Quantitative powder feeding device and beverage brewing machine using same
By improving the structure of the powder dispensing device and adopting a time-separated metering chamber design for the metering inlet and outlet, the problem of powder jamming was solved, enabling accurate and rapid dispensing of powder and improving the operating efficiency of the beverage mixing machine and the quality of the beverage.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422671534.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-04
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-14
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-11-04
AI Technical Summary
The existing powder dispensing device has a powder jamming problem, which leads to inaccurate powder dispensing.
The structure includes a powder hopper, a first rotating disk, a second rotating disk, and a stop block. The powder is quantitatively dispensed by passing through the metering hopper at different times through the metering inlet and metering outlet. This prevents the powder from entering the gap between the rotating disk and the powder hopper. The fixed position of the metering hopper and the effect of gravity ensure accurate dispensing.
The problem of powder clogging has been solved, enabling accurate and fast powder dispensing, and improving the operating efficiency of beverage mixing machines and the consistency of beverage quality.
Smart Images
Figure CN223541769U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of beverage preparation equipment technology, specifically to a powder dispensing device and a beverage mixing machine using the device. Background Technology
[0002] A beverage preparation machine is a device used to prepare powdered foods such as milk powder, coffee, and rice noodles. It automatically completes the processes of adding powder, liquid, and mixing the powder and liquid. Using a beverage preparation machine eliminates the tedious steps of manually removing powder from the container, adding liquid to the preparation vessel, and manually mixing the powder and liquid, thus saving time and improving quality of life. For example, when newborns are frequently fed at night, placing the beverage preparation machine by the bedside allows for automatic preparation of formula. This eliminates the need for mothers to get up to find formula, bottles, and water for nighttime feedings, reducing the burden of nighttime feedings.
[0003] Utility model patent document CN214548912U discloses a fully automatic beverage preparation device (i.e., the beverage mixing machine mentioned above). This fully automatic beverage preparation device has a material-grabbing mechanism for automatically dispensing powder, also known as a powder dispensing device. Its main structure includes a material-grabbing body with a material-grabbing inlet and outlet. A material-grabbing shaft driven by a material-grabbing motor is installed inside the material-grabbing body, and the material-grabbing shaft is equipped with spiral blades. The material-grabbing motor drives the material-grabbing shaft to rotate, which in turn drives the spiral blades to rotate, realizing automatic material grabbing and dispensing the retrieved powder into the mixing container. The disadvantage of this material-grabbing mechanism is that during the rotation of the spiral blades, the powder is compressed and becomes compacted, leaving residual powder inside the material-grabbing body before each dispensing, resulting in inaccurate powder dispensing.
[0004] To address this, a novel powder dispensing device has emerged in the prior art. This device includes a powder hopper containing a rotating disk driven by a power unit to rotate around a vertical axis. The rotating disk has several metering holes around its center of rotation. A discharge port is located at the bottom of the powder hopper, and a stop block is positioned above the rotating disk and directly opposite the discharge port. As the rotating disk rotates, metering holes continuously reach the position below the stop block and align with the discharge port. At this point, the powder in the metering holes falls through the discharge port into a mixing container located below. By calculating the number of times the metering holes pass through the discharge port and multiplying this number by the volume of the metering holes, the amount of powder added to the mixing container is determined. During the dispensing process, the powder enters the metering holes by gravity and then naturally flows through the discharge port into the mixing container. Therefore, the powder is not subjected to compressive forces. When the metering holes leave the discharge port as the rotating disk rotates, no powder remains in the metering holes. Thus, the powder dispensing amount is more accurate.
[0005] However, the existing powder dispensing device also has some drawbacks: after the powder enters the metering hole, it will enter the gap between the rotating disk and the powder hopper through the lower opening of the metering hole, causing powder to get stuck; as the rotating disk continues to rotate, the powder remaining in the gap will enter the mixing vessel through the discharge port, so the powder dispensing is still not accurate enough. Summary of the Invention
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a powder dispensing device that solves the powder jamming problem in the prior art and improves the accuracy of powder dispensing.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the powder dispensing device provided by this utility model includes a powder silo with a discharge port at the bottom. The powder silo is equipped with a first rotating disk, a second rotating disk, and a stop block. The first and second rotating disks are spaced vertically and rotatably installed in the powder silo so as to be able to rotate around the same vertical axis. The stop block is located between the first and second rotating disks and fixed in the powder silo. The stop block is equipped with a metering chamber with openings at the top and bottom, and the metering chamber corresponds vertically to the discharge port. The first and second rotating disks are respectively equipped with a metering inlet and a metering outlet. The first and second rotating disks are driven by a power device to make the metering inlet and the metering outlet pass through the metering chambers at different times.
[0008] With the above structure, before adding powder to the mixing container, the metering inlet is aligned with the metering chamber, allowing powder in the powder chamber to fall into the metering chamber through the metering inlet. When powder needs to be added to the mixing container, the power unit drives the first and second rotating discs to rotate, moving the metering inlet away from the metering chamber and the metering outlet aligned with the metering chamber. Powder in the metering chamber falls into the mixing container through the discharge port, thus achieving quantitative powder addition. The powder enters the metering chamber by gravity, and the metering chamber remains stationary. After the second rotating disc aligns with the metering chamber, the powder immediately falls into the mixing container through the discharge port. Therefore, no powder will enter the gap between the second rotating disc and the powder chamber, preventing powder jamming. Powder addition is based on the volume of the metering chamber, resulting in more accurate powder addition. The metering chamber has a larger volume than the metering orifice in existing technologies, allowing for complete addition in one go, thus making powder addition faster.
[0009] Furthermore, the first and second rotating disks can be driven by the same power unit or by two separate power units. Both methods enable the metering inlet and metering outlet to pass through the metering chamber at different times, allowing the powder to enter and exit the metering chamber separately, thus achieving quantitative metering and dispensing of the powder.
[0010] Furthermore, the stop block is provided with a through hole penetrating its top and bottom surfaces. A connecting shaft is provided between the first and second rotating disks, passing through the through hole. The upper and lower ends of the connecting shaft are respectively connected to the first and second rotating disks. With the above structure, the connecting shaft connects the first and second rotating disks, and the first and second rotating disks can be driven by the same power device, reliably realizing the quantitative metering and quantitative dispensing of powder.
[0011] Furthermore, the upper end of the connecting shaft is detachably connected to the first rotating disk, and / or the lower end of the connecting shaft is detachably connected to the second rotating disk. With this mechanism, at least one of the first and second rotating disks can be separated from the connecting shaft, facilitating assembly and maintenance.
[0012] Furthermore, the upper end of the connecting shaft is fixedly connected to the first rotating disk, and the lower end of the connecting shaft is fixedly connected to the second rotating disk. The stop block includes left and right parts, each with a semicircular groove on its opposite side, and the two semicircular grooves together form the through hole. With the above structure, the first rotating disk, the second rotating disk, and the connecting shaft are integrated into one structure, making the connection between the three more secure. The stop block adopts a two-part design, which facilitates the assembly of the stop block with the components consisting of the first rotating disk, the second rotating disk, and the connecting shaft.
[0013] Furthermore, the power unit is an electric motor installed on the bottom of the powder silo, and the power output shaft of the electric motor is poweredly connected to the component formed by the first rotating disk, the second rotating disk, and the connecting shaft. This structure enables integrated driving of the first rotating disk and the second rotating disk, allowing the metering inlet and metering outlet to pass through the metering silo at different times.
[0014] Furthermore, the first rotating disk has multiple metering inlet holes arranged around its rotation center, and the second rotating disk has multiple metering outlet holes arranged around its rotation center. The metering inlet holes and metering outlet holes are alternately distributed around the rotation centers of the two rotating disks. With the above structure, the action of material powder entering and leaving the metering chamber can be completed by rotating the two rotating disks at a certain angle, and the response speed is relatively fast.
[0015] Furthermore, the metering chamber is equipped with a detachable volume-limiting sleeve. By replacing the volume-limiting sleeve with different volumes, the amount of powder dispensed can be changed, making it more flexible to use.
[0016] Furthermore, the side circumference of the baffle is close to the inner wall of the powder hopper. Both the top and bottom surfaces of the baffle are provided with mounting grooves, within which the first and second rotating disks are located. The top surface of the baffle has an upper sealing groove surrounding the upper edge of the metering hopper, and the bottom surface of the baffle has a lower sealing groove surrounding the lower edge of the metering hopper. Both the upper and lower sealing grooves are equipped with sealing elements. This prevents powder from entering the gap between the baffle and the powder hopper, and also prevents powder from entering the gap between the second rotating disk and the powder hopper, thus preventing powder jamming and improving the accuracy of quantitative feeding.
[0017] This utility model also provides a beverage mixing machine, which includes a powder dispensing device. The powder dispensing device can adopt any of the structures described above. After applying the powder dispensing device, the powder dispensing process of the beverage mixing machine is faster and the powder dispensing amount is more accurate.
[0018] In summary, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: By improving the powder dispensing device, this utility model solves the problem of powder jamming between the second rotating disc and the powder bin, and the powder dispensing is more accurate; the application of this powder dispensing device in beverage mixing machines can make the powder dispensing process faster and the amount of powder dispensed more accurate, resulting in consistent beverage quality. Attached Figure Description
[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first embodiment of the powder quantitative dispensing device of this utility model;
[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Top view of the first rotating disk in the illustrated embodiment;
[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Top view of the second rotating disk in the illustrated embodiment;
[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second embodiment of the powder dispensing device of this utility model;
[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure after being cut along line AA in the middle;
[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an existing powder dispensing device;
[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure from a top-down view.
[0026] In the diagram: 1. Material hopper, 2. Material inlet, 3. First rotating disc, 4. Second rotating disc, 5. Stop block, 6. Vertical axis, 7. Metering bin, 8. Metering inlet, 9. Metering outlet, 10. Power unit, 11. Through hole, 12. Connecting shaft, 13. Capacity limiting sleeve, 14. Mounting groove, 15. Upper sealing groove, 16. Lower sealing groove, 17. Seal, 18. Metering hole. Detailed Implementation
[0027] Reference Figure 6 , Figure 7 The existing powder dispensing device includes a powder silo 1, inside which is installed a second rotating disk 4 driven by a power device 10 that can rotate around a vertical axis 6. The second rotating disk 4 has a plurality of metering holes 18 around its rotation center. The bottom of the powder silo 1 has a discharge port 2. The powder silo 1 has a baffle 5, which is located above the second rotating disk 4 and directly opposite the discharge port 2. When the power device 10 drives the second rotating disk 4, the metering holes 18 continuously reach the position below the baffle 5 and align with the discharge port 2. At this time, the powder in the metering holes 18 can fall into the mixing container located below through the discharge port 2. By measuring the number of times the metering holes 18 pass through the discharge port 2 and multiplying it by the volume of the metering holes 18, the amount of powder added to the mixing container is obtained. During the feeding process, the powder enters the metering hole by gravity and then naturally enters the mixing vessel through the discharge port 2. Therefore, the powder is not subjected to squeezing force. When the metering hole 18 leaves the discharge port as the rotating disc rotates, no powder remains in the metering hole 18, thereby improving the accuracy of powder feeding. However, this powder feeding device also has some drawbacks: after entering the metering hole 18, the powder will enter the gap between the second rotating disc 4 and the powder hopper 1 through the lower opening of the metering hole 18, causing powder jamming; as the second rotating disc 4 continues to rotate, the powder remaining in the gap will enter the mixing vessel through the discharge port 2, resulting in inaccurate powder feeding.
[0028] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention has improved the powder dispensing device and the beverage mixing machine.
[0029] Figures 1 to 3 The first embodiment of the powder dispensing device is illustrated.
[0030] Figure 4 , Figure 5 The second embodiment of the powder dispensing device is illustrated.
[0031] Reference Figures 1 to 3In the first embodiment of the powder dispensing device, the powder dispensing device includes a powder hopper 1. The bottom of the powder hopper 1 has a discharge port 2. The powder hopper 1 is provided with a first rotating disk 3, a second rotating disk 4, and a stop block 5. The first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 are spaced vertically and are rotatably installed in the powder hopper 1 in a manner that allows them to rotate around the same vertical axis 6. The stop block 5 is located between the first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 and is fixed in the powder hopper 1. The stop block 5 is provided with a metering chamber 7 with openings at the top and bottom. The metering chamber 7 corresponds vertically to the discharge port 2. The first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 are respectively provided with a metering inlet hole 8 and a metering outlet hole 9. The first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 are driven by a power device 10 to make the metering inlet hole 8 and the metering outlet hole 9 pass through the metering chamber 7 at different times.
[0032] The powder dispensing device operates as follows: Before dispensing powder into the mixing vessel, the metering inlet 8 faces the metering chamber 7, and the metering outlet 9 is away from the metering chamber 7. The powder in the powder chamber 1 falls into the metering chamber 7 through the metering inlet 8. When it is necessary to dispense powder into the mixing vessel, the power unit 10 drives the first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 to rotate. The metering inlet 8 moves away from the metering chamber 7, and the metering outlet 9 faces the metering chamber 7. The powder in the powder chamber 1 cannot enter the metering chamber 7. The powder in the metering chamber 7 falls into the mixing vessel through the discharge port 2, thereby achieving the quantitative dispensing of powder. The powder enters the metering chamber 7 by gravity, and the metering chamber 7 remains stationary. After the second rotating disk 4 aligns with the metering chamber 7, the powder immediately falls into the mixing vessel through the discharge port 2. Therefore, no powder will enter the gap between the second rotating disk 4 and the powder chamber 1, and there will be no powder jamming problem. The powder is added based on the volume of the metering chamber 7, which is quite accurate. The metering chamber 7 can have a larger volume than the metering hole 18 in the prior art, and the powder is added more quickly.
[0033] In this invention, the first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 are driven by the same power device 10, or they can be driven by two separate power devices 10. In this embodiment, the first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 are driven by the same power device 10.
[0034] In order to enable the same power device 10 to drive the first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 to rotate, in this embodiment, a connecting shaft 12 is provided between the first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4, and the upper and lower ends of the connecting shaft 12 are respectively connected to the first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4. The first rotating disk 3, the second rotating disk 4, and the connecting shaft 12 together form a single component.
[0035] In this embodiment, the power unit 10 is an electric motor installed on the bottom surface of the powder silo 1, and the power output shaft of the electric motor is connected to the component formed by the first rotating disk 3, the second rotating disk 4, and the connecting shaft 12.
[0036] In some embodiments of this utility model, the first rotating disk 3, the second rotating disk 4, and the connecting shaft 12 can be fixedly connected or detachably connected. Alternatively, one can be fixedly connected to the connecting shaft 12, while the other is detachably connected to it. In this embodiment, the stop block 5 has a through hole 11 penetrating its top and bottom surfaces. The connecting shaft 12 passes through the through hole 11, and its upper end is detachably connected to the first rotating disk 3, while its lower end is detachably connected to the second rotating disk 4. The detachable connection mentioned here includes, but is not limited to, bolted connections, mortise and tenon connections, etc.
[0037] In this invention, the first rotating disk 3 may have one or more metering feed holes 8; the second rotating disk 4 may have one or more metering discharge holes 9. In this embodiment, the first rotating disk 3 has four metering feed holes 8 arranged around its rotation center, and the second rotating disk 4 has four metering discharge holes 9 arranged around its rotation center. The metering feed holes 8 and metering discharge holes 9 are alternately distributed around the rotation centers of the two rotating disks.
[0038] Since the volume of the metering chamber 7 is fixed, the amount of powder fed is limited by the volume of the metering chamber 7. To solve this problem and adjust the amount of powder fed, a detachable limiting sleeve 13 is installed inside the metering chamber 7. By replacing the limiting sleeve 13 with one of different volumes, the amount of powder fed can be changed.
[0039] To further prevent powder from getting stuck in the gaps between the components of the powder dispensing device, this embodiment has made further improvements: the side circumference of the baffle 5 is close to the inner wall of the powder hopper 1, and the top and bottom surfaces of the baffle 5 are provided with mounting grooves 14. The first rotating disk 3 and the second rotating disk 4 are located in the two mounting grooves 14. The top surface of the baffle 5 is provided with an upper sealing groove 15 surrounding the upper edge of the metering hopper 7, and the bottom surface of the baffle 5 is provided with a lower sealing groove 16 surrounding the lower edge of the metering hopper 7. Both the upper sealing groove 15 and the lower sealing groove 16 are equipped with sealing elements 17.
[0040] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 The second embodiment of the powder dispensing device differs slightly from the first embodiment in that the upper end of the connecting shaft 12 is fixedly connected to the first rotating disk 3, and the lower end of the connecting shaft 12 is fixedly connected to the second rotating disk 4. The stop block 5 comprises left and right parts, each with a semicircular groove on its opposite side, and the two semicircular grooves together form the through hole 11.
[0041] This utility model also improves the beverage mixing machine. The improved beverage mixing machine includes a powder dispensing device. The powder dispensing device can adopt any embodiment of the powder dispensing device in this utility model. The application of this powder dispensing device makes the powder dispensing process of the beverage mixing machine faster and the amount of powder dispensed more accurate, so that the quality of the mixed beverage is consistent.
[0042] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0043] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.
Claims
1. A powder dispensing device, comprising a powder silo (1), the bottom of which has a discharge port (2), characterized in that, The powder silo (1) is provided with a first rotating disk (3), a second rotating disk (4), and a stop block (5). The first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4) are spaced apart vertically and are rotatably installed in the powder silo (1) in a manner that allows them to rotate around the same vertical axis (6). The stop block (5) is located between the first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4) and is fixed in the powder silo (1). The stop block (5) is provided with a metering chamber (7) with openings at the top and bottom. The metering chamber (7) corresponds vertically to the discharge port (2). The first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4) are respectively provided with a metering feed hole (8) and a metering discharge hole (9). The first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4) are driven by a power device (10) to make the metering feed hole (8) and the metering discharge hole (9) pass through the metering chamber (7) at different times.
2. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4) are driven by the same power device (10) or the first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4) are driven by two power devices (10) respectively.
3. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The stop block (5) is provided with a through hole (11) that passes through its top and bottom surfaces. A connecting shaft (12) is provided between the first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4). The connecting shaft (12) passes through the through hole (11), and the upper and lower ends of the connecting shaft (12) are respectively connected to the first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4).
4. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The upper end of the connecting shaft (12) is detachably connected to the first rotating disk (3), and / or the lower end of the connecting shaft (12) is detachably connected to the second rotating disk (4).
5. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The upper end of the connecting shaft (12) is fixedly connected to the first rotating disk (3), and the lower end of the connecting shaft (12) is fixedly connected to the second rotating disk (4). The stop block (5) includes two parts, left and right, each with a semicircular groove on its opposite side. The two semicircular grooves together form the through hole (11).
6. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The power unit (10) is an electric motor installed on the bottom surface of the powder silo (1). The power output shaft of the electric motor is connected to the component formed by the first rotating disk (3), the second rotating disk (4), and the connecting shaft (12).
7. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first rotating disk (3) has multiple metering feed holes (8) arranged around its rotation center, and the second rotating disk (4) has multiple metering discharge holes (9) arranged around its rotation center. The metering feed holes (8) and metering discharge holes (9) are alternately distributed around the rotation center of the two rotating disks.
8. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The metering chamber (7) is equipped with a detachable volume-limiting sleeve (13).
9. The powder dispensing device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The side circumference of the baffle (5) is close to the inner wall of the powder hopper (1). The top and bottom surfaces of the baffle (5) are provided with mounting grooves (14). The first rotating disk (3) and the second rotating disk (4) are located in the two mounting grooves (14). The top surface of the baffle (5) is provided with an upper sealing groove (15) surrounding the upper edge of the metering hopper (7). The bottom surface of the baffle (5) is provided with a lower sealing groove (16) surrounding the lower edge of the metering hopper (7). Both the upper sealing groove (15) and the lower sealing groove (16) are equipped with sealing elements (17).
10. A beverage mixing machine, characterized in that, The beverage mixing machine includes a powder dispensing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.