Liquor box of beer machine and beer machine thereof

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of beer making, and provides a beer machine and a beer box thereof, the beer machine comprises a tray and a box bottom which are sequentially arranged from top to bottom, the tray is provided with at least one accommodating grid for placing hops, the box bottom is provided with a feed opening and a through hole, and the beer machine further comprises a motor and an output shaft which are positioned below the box bottom, one end of the output shaft is connected with the motor, the other end of the output shaft penetrates through the through hole to be connected with the tray, the output shaft comprises a shaft disc located between the motor and the box bottom, the motor drives the output shaft so as to drive the tray and the shaft disc to rotate synchronously, the shaft disc is provided with an indication area, and the tray is provided with a through hole. The indicator zone cooperates with a sensor and a controller to identify a rotational position of the tray. Therefore, automatic feeding of the humulus lupulus is achieved, the manual participation degree is reduced, the production efficiency is improved, and the problem of beer quality difference caused by human errors is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of beer making, and in particular to a hop box of a beer machine and a beer machine thereof. Background Art

[0002] In existing home beer brewing processes, hops are typically added manually, a method with several significant drawbacks. First, it's difficult to precisely control the amount of hops added. Due to limitations in experience, concentration, and fatigue, it's difficult to ensure a consistent amount of hops added each time. This can lead to fluctuations in the final beer flavor and quality, impacting product stability and consistency. Second, manual hop addition requires a high level of manual involvement throughout the brewing process. This not only increases labor costs but can also lead to low production efficiency. Furthermore, this high level of manual involvement increases the risk of human error, such as misplaced hops, missed hops, or uneven hops, all of which can negatively impact beer quality. Furthermore, from a hygiene perspective, manual handling also presents potential risks. In an industry as demanding as beer brewing, any contamination could compromise the purity and safety of the beer. When manually adding hops, if the operator fails to strictly follow hygiene regulations, such as not wearing gloves, masks or not disinfecting hands, it is possible to bring pollutants such as bacteria and dust into the brewing environment, thereby affecting the sanitary quality of the beer and may even cause the beer to deteriorate or cause food safety problems.

[0003] Therefore, in order to overcome these drawbacks, the modern beer brewing industry is increasingly inclined to use automated and mechanized equipment to add hops to ensure precise control of the amount of hops added, reduce manual participation, improve production efficiency, and ensure the sanitary quality of beer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present application is to provide a hop box for a beer machine and a beer machine thereof.

[0005] In an embodiment of the present application, a hop box of a beer machine is provided, comprising a tray and a box bottom arranged in sequence from top to bottom, the tray being provided with at least one accommodating compartment for placing hops, the box bottom being provided with a discharge port and a through hole, and further comprising a motor and an output shaft located below the box bottom, one end of the output shaft being connected to the motor, and the other end of the output shaft being connected to the tray through the through hole, the output shaft comprising a shaft disk located between the motor and the box bottom, the motor driving the output shaft and thereby driving the tray and the shaft disk to rotate synchronously, the shaft disk being provided with an indication area, and the indication area cooperating with a sensor and a controller to identify the rotational position of the tray.

[0006] In some embodiments, the indication area includes a first opening extending along the radius of the shaft disk, the sensor includes a transmitter for emitting a light beam and a receiver for receiving the light beam, the shaft disk is located between the transmitter and the receiver, and when the tray rotates to the initial position, the light beam can pass through the first opening and enable the sensor to receive the initial position signal.

[0007] In some embodiments, the indicator area includes second openings extending along a radius of the shaft disc, and the number of the second openings is correlated with the number of the receiving compartments of the tray.

[0008] In some embodiments, each two adjacent storage compartments are separated by a partition, the number of the second openings is the same as the number of the partitions, and each of the second openings corresponds to the position of each of the partitions in sequence.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first opening is any one of an elliptical, semicircular or U-shaped structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the second opening is any one of an elliptical, semicircular or U-shaped structure.

[0011] In some embodiments, a box cover is further included, and the box cover and the box bottom can be installed and connected to form a cavity therebetween, the tray is located in the cavity, the box cover is provided with a feed port, the box bottom has a step extending upward, the bottom of the box bottom has a circumferential edge, the outer diameter of the edge is equal to or slightly larger than the outer wall diameter of the box cover, when the box cover is installed on the box bottom, the box cover can contact the box bottom through the step, and by abutting the edge, achieve covering with the box bottom.

[0012] In some embodiments, the through hole of the box bottom is located at its center, the discharge port of the box bottom is located at its edge, the discharge port is located below the feed port, and the box bottom is provided with a discharge pipe for guiding the hops to fall, and the discharge port is downwardly connected to the discharge pipe.

[0013] In some embodiments, the box further includes a main body top plate and a motor bracket, wherein the motor bracket is fixed below the main body top plate, the motor is fixed to the motor bracket, and the box bottom is fixed above the main body top plate.

[0014] An embodiment of the present application also provides a beer machine, which includes the above-mentioned hop box, and the main body top plate is the main body top plate of the beer machine.

[0015] The beneficial effects that this application can achieve:

[0016] 1. It can realize automatic hop feeding, thereby reducing manual participation, improving production efficiency, and reducing beer quality differences caused by human errors;

[0017] 2. It reduces direct contact between people and raw materials, reduces the risk of cross contamination, and enables the entire brewing process to meet high standards of hygiene requirements;

[0018] 3. Since the capacity of the container is fixed, the amount of hops added can be precisely controlled, thus helping to maintain the stability and consistency of the beer flavor;

[0019] 4. By setting the holding grid as the initial position mark, the controller can automatically restore after the delivery or filling operation, which not only improves the reliability and stability of the system, but also simplifies the operation process and reduces the difficulty of operation.

[0020] 5. By setting a second opening associated with the number of tray grids as the identification of the receiving grid, the controller can achieve diversified control of the feeding amount, such as flexibly adjusting the feeding amount according to different formulas and process requirements, thereby meeting diverse needs.

[0021] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a hop box of a beer machine according to the present application is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a first opening and a second opening of a hop box of a beer machine of the present application is shown.

[0025] Explanation of the main component symbols: 1-box cover; 2-tray; 3-box bottom; 4-main body top plate; 5-output shaft; 6-motor bracket; 7-motor; 8-sensor; 51-shaft disk; 9-first opening; 10-second opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The term "comprising" in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application is synonymous with "including," "containing," or "characterized by," and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps. "Comprising" is a technical term used in claim language to mean that the recited elements are present, but other elements may be added and still form a structure or method within the scope of the claim.

[0027] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. The term "about" in this application is meant to include slight variations (up to + / - 10%) from the stated value.

[0028] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] The present application provides a hop box for a beer machine, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes a box cover 1, a tray 2, a box bottom 3, a main body top plate 4, an output shaft 5, a motor bracket 6 and a motor 7, which are arranged in sequence from top to bottom. The motor bracket 6 is fixed below the main body top plate 4, the motor 7 is fixed below the motor bracket 6, and the box bottom 3 is fixed above the main body top plate 4.

[0030] In some other embodiments, the box cover 1 may not be provided.

[0031] The box cover 1 is provided with a feeding port, and the feeding port of the box cover 1 is located at the edge thereof.

[0032] At least one receiving compartment for placing hops is provided on the top surface of the tray 2, and each two adjacent receiving compartments are separated by a partition. A connecting shaft is provided downward at the center of the bottom surface of the tray 2.

[0033] The bottom 3 of the box is provided with a discharge port, a through hole and a discharge pipe. The discharge port of the bottom 3 is located at the edge of the bottom 3, the discharge port is located below the feed port, and the through hole of the bottom 3 is located in the center of the bottom 3. The discharge pipe of the bottom 3 is used to guide the hops to fall, and the discharge port is connected to the discharge pipe downward.

[0034] The bottom 3 of the box has a step extending upwards, the diameter of the step is equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the box cover 1, and the bottom 3 of the box has an edge on its circumference, the outer diameter of the edge is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the box cover 1. When the box cover 1 is installed on the bottom 3 of the box, the box cover 1 can contact the bottom 3 of the box through the step and achieve the closing of the box bottom 3 by abutting the edge. The box cover 1 and the box bottom 3 are closed and connected to form a gap between the two.

[0035] The main body top plate 4 includes a fixed shaft and a discharge hole. The fixed shaft is a hollow structure. The fixed shaft is located below the through hole of the box bottom 3 and passes through the through hole to abut against the connecting shaft on the bottom surface of the tray 2. The discharge hole is located below the discharge port of the box bottom 3, and the discharge pipe of the box bottom 3 passes downward through the discharge port.

[0036] The output shaft 5 includes a shaft disc 51 located between the motor bracket 6 and the main body top plate 4. The bottom end of the output shaft 5 is connected to the output end of the motor 7, and the top end of the output shaft 5 passes through the fixed shaft and the through hole in sequence and is fixedly connected to the connecting shaft.

[0037] The motor 7 drives the output shaft 5 to rotate, thereby driving the tray 2 and the shaft disc 51 to rotate synchronously. At this time, the box cover 1, the box bottom 3 and the main body top plate 4 do not rotate.

[0038] In some other embodiments, since the top end of the output shaft 5 extends out of the fixed shaft to lift the connecting shaft, the fixed shaft may not abut against the connecting shaft.

[0039] The shaft disc 51 is provided with an indication area that cooperates with the sensor 8 to identify the rotational position of the tray 2 .

[0040] Specifically, the indication area includes a first opening 9 extending along the radius of the shaft disc 51 and located at the edge of the shaft disc 51 . The first opening 9 may be a U-shaped structure.

[0041] Sensor 8 is fixed to motor bracket 6 and located next to shaft disc 51. It includes an emitter that transmits a light beam and a receiver that receives the light beam. The position of the emitter and receiver constitutes the detection point of sensor 8. The edge of shaft disc 51 is located between the emitter and receiver. When tray 2 rotates to the initial position (i.e., first opening 9 reaches the detection point of sensor 8), the light beam can pass through first opening 9, allowing sensor 8 to receive the initial position signal.

[0042] The tray 2 has five compartments, each separated by a partition. The indicator area includes a second opening 10 extending along the radius of the shaft disc 51 and located at the edge of the shaft disc 51. The second opening 10 has a U-shaped structure. The number of second openings 10 is the same as the number of partitions, and each second opening 10 corresponds to a partition position in sequence.

[0043] like Figure 2As shown, the five second openings 10 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the shaft disc 51, and the angle between each two adjacent second openings 10 is 72°. The first opening 9 is located between two second openings 10. The angle between the first opening 9 and the second opening 10 adjacent to the first opening 9 in the clockwise direction is set to 47°, and the angle between the first opening 9 and the second opening 10 adjacent to the first opening 9 in the counterclockwise direction is set to 25°.

[0044] When the user of the beer machine needs to add hops, they first lift the lid 1 upwards, expose the tray 2, add hops to the receiving compartment, and then close the lid 1. After adding hops, the controller controls the motor 7 to drive the output shaft 5 to rotate clockwise (or counterclockwise) until the first opening 9 reaches the detection point of the sensor 8, stopping. At this time, the tray 2 is in the initial position.

[0045] When all the hops in the receiving compartments have been put in, the user needs to add hops to the receiving compartments of the tray 2 again.

[0046] When hops need to be added, the controller controls the motor 7 to drive the output shaft 5 to rotate clockwise (or counterclockwise). When the second opening 10 adjacent to the first opening 9 counterclockwise (or the second opening 10 adjacent to the first opening 9 clockwise) reaches the detection point, the receiver receives the light beam passing through the second opening 10, thereby triggering the sensor 8 to send a delivery signal to the controller. The controller controls the output shaft 5 to stop rotating based on the delivery signal. At this time, the first accommodating compartment is just aligned with the discharge port of the box bottom 3, and the hops in the first accommodating compartment fall into the beer through the discharge port and the discharge pipe, thereby completing the first hop delivery.

[0047] Each time delivery is required, the controller controls the output shaft 5 to rotate clockwise (or counterclockwise). When the second opening 10 reaches the detection point, the sensor 8 triggers the controller to control the output shaft 5 to stop rotating.

[0048] In some other embodiments, the indication area of the shaft disk 51 only has the first opening 9, and the second opening 10 is not required. The operation of adding hops and the operation of identifying that the tray 2 is in the initial position are the same as those in the above embodiment and will not be repeated here. The difference lies in the operation during the delivery. Specifically, when hops need to be delivered, the controller controls the motor 7 to drive the output shaft 5 to rotate 25° clockwise (or 47° counterclockwise), so that the first receiving compartment is aligned with the discharge port of the box bottom 3, and the hops in the first receiving compartment fall into the beer through the discharge port and the discharge pipe, thereby completing the first delivery of hops.

[0049] Each subsequent delivery can be achieved by controlling the motor 7 to drive the output shaft 5 to rotate 72° clockwise (or counterclockwise) through the controller.

[0050] In some other embodiments, the angle between the first opening 9 and the clockwise adjacent second opening 10 can be changed according to needs, such as 36°, 60°, 90°, 45° or other angles that meet 360° / N (N is a positive integer).

[0051] In some other embodiments, the number of compartments of the tray 2 can be changed according to demand, such as three compartments, four compartments, six compartments, and seven compartments.

[0052] In some other embodiments, the first opening 9 or the second opening 10 may be an elliptical, semicircular, triangular or fan-shaped structure.

[0053] In some other embodiments, the first opening 9 and the second opening 10 may have different shapes.

[0054] The present application also provides a beer machine having a beer machine main body top plate, which includes the above-mentioned beer machine hop box.

[0055] The above is a detailed introduction to the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of the present application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present application, there may be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A hop box for a beer machine, comprising a tray and a box bottom arranged in sequence from top to bottom, wherein the tray is provided with at least one receiving compartment for placing hops, and the box bottom is provided with a discharge port and a through hole, characterized in that: It also includes a motor and an output shaft located below the bottom of the box, one end of the output shaft is connected to the motor, and the other end of the output shaft passes through the through hole and is connected to the tray, the output shaft includes a shaft disk located between the motor and the bottom of the box, the motor drives the output shaft and then drives the tray and the shaft disk to rotate synchronously, the shaft disk is provided with an indication area, and the indication area cooperates with the sensor and the controller to identify the rotation position of the tray.

2. A hop box for a beer machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The indication area includes a first opening extending along the radius of the shaft disc, the sensor includes a transmitter for emitting a light beam and a receiver for receiving the light beam, the shaft disc is located between the transmitter and the receiver, and when the tray rotates to the initial position, the light beam can pass through the first opening and enable the sensor to receive the initial position signal.

3. The hop box of a beer machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The indicator area includes second openings extending along a radius of the shaft disc, and the number of the second openings is correlated with the number of the receiving compartments of the tray.

4. A hop box for a beer machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each two adjacent accommodating compartments are separated by a partition, the number of the second openings is the same as the number of the partitions, and each of the second openings corresponds to the position of each of the partitions in sequence.

5. The hop box of a beer machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first opening is any one of an elliptical, semicircular or U-shaped structure.

6. The hop box of a beer machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The second opening is any one of an elliptical, semicircular or U-shaped structure.

7. The hop box of a beer machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box cover further comprises a box lid, which can be installed and connected to the box bottom to form a cavity therebetween, the tray is located in the cavity, a feed port is provided on the box lid, the box bottom has a step extending upward, the bottom of the box bottom has a circumferential edge, the outer diameter of the edge is equal to or slightly larger than the outer wall diameter of the box lid, and when the box lid is installed on the box bottom, the box lid can contact the box bottom through the step, and achieve covering with the box bottom by abutting against the edge.

8. The hop box of a beer machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The through hole of the box bottom is located at its center, the discharge port of the box bottom is located at its edge, the discharge port is located below the feed port, and the box bottom is provided with a discharge pipe for guiding the hops to fall, and the discharge port is downwardly connected to the discharge pipe.

9. The hop box of a beer machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a main body top plate and a motor bracket, wherein the motor bracket is fixed below the main body top plate, the motor is fixed to the motor bracket, and the box bottom is fixed above the main body top plate.

10. A beer machine, characterized in that: A hop box of a beer machine comprising the method according to claim 9, wherein the main body top plate is the main body top plate of the beer machine.

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