Multifunctional coffee machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to a multifunctional coffee machine which comprises a water tank. The heating device is provided with a water flow heating channel used for allowing water flow to pass through and heating the passing water flow, and the water flow heating channel is in fluid communication with the water tank; the brewing unit is in fluid communication with the heating device; the brewing unit comprises a first brewing chamber and a second brewing chamber which are independent from each other and used for brewing coffee with different volumes, the heating device comprises two water flow heating pipes arranged side by side and a heating element used for heating the two water flow heating pipes, and a flow channel in each water flow heating pipe is a water flow heating channel. The two water flow heating pipes are correspondingly communicated with the first brewing chamber and the second brewing chamber respectively, and the water path system further comprises a water flow distribution unit used for controlling water flow to alternatively flow through one of the two water flow heating pipes. The coffee machine has the advantages that the coffee machine not only can meet the coffee brewing requirement of a single person, but also can meet the brewing requirement of two persons or multiple persons.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of coffee machines, in particular to a multifunctional coffee machine which meets the needs of a single cup and two or more cups. Background Art

[0002] A coffee machine generally includes a water tank, a heating system, a water pump system, and an extraction and brewing system. The heating system includes a heating element, a thermistor, and a water pipe. The heating element is usually an electric heating tube or a heating plate, which is responsible for heating the water to a suitable temperature. The thermistor is used to control the temperature to ensure the temperature stability of coffee making. The water pump system is mainly driven by an electric motor and is responsible for extracting water from the water tank and supplying it to the heating system. The extraction and brewing system is used to pass hot water through the coffee powder at a certain pressure and flow rate to extract coffee.

[0003] The coffee brewing system of an existing coffee machine is usually designed with a single brewing chamber, and the corresponding water channel is also designed with a single water channel adapted to the single brewing chamber. For example, the Chinese invention patent application with application number CN201610260547.4 discloses such a coffee machine. This single brewing chamber design allows the coffee machine to only brew one cup of coffee at a time, which is less efficient in scenarios where coffee needs to be provided quickly to multiple people. If a coffee shop or office needs to meet the coffee needs of multiple people at the same time, this design will result in a long waiting time and affect service efficiency, because in a fast-paced life, people are more inclined to choose a coffee machine that can provide coffee quickly. For users or customers waiting for coffee, a long wait may reduce their experience. To this end, how to provide a coffee machine that can meet the coffee brewing needs of a single person and take into account the brewing needs of two or more people has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide a multifunctional coffee machine which can meet the coffee brewing needs of a single person and the coffee brewing needs of two or more persons in view of the current status of the prior art.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve the above technical problems is: a multifunctional coffee machine, comprising:

[0006] Water tank;

[0007] A heating device, comprising a water flow heating channel for allowing water to pass through and heating the passing water flow, wherein the water flow heating channel is in fluid communication with the water tank;

[0008] a brewing unit in fluid communication with the heating device;

[0009] The brewing unit includes a first brewing chamber and a second brewing chamber which are independent and used for brewing coffee of different volumes. The heating device includes two water flow heating tubes arranged side by side and a heating element for heating the two water flow heating tubes. The flow channel in the water flow heating tube is a water flow heating channel. The two water flow heating tubes are respectively connected to the first brewing chamber and the second brewing chamber. The water system also includes a water flow distribution unit for controlling the water flow to flow through one of the two water flow heating tubes.

[0010] As a preferred solution, the water flow distribution unit includes a first water pump and a three-way control valve arranged in sequence along the water flow direction, the inlet of the first water pump is connected to the water tank, the outlet of the first water pump is connected to the inlet of the three-way control valve, and the two outlets of the three-way control valve are respectively connected to the two water flow heating pipes of the heating device. Water flow distribution control can be achieved by cooperating with a water pump and a three-way control valve, so that the water flow selectively flows through one of the two water flow heating pipes. This water flow distribution unit reduces the number of water pumps, simplifies the structure, and reduces the cost.

[0011] Generally, the three-way control valve can adopt a manually controlled mechanical valve structure, but in order to improve the automatic control of the water flow path, the three-way control valve is a solenoid valve, which is electrically connected to the control system of the coffee machine. Considering that modern coffee machines are usually equipped with intelligent control systems, automatic and intelligent operation can be achieved through sensors and actuators such as solenoid valves, thereby improving the intelligence level of the coffee machine and meeting the user's demand for high-quality coffee.

[0012] As an improvement, a one-way valve is further provided in the water flow path between the first water pump and the water tank.

[0013] As another preferred solution, the water flow distribution unit includes a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a second water pump disposed in the first pipeline, and a third water pump disposed in the second pipeline, wherein the first pipeline and the second pipeline are respectively connected to two water flow heating pipes. By arranging two water pumps in the two pipelines to control the on-off and distribution of the water flow, the purpose of making the water flow selectively flow through one of the two water flow heating pipes can also be achieved. This water flow distribution unit can omit the corresponding solenoid valve. Since the solenoid valve is one of the components in the coffee machine that may fail, omitting the solenoid valve may reduce the maintenance requirements caused by the failure of the solenoid valve, reduce maintenance costs and downtime, and improve the overall reliability of the coffee machine.

[0014] As an improvement, it further comprises a main pipeline connected to the water tank, the main pipeline is connected to the first pipeline and the second pipeline via a three-way joint, and a one-way valve is also provided on the main pipeline.

[0015] In order to better meet the coffee needs of users in different scenarios, the first brewing chamber is used to brew a single cup of coffee, and the second brewing chamber is used to brew two or more cups of coffee.

[0016] In order to ensure the heating effect of the two water flow heating tubes, the heating element is an electric heating tube, the shape of which is consistent with the shape of the two water flow heating tubes, and the electric heating tube is arranged between the two water flow heating tubes and forms an integral part with the two water flow heating tubes.

[0017] In order to increase the water flow path as much as possible while reducing the occupied space and improve the heating efficiency, the electric heating pipe and the two water heating pipes form an integrated piece with a U-shape as a whole.

[0018] Taking into account that the volumes of coffee brewed in the first brewing chamber and the second brewing chamber are different, the volumes of containers used to receive the coffee are different. In order to adapt to this, a first container placement position corresponding to the first brewing chamber and a second container placement position corresponding to the second brewing chamber are also included. The container placed on the first container placement position is used to receive the coffee brewed in the first brewing chamber, and the container placed on the second container placement position is used to receive the coffee brewed in the second brewing chamber.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the utility model are as follows: the brewing unit of the coffee machine of the utility model comprises a first brewing chamber and a second brewing chamber which are independent and used for brewing coffee of different volumes, and adopts a double heating tube structure with two water flow heating tubes arranged side by side, that is, hot water is supplied to the above two brewing chambers through two independent water flow heating tubes, wherein the water flow distribution unit can control the water flow to selectively flow through one of the water flow heating tubes, which can meet the coffee brewing needs of a single person and the brewing needs of two or more people. This coffee machine can adjust the brewing amount of coffee according to the needs of the user, whether it is brewing one cup of coffee or multiple cups of coffee, it can meet the requirements and is suitable for use in homes or small offices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the water system of the coffee machine according to Embodiment 1 of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the heating device of Example 1 of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the water system of the coffee machine according to Embodiment 2 of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] In the specification and claims of the present invention, terms indicating directions, such as "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", "right", "side", "top", "bottom", etc., are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of the present invention, but these terms are used here only for the purpose of convenience of description and are determined based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in the present invention can be arranged in different directions, these terms indicating directions are only used as explanations and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "up" and "down" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0025] Example 1

[0026] Figure 1 and Figure 2 A preferred embodiment of the coffee machine of the utility model is shown. The coffee machine comprises a water tank 10, a heating device 20, a brewing unit and a water flow distribution unit.

[0027] The water tank 10 is generally detachably placed on the main body of the coffee machine to hold water for brewing coffee. The bottom of the water tank 10 is provided with a water outlet for connecting to a water flow pipeline.

[0028] The heating device 20 has a water flow heating channel for supplying water flow and heating the water flow passing through, wherein the water flow heating channel is fluidly connected to the water tank 10. Specifically, in this embodiment, the heating device 20 adopts a double water pipe heater, specifically, the heating device 20 includes two water flow heating pipes 21 arranged side by side and a heating element 22 for heating the two water flow heating pipes 21, and the flow channel in the water flow heating pipe 21 is the water flow heating channel. The heating element 22 is an electric heating pipe, and the shape of the electric heating pipe is consistent with the shape of the two water flow heating pipes 21, both of which are U-shaped. The electric heating pipe is arranged between the two water flow heating pipes 21 and wrapped together by a metal heat conductor, thereby making the electric heating pipe and the two water flow heating pipes 21 form an integral part, and the integral part is also a U-shaped structure as a whole. Among them, the above-mentioned two water flow heating pipes 21 also basically use metal pipes that are easy to transfer heat. After the electric heating pipe is energized, heat can be transferred to the water flow heating pipe 21, so as to achieve the purpose of heating the water flowing through the water flow heating pipe 21.

[0029] The brewing unit of this embodiment includes an independent first brewing chamber 31 and a second brewing chamber 32. The first brewing chamber 31 and the second brewing chamber 32 can be used to brew coffee of different volumes. For example, the first brewing chamber 31 can be used to brew a single cup of coffee to meet the coffee brewing needs of a single person; the second brewing chamber 32 can be used to brew two or more cups of coffee to meet the coffee brewing needs of two or more people. The heating device 20 includes two water flow heating tubes 21 respectively connected to the above-mentioned first brewing chamber 31 and the second brewing chamber 32. After the water flow is heated by the water flow heating tube 21 of the heating device 20, it can be sent to the corresponding first brewing chamber 31 or the second brewing chamber 32.

[0030] The coffee machine of this embodiment has a single cup brewing mode and a two-cup or more cup brewing mode. In order to achieve the above-mentioned mode switching, the water flow distribution unit of this embodiment is used to control the water flow to selectively flow through one of the two water flow heating tubes 21. Specifically, the water flow distribution unit includes a first water pump 41 and a three-way control valve 44 arranged in sequence along the water flow direction. The inlet of the first water pump 41 is connected to the water tank 10, and the outlet of the first water pump 41 is connected to the inlet of the three-way control valve 44. The two outlets of the three-way control valve 44 are respectively connected to the two water flow heating tubes 21 of the heating device 20. The three-way control valve 44 of this embodiment is a solenoid valve, which is electrically connected to the control system of the coffee machine. The water flow distribution control can be achieved by cooperating with a first water pump 41 and a three-way control valve 44, so that the water flow selectively flows through one of the two water flow heating tubes 21, and then the heated water is sent to the corresponding first brewing chamber 31 or the second brewing chamber 32. This water flow distribution unit reduces the number of water pumps, simplifies the structure, and reduces the cost. On the other hand, sensors and actuators such as solenoid valves can achieve automated and intelligent operations, improving the intelligence level of the coffee machine and meeting users' demand for high-quality coffee.

[0031] The coffee machine of this embodiment is further provided with a one-way valve 45 in the water flow path between the first water pump 41 and the water tank 10 .

[0032] Taking into account that the volumes of coffee brewed in the first brewing chamber 31 and the second brewing chamber 32 are different, the volumes of the containers used to receive the coffee are also different. To adapt to this, the main body of the coffee machine of this embodiment also includes a first container placement position corresponding to the first brewing chamber 31 and a second container placement position corresponding to the second brewing chamber 32, wherein the container (generally a coffee cup) placed on the first container placement position is used to receive the coffee brewed in the first brewing chamber 31, and the container (generally a coffee pot) placed on the second container placement position is used to receive the coffee brewed in the second brewing chamber 32. The above structural design enables the single-cup system and multi-cup system of the coffee machine to have independent positions, which are simple and easy to use.

[0033] The working process of the single cup mode and the two cup or more cup mode of the coffee machine of this embodiment is as follows:

[0034] Brewing a single cup of coffee: Select the single cup brewing mode on the operation panel of the coffee machine, the solenoid valve connects the water outlet of the first water pump 41 to the water flow heating pipe 21 of the heating device 20, the heating device 20 is heated to the set temperature, and the first water pump 41 automatically stops when it pumps water to the required cup volume.

[0035] Brewing two or more cups of coffee: Select brewing two or more cups mode on the operation panel of the coffee machine, and the solenoid valve connects the water outlet of the first water pump 41 to another water flow heating tube 21 of the heating device 20. The heating device 20 is heated to the set temperature, and the first water pump 41 stops automatically when it pumps water to the required amount of cups.

[0036] The brewing unit of the coffee machine of the present embodiment comprises a first brewing chamber 31 and a second brewing chamber 32 which are independent and used for brewing coffee of different volumes, and adopts a double heating tube 21 structure having two water flow heating tubes 21 arranged side by side, that is, hot water is supplied to the above two brewing chambers through two independent water flow heating tubes 21, wherein the water flow distribution unit can control the water flow to selectively flow through one of the water flow heating tubes 21, which can meet the coffee brewing needs of a single person and the brewing needs of two or more people. This coffee machine can adjust the brewing amount of coffee according to the needs of the user, whether it is brewing one cup of coffee or multiple cups of coffee, it can meet the requirements, and is suitable for use in a home or a small office.

[0037] Example 2

[0038] Figure 3 Another preferred embodiment of the coffee machine of the utility model is shown. The heating device 20 of this embodiment is the same as the heating device 20 in embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the water flow distribution unit is different. The three-way control valve 44 is omitted in this embodiment, and two independent water pumps are used to distribute water flow. Specifically, the water flow distribution unit of this embodiment includes a first pipeline 51, a second pipeline 52, a second water pump 42 arranged in the first pipeline 51, and a third water pump 43 arranged in the second pipeline 52, wherein the first pipeline 51 and the second pipeline 52 are respectively connected to the two water flow heating pipes 21. The pipeline connected to the bottom water flow outlet of the water tank 10 is a main pipeline 53, which is connected to the first pipeline 51 and the second pipeline 52 through a three-way joint 46, wherein a one-way valve 45 is also provided on the main pipeline 53.

[0039] In this embodiment, two water pumps are arranged in two pipelines to control the on-off and distribution of water flow, and the purpose of making water flow selectively through one of the two water flow heating tubes 21 can also be achieved. This water flow distribution unit can omit the corresponding solenoid valve. Since the solenoid valve is one of the components that may fail in the coffee machine, omitting the solenoid valve may reduce the maintenance requirements caused by solenoid valve failure, reduce maintenance costs and downtime, and improve the overall reliability of the coffee machine.

[0040] The "fluid connection" and "connection" referred to in the present invention refer to the spatial position relationship between two components or parts (hereinafter collectively referred to as the first part and the second part respectively), that is, the fluid (gas, liquid or a mixture of the two) can flow from the first part along the flow path or / and be transported to the second part. The first part and the second part can be directly connected, or the first part and the second part can be indirectly connected through at least one third party. The third party can be a fluid channel such as a pipe, channel, duct, guide member, hole, groove, etc., or it can be a chamber allowing fluid to flow through, or a combination of the above.

Claims

1. A multifunctional coffee machine, comprising: Water tank (10); A heating device (20) having a water flow heating channel for allowing water to pass through and heating the passing water flow, wherein the water flow heating channel is in fluid communication with the water tank (10); a brewing unit in fluid communication with the heating device (20); The invention is characterized in that: the brewing unit comprises a first brewing chamber (31) and a second brewing chamber (32) which are independent and used for brewing coffee of different volumes; the heating device (20) comprises two water flow heating tubes (21) arranged side by side and a heating element (22) for heating the two water flow heating tubes (21); the flow channel in the water flow heating tube (21) is a water flow heating channel; the two water flow heating tubes (21) are respectively connected to the first brewing chamber (31) and the second brewing chamber (32); the water channel system also comprises a water flow distribution unit for controlling the water flow to selectively flow through one of the two water flow heating tubes (21).

2. The multifunctional coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water flow distribution unit comprises a first water pump (41) and a three-way control valve (44) which are arranged in sequence along the water flow direction, wherein the inlet of the first water pump (41) is connected to the water tank (10), the outlet of the first water pump (41) is connected to the inlet of the three-way control valve (44), and the two outlets of the three-way control valve (44) are respectively connected to the two water flow heating pipes (21) of the heating device (20).

3. The multifunctional coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The three-way control valve (44) is a solenoid valve, which is electrically connected to the control system of the coffee machine.

4. The multifunctional coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: A one-way valve (45) is also provided in the water flow path between the first water pump (41) and the water tank (10).

5. The multifunctional coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water flow distribution unit comprises a first pipeline (51), a second pipeline (52), a second water pump (42) arranged in the first pipeline (51), and a third water pump (43) arranged in the second pipeline (52); the first pipeline (51) and the second pipeline (52) are respectively connected to two water flow heating pipes (21).

6. The multifunctional coffee machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a main pipeline (53) connected to the water tank (10), the main pipeline (53) being connected to the first pipeline (51) and the second pipeline (52) via a three-way joint (46), and a one-way valve (45) is also provided on the main pipeline (53).

7. The multifunctional coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first brewing chamber (31) is used for brewing a single cup of coffee, and the second brewing chamber (32) is used for brewing two or more cups of coffee.

8. The multifunctional coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The heating element (22) is an electric heating tube, the shape of which is consistent with the shape of the two water flow heating tubes (21), and is arranged between the two water flow heating tubes (21) and forms an integral part with the two water flow heating tubes (21).

9. The multifunctional coffee machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The electric heating pipe and the two water flow heating pipes (21) form an integrated piece which is U-shaped as a whole.

10. The multifunctional coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: It also includes a first container placement position corresponding to the first brewing chamber (31) and a second container placement position corresponding to the second brewing chamber (32); the container placed on the first container placement position is used to receive coffee brewed in the first brewing chamber (31), and the container placed on the second container placement position is used to receive coffee brewed in the second brewing chamber (32).

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