temperature is lower than the power of the heater corresponding to the second beverage temperature. The heater is used to heat the water input to the brewing device. During the soaking phase, the water pump is frequency-controlled to operate at a first target power lower than the full power.

14. The beverage preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The beverage preparation signals include hot beverage preparation signals and cold beverage preparation signals, and the method further includes: In response to the hot beverage preparation signal, during the soaking stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the first water supply to the brewer, during which the water pump operates at a first target power lower than full power; during the brewing stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the second water supply to the brewer, during which the water pump operates at full power. In response to the cold drink preparation signal, during the soaking stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the brewer with the first water supply amount, during which the water pump operates at full power; during the brewing stage, the water pump is controlled to supply the brewer with the second water supply amount, during which the water pump operates at a second target power lower than full power.

15. A beverage machine, characterized in that, The beverage machine includes a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store a computer program that can run on the processor. When the processor runs the computer program, it performs the beverage preparation method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images