Food processor with tea drinking function

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of household appliance technology, specifically disclosing a food processing machine with tea-making function. The machine includes a processing cup with a top opening and a motor-driven stirring blade at the bottom; a cup lid covering the top opening; and a tea basket assembly located inside the processing cup. The tea basket assembly includes a tea basket with perforated walls for holding materials and a tea-pressing cover located inside the tea basket and raised upwards. The lower end of the tea-pressing cover is open, and the tea basket is positioned above the stirring blade and vertically blocks it. The bottom of the tea-pressing cover is not higher than the maximum pulping capacity scale line of the processing cup. This application achieves the goal of ensuring that the butter tea is free of tea residue and has a uniform taste, while further solving the problem that adding a plate-shaped extrusion plate to the filter cylinder to press down the tea leaves to avoid excessive oxidation of the tea leaves results in a raw, grassy taste in the butter tea.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of household appliance technology, specifically relating to a food processing machine with tea-making function. Background Technology

[0002] Butter tea is an essential beverage in the daily lives of Tibetan people. As early as 1996, researchers applied for a patent for a fully automatic butter tea machine (application number 96202694.8, hereinafter referred to as Patent 1), making it convenient for consumers to make butter tea at home. The specific design consists of a shell, inner liner, motor, heating element, and timer. The shell comprises an outer shell and a base, with a timer located on one side of the base. The inner liner is located inside the shell, with a motor located on the bottom outer side of the inner liner. The motor shaft extends into the inner liner, and a connector and filter basket are located in the middle of the motor shaft. The filter basket is mounted on top of the connector and works in conjunction with it. A ring-shaped heating element is located outside the connector. A stirring blade is located at the end of the motor shaft, and the filter basket covers the stirring blade. A filter cover is placed on the filter basket. This design allows for the addition of tea, salt, butter, and other ingredients into the filter basket. After water is added, the heating element heats the mixture, and the stirring blade rotates, mixing the water and ingredients. The butter tea making time is controlled by a countdown timer. However, in this butter tea machine design, since both the stirring blades and the materials are inside the filter basket, while the materials are mostly isolated from the water, it is difficult to ensure that the stirring blades will break up the tea leaves. Some of the broken pieces flow into the water through the mesh of the filter basket, resulting in a butter tea with an uneven texture.

[0003] To improve the taste of butter tea, around 2015, the applicant, based on a soy milk maker with the main unit mounted on top, provided a method for making butter tea that avoids the problem of the stirring blades crushing the tea leaves. Specifically, referring to patent number 201520710439.3 (hereinafter referred to as Patent 2), the machine head extends into the cup body, and a hidden storage device is set on one side of the machine head. This device has a suspension component and a storage cavity. The suspension component is detachably hooked to the inner wall of the cup body, and the storage cavity is used to hold materials such as tea leaves and cheese. The solution of Patent 2 sets the hidden storage device on the side of the stirring blade, avoiding unnecessary crushing of materials when the stirring and crushing device drives the blades to rotate, thus playing a role in isolation. Specifically, the storage chamber is equipped with a cover and filter holes. The cover prevents material from overflowing into the discharge device during operation and increases the pressure inside the discharge device, allowing the tea to mix more thoroughly with other materials. The filter holes, located on the outer wall of the discharge chamber, serve as a channel for mixing material and water while also preventing material leakage. However, the applicant has found that because the concealed storage device is always offset relative to the grinding blades, the processed butter tea exhibits layering, with the flavor being stronger closer to the concealed storage device, resulting in inconsistent taste. For example, after making the butter tea, the first few cups are milder, while the later cups are stronger.

[0004] To address this issue, researchers have revisited the design of a milk tea machine based on the form described in Patent 1, where the motor is located below the cup and the stirring blade is at the bottom of the cup. This avoids the problem in Patent 2 where the machine head extending into the cup necessitates a side-mounted storage device, affecting the taste. Specifically, see Patent 3 (application number 202021551051.0), whose milk tea machine consists of three main parts: a lid, a pot body, and a base. The lid has a perforated basket for placing ingredients in it to mix thoroughly with the water in the pot. The bottom of the pot body has a stirring component, and the outer bottom of the pot body forms a base containing a motor that drives the stirring component, as well as a heating element located on the outer bottom wall of the pot body. This design places the holding basket directly above the stirring element, isolating the stirring element from the materials in the basket, especially the tea leaves. This also prevents the basket from being misaligned, which could lead to uneven texture in the butter tea (or milk tea). The stirring blade, through centrifugal force, thoroughly and evenly mixes the materials in the basket, significantly improving the smoothness and uniformity of the texture. However, the applicant discovered that during the water flow caused by the stirring element, the tea leaves in the basket rise to the top, and some adhere to the top of the basket. These tea leaves are fully exposed to oxygen and cannot mix properly with the water, resulting in a weaker flavor in the butter tea. Therefore, the applicant found a patent in the teapot field, application number 201720671617.5 (hereinafter referred to as Patent 4), which uses a pressing plate inside the filter cylinder to compress the tea leaves. The purpose is to fully compress the tea leaves to prevent them from separating from the water in the cup and from mixing with it during soaking. This also prevents the tea leaves from rising to the exposed area outside the liquid flow under the action of the water flow. However, the extrusion plate in Patent 4 is a plate structure. When applied to a milk tea machine with a stirring blade at the bottom of the cup, as in Patent 3, the stirring blade rotates and causes the water to surge. The brick tea fully absorbs water and expands, but the presence of the extrusion plate hinders the natural diffusion and unfolding of the tea leaves. The tea leaves cannot move with the water in the filter tube, which slows down the exchange and mixing of water in the filter tube and water in the cup. As a result, the tea soup brewed in this way has a raw grassy taste and is not transparent in color, which seriously affects the taste of butter tea.

[0005] In conclusion, while ensuring that the butter tea is free of tea residue and has a uniform taste, the problem of a raw, grassy taste in the butter tea produced by adding a plate-shaped pressing plate inside the filter cylinder to press down the tea leaves to avoid excessive exposure to oxidation remains to be solved. Utility Model Content

[0006] This utility model provides a food processing machine with tea-making function, which aims to further solve the problem that the butter tea produced by adding a plate-shaped extrusion plate to the filter cylinder to press down the tea leaves in order to avoid excessive exposure to oxidation of tea leaves, while ensuring that the butter tea has no tea residue and a uniform taste.

[0007] This utility model provides a food processing machine with tea-drinking function, including a processing cup, with a top opening and a stirring blade driven by a motor at the bottom;

[0008] A cup lid is placed over the top opening of the processing cup;

[0009] The tea basket assembly is located inside the processing cup. The tea basket assembly includes a tea basket for holding materials and with hollowed-out walls, and a tea pressing cover located inside the tea basket and raised upwards. The lower end of the tea pressing cover is open. The tea basket is located above the stirring blade and vertically blocks the stirring blade. The bottom end of the tea pressing cover is not higher than the maximum pulping capacity scale line of the processing cup.

[0010] This invention relates to a food processing machine with a bottom-mounted motor. The motor-driven stirring blade is positioned at the bottom of the processing cup, avoiding the issues of existing top-mounted motor designs in soymilk makers where the storage device is offset relative to the machine head, leading to tea layering and uneven flavor. In this application, the tea basket is located above the stirring blade and vertically shields it. This ensures that when the stirring blade rotates, the water flows evenly towards the tea basket from multiple directions. After reaching the basket, the water is then centrifugally propelled from the outer periphery of the basket towards the inner wall of the processing cup, resulting in a uniform tea infusion. Furthermore, the tea basket isolates the stirring blade from the material, preventing material, especially tea leaves, from being broken up by the stirring blade and entering the beverage, thus affecting its delicate texture.

[0011] Typically, food processor cups are marked with minimum and maximum pulping capacity lines to guide users in pulping within these ranges, resulting in beverages with relatively good taste. This solution incorporates an upward-curving tea-pressing cover within the tea basket. The bottom of the tea-pressing cover is no higher than the maximum pulping capacity line of the processing cup. This ensures that even when the desired beverage volume is within the minimum and maximum pulping capacity range, the tea-pressing cover prevents tea leaves from rising to the top of the tea basket due to the water flow, avoiding adhesion and insufficient brewing. More importantly, the tea-pressing cover in this application has an upward-curving structure with an opening at the bottom. Under the influence of the water flow, the tea brick is broken into smaller pieces and then further dispersed into smaller tea leaves, which gradually expand and diffuse after absorbing water. The upward-bulging space of the tea pressing cover not only presses the tea downwards to prevent it from surging and sticking to the top of the tea basket where it cannot be fully steeped, but also expands the space needed for the tea leaves to disperse, allowing each tea leaf to fully unfold and come into full contact with the water. This results in a rich, woody or caramel aroma, and a bright, clear red tea soup that masks the raw, grassy smell of clumped or undercooked tea leaves. The resulting butter tea has a sweet, rich aroma and a delicate, silky texture.

[0012] Preferably, the tea pressing cover includes a connecting rod connected to the cup lid and a cover body disposed at the bottom of the connecting rod.

[0013] In this invention, by configuring the tea pressing cover as a connecting rod that connects to the cup lid and a cover body located at the bottom of the connecting rod with its opening facing downwards, the problem of the cover body extending to the cup lid without the connecting rod is avoided. This prevents tea leaves from adhering to the sharp top of the cover body after entering the cover body, leading to oxidation from prolonged exposure. This not only affects the quality of the tea but also prevents these tea leaves from participating in the mixing process, reducing the concentration of the tea soup. Furthermore, the presence of the rod ensures that the depth of the downward-facing cover body is not very deep, allowing the tea leaves to easily fall back with the water flow after use, reducing the phenomenon of tea leaves sticking to the sides of the cup.

[0014] Preferably, the cover includes a first cover connected to the bottom of the rod and gradually expanding from top to bottom, and a second cover connected to the bottom of the first cover and bent relative to the first cover.

[0015] Normally, under the action of the stirring blade, the water flow generates centrifugal force, moving towards the side wall of the processing cup and then circumferentially along the inner wall of the processing cup. This causes the water flow to disperse the tea bricks in the tea basket into tea leaves or fine tea bricks, which then move towards the circumference of the tea basket. In this application, the presence of the second cover blocks the tea leaves that are about to rise to the side wall of the tea basket, guiding the tea leaves along with the water flow into the first cover. The first cover gradually contracts from bottom to top, locally gathering and patting the rising fine tea bricks, allowing them to fully disperse and be soaked in the water flow, releasing the tea aroma. The tea leaves washed to the top of the first cover can then flow along the inner wall of the first cover to the second cover and fall back to the bottom of the tea basket. This cycle repeats multiple times, fully releasing the tea aroma and accelerating the increase in tea soup concentration.

[0016] Preferably, the connecting rod is a telescopic rod, which is used to drive the cover to move along the axial direction of the tea basket to adjust the space between the cover and the bottom wall of the tea basket.

[0017] This invention features a telescopic rod for the tea pressing cover, allowing it to move the cover along the axial direction of the tea basket to adjust the space between the cover and the bottom wall of the basket. When making small-volume butter tea, where the basket contains relatively little material, the telescopic rod can be extended to bring the tea pressing cover closer to the bottom of the basket, extending below the liquid's surface. Conversely, when making large-volume butter tea, where the basket contains more material, the telescopic rod can be shortened to raise the cover to a higher position. By dynamically adjusting the distance between the tea pressing cover and the bottom wall of the basket using the telescopic rod, the consistent pressing effect of the tea pressing cover on the material is ensured regardless of the size of the butter tea being made. This ensures the material mixes thoroughly with water without hindering the diffusion and unfolding of the tea leaves, thus fully releasing the aroma.

[0018] Preferably, the cup lid has a through-hole for feeding and a detachable feeding cover installed in the feeding hole, and the tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom of the feeding cover.

[0019] Preferably, the feeding cover includes an internally hollow mounting cavity, the bottom wall of the mounting cavity is raised upward to form a mounting protrusion, and a fastener is provided in the mounting cavity, passing through the mounting protrusion from top to bottom and locking it to the top of the tea pressing cover.

[0020] This utility model integrates the tea pressing cover and the feeding cover. If the user needs to add materials midway, the tea pressing cover can be removed along with the feeding cover, preventing the tea pressing cover from getting too hot. The feeding cover has a hollow mounting cavity, and the top of the tea pressing cover is locked to the bottom wall of the mounting cavity. This allows the top walls of the tea pressing cover and the feeding cover to be insulated through the hollow mounting cavity, further improving the heat insulation effect. Since the lower end of the tea pressing cover is suspended, the stability of the top of the tea pressing cover directly affects whether the water flow during operation will cause the cantilever end of the tea pressing cover to sway and collide with the tea basket, causing noise. Therefore, this design also features an upward-protruding mounting protrusion on the bottom wall of the mounting cavity. Fasteners are installed inside the mounting cavity, passing through the mounting protrusion from top to bottom and locking the top of the tea pressing cover. The presence of the mounting protrusion increases the depth of the fastener's locking of the tea pressing cover to the bottom wall of the mounting cavity, improving the stability of the top of the tea pressing cover.

[0021] Preferably, the feeding cover further includes a downwardly extending and radially inwardly tapering wall, the tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom wall of the feeding cover located inside the wall, the tea basket is fitted around the outer periphery of the wall and has a radially outwardly turned flange, and the steps of the feeding cover and the feeding hole clamp the flange vertically; or,

[0022] The feeding cover includes an installation groove with an opening at the top. The tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom wall of the installation groove. A cover body is provided at the top of the installation groove. The installation groove and the cover body are combined to form the installation cavity.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the feeding cover further includes a downwardly extending and radially inwardly tapering wall. A tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom wall of the feeding cover located inside the wall. The tea basket is fitted around the outer perimeter of the wall and has a radially outwardly turned flange. The steps of the feeding cover and the feeding hole clamp the flange vertically, thus separating and fixing the tea basket and the tea pressing cover through the wall. The tea basket is fixed to the wall, while the tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom wall of the feeding cover located inside the wall. This avoids insufficient strength when fixing the tea basket and tea pressing cover with a single component, and places stricter performance requirements on the feeding cover. Simultaneously, the tea basket being fitted around the outer perimeter of the wall facilitates easy disassembly of the tea basket relative to the feeding cover. The tea basket also features a radially outwardly turned flange. The steps of the feeding cover and the feeding hole clamp the flange vertically, and the steps of the feeding hole and the feeding cover mutually press the tea basket axially, ensuring that the tea basket will not easily shake under the flow of water.

[0024] The mounting cavity of this utility model is composed of a mounting groove with an opening at the top and a cover body that fits onto the top of the mounting. On the one hand, it can save the material cost of the feeding cover, and on the other hand, if the fixing of the top of the tea pressing cover becomes loose or damaged, the cover body can be opened for inspection.

[0025] Preferably, the tea pressing cover is provided with multiple drainage holes.

[0026] Preferably, the peripheral wall of the tea basket also includes a plurality of drainage holes, no less than the number of drainage holes.

[0027] In the beverage preparation process of this food processing machine, the required amount of water is first added to the processing cup. Then, the tea basket, tea press cover, and cup lid are assembled and inserted into the processing cup from top to bottom. The tea basket and tea press cover press down on the water in the processing cup. Therefore, to reduce the resistance at the cup opening where the cup lid is placed after the tea press cover comes into contact with the water, drainage holes are provided on the tea press cover. In this way, when the tea press cover is filled with water and continues to move downwards to allow the cup lid to overlap with the cup opening, the water squeezed upwards can be discharged through the drainage holes, effectively reducing the resistance when the cup lid and the processing cup lid are closed, resulting in a better user experience. More preferably, the water discharged upwards through the drainage holes must flow back into the processing cup. One possible path is that the water flows downwards along the outer wall of the tea press cover to the gap between the outer edge of the tea press cover and the tea basket, and is discharged into the processing cup through the mesh (i.e., drainage holes) on the side wall of the tea basket. However, during the pressing process of the tea press cover, the water has an upward surging force. The weight of the water flowing down the outer wall of the tea press cover may not be greater than the upward surging force, resulting in situations where the water cannot flow down or flows down slowly. In other words, the user still perceives relatively high resistance when assembling the cup lid. To address this, this application optimizes the tea basket structure by providing multiple drainage holes, no less than the drainage holes, on the peripheral wall of the tea basket. This allows the water flowing upward through the drainage holes to drain directly from the top of the tea press cover radially outward through the drainage holes in the tea basket, without needing to flow back through the gap between the tea press cover and the tea basket, and to flow back into the processing cup.

[0028] Preferably, the outer edge of the tea pressing cover is fitted with a gap between it and the inner wall of the tea basket, and the gap is less than or equal to 2.5 mm.

[0029] The food processing machine with tea-making function described in this utility model requires the following assembly process: first, tea bricks, salt, ghee, and other materials are placed in the tea basket, and then the tea basket is installed with the cup lid to cover the tea pressing cover; similarly, the tea basket is separated from the cup lid first during disassembly. Therefore, a gap must be maintained between the inner wall of the tea basket and the outer edge of the tea pressing cover to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the tea basket relative to the cup lid. Of course, during the preparation of tea (such as butter tea), the liquid will surge due to the stirring action of the stirring blade, causing the tea bricks to absorb water and slowly expand and disperse. If the gap between the outer edge of the tea pressing cover and the inner wall of the tea basket is greater than 2.5mm, the dispersed tea leaves will either get stuck in this gap, affecting the separation of the tea basket from the tea pressing cover; or a large amount of tea leaves will pass through this gap and enter the upper part of the tea pressing cover, adhering to its outer surface and making it difficult to fall back to the lower part, thus reducing the concentration of the tea soup and resulting in a weaker taste in the final butter tea. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the present invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the food processing machine in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of region A shown in the diagram;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the processed cup assembly from another perspective in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tea-pressing cover in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding cover in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] List of components and reference numerals:

[0037] 1. Cup lid; 11. Feeding hole; 111. Step; 12. Feeding cover; 121. Mounting groove; 1211. Mounting protrusion; 1222. Fastener; 1224. Enclosure; 122. Lid body; 123. Mounting cavity; 124. Stepped mounting hole; 125. Through hole;

[0038] 2. Processing cup; 21. Stirring blade; 22. Heating element;

[0039] 3. Tea basket assembly; 31. Tea basket; 311. Drain hole; 312. Flanged edge; 32. Tea pressing cover; 321. Connecting rod; 3211. Flat part; 322. Cover body; 3221. First cover body; 3222. Second cover body; 323. Drain hole;

[0040] 4. Machine base; 41. Motor;

[0041] 5. Graduation lines; 51. Minimum pulping capacity graduation line; 52. Maximum pulping capacity graduation line. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this utility model, a detailed description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this utility model that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this 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.

[0045] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0046] In this utility model, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the first feature "on" or "below" the second feature may be in direct contact with the first and second features, or indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this utility model. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0047] like Figure 1-5 As shown, this utility model provides a food processor with a tea-making function, including a base 4 equipped with a motor 41, and a processing cup 2 detachably assembled on top of the base 4. The bottom of the processing cup 2 is electrically coupled to the top of the base. The processing cup 2 includes a stirring blade 21 driven by the motor 41, a heating tube 22 at the bottom of the processing cup 2 for heating and cooking the beverage inside, and an opening at the top of the processing cup 2 with a lid 1. This food processor adopts a bottom-mounted motor 41 configuration, meaning the stirring blade 21 driven by the motor 41 is located at the bottom of the processing cup 2. This avoids the problem in existing technologies like soymilk makers where the motor 41 is positioned above the food, resulting in a misaligned storage device relative to the machine head, leading to tea layering and uneven flavor.

[0048] Further reference Figure 2 The processing cup 2 also has graduation lines 5 on its side wall, mainly marking the maximum pulping capacity graduation line 52 (as shown in the attached figure). Figure 2 The minimum pulping capacity mark is 51 (as shown in the attached diagram), located at 2.2L. Figure 2The tea basket assembly 3 is located inside the processing cup 2. It includes a tea basket 31 with open walls for holding materials and a tea pressing cover 32 located inside the tea basket 31 and raised upwards. The tea basket 31 typically has multiple small drainage holes 311 on its walls, allowing water from the processing cup 2 to enter the tea basket 31 and dissolve the materials under the influence of the stirring blade 21. The dissolved tea is then drained through the drainage holes 311 back into the processing cup 2 to mix with the remaining water, thus repeatedly steeping to produce a rich and aromatic tea. Generally, in existing technologies, the tea basket extends below the minimum pulping capacity mark 51 to ensure that the materials in the tea basket are still fully moistened when the user uses the minimum capacity for pulping. Preferably, the tea basket 31 is detachably connected to the cup lid 1, facilitating the addition of ingredients to the tea basket 31 and the emptying of the tea basket 31 after preparation to thoroughly clean the tea basket 31, tea pressing cover 32, and cup lid 1, ensuring cleanliness. In this application, the tea pressing cover 32 also has a lower opening. The tea basket 31 is located above the stirring blade 21 and vertically blocks the stirring blade 21. The bottom of the tea pressing cover 32 is not higher than the maximum pulping capacity scale line 52 of the processing cup 2.

[0049] In this invention, the tea basket 31 is located above the stirring blade 21 and vertically blocks the stirring blade 21. On the one hand, when the stirring blade 21 rotates and drives the water flow, it is evenly directed towards the tea basket 31 from multiple directions. After being directed towards the tea basket 31, the water then flows from the outer periphery of the tea basket 31 towards the inner wall of the processing cup 2 under centrifugal force, thus evenly distributing the tea soup. On the other hand, the stirring blade 21 and the material are isolated through the tea basket 31, preventing the material in the tea basket 31, especially the tea leaves, from being crushed by the stirring blade 21 and entering the beverage, thus affecting the delicate taste of the beverage.

[0050] This design incorporates an upward-convex tea-pressing cover 32 within the tea basket 31. The bottom of the tea-pressing cover 32 is positioned no higher than the maximum pulping capacity scale line 52 of the processing cup 2. This ensures that, regardless of whether the desired beverage volume is within the minimum or maximum pulping capacity range, the tea-pressing cover 32 consistently prevents the tea leaves from rising to the top of the tea basket 31 due to the water flow, thus avoiding the tea leaves from adhering to the top of the tea basket 31 and failing to fully participate in the brewing process. More importantly, the tea-pressing cover 32 of this application has an upward-convex structure with an opening at the bottom. Thus, under the influence of the water flow, the tea bricks are broken into smaller pieces and then further dispersed into smaller tea leaves. The tea leaves gradually expand and diffuse after absorbing water. The upward-bulging space of the tea-pressing cover 32 serves to press the tea downwards, preventing the tea leaves from surging and sticking to the top of the tea basket 31 where they cannot fully steep. It also expands the space needed for the tea leaves to disperse, allowing each leaf to fully unfurl and come into full contact with the water. This results in a rich, woody or caramel aroma, a deep red and clear tea liquor, and a strong, grassy taste that masks any astringent notes from clumped or undercooked tea leaves. The resulting butter tea is sweet, rich, and has a smooth, delicate texture. Of course, in addition to making butter tea, the food processing machine of this application can also be used to make other beverages such as milk tea and soy milk.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment of this application, the structure of the tea-pressing cover 32 has been further optimized:

[0052] During beverage preparation, some users have a habit of adding ingredients midway through. For example, when making white fungus soup, they need to add sugar for flavoring when the tea is almost finished; when making butter tea, they may add nuts to the processing cup 2 midway so that the stirring blade 21 can crush them and mix them with the tea soup, improving the nutrition and taste of the butter tea. Therefore, in this application, the cup lid 1 is provided with a through-hole 11 in the middle and a detachable feeding cover 12 installed on the feeding hole 11. This allows users to add ingredients midway without opening the entire cup lid 1, which would cause the heat inside the processing cup 2 to dissipate quickly. It also prevents the stirring blade 21 from splashing the slurry from the side wall of the processing cup 2 when the cup lid 1 is completely removed, which could scald the user. The feeding cover 12 is located in the middle of the cup lid 1. When the stirring blade 21 agitates at high speed, it forms a V-shaped vortex, making it difficult for the slurry to splash out of the feeding hole 11 in the middle of the cup lid 1. Moreover, compared to the design where the cup lid 1 can be completely removed, the feeding hole 11 reduces the area for heat loss, so even if slurry is added in the middle, not too much heat will be lost. In addition, the tea pressing cover 32 is fixed to the bottom of the feeding cover 12, which can prevent the tea pressing cover 32 from blocking the material when adding slurry. When the tea pressing cover 32 is removed, the feeding cover 12 blocks the heat of the tea pressing cover 32, preventing the tea pressing cover 32 from burning the user.

[0053] For details, please refer to Figure 1 , 34. The tea pressing cover 32 includes a connecting rod 321 connected to the feeding cover 12 and a cover body 322 located at the bottom of the connecting rod 321. This avoids the situation where, without the connecting rod 321, the top of the cover body 322 would need to extend to the cup lid 1, causing tea leaves entering the cover body 322 to potentially adhere to the sharp top of the cover body 322 and oxidize due to prolonged exposure. This not only affects the quality of the tea leaves but also prevents these leaves from participating in the mixing process, reducing the concentration of the tea soup. On the other hand, the presence of the rod body ensures that the depth of the downward-facing cover body 322 is not very deep, allowing the tea leaves to easily fall back with the water flow after use, reducing the phenomenon of tea leaves sticking to the wall. Preferably, the connecting rod 321 and the cover body 322 are integrally connected metal parts.

[0054] It should be noted that the cup lid 1 in this application may also be without the feeding hole 11 and the feeding cover 12, that is, the cup lid 1 is a common food processing machine cup lid 1, and the connecting rod 321 of the tea pressing cover 32 is directly fixed to the bottom of the cup lid 1.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, the cover 322 includes a first cover 3221 connected to the bottom of the rod and gradually expanding from top to bottom, and a second cover 3222 connected to the bottom of the first cover 3221 and bent relative to the first cover 3221. Preferably, the first cover 3221 is inverted funnel shape, while the second cover 3222 is cylindrical. The feeding cover 12 also includes a downwardly extending and radially inwardly tapering wall 1224. The tea basket 31 is fitted around the outer periphery of the wall 1224 and has a radially outwardly turned flange 312. The steps 111 of the feeding cover 12 and the feeding hole 11 clamp the flange 312 from top to bottom. The steps 111 of the feeding hole 11 and the feeding cover 12 mutually press the tea basket 31 axially, ensuring that the tea basket 31 will not easily shake under the surge of water.

[0056] It should be noted that the tea basket 31 described in this application is fitted around the outer perimeter of the enclosure 1223, which does not mean that the tea basket 31 needs to be fixedly connected to the enclosure, such as by screwing; it could also mean that the two are pressed together by the feeding cover when the feeding cover 12 is closed on the feeding hole.

[0057] Taking the preparation of butter tea as an example, this food processing machine analyzes the advantages of its enclosure structure. Generally, it includes the following steps:

[0058] 1. Material preparation stage: The user needs to add an appropriate amount of water (between the minimum and maximum pulping capacity). The chopped nuts can be added to the processing cup 2 along with the water according to actual needs. Then, the tea basket 31 is placed at the step 111 of the feeding port. The tea basket 31 is connected to the step 111 of the feeding port by the flange 312. Then, the tea brick, ghee, salt and other materials are placed at the bottom of the tea basket 31. The feeding cover 12 is placed on top of the feeding hole 11 to press down the flange 312 of the tea basket 31. The tea pressing cover 32 on the feeding cover 12 extends into the tea basket 31 to reduce the space where the materials can move in the tea basket 31.

[0059] II. Tea Preparation Stage: After the materials are prepared, the food processor is started. The heating element 22 heats and boils the liquid in the processing cup 2, causing the ghee and salt in the tea basket 31 to dissolve. The tea brick absorbs water, gradually softens and expands, and gradually turns into individual tea leaves that fill the space between the tea press cover 32 and the bottom of the tea basket 31. During the boiling process, many rising bubbles are generated, which carry the tea leaves upwards. The presence of the tea press cover 32, through the side wall of its second cover 3222, vertically guides the tea leaves, preventing them from flowing towards the sides of the tea press cover 32 and getting stuck in the gap between the tea press cover 32 and the tea basket 31. The second cover 3222 is shaped like an inverted funnel, that is, it gradually expands from top to bottom. After the tea leaves gradually rise into the second cover 3222, they are squeezed downwards, thus preventing the tea leaves from floating upwards and being exposed to the air, which would prevent them from fully participating in the mixing and steeping with the water.

[0060] Of course, during this process, the stirring blade 21 can also be used to accelerate the dissolution of the tea brick and the extraction of a rich tea soup: ① Drive the stirring blade 21 to rotate at a low speed to accelerate the dissolution of the tea brick into individual tea leaves, and

[0061] Promoting water and

[0062] Tea leaves, salt, and ghee are mixed evenly. Normally, under the action of the stirring blade 21, the water flow generates centrifugal force, moving towards the side wall of the processing cup 2 and circumferentially along the inner wall of the processing cup 2. Thus, the water flow disperses the tea bricks in the tea basket 31 into tea leaves or fine tea bricks, which then move towards the circumferential wall of the tea basket 31. In this application, the presence of the second cover 3222 blocks the tea leaves that are about to rise to the side wall of the tea basket 31, guiding the tea leaves along with the water flow into the first cover 3221. The first cover 3221 gradually contracts from bottom to top, partially gathering and patting the rising fine tea bricks, allowing them to fully disperse and be soaked in the water flow, releasing the tea aroma. The tea leaves washed to the top of the first cover 3221 can then flow along the inner wall of the first cover 3221 to the second cover 3222 and fall back to the bottom of the tea basket 31. This cycle repeats multiple times, fully releasing the tea aroma and accelerating the increase in tea soup concentration.

[0063] ② The stirring blade 21 rotates at a relatively high speed, causing the water flow to form a V-shaped turbulent flow. The dissolved tea leaves in the tea basket 31 are not soaked in water but exposed to the air to awaken the tea, allowing the tea leaves to further contact with the air, cool down, unfurl, and restore their activity, thereby enhancing the aroma of the tea soup after the tea leaves and water are combined. The upward-bulging space formed by the first cover 3221 and the second cover 3222 in this application provides redundant space and greater containment for the tea leaves to unfurl.

[0064] In the preferred tea brewing stage, the stirring blade 21 can rotate at low and high speeds repeatedly as needed.

[0065] III. Emulsification and Blending Stage: The tea base brewing stage is generally controlled at around 10 minutes. The criteria for judging its quality are a deep, bright amber color or dark soy sauce color in the tea soup, noticeable scraping of the tea soup against the sides of the bowl, and a rich, woody or caramel aroma that clearly overpowers the raw, grassy taste. After the tea soup is brewed, the motor 41 of the food processor must be controlled to drive the stirring blade 21 to rotate for 1 to 2 minutes at high speed to fully emulsify the tea oil into a thick, creamy soup, thus producing a fragrant, delicious, and delicate butter tea.

[0066] As described above, during the assembly of the tea basket assembly 3, tea bricks, salt, ghee, and other materials must first be placed in the tea basket 31, and then the tea basket 31 is installed with the cup lid 1 to cover the tea pressing cover 32; similarly, the tea basket 31 is separated from the cup lid 1 first during disassembly. Therefore, a clearance fit must be maintained between the inner wall of the tea basket 31 and the outer edge of the tea pressing cover 32, and the clearance must be less than or equal to 2.5mm to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the tea basket 31 relative to the cup lid 1. Of course, during the process of making tea (such as butter tea), the liquid will surge due to the stirring action of the stirring blade 21, which will cause the tea brick to absorb water and slowly expand and disperse. If the gap between the outer edge of the tea pressing cover 32 and the inner wall of the tea basket 31 is greater than 2.5mm, the dispersed tea leaves will either get stuck in the gap, affecting the separation of the tea basket 31 from the tea pressing cover 32; or a large number of tea leaves will pass through the gap and enter the upper part of the tea pressing cover 32, and after going up, they will stick to the outer surface of the tea pressing cover 32 and have difficulty falling back to the lower part of the tea pressing cover 32, thereby reducing the concentration of the tea soup and resulting in a weak taste in the final butter tea.

[0067] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of this application, reference is made to... Figure 1 , 2 4, 5, The feeding cover 12 includes an internally hollow mounting cavity 123. The inside of the feeding cover 12 is a hollow mounting cavity 123, and the top of the tea pressing cover 32 is locked to the bottom wall of the mounting cavity 123, so that the tea pressing cover 32 and the top wall of the feeding cover 12 are insulated through the hollow mounting cavity 123, further improving the heat insulation effect.

[0068] Since the lower end of the tea press cover 32 is suspended, the stability of the top of the tea press cover 32 directly affects whether the water flow during operation will cause the cantilever end of the tea press cover 32 to sway and collide with the tea basket 31, causing noise. Therefore, in this application, a mounting protrusion 1211 is formed by raising the bottom wall of the mounting cavity 123. A fastener 1222 is installed in the mounting cavity 123, passing through the mounting protrusion 1211 from top to bottom and locking it to the top of the tea press cover 32. The presence of the mounting protrusion 1211 increases the depth to which the fastener 1222 locks the tea press cover 32 to the bottom wall of the mounting cavity 123, thereby improving the stability of the top of the tea press cover 32. Preferably, the fastener 1222 is a screw. The top of the connecting rod 321 is provided with a flat part 3211. The flat part 3211 has a screw post hole with an open top. The lower surface of the mounting protrusion 1211 is provided with a stepped mounting hole 124. While aligning with the flat part 3211, the depth of the connecting rod 321 inserted into the mounting hole is limited at the step. The upper part of the stepped mounting hole 124 is connected to a through hole 125 that passes through the mounting protrusion 1211. The screw post passes through the through hole 125 from top to bottom and extends into the screw post hole in the flat part 3211 to lock the mounting protrusion 1211 and the connecting rod 321. This achieves the fixation of the tea pressing cover 32 to the feeding cover 12. The screw post is located in the mounting cavity 123, which will not affect the taste and safety of the beverage.

[0069] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, reference is made to Figure 1 The feeding cover 12 also includes a downwardly extending and radially inwardly tapering wall 1224. The wall 1224 and the bottom wall of the feeding cover 12 form a pressing part with the step 111 facing downward. The tea basket 31 is fitted around the outer periphery of the wall 1224 and has a radially outwardly turned flange 312. The pressing part of the feeding cover 12 and the step 111 of the feeding hole 11 clamp the flange 312 from above and below. The step 111 of the feeding hole 11 and the feeding cover 12 mutually press the tea basket 31 axially, ensuring that the tea basket 31 will not easily shake under the surge of water. The tea pressing cover 32 is fixed to the bottom wall of the feeding cover 12 located inside the enclosure 1224. The tea basket 31 is fitted around the outer perimeter of the enclosure 1224, so that the tea basket 31 and the tea pressing cover 32 are separated and fixed by the enclosure 1224. The tea basket 31 is clamped and fixed from top to bottom by the steps 111 of the feeding cover 12 and the feeding hole 11. The tea pressing cover 32 is fixed to the bottom wall of the feeding cover 12 located inside the enclosure 1224, which avoids insufficient strength when fixing the two parts of the tea basket 31 and the tea pressing cover 32 with a single component, and makes the performance requirements of the feeding cover 12 more stringent. At the same time, the tea basket 31 is fitted around the outer perimeter of the enclosure 1224, which makes it easy to disassemble the tea basket 31 relative to the feeding cover 12.

[0070] Understandably, if the user wants to add materials that need to be crushed by the mixing blade 21, such as nuts, midway through the process, both the tea basket 31 and the tea pressing cover 32 can be fixedly connected to the feeding cover 12. For example, the tea basket 31 can be detachably attached to the outer perimeter of the enclosure 1224, while the tea pressing cover 32 remains fixed to the bottom of the feeding cover 12. In this way, when adding materials that need to be crushed midway, removing the feeding cover 12 allows for the simultaneous removal of both the tea basket 31 and the tea pressing cover 32. This avoids the need to remove the feeding cover 12 first and then remove the tea basket 31 separately when the tea basket 31 and the feeding cover 12 are separate, which is not only complicated but also increases the risk of burns when handling the tea basket 31. Alternatively, if a cup lid 1 without a feeding cover 12 is used, the tea pressing cover 32 can be fixedly connected to the cup lid 1, while the tea basket 31 can be detachably connected to the cup lid 1 for easier addition of materials and cleaning.

[0071] In a preferred embodiment, the feeding cover 12 includes a mounting groove 121 with an open top. The tea pressing cover 32 is fixed to the bottom wall of the mounting groove 121, and a cover body 122 is provided at the top of the mounting groove 121. The mounting groove 121 and the cover body 122 are combined to form the mounting cavity 123. The mounting cavity 123 of this invention is composed of a mounting groove 121 with an open top and a cover body 122 that covers the top of the mounting. On the one hand, it can save on the material cost of the feeding cover 12; on the other hand, if the fixation of the top of the tea pressing cover 32 becomes loose or damaged, the cover body 122 can be opened for repair.

[0072] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the connecting rod 321 of the tea pressing cover 32 is a telescopic rod, which drives the cover to move axially along the tea basket 31 to adjust the space between the cover and the bottom wall of the tea basket 31. When making a small amount of butter tea, the amount of material placed in the tea basket 31 is relatively small, so the length of the telescopic rod can be adjusted to make the tea pressing cover 32 closer to the bottom of the tea basket 31, extending below the liquid pressing surface; conversely, when making a large amount of butter tea, since the amount of material placed in the tea basket 31 is large, the length of the telescopic rod can be adjusted to shorten, so that the tea pressing cover 32 is raised to a certain height. By dynamically adjusting the distance between the tea pressing cover 32 and the bottom wall of the tea basket 31 through the telescopic rod, the consistency of the pressing effect of the tea pressing cover 32 on the material is improved regardless of the amount of butter tea made, that is, the material can be fully mixed with water without affecting the diffusion and unfolding of the tea leaves, thus fully releasing the aroma of the tea.

[0073] In this embodiment, the specific form of the telescopic pole is not limited. For example, the telescopic pole can be like the telescopic handle of an umbrella, with multiple telescopic positions; or it can be a split multi-segment structure that can be assembled and connected according to actual needs.

[0074] In the beverage preparation process of this food processing machine, the required amount of water is typically added to the processing cup 2 first. Then, the tea basket 31, tea pressing cover 32, and cup lid 1 are assembled and inserted into the processing cup 2 from top to bottom. The tea basket 31 and tea pressing cover 32 press down on the water in the processing cup 2. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, referring to… Figure 4 The tea press cover 32 is provided with multiple drainage holes 323, which are arranged around the connecting rod 321. When the tea press cover 32 includes a first cover body 3221 and a second cover body 3222, the drainage holes 323 are provided on the second cover body 3222 to overcome the water resistance when the tea press cover 32 is pressed down.

[0075] When the tea pressing cover 32 is filled with water and continues to move downwards to allow the lid 1 to overlap with the mouth of the processing cup 2, the water squeezed upwards can be discharged through the drainage holes 323, effectively reducing the resistance when the lid 1 and the processing cup 2 are closed, resulting in a better user experience. Even better, the water discharged upwards through the drainage holes 323 must flow back into the processing cup 2. One path is that the water flows downwards along the outer wall of the tea pressing cover 32 to the gap between the outer edge of the tea pressing cover 32 and the tea basket 31, and then discharges into the processing cup 2 through the mesh (i.e., the drainage holes 311) on the side wall of the tea basket 31. However, because the water has an upward surging force during the downward pressing of the tea pressing cover 32, the weight of the water flowing down from the outer wall of the tea pressing cover 32 may not be greater than the upward surging force. This can lead to situations where the water cannot flow downwards or flows downwards slowly, meaning the user still perceives a relatively large resistance when the lid 1 is pressed down. To this end, this application optimizes the tea basket structure by providing multiple drainage holes 311 on the peripheral wall of the tea basket 31, which are no less than the drainage holes 323. This allows the water flowing upward through the drainage holes 311 to flow back into the processing cup 2 without having to return through the gap between the tea pressing cover 32 and the tea basket 31. Instead, the water flows directly outward from the top of the tea pressing cover 32 and radially outward from the drainage holes 311 of the tea basket 31.

[0076] Understandable, for reference Figure 1 and 3 The drainage holes 311 on the tea basket 31 can be distributed from the bottom of the tea basket 31 upwards until some of the drainage holes 311 are not lower than the drainage holes 323.

[0077] For any parts not mentioned in this utility model, existing technologies can be used or referenced.

[0078] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. The above are merely embodiments of this utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this utility model should be included within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A food processing machine with tea-drinking function, characterized in that, include: The processing cup has an opening at the top and a stirring blade driven by a motor at the bottom. A cup lid is placed over the top opening of the processing cup; The tea basket assembly is located inside the processing cup. The tea basket assembly includes a tea basket for holding materials and with hollowed-out walls, and a tea pressing cover located inside the tea basket and raised upwards. The lower end of the tea pressing cover is open. The tea basket is located above the stirring blade and vertically blocks the stirring blade. The bottom end of the tea pressing cover is not higher than the maximum pulping capacity scale line of the processing cup.

2. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tea pressing cover includes a connecting rod connected to the cup lid and a cover body located at the bottom of the connecting rod.

3. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cover includes a first cover that is connected to the bottom of the rod and gradually expands from top to bottom, and a second cover that is connected to the bottom of the first cover and bent relative to the first cover.

4. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting rod is a telescopic rod, which is used to move the cover along the axial direction of the tea basket to adjust the space between the cover and the bottom wall of the tea basket.

5. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cup lid has a through-hole for feeding and a detachable feeding cover installed in the feeding hole. The tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom of the feeding cover.

6. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 5, characterized in that, The feeding cover includes a hollow mounting cavity. The bottom wall of the mounting cavity is raised upward to form a mounting protrusion. Fasteners are installed inside the mounting cavity, passing through the mounting protrusion from top to bottom and locking with the top of the tea pressing cover.

7. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 5, characterized in that, The feeding cover also includes a downwardly extending and radially inwardly tapering wall. The tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom wall of the feeding cover located inside the wall. The tea basket is fitted around the outer perimeter of the wall and has a radially outwardly turned flange. The steps of the feeding cover and the feeding hole clamp the flange vertically. Alternatively, The feeding cover includes an installation groove with an opening at the top. The tea pressing cover is fixed to the bottom wall of the installation groove. A cover body is provided at the top of the installation groove. The installation groove and the cover body are combined to form the installation cavity.

8. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tea press cover has multiple drainage holes.

9. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 8, characterized in that, The tea basket's perimeter wall also includes multiple drainage holes, no less than the number of drainage holes.

10. The food processing machine with tea-drinking function according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer edge of the tea pressing cover is fitted with the inner wall of the tea basket with a gap, and the gap is less than or equal to 2.5 mm.

Images