Wine mixing machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a drink mixing machine, and belongs to the field of drink mixing equipment. The drink mixing machine comprises a rack, a drink supply unit arranged on the rack and provided with at least two connectors, a linear moving platform arranged in the rack and a cup holder used for fixing a drink mixing cup. And the cup holder is in transmission connection with the linear moving platform and can be driven to move along a straight line, so that the wine cups are sequentially aligned to the independent wine outlets of the wine supply unit, and different wine liquids are quantitatively received in sequence. By means of the automatic design, one-button intelligent wine mixing is achieved, cost is reduced, and efficiency is improved; in addition, through the mode of moving the cup, different kinds of wine liquid are thoroughly prevented from being mixed and left in the shared pipeline, and the pure taste of the beverage is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of beverage preparation equipment, and more specifically to a cocktail mixing machine. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, bartending methods are mainly divided into two types: manual bartending and automated bartending. Manual bartending relies on professional bartenders, which suffers from high labor costs, slow production speed, and difficulty in ensuring recipe consistency. To improve efficiency, traditional automatic bartending machines have emerged on the market. However, traditional automatic bartending machines mostly use fixed glasses and transport liquids from different bottles to the glasses for mixing through complex multi-channel pipes and valves. This method has the following disadvantages: First, the pipelines connecting each source of liquor are long and complex, resulting in high manufacturing costs. Furthermore, different liquors are prone to unnecessary mixing in the shared pipelines, affecting the taste. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A cocktail machine includes a frame, a beverage supply unit, a linear moving platform, and a cup holder.

[0004] The beverage supply unit is mounted on a frame and includes at least two interfaces for connecting external beverage sources, corresponding beverage outlets connected to each interface, and flow metering and pumping devices installed in the pipelines between each interface and its corresponding outlet. A linear moving platform is housed within the frame. A cup holder is used to support and secure the cocktail glasses and is drively connected to the linear moving platform. The linear moving platform drives the cup holder to move in a straight line, ensuring that the cocktail glasses resting on it are sequentially aligned with the respective outlets of the beverage supply unit, thus enabling the sequential and quantitative dispensing of different beverages.

[0005] Furthermore, the cocktail mixer also includes a quick-connect assembly installed at the outlet of the liquor source. The quick-connect assembly includes a sealing plug, an adapter, and a connecting connector. The sealing plug can be inserted into the liquor source outlet and maintain a seal, forming an isolated air intake channel and liquor outlet channel. The adapter connects to the sealing plug, forming an adapter air intake path and an adapter liquor outlet path that communicate with the air intake channel and liquor outlet channel respectively. The adapter air intake path has a first one-way valve that only allows gas to flow into the liquor source. The connecting connector connects to the adapter and has a normally closed mechanical valve inside, forming an internal flow channel. The interface of the liquor supply unit has a pusher; when the connecting connector is inserted into the interface, the pusher opens the valve core of the mechanical valve, connecting the internal flow channel of the valve with the interface flow channel provided in the pusher, thus sequentially connecting the liquor outlet channel, the adapter liquor outlet path, the internal flow channel of the valve, and the interface flow channel.

[0006] Furthermore, the mechanical valve includes a valve body, a valve seat disposed within the valve body, a sealing bead movably abutting against the valve seat, and an elastic element that provides a pressure force to the sealing bead against the valve seat. The first one-way valve is preferably a one-way diaphragm valve. The sealing plug may be made of an elastic material such as silicone.

[0007] Furthermore, the cocktail mixer can also be adapted to use liquor cans. The top of the liquor can has a connecting cap, and the bottom of the liquor can has a second quick-connect assembly, which also contains the aforementioned mechanical valve, allowing it to connect with the interface of the cocktail mixer.

[0008] The linear moving platform is preferably a lead screw slide. The glass holder includes a base for supporting the bottom of the glass and two resilient claws positioned on the base and spaced apart. The inner sides of the ends of the two claws are provided with guide bevels to guide the claws to elastically expand outward when the glass is placed in, achieving easy and stable clamping.

[0009] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: Through automated design, one-click intelligent bartending is achieved, reducing costs and increasing efficiency; The design features a movable glass that keeps the liquor still, allowing different liquors to be collected by moving the glass. Each liquor has its own independent short-path pipeline from the source to the outlet, completely avoiding mixing and residue of different liquors in a long shared pipeline, thus ensuring the purity of the cocktail flavor.

[0010] The quick-connect bottle assembly design integrates sealing and mechanical valve triggering functions. It automatically opens the valve when docking with the bartender and automatically closes it when unplugged, enabling rapid and leak-free bottle installation and replacement, improving operational efficiency and hygiene standards.

[0011] By designing different quick-connect components, the device can be adapted to more needs. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 , Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams of the three-dimensional structure from different perspectives in this application; Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the installation location of the wine tank; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the rack in this application; Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the linear moving platform and the cup holder; Figure 6 This is an assembly diagram of quick-connect components and interfaces; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional diagram showing the mating state of the quick-connect component and the interface. Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the mechanical valve in the quick-connect assembly of this application; Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the adapter; Figure 11, Figure 12 Explosion diagrams of quick-connect components from different perspectives; Figure 13 A cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the mating state of the wine tank and the second quick-connect assembly; Reference numerals: 1. Frame; 2. Beverage supply unit; 201. Interface; 202. Beverage outlet; 203. Flow metering device; 204. Pumping device; 25. Pushing component; 3. Linear moving platform; 301. Lead screw; 302. Slider; 303. Motor; 304. Guide rod; 4. Cup holder; 401. Base; 402. Claw; 4021. Guide slope; 5. Quick-connect assembly; 501. Sealing plug; 5011. 5012 Intake channel; 502 Outlet channel; 5021 Adapter intake path; 5022 Adapter outlet path; 5023 First check valve; 503 Connector; 5031 Mechanical valve; 50311 Valve body; 50312 Valve seat; 50313 Sealing bead; 50314 Elastic element; 5032 Inner flow channel of valve; 6. Bottle; 7. Tank; 71 Connecting cap; 8. Second quick-connect assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0014] Reference Figures 1 to 2 The bartending machine shown includes a frame 1, a beverage supply unit 2, a linear moving platform 3, and a cup holder 4.

[0015] The frame 1 serves as the main body of the equipment, and its interior has an installation space.

[0016] The beverage supply unit 2 is mounted on the frame 1. In this embodiment, four ports 201 are located at the top and four at the rear, for a total of eight ports 201. Each port 201 corresponds to a beverage outlet 202. Each port 201 is connected to its corresponding beverage outlet 202 via an independent pipeline, on which a pumping device 204 and a flow metering device 203 are sequentially installed. The pumping device 204 provides power for the beverage delivery and can be a peristaltic pump, gear pump, etc. The flow metering device 203 measures the volume of the flowing beverage and can be a Hall effect flow meter, turbine flow meter, etc.

[0017] Multiple wine outlets 202 are arranged in a straight line, and the direction of arrangement is the direction of movement of the cup holder 4. The linear moving platform 3 is located inside the frame 1. In this embodiment, the linear moving platform 3 is a lead screw slide, which includes a lead screw 301 driven by a motor 303, a slider 302 cooperating with the lead screw 301, and guide rods 304 arranged parallel to both sides of the lead screw 301. The slider 302 and the guide rods 304 slide together to ensure smooth movement. The cup holder 4 is fixedly mounted on the slider 302 via a connector, so that when the motor 303 drives the lead screw 301 to rotate, it can drive the slider 302 and the cup holder 4 to move precisely in a straight line along the direction of the guide rods 304.

[0018] The cup holder 4 is used to securely support the cocktail glass. It includes a circular base 401 with holes to prevent negative pressure. Two flexible claws 402 are positioned above the base 401. The claws 402 are made of a material with a certain degree of elasticity, such as plastic. Each claw 402 has a guide bevel 4021 machined on the inner side of its free end. When the user places the cocktail glass downwards into the cup holder 4, the glass body contacts the guide bevel 4021, and under pressure, the two claws 402 are forced to elastically expand outwards, allowing the glass to fall smoothly into place. Once the glass is in place, the claws 402 rebound elastically, clamping the glass body from both sides for a secure hold.

[0019] To facilitate the installation and replacement of bottled wine sources, this application designs a first quick-connect assembly 5. The first quick-connect assembly 5 includes a sealing plug 501, an adapter 502, and a mating connector 503.

[0020] The sealing plug 501 is made of food-grade silicone, which has good elasticity and sealing properties, and can be tightly inserted into the neck of the bottle 6. The sealing plug 501 is internally molded with two completely isolated channels, an air inlet channel 5011 and a wine outlet channel 5012.

[0021] The adapter 502 connects to the lower end of the sealing plug 501. It can be made of hard plastic or metal and internally has an adapter air inlet passage 5021 communicating with the air inlet channel 5011 and an adapter wine outlet passage 5022 communicating with the wine outlet passage 5012. A first one-way valve 5023 is installed in the adapter air inlet passage 5021; in this embodiment, it is a one-way diaphragm valve, which only allows external air to enter the wine bottle 6 to compensate for negative pressure and prevent backflow of the wine. The top of the adapter 502 is snapped into the bottom of the sealing plug 501.

[0022] The lower ends of the connector 503 and adapter 502 are detachably connected by screws. A normally closed mechanical valve 5031 is installed inside the connector 503. This mechanical valve 5031 includes a valve body 50311, a valve seat 50312 fixed within the valve body 50311, a sealing bead 50313 serving as the valve core, and an elastic element 50314 providing pressure. An internal flow channel 5032 is formed inside the connector 503. In its natural state, the spring of the elastic element 50314 presses the sealing bead 50313 against the valve seat 50312, cutting off the internal flow channel 5032. A pusher 25 is fixedly installed inside each port 201 of the bartender. When the user inserts a bottle 6 equipped with the first quick-connect assembly 5 vertically downwards into the port 201 of the bartender, the connector 503 is inserted accordingly. The pusher 25 aligns with and pushes the sealing bead 50313 of the mechanical valve 5031, overcoming the spring force to push the sealing bead 50313 away from the valve seat 50312, thereby opening the valve. At this time, the wine in the bottle 6 can pass through the wine outlet channel 5012, the wine transfer outlet channel 5022, the valve inner channel 5032, and the interface channel in the pusher 25 in sequence, and finally enter the independent pipeline after the interface 201.

[0023] When bottle 6 is pulled out, pusher 25 retracts, and mechanical valve 5031 automatically closes under spring action, achieving leak-free disconnection. This design enables bottle 6 to be used immediately upon plugging in.

[0024] In this embodiment, a second quick-connect component 8 is also provided, specifically for auxiliary liquors, i.e., liquors used in small quantities. Relatively speaking, liquors used in large quantities may be more suitable for bottling for easy replacement; liquors used in small quantities are more suitable for canning to avoid frequent operations. Therefore, the second quick-connect component 8 of this application is designed for liquor cans 7. The top of the liquor can 7 is provided with a connecting cap 71 with a sealing ring, which is fastened to the can opening by threads. The valve body of the second quick-connect component 8 is directly installed at the bottom of the liquor can 7, forming a semi-permanent connection. When installation is required, simply insert the lower end of the second quick-connect component 8, which is already fixed to the liquor can 7, into the interface 201 of the bartender. The pusher 25 inside the interface 201 will then open its mechanical valve 50311, allowing the liquor can 7 to connect to the equipment pipeline. Since the connection is semi-permanent, repeated plugging and unplugging during daily use is avoided, making it particularly suitable for liquors used in small quantities and with stable operation.

[0025] The specific operation of this application also requires system control, and the process is as follows: The user first places the cocktail glass into the cup holder 4 for fixation. The user selects the desired cocktail recipe through the human-machine interface. The control system retrieves the recipe, which includes the types of liquor required, the order of addition, and the precise amounts. The control system first controls the motor 303 to drive the lead screw 301, moving the cup holder 4 so that the glass is aligned with the outlet 202 corresponding to the first liquor. Then, the corresponding pumping device 204 is activated to pump the liquor from the source. The flow metering device 203 measures the flow in real time, and the pump stops when the set amount is reached. Next, the linear moving platform 3 moves the cup holder 4 to the next outlet 202 to add the second liquor. This cycle continues until all ingredients are added in sequence. Finally, the cup holder 4 can be moved to a fixed position for easy access to the glass by the user.

[0026] It should be noted that, although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cocktail mixing machine, characterized in that, include: Rack (1); The beverage supply unit (2) is mounted on the frame (1). The beverage supply unit (2) includes at least two interfaces (201) for connecting external beverage sources, beverage outlets (202) corresponding to each of the interfaces (201), and flow metering devices (203) and pumping devices (204) in the pipeline between each interface (201) and the corresponding beverage outlet (202). A linear moving platform (3) is disposed within the frame (1); The cup holder (4) is used to support and fix the cocktail glass, and the cup holder (4) is connected to the linear moving platform (3) in a transmission manner; The linear moving platform (3) drives the cup holder (4) to move in a straight line, so that the cocktail glasses supported on it can be aligned with the dispensing ports (202) of the beverage supply unit (2) in sequence.

2. A cocktail machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a quick-connect assembly (5), which is installed at the outlet of the wine source.

3. A cocktail machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The quick-connect assembly (5) includes: A sealing plug (501) is inserted into the wine source outlet and maintains the seal of the wine source outlet. The sealing plug (501) has an air inlet channel (5011) and a wine outlet channel (5012) that are isolated from each other. The adapter (502) is connected to the sealing plug (501), and has an adapter air inlet passage (5021) and an adapter wine outlet passage (5022) that are respectively connected to the air inlet passage (5011) and the wine outlet passage (5012). The adapter air inlet passage (5021) is provided with a first one-way valve (5023) that only allows gas to flow into the wine source. The connector (503) is connected to the adapter (502), and has a normally closed mechanical valve (5031) and an internal flow channel (5032) inside. The interface (201) of the beverage supply unit (2) is provided with a pusher (25). When the connector (503) is inserted into the interface (201), the pusher (25) pushes open the valve core of the mechanical valve (5031), so that the flow channel (5032) inside the valve is connected to the interface flow channel provided in the pusher (25), thereby making the beverage outlet flow channel (5012), the beverage transfer path (5022), the flow channel inside the valve (5032) and the interface flow channel connected in sequence.

4. A cocktail machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The mechanical valve (5031) includes a valve body (50311), a valve seat (50312) disposed within the valve body (50311), a sealing bead (50313) movably abutting against the valve seat (50312), and an elastic element (50314) providing a force to the sealing bead (50313) to press against the valve seat (50312), wherein the sealing bead (50313) is the valve core.

5. A cocktail machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first one-way valve (5023) is a one-way diaphragm valve.

6. A cocktail machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sealing plug (501) is made of silicone material.

7. A cocktail machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a wine tank (7), with a connecting cap (71) on the top of the wine tank (7) and a second quick-connect assembly (8) at the bottom of the wine tank (7), and the mechanical valve (50311) is provided inside the second quick-connect assembly (8).

8. A cocktail machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linear moving platform (3) is a lead screw slide.

9. A cocktail machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cup holder (4) includes: The base (401) is used to support the bottom of the cocktail glass; Two claws (402) are disposed on the base (401) and spaced apart, the claws (402) being elastic to provide clamping force; Among them, the inner side of the ends of the two claws (402) is provided with guide slope (4021) to guide the claws (402) to expand outward elastically when the cocktail glass is placed in.

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