Milk beverage output system and coffee machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a milk beverage output system and a coffee machine. The milk beverage output system comprises a milk beverage outlet; a milk inlet pipeline; a water inlet pipeline; the conveying pipeline is connected to the downstream of the milk inlet pipeline and the downstream of the water inlet pipeline, a hydraulic pump is arranged on the conveying pipeline, and the hydraulic pump is used for selectively conveying liquid in the milk inlet pipeline and the water inlet pipeline; the air inlet valve is used for selectively providing air for the conveying pipeline; the mixing foam maker comprises an inlet, a discharge outlet and a mixing cavity located between the inlet and the discharge outlet, and the inlet is connected to the conveying pipeline; the heater is connected to the inlet; the air inlet valve comprises an air inlet, an inlet guide pipe and an outlet guide pipe, the outlet guide pipe communicates with the air inlet, the inlet guide pipe communicates with the outlet guide pipe, the downstream of the outlet guide pipe is connected to the conveying pipeline, and the upstream of the inlet guide pipe is connected to the water inlet pipeline. Air inlet and cleaning share the outlet guide pipe, the situation that the air inlet valve cannot be cleaned can be avoided, and the outlet guide pipe can be thoroughly cleaned without dead corners.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of beverage devices, in particular to a milk beverage output system and a coffee machine. Background Art

[0002] Coffee machines suitable for preparing coffee mixed beverages, especially fully automatic coffee machines. Coffee mixed beverages (such as cappuccino, latte macchiato, etc.) more or less contain a certain proportion of milk or milk foam.

[0003] In order to improve the convenience of operation, it is common practice to provide such a coffee machine with a milk preparation system. The milk preparation system heats the provided milk and mixes it with air to achieve a foaming effect. To produce milk foam, milk is usually sucked out of a container by means of a pump, and ambient air is inhaled, and the milk is mixed with the supplied air on the flow path leading to the milk preparation system. In this process, the milk may come into contact with the pipeline for conveying air, which means there will be problems in terms of contamination and bacterial growth. The pipeline through which the milk passes and the container for heating the milk must be cleaned regularly. For the operator, this cleaning process is relatively complex, and it is difficult to carry out a comprehensive cleaning without disassembling the various components of the pipeline through which the milk passes. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a milk beverage output system that can achieve comprehensive cleaning.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned utility model purpose, an embodiment of the utility model provides a milk beverage output system, including:

[0006] A milk beverage outlet for outputting the milk beverage generated by the milk beverage output system;

[0007] A milk inlet pipeline for connecting to a milk supply source;

[0008] A water inlet pipeline for connecting to a water supply source;

[0009] A delivery pipeline connected downstream of the milk inlet pipeline and the water inlet pipeline, and a hydraulic pump is provided on the delivery pipeline, and the hydraulic pump is used to selectively deliver the liquid in the milk inlet pipeline and the water inlet pipeline;

[0010] An air inlet valve connected to the delivery pipeline for selectively supplying air to the delivery pipeline;

[0011] A mixing and foaming device, the mixing and foaming device includes an inlet, a discharge port and a mixing chamber located between the inlet and the discharge port, the inlet is connected to the delivery pipeline, and the liquid or the gas-liquid mixture of the liquid and air from the delivery pipeline is delivered to the milk beverage outlet through the inlet, the mixing chamber and the discharge port;

[0012] A heater, connected to the inlet, for selectively heating the liquid or the gas-liquid mixture;

[0013] The intake valve includes an air inlet, an inlet conduit, and an outlet conduit. The outlet conduit communicates with the air inlet, the inlet conduit communicates with the outlet conduit, the downstream of the outlet conduit is connected to the delivery pipeline, and the upstream of the inlet conduit is connected to the water inlet pipeline; the air can enter the delivery pipeline successively through the air inlet and the outlet conduit, and the liquid in the water inlet pipeline can enter the delivery pipeline successively through the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present utility model, the outlet conduit can deliver air to the delivery pipeline, or can also deliver water or cleaning liquid to the delivery pipeline. The air intake and cleaning share the outlet conduit, which can avoid the situation where the intake valve cannot be cleaned, and achieve a thorough cleaning of the outlet conduit without dead angles. When cleaning the delivery pipeline and the mixing and foaming device, the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit of the intake valve are cleaned incidentally. The whole process can be automatically controlled without manual operation by the user, which can improve the user experience. The comprehensive cleaning of the pipeline also ensures the quality and safety of the output milk beverage.

[0015] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes a multi-way solenoid valve. The multi-way solenoid valve includes a first inlet, a second inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The milk inlet pipeline is connected to the first inlet, the water inlet pipeline is connected to the second inlet, the inlet conduit is connected to the first outlet, and the delivery pipeline is connected to the second outlet.

[0016] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes a multi-way pinch valve. The multi-way pinch valve is provided with a first clamping portion matching the water inlet pipeline and a second clamping portion matching the delivery pipeline. The first clamping portion clamps the water inlet pipeline, and the second clamping portion clamps the delivery pipeline.

[0017] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, the inlet includes a steam inlet and a liquid flow inlet. The heater includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The upstream of the fluid inlet is connected to an electromagnetic pump. The fluid outlet is connected to the steam inlet through a steam conduit. The delivery pipeline is connected to the liquid flow inlet. The electromagnetic pump operably adjusts the water flow rate at the fluid inlet.

[0018] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes a controller. The fluid outlet is further connected to a pressure relief valve. Both the pressure relief valve and the heater are electrically connected to the controller. The controller is configured to control the simultaneous opening of the pressure relief valve and the heater, so as to heat the heater while the heater is relieving pressure, or the controller is configured to control the heater to open later than the pressure relief valve, so as to heat the heater after the heater relieves pressure.

[0019] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes a controller. Both the hydraulic pump and the electromagnetic pump are electrically connected to the controller. When preparing hot milk, the controller is configured to control the hydraulic pump to start later than the electromagnetic pump, so that the steam generated by the heater reaches the mixing and foaming device before the liquid; when preparing hot milk foam, the controller is configured to control the hydraulic pump to start later than the electromagnetic pump, so that the steam generated by the heater reaches the mixing and foaming device before the gas-liquid mixture.

[0020] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, the heater includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The upstream of the fluid inlet is connected to the delivery pipeline, and the fluid outlet is connected to the inlet. The milk beverage output system further includes a bypass pipeline. Both ends of the bypass pipeline are respectively connected to the delivery pipeline and the inlet; a control valve is provided between the bypass pipeline and the delivery pipeline. The control valve operably controls the connection from the delivery pipeline to the heater, or the connection from the delivery pipeline to the bypass pipeline.

[0021] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes a controller. The heater includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The upstream of the fluid inlet is connected to the delivery pipeline, and the fluid outlet is connected to the inlet. The heater is configured as an instant cooling and heating electric hot plate. The instant cooling and heating electric hot plate is electrically connected to the controller. The controller is configured to turn on and off the instant cooling and heating electric hot plate to select the cold and hot output of the milk beverage outlet.

[0022] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes a controller. The hydraulic pump is configured as a gear pump. A temperature sensor is provided on the milk inlet pipeline. Both the gear pump and the temperature sensor are electrically connected to the controller. The controller is configured to control the liquid output flow rate of the gear pump according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

[0023] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, it further includes a controller. A drain pump is arranged between the discharge port and the milk beverage outlet. The drain pump, the hydraulic pump and the intake valve are all electrically connected to the controller. The downstream of the drain pump communicates with a water storage box. The controller is configured to start the drain pump within a first preset time of starting the hydraulic pump or within a second preset time of starting the intake valve. The drain pump intercepts and diverts the fluid from the upstream of the milk beverage outlet to the water storage box.

[0024] The arrangement of the drain pump can not only discharge the unnecessary fluid, but also cause the liquid droplets on the pipe wall to be discharged into the water storage box, making the cleaning of the pipeline cleaner, and can avoid affecting the taste of the next cup of milk beverage due to the remaining liquid droplets in the pipeline. The arrangement of the drain pump can effectively empty the residual liquid in the system pipeline, prevent pollution, facilitate cleaning, and thus improve the hygiene of the system.

[0025] As a further improvement of an embodiment of the present utility model, a tee pipe is connected between the discharge port and the milk beverage outlet. The input end of the drain pump is connected to the tee pipe, and the output end of the drain pump is connected to the water storage box; when the water inlet pipe communicates with the conveying pipeline, the controller is further configured to start the drain pump.

[0026] The present utility model also provides a coffee machine, which includes the milk beverage output system according to any one of the above embodiments. Description of the Drawings

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the milk beverage output system of the present utility model.

[0028] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged schematic diagram of the dashed box a in

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the milk beverage output system of the present utility model.

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the milk beverage output system of the present utility model.

[0031] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of still another embodiment of the milk beverage output system of the present utility model.

[0032] Figure 6 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram of adding an electric heating device to the beverage output system in

[0033] The repeated use of reference numerals in this specification and the drawings is intended to represent the same or similar features or elements of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] The following will describe the present utility model in detail with reference to the specific implementation manners shown in the drawings. However, these implementation manners do not limit the present utility model, and any structural, method, or functional transformation made by those of ordinary skill in the art based on these implementation manners is included in the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0035] As used herein, terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements or structures, but the objects described should not be limited by the above terms. The above terms are only used to distinguish these described objects from each other. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative directions with respect to the fluid flow in the fluid passage. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the fluid flows, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the fluid flows.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 As shown, an embodiment of the present utility model provides a milk beverage output system 100, which is applicable to various beverage machines, such as coffee machines, tea extraction machines, and juice machines, etc.

[0037] The milk beverage output system 100 includes a milk beverage outlet 20, a milk inlet pipeline 31, a water inlet pipeline 32, and a conveying pipeline 33. The milk beverage outlet 20 is used to output the milk beverage generated by the milk beverage output system 100. The milk inlet pipeline 31 is used to communicate with a milk supply source 41; the water inlet pipeline 32 is used to communicate with a water supply source 42. The conveying pipeline 33 is connected downstream of the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the water inlet pipeline 32. The milk from the milk supply source 41 can be transported from the milk inlet pipeline 31 to the conveying pipeline 33, and the water or cleaning liquid from the water supply source 42 can be transported from the water inlet pipeline 32 to the conveying pipeline 33. The conveying pipeline 33 can selectively transport the liquid in the milk supply source 41 or the liquid in the water supply source 42. Among them, the milk supply source 41 can provide milk, as well as other liquids for heating, outputting, or foaming except milk. For example, the milk supply source 41 can provide milk, oat milk, coconut milk, etc. Correspondingly, the milk beverage can be hot milk, hot milk foam, cold milk, and cold milk foam. The water supply source 42 can be a drinking water source, a cleaning liquid added with a cleaning agent, etc. Based on the differences in the liquids in the milk supply source 41 and the water supply source 42, the conveying pipeline 33 can transport different liquids.

[0038] Among them, a hydraulic pump 331 is provided on the conveying pipeline 33, and the hydraulic pump 331 is used to selectively convey the liquid in the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the water inlet pipeline 32. The hydraulic pump 331 can suck the liquid from the milk supply source 41 via the milk inlet pipeline 31, or suck the liquid from the water supply source 42 via the water inlet pipeline 32. The hydraulic pump 331 can be a gear pump, a plunger pump, a vane pump, a screw pump, etc. In this embodiment, a gear pump is preferably used, which can reduce the volume of the entire system in the milk beverage output system 100, so that the beverage machine can be more compact. In addition, the hydraulic pump 331 is configured as a gear pump, which is also convenient for accurately controlling the output flow of the hydraulic pump 331.

[0039] The milk beverage output system 100 further includes an air inlet valve 50 and a mixing and foaming device 60. The air inlet valve 50 is connected to the conveying pipeline 33 and is used to selectively supply air to the conveying pipeline 33. When the air inlet valve 50 supplies air to the conveying pipeline 33 and the milk supply source 41 supplies liquid to the conveying pipeline 33, air and liquid are mixed in the conveying pipeline 33 to form a gas-liquid mixture. The mixing and foaming device 60 is connected between the conveying pipeline 33 and the milk beverage outlet 20, and can fully mix the gas-liquid mixture from the conveying pipeline 33, or heat the gas-liquid mixture or liquid from the conveying pipeline 33. The mixing and foaming device 60 includes an inlet 61, a discharge port 62, and a mixing chamber 63 located between the inlet 61 and the discharge port 62. The inlet 61 is connected to the conveying pipeline 33, and the liquid from the conveying pipeline 33 or the gas-liquid mixture of liquid and air passes through the inlet 61, the mixing chamber 63, and the discharge port 62 and is conveyed to the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0040] Furthermore, the milk beverage output system 100 further includes a heater 35. The heater 35 is connected to the inlet 61 of the mixing and foaming device 60 and is used to selectively heat the liquid or the gas-liquid mixture. In some embodiments, the heater 35 includes a fluid inlet 351 and a fluid outlet 352. The upstream of the fluid inlet 351 is connected to the conveying pipeline 33, and the fluid outlet 352 is connected to the inlet 61 of the mixing and foaming device 60. In this way, the liquid or the gas-liquid mixture from the conveying pipeline 33 can be heated by the heater 35 first, and then the heated liquid or the gas-liquid mixture is conveyed to the mixing and foaming device 60, so as to output the heated liquid or the heated foaming liquid at the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0041] Refer to Figure 2 , the air inlet valve 50 can open or close the air inlet 51, so as to allow or restrict air from entering the conveying pipeline 33. When the liquid to be foamed in the milk supply source 41 is milk, milk output or milk foam output can be selected by opening or closing the air inlet 51. Specifically, when the air inlet valve 50 opens the air inlet 51, milk foam can be output at the milk beverage outlet 20, and when the air inlet valve 50 closes the air inlet 51, milk can be output at the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0042] In addition, the intake valve 50 can be set to a fixed intake air volume, that is, the opening size of the intake port 51 is non-adjustable; the intake valve 50 can also be set to an adjustable intake air volume, that is, the opening size of the intake port 51 is adjustable. For example, the air supply volume can be adjusted by controlling the area size of the intake port 51, so as to realize the output of milk foam with different foaming degrees to meet the needs of different users.

[0043] Among them, the intake valve 50 includes an intake port 51, an inlet conduit 52 and an outlet conduit 53. The outlet conduit 53 communicates with the intake port 51, the inlet conduit 52 communicates with the outlet conduit 53, the downstream of the outlet conduit 53 is connected to the delivery pipeline 33, and the upstream of the inlet conduit 52 is connected to the water inlet pipeline 32. Air can enter the delivery pipeline 33 through the intake port 51 and the outlet conduit 53 in sequence, and the liquid in the water inlet pipeline 32 can enter the delivery pipeline 33 through the inlet conduit 52 and the outlet conduit 53 in sequence.

[0044] When making milk foam, the outlet conduit 53 supplies air to the delivery pipeline 33, and the milk inlet pipeline 31 supplies milk to the delivery pipeline 33. The outlet conduit 53 is in a communicating state with the delivery pipeline 33, and milk may enter the outlet conduit 53. With the structure of the intake valve 50 described above, the outlet conduit 53 can not only supply air to the delivery pipeline 33, but also supply water or cleaning liquid to the delivery pipeline 33, that is, the intake and cleaning share the outlet conduit 53, and the outlet conduit 53 can be thoroughly cleaned without dead corners. The outlet conduit 53 is set to share intake and cleaning, which can avoid the situation that the intake valve 50 is contaminated by milk and cannot be cleaned. When cleaning the delivery pipeline 33 and the mixing and foaming device 60, water or cleaning liquid can flow through the inlet conduit 52 and the outlet conduit 53, and can clean the inlet conduit 52 and the outlet conduit 53 incidentally. The whole process can be automatically controlled without manual operation by the user, which can improve the user experience. The comprehensive cleaning of the pipeline also ensures the quality and safety of the output milk beverage.

[0045] Further, the milk beverage output system 100 further includes a multi-way solenoid valve 36. The multi-way solenoid valve 36 includes a first inlet 361, a second inlet 362, a first outlet 363, and a second outlet 364. The milk inlet pipeline 31 is connected to the first inlet 361, the water inlet pipeline 32 is connected to the second inlet 362, the inlet conduit 52 is connected to the first outlet 363, and the conveying pipeline 33 is connected to the second outlet 364. By providing the multi-way solenoid valve 36, the flow directions of the milk inlet and the water inlet can be flexibly controlled, that is, the connection between the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the conveying pipeline 33, or the connection between the water inlet pipeline 32 and the conveying pipeline 33 can be conveniently and flexibly controlled, which can improve the control accuracy and operation flexibility of the system. The multi-way solenoid valve 36 can be configured as a four-way solenoid valve or others. Each inlet and outlet of the multi-way solenoid valve 36 is respectively connected to the milk inlet pipeline 31, the water inlet pipeline 32, the inlet conduit 52, and the conveying pipeline 33, and is used to control the flow directions of the milk inlet and the water inlet, so as to realize the output of the milk beverage and the cleaning of the entire pipeline.

[0046] In some embodiments, the setting of the multi-way solenoid valve 36 can also be cancelled. For example, the water inlet pipeline 32 is directly connected to the inlet conduit 52, and a stop valve can be provided on the water inlet pipeline 32 to control whether to perform waterway cleaning. At the same time, a check valve can be provided on the milk inlet pipeline 31 to prevent water or cleaning liquid during waterway cleaning from entering the milk supply source 41.

[0047] Referring to Figure 3 , the milk beverage output system 200 further includes a multi-way pinch valve 37. The multi-way pinch valve 37 is provided with a first clamping portion 371 matching the water inlet pipeline 32 and a second clamping portion 372 matching the conveying pipeline 33. The first clamping portion 371 clamps the water inlet pipeline 32, and the second clamping portion 372 clamps the conveying pipeline 33. The first clamping portion 371 of the multi-way pinch valve 37 can selectively clamp the water inlet pipeline 32, and the second clamping portion 372 can selectively clamp the conveying pipeline 33, so as to conveniently and flexibly control the connection between the water inlet pipeline 32 and the conveying pipeline 33, or the connection between the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the conveying pipeline 33, making the sealing performance between the corresponding pipeline and the multi-way pinch valve 37 more reliable, and effectively controlling the on / off and / or flow rate of the fluid.

[0048] Further, both the milk beverage output system 100 and the milk beverage output system 200 further include a bypass pipeline 38. Two ends of the bypass pipeline 38 are respectively connected to the delivery pipeline 33 and the inlet 61 of the mixing and foaming device 60. A control valve 338 is arranged between the bypass pipeline 38 and the delivery pipeline 33. The control valve 338 operably controls the connection from the delivery pipeline 33 to the heater 35 or the connection from the delivery pipeline 33 to the bypass pipeline 38. By providing the bypass pipeline 38, when the delivery pipeline 33 is connected to the bypass pipeline 38, cold milk beverages such as cold milk or cold milk foam can be delivered at the milk beverage outlet 20. The bypass pipeline 38 bypasses the heater 35, and the liquid or gas-liquid mixture conveyed by the bypass pipeline 38 does not pass through the heater 35, so that the output cold milk beverage is not affected by the residual temperature of the heater 35, ensuring that the temperature of the cold milk beverage meets the user's requirements.

[0049] Exemplarily, the above-mentioned milk beverage output system 100 and milk beverage output system 200 have the following output modes:

[0050] When making hot milk is required, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 or the multi-way pinch valve 37 to change the direction, switch to connect the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is closed, and the milk sequentially passes through the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 and enters the heater 35. The milk is heated in the heater 35 to form hot milk, and the hot milk passes through the mixing and foaming device 60 and is discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0051] When making hot milk foam is required, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 or the multi-way pinch valve 37 to change the direction, switch to connect the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is opened, air is sucked through the air inlet valve 50, the milk is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the milk inlet pipeline 31, and the air is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the outlet conduit 53. The milk and the air are mixed for the first time in the delivery pipeline 33, enter the heater 35 through the delivery pipeline 33, and the gas-liquid mixture formed by the milk and the air is heated and mixed for the second time in the heater 35, and then enters the mixing and foaming device 60. The gas-liquid mixture undergoes a third mixing in the mixing and foaming device 60 to form hot milk foam, and then is discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0052] When making cold milk is required, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 or the multi-way pinch valve 37 to change the direction, switch to connect the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is closed, and the milk sequentially passes through the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 and enters the bypass pipeline 38, passes through the mixing and foaming device 60 and is discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0053] When cold milk foam needs to be produced, the multi-way solenoid valve 36 or the multi-way pinch valve 37 is controlled to change the direction, switching to the connection between the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33. The gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is opened, and air is sucked through the air inlet valve 50. The milk is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the milk inlet pipeline 31, and the air is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the outlet conduit 53. The milk and air are mixed for the first time in the delivery pipeline 33 to form a gas-liquid mixture, which enters the bypass pipeline 38 through the delivery pipeline 33 and then enters the mixing and foaming device 60. The gas-liquid mixture forms cold milk foam after the second mixing in the mixing and foaming device 60, and then is discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0054] When the pipeline needs to be cleaned, the multi-way solenoid valve 36 or the multi-way pinch valve 37 is controlled to change the direction, switching to the connection between the water inlet pipeline 32 and the inlet conduit 52. The air inlet 51 of the air inlet valve 50 is closed, and the gear pump is started. The water or cleaning liquid in the water supply source 42 flows through the inlet conduit 52, the outlet conduit 53, the delivery pipeline 33 and the mixing and foaming device 60 in sequence, realizing the flushing of the inlet conduit 52, the outlet conduit 53, the delivery pipeline 33 and the mixing and foaming device 60 with water or cleaning liquid. Among them, the cleaning heater 35 or the bypass pipeline 38 can be selected according to the different cold and hot milk beverages output last time, or both the heater 35 and the bypass pipeline 38 are cleaned. Then the air inlet 51 of the air inlet valve 50 is opened, and the gear pump can continue to work, and air is extracted through the air inlet 51 to empty the water or cleaning liquid in the cleaned pipeline and components. The water or cleaning liquid can also be further heated by the heater 35 to further clean the mixing and foaming device 60 with hot water or hot cleaning liquid.

[0055] Reference Figure 4 , for the milk beverage output system 300 of another embodiment, in this embodiment, the components or parts with the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment have the same structure and effect as those in the previous embodiment, and will not be described in detail here. Different from the above embodiment, the inlet 61a of the mixing and foaming device 60a includes a steam inlet 611 and a liquid flow inlet 612. The heater 35a includes a fluid inlet 351 and a fluid outlet 352. An electromagnetic pump 45 is connected upstream of the fluid inlet 351. The fluid outlet 352 is connected to the steam inlet 611 through a steam conduit 356. The delivery pipeline 33 is connected to the liquid flow inlet 612. The electromagnetic pump 45 can operably adjust the water flow rate at the fluid inlet 351. The mixing and foaming device 60a is configured to heat the liquid or gas-liquid mixture by means of steam input, and can conveniently select the output of hot milk, hot milk foam, cold milk foam or cold milk by whether steam is introduced into the mixing and foaming device 60a. Among them, the heater 35a can be constructed as an electric hot plate, which can quickly heat water to generate steam and can reduce the cost of the whole system. The heater 35a can also be constructed as a boiler, with a high steam temperature and a stable steam output speed, and can provide a more stable steam output.

[0056] Both the steam inlet 611 and the liquid flow inlet 612 are provided on the mixing and foaming device 60a. Steam enters the mixing and foaming device 60a through the steam inlet 611, and a liquid or a liquid-gas mixture enters the mixing and foaming device 60a through the liquid flow inlet 612. The heating, mixing, and foaming of the liquid or the liquid-gas mixture all occur inside the mixing and foaming device 60a, eliminating the need for separately provided components for mixing the liquid or the liquid-gas mixture with steam, improving the functional integration of the mixing and foaming device 60a, and facilitating the compact structure of the milk beverage output system 300.

[0057] Furthermore, the milk beverage output system 300 further includes a controller 80. A pressure relief valve 357 is also connected to the fluid outlet 352. Both the pressure relief valve 357 and the heater 35a are electrically connected to the controller 80. The controller 80 is configured to control the pressure relief valve 357 and the heater 35a to open simultaneously, so that while the heater 35a is relieving pressure, the heater 35a is heating up, or the controller 80 is configured to control the heater 35a to open later than the pressure relief valve 357, so that the heater 35a heats up after the pressure relief valve 357 relieves pressure. Among them, the heater 35a is configured as an electric hot plate. When starting to make milk beverages, first open the pressure relief valve 357 to relieve pressure to the water storage box 27 through the pressure relief pipeline 358 to empty the electric hot plate, and then turn on the electric hot plate; the heating speed of the front section of the heating curve of the electric hot plate is slow. To avoid the slow heating speed of the front section of the electric hot plate from affecting the output of high-temperature steam and thus affecting the temperature of the front section of the milk beverage, the pressure relief valve 357 and the heater 35a can be opened simultaneously, that is, during the process of relieving pressure through the pressure relief pipeline 358 to empty the electric hot plate, the electric hot plate undergoes the slow heating speed of the front section. When the milk beverage production starts after the electric hot plate is emptied, at this time the electric hot plate has a relatively high temperature, which can ensure the output of the high-temperature steam flow, and thus ensure the heating effect on the liquid or the liquid-gas mixture, and further ensure the temperature of the milk beverage output from the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0058] In some embodiments, both the hydraulic pump 331 and the electromagnetic pump 45 are electrically connected to the controller 80. When preparing hot milk, the controller 80 is configured to control the hydraulic pump 331 to start later than the electromagnetic pump 45, so that the steam generated by the heater 35a reaches the mixing and foaming device 60a before the liquid; when preparing hot milk foam, the controller 80 is configured to control the hydraulic pump 331 to start later than the electromagnetic pump 45, so that the steam generated by the heater 35a reaches the mixing and foaming device 60a before the liquid-gas mixture. Letting the steam enter the mixing and foaming device 60a before the liquid or the liquid-gas mixture, the steam that enters the mixing and foaming device 60a first can preheat the mixing and foaming device 60a, increasing the temperature of the mixing chamber 63, effectively raising the temperature of the milk beverage output in the front section, and thus avoiding the problem of low cup temperature when hot milk or hot milk foam is output.

[0059] Exemplarily, the above milk beverage output system 300 has the following output modes:

[0060] When hot milk needs to be made, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change its direction, switch to the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 to be connected, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is closed, and the milk passes through the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 in sequence and enters the mixing and foaming device 60a. Steam enters the mixing and foaming device 60a through the steam conduit 356. The milk and steam form hot milk after mixing and heat exchange in the mixing and foaming device 60a, and then are discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0061] When hot milk foam needs to be made, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change its direction, switch to the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 to be connected, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is opened, air is sucked through the air inlet valve 50, the milk is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the milk inlet pipeline 31, and the air is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the outlet conduit 53. The milk and air are first mixed in the delivery pipeline 33, enter the mixing and foaming device 60a through the delivery pipeline 33, steam enters the mixing and foaming device 60a through the steam conduit 356, and the milk, steam, and air form hot milk foam after the second mixing in the mixing and foaming device 60a, and then are discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0062] When cold milk needs to be made, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change its direction, switch to the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 to be connected, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is closed, and the milk passes through the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 in sequence and enters the mixing and foaming device 60a, and then is discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0063] When cold milk foam needs to be made, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change its direction, switch to the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the delivery pipeline 33 to be connected, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is opened, air is sucked through the air inlet valve 50, the milk is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the milk inlet pipeline 31, and the air is sucked into the delivery pipeline 33 through the outlet conduit 53. The milk and air are first mixed in the delivery pipeline 33 to form a gas-liquid mixture, enter the mixing and foaming device 60a through the delivery pipeline 33, and the milk and air form cold milk foam after the second mixing in the mixing and foaming device 60a, and then are discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20.

[0064] When the pipeline needs to be cleaned, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change the direction, switch to the water inlet pipeline 32 to communicate with the inlet conduit 52, close the air inlet 51 of the air inlet valve 50, start the gear pump, and the water or cleaning liquid in the water supply source 42 flows through the inlet conduit 52, the outlet conduit 53, the conveying pipeline 33 and the mixing foam generator 60 in sequence, so as to realize the flushing of the inlet conduit 52, the outlet conduit 53, the conveying pipeline 33 and the mixing foam generator 60a with water or cleaning liquid. Then open the air inlet 51 of the air inlet valve 50, and the gear pump can continue to work, and draw air through the air inlet 51 to empty the water or cleaning liquid in the cleaned conveying pipeline 33 and the mixing foam generator 60a. Then, steam is introduced into the mixing foam generator 60a through the heater 35a and the steam conduit 356 to further clean and disinfect the mixing foam generator 60a.

[0065] Reference Figure 5 , in the milk beverage output system 400 of another embodiment, in this embodiment, the components or parts with the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment have the same structure and effect as those in the previous embodiment, and will not be described in detail here. Different from the above embodiment, the milk beverage output system 400 further includes a controller 80. The heater 35c includes a fluid inlet 351 and a fluid outlet 352. The upstream of the fluid inlet 351 is connected to the conveying pipeline 33, and the fluid outlet 352 is connected to the inlet 61 of the mixing foam generator 60. The heater 35c is configured as an instant heating and cooling electric hot plate, and the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate is electrically connected to the controller 80. The controller 80 is configured to turn on and off the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate to select the hot and cold output of the milk beverage outlet 20. The instant heating and cooling electric hot plate can be configured as a thick film electric hot plate, which can achieve rapid temperature rise and efficient heating; after the thick film electric hot plate is turned off, it can rapidly cool down. When hot and cold milk beverages are output alternately, it will not affect the output temperature of the next cup of milk beverage, meeting the requirements of hot and cold milk beverage output, and at the same time, it can simplify the layout of the entire system.

[0066] When making hot milk or cold milk is needed, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change the direction, switch to the milk inlet pipeline 31 to communicate with the conveying pipeline 33, and the gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is closed, and the milk enters the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate through the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the conveying pipeline 33 in sequence, and then is discharged through the milk beverage outlet 20. When hot milk needs to be output, the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate is turned on, and the milk is heated in the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate to form hot milk; when cold milk needs to be output, the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate is turned off, and the milk will not be heated by the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate.

[0067] When making hot milk foam or cold milk foam is required, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change its direction, so that the milk inlet pipeline 31 and the conveying pipeline 33 are connected. The gear pump starts to suck milk from the milk supply source 41. At this time, the air inlet valve 50 is opened, and air is sucked through the air inlet valve 50. The milk and air are sucked into the conveying pipeline 33 and are mixed for the first time in the conveying pipeline 33. Then they enter the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate through the conveying pipeline 33. The gas-liquid mixture of milk and air is mixed for the second time in the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate, and then enters the mixing foam generator 60. After being mixed for the third time in the mixing foam generator 60, milk foam is formed and then discharged through the dairy beverage outlet 20. When hot milk foam needs to be output, the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate is turned on, and the gas-liquid mixture is heated in the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate to form hot milk foam; when cold milk foam needs to be output, the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate is turned off, and the gas-liquid mixture will not be heated by the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate.

[0068] When the pipeline needs to be cleaned, control the multi-way solenoid valve 36 to change its direction. The multi-way solenoid valve 36 switches to connect the water inlet pipeline 32 and the inlet conduit 52. The air inlet 51 of the air inlet valve 50 is closed, and the gear pump is started. The water or cleaning liquid in the water supply source 42 flows through the inlet conduit 52, the outlet conduit 53, the conveying pipeline 33 and the mixing foam generator 60 in sequence, so as to realize the flushing of the inlet conduit 52, the outlet conduit 53, the conveying pipeline 33, the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate and the mixing foam generator 60 with water or cleaning liquid. Then the air inlet valve 50 opens the air inlet 51, and the gear pump can continue to work, and air is extracted through the air inlet 51 to empty the water or cleaning liquid in the cleaned pipeline and components. It is also possible to further heat the water or cleaning liquid through the instant heating and cooling electric hot plate to further clean the mixing foam generator 60 with hot water or hot cleaning liquid.

[0069] Further, referring to Figure 6 As shown, an electric heating device 46 and a water pump 47 are provided on the water inlet pipeline 32. The inlet end of the water pump 47 is connected to the water supply source 42, the inlet end of the electric heating device 46 is connected to the outlet end of the water pump 47, and the outlet end of the electric heating device 46 is connected to the conveying pipeline 33. By setting the electric heating device 46 and the water pump 47, hot water cleaning or steam disinfection can be provided for the whole system to reduce the load of the heater 35. In addition, hot water output can also be provided for the dairy beverage outlet 20 to provide more function options for users.

[0070] Referring to Figure 1 、 Figures 3 to 6, the hydraulic pump 331 is configured as a gear pump. A temperature sensor 314 is provided on the milk inlet pipeline 31. Both the gear pump and the temperature sensor 314 are electrically connected to the controller 80. The controller 80 is configured to control the liquid output flow rate of the gear pump according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 314. The milk supply source 41 may be normal temperature milk or refrigerated milk. The temperature sensor 314 can detect the milk inlet temperature in the milk inlet pipeline 31 in real time. According to the detected different milk inlet temperatures, the duty cycle of the different gear pumps is adjusted. If the milk supply source 41 is refrigerated milk and the milk inlet temperature detected by the temperature sensor 314 is low, then the duty cycle of the gear pump is adjusted to be smaller to control the liquid output flow rate of the gear pump to slow down, that is, to slow down the milk pumping speed of the gear pump, and further slow down the milk speed pumped into the mixing foamer 60, so as to increase the temperature of the output hot milk or hot milk foam by increasing the steam ratio, or to increase the temperature of the output hot milk or hot milk foam by slowing down the milk speed flowing through the heater 35 and reducing the amount of fluid heated per unit time. The temperature sensor 314 can be an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient thermistor), which has high sensitivity and stable temperature detection, and can output reliable milk beverages based on the detected temperature of the NTC.

[0071] In some other embodiments, a drain pump 26 is provided between the discharge port 62 and the milk beverage outlet 20. The drain pump 26, the hydraulic pump 331 and the air inlet valve 50 are all electrically connected to the controller 80. The downstream of the drain pump 26 communicates with the water storage box 27. The controller 80 is configured to start the drain pump 26 within a first preset time of starting the hydraulic pump 331 or within a second preset time of starting the air inlet valve 50. The drain pump 26 intercepts and diverts from the upstream of the milk beverage outlet 20 to the water storage box 27. By providing the drain pump 26, when making hot milk foam or cold milk foam, the poor-quality milk foam at the front stage output by the mixing foamer 60 can be discharged into the water storage box 27 by starting the drain pump 26, and then the drain pump 26 is turned off and switched to the milk beverage outlet 20 to ensure the quality of the milk foam and produce a cup of milk beverage with higher quality. When making hot milk or hot milk foam, the low-temperature milk or milk foam at the front stage output by the mixing foamer 60 can be discharged into the water storage box 27 by starting the drain pump 26, and then the drain pump 26 is turned off and switched to the milk beverage outlet 20 to ensure the temperature of the hot milk or hot milk foam and produce a cup of milk beverage with the required temperature.

[0072] When the water inlet pipe 32 is connected to the delivery pipe 33, the controller 80 is further configured to start the drain pump 26. For each cup of milk beverage produced, the system will automatically perform a cleaning process. Specifically, the drain pump 26 is continuously started at the end stage of milk beverage production, and the milk and cleaning wastewater at the end stage are discharged into the water storage box 27 under the suction of the drain pump 26. In addition, the drain pump 26 can not only discharge the unnecessary fluid, but also cause the droplets on the pipe wall to be discharged into the water storage box 27, making the cleaning of the pipeline more thorough and clean, and avoiding the influence on the taste of the next cup of milk beverage due to the remaining droplets in the pipeline. The drain pump 26 can effectively drain the residual liquid in the system pipeline, prevent pollution, facilitate cleaning, and thus improve the hygiene of the system.

[0073] In some other embodiments, after producing a preset number of cups of milk beverages, the cleaning process is started, and the drain pump 26 is started to discharge the cleaning wastewater into the water storage box 27.

[0074] Further, a tee pipe 23 is connected between the discharge port 62 and the milk beverage outlet 20. The input end of the drain pump 26 is connected to the tee pipe 23, and the output end of the drain pump 26 is connected to the water storage box 27. The setting of the tee pipe 23 can make the setting of the system pipeline more flexible and reduce the cost of the system at the same time.

[0075] The present utility model further includes a coffee machine, which includes the milk beverage output system in any of the above embodiments. Based on the different milk beverages output by the milk beverage output system, the coffee machine can dispense different coffee beverages to meet more needs of users.

[0076] The above milk beverage output system and coffee machine can realize the output of multiple beverage modes and can clean the pipeline more comprehensively, ensuring the quality and safety of the output beverages.

[0077] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to embodiments, not every embodiment only contains an independent technical solution. This narrative way of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0078] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of the feasible embodiments of the present utility model, and they are not used to limit the protection scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the technical spirit of the present utility model should be included in the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A milk beverage output system, comprising: A milk beverage outlet, used for outputting the milk beverage generated by the milk beverage output system; Milk inlet pipeline, used to connect to the milk supply source; A water inlet pipeline, used to connect to a water supply source; A delivery pipeline connected to the downstream of the milk inlet pipeline and the water inlet pipeline, wherein a hydraulic pump is provided on the delivery pipeline, and the hydraulic pump is used to selectively deliver liquid in the milk inlet pipeline and the water inlet pipeline; an air inlet valve connected to the delivery pipeline and used to selectively provide air to the delivery pipeline; a mixing and frothing device, the mixing and frothing device comprising an inlet, a discharge port and a mixing chamber located between the inlet and the discharge port, the inlet being connected to the delivery pipeline, and the liquid or a gas-liquid mixture of liquid and air from the delivery pipeline being delivered to the milk beverage outlet through the inlet, the mixing chamber and the discharge port; a heater connected to the inlet for selectively heating the liquid or the gas-liquid mixture; The invention is characterized in that: the air inlet valve comprises an air inlet, an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit, the outlet conduit is connected to the air inlet, the inlet conduit is connected to the outlet conduit, the downstream of the outlet conduit is connected to the delivery pipeline, and the upstream of the inlet conduit is connected to the water inlet pipeline; the air can enter the delivery pipeline through the air inlet and the outlet conduit in sequence, and the liquid in the water inlet pipeline can enter the delivery pipeline through the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit in sequence.

2. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a multi-way solenoid valve, which includes a first inlet, a second inlet, a first outlet and a second outlet, the milk inlet pipeline is connected to the first inlet, the water inlet pipeline is connected to the second inlet, the inlet conduit is connected to the first outlet, and the delivery pipeline is connected to the second outlet.

3. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a multi-way clamping valve, which is provided with a first clamping part matching the water inlet pipeline and a second clamping part matching the delivery pipeline, the first clamping part is clamped on the water inlet pipeline, and the second clamping part is clamped on the delivery pipeline.

4. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet includes a steam inlet and a liquid flow inlet, the heater includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, an electromagnetic pump is connected upstream of the fluid inlet, the fluid outlet is connected to the steam inlet through a steam conduit, the delivery pipeline is connected to the liquid flow inlet, and the electromagnetic pump is operable to adjust the water flow rate at the fluid inlet.

5. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a controller, the fluid outlet is also connected to a pressure relief valve, the pressure relief valve and the heater are both electrically connected to the controller, the controller is configured to control the pressure relief valve and the heater to open simultaneously, so that the heater heats up while the heater relieves pressure, or the controller is configured to control the heater to open later than the pressure relief valve, so that the heater heats up after the heater relieves pressure.

6. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The invention also includes a controller, wherein the hydraulic pump and the electromagnetic pump are both electrically connected to the controller. When preparing hot milk, the controller is configured to control the hydraulic pump to start later than the electromagnetic pump, so that the steam generated by the heater reaches the mixing and frothing device before the liquid; when preparing hot milk froth, the controller is configured to control the hydraulic pump to start later than the electromagnetic pump, so that the steam generated by the heater reaches the mixing and frothing device before the gas-liquid mixture.

7. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heater includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the upstream of the fluid inlet is connected to the delivery pipeline, and the fluid outlet is connected to the inlet. The milk beverage output system also includes a bypass pipeline, wherein both ends of the bypass pipeline are respectively connected to the delivery pipeline and the inlet. A control valve is provided between the bypass pipeline and the delivery pipeline, and the control valve is operable to control the connection from the delivery pipeline to the heater, or the connection from the delivery pipeline to the bypass pipeline.

8. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a controller, wherein the heater includes a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the upstream of the fluid inlet is connected to the delivery pipeline, and the fluid outlet is connected to the inlet, and the heater is configured as an instant hot / cold electric heating plate, wherein the instant hot / cold electric heating plate is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is configured to turn on and off the instant hot / cold electric heating plate to select the hot / cold output of the milk beverage outlet.

9. The milk beverage dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: It also includes a controller, the hydraulic pump is constructed as a gear pump, a temperature sensor is provided on the milk inlet pipeline, the gear pump and the temperature sensor are both electrically connected to the controller, and the controller is configured to control the liquid outlet flow rate of the gear pump according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

10. The milk beverage dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The invention also includes a controller, an emptying pump is arranged between the discharge port and the milk beverage outlet, the emptying pump, the hydraulic pump and the air intake valve are all electrically connected to the controller, the downstream of the emptying pump is connected to a water storage box, the controller is configured to start the emptying pump within a first preset time of opening the hydraulic pump, or within a second preset time of opening the air intake valve, and the emptying pump intercepts flow from the upstream of the milk beverage outlet and drains it to the water storage box.

11. The milk beverage delivery system according to claim 10, characterized in that: A three-way pipe is connected between the discharge port and the milk beverage outlet, the input end of the emptying pump is connected to the three-way pipe, and the output end of the emptying pump is connected to the water storage box; when the water inlet pipeline is connected to the delivery pipeline, the controller is also configured to start the emptying pump.

12. A coffee machine, characterized in that: The coffee machine comprises a milk beverage dispensing system according to one of claims 1 to 11.

Images