Beverage brewing equipment

Abstract

This utility model discloses a beverage brewing apparatus, including a base (1), a first component (2), and a second component (3). When the second component (3) is moved to its extreme position, it closes with the first component (2) and defines an extraction chamber for containing a capsule (10). The second component (3) includes an outer cup (31) and an inner cup (32), the inner cavities of which together define a base (301). The apparatus is characterized by a sealed fit between the outer wall of the inner cup (32) and the inner wall of the outer cup (31), forming a closed hydraulic cavity (302) between them. The outer cup (31) has a first liquid inlet channel (311), and the inner cup (32) has a second liquid inlet channel (321). Compared with the prior art, this beverage brewing apparatus avoids base expansion without the need for additional blocking devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of beverage brewing equipment technology, specifically to a beverage brewing device. Background Technology

[0002] A coffee machine is a type of beverage brewing equipment. The brewing system is the main component of a coffee machine. The brewing system generally includes a fixed part and a moving part. One of the fixed part and the moving part is equipped with a needle, which is directly fixed to the part. The moving part is driven by a drive structure and can slide relative to the fixed part. When the fixed part and the moving part are closed, they form a brewing chamber. During extraction, the coffee capsule is located in the brewing chamber. Hot water is pumped into the brewing chamber during extraction. The water flows through the coffee raw material to be extracted, and the coffee beverage flows from the coffee machine's outlet into the cup.

[0003] Most capsule coffee machines on the market can only use coffee capsules of a single matching size. To address this, Chinese patent application CN201880081807.9, entitled "Brewing Apparatus for Producing Beverages," provides a brewing apparatus that can selectively use two different sizes of capsules to produce beverages. This brewing apparatus includes two parts that are opposite each other and can move relative to each other between an open or loaded capsule position and a closed or brewing position. One of the two parts of the brewing apparatus is defined by a cup-shaped body, which consists of an outer cup and an inner cup. The inner cavities of the outer cup and the inner cup together define a seat. The seat is designed to receive a capsule during movement of the cup-shaped body toward the closed position. The interior is designed to slide relative to the outer cup between an extended position and a retracted position during movement of the cup-shaped body toward the closed position due to interaction with the larger capsule. Thus, the seat is defined to accommodate either the smaller or larger capsule to be extracted, depending on the situation.

[0004] However, the above solution has two drawbacks: first, it requires a blocking device to keep the inner cup in the withdrawn position to prevent unnecessary expansion of the seat; second, it requires an additional unpacking device for unpacking, making the structure complex. Utility Model Content

[0005] The first technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a beverage brewing device that can prevent the seat from expanding without the need for additional blocking devices, in light of the current state of the technology.

[0006] The second technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a beverage brewing apparatus that can perform unpacking operations without the need for an additional unpacking device.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the first technical problem mentioned above is as follows: a beverage brewing device, including a base, a first component located at the front of the base, and a second component located at the rear of the base and capable of sliding back and forth relative to the first component. When the second component moves forward to its limit position, the second component and the first component close together and define an extraction chamber for accommodating capsules. The second component includes an outer cup and an inner cup, the inner cavities of which together define a seat portion. The seat portion is designed to receive the capsules during the forward movement of the second component. The inner cup is installed inside the outer cup in a manner that allows it to slide axially relative to the outer cup, thereby defining seat portions of different sizes. The device is characterized in that: the outer wall of the inner cup and the inner wall of the outer cup are sealed together to form a closed hydraulic cavity between the inner cup and the outer cup. The outer cup has a first liquid inlet channel communicating with the hydraulic cavity, and the inner cup has a second liquid inlet channel communicating with the hydraulic cavity and the extraction chamber.

[0008] To accommodate capsules of two different sizes, the inner cup slides relative to the outer cup between a smaller seat position and a larger seat position. When the inner cup is in the smaller seat position, the seat is sized to accommodate the smaller capsule, and when the inner cup is in the larger seat position, the seat is sized to accommodate the larger capsule.

[0009] To accommodate capsules of various sizes, with the inner cup in either a smaller or larger seat position, the seat is sized to accommodate an intermediate capsule that is larger than the smaller capsule and smaller than the larger capsule.

[0010] To ensure the capsule remains secure during extraction, the periphery of the capsule's front end has a flange;

[0011] With the seat accommodating the smaller capsule and the second component moved forward to its limit position, the flange is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component and the edge of the front end of the inner cup.

[0012] With the seat accommodating the larger capsule and the second component moved forward to its limit position, the flange is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component and the edge of the front end of the outer cup.

[0013] With the seat accommodating the intermediate capsule and the second component moved forward to its limit position, the flange is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component and the edge of the front end of the outer cup.

[0014] To ensure smooth flow of the two inlet channels even when the hydraulic chamber is compressed to its minimum volume, the outlet of the second inlet channel is directly opposite the inlet of the first inlet channel.

[0015] In order to provide guidance for the axial sliding of the inner cup, the second component also includes a guide rod that passes through the outer cup and the inner cup axially.

[0016] To ensure the sealing of the hydraulic chamber, the periphery of the guide rod is sealed to the outer and inner cups.

[0017] To prevent the inner cup from detaching forward from the outer cup, the inner peripheral wall of the outer cup has a first inner step, and the outer peripheral wall of the inner cup has a first outer step, the first outer step being located behind the first inner step.

[0018] In order to ensure that the seat always adapts to the different dimensions of the capsule, the second component also includes a first elastic element, which acts between the inner cup and the outer cup to ensure that the first outer step always tends to move toward the first inner step.

[0019] To facilitate the installation of the first elastic element, the first elastic element is a compression spring, which is housed in the hydraulic cavity and sleeved on the outer periphery of the guide rod, with the two ends of the compression spring abutting against the opposite surfaces of the inner and outer cups, respectively.

[0020] To further address the second technical problem mentioned above, a blocking member is also provided at the rear of the base. During the process of the second component moving backward relative to the first component, after the rear end of the guide rod contacts the blocking member, the guide rod moves forward relative to the outer cup and the inner cup to push the capsule away from the base.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are:

[0022] (1) By sealing the outer wall of the inner cup with the inner wall of the outer cup, a closed hydraulic cavity is formed between the inner cup and the outer cup. In this way, when the beverage brewing device is in the extraction state, hot water enters the hydraulic cavity through the first liquid inlet channel. On the one hand, the hot water enters the extraction chamber through the second liquid inlet channel to extract the capsule. The extracted coffee liquid flows out through the liquid outlet channel. On the other hand, the water pressure in the hydraulic cavity applies forward pressure to the inner cup, avoiding unnecessary expansion of the seat. No additional blocking device is required, and the structure is simple.

[0023] (2) By setting a blocking part at the rear of the base, when the second part moves backward relative to the first part, the rear end of the guide rod contacts the blocking part, and then the guide rod moves forward relative to the outer cup and inner cup to push the capsule away from the base for unpacking. No additional unpacking device is required, the structure is simple, and the guide rod plays the role of guiding and unpacking at the same time, which is ingenious design. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the beverage brewing apparatus of the present invention, showing a large capsule in its initial state.

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A longitudinal sectional view;

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the beverage brewing device after it switches to the extraction state;

[0027] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A three-dimensional exploded view;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the central base;

[0029] Figure 6 for Figure 4 3D exploded view of the second component;

[0030] Figure 7 for Figure 3 A longitudinal sectional view;

[0031] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A longitudinal sectional view after switching to the unpacking preparation state;

[0032] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A longitudinal sectional view after switching to the unpacking end state;

[0033] Figure 10 This is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of the beverage brewing apparatus of the present invention, showing a small capsule being contained and in an extraction state. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] In the specification and claims of this utility model, terms indicating direction, such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "side," "top," and "bottom," are used to describe various exemplary structural parts and elements of this utility model. However, the use of these terms is merely for the purpose of explanation and is based on the exemplary orientations shown in the accompanying drawings. Since the embodiments disclosed in this utility model can be arranged in different orientations, these terms indicating direction are for illustrative purposes only and should not be regarded as limitations. For example, "upper" and "lower" are not necessarily limited to directions opposite to or consistent with the direction of gravity.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 10The image shows a preferred embodiment of the beverage brewing apparatus of this utility model. The beverage brewing apparatus includes a base 1, a first component 2, a second component 3, a drive mechanism 4, a blocking component 5, and a stop block 6.

[0037] Vertical grooves 11 are provided on the left and right side walls at the rear of the base 1; horizontal support rails 12 are provided on the left and right side walls inside the base 1; and guide rails 13 are provided on the left and right side walls inside the base 1. Each guide rail 13 includes a first guide section 131 arranged horizontally from front to back and a second guide section 132 extending upward from the rear end of the first guide section 131.

[0038] The first component 2 is located at the front of the base 1.

[0039] The second component 3 is slidably disposed at the rear of the base 1. When the second component 3 is moved to its extreme position, it closes with the first component 2 and defines the extraction chamber containing the capsule 10. At this time, the beverage brewing device is in the extraction state. In this embodiment, the second component 3 includes an outer cup 31, an inner cup 32, a guide rod 33, a first elastic element 34, and a second elastic element 35.

[0040] Specifically, a forward-facing seat 301 is defined between the inner cup 32 and the outer cup 31. This seat 301 is designed to receive the capsule 10 during the forward movement of the second component 3. The inner cup 32 is mounted within the outer cup 31 in a manner that allows it to slide axially relative to the outer cup 31, thus defining seat 301s of different sizes. In this embodiment, the periphery of the front end of the capsule 10 has a flange 101. The inner cup 32 slides relative to the outer cup 31 between a smaller seat position and a larger seat position. When the inner cup 32 is in the smaller seat position, the seat 301 is sized to accommodate a smaller capsule 10a. When the inner cup 32 is in the larger seat position, the seat 301 is sized to accommodate a larger capsule 10b. When the inner cup 32 is in any position between the smaller and larger seat positions, the seat 301 is sized to accommodate an intermediate capsule, the size of which is larger than the smaller capsule 10a and smaller than the larger capsule 10b. Figure 10 As shown, when the beverage brewing apparatus contains the smaller capsule 10a and is in the extraction state, the flange 101 of the smaller capsule 10a is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component 2 and the edge of the front end of the inner cup 32; as Figure 7 As shown, when the beverage brewing apparatus contains a larger capsule 10b and is in the extraction state, the flange 101 of the larger capsule 10b is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component 2 and the edge of the front end of the outer cup 31; when the beverage brewing apparatus contains an intermediate capsule and is in the extraction state, the flange 101 of the intermediate capsule is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component 2 and the edge of the front end of the outer cup 31.

[0041] The outer wall of the inner cup 32 is sealed to the inner wall of the outer cup 31 by a sealing ring, so that a closed hydraulic cavity 302 is formed between the inner cup 32 and the outer cup 31; the outer cup 31 has a first liquid inlet channel 311 that communicates with the hydraulic cavity 302; the inner cup 32 has a second liquid inlet channel 321 that communicates with the hydraulic cavity 302 and the extraction chamber, and the outlet of the second liquid inlet channel 321 is directly opposite the inlet of the first liquid inlet channel 311; the first component 2 has a liquid outlet channel 21 that communicates with the extraction chamber; thus, as Figure 10 As shown, when the beverage brewing device contains a smaller capsule 10a and is in the extraction state, hot water enters the hydraulic chamber 302 through the first liquid inlet channel 311. On the one hand, the hot water enters the extraction chamber through the second liquid inlet channel 312 to extract the capsule 10. The extracted coffee liquid flows out through the liquid outlet channel 21. On the other hand, the water pressure in the hydraulic chamber 302 applies forward pressure to the inner cup 32 to keep the inner cup 32 in a smaller seat position and avoid unnecessary expansion of the seat 301.

[0042] The outer cup 31 has a first inner step 312 on its inner peripheral wall, and the inner cup 32 has a first outer step 322 on its outer peripheral wall. The first outer step 322 is located behind the first inner step 312, thereby preventing the inner cup 32 from moving forward away from the outer cup 31.

[0043] The upper part of the rear end of the outer cup 31 is provided with a first guide shaft 313 extending in the left-right direction. The left and right ends of the first guide shaft 313 are respectively inserted into the corresponding support guide rail 12 and can slide along the extension direction of the support guide rail 12. The lower part of the rear end of the outer cup 31 has a second guide shaft 314 extending in the left-right direction. The left and right ends of the second guide shaft 314 are respectively inserted into the corresponding guide rail 13 and can slide along the extension direction of the guide rail 13.

[0044] The guide rod 33 is axially inserted through the outer cup 31 and the inner cup 32, and the periphery of the guide rod 33 is sealed to the outer cup 31 and the inner cup 32 by a sealing ring; the inner peripheral wall of the inner cup 32 has a second inner step 323, and the outer peripheral wall of the front end of the guide rod 33 has a second outer step 331, which is located in front of the second inner step 323, thereby preventing the guide rod 33 from disengaging from the inner cup 32; the outer peripheral wall of the rear end of the guide rod 33 has a limiting protrusion 332.

[0045] The first elastic element 34 is a compression spring, which is housed in the hydraulic cavity 302 and sleeved on the outer periphery of the guide rod 33. The two ends of the compression spring abut against the opposing surfaces of the inner cup 32 and the outer cup 31, so that the first outer step 322 always tends to move toward the first inner step 312.

[0046] The second elastic element 35 is a compression spring, which is located on the outside of the outer cup 31 and sleeved on the outer periphery of the guide rod 33. The two ends of the compression spring abut against the opposing surfaces of the limiting protrusion 332 and the outer cup 31, so that the second outer step 331 always has a tendency to move toward the second inner step 323.

[0047] The drive mechanism 4 can drive the second component 3 to move back and forth relative to the first component 2, so that the first component 2 and the second component 3 open and close relative to each other. Its power output end drives and connects to the first guide shaft 313. The specific structure and working principle of the drive mechanism 4 can be found in Chinese Patent Application No. CN200810162200.1, entitled "Automatic Unpacking Mechanism for Coffee Machine", which will not be repeated here.

[0048] The blocking member 5 is a stop post extending in the left-right direction. The left and right ends of the stop post are respectively inserted into the corresponding vertical grooves 11 and can slide along the extension direction of the vertical grooves 11. During the process of the second component 3 moving backward relative to the first component 2, after the rear end of the guide rod 33 contacts the blocking member 5, the guide rod 33 moves forward relative to the outer cup 31 and the inner cup 32 to push the capsule 10 away from the seat 301.

[0049] The stop block 6 is located at the rear of the base 1 and engages with the lower part of the outer cup 31. During the rearward movement of the second component 3 relative to the first component 2, after the lower part of the rear end of the outer cup 31 contacts the stop block 6, the outer cup 31, continuing to move rearward, will rotate around the first guide shaft 313, causing the rear end of the guide rod 33 to disengage from the stop member 5. This avoids interference between the guide rod 33 and the stop member 5 in the initial state, and also ensures that the opening of the seat 301 is tilted upwards in the initial state, facilitating the insertion of the capsule 10.

[0050] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows:

[0051] (1) When it is necessary to extract larger capsules 10b:

[0052] ①Before extraction:

[0053] like Figure 2 As shown, in the initial state, the opening of the seat 301 is tilted upward. At this time, under the elastic force of the first elastic member 34, the first outer step 322 of the inner cup 32 abuts against the rear of the first inner step 312 of the outer cup 31, so that the inner cup 32 is located in the smaller seat position. At the same time, under the elastic force of the second elastic member 35, the second outer step 331 of the guide rod 33 abuts against the front of the second inner step 323 of the inner cup 32, so that the larger capsule 10b is placed into the seat 301.

[0054] ②During extraction:

[0055] The second component 3 is driven forward by the drive mechanism 4, so that the first component 2 and the second component 3 close together. During this process, due to the guiding cooperation of the second guide shaft 314 and the guide rail 13, the outer cup 31 first flips downward around the first guide shaft 313 to a horizontal state during the forward movement and then continues to move forward. When the larger capsule 10b contacts the first component 2, it will drive the inner cup 32 to move backward relative to the outer cup 31 to the larger seat position under the action of the reaction force of the first component 2, so that the beverage brewing device switches to the extraction state. At this time, if Figure 7 As shown, the flange 101 of the larger capsule 10b is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component 2 and the edge of the front end of the outer cup 31.

[0056] Next, hot water is introduced into the hydraulic chamber 302 through the first liquid inlet channel 311. The hot water in the hydraulic chamber 302 will enter the extraction chamber through the second liquid inlet channel 312 to extract the capsule 10. The extracted coffee liquid flows out through the liquid outlet channel 21.

[0057] ③After extraction:

[0058] The second component 3 is driven to move backward by the drive mechanism 4 so that the first component 2 and the second component 3 open. During this process, after the larger capsule 10b is disengaged from the first component 2, the inner cup 32 will be driven by the elastic force of the first elastic member 34 to move the larger capsule 10b forward relative to the outer cup 31 to the smaller seat position.

[0059] The second component 3 continues to move backward until the rear end of the guide rod 33 contacts the blocking component 5 (e.g., Figure 8 (As shown), so that the beverage brewing apparatus is switched to the unpacking preparation state;

[0060] The second component 3 continues to move backward, and the guide rod 33 moves forward relative to the outer cup 31 and the inner cup 32 to push the capsule 10 away from the seat 301 (e.g., Figure 9 (As shown) the unpacking is completed, so that the beverage brewing device switches to the unpacking end state. At this time, the lower part of the rear end of the outer cup 31 contacts the stop block 6.

[0061] The second component 3 continues to move backward, and the outer cup 31, under the counter-thrust of the stop block 6, flips upward around the first guide shaft 313, so that the rear end of the guide rod 33 disengages from the stop block 5, and the beverage brewing device returns to its original position. Figure 2 The initial state is shown;

[0062] (2) When it is necessary to extract the smaller capsule 10a, the extraction process is roughly the same as that of the larger capsule 10b, the difference being that: throughout the entire process, the inner cup 32 is always located in the smaller seat position. When the beverage brewing device is in the extraction state, such as Figure 10As shown, the water pressure in the hydraulic chamber 302 applies forward pressure to the inner cup 32 to keep the inner cup 32 in the smaller seat position, avoid unnecessary expansion of the seat 301, and press the flange 101 of the smaller capsule 10a against the rear end face of the first component 2 by means of the edge of the front end of the inner cup 32.

[0063] It should be noted that although the first elastic element 34 can also apply a forward force to the inner cup 32, its elastic force is small and can only provide a pre-compression effect, while the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic chamber 302 provides a clamping effect.

[0064] Furthermore, the blocking device in the background patent can only block the inner cup and keep it in the extraction position when its seat contains a smaller capsule. It can be seen that its seat cannot accommodate capsules of other sizes besides smaller and larger capsules. In this application, however, regardless of the size of the capsule contained in the seat, the water pressure in the hydraulic chamber can apply forward pressure to the inner cup to avoid unnecessary expansion of the seat, thereby facilitating stepless adjustment of the movement position of the inner cup.

Claims

1. A beverage brewing apparatus, comprising a base (1), a first component (2) disposed at the front of the base (1), and a second component (3) disposed at the rear of the base (1) and capable of sliding back and forth relative to the first component (2), wherein when the second component (3) is moved to its extreme position, the second component (3) and the first component (2) close together and define an extraction chamber for accommodating a capsule (10), the second component (3) comprising an outer cup (31) and an inner cup (32), the inner cavities of the inner cup (32) and the outer cup (31) together defining a seat (301), the seat (301) being designed to receive the capsule (10) during the forward movement of the second component (3), the inner cup (32) being mounted inside the outer cup (31) in a manner capable of axially sliding relative to the outer cup (31) to define the seat (301) of different sizes, characterized in that: The outer wall of the inner cup (32) and the inner wall of the outer cup (31) are sealed together to form a closed hydraulic cavity (302) between the inner cup (32) and the outer cup (31). The outer cup (31) has a first liquid inlet channel (311) that communicates with the hydraulic cavity (302), and the inner cup (32) has a second liquid inlet channel (321) that communicates with the hydraulic cavity (302) and the extraction chamber.

2. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner cup (32) slides relative to the outer cup (31) between a smaller seat position and a larger seat position. When the inner cup (32) is in the smaller seat position, the seat (301) is sized to accommodate a smaller capsule (10a). When the inner cup (32) is in the larger seat position, the seat (301) is sized to accommodate a larger capsule (10b).

3. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: With the inner cup (32) in either a smaller or larger seat position, the seat (301) is sized to accommodate an intermediate capsule that is larger than the smaller capsule (10a) and smaller than the larger capsule (10b).

4. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that: The capsule (10) has a flange (101) on the periphery of its front end; With the seat (301) accommodating the smaller capsule (10a) and the second component (3) moved forward to its limit position, the flange (101) is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component (2) and the edge of the front end of the inner cup (32). With the seat (301) accommodating the larger capsule (10b) and the second component (3) moved forward to its limit position, the flange (101) is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component (2) and the edge of the front end of the outer cup (31). With the seat (301) accommodating the intermediate capsule and the second component (3) moved forward to its limit position, the flange (101) is sandwiched between the rear end face of the first component (2) and the edge of the front end of the outer cup (31).

5. The beverage brewing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The second component (3) further includes a guide rod (33) that passes through the outer cup (31) and the inner cup (32) along the axial direction.

6. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The periphery of the guide rod (33) is sealed to the outer cup (31) and the inner cup (32).

7. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer cup (31) has a first inner step (312) on its inner peripheral wall, and the inner cup (32) has a first outer step (322) on its outer peripheral wall, the first outer step (322) being located behind the first inner step (312).

8. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second component (3) further includes a first elastic element (34), which acts between the inner cup (32) and the outer cup (31) to make the first outer step (322) always tend to move toward the first inner step (312).

9. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first elastic element (34) is a compression spring, which is housed in the hydraulic cavity (302) and sleeved on the outer periphery of the guide rod (33), with the two ends of the compression spring abutting against the opposite surfaces of the inner cup (32) and the outer cup (31), respectively.

10. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes a blocking member (5) located at the rear of the base (1). During the process of the second component (3) moving backward relative to the first component (2), after the rear end of the guide rod (33) contacts the blocking member (5), the guide rod (33) moves forward relative to the outer cup (31) and the inner cup (32) to push the capsule (10) away from the seat (301).

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