Beverage equipment and powder feeder thereof

Abstract

The utility model discloses beverage equipment and a powder feeder thereof, and relates to the technical field of beverage making, the powder feeder for the beverage equipment comprises a powder box suitable for being matched with the beverage equipment and a powder stirrer arranged in the powder box, the powder box is provided with a cavity used for receiving powder materials and a powder opening used for conveying the powder materials to the beverage equipment. The powder stirrer comprises a stirring assembly located in the cavity, and the stirring assembly is driven by a motor and used for pushing powder materials to the powder opening. Wherein the stirring assembly is of a non-axisymmetric structure, and when the stirring assembly rotates in the powder material, the stirring assembly causes cyclic vertical movement of the powder material to prevent the powder material from gathering together to form a bridge. According to the powder feeder, the powder materials are effectively prevented from being gathered to form a bridge by causing circulating vertical movement of the powder materials, so that smooth flowing and stable conveying of the powder materials are guaranteed, and the manufacturing efficiency and quality of beverage equipment are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of beverage making, and in particular to a beverage device and a powder feeder thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] In order to improve the use experience and convenience during beverage making, a powder feeder is usually used to store and distribute powder materials.

[0003] At present, the powder feeder has the following defects. One major problem is that the powder is prone to form a bridge phenomenon inside the powder feeder, which leads to unsmooth powder flow and insufficient powder feeding, affecting beverage making. Therefore, the internal structure design of the existing device is often not perfect, and it is difficult to effectively eliminate the adhesion and friction between the powders, thereby further exacerbating the bridge phenomenon and insufficient powder feeding. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a powder feeder that effectively prevents the aggregation of powder materials to form a bridge by causing the cyclic vertical movement of the powder materials, thereby ensuring the smooth flow and stable delivery of the powder materials and improving the production efficiency and quality of the beverage device. Another purpose of the present application is to provide a beverage device.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purposes, the present application provides a powder feeder for a beverage device, comprising:

[0006] a powder tank adapted to cooperate with the beverage device, the powder tank having a cavity for receiving powder materials and a powder port for delivering the powder materials to the beverage device; and

[0007] a powder agitator provided in the powder tank, the powder agitator comprising an agitating assembly located in the cavity, the agitating assembly being driven by a motor for pushing the powder materials towards the powder port;

[0008] wherein the agitating assembly is a non-axisymmetric structure, and when the agitating assembly rotates in the powder materials, the agitating assembly causes the cyclic vertical movement of the powder materials to prevent the powder materials from aggregating together to form a bridge.

[0009] In some embodiments, the agitating assembly has a first face, a second face, and a lower surface, the first face and the second face intersecting to form a three-dimensional ridge that is non-axisymmetric with the rotation axis of the agitating assembly.

[0010] In some embodiments, the agitating assembly has a non-axisymmetric shape, including one or more of a triangle, a rectangle, an ellipse, a circle, and an egg shape, which can form a three-dimensional ridge.

[0011] In some embodiments, the movement of the agitating assembly is unidirectional.

[0012] In some embodiments, the movement of the stirring assembly is a reciprocating movement.

[0013] In some embodiments, the stirring assembly has a defined rest position, and a lower surface of the stirring assembly is adapted to form a seal around the powder port at the rest position.

[0014] In some embodiments, at least one of the lower surface of the stirring assembly and the inner surface of the cavity is provided with a seal made of soft rubber or thermoplastic, and is adapted to form an air-tight seal around the powder port when the stirring assembly is in the rest position.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second face is a continuous smooth face; and / or,

[0016] The first face comprises a conical face and first and second fan-shaped faces on either side of the conical face.

[0017] In some embodiments, the powder tank comprises a first tank body and a second tank body connected together, the first and second tank bodies combined form the cavity.

[0018] The present application also provides a beverage apparatus comprising the above-mentioned powder feeder.

[0019] In view of the above background, the present application provides a powder feeder for a beverage apparatus, which mainly comprises a powder tank adapted to cooperate with the beverage apparatus and a powder stirrer arranged in the powder tank, the powder tank having a cavity for receiving powder material and a powder port for delivering the powder material to the beverage apparatus; the powder stirrer comprises a stirring assembly in the cavity, the stirring assembly is driven by a motor for pushing the powder material towards the powder port; wherein the stirring assembly is of a non-axisymmetric structure, when the stirring assembly rotates in the powder material, the stirring assembly causes a cyclic vertical movement of the powder material to prevent the powder material from gathering together to form a bridge.

[0020] During the powder feeding process of a beverage apparatus, a common problem is that the powder material tends to gather and form a bridge in the powder tank, which can cause the powder flow to be blocked, thereby affecting the continuous production and final quality of the beverage. The formation of the bridge is usually due to the adhesion and friction between the powders, as well as the interaction between the powders and the container wall. The conventional powder feeder does not have sufficient mechanism to break the gathering state of the powders, resulting in uneven powder feeding or powder feeding failure.

[0021] To solve this problem, the present application provides an innovative powder feeder, the core of which is the adoption of a stirring assembly with a non-axisymmetric structure. This stirring assembly, driven by a motor, can generate a circulating vertical motion in the powder material. This motion mode can effectively disturb the powder material and break up the aggregation structure between the powders, thereby preventing the formation of bridges.

[0022] Since the stirring assembly is designed to be non-axisymmetric, the forces generated during its rotation are not uniformly distributed. This non-symmetry helps to generate more complex flow patterns in the powder material, further preventing powder aggregation. In addition, the stirring assembly also helps to transport the powder material to the powder outlet, as it can generate a circulating flow in the powder material, pushing the powder towards the discharge outlet. Through this design, the powder feeder can ensure smooth flow and stable transport of the powder material, regardless of the type or characteristics of the powder material. This not only improves the production efficiency of the beverage equipment, but also ensures the quality and consistency of each cup of beverage.

[0023] In combination with the above structure and process description, it can be seen that the powder feeder has at least the following beneficial effects: the powder feeder effectively prevents the powder material from aggregating to form a bridge by causing a circulating vertical motion of the powder material, thereby ensuring smooth flow and stable transport of the powder material, and improving the production efficiency and quality of the beverage equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor on the basis of the provided drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the powder feeder and beverage equipment provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the powder feeder provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0027] Figure 3 The front view of the powder feeder provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0028] Figure 4 The first position diagram of the powder stirrer provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0029] Figure 5 The second position diagram of the powder stirrer provided by the embodiments of the present application;

[0030] Figure 6A top view of the stirring assembly provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 7 A side view of the stirring assembly provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 8 A front view of the stirring assembly provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 9 A third position view of the powder stirrer provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 10 A fourth position view of the powder stirrer provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Wherein:

[0036] The powder feeder 100, the powder tank 1, the cavity 11, the powder port 12, the first tank body 101, the second tank body 102, the powder stirrer 2, the stirring assembly 21, the first face 211, the conical face 2111, the first fan face 2112, the second fan face 2113, the second face 212, the lower surface 213, the three-dimensional ridge 214, the motor 22, the seal 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0038] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic view of the powder feeder and beverage equipment provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0040] As Figure 1 shown, a structure diagram of the powder feeder 100 provided in the beverage equipment is shown, the powder feeder 100 is located at the top of the beverage equipment, and its main function is to provide the required powder material to the beverage equipment.

[0041] Figure 1The powder feeder 100 is shown in combination with a beverage device, which is only one application scenario of the present embodiment. In fact, the powder feeder 100 is designed with good versatility and adaptability, which can be set in other types of beverage devices. For example, it can also be applicable to coffee machines, hot chocolate machines, milkshake machines or other beverage making devices that require powder materials. Therefore, the application of the powder feeder 100 is not limited to the illustrated beverage device, and it can be adjusted and adapted according to the specific needs and design of different beverage devices.

[0042] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 and refer to Figures 2 to 5 wherein, Figure 2 a schematic diagram of the powder feeder provided by the present embodiment, Figure 3 a front view of the powder feeder provided by the present embodiment, Figure 4 a first position diagram of the powder stirrer provided by the present embodiment, Figure 5 a second position diagram of the powder stirrer provided by the present embodiment.

[0043] In a first specific embodiment, the powder feeder 100 for a beverage device provided by the present embodiment scheme mainly comprises a powder tank 1 adapted to cooperate with the beverage device and a powder stirrer 2 arranged in the powder tank 1, the powder tank 1 has a cavity 11 for receiving powder materials and a powder port 12 for delivering the powder materials to the beverage device; the powder stirrer 2 comprises a stirring assembly 21 located in the cavity 11, the stirring assembly 21 is driven by a motor 22 for pushing the powder materials towards the powder port 12; wherein the stirring assembly 21 is a non-axisymmetric structure, when the stirring assembly 21 rotates in the powder materials, the stirring assembly 21 causes a cyclic vertical motion of the powder materials to prevent the powder materials from gathering together to form a bridge.

[0044] It should be noted that the stirring assembly 21 is a non-axisymmetric structure, which means that the stirring assembly 21 has a non-axisymmetric volume, referring to its asymmetric shape under the rotation axis.

[0045] During the powder feeding process of the beverage device, a common problem is that the powder materials tend to gather and form a bridge in the powder tank 1, which can cause the powder flow to be blocked, thereby affecting the continuous production and final quality of the beverage. The formation of the bridge is usually due to the adhesion and friction between the powders, as well as the interaction between the powders and the container wall. The traditional powder feeder does not have enough mechanism to break the gathering state of the powders, resulting in uneven powder feeding or powder feeding failure.

[0046] To address this issue, the present application provides an innovative powder feeder 100, which is characterized by the adoption of a non-axisymmetric stirring assembly 21. This stirring assembly 21, under the drive of a motor 22, is capable of generating a circulating vertical motion within the powder material. This motion pattern effectively disturbs the powder material, breaking up the aggregated structure between the powders, thereby preventing the formation of bridges.

[0047] Due to the non-axisymmetric design of the stirring assembly 21, the forces generated during its rotation are not uniformly distributed. This asymmetry helps to create more complex flow patterns in the powder material, further preventing powder aggregation. In addition, the stirring assembly 21 also facilitates the delivery of powder material to the powder outlet 12, as it can generate a circulating flow in the powder material, pushing the powder towards the outlet. Through this design, the powder feeder 100 can ensure smooth flow and stable delivery of powder material, regardless of the type or characteristics of the powder material. This not only improves the production efficiency of the beverage equipment, but also ensures the quality and consistency of each cup of beverage.

[0048] In combination with the above structure and process description, it can be seen that the powder feeder 100 has at least the following beneficial effects: the powder feeder 100 effectively prevents the aggregation of powder material to form bridges by causing a circulating vertical motion of the powder material, thereby ensuring smooth flow and stable delivery of the powder material, improving the production efficiency and quality of the beverage equipment.

[0049] The use of the powder feeder 100 in combination with the beverage equipment is illustrated as follows.

[0050] Before use, the powder material, such as coffee powder, needs to be added to the cavity 11 of the powder tank 1. The powder tank 1 is located at the top of the beverage equipment, facilitating the addition and replenishment of powder material.

[0051] When the user is ready to make a cup of beverage, the control system of the beverage equipment will start the powder stirrer 2. The stirring assembly 21 of the powder stirrer 2 then begins to rotate in the cavity 11, mixing and dispersing the powder material. The design of the stirring assembly 21 helps to prevent the formation of bridges in the powder tank 1 due to adhesion and friction, ensuring smooth flow of the powder.

[0052] As the stirring assembly 21 rotates, the powder material is effectively broken up and pushed to the powder outlet 12. The powder outlet 12 is directly connected to the brewing components of the beverage equipment, ensuring that the powder material can be smoothly delivered to the brewing process. In this way, the powder material can be uniformly introduced into the beverage production process, avoiding inconsistencies in beverage quality due to poor powder flow.

[0053] Throughout the process, the motor 22 of the powder stirrer 2 can be precisely controlled according to the parameters (such as rotation direction, rotation number, rotation speed, and rotation torque) preset by the control system of the beverage equipment, ensuring stable supply of powder materials and consistent quality of beverages.

[0054] In summary, the combination of the powder feeder 100 with the beverage equipment not only improves the efficiency of beverage production, but also ensures the quality and consistency of the taste of each cup of beverage, providing users with a convenient and reliable beverage production experience.

[0055] Please refer to Figures 6 to 10 , wherein, Figure 6 is a top view of the stirring assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application, Figure 7 is a side view of the stirring assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application, Figure 8 is a front view of the stirring assembly provided by an embodiment of the present application, Figure 9 is a third position diagram of the powder stirrer provided by an embodiment of the present application, Figure 10 is a fourth position diagram of the powder stirrer provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0056] In some embodiments, the stirring assembly 21 has a first face 211, a second face 212, and a lower surface 213, and the first face 211 and the second face 212 intersect to form a three-dimensional ridge 214 that is non-axially symmetric with respect to the rotation axis of the stirring assembly 21.

[0057] In this embodiment, the design of the stirring assembly 21 particularly focuses on its non-axial symmetry, which helps to generate effective circulating vertical motion within the powder material. The stirring assembly 21 intersects its first face 211 and second face 212 to form a non-axially symmetric three-dimensional ridge 214. This three-dimensional ridge 214 is in a non-axially symmetric position with respect to the rotation axis of the stirring assembly 21, which means it is not located on the centerline of the rotation axis, but is offset from the center.

[0058] This non-axially symmetric structure has several important benefits. First, it can ensure that the stirring assembly 21, when rotating, can generate a force that radiates outward from the center within the powder material, which helps to break up the aggregation between the powder and prevent the formation of bridges. Second, the presence of the three-dimensional ridge 214 allows the stirring assembly 21 to more effectively disturb the powder material when rotating, increasing the flowability between the powder and making the powder material more evenly distributed throughout the cavity 11 of the powder tank.

[0059] The lower surface 213 of the stirring assembly 21 serves as a support surface on its underside, which is in contact with the inner surface of the cavity 11 of the powder tank 1 during stirring, providing a stable base to ensure the stability and efficiency of the stirring assembly 21 throughout the stirring process. This design helps to maintain the dynamic balance of the stirring assembly 21 during rotation, while reducing the possibility of uneven stirring caused by powder accumulation.

[0060] In some cases, as Figure 4 As an example, the design of the stirring assembly 21 has a clear non-axisymmetric feature, where the first face 211 serves as the front face of the stirring assembly 21, and the second face 212 serves as the back face. At the intersection of the two faces, a three-dimensional ridge 214 is formed, which resembles a high-low changing edge connecting the front and back faces of the stirring assembly 21. The three-dimensional ridge 214 is characterized by its height difference and slope, such as being higher in the center and lower on both sides, gradually decreasing from the center to both sides. This structural design allows the stirring assembly 21 to utilize its height difference and slope to produce a cyclic vertical motion of the powder material when rotating along the rotation axis.

[0061] The effect of this vertical motion is that the three-dimensional ridge 214 exerts an upward force on the powder material during rotation, causing the powder to temporarily rise and then fall under the action of gravity. This cyclic motion effectively breaks the bridge structure that may form between the powder particles. At the same time, the slope of the stirring assembly 21 helps to push the powder material towards the bottom of the powder tank, ensuring that the powder material can flow smoothly to the powder outlet 12, thereby achieving uniform and continuous powder delivery.

[0062] Through the design of this non-axisymmetric structure, the stirring assembly 21 not only prevents the formation of bridges in the powder tank 1, but also ensures that the powder material remains in a flowing state throughout the stirring and delivery process, avoiding the re-formation of bridges during stirring. This design improves the efficiency and reliability of the powder feeder 100, ensuring smooth flow and stable delivery of the powder material, and improving the production efficiency and quality of the beverage equipment.

[0063] In other words, the structural feature of the three-dimensional ridge 214 also reflects the expanding feature of the stirring assembly 21. From the longitudinal section of the powder tank 1, this expanding feature of the stirring assembly 21 appears as a slant line from top to bottom, and the specific shape of the slant line can be a straight line or an arc line of some form. Whether it is a straight line or an arc line, such a high-low changing design helps to induce the cyclic vertical motion of the powder material.

[0064] Furthermore, the diverging design of the stirring assembly 21 also helps to reduce the accumulation of powder material during stirring, making it easier to unload the powder material from the stirring assembly 21. This design does not limit the specific diverging form of the stirring assembly 21, providing flexibility for the design of the stirring assembly 21, as long as it can achieve the effect of promoting the flow and stirring of the powder material, it can be considered as part of the present embodiment.

[0065] In some embodiments, the stirring assembly 21 has a non-axisymmetric shape, including one or more of a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, a circular shape, an egg shape, which can form a three-dimensional ridge 214.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the design of the stirring assembly 21 adopts a non-axisymmetric shape, which means that the geometry of the stirring assembly 21 is not symmetric around its rotation axis. Specifically, the stirring assembly 21 can be any of a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, a circular shape, an egg shape, or a combination of these shapes, or even other free shapes. The common feature of these non-axisymmetric shapes is that they can generate a non-uniform force distribution when the stirring assembly 21 rotates, thereby inducing a circulating vertical motion within the powder material.

[0067] The non-axisymmetric stirring assembly 21 generates different force action lines when it rotates due to the characteristics of its shape, which are transmitted through the powder material, causing the powder material to produce a circulating motion of rising and falling within the cavity 11 of the powder tank 1. Such a motion pattern helps to break the bridge structure between the powders, preventing the powder from excessive aggregation in a certain area, thereby ensuring that the powder material can flow smoothly and be delivered to the powder outlet 12.

[0068] The formation of the three-dimensional ridge 214 is due to the height difference and slope generated by the non-axisymmetric shape of the stirring assembly 21 when it rotates, which enables the stirring assembly 21 to more effectively push the powder material to form a continuous flow within the powder tank 1, preventing the formation of powder bridges. This design improves the efficiency of the powder feeder 100, ensuring stable delivery of the powder material, thereby improving the production efficiency of the beverage equipment and the quality of the final product. Through this non-axisymmetric shape design, the stirring assembly 21 can generate a more complex and dynamic flow pattern within the powder material, further preventing powder aggregation and ensuring continuous flow and uniform distribution of the powder material.

[0069] In some embodiments, the motion of the stirring assembly 21 is unidirectional.

[0070] In this embodiment, the movement of the stirring assembly 21 is designed as a unidirectional movement, which means that the stirring assembly 21 rotates within the cavity 11 of the powder bin 1 in a fixed direction, rather than alternating. This unidirectional movement can be either clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the rotation direction of the motor 22 and the design of the stirring assembly 21.

[0071] With the stirring assembly 21 adopting a unidirectional movement, it can continuously push the powder material to flow in one direction when it rotates within the powder material. Such continuous pushing helps to prevent the formation of accumulation or bridge structures of powder within the powder bin 1. Since the powder material is constantly pushed towards the powder outlet 12, it ensures that the flow of powder material is continuous and uniform, thereby ensuring stable delivery of the powder.

[0072] In some embodiments, the movement of the stirring assembly 21 is a reciprocating movement.

[0073] In this embodiment, the stirring assembly 21 is designed to perform a reciprocating movement, which means that the stirring assembly 21 not only rotates around the rotation axis within the cavity 11 of the powder bin 1, but also can produce a reciprocating movement.

[0074] The reciprocating stirring assembly 21 can generate a more complex and dynamic flow pattern within the powder material. After the stirring assembly 21 pushes the powder material in one direction, the reciprocating movement allows it to return to the starting position and stir the powder material again. Such actions help to break the powder bridge structure that may be formed and ensure uniform distribution of the powder material throughout the cavity 11.

[0075] In some embodiments, the stirring assembly 21 has a defined rest position, and the lower surface 213 of the stirring assembly 21 is adapted to form a seal around the powder outlet 12 at the rest position.

[0076] In this embodiment, the stirring assembly 21 is designed to have a clear rest position. At this position, the lower surface 213 of the stirring assembly 21 matches the area around the powder outlet 12 to form a seal when the stirring assembly 21 is at rest. This design means that the stirring assembly 21 can provide a closed environment when not stirring, preventing powder from leaking from the powder outlet 12 and ensuring the cleanliness and hygiene of the powder material.

[0077] The sealing effect at the position of the lower surface 213 can not only achieve the closing function of the powder port 12 of the powder feeder 100, but also help to maintain the stability of the powder material in the powder tank 1, preventing the powder from depositing near the powder port 12 and affecting the efficiency of the next stirring and conveying. This stationary position and sealing design improves the working efficiency of the powder feeder 100, while enhancing the reliability and safety of the operation. In this way, the stirring assembly 21 can ensure the flow and conveying of the powder while maintaining the stability of the powder tank in the non-working state.

[0078] In some embodiments, at least one of the lower surface 213 of the stirring assembly 21 and the inner surface of the cavity 11 is provided with a sealing member 3 made of soft rubber or thermoplastic plastic, and is adapted to form an airtight seal around the powder port 12 when the stirring assembly 21 is in the stationary position.

[0079] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the stirring assembly 21 can achieve airtightness around the powder port 12 in the stationary position, at least the lower surface 213 of the stirring assembly 21 or the inner surface of the cavity 11 is designed with a sealing member 3. This sealing member 3 is preferably made of a flexible material such as soft rubber or thermoplastic plastic, which allows the sealing member 3 to form an effective seal between the stirring assembly 21 and the powder tank 1.

[0080] When the stirring assembly 21 is in the stationary position, the sealing member 3 is in close contact with the lower surface 213 of the stirring assembly 21 or the inner surface of the powder tank 1 through the sealing member 3, preventing powder from leaking from the powder port 12. By providing such a sealing member 3 in the stirring assembly 21 or the powder tank 1, the powder feeder 100 can maintain airtightness in the powder tank 1 during stirring and conveying of the powder material, ensuring that the powder material does not escape from the powder port 12 when stationary, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the entire system. This design is particularly suitable for applications such as powder feeding processes in beverage equipment where precise control and continuous supply of powder material are required.

[0081] In a specific embodiment, the first face 211 is located on the front of the stirring assembly 21, which functions to push and stir the powder material when the stirring assembly 21 rotates. The first face 211 physically acts on the powder to make it mix more uniformly. In addition to directly pushing the powder material forward, the design of the first face 211 also allows the powder material to flow from its sides, which include horizontal sides and height sides. For the horizontal sides, the gap between the stirring assembly 21 and the side of the cavity 11 acts as a flow channel for the powder material, and for the height sides, the powder material is subjected to a three-dimensional ridge 214 for vertical circulation.

[0082] In some embodiments, the second face 2121 is a continuous smooth face.

[0083] In this embodiment, as the powder material flows over the side of the first surface 211, it moves onto the second surface 2121 located on the back of the stirring assembly 21. As the stirring assembly 21 continues to rotate, the second surface 2121 begins to function, smoothly guiding the powder material off the stirring assembly 21 through its continuous smooth surface. This process facilitates further dispersion of the powder material, ensuring that it is not only stirred but also smoothly removed from the stirring assembly 21, thereby promoting powder flow.

[0084] Through this design, the stirring component 21 not only achieves the basic stirring function, but also provides an additional function of spreading powder materials. This dual function ensures the flowability and uniformity of the powder materials throughout the stirring and unloading process, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of the powder materials to the powder inlet 12 and further optimizing the beverage production process.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first surface 211 includes a conical surface 2111 and a first sector surface 2112 and a second sector surface 2113 located on both sides of the conical surface 2111.

[0086] The design of the first sector 2112 and the second sector 2113 allows the sector of the stirring component 21 to penetrate deep into the powder material when it rotates, achieving a stirring effect by pushing the powder. This design increases the contact area between the stirring component 21 and the powder material, thereby improving stirring efficiency and uniformity.

[0087] Furthermore, the design of the first surface 211 is enhanced by the introduction of a conical surface 2111. The presence of the conical surface 2111 promotes the flow of powder material because its conical surface can penetrate deep into the powder material, helping to push the powder material from the center to the periphery, increasing the contact area between the powder and the first sector surface 2112 and the second sector surface 2113, thereby improving the mixing efficiency.

[0088] like Figure 6 As shown, the stirring component 21 has a crescent shape when viewed from above; as Figure 7 As shown, the stirring component 21 has a triangular shape when viewed from the side; as Figure 8 As shown, the stirring assembly 21 has an arched shape when viewed from the front.

[0089] In some instances, the powder box 1 includes a first box 101 and a second box 102 connected together, which together form a cavity 11.

[0090] In this embodiment, the first box 101 is designed with an opening structure that is convenient for users to operate, and can be used as a cover for the second box 102. This design makes it more convenient and efficient to add powder materials to the cavity 11 or to carry out necessary cleaning and maintenance work. The first box 101 and the second box 102 are connected by a buckle or similar fixing mechanism, ensuring stability and sealing during operation of the beverage equipment.

[0091] In some examples, the powder box 1 includes a second box 102 for setting the powder stirrer 2, and the inner wall of the second box 102 is outwardly tapered in the radial direction of the cavity 11.

[0092] In this embodiment, the design of the powder box 1 carefully considers the operation of the powder stirrer 2 and the optimization of powder material flow. Specifically, the inner wall of the second box 102 is designed to be outwardly tapered in the radial direction of the cavity 11, which is similar to the shape of a container that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

[0093] This tapered design not only provides sufficient space for the stirring assembly 21 to perform stirring actions, but also ensures that there is a proper gap between the stirring assembly 21 and the side of the cavity 11. These gaps form channels for the flow of powder materials, allowing the powder materials to flow smoothly during stirring, thereby improving stirring efficiency and powder material flow.

[0094] In addition, the upwardly outwardly tapered design of the second box 102 also helps to reduce the accumulation of powder materials on the wall. Since the inner wall is inclined, even if powder adheres, it is more likely to slide down to the action area of the stirring assembly 21 under the action of gravity. In this way, the powder material is less likely to form a pile on the wall, keeping the powder box 1 clean and ensuring that the powder material can be continuously and stably supplied to the powder port 12.

[0095] In some examples, the rotation axis of the stirring assembly 21 is located at the center of the cavity 11 and is spaced apart from the powder port 12.

[0096] In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the stirring assembly 21 is cleverly arranged at the center of the cavity 11. This layout allows the stirring assembly 21 to perform stirring actions uniformly in the cavity 11, ensuring that the powder material is thoroughly stirred throughout the cavity 11.

[0097] The powder port 12 is eccentrically arranged relative to the rotation axis of the stirring assembly 21, i.e. the powder port 12 is not located on the center line of the cavity 11. This design allows the powder port 12 to be larger, facilitating the smooth flow of powder materials. Since the powder port 12 has a larger opening, the flow of powder materials is more stable, reducing the possibility of blockage due to a small outlet.

[0098] In some examples, the motor 22 is configured to be signal-connected with a control system of the beverage device, and the set parameters of the motor 22 include: a rotating direction; and / or, a rotating number of turns; and / or, a rotating speed; and / or, a rotating torque.

[0099] In the present embodiment, the motor 22 is not only responsible for driving the stirring assembly 21 to rotate, but also has the function of being signal-connected with the control system of the beverage device. This means that the motor 22 can adjust the rotating direction, rotating number of turns, rotating speed, and rotating torque of the stirring assembly 21 according to the instructions from the control system.

[0100] For example, in the application of the beverage device, the user can select the type or concentration of the beverage through the operation panel on the beverage device, and the operation panel will pass these parameters to the motor 22. The motor 22 controls the stirring assembly 21 to stir according to the preset parameters according to the received signals, ensuring that the stirring of the powder material reaches the best effect every time the beverage is made.

[0101] This intelligent control method improves the consistency and repeatability of beverage making, and also improves the user experience. The user only needs to perform a simple operation to make a beverage that meets personal taste.

[0102] The present application also provides a beverage device comprising the above-mentioned powder feeder 100.

[0103] In the present embodiment, the beverage device is used as the beverage device and is provided with the above-mentioned powder feeder 100. The beverage device should have all the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned powder feeder 100, which will not be repeated here.

[0104] When the user selects the type of beverage and starts the beverage device, the control system sends a signal to the motor 22 to start the powder stirrer 2. The stirring assembly 21 then starts to rotate, stirring and pushing the powder material to move towards the powder port 12. The powder material is fully mixed during the stirring process and is delivered to the brewing component of the beverage device through the powder port 12, and finally a cup of beverage that meets the user's selection is made.

[0105] It should be noted that many components mentioned in the present application are general standard components or components known to those skilled in the art, the structure and principle of which can be known by the technical personnel through the technical manual or through the conventional experimental method.

[0106] It should be noted that in the present specification, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity from another entity, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is any such actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0107] The powder feeder and beverage equipment provided by the present application are described in detail above. The principles and implementation manners of the present application are described by applying specific examples in this paper, and the above description of the examples is only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary skilled persons in the technical field, some improvements and modifications can be made to the present application without departing from the principles of the present application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A powder feeder for beverage equipment, characterized in that, include: A powder container suitable for use with beverage equipment, the powder container having a cavity for receiving powder material and a powder inlet for conveying the powder material to the beverage equipment; and... A powder stirrer is installed in the powder box, the powder stirrer including a stirring assembly located in the cavity, the stirring assembly being driven by a motor for pushing powder material toward the powder inlet; The stirring component has a non-axisymmetric structure. When the stirring component rotates within the powder material, it causes the powder material to circulate vertically, preventing the powder material from agglomerating and forming bridges.

2. The powder feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stirring assembly has a first surface, a second surface, and a lower surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface intersect to form a three-dimensional ridge that is not axially symmetric with respect to the rotation axis of the stirring assembly.

3. The powder feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The stirring component has a non-axisymmetric shape, including one or more of the following: triangle, rectangle, ellipse, circle, and egg shape, which can form a three-dimensional ridge.

4. The powder feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The stirring assembly moves in one direction only.

5. The powder feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The stirring assembly moves in a reciprocating motion.

6. The powder feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The stirring assembly has a defined rest position, and the lower surface of the stirring assembly is adapted to form a seal around the powder inlet at the rest position.

7. The powder feeder according to claim 6, characterized in that, At least one of the lower surface of the stirring assembly and the inner surface of the cavity is provided with a sealing element, the sealing element being made of soft rubber or thermoplastic and adapted to form an airtight seal around the powder inlet when the stirring assembly is in the stationary position.

8. The powder feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second surface is a continuous, smooth surface; and / or, The first surface includes a conical surface and a first sector surface and a second sector surface located on both sides of the conical surface.

9. The powder feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The powder box includes a first box and a second box connected together, and the first box and the second box together form the cavity.

10. A beverage processing device, characterized in that, Includes the powder feeder as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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