Capsule extractor with lockable cover

Abstract

A capsule extractor having a lockable cover is provided. [Solution] A capsule extractor (10) with a lockable cover includes a capsule extractor main body (1), an upper cover (4), and a locking mechanism (5). The capsule extractor main body has a capsule container and a first block at its upper portion. The upper cover is pivotally attached to the upper portion of the capsule extractor main body and covers the capsule container. The locking mechanism includes a movable lever (51) pivotally attached to the upper cover, a second block (22) movably connected to the upper cover and engaging with or separating from the first block, and a connecting rod (53) pivotally attached to the movable lever at one end and to the second block at the other end. In this way, the capsule extractor has a locking function that makes it difficult to accidentally open the upper cover of the capsule extractor.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drink dispenser for brewing beverages such as tea and coffee, and more particularly to a capsule brewer with a lockable cover. [Background technology]

[0002] As capsule technology becomes more and more mature, especially low-pressure capsule technology, it is now possible to use capsules to produce delicious beverages such as coffee, milk tea, black tea, and green tea within a pressure range of just 2 bar. Capsule extractors are gradually gaining acceptance and are widely used in homes, offices, shops, and other places.

[0003] Currently, capsule extractors on the market are broadly divided into drawer-type and hinge-type. In drawer-type capsule extractors, a capsule is first placed on a drawer plate, which then feeds the capsule into the extractor. In hinge-type capsule extractors, a top cover is opened and the capsule is fed into the extractor. After the capsule is broken, hot water is poured into the extractor to brew the beverage. Finally, the brewed beverage is dispensed from the outlet of the capsule extractor. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the puncture needle and hot water inlet of the hinged capsule extractor described above are attached to the upper cover. However, because opening the upper cover is a simple and frequent operation, it is possible that the upper cover may be opened by mistake during the process of piercing the capsule and injecting hot water, causing the capsule to separate from the puncture needle and hot water inlet, resulting in failure to extract the capsule and making the operation inconvenient for the user.

[0005] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention believed that the above drawbacks could be improved, and after extensive research, they came up with the present invention, which effectively improves the above issues through rational design.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a capsule extractor with a lockable cover. In other words, by providing a locking function to prevent the top cover from being accidentally opened, the capsule extractor of the present invention achieves the purpose of excellent convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of the present invention, a capsule extractor with a lockable cover, comprises a capsule extractor main body having a capsule container and a first block on the upper part, an upper cover pivotally attached above the capsule extractor main body and covering the capsule container, a movable lever pivotally attached to the upper cover, a second block movably connected to the upper cover and engaging with or separating from the first block, and a locking structure including a connecting rod having one end pivotally attached to the movable lever and the other end pivotally attached to the second block. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] As described above, the upper cover has a locking function to prevent accidental opening, which prevents the upper cover from being accidentally opened during the process of the puncture needle piercing the capsule and injecting hot water, thereby preventing situations such as capsule extraction failure, thereby improving the convenience of the capsule extractor of the present invention.

[0009] At least the following points will become clear from the description and drawings to be described later. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a combination diagram showing a capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is another assembled view showing a capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 3]1 is a cross-sectional view of a capsule extractor having a lockable cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded view of a capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a capsule extractor having a lockable cover according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is another enlarged perspective view of a capsule extractor having a lockable cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view showing the use of a capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the use of a capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Below, we will explain embodiments of the capsule extractor with a lockable cover of the present invention with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the components, materials, etc. described below can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention.

[0012] First, a capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to the present invention is used with an external water source and capsules 100, and the capsule extractor 10 mainly comprises a capsule extractor body 1, an upper cover 4, and a locking mechanism 5.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the capsule extractor main body 1 includes a housing 11, a water inlet pipe 12 provided within the housing 11, a water supply line 13, a pump 14, a heater 17, and a water tank 2. The water inlet pipe 12 is used to introduce water from an external water source, and the pump 14 is connected to the water inlet pipe 12 and the water supply line 13, which is connected to the heater 17. The housing 11 has a capsule container 15 and a first block 16 at its upper portion, and a beverage nozzle 18 and a water receiving tray 19 at its front side. The capsule container 15 is connected to the beverage nozzle 18, and the water receiving tray 19 is used to place a cup (not shown). A fixing seat 111 extends from the rear side of the housing 11.

[0015] 1 to 4 and 7 to 8, the water tank 2 is mounted above the fixed seat 111 of the housing 11 and is connected to the water supply line 13. The pump 14 is used to take in water from an external water source through the water inlet line 12 and to output water from the external water source into the water tank 2 through the water supply line 13. The water tank 2 is mounted to the housing 11 in an assembled or detachable manner, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The water tank 2 may also be permanently fixed to the housing 11.

[0016] 1 to 4 and 8, the capsule extractor 10 according to the present invention further includes a control valve group 3 including a first control valve 31 and a second control valve 32. The first control valve 31 is attached to the bottom end of the water tank 2. The first control valve 31 is a mechanical valve, and when the pressure inside the water tank 2 is higher than the pressure outside the water tank 2, the first control valve 31 closes the valve, and when the pressure outside the water tank 2 is higher than the pressure inside the water tank 2, the first control valve 31 closes the valve.

[0017] 1 to 3 and 5 to 8, the capsule extractor 10 of the present invention further includes a puncture needle 6, one end of which is attached to the bottom plate 411 and positioned to correspond to the capsule container 15, and the other end of which is housed in the hollow cover 41.

[0018] The second control valve 32 is attached to the upper part of the fixed seat 111 of the housing 11 and can be connected to the first control valve 31, and the end of the water inlet pipe 12 is connected to the pump 14. The water supply line 13 includes a first water supply pipe 131, a second water supply pipe 132, and a third water supply pipe 133. One end of the first water supply pipe 131 is connected to the pump 14 and the other end is connected to the second control valve 32. One end of the second water supply pipe 132 is connected to the second control valve 32 and the other end is connected to the heater 17. One end of the third water supply pipe 133 is connected to the heater 17 and the other end is connected to the puncture needle tube 6, and a portion of the third water supply pipe 133 is housed in the hollow cover 41. The second control valve 32 is used to control the flow of fluid from the first water supply pipe 131 to the first control valve 31 first, and then from the first control valve 31 to the second water supply pipe 132. In other words, the first control valve 31 and the second control valve 32 are used to control the flow of water from an external water source from the first water supply pipe 131 first into the water tank 2, and then from the water tank 2 to the second water supply pipe 132.

[0019] 7 and 8, after placing the capsule 100 in the capsule container 15, the upper cover 4 is placed on the capsule extractor main body 1, and the puncture needle 6 pierces the capsule 100. The pump 14 and heater 17 transport high-pressure hot water to the puncture needle 6 through the water supply line 13, and the puncture needle 6 then injects the high-pressure hot water into the capsule 100, where it mixes evenly with the powder inside the capsule 100 to form a beverage. Finally, the finished beverage is dispensed from the beverage nozzle 18.

[0020] 1 to 8, the upper cover 4 is pivotally mounted on the upper side of the capsule extractor body 1 and covers the capsule container 15. The upper cover 4 is a hollow cover 41, which has a bottom plate 411 and a recessed groove 42.

[0021] 1 to 8, the locking structure 5 includes a movable lever 51, a second block 52, a connecting rod 53, and a movable seat 54. The movable lever 51 is pivotally attached to the upper cover 4, and the second block 52 is movably connected to the upper cover 4 and is engaged with or separated from the first block 16. One end of the connecting rod 53 is pivotally attached to the movable lever 51, and the other end is pivotally attached to the second block 52. The movable seat 54 is housed in the hollow cover 41 and is attached to the bottom plate 411 of the upper cover 4 so as to be movable in parallel.

[0022] More specifically, in this embodiment, one end of the connecting rod 53 is pivotally connected to the first pivot part 512, and the other end is pivotally connected to the movable seat 54. The second block 52 extends from the movable seat 54 toward one side away from the connecting rod 53, and the connecting rod 53 is an H-shaped rod frame 531, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0023] Furthermore, the movable lever 51 is pivotally attached to the inner wall of the recessed groove 42 and can fit into or protrude from the recessed groove 42. The movable lever 51 has a movable part 511, a first pivotal attachment part 512, and a second pivotal attachment part 513 provided between the movable part 511 and the first pivotal attachment part 512. The movable lever 51 is pivotally attached to the connecting rod 53 via the first pivotal attachment part 512, and the movable lever 51 is pivotally attached to the upper cover 4 via the second pivotal attachment part 513.

[0024] Furthermore, two first pivot holes A1 are formed in one of the opposite sides of the first pivot mounting portion 512 of the movable lever 51 and one end of the H-shaped rod frame 531, and two first shafts B1 pivotally mounted to the two first pivot holes A1 extend from the other side. Two second pivot holes A2 are formed in one of the opposite sides of the movable seat 54 and the other end of the H-shaped rod frame 531, and two second shafts B2 pivotally mounted to the two second pivot holes A2 extend from the other side. Two third pivot holes A3 are formed in one of the second pivot mounting portion 513 of the movable lever 51 and the inner wall of the recessed groove 42, and two third shafts B3 pivotally mounted to the two third pivot holes A3 extend from the other side.

[0025] In this embodiment, the first pivoting portion 512 is two first shafts B1, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The first pivoting portion 512 may be two first pivot holes A1. In this embodiment, the second pivoting portion 513 is two third shafts B3, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The second pivoting portion 513 may be two third pivot holes A3.

[0026] 5 to 8, when the capsule extractor 10 according to the present invention is in use, the movable lever 51 is pivoted toward the upper cover 4 and engaged with the recessed groove 42, which causes the connecting rod 53 to drive the second block 52 to engage with the first block 16, and the upper cover 4 is pulled by the locking structure 5 and locked to the housing 11. When the movable lever 51 is pivoted away from the upper cover 4 and protrudes from the recessed groove 42, the connecting rod 53 drives the second block 52 to move away from the first block 16, and the upper cover 4 is no longer pulled by the locking structure 5 and is opened relative to the housing 11, exposing the capsule container 15.

[0027] As a result, the upper cover 4 of the present invention has a locking function to prevent accidental opening, preventing the upper cover 4 from being accidentally opened during the process of the puncture needle tube 6 piercing the capsule 100 to inject hot water, which would result in the capsule 100 failing to be extracted, thereby improving the convenience of the capsule extractor 10 of the present invention.

[0028] 1 to 4 and 8, in another use state of the capsule extractor 10 according to the present invention, when the water tank 2 is assembled or removably attached to the housing 11, the user manually removes the water tank 2, refills it with water, and then manually attaches the full water tank 2 to the housing 11. In the event of a water shortage or other situation, the user can manually refill the water from the water tank 2.

[0029] In addition, when the water tank 2 is attached to the housing 11, the pump 14 first draws water from an external water source through the water inlet pipe 12, and then outputs the water from the external water source into the water tank 2 through the water supply pipe 13. The capsule extractor 10 of the present invention has an automatic water refill function, which eliminates the need to manually attach and detach the water tank 2 multiple times when brewing multiple beverages.

[0030] As a result, the capsule extractor 10 of the present invention has the function of manually refilling the water tank 2 by removing it yourself, as well as the function of automatically refilling water from an external water source, thereby improving the convenience of the capsule extractor 10 of the present invention.

[0031] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10 Capsule Extractor 1 capsule extractor 11. Housing 111 Fixed seat 12 Water Inlet 13 Water supply pipeline 131 1st water pipe 132 2nd water pipe 133 Third water pipe 14 Pump 15 Capsule containers 16 Block 1 17 Heater 18 Drinking Nozzles 19 Water tray 2 water tanks 3 Control valve group 31 First control valve 32 Second control valve 4 Top cover 41 Hollow cover 411 Bottom plate 42 Groove 5 Locking Structure 51 Movable lever 511 Moving parts 512 1st pivot joint 513 2nd pivot joint 52 Block 2 53 Connecting rod 531 H-type rod frame 54 Movable seat 6 Puncture needle tube A1 First pivot hole A2 Second pivot hole A3 3rd pivot hole B1 1st shaft B2 Second shaft B3 3rd shaft 100 capsules

Claims

1. a capsule extractor body having a capsule container and a first block at an upper portion; An upper cover pivotally attached to the upper part of the capsule extractor body and covering the capsule container; A capsule extractor with a lockable cover, comprising: a locking structure including a movable lever pivotally attached to the upper cover; a second block movably connected to the upper cover and engaging with or separating from the first block; and a connecting rod having one end pivotally attached to the movable lever and the other end pivotally attached to the second block.

2. 2. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 1, wherein when the movable lever pivots in a direction toward the top cover, the movable lever can drive the second block to engage with the first block via the connecting rod, and when the movable lever pivots in a direction away from the top cover, the movable lever can drive the second block to move away from the first block via the connecting rod.

3. 3. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 2, wherein the upper cover is provided with a groove, and the movable lever is pivotally attached to the inner wall of the groove and can be fitted into or protrude from the groove.

4. 2. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 1, wherein the movable lever has a movable portion, a first pivot portion, and a second pivot portion provided between the movable portion and the first pivot portion, the movable lever is pivotally connected to the connecting rod by the first pivot portion, and the movable lever is pivotally connected to the upper cover by the second pivot portion.

5. 5. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 4, wherein the upper cover is a hollow cover, the hollow cover has a bottom plate, the locking structure further comprises a movable seat accommodated in the hollow cover and attached to the bottom plate so as to be movable in parallel, one end of the connecting rod is pivotally attached to the first pivot portion and the other end is pivotally attached to the movable seat, and the second block extends from the movable seat to one side away from the connecting rod.

6. 6. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 5, wherein the capsule extractor main body comprises a housing, the capsule container and the first block are formed on the upper part of the housing, the upper cover is pivotally attached to the top of the housing, the capsule extractor main body further comprises a water inlet pipe, a water supply line, a pump, and a water tank arranged inside the housing, the water inlet pipe is used to introduce water from an external water source, the pump is connected to the water inlet pipe and the water supply line, respectively, the water tank is attached to the housing and connected to the water supply line, and the pump is used to take water from the external water source through the water inlet pipe and to output the water from the external water source into the water tank through the water supply line.

7. 7. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 6, further comprising a group of control valves and a puncture needle tube, wherein the group of control valves includes a first control valve attached to the bottom end of the water tank and a second control valve attached to the housing and connected to the first control valve, the capsule extractor body further comprising a heater installed inside the housing, an end of the water inlet pipe connected to the pump, the water supply line consisting of a first water supply pipe and a second water supply pipe, one end of the first water supply pipe connected to the pump and the other end connected to the second control valve, one end of the second water supply pipe connected to the second control valve and the other end connected to the heater, the first control valve and the second control valve are used to control the water from the external source to flow from the first water supply pipe to the water tank and then from the water tank to the second water supply pipe.

8. 8. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 7, further comprising a puncture needle tube attached to the bottom plate and arranged to correspond to the capsule container, wherein the water supply line further comprises a third water supply pipe, one end of which is connected to the puncture needle tube and housed in the hollow cover, and the other end of which is connected to the heater.

9. 9. The capsule extractor with a lockable cover according to claim 8, wherein the housing has a fixed seat extending from its rear side, the water tank is mounted above the fixed seat, and the second control valve is mounted on top of the fixed seat.

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