Water level detection assembly and cooking device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a water level detection assembly which comprises a water tank, and a water outlet is formed in the bottom end of the water tank. The water level seat is internally provided with a water level cavity, and the water level cavity is communicated with the water tank through the water outlet; the bottom wall of the water level cavity is lower than the bottom wall of the water tank; the water level detector is arranged in the water level cavity and used for detecting the water level in the water level cavity. The cooking device comprises the water level detection assembly. According to the water level detection assembly and the cooking device, residual water in the water tank can enter the water level cavity of the water level base, the detected water level is the water level in the water level cavity, and therefore low water level detection can be conducted under the condition that no residual water exists in the water tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrical technology, and in particular to a water level detection component and a cooking device. Background Technology

[0002] Existing cooking appliances, coffee machines, or beverage machines typically use water tanks. For example, in cooking appliances, water in the tank is heated to produce steam for cooking ingredients; in coffee machines, water in a boiler is heated to produce hot water for brewing coffee, or steam is generated from a boiler to make milk foam.

[0003] To prevent the water tank from running dry or being pumped dry, a water level detector is installed inside to monitor the remaining water level. However, a certain amount of water needs to remain in the tank for the detector to detect low water levels. This means that every time a low water level is detected, the detector only checks for the remaining water, leading to inaccurate results. Furthermore, the remaining water needs to be emptied before adding water, which is inconvenient. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to overcome at least one of the defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a water level detection component and a cooking device, wherein the residual water in the water tank can enter the water level cavity of the water level seat, and the detected water level is the water level in the water level cavity, thus low water level detection can be performed when there is no residual water in the water tank.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its problem is:

[0006] A water level detection component, comprising,

[0007] A water tank, wherein the bottom of the water tank is provided with a water outlet;

[0008] A water level seat, wherein a water level cavity is provided inside the water level seat, and the water level cavity is connected to the water tank through the water outlet; the bottom wall of the water level cavity is lower than the bottom wall of the water tank;

[0009] A water level detector is disposed in the water level cavity and is used to detect the water level in the water level cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the water outlet is located on the bottom side of the water tank; the water level detection assembly also includes a connector, which is located on the side of the water tank; the connector has a guiding cavity, the guiding cavity has a guiding surface, the guiding surface is used to guide the water flow from the water outlet downward to the water level cavity; the connector has an outlet.

[0011] Furthermore, the conductive cavity includes a first cavity segment and a second cavity segment, the bottom wall of the first cavity segment is the same as the bottom wall of the water tank, and the bottom wall of the second cavity segment is lower than the bottom wall of the second cavity segment; the guiding surface is formed by the bottom wall of the conductive cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the connector includes a first pipe segment and a second pipe segment, which are connected in a stepped manner; the first cavity segment is formed in the first pipe segment; and the second cavity segment is formed in the second pipe segment.

[0013] Furthermore, the bottom wall of the guiding cavity gradually slopes downward from the end near the water outlet to the end away from the water outlet; the guiding surface is formed by the bottom wall of the guiding cavity.

[0014] Furthermore, the bottom end of the second pipe section is provided with the outlet; the outlet is provided with an outlet pipe.

[0015] Furthermore, the water level detector includes a Hall level sensor, which includes a float and a Hall switch. The float is disposed in the water level cavity, and the Hall switch is disposed at the bottom of the water level seat.

[0016] Furthermore, the top of the water level seat is provided with an opening, which communicates with the water level cavity; the opening is sealed with a sealing cap.

[0017] A cooking apparatus, including the aforementioned water level detection component.

[0018] Furthermore, it includes a pump body and a steam generator, the pump body being located at the outlet and used to guide water from the water tank to the steam generator.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes a detection switch, which is used to receive the detection signal from the water level detector to control the start and stop of the pump body.

[0020] In summary, this utility model has the following technical effects:

[0021] By detecting the water level in the water level chamber below the bottom wall of the water tank, a low water level indicator can be triggered after the remaining water in the tank has drained. When a low water level is detected, there is no remaining water in the tank, thus providing an accurate water level reading. Furthermore, when refilling, there is no need to empty the remaining water from the detection chamber; water can be added directly, making the operation convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the water level detection component of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2This is a cross-sectional view of the water level detection component of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the water level detection component of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connector of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the cooking device of this utility model.

[0027] The meanings of the reference numerals in the attached drawings are as follows: 10, water tank; 20, water level seat; 21, water level detector; 211, float; 212, Hall effect switch; 30, connector; 31, first pipe section; 32, second pipe section; 33, outlet pipe; 40, pump body; 50, steam generator; 60, detection switch. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To better understand and implement this invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer" 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 utility model 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 utility model.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0031] See Figures 1-5 This utility model discloses a water level detection component, including a water tank 10, a water level seat 20, and a water level sensor. An outlet is provided at the bottom of the water tank 10. A water level cavity is provided within the water level seat 20, and the water level cavity is connected to the water tank 10 through the outlet. The bottom wall of the water level cavity is lower than the bottom wall of the water tank 10. A water level detector 21 is placed in the water level cavity and used to detect the water level within the cavity.

[0032] Based on the above structure, when using the water level detection component of this utility model, the water level detection component can be installed in a cooking device with steam cooking function, or it can be a coffee machine or beverage machine that needs to make milk foam with steam, or it can be a hot water device, in which water in water tank 10 is directly introduced into the hot water generator to make hot water.

[0033] In practical application, water tank 10 is filled with water. When the water level in water tank 10 is normal, since water tank 10 is connected to the water level chamber through the water outlet, the water level in the water level chamber can be consistent with the water level in water tank 10. When detecting a high water level in water tank 10, the high water level detected by the water level detector 21 in the water level chamber is consistent with the high water level in water tank 10, and water filling in water tank 10 can be stopped based on the high water level in the water level chamber.

[0034] When the water level is low and water needs to be added to the water tank 10, the outlet of the water tank 10 is located at the bottom of the water tank 10. Therefore, the remaining water in the water tank 10 can be discharged into the water level chamber through the outlet at the bottom. Since the bottom wall of the water level chamber is lower than the bottom wall of the water tank 10, all the water in the water tank 10 can enter the water level chamber through the outlet. In this way, there is still remaining water in the water level chamber for the water level detector 21 to detect. At this time, the water level chamber detects the water level status, indicating that there is no water in the water tank 10, prompting the water tank 10 to be filled with water.

[0035] In other words, by detecting the water level in the water level chamber below the bottom wall of the water tank 10, a low water level indicator can be triggered after the remaining water in the water tank 10 has drained. When a low water level is detected, there is no remaining water in the water tank 10, thus the detected water level is the accurate water level of the water tank 10, and the detection result is accurate. Furthermore, when filling with water, there is no need to empty the remaining water in the water tank 10, making the operation convenient.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the water outlet is located on the bottom side of the water tank 10. The water level detection assembly also includes a connector 30, which is located on the side of the water tank 10. The connector 30 has a guiding cavity with a guiding surface that guides the water flow from the outlet downwards to the water level cavity. Additionally, the connector 30 has an outlet.

[0037] Since the water outlet is located at the bottom side of the water tank 10, and the connector 30 is connected to the water tank 10 through the connecting cavity of the connector 30 on the side of the water tank 10, when the water level in the water tank 10 is normal, the water level entering the water level chamber through the connecting cavity of the connector 30 can be consistent with the water level in the water tank 10.

[0038] When the water is discharged, the water in the water tank 10 can enter the guiding cavity through the outlet. Since the bottom wall of the water level cavity of the water level seat 20 is lower than the bottom wall of the water tank 10, the water entering the guiding cavity can flow downward through the guide surface. The guide surface can allow the water outlet at the bottom of the water tank 10 to flow downward to the lower water level cavity, preventing water from remaining in the guiding cavity.

[0039] The outlet for discharging water is located in the connector 30. The water flowing through the water tank 10 is discharged through the outlet of the connector 30. Therefore, the water discharge path of the water tank 10 must pass through the connecting cavity. The water level cavity is connected to the connecting cavity. Therefore, the water level in the water level cavity is the real-time water level after the water in the water tank 10 is discharged. This makes the water level detection more timely and the water level detection result more accurate.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, the aforementioned conductive cavity includes a first cavity segment and a second cavity segment. The bottom wall of the first cavity segment is the same as the bottom wall of the water tank 10, and the bottom wall of the second cavity segment is lower than the bottom wall of the second cavity segment. The guiding surface is formed by the bottom wall of the conductive cavity.

[0041] Based on this structure, the water level in the first chamber can be kept consistent with the water level in the water tank 10. After entering the first chamber, the water flows downward to the lower second chamber. The water in the second chamber can enter the water level chamber that is connected to it. That is, the water level in the first chamber is consistent with the water level in the water tank 10, and the water level in the second chamber is consistent with the water level chamber. When the water in the water tank 10 is discharged through the outlet of the connector 30, the water levels in the first chamber, the second chamber, and the water level chamber are consistent. After the water in the water tank 10 is continuously discharged until the water level in the first chamber begins to drop, it indicates that the water in the water tank 10 has been drained. The water in the first chamber will then enter the lower second chamber. That is, when the water level in the water level chamber can be detected as low, there is no water left in the water tank 10.

[0042] Furthermore, to form a first and second cavity segment with varying heights, the aforementioned connector 30 includes a first pipe segment 31 and a second pipe segment 32, which are connected in a stepped manner. The first cavity segment is formed in the first pipe segment 31, and the water level cavity is formed in the second pipe segment 32. That is, when manufacturing the connector 30, the first and second cavity segments with varying heights can be formed internally by directly connecting the two pipe segments in a stepped manner and fixing them by welding. Compared to directly manufacturing the structure of the high and low cavity segments within the connector 30, which requires internal processing and is therefore more costly, this embodiment uses two pipe segments connected in a stepped manner to form the structure directly, resulting in lower processing costs.

[0043] Of course, this embodiment also provides another implementation method, that is, the bottom wall of the connecting cavity gradually slopes downward from the end near the water outlet to the end away from the water outlet; the guiding surface is formed by the bottom wall of the connecting cavity, so that the high position of the connecting cavity of the connector 30 is connected to the water outlet, and the low position of the connecting cavity of the connector 30 is connected to the water level cavity. According to the natural law of water flowing downhill, after the water in the water tank 10 has completely drained, some water will remain in the water level cavity for water level detection.

[0044] Furthermore, the bottom end of the second pipe section 32 is provided with an outlet, and the outlet is provided with an outlet pipe 33. This allows the outlet to be connected to the water-using equipment through the outlet pipe 33, facilitating pipe connection. Since the outlet is located in the second pipe section 32 where the water level is lower, the water flow path must pass through the outlet. That is, even if the water in the water tank 10 has drained during the water outflow process, water will enter the water level chamber in the second pipe section 32 at the outlet position, so that the water level detector 21 can perform detection.

[0045] It should also be noted that, without the connector 30, the outlet can be located on the bottom surface of the water tank 10. In this way, the water level chamber of the water level seat 20 is connected to the outlet at the bottom of the water tank 10. An outlet is provided on the water level seat 20 so that the water in the water tank 10 is discharged through the outlet. When there is still water in the water tank 10, the water in the water level chamber of the water level seat 20 can be kept at a high level or fill the entire water level chamber. After the water in the water tank 10 has drained through the bottom outlet, the outlet is still discharging water. At this time, the water level in the water level chamber will drop. That is, after the water in the water level chamber of the water level seat 20 drops, the water in the water tank 10 has drained, which can trigger a water level alarm.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the water level detector 21 includes a Hall level sensor, and the Hall level sensor includes a float 211 and a Hall switch 212. The float 211 is disposed in the water level cavity, and the Hall switch 212 is disposed at the bottom end of the water level seat 20.

[0047] Specifically, the float 211 can typically be made of low-density, corrosion-resistant materials, such as plastic or lightweight metal, allowing it to float freely in the liquid and move up and down with changes in the liquid level. A magnet can be placed on the float 211, or the float 211 itself can be magnetic, generating a stable magnetic field. As the water in the water level seat 20 decreases, when the distance between the float 211 and the Hall switch 212 is within the water level monitoring range, the Hall switch 212 can sense the magnetic field of the float 211 and issue a water level alarm.

[0048] In this embodiment, when the distance between the float 211 and the Hall switch 212 is about 10mm, the Hall switch 212 senses and alarms that there is a water shortage.

[0049] It should be noted that the water level detector 21 can also be a through-beam sensor, such as a grating switch or a laser sensor, which, together with the float 211 in the water level cavity, can block the light path when the float 211 in the water level cavity descends to a certain height, thus indicating a water level alarm.

[0050] Furthermore, since a certain amount of residual water is required in the water level chamber when testing is performed in the water level seat 20, and the water level chamber is kept in a connected state under normal circumstances, it is necessary to clean the residual water in the water level chamber regularly to prevent the residual water in the water level seat 20 from contaminating the water in the water tank 10.

[0051] Therefore, an opening can be provided at the top of the water level seat 20, connecting the opening to the water level cavity. A sealing cover can be provided to seal the opening. This sealing cover can be directly sealed by a sealing ring or by a sealing plug. When cleaning the residual water in the water level cavity, the sealing cover can be removed, and the residual water in the water level seat 20 can be cleaned directly. Compared to cleaning the residual water in the water tank 10, the water level seat 20 provided in this application is smaller in volume than the water tank 10, making it more convenient for periodic cleaning.

[0052] Example 2,

[0053] A cooking device includes a water level detection component as described in Embodiment 1. Specifically, the cooking device can be a microwave-steam-oven integrated oven, where water in the water tank 10 can flow into the steam generator 50 of the microwave-steam-oven integrated oven to generate steam. The water level detector 21 within the water level seat 20 can promptly add water to the water tank 10 when it detects that the water in the water tank 10 has drained.

[0054] Since the water tank 10 is usually installed inside the cooking appliance, if the water level detector 21 is directly placed inside the water tank 10, there will still be residual water in the water tank 10 when a low water level is detected. Therefore, when adding water, the water in the water tank 10 needs to be emptied. Since the water tank 10 is relatively large, it is inconvenient to remove the appliance each time to empty the residual water. Therefore, the water level detection component of this application is equipped with a smaller water level seat 20 structure, with the bottom wall of the water level cavity of the water level seat 20 being lower than the bottom wall of the water tank 10. This ensures that when a low water level is detected in the water level cavity, the water in the water tank 10 has already been drained. Therefore, when adding water to the water tank 10, the water tank 10 needs to be emptied, which makes the operation more convenient.

[0055] Specifically, the cooking device also includes a pump body 40 and a steam generator 50. The pump body 40 is located at the outlet and is used to guide the water in the water tank 10 to the steam generator 50. That is, when the pump body 40 is started, the water in the water tank 10 can be guided to the steam generator 50 through the outlet of the connector 30 to generate steam and perform steam cooking on the food inside the machine.

[0056] More specifically, the cooking device also includes a detection switch 60, which can receive a detection signal from the water level detector 21 to control the start and stop of the pump 40. When the water level detector 21 detects that the water level in the water level chamber is low, it can promptly control the pump 40 to stop and start the water tank 10 to add water, preventing the pump 40 from burning out due to dry running.

[0057] Of course, in addition to the microwave-steam-bake integrated oven mentioned in this embodiment, the cooking device mentioned above can also be a steam air fryer or other cooking devices such as a steam oven in the prior art.

[0058] The technical means disclosed in this utility model are not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, but also include technical solutions composed of any combination of the above technical features. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications are also considered within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A water level detection component, characterized in that... ,include, A water tank, wherein the bottom of the water tank is provided with a water outlet; A water level seat, wherein a water level cavity is provided inside the water level seat, and the water level cavity is connected to the water tank through the water outlet; the bottom wall of the water level cavity is lower than the bottom wall of the water tank; A water level detector is disposed in the water level cavity and is used to detect the water level in the water level cavity.

2. The water level detection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water outlet is located at the bottom side of the water tank; the water level detection assembly also includes a connector located at the side of the water tank; the connector has a guiding cavity, the guiding cavity has a guiding surface, the guiding surface is used to guide the water flow from the water outlet downward to the water level cavity; the connector has an outlet.

3. The water level detection component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The conductive cavity includes a first cavity segment and a second cavity segment, the bottom wall of the first cavity segment is the same as the bottom wall of the water tank, and the bottom wall of the second cavity segment is lower than the bottom wall of the second cavity segment; the guiding surface is formed by the bottom wall of the conductive cavity.

4. The water level detection component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connector includes a first pipe segment and a second pipe segment, which are connected in a stepped manner; the first cavity segment is formed in the first pipe segment; and the second cavity segment is formed in the second pipe segment.

5. The water level detection component according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the conductive cavity gradually slopes downward from the end near the water outlet to the end away from the water outlet; the guiding surface is formed by the bottom wall of the conductive cavity.

6. The water level detection component according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom end of the second pipe section is provided with the outlet; the outlet is provided with an outlet pipe.

7. The water level detection component according to claim 5, characterized in that, The water level detector includes a Hall effect water level sensor, which includes a float and a Hall effect switch. The float is located in the water level cavity, and the Hall effect switch is located at the bottom of the water level seat.

8. The water level detection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the water level seat has an opening that communicates with the water level cavity; the opening is sealed with a sealing cap.

9. A cooking apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the water level detection component according to any one of claims 2-7.

10. The cooking apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, It includes a pump body and a steam generator. The pump body is located at the outlet and is used to guide water in the water tank to the steam generator.

11. The cooking apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, It also includes a detection switch, which is used to receive the detection signal from the water level detector in order to control the start and stop of the pump body.

Images