Beverage preparation device, beverage preparation machine and preparation operation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a preparation device, a beverage preparation machine and a preparation operation method thereof, the preparation device comprises a base and a steam module, the steam module comprises a steam rod, the steam rod is provided with a first end and a second end, and the first end is rotatably installed on the base so as to drive the second end to form an included angle relative to the base in the process of external force driving rotation; one of the steam rod and the base is provided with an interference protrusion, the other one of the steam rod and the base is correspondingly provided with an interference face, in the rotating process of the steam rod, the interference protrusion is driven to move on the interference face, interference force used for preventing the steam rod from rotating is generated between the interference protrusion and the interference face, and the interference force is variably arranged. When the steam rod rotates, variable interference force is generated between the interference bulge and the interference surface, so that the interference bulge currently moves to a certain area of the interference surface can be determined by sensing the interference force in an associated manner, the rotation process of the steam rod relative to the machine body is controllable and can be stopped at any time, and the steam rod is more flexible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of beverage mixing equipment, and in particular to a mixing device, a beverage mixing machine and a mixing operation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As people's living standards continue to improve, their taste for beverages continues to improve. Many people are no longer satisfied with a single type of beverage, but like to mix beverages according to their own preferences. Take a coffee machine as an example. A coffee machine can output coffee or milk. Existing coffee machines are generally equipped with an external steam rod, which can be connected to steam and heat or foam the coffee or milk output by the coffee machine to obtain a mixed beverage. However, the installation position of the existing steam rod on the body of the coffee machine is either fixed, resulting in a single operation method; or it can be rotated and adjusted, but the rotation process cannot stop at the specified position at any time according to demand, resulting in low applicability. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a brewing device, a beverage brewing machine and a brewing operation method thereof, aiming to solve the problem that the traditional steam rod is not installed properly on the machine body, resulting in low operational flexibility of the steam rod.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a modulation device, comprising:

[0005] a base for fixing to the beverage preparation machine; and,

[0006] The steam module comprises a steam rod, wherein the steam rod has a first end and a second end which are arranged opposite to each other along its axial direction, the steam rod is used to receive external steam and output it to the outside through the second end, and the first end is rotatably mounted on the base so that the second end is driven to form an angle relative to the base during the process of rotation driven by an external force;

[0007] Among them, one of the steam rod and the base is provided with an interference protrusion, and the other one is correspondingly provided with an interference surface. During the rotation of the steam rod, the interference protrusion is driven to move on the interference surface, and an interference force is generated between the two to hinder the rotation of the steam rod, and the interference force is set to be variable.

[0008] Optionally, the rotation axis of the first end intersects the central axis of the steam rod at right angles.

[0009] Optionally, the interference surface is provided with at least one first interference area on a moving track corresponding to the interference protrusion, and a second interference area remaining except the first interference area;

[0010] The interference protrusion generates a first interference force when it moves to the first interference area, and generates a second interference force when it moves to the second interference area, wherein the first interference force is greater than the second interference force.

[0011] Optionally, when the interference protrusion moves to the first interference area and the external force does not increase to a preset threshold, the first interference force maintains the steam rod fixed relative to the base; and / or,

[0012] When the interference protrusion moves to the second interference area and the external force is removed, the second interference force maintains the steam rod fixed relative to the base.

[0013] Optionally, the second end of the steam rod has two extreme positions in its rotational travel;

[0014] At least two of the first interference regions are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the two extreme positions, so that when the steam rod rotates to any of the extreme positions, the first interference force maintains the steam rod fixed relative to the base.

[0015] Optionally, one of the steam rod and the base is provided with a stop protrusion, and the other one is correspondingly provided with a stop surface. When the steam rod rotates to any of the extreme positions, the stop protrusion is driven to abut against the stop surface to limit the rotation of the steam rod.

[0016] Optionally, the interference surface is provided with at least one groove on a moving track corresponding to the interference protrusion, and the position of the groove constitutes the first interference area;

[0017] The protruding height of the interference protrusion relative to the base or the steam rod on which it is installed is adjustable so that when it moves to the second interference area, the interference protrusion is pushed and shortened; and when it moves to the first interference area, the interference protrusion is extended and engaged with the groove.

[0018] Optionally, the interference protrusion is elastically and telescopically mounted on the base or the steam rod via an elastic member.

[0019] Optionally, the base is used to be fixed to the front side panel of the beverage preparation machine, and the beverage preparation machine is provided with a tray protruding laterally below the front side panel;

[0020] There are two grooves, namely a first groove and a second groove;

[0021] When the interference protrusion is engaged with the first groove, the steam rod extends in a vertical direction, and the second end faces the tray;

[0022] When the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove, the steam rod extends obliquely relative to the vertical direction, and the second end is staggered with the tray.

[0023] Optionally, when the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove, the inclination angle of the steam rod is greater than 0° and not greater than 90°.

[0024] Optionally, during the rotation of the steam rod, the interference protrusion is driven to slide on the interference surface; or,

[0025] The base or the steam rod provided with the interference protrusion is provided with an assembly hole, and the interference protrusion is a ball, which is rotatably installed in the assembly hole and at least partially protrudes from the opening of the assembly hole. During the rotation of the steam rod, the interference protrusion is driven to roll on the interference surface.

[0026] Optionally, the steam module further comprises an access pipe body, wherein the access pipe body is used to connect an external steam source and the steam rod, and the access pipe body is protruded on one radial side of the steam rod.

[0027] Optionally, the access pipe body includes a first pipe section extending radially along the steam rod, and a second pipe section arranged crosswise with the first pipe section, the first pipe section is connected to the steam rod, and the second pipe section is bent and connected to the first pipe section and is used to communicate with an external steam source.

[0028] Optionally, the base includes a first side plate, and the first side plate is arranged on one radial side of the steam rod;

[0029] The first pipe section penetrates the first side plate in the radial direction of the steam rod and is connected to the steam rod. The second pipe section is located on a side of the first side plate facing away from the steam rod and is fixedly connected to the first side plate via a first bracket.

[0030] Optionally, the steam module further comprises a rotating shaft, the central axis of the rotating shaft is colinear with the rotating axis of the steam rod, one section of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to one of the steam rod and the base, and the other section is rotatably connected to the other of the steam rod and the base;

[0031] The access pipe body and the rotating shaft are arranged independently of each other.

[0032] Optionally, the central axis of at least a partial section of the access pipe body is colinear with the rotation axis of the steam rod, and one of the steam rod and the base is fixedly connected to the access pipe body, and the other is rotatably connected to the access pipe body.

[0033] Optionally, the base comprises a first side plate and a second side plate respectively arranged on two radial sides of the steam rod, and the steam rod is respectively provided with a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole in a radial direction corresponding to the first side plate and the second side plate;

[0034] The access pipe body comprises a first pipe section extending in the radial direction of the steam rod, the first pipe section passes through the first side plate and is installed in the first installation hole;

[0035] The steam module further comprises a blocking member, which is sealingly inserted into the second mounting hole, and one of the steam rod and the second side plate is fixedly connected to the blocking member, and the other is rotatably connected to the blocking member.

[0036] Optionally, the blocking member and the first pipe section have structures that match each other; and / or,

[0037] The installation state of the blocking member relative to the steam rod and the base is the same as the installation state of the first pipe section relative to the steam rod and the base.

[0038] Optionally, the modulation device also includes a temperature sensor, which is arranged in the steam rod along the axial direction of the steam rod and has a measuring section extending from the second end, and the measuring section is used to detect the temperature value of the liquid in the external container when the second end extends into the external container.

[0039] Optionally, the steam module further comprises a mounting seat, the mounting seat is detachably mounted to the first end, and the mounting seat is expanded compared to the first end;

[0040] The first end is indirectly rotatably connected to the base through the mounting seat; and / or,

[0041] One of the mounting seat and the base is provided with the interference protrusion, and the other is provided with the interference surface; and / or,

[0042] The first end is indirectly connected to external steam through the mounting seat.

[0043] Optionally, the base comprises a first side plate and a second side plate respectively arranged on both radial sides of the steam rod, and the interference protrusion and the interference surface are respectively arranged between the first side plate and the mounting seat and between the second side plate and the mounting seat;

[0044] The base also includes a bottom plate connected between the first side plate and the second side plate, the bottom plate is penetrated by an avoidance hole, the steam rod is movably arranged in the avoidance hole, and at least the second end extends outward from the avoidance hole.

[0045] Optionally, at least in the rotation direction of the steam rod, the mounting seat is arranged in a curved shape to form two bent portions, and a connection between the two bent portions is rotatably mounted on the first side plate and the second side plate;

[0046] The orthographic projection of the bent portion on the bottom plate partially falls outside the avoidance hole to form a stop protrusion, and the bottom plate forms a stop surface corresponding to the outer periphery of the avoidance hole;

[0047] The second end of the steam rod has two extreme positions in its rotation stroke, and when the interference protrusion rotates to any of the extreme positions, the stop protrusion abuts against the stop surface.

[0048] In addition, to achieve the above object, the present invention also provides a beverage preparation machine, comprising:

[0049] body; and,

[0050] The modulation device as described above is externally arranged on the machine body.

[0051] Optionally, the machine body has a front panel, and a tray is protruded laterally below the front panel, and the tray is used to place an external container;

[0052] The base is detachably mounted on the front panel, and when an external force drives the steam rod to rotate, the second end is driven to swing in a direction close to and away from the tray.

[0053] In addition, to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention also provides a beverage mixing machine mixing operation method, comprising:

[0054] When confirming the manual modulation mode, the steam lever is rotated until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove;

[0055] inserting at least the second end of the steam rod into the outer container;

[0056] After the steam rod and the external container are operated to rotate synchronously to a target angle, the steam rod is operated to connect external steam.

[0057] Optionally, the beverage mixing machine's mixing operation method further includes:

[0058] When confirming the automatic modulation mode, the steam lever is rotated until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove;

[0059] inserting at least the second end of the steam rod into the outer container;

[0060] The steam rod and the outer container are operated to rotate synchronously until the outer container is placed on the tray and the interference protrusion is engaged with the first groove, and then the temperature sensor is started to operate;

[0061] The steam rod is operated to allow external steam to flow in, and when the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a preset threshold, the steam rod is operated to stop allowing external steam to flow in.

[0062] In the technical solution provided by the present invention, the base is fixedly installed on the body of the beverage preparation machine to keep the base fixed relative to the body; when an external force drives the steam rod to rotate, the interference protrusion is driven to move on the interference surface, thereby achieving the purpose of arbitrarily adjusting the orientation of the steam rod; during the rotation process, the interference force generated between the interference protrusion and the interference surface is set to change, and the change is known in advance, so by sensing the change in the interference force, it can be determined that the interference protrusion has currently moved to a certain area of ​​the interference surface, so that the rotation process of the steam rod relative to the body is controllable and can be stopped at any time, which is more flexible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] 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.

[0064] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of a modulation device provided by the present invention;

[0065] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the main structure of the modulation device;

[0066] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A longitudinal section schematic diagram of the assembly of the steam rod and the base;

[0067] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the middle base from another viewing angle;

[0068] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the middle mounting base at another viewing angle;

[0069] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure when the middle steam rod rotates to two extreme positions respectively;

[0070] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the middle modulation device at the matching position of the interference protrusion and the first groove;

[0071] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the enlarged structure at A in the middle;

[0072] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a first embodiment of a beverage mixing operation method of a beverage mixing machine provided by the present invention;

[0073] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the brewing operation method of the beverage brewing machine provided by the present invention.

[0074] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0075] 100 base; 110 first side plate; 111 first connecting ear plate; 112 first connecting hole; 120 second side plate; 121 second connecting ear plate; 122 second connecting hole; 130 bottom plate; 131 avoidance hole; 132 stop surface; 210 steam rod; 211 first end; 212 second end; 220 mounting seat; 221 bending portion; 221a stop protrusion; 222 first mounting hole; 223 second mounting hole; 224 third mounting hole; 225 fourth mounting hole; 226 assembly hole; 310 ball bearing; 321 first groove; 322 second groove; 330 elastic member; 400 access pipe body; 410 first pipe section; 420 second pipe section; 430 first bracket; 500 blocking member; 600 temperature sensor; 610 measuring section; 700 sealing connector; 800 transition connecting sleeve.

[0076] 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

[0077] 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.

[0078] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications 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.

[0079] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "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 technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme that satisfies both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0080] See also Figures 1 to 8 The present invention provides a modulation device and a beverage mixer used therein. The specific form of the beverage mixer is not limited, and may be a product for mixing ready-made beverages; or may be a product for first preparing a beverage from powder and / or liquid, and then mixing the prepared beverage. The modulation method that can be realized based on the modulation device may be, but is not limited to, heating the beverage with steam, foaming the beverage with steam and air, etc.

[0081] Among them, the beverage preparation machine includes a machine body in addition to the preparation device, and the machine body generally has a front panel and a rear surface facing the user. Taking the beverage preparation machine as a coffee machine as an example, the machine body will also have a tray convexly arranged forwardly at the front panel, and the tray includes a bottom plate concavely arranged downwardly to form a water collection tank, and a grille bracket covering the notch of the water collection tank. The grille bracket can be used to place an external container, and its grille can be used to filter residues with larger particle sizes. The machine body generally also has a downward beverage outlet at the front panel of the machine body and above the tray. The beverage outlet can provide beverages such as milk, coffee, etc. to the external container placed on the tray.

[0082] In view of this, the brewing device is generally placed outside the machine body, and is preferably placed on the front panel of the machine body. The brewing device is generally at least placed adjacent to the tray, so that the brewing device can access steam to the external container placed at the tray.

[0083] In addition, the brewing device is generally used for circulating steam, in which case the beverage brewing machine has a built-in steam source, or another product independent of the beverage brewing machine serves as the steam source. The steam source can generate steam and connect the steam to the brewing device.

[0084] In view of the above, please refer to Figures 1 to 8The modulation device provided by the present invention includes a base 100 and a steam module. The base 100 is used to be fixed to the body of the beverage mixer, for example, at the front side panel; the steam module includes a steam rod 210, the steam rod 210 has a first end 211 and a second end 212 that are arranged opposite to each other along its axial direction, the steam rod 210 is used to receive external steam and output it outward through the second end 212, the first end 211 is rotatably mounted on the base 100, so that in the process of rotation driven by external force, the second end 212 is driven to form an angle relative to the base 100; one of the steam rod 210 and the base 100 is provided with an interference protrusion, and the other one is correspondingly provided with an interference surface, during the rotation of the steam rod 210, the interference protrusion is driven to move on the interference surface, and an interference force is generated between the two to hinder the rotation of the steam rod 210, and the interference force is set to be variable.

[0085] In the technical solution provided by the present invention, the base 100 is fixedly mounted on the body of the beverage preparation machine to keep the base 100 fixed relative to the body; when an external force drives the steam rod 210 to rotate, the interference protrusion is driven to move on the interference surface, so that the orientation of the steam rod 210 can be arbitrarily adjusted; during the rotation process, the interference force generated between the interference protrusion and the interference surface is set to change, and the change is known in advance, so by sensing the change in the interference force, it can be determined that the interference protrusion has currently moved to a certain area of ​​the interference surface, so that the rotation process of the steam rod 210 relative to the body is controllable and can be stopped at any time, which is more flexible.

[0086] In this design, the base 100 achieves the purpose of fixing the brewing device on the machine body. When, as described above, the machine body has a front panel, and a tray is protruded laterally below the front panel, and the tray is used to place an external container, the base 100 is detachably mounted on the front panel, and when the steam rod 210 is driven by an external force to rotate, the second end 212 is driven to swing in the direction of approaching and moving away from the tray. In this way, the steam rod 210 can brew the liquid in the external container when the external container is placed on the tray; or the steam rod 210 can also brew the liquid in the external container when the external container is detached from the tray, and the brewing process does not interfere with the tray.

[0087] In order to achieve the purpose of forming an angle between the steam rod 210 and the base 100, in the present design, the rotation axis of the first end 211 of the steam rod 210 at least needs to intersect with the central axis of the steam rod 210. Furthermore, the rotation axis of the first end 211 may intersect with the central axis of the steam rod 210 at right angles, that is, the rotation axis of the first end 211 extends along a certain radial direction of the steam rod 210.

[0088] The first end 211 of the steam rod 210 can be directly mounted on the base 100. Or, for example, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the steam module further includes a mounting seat 220, and the first end 211 of the steam rod 210 can be indirectly rotatably mounted on the base 100 through the mounting seat 220. At this time, in order to increase the convenience and stability of the rotational connection between the mounting seat 220 and the base 100, the mounting seat 220 can be set to be at least partially enlarged relative to the first end 211 of the steam rod 210, for example, the size of the steam rod 210 in one or several radial directions is respectively larger than the diameter of the first end 211.

[0089] Since the mounting seat 220 is rotatably mounted on the base 100 along the radial direction of the steam rod 210, in a feasible solution, the base 100 can be arranged at one end of the rotation axis of the mounting seat 220, so that the mounting seat 220 can be rotatably mounted at one end. Therefore, in a feasible solution, the base 100 includes at least one side plate, specifically, for example, the first side plate 110 or the second side plate 120, and the mounting seat 220 can be rotatably connected with the first side plate 110 or the second side plate 120 through a rotating structure.

[0090] However, in order to further increase the stability of the mounting seat 220 and the steam rod 210 during the rotation process, in another feasible solution, the base 100 is arranged at both ends of the rotation axis of the mounting seat 220. Specifically, the base 100 may include two side plates (the two side plates may be respectively set as the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120) respectively arranged at both ends of the rotation axis of the mounting seat 220 (i.e., the radial ends of the steam rod 210). The two side plates are provided with connecting holes (the two connecting holes may be respectively set as the first connecting hole 112 and the second connecting hole 122) at corresponding positions along the radial direction of the steam rod 210; the mounting seat 220 may be provided with an axial hole at the corresponding connecting hole. Based on this, the modulation device may also include a rotating structure, one of the axial hole and the limiting hole is fixedly connected to the rotating structure, and the other is rotationally connected to the rotating structure, so as to achieve the purpose of rotatably mounting the mounting seat 220 on the side plate.

[0091] The specific form of the mounting base 220 is not limited, and the rotation axis of the mounting base 220, that is, the installation position of the rotating structure on the mounting base 220 is not limited, and can be but not limited to being set at the center of the mounting base 220, or deviating from the center. Figure 5 As shown, at least in the rotation direction of the steam rod 210, the mounting seat 220 is arranged in a curved shape to form two bent portions 221, and the connection between the two bent portions 221 is provided for installation of, for example, the above-mentioned rotating structure, so that the mounting seat 220 is rotatably installed on the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120.

[0092] In addition, the base 100 further includes a bottom plate 130 connected between the two side plates. The bottom plate 130 can connect the two side plates into a whole and provide sufficient strength support for the two side plates. The bottom plate 130 can be arranged on a side where the mounting base 220 is connected to the steam rod 210, and the bottom plate 130 is provided with an avoidance hole 131. The avoidance hole 131 is at least for the steam rod 210 to pass through.

[0093] In actual application, one of the steam rod 210 and the base 100 is provided with a stop protrusion 221a, and the other one is correspondingly provided with a stop surface 132. When the interference protrusion rotates to any limit position, the stop protrusion 221a stops and abuts against the stop surface 132. Specifically, when the stop protrusion 221a or the stop surface 132 is arranged between the bottom plate 130 and the mounting seat 220, specifically, the orthographic projection of the bent portion 221 on the bottom plate 130 can at least partially fall outside the avoidance hole 131, forming the stop protrusion 221a, and the bottom plate 130 forms a stop surface 132 corresponding to the outer periphery of the avoidance hole 131. When the mounting seat 220 drives the steam rod 210 to rotate to a set position, the stop protrusion 221a can abut against the stop surface 132 of the bottom plate 130 located on the peripheral side of the avoidance hole 131, so as to achieve a stop limit for the mounting seat 220 to continue rotating. Of course, the stopping protrusion 221a and the stopping surface 132 may also be arranged at other positions without limitation.

[0094] When the base 100 is installed on the front side panel of the body of the beverage preparation machine, it can be directly fixedly connected to the front side panel of the body through the side panel; or in a further scheme, the base 100 also includes a connecting ear plate (the two connecting ear plates can be specifically configured as a first connecting ear plate 111 and a second connecting ear plate 121, respectively), and the connecting ear plate extends from the end edge of the corresponding side plate along the radial bend of the steam rod 210, and is fixedly connected to the front side panel of the body.

[0095] Based on one or more of the above embodiments, the mounting seat 220 and the steam rod 210 are connected and fixed, that is, under the drive of an external force, the mounting seat 220 and the steam rod 210 can rotate synchronously. The rotation angle range of the steam rod 210 is not limited. When the base 100 is fixed to the front panel of the machine body, the rotation axis of the steam rod 210 and the mounting seat 220 extends horizontally, that is, the steam rod 210 can swing in the up and down direction. In view of this, the steam rod 210 can be specifically set to be rotatable between 0° and 180°, that is, the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 can be rotated from the opening vertically downward to the opening vertically upward. Of course, in order to make the rotation of the steam rod 210 more suitable and practical, the steam rod 210 can also be specifically set to be rotatable between 0° and 90°, that is, the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 can be rotated from the opening vertically downward to the opening facing forward.

[0096] When the steam rod 210 does not rotate a full circle as described above, there are two limit positions in the rotation stroke of the steam rod 210. At this time, the interference protrusion and the interference surface can be correspondingly arranged at the two limit positions, and when the interference protrusion rotates to any limit position, the stop protrusion 221a stops and abuts against the stop surface 132.

[0097] The interference protrusion and the interference surface are generally arranged in pairs, and can be arranged as one pair or at least two pairs. Among them, for each pair of interference protrusions and interference surfaces, the interference protrusion can be arranged on the side plate, and the corresponding interference surface is arranged on the steam rod 210 and / or the mounting seat 220. Or in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the interference protrusion can be arranged on the steam rod 210 and / or the mounting seat 220, and the corresponding interference surface is arranged on the side plate of the base 100, for example. When there are two side plates as shown in the figure, and they are the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120, then at least one pair of interference protrusions and interference surfaces can be arranged between the first side plate 110 and the mounting seat 220, and between the second side plate 120 and the mounting seat 220, respectively.

[0098] When multiple pairs are provided, each interference protrusion and each interference surface may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence. At this time, for example, each interference protrusion may be provided uniformly on the steam rod 210 and / or the mounting seat 220, or each interference surface may be provided uniformly; the side panels of the base 100 may be provided uniformly with interference surfaces that match therewith, or each interference protrusion may be provided uniformly. Alternatively, part of the interference protrusions (for example, the first interference protrusions) and part of the interference surfaces (for example, the first interference surfaces) may be provided simultaneously on the steam rod 210 and / or the mounting seat 220; the side panels of the base 100 may be provided correspondingly with first interference surfaces that match therewith, or each second interference protrusion may be provided uniformly. Among them, each pair of interference protrusions and interference surfaces may be located in the same plane, or in different planes. Of course, when multiple pairs are provided, at least two interference protrusions may be provided correspondingly to the same interference surface.

[0099] In view of the above, the steam rod 210 is preset with multiple positions in its rotation stroke, and accordingly, the interference surface is provided with multiple interference areas on the activity track of the corresponding interference protrusion. When the interference protrusion abuts against each interference area, different interference forces will be generated, so that the different interference forces will have different degrees of obstruction on the steam rod 210, and the states of the steam rod 210 at the corresponding positions will also be different.

[0100] For example, each interference area includes at least one first interference area and a second interference area remaining except the first interference area. The interference protrusion generates a first interference force when it moves to the first interference area, and generates a second interference force when it moves to the second interference area, wherein the first interference force is greater than the second interference force. That is, if the interference protrusion moves to the first interference area, the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 rotates to the first position; if the interference protrusion moves to the second interference area, the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 rotates to the second position. Under the action of the first interference force and the second interference force, the anti-rotation strength of the steam rod 210 at the first position is greater than the anti-rotation strength at the second position. For example:

[0101] When the user applies external force manually or automatically based on the power component, and the external force drives the interference protrusion to move to the first interference area, and the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 rotates to the first position, if the current external force remains unchanged, or the external force weakens, or the external force increases but the external force does not increase to the preset threshold, the first interference force maintains the steam rod 210 fixed relative to the base 100. The preset threshold can be determined by the user based on any suitable method, or it can be pre-set by the system. The preset threshold is at least greater than the current external force value. In this way, when the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 rotates to the first position, it will be stably limited at the current position, and the user can more intuitively determine the current position of the steam rod 210 and perform related operations on the steam rod 210.

[0102] Similarly, when the user applies external force manually or automatically based on the power component, and the external force drives the interference protrusion to move to the second interference area and the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 rotates to the second position, if the current external force remains unchanged or continues to increase, the second interference force is not enough to resist the external force, and the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 will continue to rotate in the same direction. However, if the current external force is appropriately reduced until it is cancelled, the second interference force is sufficient to resist the external force, and the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 will not continue to rotate in the same direction. In particular, when the external force is cancelled, the second interference force is balanced with other external forces (such as the gravity of the steam module) at the location, and the steam rod 210 is fixed relative to the base 100. In this way, when the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 rotates to the second position, the user can completely or temporarily disengage from the continued operation of the steam rod 210 and / or the mounting seat 220, for example, to perform other operations instead.

[0103] It should be noted that the first interference region and / or the second interference region may be provided with one or more than one according to actual needs, and may be arranged in any form according to actual needs. Figure 6As shown, when the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 has two extreme positions in its rotation stroke, the first interference area is provided with at least two corresponding extreme positions, so that when the steam rod 210 rotates to any extreme position, it no longer continues to rotate, and the steam rod 210 remains fixed relative to the base 100. When the modulation device is assembled to the front side panel of the body, the first extreme position can be when the steam rod 210 extends in the up and down direction and the second end 212 faces downward (that is, when the center axis is T1). And at this time, the second end 212 is located above the tray, and when the external container is placed on the tray, at least the second end 212 is inserted into the external container, and the current state is maintained to modulate the liquid in the external container (that is, when the center axis is T2). The second extreme position can be when the steam rod 210 is tilted relative to the front side panel and the second end 212 faces forward. At this time, the second end 212 is staggered with the tray, so that when the external container is outside the tray, for example, when the user holds it, at least the second end 212 is inserted into the external container and the current state is maintained to modulate the liquid in the external container.

[0104] The specific form of the first interference area is not limited, and is generally compatible with the specific form of the interference protrusion. For example, when the interference protrusion is a magnetic attraction structure, the first interference area can be another magnetic attraction structure that can be magnetically adsorbed thereto, or a layer of iron, cobalt, and nickel material. Or, for example, when the interference protrusion is an adhesive structure, the first interference area can be another adhesive structure that can be adhered thereto. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the interference surface is provided with at least one groove on the moving track of the corresponding interference protrusion, and the position of the groove constitutes the first interference area. When the interference protrusion moves to the first interference area, it can be adapted and engaged with the groove, and under the limitation of the groove, it cannot continue to rotate relative to the interference surface under the drive of the original external force, thereby achieving the purpose of stopping.

[0105] Next, in order to make the interference protrusion generate different interference forces at the groove (i.e., the first interference area) and at the non-groove (i.e., the second interference area), in a further design, the protruding height of the interference protrusion relative to the base 100 or the steam rod 210 on which it is installed can be adjusted, so that when it moves to the second interference area, the interference protrusion is pushed to shorten; and when it moves to the first interference area, the interference protrusion is extended and engaged with the groove. In this way, through the telescopic movement of the interference protrusion, it can be realized that when it moves to the second interference area, it is in active contact with the surface where the second interference area is located to generate the second interference force, and when it moves to the first interference area, it is also realized that it is engaged with the groove to generate the first interference force.

[0106] There are many schemes for achieving the purpose of adjusting the protrusion height of the interference protrusion relative to the base 100 or the steam rod 210 on which it is installed, which may be but not limited to: the interference protrusion itself is made of elastic material in its entirety or in part. Or the interference protrusion is elastically and telescopically installed on the base 100 or the steam rod 210 through an elastic member 330. The elastic member 330 is made of elastic material, and the specific form of the elastic member 330 is not limited, and can be set as a spring member, a rubber block, a metal spring sheet, etc. according to actual needs.

[0107] When the brewing device is used in a beverage brewing machine, specifically, the base 100 is fixed to the front side panel of the machine body, and the beverage brewing machine is provided with a tray protruding laterally below the front side panel. Figures 6 to 8 As shown, in view of the above-mentioned specific restrictions on the two extreme positions, two grooves can be provided, namely the first groove 321 and the second groove 322; when the interference protrusion is engaged with the first groove 321, the steam rod 210 extends along the vertical direction (that is, when the central axis is T1), and the second end 212 faces the tray; when the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322, the steam rod 210 extends obliquely relative to the vertical direction (that is, when the central axis is T2), and the second end 212 is staggered with the tray. It can be understood that the rotation angle of the steam rod 210 when rotating from the central axis T1 to the central axis T2 is a, and the angle between the first groove 321 and the second groove 322 and the rotation axis of the steam rod 210 is b, then generally, a and b are equal.

[0108] In view of the above, it can be known that when the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322, the purpose is to tilt the steam rod 210 away from the front panel of the machine body, and to make the second end 212 staggered as much as possible with the tray. At this time, there is no restriction on the tilt angle of the steam rod 210. According to actual needs, the tilt angle of the steam rod 210 can be specifically set to be greater than 0° and not greater than 90°, that is, when the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322, the second end 212 is staggered with the tray, but will not be completely away from the tray. In this way, when the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322, the user can, for example, manually operate at least the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 to insert into the external container outside the tray, thereby realizing manual modulation of the liquid in the external container at the current position; or after the second end 212 is inserted into the external container, operate the steam rod 210 and the external container to rotate and reset together toward the front panel of the machine body until the interference protrusion is engaged with the first groove 321, and the external container is placed on the tray, and the steam rod 210 maintains the vertical extension and the second end 212 maintains the inserted state in the external container, thereby realizing automatic modulation of the liquid in the external container at the current position.

[0109] Based on any of the above embodiments, during the rotation of the steam rod 210, the interference protrusion and the interference surface may move in a sliding fit or a rolling fit.

[0110] When the interference protrusion and the interference surface are rollingly matched, in one embodiment, the base 100 or the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 provided with the interference protrusion is provided with an assembly hole 226, and the interference protrusion is a ball 310, which is rotatably mounted in the assembly hole 226 and at least partially protrudes from the opening of the assembly hole 226; during the rotation of the steam rod 210, the interference protrusion is driven to roll on the interference surface. The ball 310 can be directly rotatably mounted at the assembly hole 226 according to actual needs, or indirectly mounted at the assembly hole 226 through a mounting structure. The ball 310 can rotate in all directions relative to the assembly hole 226 to achieve the purpose of rolling.

[0111] For example, when the interference protrusion is mounted on the base 100 or the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 through the elastic member 330 as described above, the mounting seat 220 is installed as an example, and the mounting seat 220 is provided with an assembly hole 226. The elastic member 330 is block-shaped and has a ball groove, and the ball 310 is rotatably mounted in the ball groove; the elastic member 330 can be elastically and telescopically mounted in the assembly hole 226.

[0112] In addition, based on one or several of the above embodiments, in a further scheme, the steam module also includes an access pipe body 400, which is used to connect an external steam source and the steam rod 210. The access pipe body 400 is protruding from the radial side of the steam rod 210 to be able to laterally access the external steam into the steam rod 210, thereby achieving smooth and slow steam flow when it flows radially and switches to the axial direction.

[0113] It should be noted that the access pipe body 400 can be directly connected to the steam rod 210, for example, directly connected at the first end 211. Alternatively, as shown in the figure, the access pipe body 400 can be connected to the steam rod 210 by connecting with the mounting seat 220 to achieve indirect connection with the steam rod 210. The mounting seat 220 can be provided with a third mounting hole 224 along the axial direction of the steam rod 210, for example, and at least the first end 211 of the steam rod 210 is connected to the third mounting hole 224. The mounting seat 220 can also be provided with a first mounting hole 222 along the radial direction of the steam rod 210, for example, and a portion of the access pipe body 400 is connected to the first mounting hole 222. The first mounting hole 222 and the third mounting hole 224 are connected.

[0114] Next, in one embodiment, the access pipe body 400 includes a first pipe section 410 extending along the radial direction of the steam rod 210, and a second pipe section 420 arranged along the cross-arrangement with the first pipe section 410, the first pipe section 410 is connected to the steam rod 210, and the second pipe section 420 is connected to the first pipe section 410 in a curved manner and is used to connect to an external steam source. The first pipe section 410 can be adapted to be connected to the first mounting hole 222 of the above-mentioned mounting seat 220. The second pipe section 420 is arranged to be arranged cross-arranged with the first pipe section 410, and can specifically extend along a direction substantially perpendicular to the first pipe section 410. When the access tube body 400 is directly mounted on the side wall of the mounting seat 220, the second tube section 420 can be specifically arranged to extend along the side wall of the mounting seat 220, and by adjusting the lateral height of the second tube section 420 protruding from the mounting seat 220, the second tube section 420 and the side wall of the mounting seat 220 can be appropriately spaced apart, so that the second tube section 420 and the mounting seat 220 have a certain degree of independence while ensuring a compact structure as much as possible.

[0115] Of course, when the side panels are provided as described above, taking the first side panel 110 as an example, the first pipe section 410 can be specifically provided to penetrate the first side panel 110 along the radial direction of the steam rod 210 and be connected to the steam rod 210, and the second pipe section 420 can be located on the side of the first side panel 110 facing away from the steam rod 210, and fixedly connected to the first side panel 110 through the first bracket 430. In this way, it can be ensured that the access pipe body 400 does not interfere with the installation between the first bracket 430 and the first side panel 110 and the installation between the mounting seat 220 and the first side panel 110. The first bracket 430 can limit the second pipe section 420 on the side of the first side panel 110 facing away from the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 to prevent the second pipe section 420 from being separated from the first side panel 110. At this time, the second pipe section 420 can extend along the side wall of the first side panel 110 facing away from the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 as much as possible. When the brewing device is specifically applied to a beverage brewing machine and is specifically installed on the front side panel of the machine body, the second pipe section 420 can extend backward close to the front side panel of the machine body to facilitate communication with a steam source arranged at the machine body.

[0116] Based on the above embodiment, it can be known that the first pipe section 410 connected to the pipe body 400 is arranged along the radial extension of the steam rod 210, and the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 is rotatably mounted on the base 100 around an axis extending along the radial direction of the steam rod 210 through the above rotating structure.

[0117] Then in one design, the rotating structure can be independently provided from the access pipe body 400:

[0118] Specifically, the above-mentioned rotating structure can be a rotating shaft, the central axis of the rotating shaft is colinear with the rotating axis of the steam rod 210, one section of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the steam rod 210 and one of the bases 100, and the other section is rotatably connected to the other of the steam rod 210 and the base 100; at this time, the access tube body 400 and the rotating shaft are independently arranged from each other, and the first tube section 410 of the access tube body 400 and the rotating shaft are spaced apart and roughly parallel.

[0119] The above-mentioned rotating shaft is arranged between the base 100 and the steam rod 210, and can be located on one radial side of the steam rod 210, or can be arranged on both radial sides of the steam rod 210. Specifically, when the base 100 includes a first side plate 110 and a second side plate 120 arranged on both radial sides of the steam rod 210, the rotating shaft penetrates the steam rod 210 and / or the mounting seat 220 in the radial direction, and connects the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120 respectively, which helps the rotational installation stability of the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 on the base 100.

[0120] The access pipe body 400 and the steam rod 210 are connected to each other, and a steam flow path is provided from the access pipe body 400 to the second end 212 of the steam rod 210. Since the rotating shaft and the access pipe body 400 are separately provided, it is necessary to minimize the adverse effect of the rotating shaft on the steam flowing in the above-mentioned steam flow path. For example, the rotating shaft can be provided outside the above-mentioned steam flow path; or when it is necessary to provide the rotating shaft within the above-mentioned steam flow path, it is ensured as much as possible that the rotating shaft does not block the flow of steam in the steam flow path.

[0121] In another design, the rotating structure may be at least partially shared with the access tube 400:

[0122] Specifically, the central axis of at least a partial pipe section of the access pipe body 400 is colinear with the rotation axis of the steam rod 210, and one of the steam rod 210 and the base 100 is fixedly connected to the access pipe body 400, and the other is rotatably connected to the access pipe body 400. For example, when the access pipe body 400 includes the first pipe section 410 and the second pipe section 420 as described above, the first pipe section 410 directly constitutes the above-mentioned rotation axis and is rotatably connected to the first mounting hole 222 opened on the mounting seat 220.

[0123] Similarly to the above, the access pipe body 400 is disposed between the base 100 and the steam rod 210, and can be located on one radial side of the steam rod 210, or can be disposed on both radial sides of the steam rod 210. When disposed on both radial sides of the steam rod 210, for example, two access pipe bodies 400 can be provided, and disposed on both radial sides of the steam rod 210.

[0124] When it is arranged on the radial side of the steam rod 210, specifically, the base 100 includes a first side plate 110 and a second side plate 120 which are respectively arranged on the radial sides of the steam rod 210, and the steam rod 210 is respectively provided with a first mounting hole 222 and a second mounting hole 223 radially corresponding to the first side plate 110 and the second side plate 120, the first side plate 110 is provided with a first connecting hole 112 corresponding to the first mounting hole 222, and the second side plate 120 is provided with a second connecting hole 122 corresponding to the second mounting hole 223; the access pipe body 400 includes a first pipe section 410 extending along the radial direction of the steam rod 210, and the first pipe section 410 passes through the first connecting hole 112 and is rotatably installed in the first connecting hole 112.

[0125] In addition, the steam module further includes a blocking member 500, which is sealed and inserted in the second mounting hole 223, and one of the second mounting hole 223 of the steam rod 210 and the second connecting hole 122 of the second side plate 120 is fixedly connected to the blocking member 500, and the other is rotatably connected to the blocking member 500. The blocking member 500 also constitutes the above-mentioned rotating shaft alone. Of course, the blocking member 500 can also be directly and sealedly inserted in the second mounting hole 223 without contacting the second side plate 120, or slidingly abutting against the second side plate 120. In this case, the second side plate 120 is not provided with the above-mentioned second connecting hole 122.

[0126] It should be noted that the structures of the blocking member 500 and the first pipe section 410 can be configured to be compatible. That is, at least the shapes and sizes of the parts where the blocking member 500 and the second mounting hole 223 are installed, and the parts where the first pipe section 410 and the first mounting hole 222 are installed are roughly the same, so that the first pipe section 410 and the blocking member 500 can be installed interchangeably. For example, the first pipe section 410 can be installed at the first mounting hole 222, or at the second mounting hole 223. The second mounting hole 223 can also be connected to the third mounting hole 224.

[0127] And / or, the installation state of the blocking member 500 relative to the steam rod 210 and the base 100 is respectively the same as the installation state of the first pipe section 410 relative to the steam rod 210 and the base 100. That is, for example, when the blocking member 500 is configured to be rotatably connected to the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 and fixedly connected to the base 100, the first pipe section 410 is correspondingly configured to be rotatably connected to the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 and fixedly connected to the base 100. Conversely, when the blocking member 500 is configured to be fixedly connected to the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 and rotatably connected to the base 100, the first pipe section 410 is correspondingly configured to be fixedly connected to the steam rod 210 / mounting seat 220 and rotatably connected to the base 100.

[0128] Based on one or more of the above embodiments, the modulation device further includes a temperature sensor 600, which is disposed in the steam rod 210 along the axial direction of the steam rod 210 and has a measuring section 610 extending from the second end 212, and the measuring section 610 is used to detect the temperature value of the liquid in the external container when the second end 212 extends into the external container. Specifically, the temperature sensor 600 can be disposed along the axial direction of the steam rod 210. The mounting seat 220 can be provided with a fourth mounting hole 225 along the axial direction of the steam rod 210, and the fourth mounting hole 225 is connected to the steam rod 210.

[0129] In a further embodiment, the extension section is at least inserted into the fourth mounting hole 225 and the hollow structure of the steam rod 210. In this way, the provision of the extension section does not occupy additional space outside the steam rod 210, making the overall radial dimension of the modulation device smaller and the structure more compact.

[0130] When the extension section is entirely inserted into the hollow structure of the steam rod 210, the outer peripheral side wall of the extension section and the inner peripheral side wall of the steam rod 210 are at least partially spaced apart to form a gap, and steam can flow through the gap. Generally, the hollow structure of the steam rod 210 is in a regular cylindrical shape along the first direction, and the extension section as a whole is also generally in a regular cylindrical shape along the first direction. When the extension section is entirely inserted into the hollow structure of the steam rod 210, the extension section can be eccentrically arranged, that is, the central axis of the steam rod 210 is substantially parallel to the central axis of the extension section but not colinear. At this time, if the outer peripheral side wall of the extension section and the inner peripheral side wall of the steam rod 210 are partially abutted and partially spaced apart, the gap formed between the two is generally a circumferentially non-connected chamber; if the outer peripheral side wall of the extension section and the inner peripheral side wall of the steam rod 210 are not abutted, the gap formed between the two is generally a circumferentially connected, eccentric annular chamber. In this embodiment, the steam rod 210 and the extension section are coaxially arranged. That is, the central axis of the steam rod 210 is substantially collinear with the central axis of the extension section. At this time, the outer peripheral side wall of the extension section and the inner peripheral side wall of the steam rod 210 are not in contact, and the gap formed between the two is circumferentially connected and concentric annular chamber, that is, an annular flow channel. The setting of the annular flow channel makes the flow velocity and flow volume in each direction between the extension section and the steam rod 210 consistent, which helps to further improve the stability of steam flow.

[0131] In addition, in view of any of the above embodiments, a sealing connector 700 may be provided between each hole structure and the pipe section structure. The sealing connector 700 may be, but is not limited to, a sealing ring, a sealing sleeve, etc. A transition sleeve 800 may be provided on the outer periphery of the connection between the steam rod 210 and the mounting seat 220, so as to make a transition between the size difference and shape difference between the mounting seat 220 and the steam rod 210 in appearance, and to help protect the connection between the mounting seat 220 and the steam rod 210 to a certain extent.

[0132] In addition, the present invention also provides a beverage mixing machine mixing operation method, which can be but is not limited to the beverage mixing machine / mixing device described in any of the above embodiments.

[0133] Specifically, please combine Fig. 9 , a first embodiment of a beverage mixing machine mixing operation method includes:

[0134] Step A100: When confirming that the manual modulation mode is in operation, the steam rod 210 is operated to rotate until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322;

[0135] Step A200: insert at least the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 into the external container;

[0136] Step A300: After operating the steam rod 210 and the external container to rotate synchronously to a target angle, the steam rod 210 is operated to connect external steam.

[0137] In this embodiment, when it is confirmed that the manual modulation mode needs to be run, the steam rod 210 can be manually operated to rotate until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322. It should be noted that the second groove 322 may correspond to an extreme position of the steam rod 210, or may not reach the extreme position of the steam rod 210. When the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322, the steam rod 210 can be limited and maintained at the current position. The user can operate the external container by hand, and the external container is located away from the tray. Then the user continues to operate the steam rod 210 to insert at least the second end 212 into the external container, and then the steam rod 210 and the external container are synchronously rotated to the target angle, and finally at the position corresponding to the target angle, the steam rod 210 is operated to access the external steam, and the liquid in the external container is manually modulated. It should be noted that the position corresponding to the target angle can be directly the position corresponding to the second groove 322, that is, the steam rod 210 is not driven to rotate in the above step A300. Alternatively, the position corresponding to the target angle may be a position corresponding to the second groove 322 and the first groove 321 , or a position corresponding to a side of the second groove 322 away from the first groove 321 , etc.

[0138] Please combine Fig.10 The second embodiment of the brewing operation method of the beverage brewing machine includes:

[0139] Step B100: When confirming the automatic modulation mode, the steam rod 210 is operated to rotate until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322;

[0140] Step B200: inserting at least the second end 212 of the steam rod 210 into the external container;

[0141] Step B300: operate the steam rod 210 and the external container to rotate synchronously until the external container is placed on the tray and the interference protrusion is engaged with the first groove 321, and then start the temperature sensor 600 to operate;

[0142] Step B400: operating the steam rod 210 to allow external steam to flow in, and when the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensor 600 reaches a preset threshold, operating the steam rod 210 to stop allowing external steam to flow in.

[0143] In this embodiment, when it is confirmed that the automatic modulation mode needs to be run, the steam rod 210 can be manually operated to rotate until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322. It should be noted that the second groove 322 may correspond to an extreme position of the steam rod 210, or may not reach the extreme position of the steam rod 210. When the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove 322, the steam rod 210 can be limited and maintained at the current position. The user can operate the external container by hand, and make the external container at a position away from the tray. Then the user continues to operate the steam rod 210 to insert at least the second end 212 into the external container, and then rotates the steam rod 210 and the external container synchronously until the external container is placed at the tray, and the interference protrusion rotates to engage with the first groove 321, and operates the steam rod 210 to access the external steam, and starts to automatically modulate the liquid in the external container. Before, at the same time, or after this step, the temperature sensor 600 can be operated to start running and measure the temperature value of the liquid in the external container. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensor 600 reaches the preset threshold, it indicates that the modulation operation of the modulation device on the liquid in the external container has reached the desired level and no further adjustment is required. At this time, the steam rod 210 can be automatically or manually operated to stop receiving external steam to end the modulation.

[0144] 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 inventive 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 modulation device, characterized in that: include: a base for fixing to the beverage preparation machine; and, The steam module comprises a steam rod, wherein the steam rod has a first end and a second end which are arranged opposite to each other along its axial direction, the steam rod is used to receive steam and output it outward through the second end, and the first end is rotatably mounted on the base so that the second end is driven to form an angle relative to the base during rotation driven by an external force; Among them, one of the steam rod and the base is provided with an interference protrusion, and the other one is correspondingly provided with an interference surface. During the rotation of the steam rod, the interference protrusion is driven to move on the interference surface, and an interference force is generated between the two to hinder the rotation of the steam rod, and the interference force is set to be variable.

2. The modulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that The rotation axis of the first end intersects the central axis of the steam rod at right angles.

3. The modulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that The interference surface is provided with at least one first interference area on the moving track corresponding to the interference protrusion, and a second interference area remaining except the first interference area; The interference protrusion generates a first interference force when it moves to the first interference area, and generates a second interference force when it moves to the second interference area, wherein the first interference force is greater than the second interference force.

4. The modulation device according to claim 3, characterized in that When the interference protrusion moves to the first interference area and the external force does not increase to a preset threshold, the first interference force maintains the steam rod fixed relative to the base; and / or, When the interference protrusion moves to the second interference area and the external force is removed, the second interference force maintains the steam rod fixed relative to the base.

5. The modulation device according to claim 3, characterized in that The second end of the steam rod has two extreme positions in its rotational travel; At least two of the first interference regions are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the two extreme positions, so that when the steam rod rotates to any of the extreme positions, the first interference force maintains the steam rod fixed relative to the base.

6. The modulation device according to claim 5, characterized in that One of the steam rod and the base is provided with a stop protrusion, and the other one is correspondingly provided with a stop surface. When the steam rod rotates to any of the extreme positions, the stop protrusion is driven to abut against the stop surface to limit the rotation of the steam rod.

7. The modulation device according to claim 3, characterized in that The interference surface is provided with at least one groove on the moving track corresponding to the interference protrusion, and the position of the groove constitutes the first interference area; The protruding height of the interference protrusion relative to the base or the steam rod on which it is installed is adjustable so that when it moves to the second interference area, the interference protrusion is pushed and shortened; and when it moves to the first interference area, the interference protrusion is extended and engaged with the groove.

8. The modulation device according to claim 7, characterized in that The interference protrusion is elastically and telescopically mounted on the base or the steam rod through an elastic member.

9. The modulation device according to claim 8, characterized in that The base is used to be fixed on the front side panel of the beverage mixing machine, and the beverage mixing machine is provided with a tray protruding laterally below the front side panel; There are two grooves, namely a first groove and a second groove; When the interference protrusion is engaged with the first groove, the steam rod extends in a vertical direction, and the second end faces the tray; When the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove, the steam rod extends obliquely relative to the vertical direction, and the second end is staggered with the tray.

10. The modulation device according to claim 9, characterized in that When the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove, the inclination angle of the steam rod is greater than 0° and not greater than 90°.

11. The modulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: During the rotation of the steam rod, the interference protrusion is driven to slide on the interference surface; or, The base or the steam rod provided with the interference protrusion is provided with an assembly hole, and the interference protrusion is a ball, which is rotatably installed in the assembly hole and at least partially protrudes from the opening of the assembly hole. During the rotation of the steam rod, the interference protrusion is driven to roll on the interference surface.

12. The modulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that The steam module further comprises an access pipe body, which is used to connect an external steam source and the steam rod, and the access pipe body is convexly arranged on one radial side of the steam rod.

13. The modulation device according to claim 12, characterized in that The access pipe body includes a first pipe section extending radially along the steam rod, and a second pipe section arranged crosswise with the first pipe section, the first pipe section is connected to the steam rod, and the second pipe section is connected to the first pipe section in a curved manner and is used to communicate with an external steam source.

14. The modulation device according to claim 13, characterized in that The base includes a first side plate, and the first side plate is arranged on one radial side of the steam rod; The first pipe section penetrates the first side plate in the radial direction of the steam rod and is connected to the steam rod. The second pipe section is located on a side of the first side plate facing away from the steam rod and is fixedly connected to the first side plate via a first bracket.

15. The modulation device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: The steam module further comprises a rotating shaft, the central axis of the rotating shaft is colinear with the rotating axis of the steam rod, one section of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to one of the steam rod and the base, and the other section is rotatably connected to the other of the steam rod and the base; The access pipe body and the rotating shaft are arranged independently of each other.

16. The modulation device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: The central axis of at least a partial pipe section of the access pipe body is colinear with the rotation axis of the steam rod, and one of the steam rod and the base is fixedly connected to the access pipe body, and the other is rotatably connected to the access pipe body.

17. The modulation device according to claim 16, characterized in that The base comprises a first side plate and a second side plate respectively arranged on both radial sides of the steam rod, and the steam rod is respectively provided with a first mounting hole and a second mounting hole in the radial direction corresponding to the first side plate and the second side plate; The access pipe body comprises a first pipe section extending in the radial direction of the steam rod, the first pipe section passes through the first side plate and is installed in the first installation hole; The steam module further comprises a blocking member, which is sealingly inserted into the second mounting hole, and one of the steam rod and the second side plate is fixedly connected to the blocking member, and the other is rotatably connected to the blocking member.

18. The modulation device according to claim 17, characterized in that The blocking member and the first pipe section have structures that match each other; and / or, The installation state of the blocking member relative to the steam rod and the base is the same as the installation state of the first pipe section relative to the steam rod and the base.

19. The modulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The modulation device also includes a temperature sensor, which is arranged in the steam rod along the axial direction of the steam rod and has a measuring section extending from the second end. The measuring section is used to detect the temperature value of the liquid in the external container when the second end extends into the external container.

20. The modulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that The steam module further comprises a mounting seat, the mounting seat is detachably mounted to the first end, and the mounting seat is expanded compared to the first end; The first end is indirectly rotatably connected to the base through the mounting seat; and / or, One of the mounting seat and the base is provided with the interference protrusion, and the other is provided with the interference surface; and / or, The first end is indirectly connected to external steam through the mounting seat.

21. The modulation device according to claim 20, characterized in that The base comprises a first side plate and a second side plate respectively arranged on both radial sides of the steam rod, and the interference protrusion and the interference surface are respectively arranged between the first side plate and the mounting seat and between the second side plate and the mounting seat; The base also includes a bottom plate connected between the first side plate and the second side plate, the bottom plate is penetrated by an avoidance hole, the steam rod is movably arranged in the avoidance hole, and at least the second end extends outward from the avoidance hole.

22. The modulation device according to claim 21, characterized in that At least in the rotation direction of the steam rod, the mounting seat is arranged in a curved shape to form two bent portions, and the connection between the two bent portions is rotatably mounted on the first side plate and the second side plate; The orthographic projection of the bent portion on the bottom plate partially falls outside the avoidance hole to form a stop protrusion, and the bottom plate forms a stop surface corresponding to the outer periphery of the avoidance hole; The second end of the steam rod has two extreme positions in its rotation stroke, and when the interference protrusion rotates to any of the extreme positions, the stop protrusion abuts against the stop surface.

23. A beverage preparation machine, characterized in that: include: body; and, The modulation device according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the modulation device is external to the body.

24. The beverage preparation machine according to claim 23, characterized in that The machine body has a front panel, and a tray is laterally protruded below the front panel, and the tray is used to place an external container; The base is detachably mounted on the front panel, and when an external force drives the steam rod to rotate, the second end is driven to swing in a direction close to and away from the tray.

25. A beverage mixing machine mixing operation method, characterized in that: include: When confirming the manual modulation mode, the steam lever is rotated until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove; inserting at least the second end of the steam rod into the outer container; After the steam rod and the external container are operated to rotate synchronously to a target angle, the steam rod is operated to connect external steam.

26. The beverage mixing machine mixing method according to claim 25, characterized in that: Also includes: When confirming the automatic modulation mode, the steam lever is rotated until the interference protrusion is engaged with the second groove; inserting at least the second end of the steam rod into the outer container; The steam rod and the outer container are operated to rotate synchronously until the outer container is placed on the tray and the interference protrusion is engaged with the first groove, and then the temperature sensor is started to operate; The steam rod is operated to allow external steam to flow in, and when the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensor reaches a preset threshold, the steam rod is operated to stop allowing external steam to flow in.

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