Brewing device, beverage machine and control method thereof

Abstract

This disclosure provides a brewing apparatus, a beverage machine having the same, and a control method for the beverage machine. The brewing apparatus includes an upper elastic member and a lower elastic member. During the process of the upper piston extending into the brewing chamber, the lower and upper elastic members elastically yield when compressing the brewed material within the brewing chamber through elastic deformation. Therefore, the volume difference between a larger and smaller amount of brewed material is jointly compensated by the elastic deformation of both the lower and upper elastic members. Accordingly, the difference in deformation between each of the lower and upper elastic members is small for both cases of a larger and smaller amount of brewed material. Therefore, the difference in pressure exerted on the brewed material is also small in both cases, resulting in a smaller difference in the degree of compaction of the brewed material in both cases, which helps to obtain relatively similar target fluid quality in both cases.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of beverage preparation technology, and in particular to a brewing device, a beverage machine having the brewing device, and a control method for the beverage machine. Background Technology

[0002] The preparation of some beverages requires the use of a brewing device. A brewing device typically includes a brewing tank containing a brewing chamber. When the brewing chamber is closed, a brewing fluid (e.g., pressurized hot water) flows through the brewing chamber, extracting the ingredient (e.g., coffee grounds) to obtain the target fluid (e.g., coffee liquid). The amount of the ingredient is not constant in different brewing processes. For example, the amount of ingredient added in one brewing process may be less, while the amount added in another may be more. Traditional brewing devices have struggled to produce a similar quality target fluid in two brewing processes with significantly different amounts of ingredient. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a brewing device, a beverage machine having the brewing device, and a control method for the beverage machine, so as to at least solve the problem that conventional brewing devices are unable to obtain a target fluid of similar quality in two brewing processes with a large difference in the amount of brewed material.

[0004] On one hand, this disclosure provides a brewing device. The brewing device includes a brewing cylinder assembly, an upper piston, a lower elastic member, and an upper elastic member. The brewing cylinder assembly includes a brewing cylinder having a brewing chamber with an open top and a lower piston at least partially located within the brewing chamber. One of the upper piston and the brewing cylinder assembly is movable relative to the other, or both are movable relative to each other, such that the upper piston can at least partially extend into the brewing chamber to close it, and can exit the brewing chamber to open it. The lower elastic member and the upper elastic member abut against the lower piston and the upper piston, respectively, such that during the extension of the upper piston into the brewing chamber, the lower piston and the upper piston can elastically yield when compressing the brewed material within the brewing chamber due to the elastic deformation of the lower elastic member and the upper elastic member.

[0005] In some embodiments, during the process of the upper piston extending into the brewing chamber to compress the brewed material, the lower piston yields elastically before the upper piston.

[0006] In some embodiments, during the process of the upper piston extending into the brewing chamber to compress the brewed material, the upper piston begins to elastically yield after the lower piston reaches its yield limit position.

[0007] In some embodiments, 0.5 ≤ △D1 / △D2 ≤ 1.5; and / or, (△D1 + △D2) / R ≤ 0.8. Here, △D1 is the yieldable stroke of the lower piston, △D2 is the yieldable stroke of the upper piston, and R is the inner diameter of the brewing chamber.

[0008] In some embodiments, the upper piston includes a piston body and a first seal. The piston body has a mounting groove on its outer periphery, and the first seal is at least partially located within the mounting groove. In the closed brewing chamber, the first seal seals the gap between the piston body and the inner surface of the brewing chamber. When the upper piston is in its yield limit position, the distance W from the mounting groove to the top of the brewing chamber and the diameter U of the first seal satisfy the condition: 0.5 ≤ W / U ≤ 5.

[0009] In some embodiments, the upper elastic element includes a plurality of upper springs, which are spaced apart along a direction surrounding the upper piston.

[0010] In some embodiments, the upper elastic element includes at least one upper spring, and the upper piston includes a piston body and at least one first spring seat protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the piston body. The at least one first spring seat corresponds to at least one upper spring, and each first spring seat has a spring receiving hole with its upper end open. The corresponding upper spring extends at least partially into the spring receiving hole, and its bottom end abuts against the bottom wall of the spring receiving hole.

[0011] In some embodiments, the outer peripheral surface of the first spring seat is provided with at least one reinforcing rib, each reinforcing rib extending along the outer peripheral surface of the first spring seat, and at least one end of the reinforcing rib being connected to the outer peripheral surface of the piston body.

[0012] In some embodiments, the brewing device further includes a support base with a support hole, the inner circumferential side of the support hole having at least one support recess recessed radially outward, the piston body being partially located in the support hole, the at least one support recess corresponding to at least one first spring seat, each first spring seat extending at least partially into the corresponding support recess, the top end of the support recess having a second spring seat, and the top end of the upper spring abutting against the second spring seat.

[0013] In some embodiments, when the upper piston is in its yield limit position, the top surface of the first spring seat abuts against the bottom wall of the support recess to limit the upward movement of the upper piston.

[0014] In some embodiments, at least one limiting protrusion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the piston body, and at least one first spring seat and at least one limiting protrusion are staggered in the circumferential direction of the piston body; at least one limiting arm is provided on the inner circumferential side of the support hole, and at least one support recess and at least one limiting arm are staggered in the circumferential direction of the support hole. At least one limiting protrusion corresponds to at least one limiting arm. Each limiting arm includes a first arm portion and a second arm portion, the first arm portion extending radially along the support hole, and the second arm portion extending from the inner end of the first arm portion towards the top end of the support seat. When the upper piston does not elastically yield, the corresponding limiting protrusion abuts against the second arm portion of the limiting arm to prevent the upper piston from disengaging from the piston seat.

[0015] In some embodiments, the lower piston includes a piston head and a piston rod. The piston head is located in the brewing chamber, and the piston rod extends out of the brewing chamber through a through-hole in the bottom wall of the brewing chamber. The lower elastic member is a lower spring sleeved on the piston rod, and a first abutment is sleeved on the piston rod. The first abutment is spaced apart from the piston head and fixed relative to the piston rod along the longitudinal direction of the piston rod; the top end of the lower spring abuts against the bottom surface of the piston head, and its lower end abuts against the first abutment. The inner wall of the through-hole forms a shoulder, and a second abutment and a second seal are provided within the through-hole surrounding the piston rod; the second seal is located between the second abutment and the shoulder.

[0016] In some embodiments, the brewing device has an inlet, an outlet, and a flow channel extending between them. The lower piston includes a piston head having at least one flow hole extending from its bottom end face to its top end face, and the flow channel includes a first flow channel extending from the bottom side of the piston head through the at least one flow hole to a closed brewing chamber.

[0017] In some embodiments, the brewing device further includes a flow channel and a sealing element. The flow channel is connected to an upper piston and moves with it. The sealing element is located above the flow channel. At least a portion of a second flow channel is provided within the flow channel for fluid to flow out of the brewing device. The second flow channel extends to the top surface of the flow channel to form an opening. During brewing, the top surface of the flow channel abuts against the sealing element, blocking the opening. When the brewing chamber is opened, the top surface of the flow channel separates from the sealing element, opening the opening.

[0018] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides a beverage machine. The beverage machine includes the above-described brewing device.

[0019] In some embodiments, the beverage machine further includes a control device, which includes a processor and a memory coupled thereto. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the beverage machine to sequentially perform the following operations: closing the brewing chamber; injecting brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; stopping the injection of brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; depressurizing the brewing chamber; and opening the brewing chamber after a preset time period from the start of depressurization. During the preset time period, the lower and upper pistons move towards each other due to the elastic restoring force of the lower and upper elastic members to compact the extracted brewed substance in the closed brewing chamber.

[0020] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides a control method. This control method is used to control the aforementioned beverage machine. The control method includes: closing the brewing chamber; injecting brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; stopping the injection of brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; depressurizing the brewing chamber; and opening the brewing chamber after a preset time period from the start of depressurization, wherein during the preset time period, the lower and upper pistons move towards each other due to the elastic restoring force of the lower and upper elastic members, thereby compacting the extracted brewed substance within the closed brewing chamber.

[0021] In some embodiments, the length of the preset time period ranges from 1 second to 10 seconds.

[0022] According to the brewing apparatus provided in this disclosure, since both the lower and upper pistons can elastically yield during the process of the upper piston extending into the brewing chamber, the volume difference between a larger and smaller amount of material to be brewed is jointly compensated by the elastic deformation of both the lower and upper elastic elements. Accordingly, for both cases of a larger and smaller amount of material to be brewed, the difference in deformation of each elastic element in the lower and upper elastic elements is smaller. Therefore, the difference in pressure exerted on the material to be brewed is also smaller in both cases, resulting in a smaller difference in the degree of compaction of the material to be brewed in both cases. This helps to ensure that the target fluid quality obtained in both cases is relatively similar. Attached Figure Description

[0023] It should be understood that the following figures only illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope.

[0024] It should be understood that the same or similar reference numerals are used in the accompanying drawings to denote the same or similar elements.

[0025] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are only schematic, and the dimensions and scales of the elements in the drawings are not necessarily precise.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a brewing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the brewing device.

[0028] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The image shows a longitudinal sectional view of the brewing device, in which the brewing device is in the feeding state.

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Another longitudinal sectional view of the brewing device, wherein the brewing device is in a state where the upper piston and the lower piston are aligned.

[0030] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Another longitudinal sectional view of the brewing device, wherein the brewing device is in a ready-to-brew state.

[0031] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Another longitudinal sectional view of the brewing device, wherein the brewing device is in the brewing state.

[0032] Figure 7 for Figure 1Another longitudinal sectional view of the brewing device, wherein the brewing device is in the top slag state.

[0033] Figure 8 for Figure 3 A schematic enlarged view of part B.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a structural schematic diagram showing the potential positions of the lower and upper pistons within the brewing chamber.

[0035] Figure 10 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the upper piston and upper elastic element of the brewing device.

[0036] Figure 11 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the support base for the brewing device.

[0037] Figure 12 For along Figure 11 A schematic cross-sectional view taken along the CC line.

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a beverage machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 14 This is a schematic flowchart of a control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0040] Numerous specific details are set forth below to provide an understanding of the structure, function, and use of the embodiments described and illustrated in the specification and figures. It is to be understood that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus it will be appreciated that the particular structural and functional details disclosed herein are representative and exemplary. Variations and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0041] <Exemplary brewing device>

[0042] This disclosure provides a brewing apparatus 100. The brewing apparatus 100 can be used to prepare beverages, such as coffee.

[0043] To facilitate understanding, the overall structure of the brewing device 100 will be described below.

[0044] It should be understood that the construction of the brewing device 100 is not limited to the description below. For example, one or more elements introduced below may be omitted or replaced, and their layout relationships may be changed.

[0045] First refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The brewing device 100 may include a brewing cylinder 10, a lower piston 20, an upper piston 30, an actuation mechanism 40, and a support structure 50 that supports them.

[0046] The brewing tank 10 may be hollow, and a brewing chamber 11 may be provided inside. The top of the brewing chamber 11 may be open to form a top opening. By way of example only, the brewing chamber 11 may be generally cylindrical. It is conceivable that in other examples of this disclosure, the brewing chamber 11 may also be of other shapes, for example, it may be prismatic.

[0047] The longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11 may be mentioned below. It should be noted that the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11 can refer to the direction from the bottom end of the brewing chamber 11 to its top end. In the example where the brewing chamber 11 is cylindrical, the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11 can refer to the direction of extension of the axis of the cylinder.

[0048] For ease of understanding, this disclosure... Figures 3 to 7 In the diagram, the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11 will be indicated by arrow X. Specifically, arrow X+ will indicate one side of the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11, while arrow X- will indicate the other side of the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11. Additionally, the vertical direction of the brewing device 100, which will also be mentioned below, is... Figures 3 to 7 The direction will be indicated by arrow Y. Specifically, arrow Y+ will indicate the upper side in the vertical direction, while arrow Y- will indicate the lower side in the vertical direction. By way of example only, in normal use or placement, the vertical direction of the brewing device 100 can be parallel to the direction of gravity.

[0049] The lower piston 20 can be at least partially retained within the brewing chamber 11 to form a brewing cylinder assembly with the brewing cylinder 10. See also, by way of example only. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The lower piston 20 may include a piston head 21 and a piston rod 22. The piston head 21 may be retained inside the brewing chamber 11, while the piston rod 22 may extend from the bottom end of the piston head 21 through a through hole 12 on the bottom wall of the brewing chamber 11 to the outside of the brewing chamber 11.

[0050] The upper piston 30 can extend at least partially into the brewing chamber 11 from the top side to close the brewing chamber 11. When the upper piston 30 is at least partially located in the brewing chamber 11, it can be directly opposite the lower piston 20 along the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11. At this time, the lower piston 20, the upper piston 30, and the inner wall of the brewing chamber 11 together can form a space to accommodate the brewed substance A (e.g., coffee powder), that is, the space formed by the lower piston 20, the upper piston 30, and the brewing cylinder 10.

[0051] The actuation mechanism 40 can be used to change the relative positional relationship between the brewing cylinder assembly and the upper piston 30 to selectively open or close the brewing chamber 11. That is, the actuation mechanism 40 can cause one of the upper piston 30 and the brewing cylinder assembly to be movable relative to the other, or to be movable relative to each other, such that the upper piston 30 can at least partially extend into the brewing chamber 11 to close it, and can exit the brewing chamber 11 to open it.

[0052] In the current example, the actuation mechanism 40 causes the brewing cylinder assembly to move relative to the upper piston 30. In an alternative example, the actuation mechanism 40 causes the upper piston 30 to move relative to the brewing cylinder assembly; in another alternative example, the actuation mechanism 40 causes both the brewing cylinder assembly and the upper piston 30 to move relative to each other. The specific construction of the actuation mechanism 40 will be described below and will not be detailed here.

[0053] The support structure 50 is used to support the brewing cylinder assembly, the upper piston 30, and the actuation mechanism 40 to hold them in a target position or a target movement path. This disclosure does not impose any particular limitation on the specific construction of the support structure 50, as long as it achieves the aforementioned support purpose.

[0054] For reference only. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The support structure 50 may include a first support wall 51 and a second support wall 52 detachably mounted together. The first support wall 51 and the second support wall 52 cooperate to form a housing that generally surrounds the brewing cylinder assembly, the upper piston 30, and the actuation mechanism 40. In some examples, the support structure 50 may also include a support base 53, which can be mounted in the housing and support the upper piston 30. The support base 53 may be fixedly connected to the first support wall 51 and the second support wall 52, for example, but not limited to, by snap-fit, adhesive, or fastener connection. In other alternative examples, the support structure 50 may be implemented as a support frame consisting of support rods and / or support plates.

[0055] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The support structure 50 may be provided with a feed inlet 101, through which the material to be brewed A can be added to the brewing chamber 11 through the feed inlet 101 and the top opening of the brewing chamber 11.

[0056] refer to Figures 5 to 7The brewing apparatus 100 may also have a first flow channel 102, a second flow channel 103, and a flow channel extending between them. The lower piston 20 may define the first flow channel of the flow channel alone or together with the brewing cylinder 10. The upper piston 30 may have a second flow channel of the flow channel. In the present example, the first flow channel 102 is an inlet, the first flow channel is an inlet flow channel for introducing brewing fluid (e.g., pressurized hot water) into the closed brewing chamber 11, and the second flow channel 103 is an outlet flow channel for leading brewing fluid (e.g., coffee liquid) out of the closed brewing chamber 11.

[0057] Conversely, in an alternative example of this disclosure, the second flow channel 103 may be an inlet, the second flow channel being an inlet flow channel for introducing the brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber 11, and the first flow channel 102 being an outlet, the first flow channel being an outlet flow channel for leading the brewing fluid out of the closed brewing chamber 11.

[0058] The following is for reference. Figures 3 to 7 The brewing process of the brewing device 100 will be illustrated with an example.

[0059] Initially, the brewing device 100 is in the feeding state. At this time, refer to Figure 3 The brewing chamber 11 can be parallel to the vertical direction, with the upper piston 30 located outside the brewing chamber 11, and the brewing chamber 11 is open. At this time, the feed inlet 101 can be located directly above the brewing chamber 11, so that the material to be brewed, A, can be poured into the brewing chamber 11 through the top opening of the brewing chamber 11 and piled on the lower piston 20.

[0060] After completing the feeding step, refer to Figure 4 The actuation mechanism 40 can cause the brewing cylinder assembly to deflect to one side (left side in the figure), so that the brewing cylinder 10 and the lower piston 20 tilt to one side, directly facing the upper piston 30, which is tilted and supported by the support structure 50, along an inclined straight line. At this time, the inclined straight line is the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11.

[0061] Next, refer to Figure 5 The actuation mechanism 40 causes the brewing cylinder assembly to rise along the inclined straight line until the upper piston 30 extends at least partially into the brewing chamber 11 from the top opening, closing the brewing chamber 11. At this time, the brewing device 100 is in a ready-to-brew state. During the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, the lower pistons 20 and 30 will compress the brewed material A from both sides along the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11, compacting the brewed material A (e.g., tamping coffee powder into a puff).

[0062] Next, refer to Figure 6The brewing fluid can be introduced into the closed brewing chamber 11 through the inlet channel to extract the brewed substance A within the brewing chamber 11 to obtain the target fluid. At this time, the brewing device 100 is in the brewing state, and the brewing fluid fills the closed brewing chamber 11. The target fluid will be led out of the brewing chamber 11 through the outlet channel to be supplied directly to the drinker, or supplied to the drinker after further processing.

[0063] After completing the brewing steps, refer to Figure 7 The actuation mechanism 40 causes the brewing cylinder assembly to descend along the aforementioned inclined linear direction, causing the upper piston 30 to disengage from the brewing chamber 11 and open the brewing chamber 11. By way of example only, in this process, the lower piston 20 can be driven (e.g., driven by the actuation mechanism 40) to move upward relative to the brewing cylinder 10 to push the extracted brewed material A (e.g., coffee grounds) out of the top opening of the brewing chamber 11.

[0064] Next, the actuation mechanism 40 causes the brewing cylinder assembly to deflect to the other side (i.e., the right side in the figure), causing the brewing cylinder assembly to return to a position where the longitudinal direction and vertical direction of the brewing chamber 11 are parallel. During this process, the lower piston 20 falls to its initial position, for example, driven by the actuation mechanism 40. Additionally, during this process, the extracted brewed substance A can be blocked (e.g., blocked by the side wall of the support structure 50) and falls from the top of the brewing cylinder 10, achieving skimming. Finally, the brewing device 100 switches to... Figure 3 It is in a state of flux, waiting to begin the next brewing cycle.

[0065] The amount of ingredient A may vary in different brewing processes. Taking coffee brewing as an example, 7 grams of coffee powder may be added in one brewing process, while 12 grams may be added in another. Different amounts of ingredient A, such as 7 grams and 12 grams of coffee powder, occupy different spaces in the brewing chamber 11.

[0066] Assuming that each time the brewing chamber 11 is closed, i.e., each time it switches to the brewing state, the lower piston 20 always reaches a specific position and the upper piston 30 always reaches another specific position, then the volume of the closed brewing chamber 11 will always be the same. The closed brewing chamber 11 will then be unable to accommodate different amounts of the brewed material A. For example, when there is very little brewed material A, during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 may not be able to compact the brewed material A, thus making it difficult to obtain a high-quality target fluid. Conversely, when there is a large amount of brewed material A, during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 may over-compress the brewed material A, making it too compact and dense. This will also make it difficult to obtain a high-quality target fluid, and may even make it difficult to close the brewing chamber 11.

[0067] In an attempt to accommodate different amounts of brewed material, the inventors configured a piston to be elastically yieldable, meaning that as the upper piston extends into the brewing chamber, the position of the piston within the brewing chamber can be elastically adjusted so that the distance between it and the other piston adapts to the amount of brewed material.

[0068] Taking the above example of a piston with elastic yielding, the position of the upper piston is variable during its insertion into the brewing chamber, and the volume of the closed brewing chamber is also variable. When the amount of material to be brewed is small, the upper piston can be held in a lower position by the elastic element to compact the material. When the amount of material to be brewed is large, the upper piston can transmit the pressure from the material to the elastic element, causing the elastic element to deform elastically. The upper piston then rises with the material to ensure that the brewing chamber is closed and to prevent the material from being over-compacted. The case of a lower piston with elastic yielding is similar and will not be described in detail here.

[0069] Brewing devices with this design were expected to handle varying amounts of ingredients. However, the inventors discovered that in two brewing processes with significantly different amounts of ingredients, this device struggled to produce a target fluid of similar quality. In other words, the quality of the target fluid obtained with a small amount of ingredient differed greatly from that obtained with a large amount of ingredient.

[0070] The inventors discovered that the cause of this technical problem is that when the amount of material to be rinsed is small, the deformation of the elastic element is small, the force it exerts on the piston is small, and therefore the force on the material to be rinsed is also small; when the amount of material to be rinsed is large, the deformation of the elastic element is large, the force it exerts on the piston is large, and therefore the pressure on the material to be rinsed is large; the difference in pressure on the material to be rinsed is large in the two cases, and therefore the degree of compaction of the material to be rinsed is large in the two cases, which leads to a large difference in the quality of the target fluid obtained in the two cases.

[0071] To solve this problem, refer to Figure 2 The brewing device 100 may further include a lower elastic member 61 and an upper elastic member 62. (Combined) Figure 4 and Figure 5 The upper elastic member 61 and the lower elastic member 62 can abut against the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 respectively, so that when the upper piston 30 extends into the brewing chamber 11, the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 can elastically yield when squeezing the brewed material A in the brewing chamber 11 through the elastic deformation of the lower elastic member 61 and the upper elastic member 62.

[0072] In other words, as the upper piston 30 extends into the brewing chamber 11, the lower piston 20 squeezes the brewed substance A. Under the reaction force of the brewed substance A, the relatively rising brewing cylinder 10 moves downward, causing the lower elastic element 61 to elastically deform. At the same time, the upper piston 30 squeezes the brewed substance A. Under the reaction force of the brewed substance A, it rises relative to the support mechanism 50, causing the upper elastic element 62 to elastically deform.

[0073] Since both the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 can elastically yield during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, the volume difference between a larger amount of brewed material A and a smaller amount of brewed material A will be jointly compensated by the elastic deformation of both the lower elastic member 61 and the upper elastic member 62. Accordingly, for the two cases of a larger amount of brewed material A and a smaller amount of brewed material A, the difference in the amount of deformation of each elastic member in the lower elastic member 61 and the upper elastic member 62 is small. Therefore, the difference in pressure borne by the brewed material A in the two cases is also small, resulting in a smaller difference in the degree of compaction of the brewed material A in the two cases. This helps to ensure that the target fluid quality obtained in the two cases is relatively close.

[0074] To make it easier to understand, here's an example to illustrate this point.

[0075] Assume that the dimension of a smaller amount of the brewed substance A in the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11 is L1, and the dimension of a larger amount of the brewed substance A in the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11 is L2. L2 is greater than L1, and the difference between L2 and L1 is ΔL.

[0076] For a brewing device with only one elastically yieldable piston, the dimensional difference ΔL resulting from the difference between a larger quantity of the brewed substance A and a smaller quantity of the brewed substance A will be compensated solely by the elastic deformation of the elastic element that abuts against the piston. The difference in the deformation of this elastic element in the two cases will be ΔL. Therefore, the difference in pressure exerted on the brewed substance A in the two cases will be approximately K*ΔL, where K is the elastic coefficient of the elastic element.

[0077] In the brewing apparatus 100 according to this disclosure, both the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 are elastically yieldable. The dimensional difference ΔL resulting from the two cases will be jointly compensated by the elastic deformation of both the lower elastic element 61 and the upper elastic element 62. Assuming that the elastic coefficients of both the lower elastic element 61 and the upper elastic element 62 are K, then the deformation of both elastic elements 61 and 62 in both cases will be ΔL / 2. The difference in pressure borne by the brewed substance A in the two cases will be approximately K*ΔL / 2, which is less than K*ΔL.

[0078] During the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, both the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 are elastically yieldable along the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11. This means that during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, and after it has been extended into place (i.e., when it is in the waiting-to-brew or brewing state), the positions of the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 in the brewing chamber 11 will also be different depending on the amount of the brewed substance A. Figure 9 The construction of the brewing tank 10, the lower piston 20, and the upper piston 30 has been simplified to schematically show the potential positions of the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 in the brewing chamber 11 during the above process or state.

[0079] Specifically, in Figure 9 In the diagram, the solid line indicates that the lower piston 20 is at its yield limit position, meaning that once the lower piston 20 reaches this position, it can no longer move downwards relative to the brewing cylinder 10. Correspondingly, in Figure 9 In the diagram, the upper piston 30, shown by the solid line, is at its yield limit position, meaning that once the upper piston 20 reaches this position, it can no longer move upward relative to the support structure 50. The lower piston 20, shown by the dashed line, and the upper piston 30, also shown by the dashed line, are both in their respective unyielded positions. When there is too little material A in the brewing chamber 11, or when there is no material A in the brewing chamber 11, the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 will be in their respective unyielded positions when the brewing device 100 is in a ready-to-brew state.

[0080] After adding the brewing substance A to the brewing chamber 11, the brewing device 100 will be... Figure 3 Switching the feeding status to Figure 5 The brewing chamber is in a pre-brewing state. During this process, the upper piston 30 gradually extends into the brewing chamber 11 from the top opening. The brewing agent A, such as coffee grounds, is usually relatively loose before being compacted. If a large amount of brewing agent A is added to the brewing chamber 11, the upper piston 30 may cause the brewing agent A near the top opening to fall outside the brewing chamber 11 as it passes the top opening.

[0081] To avoid this unforeseen phenomenon, according to the brewing apparatus 100 provided in this disclosure, during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11 to compress the brewed material A, the lower piston 20 can elastically yield before the upper piston 30. That is, when both pistons 20 and 30 begin to elastically yield, the elastic force applied by the lower elastic member 61 to the lower piston 20 can be set to be less than the elastic force applied by the upper elastic member 62 to the upper piston 30. Thus, during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, the lower piston 20 will elastically yield before the upper piston 30. Accordingly, the lower piston 20, the upper piston 30, and the brewed material A between them will move downwards together, away from the top opening of the brewing chamber 11, thereby reducing the risk of the brewed material A accidentally falling outside the brewing chamber 11.

[0082] Furthermore, according to the brewing apparatus 100 provided in this disclosure, during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11 to compress the brewed material A, the upper piston 30 begins to elastically yield after the lower piston 20 reaches its yield limit position. That is, when the lower piston 20 is at its yield limit position, the elastic force applied by the lower elastic member 61 to the lower piston 20 is F1, and when the upper piston 30 begins to elastically yield, the elastic force applied by the upper elastic member 62 to the upper piston 30 is F2, where F1 is less than F2. This means that during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, the upper piston 30 will elastically yield only after the lower piston 20 reaches its yield limit position. This helps the brewed material A to move sufficiently downwards during the process of the upper piston 30 extending into the brewing chamber 11, thereby further reducing the risk of the brewed material A accidentally falling outside the brewing chamber 11, while ensuring that the extracted target fluid flows into the container as fully as possible, reducing the amount of target fluid remaining in the brewing chamber 11.

[0083] refer to Figure 9 It is not difficult to see that the stroke from the lower piston 20 shown by the dashed line to the lower piston 20 shown by the solid line, that is... Figure 9 In the figure, △D1 represents the yielding stroke of the lower piston 20; correspondingly, the stroke from the upper piston 30 (shown by the dashed line) to the upper piston 30 (shown by the solid line) represents... Figure 9 In this context, △D2 represents the yielding stroke of the upper piston 30. As an example, △D1 and △D2 can satisfy: 0.5 ≤ △D1 / △D2 ≤ 1.5. Accordingly, the adjustable ranges of the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 will be relatively close, so that when the amount of the aerated material A is large, the elastic yielding distance is distributed more evenly across the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30. Consequently, for both cases of a large amount of aerated material A and a small amount of aerated material A, the difference in deformation between the lower elastic element 61 and the upper elastic element 62 will be smaller, which helps to ensure that the target fluid quality obtained in both cases is more similar.

[0084] Alternatively, the values ​​of △D1 / △D2 can also be: 0.7, 0.9, 1.1, 1.3, etc.

[0085] Continue to refer to Figure 9The inner diameter of the brewing chamber 11 is R. According to the embodiments of this disclosure, ΔD1, ΔD2, and R can satisfy: (ΔD1+ΔD2) / R≤0.8. On the one hand, the larger ΔD1+ΔD2 is, the greater the difference in the total deformation of the lower elastic member 61 and the upper elastic member 62 in both cases—that is, when there are fewer materials A to be brewed (e.g., both pistons 20 and 30 are in the unyielding position) and when there are more materials A to be brewed (e.g., both pistons 20 and 30 are in the ultimate yield position)—the greater the difference in pressure borne by the materials A to be brewed. On the other hand, the larger R is, the larger the cross-sectional area of ​​the brewing chamber 11 is, and the larger the contact area between the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 and the materials A to be brewed is. Assuming the pressure difference remains constant, the larger the contact area, the smaller the pressure difference borne by the materials A to be brewed in the two cases. The difference in the degree of compaction of the materials A to be brewed in the two cases is directly related to the pressure difference. If the pressure difference is too large, the degree of compaction will differ significantly, resulting in substantial differences in the quality of the final target fluid. △D1 + △D2 can represent the pressure difference between the two conditions to some extent, while R can represent the contact area to some extent. Studies have found that when (△D1 + △D2)1 / R ≤ 0.8, the pressure difference experienced by the material A under both conditions will be smaller, leading to more similar quality of the final target fluid.

[0086] It should be noted that in the example where the brewing chamber 11 is cylindrical, the inner diameter of the brewing chamber 11 is the diameter of the cylinder; in the example where the brewing chamber 11 is not cylindrical, the inner diameter of the brewing chamber 11 can be the diameter of the smallest circumscribed cylinder of the brewing chamber 11.

[0087] refer to Figure 6 During brewing, pressure needs to be built up in the closed brewing chamber 11. This requires that the gap between the upper piston 30 and the inner surface of the brewing chamber 11 be sealed. To meet this sealing requirement, refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 8 The upper piston 30 may include a piston body 31 and a first seal 32. The piston body 31 may have a mounting groove 33 surrounding its outer periphery, and the first seal 32 may be at least partially located within the mounting groove 33. In the closed brewing chamber 11, the first seal 32 seals the gap between the piston body 31 and the inner surface of the brewing chamber 11. By way of example only, the first seal 32 may be an elastic sealing ring, and in particular, a rubber sealing ring.

[0088] Combination Figure 6 and Figure 9In the brewing state, the brewing fluid fills the closed brewing chamber 11, and the upper piston 30 is positioned at its yield limit under fluid pressure. At this time, the distance W from the mounting groove 33 to the top of the brewing chamber 11 and the diameter U of the first seal 32 can satisfy: 0.5 ≤ W / U ≤ 5. This configuration helps reduce the risk of accidental leakage of the brewing chamber 11 during brewing. The reason is as follows: after the brewing fluid enters the brewing chamber 11, the pressure inside the brewing chamber 11 increases, and the upper piston 30 will move to the yield limit position under the push of the fluid pressure. Under the action of fluid pressure, the first seal 32 will be subjected to a force towards the top of the brewing chamber 11, and under the action of this force, it will undergo slight displacement and deformation from the mounting groove 33 towards the top of the brewing chamber 11. The degree of displacement and deformation is related to the diameter U of the first seal 32. If U is larger, the degree of displacement and deformation is larger, and vice versa. If the W / U ratio is too small, slight displacement or deformation may cause a portion of the first seal 32 to extend upwards beyond the top of the brewing chamber 11, creating a small leakage path and leading to leakage. If the W / U ratio is too large, when the upper piston 30 is at its yield limit position, the first seal 32 will be too far from the top of the brewing chamber 11, and a large portion of the brewing chamber 11, i.e., the portion between the first seal 32 and the top of the brewing chamber 11, will be unusable, resulting in low space utilization of the brewing chamber 11. Setting the W / U value range to 0.5 ≤ W / U ≤ 5 can avoid the risk of leakage and achieve higher space utilization.

[0089] refer to Figure 2 The upper elastic element 62 may include a plurality of upper springs 63, for example, three or more upper springs 63. The plurality of upper springs 63 may be spaced apart along the direction surrounding the upper piston 30. According to this configuration, when the upper piston 30 presses against the material A to be brewed, the plurality of upper springs 63 will exert force on the upper piston 30 at multiple locations around the upper piston 30, helping to maintain a good posture of the upper piston 30 and preventing the upper piston 30 from tilting relative to the brewing chamber 11. Such tilting would cause uneven pressure on the material A to be brewed, specifically, one part of the material A to be brewed would be looser than another part, resulting in poor quality of the target fluid. Conversely, in other examples of this disclosure, the upper elastic element 62 may also include only one upper spring 63, which may be located on the outer periphery or in the middle of the upper piston 30.

[0090] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 10The upper piston 30 may further include at least one first spring seat 34. In this document, "at least one" includes both of these cases. At least one first spring seat 34 may protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the piston body 31. In the case of at least one and multiple first spring seats 34, the multiple first spring seats 34 are arranged at intervals along the direction surrounding the piston body 31. At least one first spring seat 34 may correspond to at least one upper spring 63. Each first spring seat 34 may be provided with a spring receiving hole 341 open at its upper end. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The corresponding upper spring 63 can at least partially extend into the spring receiving hole 341, and the bottom end of the upper spring 63 can abut against the bottom wall of the spring receiving hole 341. Since at least one first spring seat 34 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the piston body 31, the interior of the piston body 31 will have a larger space, and the flow path for introducing or leading the fluid into or out of the brewing chamber 11 can be more easily arranged inside the piston body 31. Since the upper spring 63 extends at least partially into the spring receiving hole 341, the upper spring 63 and the upper piston 30 will be reliably maintained in cooperation. In the case of at least one or more, the multiple upper springs 63 will be more dispersed, thereby more effectively preventing the upper piston 30 from tilting relative to the brewing chamber 11 when pressing down on the brewed material A.

[0091] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 11 The support base 53 may be provided with a support hole 54, and the piston body 31 may be partially located in the support hole 54. The inner circumferential side of the support hole 54 is provided with at least one support recess 55 that is recessed radially outward. Each support recess 55 corresponds to at least one first spring seat 34. Each first spring seat 34 may extend at least partially into the corresponding support recess 55. A second spring seat 56 may be formed at the top of each support recess 55, and the top of the corresponding upper spring 63 may abut against the second spring seat 56. On the one hand, when the upper piston 30 slides along the longitudinal direction of the brewing chamber 11 in the brewing chamber 11, at least one support recess 55 can cooperate with at least one first spring seat 34 to guide and support the upper piston 30, preventing the upper piston 30 from rotating or tilting, thereby ensuring that the brewed material A is relatively uniformly compacted. On the other hand, a second spring seat 56 is also formed at the top of each support recess 55, which cooperates with the first spring seat 34 to achieve positioning and compression of the upper spring 63. Based on the above two aspects, by having at least one support recess 55 with the above-described structure, the support base 53 can achieve relatively complex functions with a relatively simple structure, which helps to reduce the structural complexity of the support base 53.

[0092] Further, refer to Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 10 and Figure 11When the upper piston 30 is at its yield limit position, the top surface 343 of the first spring seat 34 abuts against the bottom wall 551 of the support recess 55 to limit the upward movement of the upper piston 30. In other words, the yield limit position of the upper piston 30 is defined by the top surface 343 of the first spring seat 34 and the bottom wall 551 of the support recess 55, without the use of additional components or parts, which helps to reduce the structural complexity of the upper piston 30 and the support seat 53.

[0093] The first spring seat 34 bears the force from the upper spring 63. Furthermore, during the brewing process, the closed brewing chamber 11 is filled with fluid, and the upper piston 30 will move to its yield limit position under the fluid pressure. At this time, the first spring seat 34 abuts against the bottom wall 551 of the supporting recess 55, and at least a portion of the fluid pressure will be borne by the first spring seat 34. To reduce the risk of damage, the first spring seat 34 itself needs to have high structural strength, and the connection between the first spring seat 34 and the upper piston 30 also needs to have high connection strength.

[0094] In view of this, refer to Figure 10 Each first spring seat 34 may have at least one reinforcing rib 342 on its outer peripheral surface. If there are multiple reinforcing ribs 342, they may be spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the first spring seat 34 (i.e., the compression direction of the upper spring 71). One end of each reinforcing rib 342 may be connected to the outer peripheral surface of the piston body 31 on one side of the first spring seat 34, and the other end may extend along the outer peripheral surface of the first spring seat 34 to the other side and connect to the outer peripheral surface of the piston body 31. Alternatively, each reinforcing rib 342 may be connected to the outer peripheral surface of the piston body 31 at only one end. With the multiple reinforcing ribs 342 constructed and arranged as described above, the structural strength of the first spring seat 34 and the connection strength between the first spring seat 34 and the piston body 31 will be improved.

[0095] Continue to refer to Figure 10 At least one limiting protrusion 35 may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the piston body 31, and at least one first spring seat 34 and at least one limiting protrusion 35 may be arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the piston body 31. (Reference) Figure 11 At least one limiting arm 57 may be provided on the inner circumferential side of the support hole 54, and at least one supporting recess 55 and at least one limiting arm 57 may be staggered along the circumference of the support hole 54. In this document, staggered arrangement means that, on a projection plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the upper piston 30, the orthographic projection of at least one first spring seat 34 and the orthographic projection of at least one limiting protrusion 35 do not overlap, and the orthographic projection of at least one supporting recess 55 and the orthographic projection of at least one limiting arm 57 do not overlap.

[0096] refer to Figure 12Each limiting arm 57 may include a first arm portion 58 and a second arm portion 59. The first arm portion 58 may extend radially along the support hole 54, and the second arm portion 59 may extend from the inner end of the first arm portion 58 toward the top of the support seat 53. The inner end of the first arm portion 58 may refer to the end of the first arm portion 58 closer to the central axis of the upper piston 30 in the radial direction. (See reference) Figure 3 When the upper piston 30 does not elastically yield, the limiting protrusion 35 abuts against the second arm 59 of the limiting arm 57 to prevent the upper piston 30 from disengaging from the support seat 53. In other words, the lower limit position of the upper piston 30 can be defined by the limiting protrusion 35 and the second arm 572.

[0097] Based on the aforementioned structure of the limiting arm 57, when assembling the upper piston 30 with the support seat 53, at least one limiting protrusion 35 and at least one limiting arm 57 can be aligned respectively, and then the upper piston 30 can be inserted into the support hole 54 from its bottom end. During this process, the limiting arm 57 will elastically yield under the compression of the corresponding limiting protrusion 35, allowing the limiting protrusion 35 to move from its lower side to its upper side. After assembly is completed, the limiting arm 57 will elastically return to its original position, opposite the limiting protrusion 35 located on its upper side. Accordingly, the assembly of the upper piston 30 and the support seat 53 will be relatively easy.

[0098] In addition, since the limiting arm 57 can elastically deform, when the upper piston 30 moves from other positions to the unyielded position, the limiting arm 57 can absorb the impact through elastic deformation, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the limiting protrusion 35.

[0099] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 8 The lower elastic member 61 can be a lower spring 61 sleeved on the piston rod 22. A first abutment 23 can also be sleeved on the piston rod 22. The first abutment 23 is spaced apart from the piston head 21 and fixed relative to the piston rod 22 along its longitudinal direction. The top end of the lower elastic member 61 can abut against the bottom surface of the piston head 21, and its lower end can abut against the first abutment 23. The inner wall of the through hole 12 can form a shoulder 13, and a second abutment 14 and a second sealing member 15 surrounding the piston rod 22 can also be provided within the through hole 12. The second sealing member 15 can be located between the second abutment 14 and the shoulder 13. In most cases (e.g., when the brewing chamber 11 is closed), the second abutment 14 abuts against the first abutment 23; at this time, if the lower piston 20 continues to move downwards, the first abutment 23 will not move downwards, and the lower elastic member 61 will undergo compressive elastic deformation. Figure 7 As shown, during the process of ejecting the brewed substance A, as the lower piston 20 moves upward relative to the brewing cylinder 10, the first abutment 23 will separate from the second abutment 14. Figure 5As shown, when the brewing device 100 is in the brewing state, the piston head 21 can abut against the bottom wall of the brewing chamber 11.

[0100] Further, refer to Figure 6 The piston head 21 may be provided with at least one flow hole 211 extending from its bottom end face to its top end face. A first flow channel can extend from the bottom side of the piston head 21 through at least one flow hole 211 into the brewing chamber 11. This means that, as Figure 6 As shown, in the brewing state, when the closed brewing chamber 11 is filled with brewing fluid, the brewing fluid fills both the upper side of the piston head 21 (i.e., the brewing chamber 11) and the lower side of the piston head 21, resulting in a smaller pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the piston head 21. This helps improve the quality of the target fluid and helps maintain the cleanliness of the brewing chamber 11 for the following reasons.

[0101] Once the brewing chamber 11 is filled with brewing fluid, the upper piston 30 will be pressurized and move upwards, tending to separate from the brewed substance A. If the upper piston 30 separates from the brewed substance A, then the brewed substance A will float within the brewing chamber 11. This will firstly degrade the extraction, thereby reducing the quality of the target fluid, and secondly, it will cause the brewed substance A to become loose, making it difficult to effectively remove residue in the subsequent top-dreg process.

[0102] According to the embodiments of this disclosure, when the brewing chamber 11 is filled with brewing fluid, the brewing fluid fills both the upper side of the piston head 21 (i.e., the brewing chamber 11) and the lower side of the piston head 21. The pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the piston head 21 will be smaller. After the upper piston 30 is pressed upward, the pressure on both sides of the object being brewed A will no longer be parallel. The object being brewed A can no longer keep the lower piston 20 in a lower position, and the lower piston 20 will move upward under the force of the lower elastic member 61. In this way, the upward movement of the lower piston 20 will compensate for the upward movement of the upper piston 30, so that even when the brewing chamber 11 is filled with hot water, the object being brewed A will still be pressed between the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30, thereby helping to obtain a target fluid of better quality and helping to maintain the cleanliness of the brewing chamber 11.

[0103] refer to Figures 3 to 7 The brewing device 100 may further include a flow channel 70 and a sealing element 80. The flow channel 70 may be connected to the upper piston 30 to move with the upper piston 30. By way of example only, the upper piston 30 may be hollow, and the flow channel 70 may be at least partially located within the upper piston 30, this portion being fixedly connected to the upper piston 30. The sealing element 80 may be located above the flow channel 70.

[0104] By way of example only, the brewing device 100 may also include a crossbeam 90, which may be connected to the support structure 50 and support the seal 80. In some examples, the flow channel 70 may also be slidably supported by the crossbeam 90.

[0105] The flow channel 70 has at least a portion of a second flow channel 71. In this example, the second flow channel 71 can be an outlet flow channel, that is, the target fluid flows through the second flow channel 71 from the closed brewing chamber 11 to the second flow channel port 103 (i.e., outlet) of the brewing device 100.

[0106] The second flow channel 71 extends to the top surface of the flow channel component to form an opening 72. A back pressure valve 73, or accumulator valve 73, may be provided within the second flow channel 71. The back pressure valve 73 is used to help build pressure in the closed brewing chamber 11 during brewing. Specifically, when the pressure in the closed brewing chamber 11 reaches a preset pressure value (e.g., 8 bar), the back pressure valve 73 opens the second flow channel 71, allowing the target fluid to flow out through the second flow channel 71, and closes the second flow channel 71 when the pressure falls below the preset value.

[0107] It should be noted that the back pressure valve 73 is not essential. Conversely, in some examples of this disclosure, the brewing apparatus 100 may not include the back pressure valve 73, and the target fluid can be obtained using pressureless extraction during brewing. Pressureless extraction means that after water is supplied to the brewing chamber 11 to extract coffee, the coffee is directly transported to the beverage through the pipeline without encountering resistance that would increase the extraction pressure; that is, there is no process where the brewing chamber 11 gradually pressurizes to a preset pressure during water supply.

[0108] like Figure 6 As shown, in the brewing state, the flow channel component 70 is located at its upper limit position; at this time, the top surface of the flow channel component 70 abuts against the sealing component 80, causing the opening 72 to be blocked by the sealing component 80, and the fluid will flow from the outlet 103 to the downstream flow path. By way of example only, the flow channel component 70 may include a connector 74, on which the second flow channel opening 103 may be provided, and the connector 74 may be connected to the downstream pipeline. When the upper piston 30 is not located at its yield limit position, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the top surface of the flow channel 70 separates from the sealing member 80, causing the opening 72 to open.

[0109] Thus, in the brewing state, such as Figure 6 As shown, opening 72 is blocked by sealing element 80, allowing the target fluid to flow downstream through second flow channel 103; when brewing chamber 11 is opened, as Figure 6As shown, opening 72 is open; because opening 72 is open, the second flow channel 71 avoids the formation of a negative pressure chamber, and residual fluid in the downstream pipeline can be discharged by gravity or siphon. This helps to maintain the cleanliness of the downstream pipeline.

[0110] This disclosure does not impose any particular limitation on the construction of the actuation mechanism 40, as long as it can achieve the aforementioned actuation purpose. Various configurations of the actuation mechanism 40 are known to those skilled in the art and are not essential to the understanding of this invention. Therefore, only a brief description of the actuation mechanism 40 will be provided below. Those skilled in the art can learn the specific details of the actuation mechanism 40 based on their experience and prior art.

[0111] refer to Figure 2 The actuation mechanism 40 may include a first actuator 41, a second actuator 42, and a slider 43. The first actuator 41 is pivotally supported by the support structure 50 and is detachably coupled to the brewing cylinder 10 via a coupling 411. The second actuator 42 is pivotally connected to both the brewing cylinder 10 and the piston rod 22 of the lower piston 20. The slider 43 is slidably connected to the brewing cylinder 10 and pivotally connected to the first actuator 41.

[0112] The first actuator 41 can rotate under the drive of a drive unit (e.g., an electric motor). (Reference) Figure 3 From the initial position, as the first actuator 41 begins to rotate, it first pushes the brewing tank 10 through the joint 411. Figure 3 Rotate the position in the middle to Figure 4 The tilt is positioned directly opposite the upper piston 30; then, as the first actuator 41 continues to rotate, it drives the brewing cylinder 10 to tilt upwards through its cooperation with the slider 43, by... Figure 4 Move the position in the middle to Figure 5 The position in the middle; then, as the first actuator 41 rotates in the opposite direction, on the one hand, the brewing tank 10 tilts and descends, and on the other hand, the reference... Figure 7 The second actuator 42 abuts against the mating part (not shown) on the support structure 50, thereby pushing the lower piston 20 to rise relative to the brewing cylinder 10, pushing the residue out of the brewing chamber 11; then, as the first actuator 41 continues to rotate, both the brewing cylinder 10 and the lower piston 20 return to the initial position in Figure 3.

[0113] The above provides illustrative examples of the brewing apparatus according to the present invention. It is understood that the brewing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above description. For example, in some alternative examples, the actuation mechanism may include multiple independent actuation units, one actuation unit for driving the brewing cylinder to rotate between vertical and inclined positions, another actuation unit for driving the brewing cylinder to rise and fall along the inclined direction, and another actuation unit for driving the lower piston to rise and fall within the brewing chamber; in other alternative examples, the actuation mechanism may also take any form known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, in some alternative examples, in the initial position, the upper piston may be located directly above the brewing cylinder, rather than diagonally above it. Furthermore, in some alternative examples, during the closing and opening of the brewing chamber, the brewing cylinder may be relatively fixed, while the upper piston moves relative to the brewing cylinder.

[0114] This disclosure uses the terms "upper" and "lower" to distinguish between two corresponding objects, such as an upper piston and a lower piston. Similarly, this disclosure also uses the terms "top" and "bottom" to distinguish between two corresponding objects, such as a top end and a bottom end. It should be noted that when the brewing device is in its use or normal placement position, it is not necessarily true that the upper object (or top object) is directly above the lower object (or bottom object) in the direction of gravity. Rather, the upper object (or top object) may be higher than the lower object (or bottom object) in the direction of gravity, that is, the former may be located diagonally above the latter.

[0115] <Example beverage machine>

[0116] This disclosure also provides a beverage machine 200, which includes the brewing device 100 described above. For example, the beverage machine 200 can be a coffee machine. Of course, the beverage machine 200 is not limited to a coffee machine, and can also be used to make other types of beverages.

[0117] refer to Figure 13 The beverage machine 200 may also include a control device 300. The control device 300 may include a processor 310 and a memory 320 coupled thereto. The memory 320 may store instructions. When the instructions are executed by the processor 310, the beverage machine 200 will sequentially perform the following operations P110 to P150.

[0118] Operate P110 and open brewing chamber 11.

[0119] By way of example only, the beverage machine 200 may also include a drive unit 400. The drive unit 400 may be a separate device independent of the brewing device 100, or it may be part of the brewing device 100. For example, the drive unit 400 may be an electric motor. The processor 310 may control the drive unit 400 to output torque to the actuation mechanism 40, causing the actuation mechanism 40 to drive the brewing cylinder assembly and / or the upper piston to close the brewing chamber 11.

[0120] By way of example only, before operating P110, the beverage machine 200 can also perform a dispensing operation. During this operation, the beverage to be brewed, A, is fed into the brewing chamber 11 through the top opening. By way of example only, the beverage machine 200 may also include a dispensing device 500 for adding the beverage to be brewed, A, into the brewing chamber 11. In the example where the beverage machine 200 is a coffee machine, the dispensing device 500 may be a grinding device 500 located above the brewing device 100, used to grind coffee beans into coffee powder or granules, and then adding the ground coffee powder or granules into the brewing chamber 11. In other examples, the dispensing device 500 may be a storage device that only stores coffee powder or granules, or coffee capsules, and does not have a grinding function.

[0121] Operate P120 to inject brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber 11.

[0122] By way of example only, the beverage machine 200 may also include a conveying device 600. The conveying device 600 can be used to deliver brewing fluid from a fluid source inside or outside the beverage machine 200 to the closed brewing chamber 11. For example, the conveying device 230 may be a pump. In some examples, the beverage machine 200 may also include a heater 700, which can be used to heat the brewing fluid. After the brewing fluid fills the brewing chamber 11, the pressure in the brewing chamber 11 gradually increases, achieving extraction of the brewed substance A to obtain the target fluid.

[0123] Operate P130 to stop injecting brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber 11.

[0124] By way of example only, the target fluid obtained can be supplied directly or after further processing to a receiving container (e.g., a cup) through the supply port of the beverage machine 200; after obtaining a given amount of target fluid, the conveying device 600 stops injecting brewing fluid into the brewing chamber 11. Exemplarily, the beverage machine 200 may also include a meter 800, which can be used to measure the amount of target fluid flowing out of the brewing chamber 11; the control device 300 controls the conveying device 600 to stop operating in response to the amount of target fluid reaching a given amount.

[0125] Operate P140 to depressurize brewing chamber 11.

[0126] After the injection of brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber 11 stops, the brewing chamber 11 still maintains a high pressure. Therefore, the brewing chamber 11 needs to be depressurized before it can be opened. By way of example only, the beverage machine 200 may also include a pressure relief valve 900, which may be part of the brewing device 100 or located in an external flow path connected to the brewing device 100. After the injection of brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber 11 stops, the control device 300 can control the pressure relief valve 900 to switch to a pressure relief state, forming a pressure relief flow channel connecting the brewing chamber 11, helping to gradually reduce the pressure inside the brewing chamber 11 and preventing the brewing chamber 11 from being opened under high pressure.

[0127] When operating P150, after a preset time period from the start of depressurization, the brewing chamber 11 is opened. During this preset time period, the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 move toward each other due to the elastic restoring force of the lower elastic member 61 and the upper elastic member 62, so as to compact the extracted brewed substance A in the closed brewing chamber 11.

[0128] This disclosure does not impose any particular limitation on the length of the preset time period, as long as it is sufficient for the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 to move towards each other to compact the extracted brewed substance A in the closed brewing chamber 11. For example, the length of the preset time period can range from 1 to 10 seconds. Alternatively, the length of the preset time period can also be 1.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 2.5 seconds, 3 seconds, 3.5 seconds, 4 seconds, 4.5 seconds, 5 seconds, 5.5 seconds, 6 seconds, 6.5 seconds, 7 seconds, 7.5 seconds, 8 seconds, 8.5 seconds, 9 seconds, or 9.5 seconds, etc.

[0129] After depressurization begins, the brewing chamber 11 is not opened immediately, but rather after a preset time period. During this preset time period, as the pressure inside the brewing chamber 11 gradually decreases, the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 move under the action of the lower elastic member 61 and the upper elastic member 62, respectively, compressing the extracted brewed material A and compacting it. This prevents the extracted brewed material A from dispersing during the subsequent top-dregs step. If the extracted brewed material A disperses, some of it may remain in the brewing chamber 11 or adhere to other parts of the brewing device 100, reducing the cleanliness of the brewing device 100.

[0130] Apart from the parts and operating steps described above, other parts and operating steps of the beverage machine may be understood in various ways by those skilled in the art and are not essential to the understanding of this invention. Therefore, they will not be described in more detail herein. Those skilled in the art can learn these parts and operating steps based on their experience and existing technology.

[0131] <Exemplary Control Method>

[0132] This disclosure also provides a control method S100. (See reference...) Figure 14 The control method S100 can be used to control the beverage machine 200 described above. The control method S100 can be executed by the processor 310 of the beverage machine 200.

[0133] It should be noted that in other examples of this disclosure, the control method S100 can be executed by other beverage machines, as long as the beverage machine includes the brewing device 100 according to this disclosure; in this case, the control method S100 can be executed by the internal processor of the beverage machine, or by the external processor of the beverage machine or even the cloud processor; the execution of the control method S100 can be aided by an external device.

[0134] The control method S100 may include steps S110 to S150 executed sequentially. Steps S110 to S150 correspond to the aforementioned operations P110 and P150, respectively. For the sake of brevity, the similarities will not be repeated.

[0135] In step S110, the brewing chamber 11 is closed.

[0136] In operation S120, brewing fluid is injected into the closed brewing chamber 11.

[0137] In operation S130, the injection of brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber 11 is stopped.

[0138] In operation S140, the pressure in the brewing chamber 11 is released.

[0139] During operation S150, after a preset time period from the start of depressurization, the brewing chamber 11 is opened. During this preset time period, the lower piston 20 and the upper piston 30 move toward each other due to the elastic restoring force of the lower elastic member 61 and the upper elastic member 62, thereby compacting the extracted brewed substance A in the closed brewing chamber 11.

[0140] In some examples, the length of the preset time period can range from 1 to 10 seconds. Alternatively, the length of the preset time period can also be 1.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 2.5 seconds, 3 seconds, 3.5 seconds, 4 seconds, 4.5 seconds, 5 seconds, 5.5 seconds, 6 seconds, 6.5 seconds, 7 seconds, 7.5 seconds, 8 seconds, 8.5 seconds, 9 seconds, or 9.5 seconds, etc.

[0141] It should be noted that the elements described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0142] It should be understood that multiple components and / or parts can be provided by a single integrated component or part. Alternatively, a single integrated component or part can be divided into multiple separate components and / or parts. The use of the public designation "a" or "an" to describe a component or part does not imply the exclusion of other components or parts.

[0143] It should be understood that although terms such as "first" or "second" may be used in this invention to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms, which are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0144] The basic principles of the present invention have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in the present invention are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the present invention to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details.

[0145] The above are merely specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A brewing device, characterized in that, include: A brewing cylinder assembly, the brewing cylinder assembly including a brewing cylinder having a brewing chamber open at the top and a lower piston at least partially located within the brewing chamber; An upper piston, wherein one of the upper piston and the brewing cylinder assembly is movable relative to the other, or the two are movable relative to each other, such that the upper piston can at least partially extend into the brewing chamber to close it, and can exit the brewing chamber to open it; as well as The lower elastic element and the upper elastic element abut against the lower piston and the upper piston respectively, such that during the process of the upper piston extending into the brewing chamber, the lower piston and the upper piston can elastically yield when squeezing the brewed material in the brewing chamber through the elastic deformation of the lower elastic element and the upper elastic element.

2. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the process of the upper piston extending into the brewing chamber to compress the brewed material, the lower piston yields elastically before the upper piston.

3. The brewing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, During the process of the upper piston extending into the brewing chamber to compress the brewed material, the upper piston begins to elastically yield after the lower piston reaches its yield limit position.

4. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: 0.5≤△D1 / △D2≤1.5; and / or (△D1+△D2) / R≤0.8, Wherein, △D1 is the yieldable stroke of the lower piston, △D2 is the yieldable stroke of the upper piston, and R is the inner diameter of the brewing chamber.

5. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper piston includes a piston body and a first seal. The piston body has an outer periphery with a mounting groove, and the first seal is at least partially located in the mounting groove. In the closed brewing chamber, the first seal seals the gap between the piston body and the inner surface of the brewing chamber. When the upper piston is in its yield limit position, the distance W from the mounting groove to the top of the brewing chamber and the diameter U of the first seal satisfy the condition: 0.5≤W / U≤5.

6. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper elastic element includes a plurality of upper springs, which are spaced apart along a direction surrounding the upper piston.

7. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper elastic element includes at least one upper spring, and the upper piston includes a piston body and at least one first spring seat protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the piston body. The at least one first spring seat corresponds to the at least one upper spring, and each first spring seat is provided with a spring receiving hole with an open upper end. The corresponding upper spring extends at least partially into the spring receiving hole, and its bottom end abuts against the bottom wall of the spring receiving hole.

8. The brewing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The outer peripheral surface of the first spring seat is provided with at least one reinforcing rib, each reinforcing rib extending along the outer peripheral surface of the first spring seat, and at least one end of the reinforcing rib is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the piston body.

9. The brewing device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, It also includes a support seat with a support hole, the inner circumference of which has at least one support recess recessed radially outward, the piston body is partially located in the support hole, the at least one support recess corresponds to the at least one first spring seat, each first spring seat extends at least partially into the corresponding support recess, the top end of the support recess is provided with a second spring seat, and the top end of the upper spring abuts against the second spring seat.

10. The brewing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the upper piston is in its yield limit position, the top surface of the first spring seat abuts against the bottom wall of the support recess to restrict the upper piston from moving upward.

11. The brewing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, At least one limiting protrusion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the piston body, and the at least one first spring seat and the at least one limiting protrusion are staggered in the circumferential direction of the piston body; at least one limiting arm is provided on the inner circumferential side of the support hole, and the at least one support recess and the at least one limiting arm are staggered in the circumferential direction of the support hole; the at least one limiting protrusion corresponds to the at least one limiting arm respectively; each limiting arm includes a first arm portion and a second arm portion, the first arm portion extends radially along the support hole, and the second arm portion extends from the inner end of the first arm portion to the top end of the support seat; When the upper piston does not elastically yield, the corresponding limiting protrusion abuts against the second arm of the limiting arm to prevent the upper piston from disengaging from the support seat.

12. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower piston includes a piston head and a piston rod. The piston head is located in the brewing chamber, and the piston rod extends out of the brewing chamber through a through hole in the bottom wall of the brewing chamber. The lower elastic element is a lower spring sleeved on the piston rod, and a first abutment is sleeved on the piston rod. The first abutment is spaced apart from the piston head and fixed relative to the piston rod along the longitudinal direction of the piston rod; the top end of the lower spring abuts against the bottom surface of the piston head, and its lower end abuts against the first abutment; the inner wall of the through hole forms a shoulder, and the through hole is provided with a second abutment and a second sealing member surrounding the piston rod; the second sealing member is located between the second abutment and the shoulder.

13. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The brewing device has an inlet, an outlet, and a flow channel extending between them; the lower piston includes a piston head having at least one flow hole extending from its bottom end face to its top end face, and the flow channel includes a first flow channel extending from the bottom side of the piston head through the at least one flow hole to the closed brewing chamber.

14. The brewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a flow channel and a sealing element, the flow channel being connected to the upper piston to move with the upper piston, and the sealing element being located above the flow channel; the flow channel having at least a portion of a second flow channel for the target fluid to flow out of the brewing device; the second flow channel extending to the top surface of the flow channel to form an opening; in the brewing state, the top surface of the flow channel abuts against the sealing element, such that the opening is blocked by the sealing element; when the brewing chamber is opened, the top surface of the flow channel separates from the sealing element, such that the opening opens.

15. A beverage machine, characterized in that, Including the brewing device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The beverage machine according to claim 16, characterized in that, It also includes a control device, which comprises a processor and a memory coupled thereto, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the beverage machine to perform the following operations in sequence: Close the brewing chamber; Inject brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; Stop injecting the brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; Depressurize the brewing chamber; as well as After a preset time period following the start of pressure release, the brewing chamber is opened. During the preset time period, the lower and upper elastic members move in opposite directions due to their elastic restoring force, thereby compacting the extracted brewed material inside the closed brewing chamber.

17. A control method, characterized in that, The control method is used to control the beverage machine according to claim 13, the control method comprising: Close the brewing chamber; Inject brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; Stop injecting the brewing fluid into the closed brewing chamber; Depressurize the brewing chamber; and After a preset time period following the start of pressure release, the brewing chamber is opened. During the preset time period, the lower and upper elastic members move in opposite directions due to their elastic restoring force, thereby compacting the extracted brewed material inside the closed brewing chamber.

18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the length of the preset time period ranges from 1 second to 10 seconds.

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