Beverage machine

Abstract

The utility model discloses a beverage machine. The beverage machine comprises an equipment main body, and a brewing unit, a fluid assembly, an air pump, an air pump three-way valve and a steam rod which are mounted on the equipment main body. The brewing unit is used for receiving fluid provided by the fluid assembly to prepare drinks, two inlets of the air pump three-way valve are communicated with the air pump and the fluid assembly respectively, air provided by the air pump and the fluid provided by the fluid assembly can be mixed at an outlet of the air pump three-way valve, and the outlet of the air pump three-way valve is communicated with the steam rod. A mixed medium of air provided by the air pump and fluid provided by the fluid assembly can be output through the steam rod, and an operator only needs to stretch the steam rod into milk, so that milk foam can be automatically beaten. And since the air and the fluid are mixed before entering the steam rod, the steam rod only needs to be provided with a steam channel, and the structure of the steam rod does not need to be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of beverage equipment, and specifically relates to a beverage machine. Background Art

[0002] The steam wand is a common structure in beverage machines. The steam wand outputs hot steam and can froth milk. Frothing milk is usually done manually, with the steam wand set at a certain angle to the milk surface and the steam outlet not completely immersed in the milk, so that the milk and air are fully mixed to form milk foam.

[0003] With the development of technology, electronic equipment is gradually moving towards automation, so there is a need to develop a beverage machine that can automatically make milk foam. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem that the current beverage machine cannot automatically make milk froth, the present application provides a beverage machine that can automatically make milk froth and has a simple structure.

[0005] The present application provides a beverage machine, comprising a device body, characterized in that it also includes:

[0006] A brewing unit, mounted on the device body, for preparing beverages;

[0007] a fluid assembly, mounted on the device body, in communication with the brewing unit, and configured to provide the brewing unit with fluid required for preparing a beverage;

[0008] and, an air pump, an air pump three-way valve and a steam wand, all mounted on the main body of the device;

[0009] Among them, the two inlets of the air pump three-way valve are respectively connected to the air pump and the fluid component, and the outlet of the air pump three-way valve is connected to the steam rod, so that the air provided by the air pump and the fluid provided by the fluid component are mixed and output through the steam rod.

[0010] A beverage machine provided according to one or more embodiments of the present application includes an equipment body, and a brewing unit, a fluid component, an air pump, an air pump three-way valve, and a steam wand installed on the equipment body. The brewing unit is used to receive the fluid provided by the fluid component to prepare beverages. The two inlets of the air pump three-way valve are respectively connected to the air pump and the fluid component. The air provided by the air pump and the fluid provided by the fluid component can be mixed at the outlet of the air pump three-way valve. The outlet of the air pump three-way valve is connected to the steam wand. The mixed medium of the air provided by the air pump and the fluid provided by the fluid component can be output through the steam wand. The operator only needs to extend the steam wand into the milk to automatically froth the milk. And because the air and the fluid are mixed before entering the steam wand, the steam wand only needs to be provided with a steam channel, and the structure of the steam wand does not need to be improved.

[0011] In some embodiments, the beverage machine further includes a pressure relief three-way valve, which is connected between the outlet of the air pump three-way valve and the steam wand, and a pressure relief port of the pressure relief three-way valve is connected to the outside.

[0012] In some embodiments, the beverage machine further comprises a first three-way valve, wherein the first three-way valve is connected between the fluid component and the brewing unit, and the remaining valve port of the first three-way valve is connected to the outside.

[0013] In some embodiments, the beverage machine further comprises a three-way pipe, which is connected to the pressure relief port of the pressure relief three-way valve and the remaining valve ports of the first three-way valve, so that the pressure relief three-way valve and the first three-way valve are both connected to the outside through the three-way pipe.

[0014] In some embodiments, the beverage machine further comprises a second three-way valve, wherein the second three-way valve is connected between the fluid assembly and the brewing unit, and a remaining outlet of the second three-way valve is connected to a fluid outlet of the beverage machine.

[0015] In some embodiments, a one-way valve is provided in the channel of the air pump three-way valve for connecting the air pump; or, the air pump three-way valve is a three-way solenoid valve.

[0016] In some embodiments, the air pump three-way valve comprises:

[0017] A valve body having three passages, wherein two of the passages are provided with sealing assemblies for installing pipelines;

[0018] An air pump air inlet connector, used for connecting the air pump, the air pump air inlet connector is installed in the remaining one of the channels and encloses an installation cavity with the valve body;

[0019] The one-way valve is installed in the installation cavity.

[0020] In some embodiments, the channel is provided with an expanded hole for installing the sealing assembly; the sealing assembly includes a first sealing ring, a pressure ring and a pipe clamp arranged in sequence, the first sealing ring is wrapped around the pipe, the pressure ring is installed in the expanded hole and presses the first sealing ring, and the pipe clamp is clamped on the pipe and is located outside the pressure ring.

[0021] In some embodiments, the valve body and the air pump air inlet connector are both provided with a limit ring groove; the air pump three-way valve also includes a limit ring, which is embedded in the limit ring grooves of the valve body and the air pump air inlet connector; a second sealing ring is provided between the valve body and the air pump air inlet connector.

[0022] In some embodiments, the fluid component includes a water tank, a flow meter, a water pump, a heater and a third three-way valve connected in sequence through a pipeline, and the outlet of the heater, the air pump three-way valve, and the inlet of the brewing unit are all connected to the third three-way valve.

[0023] In some embodiments, the beverage machine further includes a shockproof sleeve mounted on the air pump.

[0024] In some embodiments, the beverage machine further comprises a steam receiving station for placing a beverage cup, and the steam wand is operably extended into the beverage cup.

[0025] In some embodiments, a switch device is provided on the device body and / or the steam receiving station, and the steam wand can be operably acted on the switch device so that the fluid component and / or the air pump responds to the switch device and provides fluid and / or air to the internal channel of the steam wand.

[0026] In some embodiments, the switch device includes a first induction member and a second induction member coupled to each other; the first induction member is movably disposed at the steam receiving station, the steam rod is operably acted on the first induction member, and the second induction member is installed on the device body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 A block diagram of the working principle of a beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0030] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 The structure of the beverage machine after removing the shell and water tank Figure 1 .

[0031] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 The structure of the beverage machine after removing the shell and water tank Figure 2 .

[0032] Figure 5 Shows Figure 2 Full cutaway view of the steam wand in a beverage machine.

[0033] Figure 6 Shows Figure 2 Full cutaway view of the brewing unit in a beverage machine.

[0034] Figure 7 A full cross-sectional view of an air pump three-way valve of a beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown.

[0035] Figure 8 The working principle of the beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 1 .

[0036] Fig. 9 The working principle of the beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 2 .

[0037] Fig.10 The working principle of the beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 3 .

[0038] Fig.11 The working principle of the beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 4 .

[0039] Fig.12 The working principle of the beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 5 .

[0040] Fig.13 The working principle of the beverage machine in one or more embodiments of the present application is shown. Figure 6 .

[0041] Description of reference numerals: 1000 - beverage machine. 100 - device body, 100a - mounting slot, 110 - cup holder, 120 - capsule holder, 120a - capsule chamber; 200 - steam rod; 210 - steam channel; 220 - nozzle; 230 - steam pipe, 240 - universal guide; 300 - steam receiving station; 310 - beverage cup, 320 - switch device, 330 - cleaning tank. 400-brewing unit, 410-beverage capsule, 420-extractor; 500-fluid component, 510-water tank, 520-flow meter; 530-water pump; 540-heating element; 600-air pump, 610-shockproof sleeve; 10-air pump three-way valve, 11-valve body, 11a-channel, 11b-installation cavity, 11c-expansion hole, 11d-limiting ring groove, 12-air inlet connector, 13-check valve, 14-sealing component, 141-pressure ring, 142-first sealing ring, 143-pipe clamp, 15-limiting ring, 16-second sealing ring; 20-pressure relief three-way valve; 30-first three-way valve; 40-second three-way valve; 50-third three-way valve; 60-three-way pipe; 70-pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0043] In addition, the present application may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and does not in itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present application provides various specific examples of processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0044] In the related art, in order to achieve automatic milk frothing, some beverage machines have steam wands with both a steam pipe and an air pipe to heat milk, provide air and make the milk flow. However, the dual-channel design of the steam wand results in a very thick outer diameter of the steam pipe, which affects the milk frothing operation.

[0045] The embodiment of the present application provides a beverage machine 1000, which can automatically make milk foam, and the steam wand 200 has a simple structure and is easy to operate. The beverage machine 1000 can be a capsule coffee machine, a milk tea machine, a tea maker, etc., and the present application does not limit it.

[0046] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , showing the working principle diagram and overall structure diagram of the beverage machine 1000. The beverage machine 1000 includes a device body 100, a brewing unit 400, a fluid assembly 500, an air pump 600, an air pump three-way valve 10 and a steam wand 200. The device body 100 is the installation base of various components on the beverage machine 1000, which supports and fixes various components and positions each component so that each component can operate continuously and stably. The brewing unit 400, the fluid assembly 500, the air pump 600, the air pump three-way valve 10 and the steam wand 200 are all installed on the device body 100. The structure of the device body 100 is diverse, which is not limited in this application. The user can make an adaptive design according to the number, size, shape, etc. of the internal components of the beverage machine 1000.

[0047] The brewing unit 400 is used to prepare beverages, and the fluid component 500 is connected to the brewing unit 400 to provide the brewing unit 400 with the fluid required for preparing the beverage. The fluid component 500 delivers the fluid to the brewing unit 400, and the fluid is mixed with the soluble substance (such as coffee, milk tea powder, cocoa powder, etc.) or insoluble substance (such as tea leaves, tea bags, medicinal material bags, etc.) in the brewing unit 400 to obtain the desired beverage. The specific structure of the brewing unit 400 is diverse and is known to those skilled in the art, and is not limited in this application.

[0048] See also Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the brewing unit 400 includes a beverage capsule 410 and an extractor 420. A capsule holder 120 is provided on the device body 100. The capsule holder 120 has a hollow capsule cavity 120a. The beverage capsule 410 is provided in the capsule cavity 120a. The extractor 420 is installed on the capsule holder 120. When the beverage capsule 410 is placed in the beverage machine 1000, the beverage capsule 410 is installed on the capsule holder 120. The capsule holder 120 drives the extractor 420 to move so as to press the extractor 420 against the beverage capsule 410.

[0049] See also Figure 6 After the beverage capsule 410 is placed into the beverage machine 1000, the extractor 420 is pressed against the beverage capsule 410 and sealed. At the same time, the puncture needle of the extractor 420 punctures the sealing film of the beverage capsule 410 and provides the fluid medium C to the water inlet hole of the beverage capsule 410. The fluid medium C enters the brewing chamber through the water inlet hole to extract the beverage consumable A to obtain the beverage B. The beverage B is discharged from the beverage capsule 410 through the liquid outlet of the beverage capsule 410.

[0050] The fluid component 500 provides various fluids for the brewing unit 400, such as milk, sugar water, carbonated water, boiled water or alcoholic beverages, and the temperature of the fluid can be hot, iced or at room temperature. For example, when the beverage machine 1000 is used to make milk coffee, the fluid component 500 provides milk for the brewing unit 400, which is mixed with the coffee powder in the brewing unit 400, and the obtained milk coffee is discharged from the brewing unit 400; for example, when the beverage machine 1000 is used to make alcoholic coffee, the fluid component 500 provides alcoholic beverages for the brewing unit 400, which is mixed with the coffee powder in the brewing unit 400, and the obtained alcoholic coffee is discharged from the brewing unit 400; for another example, when the beverage machine 1000 is used to make soy milk, the fluid component 500 provides sugar water for the brewing unit 400, which is mixed with the soy powder in the brewing unit 400, and the obtained soy milk is discharged from the brewing unit 400.

[0051] The air pump three-way valve 10 has three valve ports, two of which are inlets, and the remaining one is an outlet. The two inlets of the air pump three-way valve 10 are respectively connected to the air pump 600 and the fluid component 500, so that the air provided by the air pump 600 and the fluid provided by the fluid component 500 are mixed in the air pump three-way valve 10. The outlet of the air pump three-way valve 10 is connected to the steam wand 200, and the mixed medium of air and fluid is output through the steam wand 200. Since the mixed medium of air and fluid enters the steam wand 200 together, only one passage for conveying the mixed medium is required inside the steam wand 200. Any current steam wand 200 can meet the use requirements, and the structure of the steam wand 200 does not need to be improved. Therefore, there is no need to set an additional air channel 11a inside the steam wand 200 as required in the prior art, which increases the diameter of the steam wand 200 and is inconvenient to operate.

[0052] See also Figure 5 , shows a full cross-sectional view of a steam wand 200 in some embodiments, the steam wand 200 includes a steam pipe 230, a steam channel 11a210 and a nozzle 220, the steam channel 11a210 is located in the tube cavity of the steam pipe 230, and is used for steam circulation. The nozzle 220 is connected to the outlet end of the steam channel 11a210 or one end of the steam pipe 230, and is communicated with the steam channel 11a210, and the nozzle 220 is used to spray steam.

[0053] Therefore, the beverage machine 1000 has the following working modes:

[0054] Working mode one: When the beverage machine 1000 enters the automatic milk frothing mode, the controller of the beverage machine 1000 controls the air pump 600 and the fluid component 500 to work. The air pump 600 outputs air to the air pump three-way valve 10, and the fluid component 500 outputs fluid to the air pump three-way valve 10. The air and fluid are output to the steam wand 200 through the outlet of the air pump three-way valve 10. At this time, you only need to put the steam wand 200 into the milk. There is no need to consider the position of the outlet of the steam wand 200, that is, regardless of whether the outlet of the steam wand 200 is exposed to the milk surface, because the air pump 600 provides sufficient air, the fluid provides the power for the milk to flow, and if the fluid is steam, the fluid can also heat the milk. Under the three factors of air, heat and flow state, the milk automatically forms milk foam. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows: Figure 8 shown.

[0055] In the early stage of frothing milk, the controller controls the air intake pressure of the air pump 600 to be not less than the fluid pressure of the fluid component 500 until the set milk froth requirement is met, which can be the time of frothing milk reaches the set value, or the thickness of the generated milk froth reaches the set value. Then the controller controls the air intake pressure of the air pump 600 to be less than the fluid pressure of the fluid component 500 until the milk froth is completely frothed. In the early stage, since the air intake pressure of the air pump 600 is relatively large and the air flow rate is high, more textured or breathable milk froth will be produced. In the later stage, as the air intake pressure of the air pump 600 decreases relative to the fluid pressure of the fluid component 500, the air flow rate is low, and denser milk froth will be produced.

[0056] Working mode 2: If the user selects the manual steam control option, when the beverage machine 1000 enters the manual milk frothing mode, the controller controls the fluid component 500 to provide fluid to the steam wand 200, and the air pump 600 may not need to work. Of course, the air pump 600 can also continue to work, and the position of the steam wand 200 can be manually adjusted to adjust the amount of air when frothing milk. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows Figure 8 shown.

[0057] Working mode three: When the milk froth is prepared, the controller can control the air pump 600 and / or the fluid component 500 to continue working for a period of time. At this time, since the steam wand 200 has been taken out of the milk, the air flow and / or fluid can clean the internal channel 11a of the steam wand 200, flush the residual beverage, and realize the self-cleaning of the steam wand 200. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows: Figure 8 shown.

[0058] Working mode 4: The brewing unit 400 is connected to the fluid component 500, and the fluid component 500 provides the brewing unit 400 with the fluid required for brewing the beverage. Taking the coffee capsule for example, the fluid component 500 provides hot steam / hot water to the brewing unit 400, and the hot steam / hot water enters the coffee capsule, and coffee is obtained after extraction. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows: Fig. 9 shown.

[0059] Working mode 5: Since the brewing unit 400 is connected to the fluid component 500, and the fluid component 500 and the air pump 600 are both connected to the air pump three-way valve 10, when the fluid component 500 is not working and only the air pump 600 is working, the airflow generated by the air pump 600 will blow away the residual beverage in the brewing unit 400, thereby improving the utilization rate of the beverage consumable and improving the problem of residual liquid dripping at the beverage outlet. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows: Fig.10 shown.

[0060] When the steam wand 200 is used for a long time or is left for a long time, foreign matter will inevitably remain in the spray hole of the steam wand 200. For example, the milk in the spray hole dries up and becomes a hard lump, which will block the spray hole of the steam wand 200. In order to improve the reliability of the beverage machine 1000 and protect users, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the beverage machine 1000 is further provided with a pressure relief three-way valve 20. The pressure relief three-way valve 20 serves as a safety protection structure of the beverage machine 1000. The pressure relief three-way valve 20 also has three valve ports, two of which are respectively connected to the outlet of the air pump three-way valve 10 and the steam rod 200, that is, the pressure relief three-way valve 20 is connected between the outlet of the air pump three-way valve 10 and the steam rod 200, and the remaining valve port of the pressure relief three-way valve 20 is a pressure relief port, which is connected to the outside. The pressure relief three-way valve 20 can be a mechanical pressure relief valve or an electromagnetic pressure relief valve, which is not limited in this application.

[0061] Therefore, the beverage machine 1000 also has the following working modes:

[0062] Working mode six: During the use of the steam wand 200, when the pressure in the upstream pipeline of the steam wand 200 is greater than the pressure relief pressure of the pressure relief three-way valve 20, the pressure relief port opens, and the air and / or fluid will be relieved at the pressure relief port and discharged to a safe area. The upstream pipeline of the steam wand 200 should be understood as all pipelines or chambers in components that are directly or indirectly connected to the steam wand 200. When the pressure relief three-way valve 20 releases pressure, the medium can be released directly to a position on the beverage machine 1000 that is inaccessible to the user, or it can be released to the waste water tray or waste capsule box that comes with the beverage machine 1000. In this mode, the flow path of the fluid medium is as follows: Fig.11 shown.

[0063] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the beverage machine 1000 is further provided with a first three-way valve 30, which also has three valve ports, wherein the first valve port and the second valve port are respectively connected to the fluid component 500 and the brewing unit 400, that is, the first three-way valve 30 is connected between the fluid component 500 and the brewing unit 400, and the third valve port of the first three-way valve 30 is connected to the outside world, which may be the atmospheric environment, or the waste water tray or waste capsule box of the beverage machine 1000. The first three-way valve 30 may be a mechanical pressure relief valve, a mechanical three-way valve, or an electromagnetic three-way valve, which is not limited in this application.

[0064] Therefore, the beverage machine 1000 also has the following working modes:

[0065] Working mode seven: before or after brewing a beverage using the brewing unit 400, the valve port connection relationship of the first three-way valve 30 is set so that the outlet of the fluid component 500 is connected to the outside, the fluid is discharged for a period of time, and the internal pipe 70 of the fluid component 500 is cleaned; or the medium is replaced, for example, the fluid of the fluid component 500 is milk before, and now it is changed to water, then the internal pipe 70 of the fluid component 500 needs to be flushed with water. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows Fig.12 shown.

[0066] The brewing unit 400 may also be blocked during use, for example, the beverage consumables become damp and clump, blocking the outlet of the brewing unit 400. There is also a need for pressure relief, so the first three-way valve 30 can also achieve pressure relief in the upstream pipeline of the brewing unit 400.

[0067] In the case where the upstream pipelines of the steam wand 200 and the brewing unit 400 are both provided with a pressure relief function, please refer to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the beverage machine 1000 further includes a three-way pipe 60, which is a pipe with three pipe openings, two of which are respectively connected to the pressure relief port of the pressure relief three-way valve 20 and the third valve port of the first three-way valve 30. The remaining one pipe opening of the three-way pipe 60 is connected to the outside, so that the pressure relief three-way valve 20 and the first three-way valve 30 are both connected to the outside through the three-way pipe 60, and the medium can be directly discharged to a position on the beverage machine 1000 that is not accessible to the user, and the pressure can also be discharged to the waste water tray or waste capsule box provided by the beverage machine 1000.

[0068] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the beverage machine 1000 further includes a second three-way valve 40, which is connected between the fluid assembly 500 and the brewing unit 400, and is used to provide the fluid output by the fluid assembly 500 to the brewing unit 400; the remaining outlet of the second three-way valve 40 is connected to the fluid outlet of the beverage machine 1000, and is used to provide the fluid output by the fluid assembly 500 to the fluid outlet of the beverage machine 1000, and the fluid can be directly discharged through the fluid outlet of the beverage machine 1000, for example, to provide hot water, hot steam, hot milk, sugar water, etc. to the user. The second three-way valve 40 can be a mechanical three-way valve or an electromagnetic three-way valve, which is not limited in this application.

[0069] By switching the valve port connection relationship of the second three-way valve 40, the fluid sent out by the fluid component 500 can enter the brewing unit 400 to brew the beverage consumable or be discharged through the fluid outlet of the beverage machine 1000. The second three-way valve 40 is provided to expand the function of the beverage machine 1000, so that the beverage machine 1000 can prepare hot beverages, hot water, cold brewed beverages and room temperature water. In this way, the function of the beverage machine 1000 is more complete and diversified, meeting the user's needs for more tastes and flavors.

[0070] Therefore, the beverage machine 1000 also has the following working modes:

[0071] Working mode eight: The valve port of the second three-way valve 40 is connected so that the outlet of the fluid component 500 is connected to the fluid outlet of the beverage machine 1000, and the user can directly obtain fluid, such as hot water, boiling water, hot milk, room temperature water, etc. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows Fig.13 shown.

[0072] The fluid provided by the fluid component 500 is diverse, and can be a room temperature fluid, a hot fluid or a refrigerated fluid. The type of fluid can be water, milk, wine, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions. To achieve fluid supply, the fluid component 500 includes at least one storage container for storing fluid; a power device for providing power for the flow of the fluid; and a plurality of pipes 70 for transporting the fluid at different locations. In some embodiments, the fluid provided by the fluid component 500 is steam / hot water, and the fluid component 500 also includes a heating element 540 for directly heating water to generate hot steam / hot water. The heating element 540 can be a heating wire, a heating tube, or a heating plate (such as a thick film heating plate), and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0073] See also Figure 1 and Figure 3 In some embodiments, the fluid assembly 500 includes a water tank 510, a flow meter 520, a water pump 530, a heating element 540 and a third three-way valve 50 which are sequentially connected through a pipe 70. When the heating element 540 is turned on, the fluid provided by the fluid assembly 500 is a hot fluid, such as boiling water or steam. When the heating element 540 is turned off, the fluid provided by the fluid assembly 500 is a normal temperature fluid. The three valve ports of the third three-way valve 50 are respectively connected to the outlet of the heating element 540, the air pump three-way valve 10 and the inlet of the brewing unit 400. By switching the valve port connection relationship of the third three-way valve 50, the fluid sent out by the fluid assembly 500 can be transported to the brewing unit 400 to brew the beverage consumable or enter the steam wand 200 for preparing beverages. The third three-way valve 50 can be a mechanical three-way valve or an electromagnetic three-way valve, which is not limited in this application.

[0074] The air pump three-way valve 10 has the function of switching the connection relationship of the internal channel 11a, and the specific structure is not limited in this application. In some embodiments, the air pump three-way valve 10 can adopt a conventional three-way solenoid valve. When the fluid delivered by the fluid component 500 enters the steam wand 200, the valve port of the air pump three-way valve 10 connected to the air pump 600 remains closed to prevent the fluid from entering the air pump 600 and damaging the air pump 600. In some embodiments, the air pump three-way valve 10 can also be a three-way pipe 60 with a one-way valve 13, please refer to Figure 1 A one-way valve 13 is provided in the channel 11a of the air pump three-way valve 10 for connecting the air pump 600. The one-way valve 13 allows air reaching a set pressure to enter the air pump three-way valve 10 from one side of the air pump 600, but blocks the fluid delivered by the fluid component 500 from entering the air pump three-way valve 10.

[0075] See also Figure 7 , shows a full cross-sectional structural diagram of the air pump three-way valve 10 in some embodiments. The air pump three-way valve 10 includes a valve body 11, a one-way valve 13 and an air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 for connecting the air pump 600. The valve body 11 has three channels 11a, and the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 is installed in one of the channels 11a of the valve body 11, and is surrounded by the valve body 11 to form an installation cavity 11b, and the one-way valve 13 is installed in the installation cavity 11b. When installing the one-way valve 13, first remove the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12, then install the one-way valve 13 into the corresponding channel 11a, then connect the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 to the valve body 11, and then fix the one-way valve 13 to complete the installation of the one-way valve 13. When disassembling the one-way valve 13, remove the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 from the valve body 11, and then remove the one-way valve 13. After such design, the air inlet connector 12 of the air pump 600 not only serves to connect the air pump 600, but also serves as a limit check valve 13. Compared with directly using a three-way solenoid valve, the air pump three-way valve 10 has a lower cost and can facilitate the maintenance of the check valve 13.

[0076] Since the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 is to limit the one-way valve 13, it is necessary to ensure that the valve body 11 and the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 are connected stably. Figure 7 In some embodiments, both the valve body 11 and the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 are provided with a limiting ring groove 11d, and a limiting ring 15 is provided to be embedded in the limiting ring groove 11d of the valve body 11 and the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12. Under the restriction of the limiting ring 15, the valve body 11 and the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12 will not produce relative displacement. In order to ensure sealing, in some embodiments, a second sealing ring 16 is provided between the valve body 11 and the air pump 600 air inlet connector 12.

[0077] The remaining two channels 11a of the valve body 11 are each provided with a sealing assembly 14 for installing the pipe 70, and the sealing assembly 14 closes the gap between the pipe 70 and the channel 11a. The structure of the sealing assembly 14 is diverse, for example, the sealing assembly 14 can be a sealing rubber ring fixedly arranged in the corresponding channel 11a, and the pipe 70 is inserted into the through hole of the sealing rubber ring with interference fit, and the sealing rubber ring fills the gap between the pipe 70 and the channel 11a. Figure 7 In some embodiments, the sealing assembly 14 includes a pressure ring 141, a pipe clamp 143 and one or more first sealing rings 142. The inner wall of the channel 11a where the sealing assembly 14 is installed is provided with a reaming hole 11c. The first sealing ring 142 and the pressure ring 141 are installed in the reaming hole 11c. One or more first sealing rings 142 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the pipeline 70. The first sealing ring 142 wraps the outer wall of the pipeline 70 to seal the gap between the pipeline 70 and the valve body 11. The pressure ring 141 presses the first sealing ring 142 on the inside. To ensure the sealing effect, glue can be applied and sealed at the reaming hole 11c after the pressure ring 141 is installed in the reaming hole 11c. The pipe clamp 143 is clamped on the pipeline 70 and is located on the outside of the pressure ring 141 to prevent the pressure ring 141 from loosening.

[0078] Since the air pump 600 vibrates and generates noise when it is working, in some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The air pump 600 is provided with a shockproof sleeve 610. To install the air pump 600, a mounting groove 100a is provided on the device body 100 of the beverage machine 1000. The air pump 600 is provided with the shockproof sleeve 610 and then installed in the mounting groove 100a. The design of the shockproof sleeve 610 can buffer vibration and reduce the working noise of the beverage machine 1000. In order to facilitate the air intake of the air pump 600, in some embodiments, refer to Figure 3 , the mounting groove 100a is set at the top of the device body 100.

[0079] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the water tank 510, the flow meter 520, and the water pump 530 are installed at the same place of the device body 100, and the heating element 540, the first three-way valve 30, the second three-way valve 40, the third three-way valve 50, the pressure relief three-way valve 20, and the air pump three-way valve 10 are installed at the same place of the device body 100 and arranged side by side with the water tank 510. For the convenience of arrangement, each three-way valve can be arranged up and down to make full use of the internal space of the device body 100 and reduce the volume of the device body 100. Other structures of the device body 100 that are not described in detail can refer to the relevant disclosure of the prior art and will not be described here.

[0080] See also Figure 2In some embodiments, the beverage machine 1000 further includes a steam receiving station 300, which is convenient for placing a beverage cup 310 containing beverages, and the steam wand 200 can be operably extended into the beverage cup 310, so as to operate the steam wand 200 to inject steam into the beverage in the beverage cup 310. A switch device 320 is provided on the device body 100 and / or the steam receiving station 300, and the steam wand 200 can operably act on the switch device 320, which can be an induction source that touches the switch device 320 or acts on the switch device 320, such as a light signal or a magnetic field signal. So that the fluid component 500 and / or the air pump 600 responds to the switch device 320 and provides fluid and / or air to the internal channel 11a of the steam wand 200.

[0081] Therefore, the beverage machine 1000 also has the following working modes:

[0082] Working mode nine: before or after using the steam wand 200, the user operates the steam wand 200 to turn on the switch device 320, so that the fluid component 500 and / or the air pump 600 respond to the switch device 320 and provide fluid and / or air to the internal channel 11a of the steam wand 200. The flow path of the fluid medium in this mode is as follows: Figure 8 shown.

[0083] It is understandable that each working mode of the beverage machine 1000 is controlled by the controller. When the user triggers a mode start signal (for example, pressing a button on the control panel or touching the key area of ​​the control screen), the controller controls the corresponding device to work to achieve the corresponding working mode.

[0084] The steam receiving station 300 may be a part of the equipment body 100 or may be independent of the equipment body 100. The number of steam receiving stations 300 is not limited to one, and multiple steam receiving stations 300 may be provided according to actual use needs. Figure 2 In some embodiments, the steam receiving station 300 is independent of the device body 100 and is disposed beside the cup holder 110 of the device body 100. The beverage cup 310 can be placed on the steam receiving station 300 or on the cup holder 110. In some embodiments, in order to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the steam receiving station 300 on the device body 100, mutually attractive magnets and concave-convex matching positioning structures are provided on the steam receiving station 300 and the device body 100, so that when the steam receiving station 300 is installed on the device body 100, the positions of the steam receiving station 300 and the device body 100 are relatively fixed through the positioning structure, and at the same time, the steam receiving station 300 is adsorbed and fixed on the device body 100 through the magnet.

[0085] The switch device 320 can be a micro switch, a photoelectric sensor, etc., and the specific type is not limited in this application. In some embodiments, the switch device 320 includes a first induction member and a second induction member that are coupled. The first induction member is movably arranged at the steam receiving station 300, the steam wand 200 is operably acted on the first induction member, and the second induction member is installed on the equipment body 100. The first induction member and the second induction member are coupled, which can be magnetic coupling, photoelectric coupling or mechanical structure coupling, and this application does not limit it. In some embodiments, the first induction member is a magnet, and the second induction member is a reed switch, and the cleaning signal is triggered by magnetic coupling.

[0086] In order to facilitate the collection of the fluid medium discharged from the steam wand 200, please refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the steam receiving station 300 is provided with a cleaning tank 330, and the steam wand 200 can be operably extended into the cleaning tank 330 to discharge the cleaned fluid medium into the cleaning tank 330. The cleaning tank 330 collects the fluid medium discharged from the steam wand 200 to prevent the fluid medium discharged from the steam wand 200 from being dispersed to the surrounding environment and affecting the surrounding environment. In addition, when the steam wand 200 discharges the fluid medium into the cleaning tank 330, the discharged fluid medium will splash inside the cleaning tank 330 under the obstruction of the tank wall of the cleaning tank 330. When the splashed fluid medium falls on the outer surface of the steam wand 200, the outside of the outlet end of the steam wand 200 can also be cleaned.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first induction element is disposed in the steam receiving station 300 and extends into the cleaning tank 330. After the steam wand 200 extends into the cleaning tank 330, it can not only discharge the cleaned fluid medium, but also act on the first induction element. In other words, the steam wand 200 can trigger the first induction element to couple with the second induction element only after it extends into the cleaning tank 330, thereby preventing the first induction element and the second induction element from being triggered by mistake, causing the fluid medium to be discharged outside the cleaning tank 330, polluting the environment or scalding people.

[0088] See also Figure 5 In some embodiments, the steam wand 200 is provided with a universal joint 240, and the steam wand 200 is rotatably mounted on the device body 100 through the universal joint 240. The steam wand 200 can rotate flexibly and freely, thereby facilitating the operation of the steam wand 200 on the beverage machine 1000. The user can easily rotate the steam wand 200 from the beverage cup 310 to the cleaning tank 330 or other positions, thereby improving the user experience. The universal joint 240 is a mature prior art, and the specific structure can adopt the relevant disclosure of the prior art, and this application does not limit it.

[0089] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0090] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0091] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present application are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components in a certain specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0092] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connection", "fixation", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" 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 the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0093] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in this application are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0094] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0095] In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by this application.

[0096] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and that the scope of the present application is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A beverage machine, comprising a device body, characterized in that: Also includes: A brewing unit, mounted on the device body, for preparing beverages; a fluid assembly, mounted on the device body, in communication with the brewing unit, and configured to provide the brewing unit with fluid required for preparing a beverage; and, an air pump, an air pump three-way valve and a steam wand, all mounted on the main body of the device; Among them, the two inlets of the air pump three-way valve are respectively connected to the air pump and the fluid component, and the outlet of the air pump three-way valve is connected to the steam rod, so that the air provided by the air pump and the fluid provided by the fluid component are mixed and output through the steam rod.

2. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a pressure relief three-way valve, which is connected between the outlet of the air pump three-way valve and the steam rod, and a pressure relief port of the pressure relief three-way valve is connected to the outside.

3. The beverage machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a first three-way valve, wherein the first three-way valve is connected between the fluid component and the brewing unit, and the remaining valve port of the first three-way valve is connected to the outside.

4. The beverage machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a three-way pipe, which is connected to the pressure relief port of the pressure relief three-way valve and the remaining valve ports of the first three-way valve, so that the pressure relief three-way valve and the first three-way valve are both connected to the outside through the three-way pipe.

5. The beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a second three-way valve, wherein the second three-way valve is connected between the fluid component and the brewing unit, and a remaining outlet of the second three-way valve is connected to a fluid outlet of the beverage machine.

6. The beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A one-way valve is provided in the passage of the air pump three-way valve for connecting the air pump; or, the air pump three-way valve is a three-way solenoid valve.

7. The beverage machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air pump three-way valve comprises: A valve body having three passages, wherein two of the passages are provided with sealing assemblies for installing pipelines; An air pump air inlet connector, used for connecting the air pump, the air pump air inlet connector is installed in the remaining one of the channels and encloses an installation cavity with the valve body; The one-way valve is installed in the installation cavity.

8. The beverage machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The channel is provided with an expanded hole for installing the sealing assembly; the sealing assembly includes a first sealing ring, a pressure ring and a pipe clamp which are arranged in sequence, the first sealing ring is wrapped around the pipe, the pressure ring is installed in the expanded hole and presses the first sealing ring, and the pipe clamp is clamped on the pipe and is located outside the pressure ring.

9. The beverage machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The valve body and the air pump air inlet connector are both provided with a limiting ring groove; the air pump three-way valve also includes a limiting ring, which is embedded in the limiting ring grooves of the valve body and the air pump air inlet connector; a second sealing ring is provided between the valve body and the air pump air inlet connector.

10. The beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The fluid component includes a water tank, a flow meter, a water pump, a heating element and a third three-way valve which are sequentially connected through pipelines. The outlet of the heating element, the air pump three-way valve and the inlet of the brewing unit are all connected to the third three-way valve.

11. The beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The beverage machine also includes a shockproof sleeve sleeved on the air pump.

12. The beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The beverage machine also includes a steam receiving station for placing a beverage cup, and the steam wand is operably extended into the beverage cup; A switch device is provided on the equipment body and / or the steam receiving station, and the steam wand can be operably acted on the switch device so that the fluid component and / or the air pump responds to the switch device and provides fluid and / or air to the internal channel of the steam wand.

13. The beverage machine according to claim 12, characterized in that: The switch device includes a first induction member and a second induction member coupled to each other; the first induction member is movably arranged at the steam receiving station, the steam rod is operably acted on the first induction member, and the second induction member is installed on the equipment body.

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