Beverage dispenser

Abstract

The beverage dispenser comprises a heat exchange device, a first pipeline, a preheating device, a first heating device, a preparation device, a cooling device and a cold beverage release opening. The heat exchange device comprises a cold water pipeline and a hot drink pipeline; an inlet of the first pipeline is connected with a normal-temperature drinking water source, and an outlet is connected to an inlet of the cold water pipeline; the preheating device is arranged on the first pipeline; the first heating device is connected to an outlet of the cold water pipeline; the preparation device is connected to the first heating device at the downstream of the first heating device and is used for preparing a hot beverage by using the heated drinking water, the preparation device comprises a first hot beverage release port and a second hot beverage release port, the first hot beverage release port is used for releasing the hot beverage for drinking, and the second hot beverage release port is connected to an inlet of the hot beverage pipeline; the cooling device is connected to an outlet of the hot drink pipeline and is used for cooling the hot drink in the hot drink pipeline into cold drink; the cold drink release port is connected to the cooling device downstream of the cooling device for releasing the cold drink for drinking.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The existing equipment for refrigerating beverages on the market has different refrigeration methods, but because the heat exchange capacity is constant when the refrigeration system is finalized, the temperature of the final cold drink is basically constant, which cannot meet the preparation needs of cold drinks at different temperatures.

[0003] Therefore, a beverage machine is needed to at least partially solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0004] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the utility model content section, which will be further described in detail in the detailed implementation section. The utility model content section of this application does not mean to attempt to define the key features and essential technical features of the technical solution claimed for protection, nor does it mean to attempt to determine the scope of protection of the technical solution claimed for protection.

[0005] To at least partially solve the above problems, the present application provides a beverage machine, which includes:

[0006] A heat exchange device, the heat exchange device comprising a cold water pipeline and a hot beverage pipeline;

[0007] A first pipe, wherein the inlet of the first pipe is used to connect to a water source, wherein the water source is drinking water at room temperature, and the outlet of the first pipe is connected to the inlet of the cold water pipe to introduce the drinking water;

[0008] A preheating device, disposed in the first pipe, for heating the drinking water before the drinking water enters the cold water pipe;

[0009] a first heating device, connected to the outlet of the cold water pipe, for heating the drinking water;

[0010] a preparation device connected to the first heating device downstream of the first heating device, for making a hot beverage using the heated drinking water, the preparation device comprising a first hot beverage release port and a second hot beverage release port, the first hot beverage release port being used to release the hot beverage for drinking, the second hot beverage release port being connected to the inlet of the hot beverage pipe, for releasing the hot beverage into the hot beverage pipe, so that the hot beverage in the hot beverage pipe exchanges heat with the drinking water in the cold water pipe;

[0011] a cooling device connected to the outlet of the hot beverage conduit, for cooling the hot beverage in the hot beverage conduit into a cold beverage; and

[0012] A cold beverage release port is connected to the cooling device downstream of the cooling device for releasing the cold beverage for drinking.

[0013] According to the present application, the hot drink prepared by the preparation device of the beverage machine is heat-exchanged with the low-temperature water that is about to enter the first heating device in the heat exchange device, so that the hot drink is pre-cooled before entering the cooling device for cooling, and the low-temperature water used to prepare the hot drink after heating is pre-heated before entering the heating device. Therefore, the beverage machine according to the present application has high heat exchange efficiency and heat recovery performance, and can achieve a more energy-saving effect. When the water temperature in the cold water pipe is adjusted by adjusting the heating power of the preheating device, the heat exchange effect in the heat exchange device will be different. Therefore, on the basis that the cooling capacity of the cooling device is basically constant, the beverage machine of the present application can control the temperature of the final cold drink by adjusting the working parameters of the preheating device.

[0014] Optionally, the cooling device comprises:

[0015] Cold water tank, used to hold cooling water;

[0016] a cooling coil, located in the cold water pool to be immersed in the cooling water, the water inlet of the cooling coil being connected to the water outlet of the hot drink pipe, the water outlet of the cooling coil being connected to the cold drink release port; and

[0017] The evaporator coil is located in the cold water pool to be soaked in the cooling water, and the evaporator coil contains refrigerant.

[0018] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a third flow meter, which is disposed in the first pipe and is used to measure the flow of the drinking water in the first pipe.

[0019] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a third water pump, which is disposed in the first pipeline and is used to pump the drinking water from the water source into the first pipeline.

[0020] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a second heating device, which is arranged downstream of the first heating device and upstream of the preparation device, and is used to heat the drinking water heated by the first heating device again before being used to make the hot beverage.

[0021] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a first water pump, which is located downstream of the first heating device and upstream of the preparation device, and is used for pumping the drinking water in the first heating device into the preparation device.

[0022] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a first flow meter, which is located downstream of the first heating device and upstream of the preparation device, and is used for measuring the flow of the drinking water flowing out of the first heating device.

[0023] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a second water pump, which is located downstream of the second hot beverage release port and is used for pumping the hot beverage in the preparation device into the hot beverage pipeline.

[0024] Optionally,

[0025] The second water pump is configured as a self-priming water pump, and / or

[0026] The second water pump is arranged downstream of the cooling device.

[0027] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a second flow meter, wherein the second flow meter is located downstream of the second hot beverage release port and is used for measuring the flow of the beverage entering the hot beverage pipe.

[0028] Optionally, the beverage machine further comprises a solenoid valve, which is disposed in the first pipeline and is used to control the opening and closing of the first channel.

[0029] Optionally, the first heating device comprises:

[0030] a heating chamber for containing the drinking water, the drinking water inlet of the heating chamber being in communication with the outlet of the cold water pipe, and the drinking water outlet of the heating chamber being in communication with the preparation device; and

[0031] A heating pipe is located in the heating chamber and is used for heating the drinking water.

[0032] Optionally, the first heating device further comprises a water level upper limit sensor, which is disposed in the heating chamber and is configured to send a signal when the water level of the drinking water in the heating chamber reaches a preset water level upper limit.

[0033] Optionally, the first heating device further comprises a water level lower limit sensor, which is disposed in the heating chamber and is configured to send a signal when the water level of the drinking water in the heating chamber reaches a preset water level lower limit.

[0034] Optionally, the first heating device further comprises a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the drinking water in the heating chamber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The following drawings of the present application are used as a part of the present application for understanding the present application. The drawings show representative embodiments of the present application and are used to explain the principle of the present application, rather than to limit the present application.

[0036] In the attached figure:

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a beverage machine according to a specific embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] 10: First Waterway

[0040] 11: Water Inlet

[0041] 12: First Pipeline

[0042] 13: Second pipeline

[0043] 14: The first heating device

[0044] 15: First water pump

[0045] 16: First flow meter

[0046] 17: Second heating device

[0047] 18: Preparation device

[0048] 18A: First hot drink release port

[0049] 18B: Second hot drink release port

[0050] 19: The Third Pipeline

[0051] 20: Second Waterway

[0052] 21: The Fourth Pipeline

[0053] 22: Second water pump

[0054] 23: Second flow meter

[0055] 24: Cold drink release port

[0056] 25: Cooling device

[0057] 26: Refrigerator

[0058] 30: Heat exchange device

[0059] 31: Cold water pipes

[0060] 32: Hot Drinks Pipeline

[0061] 41: Heating chamber

[0062] 42: Heating tube

[0063] 43: Water level upper limit sensor

[0064] 44: Water level lower limit sensor

[0065] 45: Temperature sensor

[0066] 51: Cold Water Pool

[0067] 52: Cooling coil

[0068] 53: Evaporation coil

[0069] 54: Blender

[0070] 55: Agitator motor

[0071] 61: Compressor

[0072] 62: Condenser

[0073] 63: Fan

[0074] 64: Fan motor

[0075] 72: Solenoid valve

[0076] 73: Preheating device

[0077] 74: The third flow meter

[0078] 75: The third water pump

[0079] 100: Beverage machine DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0080] In the following description, a large number of specific details are provided to provide a more thorough understanding of the present application. However, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, in order to avoid confusion with the present application, some technical features well known in the art are not described.

[0081] In order to thoroughly understand the present application, a detailed description will be provided in the following description. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present application thorough and complete, and to fully convey the concepts of these exemplary embodiments to those of ordinary skill in the art. Obviously, the implementation of the embodiments of the present application is not limited to the specific details familiar to those skilled in the art. The preferred embodiments of the present application are described in detail below, but in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present application may also have other embodiments.

[0082] Ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" cited in this application are merely identifiers and do not have any other meaning, such as a specific order, etc. Moreover, for example, the term "first component" itself does not imply the existence of a "second component", and the term "second component" itself does not imply the existence of a "first component". The use of the words "first", "second", and "third" does not indicate any order, and these words can be interpreted as names.

[0083] It should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "inside", "outside" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting.

[0084] In this document, “equal”, “same”, etc. are not strictly limited in a mathematical and / or geometric sense, but also include errors that can be understood by those skilled in the art and are allowed in manufacturing or use.

[0085] Unless otherwise stated, the numerical ranges herein include not only the entire range within its two endpoints but also include several sub-ranges contained therein.

[0086] The present application provides a beverage machine, which can prepare hot drinks and then cool the hot drinks to form cold drinks. Therefore, the beverage machine of the present application can provide hot drinks and cold drinks of the same beverage (such as tea, coffee, etc.) at the same time.

[0087] Now, exemplary embodiments according to the present application will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] like Figure 1 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the beverage machine 100 according to the present application includes a first pipeline 12 , a heat exchange device 30 , a preheating device 73 , a first heating device 14 , a preparation device 18 , a cooling device 25 and a cold beverage release port 24 .

[0089] The heat exchange device 30 includes a cold water pipe 31 and a hot drink pipe 32. The inlet 11 of the first pipe 12 (i.e., the water inlet of the beverage machine 100) is used to connect a water source, wherein the water source is drinking water at room temperature. The outlet of the first pipe 12 is connected to the inlet of the cold water pipe 31 to introduce drinking water. The preheating device 73 is arranged on the first pipe 12, and is used to heat the drinking water before it enters the cold water pipe 31. The first heating device 14 is connected to the outlet of the cold water pipe 31, and is used to heat the drinking water. For example, the second pipe 13 connects the outlet of the cold water pipe 31 to the first heating device 14.

[0090] The preparation device 18 is connected to the first heating device 14 downstream of the first heating device 14, and is used to make hot beverages using heated drinking water. The preparation device 18 includes a first hot drink release port 18A and a second hot drink release port 18B. The first hot drink release port 18A is used to release hot beverages for drinking. The first hot drink release port 18A can be connected to a hot drink insulation barrel so that the prepared hot beverage is kept warm in the insulation barrel. Alternatively, the first hot drink release port 18A is directly an open water outlet, and the user can use any container to take the hot beverage at the first hot drink release port 18A as needed. The second hot drink release port 18B is connected to the inlet of the hot drink pipe 32, and is used to release the hot beverage into the hot drink pipe 32, so that the hot beverage in the hot drink pipe 32 is heat-exchanged with the drinking water in the cold water pipe 31. For example, the second hot drink release port 18B is connected to the hot drink pipe 32 through the third pipe 19. It can be understood that the drinking water in the cold water pipe 31 is heated again by the first heating device 14, so the temperature of the hot drink is higher than the temperature of the drinking water in the cold water pipe 31.

[0091] The cooling device 25 is connected to the outlet of the hot drink pipeline 32, and is used to cool the hot drink in the hot drink pipeline 32 into a cold drink. For example, the outlet of the hot drink pipeline 32 is connected to the cooling device 25 through the fourth pipeline 21. The cold drink release port 24 is connected to the cooling device 25 downstream of the cooling device 25, and is used to release the cold drink for drinking. The cold drink release port 24 can be connected to the cold drink insulation bucket so that the prepared cold drink is kept warm in the insulation bucket. Alternatively, the cold drink release port 24 is directly an open water outlet, and the user can use any container to receive the cold drink at the cold drink release port 24 as needed.

[0092] Thus, the hot drink prepared by the preparation device 18 of the beverage machine 100 and the low-temperature water about to enter the first heating device 14 are heat exchanged in the heat exchange device 30, so that the hot drink is pre-cooled before entering the cooling device 25 for cooling, and the low-temperature water used for preparing the hot drink after heating is pre-heated before entering the heating device. Therefore, the beverage machine according to the present application has high heat exchange efficiency and heat recovery performance, and can achieve a more energy-saving effect.

[0093] Preferably, the cold water pipe 31 and the hot drink pipe 32 are constructed in the form of heat exchange sleeves, that is, one of them is sleeved in the other, and the liquids in the two are heat exchanged through the wall of the inner pipe. Preferably, the liquids in the cold water pipe 31 and the hot drink pipe 32 flow in opposite directions, which is conducive to sufficient heat exchange between the liquids in the two.

[0094] It is understandable that when the water temperature in the cold water pipe 31 is adjusted by adjusting the heating power of the preheating device 73, the heat exchange effect in the heat exchange device 30 will be different. For example, if the heating power of the preheating device 73 is high, the temperature of the drinking water entering the cold water pipe 31 is high, so the temperature of the hot drink in the hot drink pipe 32 is reduced to a small extent. Conversely, if the heating power of the preheating device 73 is low, the temperature of the drinking water entering the cold water pipe 31 is low, so the temperature of the hot drink in the hot drink pipe 32 is reduced to a large extent.

[0095] Therefore, on the basis that the cooling capacity of the cooling device 25 is basically constant, the beverage machine 100 of the present application can control the temperature of the cold drink finally released from the cold drink release port 24 by adjusting the working parameters of the preheating device 73. In other words, the beverage machine 100 can control the temperature of the beverage before entering the cooling device 25 by adjusting the working parameters of the preheating device 73, and the cooling device 25 then lowers the temperature of the beverage to a basically fixed level, so that the temperature of the cold drink finally obtained is different. Compared with re-setting the cooling device 25, the technical solution of the present application is simpler, easier to implement, and saves costs.

[0096] The preparation device 18 can prepare beverages such as tea and coffee, for example. The preparation device 18 includes, for example, a preparation chamber, a receiving portion, and a material taking module. The preparation chamber is used to receive heated drinking water. The receiving portion is used to receive materials that provide solutes for hot drinks, such as tea leaves, coffee powder, milk, concentrated juice, syrup, solid beverages, etc. The material taking module is used to move materials from the receiving portion to the preparation chamber to prepare hot drinks in the preparation chamber.

[0097] It is understandable that the beverage machine 100 further includes a control device (e.g., a computing chip), which is electrically connected to the preheating device 73 and the first heating device 14 to control the operation of the preheating device 73 and the first heating device 14. It is understandable that the control device is also electrically connected to the material taking module to control the operation of the material taking module.

[0098] The preheating device 73 is configured as an instant heating module, and its heating temperature is usually not more than 50° C. The heating power of the preheating device 73 is adjusted, for example, by a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) method. The preheating device 73, for example, has a temperature sensor, which can sense the heating temperature of the drinking water in the first pipe 12. Thus, the control device can further finely adjust the power of the preheating device 73 according to the temperature.

[0099] Preferably, the beverage machine 100 further includes a third flowmeter 74. The third flowmeter 74 is disposed in the first pipe 12, and is used to measure the flow rate of the drinking water in the first pipe 12. The third flowmeter 74 is electrically connected to the control device, so that the control device can adjust the power of the preheating device 73 according to the flow rate of the drinking water in the first pipe 12. For example, under the premise of ensuring that the temperature of the drinking water in the cold water pipe 31 entering the heat exchange device 30 is constant, when the flow rate of the drinking water in the first pipe 12 is large, the power of the preheating device 73 needs to be high, and when the flow rate of the drinking water in the first pipe 12 is small, the power of the preheating device 73 needs to be low. Those skilled in the art can determine the relationship between the temperature of the drinking water in the cold water pipe 31, the flow rate (or flow velocity) of the drinking water in the first pipe 12, and the heating power of the preheating device 73 through experiments, and store the relationship in the control device.

[0100] Typically, the water source of the beverage machine 100 is not tap water, but filtered drinking water or mineral water. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of insufficient water pressure in the water source, the beverage machine 100 also includes a third water pump 75. The third water pump 75 is arranged in the first pipeline 12, and is used to pump the drinking water of the water source into the first pipeline 12. The third water pump 75 is electrically connected to the control device to work under the control of the control device. The third water pump 75 can be equipped with a water pressure sensor, so that insufficient water pressure can be detected in time. Preferably, the third water pump 75 is located upstream of the preheating device 73 to prevent warm water from affecting the performance of the water pump.

[0101] Preferably, the beverage machine 100 also includes a second heating device 17. The second heating device 17 is connected to the first heating device 14 downstream of the first heating device 14, and is used to heat the drinking water again. The second heating device 17 is located upstream of the preparation device 18, so that the drinking water heated by the first heating device 14 is heated again and then used to make hot beverages. Different beverages have different preparation temperatures (such as brewing temperatures). The first heating device 14, for example, preheats the drinking water at room temperature to a standby temperature (for example, 65-80°C), and the first heating device 14 is also called a hot water boiler. The second heating device 17 further heats the drinking water to a temperature that matches the beverage. The second heating device 17 is also called an instant heating module. Therefore, multi-stage heating allows the water temperature for preparing beverages to be finely adjusted according to the type of beverage, thereby achieving a better preparation effect.

[0102] It can be understood that the control device is electrically connected to the second heating device 17 to control the operation of the second heating device 17 .

[0103] It is understandable that valves are provided at the first hot drink release port 18A and the second hot drink release port 18B, and both valves work under the control of the control device, so as to conveniently control the flow direction of the hot drink prepared by the preparation device 18. A valve controlled by the control device can also be provided at the cold drink release port 24.

[0104] The beverage machine 100 also includes an interactive device for realizing human-computer interaction. For example, the user can set the beverage type (such as tea, coffee, juice, etc.), beverage temperature, beverage preparation amount, etc. on the interactive device. The interactive device is electrically connected to the control device, so that the control device controls the beverage machine 100 to work according to the needs of the user. The power of the second heating device 17 can also be adjusted according to the hot beverage temperature set by the user.

[0105] The first heating device 14, for example, includes a heating chamber 41 and a heating pipe 42. The heating chamber 41 is used to accommodate drinking water. The heating chamber 41 has a drinking water inlet and a drinking water outlet. The drinking water inlet is communicated with the outlet of the cold water pipe 31 through the second pipe 13, and the drinking water outlet is used to communicate with the second heating device 17 to finally communicate with the preparation device 18, so that cold drinking water enters the heating chamber 41 from the cold water pipe 31 through the drinking water inlet, and hot drinking water at the standby temperature flows out of the heating chamber 41 from the drinking water outlet and enters the second heating device 17 to finally flow into the preparation device 18. The heating pipe 42 is located in the heating chamber 41 and is used to heat drinking water. The heating pipe 42 is electrically connected to the control device to work under the control of the control device. The first heating device 14 can also adopt other forms of heating components.

[0106] Preferably, the first heating device 14 further includes a temperature sensor 45 for sensing the temperature of the drinking water in the heating chamber 41. The temperature sensor 45 is electrically connected to the control device, so that the control device controls the heating tube 42 to work according to the sensing data of the temperature sensor 45. When the sensing data of the temperature sensor 45 indicates that the temperature of the drinking water in the heating chamber 41 is lower than the lower limit of the standby temperature, the control device controls the heating tube 42 to work. When the sensing data of the temperature sensor 45 indicates that the temperature of the drinking water in the heating chamber 41 reaches the upper limit of the standby temperature, the control device controls the heating tube 42 to stop working.

[0107] The control device controls the heating power of the second heating device 17 according to the preparation temperature determined by the beverage type. The heating power of the second heating device 17 is also adjusted by a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) method, for example.

[0108] The beverage machine 100 further includes a solenoid valve 72, which is disposed in the first pipe 12 and is used to control the opening and closing of the first channel 12, so that the solenoid valve 72 determines whether to replenish water to the beverage machine 100. The solenoid valve 72 is electrically connected to the control device, so that the control device controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 72.

[0109] The first heating device 14 may further include a water level lower limit sensor 44. The water level lower limit sensor 44 is disposed in the heating chamber 41, and is used to send a signal when the water level of the drinking water in the heating chamber 41 reaches a preset water level lower limit. The water level lower limit sensor 44 is connected to the control device to inform the control device of the information sensed by it. When the sensing signal of the water level lower limit sensor 44 indicates that the water level has reached the lower limit, the control device may control the heating tube 42 to heat, thereby heating while replenishing water, so as to improve work efficiency. In the present application, the volume of the heating chamber 41 may be designed to be larger than the volume of the preparation chamber of the preparation device 18. And as mentioned above, each time the preparation device 18 releases hot drinks, it replenishes water to the first heating device 14. Thus, under normal circumstances, there is enough hot water stored in the heating chamber 41.

[0110] The first heating device 14 may further include a water level upper limit sensor 43. The water level upper limit sensor 43 is disposed in the heating chamber 41 and is used to send a signal when the water level of the drinking water in the heating chamber 41 reaches a preset water level upper limit. The water level upper limit sensor 43 is connected to the control device to inform the control device of the information sensed by it. When the water level upper limit sensor 43 sends a signal that the water level has reached the upper limit, the control device controls the solenoid valve 72 to close (water path blocking), so that water is no longer added to the heating chamber 41.

[0111] Of course, the functions of the lower limit water level sensor 44 and the upper limit water level sensor 43 can also be implemented by a water level detector. For example, a water level detector based on the ultrasonic detection principle can be adopted, and the water level detector can detect the real-time water level height, rather than just being used to indicate a specific water level height.

[0112] Preferably, the beverage machine 100 further includes a first water pump 15. The first water pump 15 is located downstream of the first heating device 14 (i.e., downstream of the drinking water outlet of the heating chamber 41) and upstream of the preparation device 18, and is used to pump the drinking water in the first heating device 14 into the preparation device 18. The drinking water pumped out by the first water pump 15 enters the preparation chamber of the preparation device 18 after passing through the second heating device 17. For example, the first water pump 15 is located downstream of the first heating device 14 and upstream of the second heating device 17. Alternatively, the first water pump 15 may also be located downstream of the second heating device 17 and upstream of the preparation device 18. It is understandable that the first water pump 15 is electrically connected to the control device so as to operate under the control of the control device.

[0113] Preferably, the beverage machine 100 further includes a first flow meter 16. The first flow meter 16 is located downstream of the first heating device 14 (i.e., downstream of the drinking water outlet of the heating chamber 41) and upstream of the preparation device 18, and is used to measure the flow of the drinking water flowing out of the heating chamber of the first heating device 14. For example, the first flow meter 16 is located downstream of the first water pump 15 and upstream of the second heating device 17. Alternatively, the first flow meter 16 may also be located upstream of the first water pump 15 and downstream of the first heating device 14. Alternatively, the first flow meter 16 may also be located downstream of the second heating device 17 and upstream of the preparation device 18.

[0114] The cooling device 25 includes, for example, a cold water pool 51, a cooling coil 52 and an evaporating coil 53. The cold water pool 51 is used to hold cooling water (e.g., tap water). The cooling coil 52 is located in the cold water pool 51 to be soaked in cooling water. The water inlet of the cooling coil 52 is connected to the water outlet of the hot drink pipeline 32 through the fourth pipe 21. The water outlet of the cooling coil 52 is connected to the cold drink release port 24. The evaporating coil 53 is also located in the cold water pool 51 to be soaked in cooling water. A refrigerant is contained in the evaporating coil 53. The refrigerant is, for example, Freon, and the refrigerant absorbs heat in the evaporating coil 53 to change from a low-temperature, low-pressure liquid to a low-temperature, low-pressure gas. Thus, the temperature of the evaporating coil 53 is extremely low, so that the cooling water freezes on the outer surface of the evaporating coil 53.

[0115] It is understandable that the cooling device 25 also includes a refrigerator 26 for recovering and processing the gaseous refrigerant to make it liquid again. For example, the refrigerator 26 includes a compressor 61, a condenser 62, a fan 63 and a fan motor 64. The compressor 61 is used to compress the refrigerant. The outlet of the evaporation coil 53 is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the compressor 61. After the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant enters the compressor 61 (see the flow direction of the double-dotted line in the figure), it is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. The refrigerant inlet of the condenser 62 is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the compressor 61, and the refrigerant outlet of the condenser 62 is connected to the inlet of the evaporation coil 53. The fan 63 is used to cool the condenser. The fan motor 64 is used to drive the fan 63 to rotate. The high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant enters the condenser 62, and forms a high-temperature and high-pressure liquid in the condenser 62. After flowing back to the evaporation coil 53, it becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid. Thus, the refrigerator 26 causes the refrigerant to circulate and change phase between solid and liquid states so that it absorbs heat during the cyclic phase change process, thereby maintaining the low temperature state of the cooling water, so that the beverage in the cooling coil 52 is cooled by the cooling water.

[0116] Preferably, the cooling device 25 further comprises an agitator 54 and an agitator motor 55. The agitator 54 is located in the cold water pool and is used to agitate the cooling water so as to make the water temperature in the cold water pool 51 uniform. The agitator motor 55 is used to drive the agitator to move so that it can agitate the cooling water.

[0117] Preferably, the beverage machine 100 further includes a second water pump 22. The second water pump 22 is located downstream of the second hot beverage release port 18B, and is used to pump the hot beverage in the preparation device 18 into the hot beverage pipeline 32. For example, the second cooling water pump 22 can be located downstream of the cooling coil 52. Alternatively, the second water pump 22 can also be arranged in the third pipeline 19 or the fourth pipeline 21. The second water pump 22 can be configured as a self-priming water pump, so that the position of the second water pump can be higher than the cold water pool 51, which is conducive to more reasonable use of the internal space of the beverage machine 100, or more reasonable setting of the position of the cold beverage release port 24.

[0118] Preferably, the beverage machine 100 further includes a second flow meter 23. The second flow meter 23 is located downstream of the second hot beverage release port 18B, and is used to measure the flow of the beverage entering the hot beverage pipeline 32, or to measure the amount of the generated cold beverage. For example, the second flow meter 23 is located downstream of the second water pump 22 and upstream of the cold beverage release port 24. Alternatively, the second flow meter 23 may also be located upstream of the second water pump 22 and downstream of the cooling coil 52. Alternatively, the second flow meter 23 may also be provided in the third pipeline 19 or the fourth pipeline 21.

[0119] In the present application, the water path from the water inlet 11 to the first hot drink release port 18A, or from the water inlet 11 to the cold drink release port 24, is a water path that can be connected. Each component in the water path is connected to each other through pipes (such as the first pipe 12, the second pipe 13, the third pipe 19, and the fourth pipe 21). Any electronically controlled component in the water path works under the control of the control device. The water path includes a first water path 10 located before the hot drink pipe 32 of the heat exchange device 30 and a second water path 20 starting from the hot drink pipe 32 from upstream to downstream. The first water path 10 includes a cold water pipe 31 of the heat exchange device 30. The first water path 10 is connected to the second water path 20 from front to back, and the two interact in the heat exchange device 30. Cold drinking water is gradually heated up in the first water path 10 to become hot drink, and the hot drink is gradually cooled down in the second water path 20 to become cold drink. When the beverage machine 100 is required to provide hot drinks, only the first water path 10 needs to work. When the beverage machine 100 is required to provide cold drinks, both the first water path 10 and the second water path 20 need to be operated.

[0120] The working process of the beverage machine 100 is as follows.

[0121] After the beverage machine 100 is powered on, the control device opens the solenoid valve 72 to replenish water in the heating chamber 41 until the water level in the heating chamber 41 reaches the upper limit of the water level. Once the water level in the heating chamber 41 exceeds the lower limit of the water level, the control device controls the heating tube 42 to work so as to heat the drinking water in the heating chamber 41 to the standby temperature. When the water pressure of the water source is insufficient, the third water pump 75 works.

[0122] When the user needs a hot drink, the user sets the type of beverage, the amount of beverage (e.g., the first amount of water) and the temperature of the beverage through the interactive device. The control device controls the first water pump 15 and the second heating device 17 to work. Through the monitoring of the first flow meter 16, the first water pump 15 pumps the first amount of drinking water from the first heating device 14 into the second heating device 17, and then the drinking water heated to the required temperature by the second heating device 17 enters the preparation device 18. According to the type of beverage, the hot drinking water and the beverage solute are mixed in the preparation device 18 to reach a suitable preparation time, that is, after the necessary preparation period, to form a beverage with better quality. After the preparation period ends, the control device controls the hot drink to be released from the first hot drink release port 18A. From the start of the preparation period, the control device controls the solenoid valve 72 to open to replenish water to the first heating device 14 until the water level in the heating chamber 41 reaches the upper limit of the water level.

[0123] When the user needs a cold drink, the user sets the type of drink, the amount of drink (e.g., the second amount of water) and the temperature of the drink through the interactive device. The control device controls the first water pump 15 and the second heating device 17 to work. Through the monitoring of the first flow meter 16, the first water pump 15 pumps a certain amount (not less than the second amount of water) of drinking water from the first heating device 14 into the second heating device 17, and then the drinking water heated to a suitable temperature by the second heating device 17 enters the preparation device 18. According to the type of beverage, the hot drinking water and the beverage solute are mixed in the preparation device 18 to reach a suitable preparation time, that is, after a necessary preparation period, to form a beverage with better quality. After the preparation period ends, the control device controls the second water pump 22 to work so that the hot drink is released from the second hot drink release port 18B. Then, the hot drink passes through the hot drink pipe 32 of the heat exchange device 30 and the cooling device 25, and finally becomes a cold drink and is released from the cold drink release port 24. The second flow meter 23 is used to measure the flow of the cold drink so that the released cold drink is the second amount of water. From the end of the preparation period, the control device controls the solenoid valve 72 to open to replenish water to the first heating device 14 until the water level in the heating chamber 41 reaches the upper limit of the water level. According to the cold drink temperature set by the user and the monitoring data of the third flow meter 74, while replenishing water, the control device controls the heating power of the preheating device 73 to make the temperature of the drinking water in the cold water pipe 31 suitable. When the cold drink temperature set by the user is low, the preheating device 73 may not work. Thus, the time for the hot drink to flow through the hot drink pipe 32 is consistent with the time for the relatively low-temperature drinking water to flow through the cold water pipe 31, heat exchange occurs in the heat exchange device 30, the drinking water is heated for the first or second time, and the hot drink is cooled for the first time.

[0124] As mentioned above, when replenishing water, if the water source pressure is insufficient, the control device will start the third water pump 75. The pumping capacity of the third water pump 75 is related to its driving voltage. When the driving voltage is high, the pumping capacity is strong, so that the water flow rate in the first pipe 12 is high, so that the water flow rate in the first pipe 12 is large in the same time. On the contrary, when the driving voltage is low, the pumping capacity is weak, so that the water flow rate in the first pipe 12 is low, so that the water flow rate in the first pipe 12 is small in the same time. Since the cross-sectional area of ​​the first pipe 12 is basically constant, the water flow rate in the same time is proportional to the flow rate. Therefore, in order to more accurately control the temperature of the drinking water in the cold water pipe 31, the water dispenser 100 is provided with a third flow meter 74, and the control device controls the power of the preheating device 73 more accurately according to the monitoring data of the third flow meter 74.

[0125] In another embodiment, the preparation device 18 of the beverage machine 100 is not provided with a accommodating portion and a material taking module, but relies on manual placement of materials that provide solutes for hot drinks in the preparation chamber, so that the structure of the preparation device 18 is simpler. For example, the beverage machine 100 is a tea brewing machine, and the user manually places a filter bag in the preparation chamber, and then puts tea leaves into the filter bag. The hot water heated by the heating device is mixed with the tea leaves in the filter bag in the preparation chamber to brew hot tea. After brewing tea, the used tea leaves and filter bag are manually taken out of the preparation chamber, and then new filter bags and tea leaves are manually placed. The filter bag can be a disposable consumable, and can also be washed and reused repeatedly.

[0126] The processes and steps described in all the above preferred embodiments are only examples. Unless adverse effects occur, various processing operations can be performed in a sequence different from the sequence of the above processes. The sequence of steps in the above processes can also be increased, merged or deleted according to actual needs.

[0127] In understanding the scope of the present application, the term "comprising" and its derivatives as used herein are intended to be open terms, which specify the existence of the recorded features, elements, components, groups, wholes and / or steps, but do not exclude the existence of other unrecorded features, elements, components, groups, wholes and / or steps. This concept also applies to words with similar meanings, such as the terms "including", "having" and their derivatives.

[0128] The terms "attached" or "attached" as used herein include: a configuration where an element is directly secured to another element by directly securing the element to the other element; a configuration where an element is indirectly secured to another element by securing the element to an intermediate member which in turn is secured to the other element; and a configuration where one element is integral with the other element, i.e., one element is substantially a part of the other element. This definition also applies to words with similar meanings such as "connect," "connect," "couple," "mount," "bond," "fix," and their derivatives. Finally, terms of degree such as "substantially," "approximately," and "approximately" as used herein represent the amount of deviation that modifies the term such that the end result will not be significantly changed.

[0129] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the present application. The terms used herein are only for describing specific implementation purposes and are not intended to limit the present application. The features described herein in one embodiment may be applied to another embodiment individually or in combination with other features, unless the feature is not applicable or otherwise specified in the other embodiment.

[0130] The present application has been described through the above-mentioned embodiments, but it should be understood that the above-mentioned embodiments are only for the purpose of example and description, and are not intended to limit the present application to the described embodiments. In addition, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and more variations and modifications can be made according to the teachings of the present application, and these variations and modifications all fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present application.

Claims

1. A beverage machine, characterized in that: include: A heat exchange device, the heat exchange device comprising a cold water pipeline and a hot beverage pipeline; A first pipe, wherein the inlet of the first pipe is used to connect to a water source, wherein the water source is drinking water at room temperature, and the outlet of the first pipe is connected to the inlet of the cold water pipe to introduce the drinking water; A preheating device, disposed in the first pipe, for heating the drinking water before the drinking water enters the cold water pipe; a first heating device, connected to the outlet of the cold water pipe, for heating the drinking water; a preparation device connected to the first heating device downstream of the first heating device, for making a hot beverage using the heated drinking water, the preparation device comprising a first hot beverage release port and a second hot beverage release port, the first hot beverage release port being used to release the hot beverage for drinking, the second hot beverage release port being connected to the inlet of the hot beverage pipe, for releasing the hot beverage into the hot beverage pipe, so that the hot beverage in the hot beverage pipe exchanges heat with the drinking water in the cold water pipe; a cooling device connected to the outlet of the hot beverage conduit, for cooling the hot beverage in the hot beverage conduit into a cold beverage; and A cold beverage release port is connected to the cooling device downstream of the cooling device for releasing the cold beverage for drinking.

2. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling device comprises: Cold water tank, used to hold cooling water; a cooling coil, located in the cold water pool to be immersed in the cooling water, the water inlet of the cooling coil being connected to the water outlet of the hot drink pipe, the water outlet of the cooling coil being connected to the cold drink release port; and The evaporator coil is located in the cold water pool to be soaked in the cooling water, and the evaporator coil contains refrigerant.

3. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a third flow meter, which is disposed in the first pipe and is used to measure the flow of the drinking water in the first pipe.

4. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a third water pump, which is disposed in the first pipeline and is used to pump the drinking water from the water source into the first pipeline.

5. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a second heating device, which is arranged downstream of the first heating device and upstream of the preparation device, and is used to heat the drinking water heated by the first heating device again before being used to prepare the hot beverage.

6. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a first water pump, which is located downstream of the first heating device and upstream of the preparation device, and is used for pumping the drinking water in the first heating device into the preparation device.

7. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a first flow meter, which is located downstream of the first heating device and upstream of the preparation device, and is used for measuring the flow of the drinking water flowing out of the first heating device.

8. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a second water pump, which is located downstream of the second hot beverage release port and is used for pumping the hot beverage in the preparation device into the hot beverage pipeline.

9. The beverage machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second water pump is configured as a self-priming water pump, and / or The second water pump is arranged downstream of the cooling device.

10. The beverage machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a second flow meter, which is located downstream of the second hot beverage release port and is used for measuring the flow of the beverage entering the hot beverage pipeline.

11. The beverage machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The beverage machine further comprises a solenoid valve, which is arranged on the first pipeline and is used to control the opening and closing of the first pipeline.

12. The beverage machine according to claim 11, characterized in that The first heating device comprises: a heating chamber for containing the drinking water, the drinking water inlet of the heating chamber being in communication with the outlet of the cold water pipe, and the drinking water outlet of the heating chamber being in communication with the preparation device; and A heating pipe is located in the heating chamber and is used for heating the drinking water.

13. The beverage machine according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first heating device further comprises a water level upper limit sensor, which is disposed in the heating chamber and is used to send a signal when the water level of the drinking water in the heating chamber reaches a preset water level upper limit.

14. The beverage machine according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first heating device further comprises a water level lower limit sensor, which is disposed in the heating chamber and is used to send a signal when the water level of the drinking water in the heating chamber reaches a preset water level lower limit.

15. The beverage machine according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first heating device further comprises a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the drinking water in the heating chamber.

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