Coffee machine gear pump with integrated pressure regulating structure

Abstract

The application discloses a coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure and belongs to the technical field of coffee machine fluid delivery and pressure control. The coffee machine gear pump comprises a pump body, a driving motor, a gear set and an internal pressure regulating and releasing structure. The output shaft of the driving motor is in transmission connection with the gear set inside the pump body. The internal pressure regulating and releasing structure is integrated in the pump body and is in communication with the outlet of the gear cavity. The water inlet end and the water outlet end of the pump body are provided with interfaces matched with the pipeline of the coffee machine. The internal pressure regulating and releasing structure comprises a pressure regulating valve core, a spring and a pressure relief channel. One end of the pressure relief channel is connected with the pressure regulating cavity, and the other end is in communication with the water inlet end of the pump body, so as to form a closed-loop pressure relief circuit. The pressure regulating valve core is configured to open or close the pressure relief channel according to the fluid pressure. The coffee machine gear pump integrates the gear pump and the pressure regulating and releasing function, replaces the traditional external front OPV and pressure relief components, and has the advantages of simplified pipeline layout, convenient assembly, low leakage risk, rapid pressure regulating response and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to gear pumps, and more particularly to a coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure. Background Technology

[0002] In the coffee extraction process of a coffee machine, stable control of fluid pressure is a core element in ensuring the flavor of the coffee. The gear pump, as the core component responsible for fluid delivery in the coffee machine, primarily functions to pressurize water and deliver it to the extraction unit to extract the coffee grounds. Meanwhile, the pre-installed OPV (overflow valve) and pre-release pressure relief device are key components responsible for controlling the extraction pressure and implementing pre-release pressure. This prevents excessive pressure inside the pump from damaging the equipment, while maintaining the extraction pressure stable within a preset range.

[0003] Currently, the gear pump, pre-loaded OPV, and pre-loaded pressure relief component in existing coffee machines are all separate and independently designed, requiring multiple connecting pipes, seals, and mounting brackets for assembly and connection. This separate structure has the following technical drawbacks:

[0004] (i) The pipeline connections are complex and occupy a large amount of space.

[0005] The split structure requires additional connecting pipes to connect the gear pump outlet to the pre-OPV inlet, and then connect the pre-OPV outlet to the coffee machine's return pipe or water inlet through pipes. This results in a messy internal piping layout for the coffee machine, taking up a lot of installation space and hindering the miniaturization and compact design of the coffee machine.

[0006] (ii) The assembly process is cumbersome and inefficient.

[0007] Existing technologies require the separate assembly of gear pumps, pre-loaded OPVs, pressure relief components, and connecting pipelines, involving multiple assembly steps and connectors. This results in low assembly efficiency, poor consistency during mass production, and increased material and assembly costs.

[0008] (iii) High risk of leakage and poor reliability

[0009] The split-type structure has many pipe connection points, and each connection point requires a seal. After long-term use, the seals are prone to aging and damage, leading to fluid leakage, affecting the normal operation of the coffee machine, and even damaging the internal electronic components of the equipment.

[0010] (iv) The pressure regulation and relief response is lagging, resulting in poor pressure stability.

[0011] In a split-type structure, the high-pressure fluid output by the gear pump needs to pass through a pipeline to reach the pre-OPV, which causes a delay in pressure signal transmission. The pre-OPV has a slow pressure relief response and is prone to instantaneous overpressure, damaging components such as the gear pump and extraction components. It also affects the stability of extraction pressure, resulting in uneven coffee flavor.

[0012] (v) High maintenance costs and high difficulty

[0013] With its separate components, the gear pump, pre-OPV, pipelines, and seals need to be checked one by one in case of problems such as abnormal pressure regulation or leakage. This makes maintenance difficult, inefficient, and costly.

[0014] In addition, traditional pre-OPV systems are mostly independent external structures, and their installation location is limited by the pipeline layout, making it impossible to accurately match with the gear pump, resulting in insufficient pressure regulation accuracy and further affecting the extraction effect.

[0015] Therefore, developing an integrated gear pump that can integrate a gear pump with pressure regulation and relief functions to replace the traditional pre-positioned OPV and pre-positioned pressure relief components, optimize pipeline layout, simplify assembly, and improve pressure regulation accuracy has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0016] The purpose of this invention is to provide a coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure.

[0017] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is as follows:

[0018] A coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure includes a pump body, a drive motor, a gear set, and a built-in pressure regulating and venting structure.

[0019] The pump body has a gear cavity and a pressure regulating cavity inside. The output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the gear set installed inside the gear cavity, and the gear set is driven to mesh and rotate to realize fluid transportation.

[0020] The built-in pressure regulating and pressure relief structure is integrated inside the pump body and is connected to the gear cavity outlet;

[0021] The pump body has interfaces at the inlet and outlet ends that are compatible with the coffee machine's piping.

[0022] Specifically,

[0023] The built-in pressure regulating and pressure relief structure includes a pressure regulating valve core, a spring, and a pressure relief channel;

[0024] The pressure regulating valve core and spring are installed in the pressure regulating chamber inside the pump body, and the pressure regulating chamber is connected to the outlet of the gear chamber;

[0025] One end of the pressure relief channel is connected to the pressure regulating chamber, and the other end is connected to the water inlet of the pump body, forming a closed-loop pressure relief circuit;

[0026] The pressure regulating valve core is configured to: when the fluid pressure in the pressure regulating chamber reaches a preset value, it moves against the spring force to open the pressure relief channel; when the fluid pressure is lower than the preset value, the pressure relief channel is closed under the action of the spring reset force.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interface between the water inlet end and the water outlet end of the pump body is a threaded hole and is equipped with a quick-connect fitting.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the built-in pressure regulating and relieving structure is directly connected to the gear cavity outlet.

[0029] In one embodiment of the invention, the gear set is made of a wear-resistant material.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pump body and the housing of the drive motor are fixedly connected by a flange or screws.

[0031] The advantages of this invention are:

[0032] Functional integration, replacing front-mounted components: The gear pump and pressure regulating and venting structure are integrated into the same pump body, directly replacing the independently set front-mounted OPV and pressure venting components. No additional piping is required, which greatly simplifies the internal piping layout of the coffee machine and reduces the space occupied by the equipment.

[0033] Simplified assembly and reduced costs: The integrated structure reduces assembly steps and the use of connectors, improves assembly efficiency and mass production consistency, and reduces material and assembly costs.

[0034] Reduce leakage and improve reliability: The multi-section pipelines and connection points of the split structure have been eliminated. The pump body is integrally molded and equipped with a standard adapter interface (threaded hole quick-connect fitting), which fundamentally reduces the risk of leakage.

[0035] Precise pressure regulation and rapid response: The pressure regulating structure is directly connected to the outlet of the gear cavity, and the pressure signal is transmitted without delay. The pressure regulation accuracy error is ≤ ±0.3 bar, and the pressure relief response time is ≤ 0.1 s, which effectively avoids instantaneous overpressure and ensures stable extraction pressure.

[0036] Highly adaptable and easy to maintain: The standard interface can be directly adapted to the existing pipelines of various coffee machines without modification; the integrated structure reduces the number of parts to be checked and maintained, thus reducing maintenance difficulty and cost. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the gear pump proposed in this invention;

[0038] Figure 2 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the cross-sectional structure of the gear pump;

[0039] Figure 3This is the second schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the gear pump. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely represents selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure, which includes a pump body 100, a drive motor 200, a gear set (not shown in the figure), and a built-in pressure regulating and pressure relief structure 300.

[0042] The pump body 100 has a gear cavity and a pressure regulating cavity inside. The output shaft 210 of the drive motor 200 extends into the pump body 100 and is connected to a gear set installed inside the gear cavity. The gear set includes a driving gear and a driven gear that mesh with each other. The driving gear is fixedly mounted on the output shaft 210, and the driven gear is rotatably mounted on a gear shaft inside the pump body 100. When the drive motor 200 is working, the output shaft 210 drives the driving gear to rotate, and the driving gear drives the driven gear to rotate in the opposite direction. The meshing rotation of the two realizes the intake, pressurization, and discharge of fluid.

[0043] To address the technical problems in existing technologies, such as complex piping, cumbersome assembly, easy leakage, and delayed pressure regulation response caused by the separate installation of gear pumps, external pre-installed OPV (overflow valve), and pre-installed pressure relief components, this embodiment integrates the built-in pressure regulating and pressure relief structure 300 inside the pump body 100 and directly connects it to the gear cavity outlet. There are no additional pipeline transmission links between the two, ensuring the instantaneous transmission of pressure signals.

[0044] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the built-in pressure regulating and relieving structure 300 specifically includes a pressure regulating valve core 310, a spring (not shown in the figure), and a pressure relief channel 320. The pressure regulating valve core 310 and the spring are installed in the pressure regulating chamber inside the pump body 100. One end of the spring abuts against the inner wall of the pressure regulating chamber, and the other end abuts against the pressure regulating valve core 310, applying a preload force towards the gear cavity to the pressure regulating valve core 310. The pressure relief channel 320 is located inside the pump body 100. One end of the pressure relief channel 320 is connected to the pressure regulating chamber, and the other end is connected to the water inlet 110 of the pump body 100, thereby forming a closed-loop pressure relief circuit.

[0045] The pressure regulating valve core 310 is configured such that when the fluid pressure in the pressure regulating chamber reaches the preset extraction pressure, the fluid pressure overcomes the spring force, pushing the pressure regulating valve core 310 to compress the spring and move along the pressure regulating chamber, thereby opening the pressure relief channel 320. At this time, excess high-pressure fluid at the gear chamber outlet flows directly back to the water inlet 110 of the pump body 100 through the pressure relief channel 320, achieving overflow pressure relief and preventing excessive pressure inside the pump from damaging the equipment or extraction components.

[0046] When the fluid pressure in the pressure regulating chamber is lower than the preset extraction pressure, the fluid pressure is insufficient to overcome the spring force. Under the action of its restoring force, the spring pushes the pressure regulating valve core 310 to move in the opposite direction, closing the pressure relief channel 320, so that the pressure in the pump is maintained within the preset range, ensuring the stability of the extraction pressure.

[0047] In this embodiment, the preset extraction pressure range is 0.5–15.5 bar, which covers the extraction process requirements of most coffee machines. This preset pressure value can be adjusted by selecting springs with different elastic coefficients or adjusting the pre-compression of the spring to suit the pressure requirements of different coffee machine models.

[0048] To simplify the internal piping layout of the coffee machine and reduce the risk of leakage, in this embodiment, the pump body 100 has an inlet 110 and an outlet 120 with interfaces adapted to the coffee machine's piping. Specifically, the interface is a threaded hole (such as a G1 / 4 threaded hole) and is equipped with a quick-connect fitting. This quick-connect fitting can be directly connected to the coffee machine's existing extraction piping. The operator only needs to insert the piping into the quick-connect fitting to complete the connection, eliminating the need for additional connecting fittings, seals, and fixing brackets. This greatly simplifies the assembly process, reduces the number of piping connection points, and fundamentally reduces the risk of fluid leakage.

[0049] In this embodiment, the built-in pressure regulating and relieving structure 300 is directly connected to the gear cavity outlet, without any additional pipeline transmission links. Compared to the traditional external pre-loaded OPV, which requires multiple pipelines to transmit the pressure signal to the pressure regulating component, the structure of this embodiment makes the pressure signal transmission almost without delay, resulting in more precise pressure regulation control, faster pressure relief response, and effectively avoiding instantaneous overpressure, thus ensuring stable extraction pressure.

[0050] To improve the operational stability and service life of the gear pump, in this embodiment, the gear set is made of wear-resistant material, for example:

[0051] Metals: 304, 316L, 317L, 2205 duplex stainless steel, 9Cr18 (440B), 9Cr18Mo (440C), 17-4PH, 420J2, 420HC, powder metallurgy 304, powder metallurgy 316L, H62 brass, QSn6.5-0.1 tin bronze;

[0052] Engineering plastics: pure PEEK, carbon fiber reinforced PEEK, copolymer POM, PVDF, PI, food-grade PBT, PSU, PPSU, glass fiber reinforced PP;

[0053] Ceramic types: alumina ceramics, zirconia ceramics, silicon nitride ceramics, silicon carbide ceramics;

[0054] Composite modified types: 316L + DLC coating, stainless steel + food-grade PTFE spraying.

[0055] The meshing clearance between the driving and driven gears is precisely controlled to reduce oil trapping, decrease flow pulsation, and ensure smoother fluid output. Combined with the rapid response of the built-in pressure regulating and venting structure 300, the stability of pressure control during the extraction process is further enhanced.

[0056] In this embodiment, the pump body 100 and the housing of the drive motor 200 are fixedly connected by a flange or screws. Specifically, the pump body 100 has a flange on the side near the drive motor 200, and the end face of the housing of the drive motor 200 has a corresponding flange. The two are fixedly connected by multiple screws. This connection method is simple in structure, easy to assemble, reliable in connection, and facilitates subsequent disassembly and maintenance.

[0057] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that when terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "left," and "right" appear to indicate orientation or positional relationships, they should be understood as being based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationships commonly used when the product of this invention is in use, or the orientation or positional relationships commonly understood by those skilled in the art. These terms are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, when terms such as "first" and "second" appear, they are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "installation," "setting," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A gear pump for a coffee machine with an integrated pressure regulating structure, characterized in that, Includes pump body, drive motor, gear set and built-in pressure regulating and pressure relief structure; The pump body has a gear cavity and a pressure regulating cavity inside. The output shaft of the drive motor is connected to the gear set installed inside the gear cavity, and the gear set is driven to mesh and rotate to realize fluid transportation. The built-in pressure regulating and pressure relief structure is integrated inside the pump body and is connected to the gear cavity outlet; The pump body has interfaces at the inlet and outlet ends that are compatible with the coffee machine's piping.

2. The coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The built-in pressure regulating and pressure relief structure includes a pressure regulating valve core, a spring, and a pressure relief channel; The pressure regulating valve core and spring are installed in the pressure regulating chamber inside the pump body, and the pressure regulating chamber is connected to the outlet of the gear chamber; One end of the pressure relief channel is connected to the pressure regulating chamber, and the other end is connected to the water inlet of the pump body, forming a closed-loop pressure relief circuit; The pressure regulating valve core is configured to: when the fluid pressure in the pressure regulating chamber reaches a preset value, it moves against the spring force to open the pressure relief channel; when the fluid pressure is lower than the preset value, the pressure relief channel is closed under the action of the spring reset force.

3. The coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The interface between the pump body's inlet and outlet ends is a threaded hole and is equipped with a quick-connect fitting.

4. The coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The built-in pressure regulating and relieving structure is directly connected to the gear cavity outlet.

5. The coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gear set is made of wear-resistant material.

6. The coffee machine gear pump with an integrated pressure regulating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pump body and the housing of the drive motor are fixedly connected by a flange or screws.

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