Capsule fool-proof coffee machine

Abstract

The capsule fool-proof coffee machine comprises a machine base, a first machine part and a second machine part are arranged in the machine base, the second machine part can be close to the first machine part to form a brewing cavity, and a water inlet support is installed on the rear portion of the second machine part; a valve cavity is formed in the outer ring portion of the second machine part and the water inlet support, a valve rod is arranged in the valve cavity, the front end of the valve rod tends to extend out of the front end face of the second machine part all the time under the action of an elastic part, the valve rod is provided with an overflowing channel penetrating through the valve rod in the axial direction, and a sealing structure moving along with the valve rod is arranged between the valve rod and the valve cavity. When the valve rod extends out of the front end face of the second machine part under the action of the elastic part, the water supply channel is communicated with the overflowing channel through the valve cavity; when the capsule is placed in the machine base and the second machine part is close to the first machine part and is closed, communication between the water supply channel and the overflowing channel is blocked. The sealing performance can be guaranteed under the condition that the machining precision is not high, and water leakage is avoided under the condition that the fool-proof effect is not affected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of beverage brewing equipment technology, and more particularly to a capsule-based foolproof coffee machine. Background Technology

[0002] When the external dimensions and internal structure are almost identical, coffee capsules of different brands and types can be brewed in the same model of coffee machine. A large number of counterfeit Delta capsules exist on the market, and these imitations can be used without hindrance in the original brand's coffee machines, seriously affecting the brand's technological protection and market rights.

[0003] To address this issue, the applicant previously filed a Chinese invention application, application number 2025113195970, disclosing a capsule-based foolproof coffee machine. This coffee machine has a base, within which are a first component and a second component. The second component can be moved away from or closer to the first component, and a capsule is accommodated between the first and second components. A valve stem channel is provided in the outer ring of the second component, containing a valve stem and an elastic element that can move back and forth. The position of the valve stem can be controlled by whether the capsule has a hardened area, thereby opening or closing the connection between the water supply channel and the water inlet channel.

[0004] In this design, to achieve reliable control over water flow, a flow-blocking component is incorporated into the structure, and a sealing ring is installed at the rear end of the valve stem. This sealing ring must maintain a tight seal with both the rear surface of the flow-blocking component and the inner wall of the valve stem channel (also known as the water inlet bracket) when the coffee machine is boiling water and inserting the imitation capsule. Please refer to the prior application. Figure 9 The lower half of the sealing ring is indicated by reference numeral 43 in the attached diagram. However, when the valve stem extends, the sealing ring must simultaneously press against two stationary components: the flow cutter and the water inlet bracket. Achieving this double seal is difficult and prone to failure. The applicant has confirmed through multiple tests that a small amount of water does leak during actual use. Furthermore, as a moving part, the relative movement and positional changes between the valve stem, the flow cutter, and the water inlet bracket further increase the instability of the sealing interface. Therefore, if the machining precision of the flow cutter, the water inlet bracket, and the valve stem is insufficient, it can easily lead to poor sealing and water leakage. Especially when there is a deviation in the contact dimensions between the valve stem and the capsule, causing the valve stem to be slightly pushed back, the water flow path of the coffee machine will change from what should be... Figure 9 The route shown is transformed into an approximation. Figure 10 As shown in the diagram, the sealing ring at the rear end of the valve stem fails, preventing effective sealing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a capsule anti-mistake coffee machine that can ensure the sealing of the diversion area even when the processing precision is not high, thereby avoiding water leakage and without affecting the mistake-proof effect.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: a capsule anti-foolproof coffee machine, including a base, a first component and a second component are provided in the base, the second component can form a brewing chamber close to the first component, and the capsule is accommodated in the brewing chamber; the front end face of the second component is opposite to the sealing end face of the capsule, the second component can be divided into an inner circle part and an outer ring part, the inner circle part is provided with a water inlet channel opposite to the water inlet of the sealing end face of the capsule, and a one-way valve is provided in the water inlet channel; Its features are, The second component is equipped with a water inlet bracket at the rear. The water inlet bracket has a water supply channel that connects to the water inlet channel and supplies water to it. The outer ring of the second component and the water inlet bracket form a valve cavity. A valve stem is provided in the valve cavity. The valve stem is subjected to the action of an elastic element, and its front end always tends to extend out of the front end face of the second component. The valve stem has a flow passage that passes through itself along the axial direction. A sealing structure that moves with the valve stem is provided between the valve stem and the valve cavity. When a capsule is placed inside the base and the second component closes to the first component, and the valve stem moves backward due to the resistance of the capsule end face, causing the sealing structure to close, the sealing structure blocks the connection between the water supply channel and the flow channel. When the capsule is placed inside the base and the second component closes to the first component, and the valve stem moves backward due to the resistance of the capsule end face, which is insufficient to close the sealing structure, the water supply channel is connected to the flow passage through the valve cavity.

[0007] Preferably, the valve chamber includes a rear cavity formed within the water inlet bracket and a front cavity formed within the second component; an opening is provided between the rear cavity and the front cavity, allowing the valve chamber to communicate with the water supply channel. This structure directly connects to the water supply channel through the valve chamber design with an opening, simplifying the structure while reducing assembly precision requirements.

[0008] To facilitate manufacturing and assembly, the position of the elastic element needs to be optimized. Therefore, as a preferred option, the elastic element is disposed in the rear cavity of the valve chamber, with its two ends abutting against the inner wall of the valve chamber and the valve stem, respectively.

[0009] To further improve the sealing reliability of the system, preferably, the sealing structure includes a first sealing ring disposed at the rear end of the valve stem and a second sealing ring disposed at the front end of the valve stem; When the valve stem moves forward under the action of the elastic element, the first sealing ring moves forward relative to the rear cavity, thereby canceling the seal of the rear cavity by the first sealing ring, and the water supply channel is connected to the flow channel through the opening; When the valve stem moves backward under the pressure of the capsule, the first sealing ring enters the rear cavity and seals the flow path between the opening and the flow channel, while the second sealing ring always slides in the front cavity and maintains the seal on the front cavity.

[0010] To prevent the pressure from rising when the imitation soft membrane capsule is inserted, which would open the one-way valve and cause the foolproof function to fail, the front end of the valve stem is preferably provided with an axially extending drainage groove.

[0011] Preferably, the second component is provided with an overflow channel that penetrates the front end face of the second component and extends along its interior to its lower part, with an overflow hole at the end. When the imitation soft membrane capsule is inserted, water can flow out through the overflow hole into the wastewater box, preventing wastewater from splashing into the coffee machine.

[0012] To ensure that the capsule-based foolproof coffee machine of the present invention is effective not only against imitation soft-film capsules but also against imitation hard-shell capsules, preferably, a capsule top block is installed at the front of the second component. The capsule top block is provided with an axial through hole for connecting the water inlet channel and the brewing chamber. A sealing silicone is sleeved on the front end of the capsule top block, and a central hole is provided at the center of the sealing silicone. The central hole is offset from the axial through hole, and the sealing silicone covers the axial through hole.

[0013] To ensure the stability of the error-proof effect, it is necessary to further limit the configuration of the sealing silicone. Preferably, when using a special capsule, the capsule top block opens the sealing plate of the special capsule, and hot water can open the gap between the sealing silicone and the axial through hole, and allow water to flow from each of the axial through holes through the gap and then into the special capsule through the central hole.

[0014] Preferably, when using a replica hard-shell capsule, the center of its sealing end face is a rigid plate that cannot be opened. The sealing silicone maintains an interference fit under the pressure of the capsule top block and the rigid plate. No gap can be formed between the sealing silicone and the axial through hole to allow water to pass through. The sealing silicone keeps the axial through hole sealed, thereby blocking the injection of hot water.

[0015] Furthermore, the capsule top block is provided with multiple axial through holes, which are arranged at intervals around the axis of the capsule top block, and the central hole of the sealing silicone corresponds to the axis of the capsule top block.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: the water supply channel is always connected to the water inlet channel, while the sealing structure moves with the valve stem, controlling only the connection between the water supply channel and the flow channel. When the imitation soft membrane capsule is inserted or when boiling water is required without inserting any capsule, the sealing structure opens, connecting the water supply channel and the flow channel. Because a one-way valve is provided in the water inlet channel, the water flows naturally to the flow channel. When the special capsule is inserted, the sealing structure closes, cutting off the connection between the water supply channel and the flow channel. At this time, the water flow overcomes the resistance of the one-way valve and flows from the water inlet channel into the inlet of the special capsule. The sealing structure of this invention moves with the valve stem; the flow path automatically opens when the valve stem moves forward and closes the flow path when it moves backward, eliminating the need to simultaneously adhere to both the flow-stopping component and the water inlet support, thus improving the system's fault tolerance. In terms of structural design, this invention integrates the valve cavity between the second component and the water inlet support, eliminating the need for a separate flow-stopping component and a complex flow channel separation structure. This not only reduces the number of parts but also simplifies assembly and lowers the requirements for the machining precision of the parts. The complex logic of the original technology, which controlled the water flow between the supply and inlet channels via a valve stem, has been simplified to directly controlling the on / off state between the supply and inlet channels. Since the supply channel is always connected to the inlet channel, the control logic is more direct, and the number of sealing points is reduced accordingly, further improving reliability and simplicity. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 The following are schematic diagrams of the structures of three types of capsules involved in the embodiments of the present invention, wherein (a) is a special capsule, (b) is a replica soft membrane capsule, and (c) is a replica hard shell capsule; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the capsule foolproof coffee machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the base and the first component hidden. Figure 4 for Figure 3 A structural diagram with the sealing silicone removed; Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the capsule foolproof coffee machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the base and the first component hidden from another angle. Figure 6 for Figure 2 A sectional view; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged schematic diagram with the base and first component hidden; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the water flow path when the special capsule is inserted in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the water flow path when the imitation soft membrane capsule is inserted in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the water flow path when the imitation hard-shell capsule is inserted in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the overflow flow path in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] like Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the structure of three types of coffee capsules involved in embodiments of the present invention. Among them, Figure 1 The image in (a) shows a special capsule 1a that is used with the coffee machine in this embodiment. The center of its sealed end face is provided with a thin sealing plate 1a1 that can be pushed open as a water inlet, and the surrounding area is a hard shell area. Figure 1 Figure (b) shows a replica soft membrane capsule 1b, whose sealing end face is sealed with a soft film. Figure 1 Image (c) shows a counterfeit hard-shell capsule 1c. This is another type of counterfeit capsule, and its sealed end face has a hard plate 1c1 at the center, which cannot be opened. Instead, a ring of small holes 1c2 spaced apart at the center is provided for water inlet. The structural differences in the sealed end face of these three types of capsules directly affect their water inlet method in the coffee machine, and are also the basis for the design of the foolproof mechanism in this embodiment.

[0020] like Figures 2-11 The image shows a preferred embodiment of a capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to the present invention. This embodiment includes a base 2, within which a first component 3 and a second component 4 are disposed. The structure of each component will be described in detail below.

[0021] The second component 4 can move toward the first component 3, and when the two are closed, they form a brewing chamber for accommodating the special capsule 1a. For example... Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the front end face of the second component 4 is opposite to the sealing end face of the special capsule 1a, and its structure can be divided into an inner circular part and an outer ring part. The inner circular part is provided with... Figure 7 The water inlet channel 41 shown corresponds to the water inlet on the sealing end face of the special capsule 1a, and a one-way valve 42 is installed inside the water inlet channel 41; the outer ring is opposite to the hard shell area of ​​the sealing end face of the special capsule 1a.

[0022] like Figure 3 and Figure 7As shown, a water inlet bracket 5 is installed at the rear of the second component 4. The water inlet bracket 5 has a water supply channel 51 inside, which is connected to the water inlet channel 41 and supplies water to it. A valve chamber I is formed between the outer ring of the second component 4 and the water inlet bracket 5. A valve stem 6 is installed inside the valve chamber I. Under the action of the elastic member 64, the front end of the valve stem 6 always tends to extend forward beyond the front end face of the second component 4. The valve stem 6 has a flow channel 61 extending through it along its axial direction. A sealing structure that can move with the valve stem 6 is also provided between the valve stem 6 and the valve chamber I.

[0023] Valve chamber I consists of two parts, see Figure 7 One part is the rear cavity 52 located within the water inlet bracket 5, and the other part is the front cavity 43 located within the second component 4. An opening 53 is provided between the rear cavity 52 and the front cavity 43, allowing the valve cavity I to communicate with the water supply channel 51. An elastic member 64 is disposed within the rear cavity 52 of the valve cavity I, with its two ends abutting against the inner wall of the valve cavity I and the valve stem 6, respectively, providing a forward elastic force to the valve stem 6.

[0024] Sealing structure such as Figure 7 As shown, the sealing structure includes a first sealing ring 62 installed at the rear end of the valve stem 6 and a second sealing ring 63 installed at the front end of the valve stem 6. The core design of this sealing structure lies in controlling the communication between the water supply channel 51 and the flow channel 61 through the axial movement of the valve stem 6. When the valve stem 6 moves forward, the first sealing ring 62 also moves forward relative to the rear cavity 52, thereby releasing the seal of the first sealing ring 62 on the rear cavity 52, allowing the water supply channel 51 to communicate with the flow channel 61 through the opening 53. When the valve stem 6 moves backward, the first sealing ring 62 enters the rear cavity 52 and seals the flow path from the opening 53 through the rear cavity 52 into the flow channel; the second sealing ring 63, on the other hand, always slides within the front cavity 43 and maintains a seal on the front cavity 43.

[0025] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a capsule top block 7 is also installed at the front of the second component 4. The capsule top block 7 has multiple axial through holes 71, which are spaced apart around the axis of the capsule top block 7 to connect the water inlet channel 41 and the brewing chamber. A sealing silicone 8 is fitted over the front end of the capsule top block 7, covering the axial through holes 71. A central hole 81 is formed in the center of the sealing silicone 8, and the position of the central hole 81 corresponds to the axis of the capsule top block 7. In its natural state, the central hole 81 and the axial through holes 71 are offset from each other, thereby sealing the axial through holes 71 with the sealing silicone 8.

[0026] When using the dedicated capsule 1a, the capsule top block 7 pushes open the fragile sealing plate 1a1 in the center of the dedicated capsule 1a. High-pressure hot water can open the gap between the sealing silicone 8 and the axial through hole 71, allowing water to flow from each axial through hole 71 through the gap and into the dedicated capsule 1a through the central hole 81. When using the imitation hard-shell capsule 1c, its center is a rigid plate 1c1 that cannot be opened. The sealing silicone 8 maintains an interference fit under compression, and no gap can be formed between the sealing silicone 8 and the axial through hole 71 for water to pass through. Therefore, the sealing silicone 8 continuously seals the axial through hole 71, blocking the injection of hot water.

[0027] Valve stem 6 Figure 3 As shown, an axially extending drainage groove 65 is provided on the front peripheral wall. The main function of the drainage groove 65 is to provide a pressure relief path for the water flow and prevent the pressure from rising at the outlet of the flow channel 61 of the soft membrane sealing valve stem 6 when the imitation soft membrane capsule 1b is put in, thereby opening the one-way valve 42 and causing the foolproof function to fail.

[0028] The second component 4 is equipped with, for example Figure 4 The overflow channel 45 shown penetrates the front end face of the second component 4 and extends along its interior to its lower part, with an overflow hole 44 at its end. When the imitation soft membrane capsule 1b is inserted, as... Figure 11 As shown, the water flowing out of the drain 65 can flow back into the second component 4 through the overflow channel 45, and finally be discharged into the wastewater box from the overflow hole 44, thus preventing wastewater from splashing into the coffee machine.

[0029] Based on the above structure, the working principle of this embodiment is as follows: When the special capsule 1a is inserted and the brewing chamber is closed, as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the hard shell area of ​​the capsule presses against the valve stem 6 and moves it backward, causing the first sealing ring 62 to enter the rear cavity 52 of the valve chamber I, thereby closing the water passage from the opening 53 to the flow channel 61. At this time, the water flow in the water supply channel 51 is guided to the water inlet channel 41. The water flow will overcome the resistance of the one-way valve 42 in the water inlet channel 41, push open the sealing silicone 8, and flow into the water inlet of the special capsule 1a through the axial through hole 71 and the central hole 81.

[0030] When no coffee capsule is inserted or when imitation soft membrane capsule 1b is inserted, such as Figure 9 As shown, the valve stem 6 extends under the action of the elastic element 64, and the first sealing ring 62 moves forward relative to the rear cavity 52, canceling the seal on the rear cavity 52. ​​The water supply channel 51 enters the valve cavity I through the opening 53 and communicates with the flow passage 61 of the valve stem 6. Since the water inlet channel 41 is equipped with a one-way valve 42, the water flows naturally to the flow passage 61. If it is a replica of the soft membrane capsule 1b, some water can be discharged from the drain groove 65 at the front end of the valve stem 6, avoiding abnormal pressure rise inside which would open the one-way valve 42 and cause the foolproof function to fail. The discharged water finally flows into the wastewater box from the overflow hole 44 opened at the bottom of the second component 4.

[0031] When the imitation hard-shell capsule 1c is inserted and the brewing chamber is closed, as follows: Figure 10 As shown, because its center is a hard plate 1c1, the capsule top block 7 cannot break it. In this case, on the one hand, the valve stem 6 is pressed back by the hard shell area of ​​the capsule, shutting off the water inflow channel 61; on the other hand, the sealing silicone 8 maintains an interference fit under compression, and the sealing silicone 8 in front of the capsule top block 7 will keep the axial through hole 71 sealed, preventing water from entering the capsule, thus achieving physical blocking at the end of the water inlet channel 41 and realizing the foolproof function.

Claims

1. A capsule-based foolproof coffee machine, comprising a base (2), wherein a first component (3) and a second component (4) are provided in the base (2), the second component (4) being able to form a brewing chamber close to the first component (3), and a capsule being accommodated in the brewing chamber; the front end face of the second component (4) is opposite to the sealing end face of the capsule, the second component (4) being divided into an inner circle and an outer ring, the inner circle being provided with a water inlet channel (41) opposite to the water inlet of the sealing end face of the capsule, and a one-way valve (42) being provided in the water inlet channel (41); Its features are, The second component (4) is equipped with a water inlet bracket (5) at the rear. The water inlet bracket (5) is provided with a water supply channel (51) that connects to the water inlet channel (41) and supplies water to it. The outer ring of the second component (4) and the water inlet bracket (5) form a valve chamber (I). A valve stem (6) is provided in the valve chamber (I). The valve stem (6) is subjected to the action of the elastic element (64). Its front end always tends to extend out of the front end face of the second component (4). The valve stem (6) is provided with a flow passage (61) that passes through itself along the axial direction. A sealing structure that moves with the valve stem (6) is provided between the valve stem (6) and the valve chamber (I). When a capsule is placed inside the base (2) and the second component (4) is close to the first component (3) and closed, the valve stem moves backward due to the resistance of the capsule end face, causing the sealing structure to close, the sealing structure blocks the connection between the water supply channel (51) and the flow channel (61); When the capsule is placed in the base (2) and the second component (4) is close to the first component (3), and the valve stem moves backward due to the resistance of the capsule end face, which is insufficient to close the sealing structure, the water supply channel (51) is connected to the flow channel (61) through the valve chamber (I).

2. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve chamber (I) includes a rear cavity (52) formed in the water inlet bracket (5) and a front cavity (43) formed in the second component (4); an opening (53) is provided between the rear cavity (52) and the front cavity (43), and the opening (53) allows the valve chamber (I) to communicate with the water supply channel (51).

3. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, The elastic element (64) is disposed in the rear cavity (52) of the valve cavity (I), and its two ends abut against the inner wall of the valve cavity (I) and the valve stem (6) respectively.

4. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sealing structure includes a first sealing ring (62) disposed at the rear end of the valve stem (6) and a second sealing ring (63) disposed at the front end of the valve stem (6); When the valve stem (6) moves forward under the action of the elastic member (64), the first sealing ring (62) moves forward relative to the rear cavity (52), thereby canceling the seal of the rear cavity (52) by the first sealing ring (62), and the water supply channel (51) is connected to the flow channel (61) through the opening (53); When the valve stem (6) moves backward under the pressure of the capsule, the first sealing ring (62) enters the rear cavity (52) and seals the flow path between the opening (53) and the flow channel (61), while the second sealing ring (63) always slides in the front cavity (43) and maintains the seal on the front cavity (43).

5. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve stem (6) has an axially extending drainage groove (65) on its front end peripheral wall.

6. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second component (4) is provided with an overflow channel (45), which penetrates the front end face of the second component (4) and extends along the interior to its lower part, with an overflow hole (44) at the end.

7. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front part of the second component (4) is equipped with a capsule top block (7), which is provided with an axial through hole (71) for connecting the water inlet channel (41) and the brewing chamber; the front end of the capsule top block (7) is fitted with a sealing silicone (8), which has a central hole (81) at the center position. The central hole (81) and the axial through hole (71) are offset from each other, and the sealing silicone (8) covers the axial through hole (71).

8. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the special capsule (1a) is used, the capsule top block (7) pushes open the sealing plate (1a1) of the special capsule (1a), and hot water can open the gap between the sealing silicone (8) and the axial through hole (71), and allow water to flow from each of the axial through holes (71) through the gap and into the special capsule (1a) through the central hole (81).

9. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 8, characterized in that, When using a replica hard-shell capsule (1c), the center of its sealing end face is a non-openable hard plate (1c1). The sealing silicone (8) maintains an interference fit under the pressure of the capsule top block (7) and the hard plate (1c1). No gap can be formed between the sealing silicone (8) and the axial through hole (71) for water supply. The sealing silicone (8) keeps the axial through hole (71) sealed, thereby blocking the injection of hot water.

10. The capsule-based foolproof coffee machine according to claim 9, characterized in that, The capsule top block (7) is provided with a plurality of axial through holes (71), which are arranged at intervals around the axis of the capsule top block (7). The position of the central hole (81) of the sealing silicone (8) corresponds to the axis of the capsule top block (7).

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