Coffee maker

Abstract

To prevent a force of steam generated from becoming too strong while the steam is quickly generated by a heater in a coffee maker.SOLUTION: A coffee maker 1 comprises: a water tank (first container 11) storing water; an extraction container (second container 12) extracting coffee liquid from coffee powders; a pump 5 sucking water in the water tank and supplying it for a downstream side; and a heater 6 heating the water sucked by the pump 5 and generating hot water or steam. In operation for generating the steam with the heater 6, the pump 5 starts operation to suck the water by lower output than a maximum output; and the heater 6 starts operation to heat the water by lower output than maximum output and then performs operation to heat the water while increasing output stepwise.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for a coffee maker for extracting coffee liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, coffee makers that extract coffee liquid are known that include a tank for storing water, a pump for pressurizing the water supplied from the tank, and a heating means for heating the water pressurized by the pump to turn it into hot water or steam (see Patent Document 1). The coffee maker performs a steaming process in which coffee powder is steamed with steam generated by a heating means, and an extraction process in which hot water generated by the heating means is dripped onto the coffee powder after the steaming process to extract coffee. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-165417 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, in a coffee maker, it is required to extract coffee liquid as quickly as possible after the operation of extracting coffee liquid is started. In order to extract coffee liquid quickly, it is conceivable to operate the heating means at high output immediately after the operation of generating steam is started to quickly generate hot water or steam. However, in the operation of generating steam by the heater, the momentum of the generated steam may be too strong because the heating means is operated at high output immediately after the operation of generating steam starts, the amount of water supplied to the heating means is relatively small at the start of the operation, etc. In this way, when the momentum of the generated steam becomes too strong, the steam may be ejected during the operation of extracting the coffee liquid, or the ejected steam may affect the taste and aroma of the coffee liquid extracted.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a coffee maker that can quickly generate steam using a heater while preventing the steam from becoming too strong. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The container of the present invention is a coffee maker that automatically extracts coffee liquid, and is equipped with a water tank that stores water that is the basis of hot water or steam for extracting the coffee liquid, an extraction container that extracts the coffee liquid using the coffee powder, the hot water, and the steam, a pump that supplies the water in the water tank downstream, and a heater that heats the water supplied by the pump to generate the hot water or the steam, and in the operation of generating the steam by the heater, the pump begins to operate to supply the water at an output lower than a maximum output, and the heater begins to operate to heat the water at an output lower than a maximum output, and the heater then operates to heat the water while gradually increasing its output.

[0007] According to the container of the present invention, steam can be generated quickly by the heater while preventing the steam from being generated with too much force.

[0008] In the present invention, in the operation of generating the steam by the heater, it is preferable that the pump starts an operation of supplying the water at an output lower than a maximum output, and then operates to supply the water while keeping the output constant.

[0009] According to this configuration, steam can be generated quickly by the heater while more reliably preventing the momentum of the generated steam from becoming too strong.

[0010] In the present invention, in the operation of generating the steam by the heater, it is preferable to increase or decrease the momentum of the steam flowing into the extraction vessel by increasing or decreasing the output of the heater and the output of the pump.

[0011] According to this configuration, the flow rate of the coffee liquid passing through the filter can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of steam flowing into the extraction container, which increases the variety of flavors of the extracted coffee liquid.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the brewer be configured as an immersion type in which the steam generated by the heater is flowed into the extraction container, and the coffee powder steamed with the steam in the extraction container is immersed in hot water and then filtered with a filter to extract the coffee liquid.

[0013] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the internal pressure of the extraction vessel from increasing suddenly due to the steam in the extraction vessel not being sufficiently released from the air opening part, which reduces the strength of the pressure-resistant structure of the extraction vessel and improves the design freedom of the extraction vessel.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the brewer is of a drip type in which the hot water or steam generated by the heater is passed through the coffee powder.

[0015] According to this configuration, the flow rate of the steam and hot water passing through the coffee powder can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of steam, which increases the variety of flavors of the extracted coffee liquid.

[0016] In the present invention, in the operation of producing the hot water after the steam is produced by the heater, it is preferable that the pump performs an operation of supplying the water while gradually increasing an output.

[0017] According to this configuration, the amount of water supplied to the heater is gradually increased, preventing a large amount of steam from being generated due to a sudden increase in the amount of water supplied to the heater, while allowing the heater to smoothly transition from generating steam to generating hot water. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a coffee maker according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the brewing unit of a coffee maker. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the output of the heater and the pump when the heater of the coffee maker is used to generate steam. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the pressure caused by steam in the extraction chamber of a coffee maker. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the output of the heater and the pump when the heater of the coffee maker is used to produce hot water. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] [Overall configuration of the coffee maker] Next, a coffee maker 1 shown in Figs. 1 to 5 will be described. The coffee maker 1 is operated by a user to automatically extract coffee liquid using coffee powder, hot water, and steam. The coffee maker 1 is, for example, an immersion type coffee maker, and is configured to extract coffee liquid by immersing coffee powder in hot water and then filtering the liquid with a filter. As shown in Fig. 1, the coffee maker 1 includes an extraction unit 10, an operation unit 2, a control unit 3, a power supply unit 4, a pump 5, a heater 6, and an atmosphere opening unit 7.

[0020] [Extraction unit] The brewing unit 10 extracts coffee liquid and stores the extracted coffee liquid. When a user operates the operation unit 2, the coffee maker 1 automatically starts an operation of extracting coffee liquid in the brewing unit 10 based on a program stored in the control unit 3, and stores the extracted coffee liquid in the brewing unit 10. Then, when a user operates the operation unit 2, the coffee liquid stored in the brewing unit 10 is discharged from a discharge port. As shown in FIG. 2, the brewing unit 10 includes a first container 11, a second container 12, a communication portion 13, a filter 14, and a support portion 15.

[0021] The first container 11 stores water that is the source of hot water or steam for extracting coffee liquid. The water is stored in the first container 11 by the user. Furthermore, the first container 11 stores extracted coffee liquid. That is, the first container 11 is configured to serve both as a water tank for storing water and a server container for storing coffee liquid. The first container 11 is disposed above (directly above) the second container 12. Note that in the extraction unit 10, the water tank and the server container may be configured as separate bodies.

[0022] In the second container 12, hot water and coffee powder are mixed, the coffee powder is immersed in the hot water, and the mixture is filtered with the filter 14, thereby extracting the coffee liquid. That is, the second container 12 is configured as an extraction container that extracts the coffee liquid from the coffee powder.

[0023] The positional relationship between the first container 11 and the second container 12 is not limited to the first container 11 being positioned directly above the second container 12, and may be, for example, configured so that the first container 11 is positioned to the side of the second container 12, and the first container 11 and the second container 12 overlap only partially when viewed in a plan view or from the side, or may be configured so that the first container 11 and the second container 12 do not overlap when viewed in a plan view or from the side.

[0024] The communication part 13 is a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction. An opening at an upper end of the communication part 13 is disposed in the first container 11, and an opening at a lower end of the communication part 13 is disposed in the second container 12. The communication part 13 is configured as a flow path through which the coffee liquid flows. The coffee liquid extracted in the second container 12 (filtered coffee liquid) flows out of the second container 12 through the communication part 13 and into the first container 11.

[0025] The filter 14 filters out coffee powder mixed in the coffee liquid by passing the coffee liquid through it. The filter 14 is placed on a filter stand in the second container 12 and divides the space in the second container 12 into two, upper and lower. The filter 14 is placed in the lower part of the second container 12 near the upper part of the lower opening of the communication part 13. In the second container 12, the filter 14 divides the space, and the opening of the communication part 13 is not placed in one (upper) space, and the opening of the communication part 13 is placed in the other (lower) space. The filter 14 is placed in the second container 12 by the user, and a predetermined amount of coffee powder is placed above the filter 14 by the user. When extracting the coffee liquid, the coffee powder is mixed in the coffee liquid in one (upper) space, and the opening of the communication part 13 is placed in the other (lower) space, of the spaces divided by the filter 14 in the second container 12. When extracting the coffee liquid, in the other (lower) space of the spaces divided by the filter 14 in the second container 12, the coffee liquid passes through the filter 14 and the coffee powder is filtered by the filter 14, resulting in the coffee powder being removed from the coffee liquid.

[0026] The support part 15 supports the first container 11 and the second container 12. The support part 15 is configured in a generally flat disk shape. The support part 15 is configured in a watertight manner by disposing a packing on the support part 15 with its upper surface abutting against the lower end of the first container 11 (the opening of the first container 11). When the first container 11 is disposed on the upper surface of the support part 15, water or coffee liquid or the like is stored in the space inside the first container 11. The space formed by the upper surface of the support part 15 and the inside of the first container 11 is configured as an enclosed space. The support part 15 is configured in a watertight manner by disposing a packing on the support part 15 with its lower surface abutting against the upper end of the second container 12 (the opening of the second container 12). In the space formed by the lower surface of the support part 15 and the inside of the second container 12, the coffee liquid is extracted and filtered. A through hole penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the approximate center of the support part 15. The communication part 13 is held by the support part 15 in a state of being inserted through the through hole.

[0027] [Components of the coffee maker] The control unit 3 controls various operations of the coffee maker 1 (the operation unit 2, the power supply unit 4, the pump 5, the heater 6, the atmosphere opening unit 7, etc.) As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 3 is electrically connected to the operation unit 2, the power supply unit 4, the pump 5, the heater 6, the atmosphere opening unit 7, etc.

[0028] In the coffee maker 1, the user operates the operation unit 2 to start brewing the coffee liquid, to discharge the coffee liquid, to set the taste of the coffee liquid, etc. The operation unit 2 is composed of switches, a touch panel, etc.

[0029] The power supply unit 4 supplies power to the control unit 3, and the control unit 3 supplies power to each part of the coffee maker 1 (such as the operation unit 2, pump 5, heater 6, and atmosphere release unit 7) for performing various operations. The power supply unit 4 converts the power supplied from the outlet via the outlet cable of the coffee maker 1 into a predetermined output power according to each part of the coffee maker 1. The coffee maker 1 is also configured to be able to store power.

[0030] The pump 5 sucks water from the first container 11 and supplies it downstream of the first container 11 (toward the heater 6). The pump 5 performs the water sucking operation when the user operates the operation unit 2 to start the operation of extracting coffee liquid. The control unit 3 causes the pump 5 to perform the operation of sucking water while keeping the output of the pump 5 constant and while changing the output of the pump 5.

[0031] The heater 6 is a water boiling heater (flow-through heater). The heater 6 heats water sucked by the pump 5 and supplied from the first container 11 to generate hot water or steam. That is, the heater 6 has two functions: a function to generate hot water and a function to generate steam. The control unit 3 causes the heater 6 to execute an operation of heating water while keeping the output of the heater 6 constant and while changing the output of the heater 6.

[0032] When the valve member is in an open state, the atmosphere vent 7 exhausts unnecessary steam, gas, and the like from the second container 12 to the outside of the coffee maker 1. The atmosphere vent 7 is also configured as an inflow portion for outside air when the outside air is taken into the extraction unit 10 upon pressure release.

[0033] The coffee maker 1 includes a plurality of flow pipes which are channels for water, hot water, steam, coffee liquid, etc. The first container 11 and the pump 5, the pump 5 and the heater 6, the heater 6 and the second container 12, and the second container 12 and the atmosphere opening section 7 are each connected via separate flow pipes.

[0034] [Operation of extracting coffee liquid] Next, the operation of extracting coffee liquid by the coffee maker 1 will be described. When the user operates the operation unit 2 to start the operation of extracting coffee liquid, the control unit 3 causes the heater 6 and the pump 5 to perform various operations in the order of the operations described below. First, the pump 5 is operated, and the water stored in the first container 11 flows out of the first container 11 and flows into the heater 6. The water that flows into the heater 6 is heated by the heater 6 and first generated as steam and flows downstream, and then the water flows into the heater 6 and is generated as hot water in succession. The steam generated by the heater 6 flows out of the heater 6 and flows into the second container 12, where the coffee powder on the filter 14 is steamed for a predetermined time. After the coffee powder on the filter 14 in the second container 12 is steamed for a predetermined time by the steam, the inflow of the steam is stopped, and the hot water generated by the heater 6 flows out of the heater 6 and flows into the second container 12 in succession. When a predetermined amount of hot water flows into the second container 12, the operation of the pump 5 is stopped.

[0035] Then, in the second container 12, the hot water and the coffee powder are mixed together for a predetermined time so that the coffee powder is immersed in the hot water (immersed state). The predetermined time for which the coffee powder is immersed in the hot water is set in advance.

[0036] After the coffee powder is soaked in the hot water for a predetermined time, the coffee liquid is passed through the filter 14 to filter the coffee powder from the coffee liquid, while the coffee liquid extracted in the second container 12 flows out of the second container 12 through the communication part 13 and into the first container 11. At this time, a pressure difference is generated between the first container 11 and the second container 12, and the coffee liquid is moved from the second container 12 to the first container 11 through the communication part 13 while being filtered by the filter 14. As a configuration for moving the coffee liquid from the second container 12 to the first container 11 through the communication part 13 while being filtered by the filter 14 by generating a pressure difference between the first container 11 and the second container 12, there is, for example, a configuration in which the gas in the first container 11 is sucked in by an actuator such as the pump 5 to reduce the pressure inside the first container 11.

[0037] In addition, when mixing hot water and coffee powder and immersing the coffee powder in the hot water, steam can be introduced into the second container 12 to agitate the hot water and coffee powder with the steam. In addition, when the coffee liquid extracted in the second container 12 flows out from the second container 12 and into the first container 11, steam can be introduced into the second container 12 to pressurize the second container 12, thereby generating a pressure difference between the first container 11 and the second container 12, and the coffee liquid can be moved from the second container 12 to the first container 11 through the communicating part 13 while being filtered by the filter 14.

[0038] [Steam generation by heater] The steam generated by the heater 6 is used for steaming the coffee powder on the filter 14 in the second container 12, as well as for stirring the hot water and coffee powder in the second container 12, and for transferring the coffee liquid from the second container 12 to the first container 11 through the communication part 13 while filtering it with the filter 14. In the operation of generating steam using the heater 6, first, the control unit 3 starts the operation of supplying water using the pump 5 at an output lower than the maximum output (for example, 20% output), and starts the operation of heating the water using the heater 6 at an output lower than the maximum output (for example, 40% output). Next, the control unit 3 starts the operation of supplying water by the pump 5 at an output lower than the maximum output, and then causes the pump 5 to supply water while maintaining the output constant. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 3 starts the operation of heating water by the heater 6 at an output lower than the maximum output, and then causes the heater 6 to heat water while increasing the output in stages. At this time, the heater 6 heats water while increasing the output in stages, for example, from 40% to 100%. However, the output of the heater 6 is not limited to being increased in stages up to 100%, and the upper limit of the output of the heater 6 that can be increased in stages can be appropriately set according to the temperature of the water, specifications, etc. The output of the heater 6 that can be increased in stages is set to, for example, 20 stages.

[0039] Here, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, in the conventional configuration, the pressure in the extraction container due to steam reaches a maximum value of about 3.1 Kpa about 7.5 seconds after the operation of generating steam by the heating means has started. In the coffee maker 1, in the operation of generating steam by the heater 6, the pump 5 starts the operation of supplying water at an output lower than the maximum output, and the heater 6 starts the operation of heating water at an output lower than the maximum output, and the heater 6 then performs the operation of heating water while gradually increasing the output. Therefore, for example, the pressure in the second container 12 due to steam reaches a maximum value of about 1.85 Kpa about 9.5 seconds after the operation of generating steam by the heater has started. In this way, in the coffee maker 1, the time from the start of the operation of generating steam to the maximum pressure in the second container 12 is only about 2.0 seconds longer than in the conventional coffee maker, and the pressure in the second container 12 due to steam is reduced by about 1.25 Kpa. In this way, according to the coffee maker 1, it is possible to quickly generate steam by the heater 6 while preventing the momentum of the generated steam from becoming too strong. In addition, by preventing the steam generated by the heater 6 from becoming too strong, it is possible to prevent the steam from being ejected during the extraction operation of the coffee liquid and to prevent the ejected steam from affecting the taste and aroma of the extracted coffee liquid. In addition, by preventing the steam generated by the heater 6 from becoming too strong, the strength of the pressure-resistant structure of the second container 12 can be relaxed, and the degree of freedom in designing the second container 12 can be improved.

[0040] In the operation of generating steam by the heater 6, instead of "the control unit 3 starts the operation of supplying water by the pump 5 at an output lower than the maximum output, and then causes the pump 5 to supply water while maintaining the output constant," the control unit 3 can be configured to cause the pump 5 to supply water while gradually increasing the output from the beginning. By configuring in this way, it is possible to more reliably prevent the momentum of the generated steam from becoming too strong while quickly generating steam by the heater 6.

[0041] Furthermore, as described above, in the operation of generating steam by the heater 6, the pump 5 starts to supply water at an output lower than the maximum output, and then performs an operation of supplying water while maintaining a constant output. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the momentum of the steam generated by the heater 6 from becoming too strong while quickly generating steam.

[0042] In the operation of generating steam by the heater 6, instead of "the control unit 3 starts the operation of heating water by the heater 6 at an output lower than the maximum output, and then causes the heater 6 to heat water while gradually increasing the output," the control unit 3 can also be configured to cause the heater 6 to heat water while gradually increasing the output from the beginning (see FIG. 5). By configuring in this way, it is possible to more reliably prevent the momentum of the generated steam from becoming too strong while quickly generating steam by the heater 6.

[0043] In the operation of generating steam by the heater 6, the control unit 3 can be configured to control the force of steam (amount of steam) flowing into the second container 12 by adjusting the output of the heater 6 and the output of the pump 5 to be high or low. By configuring in this way, when coffee liquid is caused to flow out of the second container 12 and into the first container 11, the amount of steam flowing into the second container 12 can be increased or decreased to adjust the flow rate of the coffee liquid passing through the filter 14. This makes it possible to increase the variety of flavors of the extracted coffee liquid.

[0044] As described above, the coffee maker 1 is configured as an immersion type in which the steam generated by the heater 6 is made to flow into the second container 12, and the coffee grounds steamed by the steam in the second container 12 are immersed in hot water, and then filtered by the filter 14 to extract the coffee liquid, so that even if the steam flow path from the second container 12 to the atmosphere open portion 7 is long and the diameter of the path is small, it is possible to prevent the steam in the second container 12 from being sufficiently released from the atmosphere open portion 7, causing the internal pressure in the second container 12 to suddenly increase. This allows the strength of the pressure-resistant structure of the second container 12 to be relaxed, and the degree of freedom in designing the second container 12 can be improved.

[0045] Also, instead of being configured as an immersion type, the coffee maker 1 may be configured as a drip type in which hot water or steam is allowed to pass through the coffee grounds. When the coffee maker 1 is configured as a drip type, for example, the steam generated by the heater 6 may be allowed to flow into the second container 12, and the hot water or steam may be allowed to pass through the coffee grounds in the second container 12. In this case, in the operation of generating steam by the heater 6, the control unit 3 may be configured to control the force of the steam (amount of steam) flowing into the second container 12 by adjusting the output of the heater 6 and the output of the pump 5 to be high or low. By configuring in this way, when the coffee liquid flows out of the second container 12 and flows into the first container 11, the amount of steam flowing into the second container 12 can be increased or decreased to adjust the flow rate of the steam or hot water permeating the coffee grounds. This makes it possible to increase the variety of flavors of the extracted coffee liquid.

[0046] [Heater generating hot water] As shown in Fig. 5, in an operation of generating hot water consecutively after steam is generated by the heater 6, the control unit 3 causes the pump 5 to supply water while increasing the output in stages. At this time, the pump 5 supplies water while increasing the output in stages, for example, from 20% to 100%. However, the output of the pump 5 is not limited to being increased in stages up to 100%, and the upper limit of the output of the pump 5 that can be increased in stages can be set appropriately depending on the temperature of the water, specifications, etc. The output of the pump 5 that can be increased in stages is set to, for example, 30 stages.

[0047] As described above, in the operation of generating hot water after generating steam by the heater 6, the pump 5 operates to supply water while gradually increasing its output, thereby gradually increasing the amount of water supplied to the heater 6. This prevents a large amount of steam from being generated by a sudden increase in the amount of water supplied to the heater 6, and enables a smooth transition from the operation of generating steam by the heater 6 to the operation of generating hot water. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Coffee maker 2 Control section 3. Control Unit 4 Power supply section 5. Pump 6. Heater 7. Atmospheric vent 10 Extraction Unit 11 First container 12 Second container 13 Communication section 14 Filters

Claims

1. A coffee maker that automatically extracts coffee liquid, A water tank for storing water that will be the source of hot water or steam for extracting the coffee liquid; an extraction vessel for extracting the coffee liquid using the coffee powder, the hot water, and the steam; A pump that supplies the water in the water tank to a downstream side; a heater for heating the water supplied by the pump to generate the hot water or the steam; Equipped with In the operation of generating steam by the heater, the pump starts to operate to supply the water at an output lower than a maximum output, and the heater starts to operate to heat the water at an output lower than a maximum output; The heater then operates to heat the water while gradually increasing its output. Coffee maker.

2. In the operation of generating steam by the heater, The pump starts an operation of supplying the water at an output lower than a maximum output, and then performs an operation of supplying the water while maintaining the output constant.

2. The coffee maker of claim 1.

3. A server container is provided for storing the coffee liquid extracted in the extraction container, In the operation of generating steam by the heater, Increasing or decreasing the power of the steam flowing into the extraction vessel by increasing or decreasing the power of the heater and the power of the pump.

3. The coffee maker of claim 2.

4. The steam generated by the heater is introduced into the extraction vessel, and the hot water is immersed in the coffee powder steamed by the steam in the extraction vessel, and then the coffee liquid is extracted by filtering through a filter.

4. The coffee maker of claim 3.

5. It is configured as a drip type in which the hot water or steam generated by the heater is passed through the coffee powder.

4. The coffee maker of claim 3.

6. In the operation of generating the hot water after generating the steam by the heater, The pump operates to supply the water while increasing the output in stages.

6. A coffee maker according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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