Beverage preparation apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a beverage preparation apparatus. The beverage preparation apparatus includes: a water tank (214); a heater (204); a cold water pipe (202) for conveying water from the water tank (214) to an input end of the heater (204); a hot water pipe (206), hot water heated by the heater (204) flowing into an input end of the hot water pipe (206) through an output end of the heater (204), the hot water pipe (206) further including a low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) and a high temperature hot water branch pipe (210); a beverage preparation chamber (216), output ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) and the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210) being connected to the beverage preparation chamber (216), and the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) being lower than the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210).

Description

BEVERAGE PREPARATION APPARATUSFIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of kitchen appliances, in particular to a beverage preparation apparatus.BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, there are a variety of beverage preparation apparatuses on the market, which can be used for brewing various beverages such as coffee and tea. Taking brewing coffee as an example, common ones are drip coffee machines (as shown in FIG. 1) and American grinding coffee machines (as shown in FIG. 2), such coffee machines can have different shapes, while grinding coffee machines are also provided with grinding knives (126), but basically water from a water tank (114) passes through a water inlet pipe (102) and is heated through an electric heater (104), and hot water (boiling water) is then conveyed to a coffee basket (116) through a water outlet pipe (106) to brew coffee.

[0003] As the quality of life is getting higher and higher, the requirement of consumers for brewing coffee is also getting higher and higher, and at present, the demand of consumers to brew coffee with water of low temperature is increasing. In order to meet the needs of consumers to make coffee of different tastes with a coffee machine, and to improve the taste of life of people, at present, a small number of coffee machines achieve the coffee brewing function with optional water temperature by adding a water pump, a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor, a flow meter and other components. For example, the Chinese patent CN211632835U realizes the cold extraction function through flowmeters, temperature sensors and other components. However, due to the addition of water pumps, NTC, flow meters, check valves and other components in the scheme of brewing coffee with optional water temperature, the manufacturing cost is greatly increased, which makes the competitiveness of the product on the market greatly decreased.SUMMARY

[0004] The present disclosure is provided to present in simplified form some of the concepts that will be further described in the following specific implementations. The present disclosure is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to help determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] One of the purposes of the present disclosure is to provide a beverage preparation apparatus with optional temperature. One or more hot water pipes are additionally provided on the basis of an original hot water pipe, and the different hot water pipes have different water outlet temperatures, so that desired output water temperatures of different degrees are achieved.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a beverage preparation apparatus is provided. The beverage preparation apparatus includes: a water tank; a heater; a cold water pipe for conveying water from the water tank to an input end of the heater; a hot water pipe, hot water heated by the heater flowing into an input end of the hot water pipe through an output end of the heater, the hot water pipe further including a low temperature hot water branch pipe and a high temperature hot water branch pipe; and a beverage preparation chamber, output ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe being connected to the beverage preparation chamber, and the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the low temperature hot water branch pipe being lower than the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the high temperature hot water branch pipe. In this design, different output water temperatures are obtained by providing the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe, and the purpose of optional water temperature may be achieved with low cost.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a length of the low temperature hot water branch pipe is greater than a length of the high temperature hot water branch pipe, such that a temperature difference reduced after hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe is greater than a temperature difference reduced after the hotwater flows through the high temperature hot water branch pipe. In this design, the output water temperature is adjusted by setting different lengths of the hot water pipes, which is easy to realize and has low manufacturing cost.

[0008] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the low temperature hot water branch pipe passes through the water tank, such that a temperature difference reduced after hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe is greater than a temperature difference reduced after the hot water flows through the high temperature hot water branch pipe. In this design, the low temperature hot water branch pipe is set to pass through the water tank, such that hot water in the low temperature hot water branch pipe may be cooled with cold water in the water tank. Moreover, the arrangement is more compact, and accordingly the size of the beverage preparation apparatus may be reduced.

[0009] According to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the heater includes a first heating unit and a second heating unit, an output end of the first heating unit is connected to an input end of the low temperature hot water branch pipe, and an output end of the second heating unit is connected to an input end of the high temperature hot water branch pipe. In this design, cold water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe is heated through a plurality of heating units respectively, so as to adjust the output water temperature, which is easy to realize.

[0010] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the cold water pipe further includes a first cold water branch pipe and a second cold water branch pipe, an input end of the first heating unit is connected to an output end of the first cold water branch pipe, and an input end of the second heating unit is connected to an output end of the second cold water branch pipe. In this design, cold water is conveyed to different heating units for heating through different cold water branch pipes, so as to achieve different output temperatures.

[0011] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature of hot water flowing out of the first heating unit is lower than the temperature of hot water flowing out of the second heating unit. In this design, cold water is heated through different heating units to obtain different output water temperatures.

[0012] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the amount of hotwater heated by the first heating unit and the amount of hot water heated by the second heating unit are controlled respectively in response to a user selection. In this design, the amount of water heated by the different heating units may be adjusted according to user requirements, so as to achieve multiple desired water outlet temperatures.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, in response to the user selection, water from the cold water pipe is controlled to flow only into the first heating unit, or only into the second heating unit, or into both the first heating unit and the second heating unit. In this design, the amount of water heated by the different heating units is controlled to achieve multiple water outlet temperatures desired by a user.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the beverage preparation apparatus further includes a control device, and the control device is configured to control the amount of water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe in response to the user selection. In this design, hot water obtained after heating is controlled to flow through different hot water pipes by the control device, so as to obtain different output water temperatures, which may achieve the purpose of optional water temperature with low cost.

[0015] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the control device controls heated water to flow only into the low temperature hot water branch pipe, or only into the high temperature hot water branch pipe, or into both the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe. In this design, the amount of water flowing into different hot water pipes is controlled to achieve multiple water outlet temperatures desired by the user.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the hot water pipe further includes a main hot water pipe, an output end of the main hot water pipe is connected to an input end of the control device, and an output end of the control device is connected to input ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe. In this design, hot water is led out from the heater through the main hot water pipe, and then the hot water is distributed through the three-way control device.

[0017] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the beveragepreparation apparatus further includes a beverage preparation instruction receiving device for receiving instructions from a user for preparing beverages with different beverage preparation temperatures. The beverage preparation instruction receiving device may further provide a water temperature selection interface of the user.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the beverage preparation chamber is used for making coffee or tea. The beverage preparation apparatus includes a coffee machine or a tea maker, and has a plurality of application scenarios.

[0019] These and other features and advantages will become apparent by reading the following detailed description and referring to the associated accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preceding general description and the following detailed description are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the aspects for which protection is claimed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to understand in detail the manner in which the above features of the present disclosure are used, the above briefly outlined content may be described in more detail with reference to embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the accompanying drawings only show some typical aspects of the present disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof, as the description may allow for other equally valid aspects.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a stereogram of an internal structure of a drip coffee machine according to the prior art.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a stereogram of an internal structure of a grinding coffee machine according to the prior art.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a stereoscopic side view of an internal structure of a beverage preparation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a stereoscopic top view of an internal structure of a beverage preparation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 5 shows a stereogram of an internal structure of a beverage preparationapparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 6 shows a partial stereogram of a beverage preparation apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 7 shows a stereoscopic side view of a beverage preparation apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 8 shows a stereoscopic top view of an internal structure of a beverage preparation apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 9 shows a stereogram of an internal structure of a drip coffee machine according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 10 shows a stereogram of an internal structure of a grinding coffee machine according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Description of reference numerals:

[0032] 102-Water inlet pipe; 104-Electric heater; 106-Water outlet pipe; 114-Water tank; 116-Coffee basket; 126-Grinding knife;

[0033] 202-Cold water pipe; 2022-First cold water branch pipe; 2024-Second cold water branch pipe;

[0034] 206-Hot water pipe; 218-Main hot water pipe; 208-Low temperature hot water branch pipe; 210-High temperature hot water branch pipe;

[0035] 204-Heater; 2042-First heating unit; 2044-Second heating unit;

[0036] 212-Control device; 214-Water tank; 216-Beverage preparation chamber; 220- Cup body; and 224-Distributor.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0037] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that theaccompanying drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for exemplary purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0038] In the description of the present disclosure, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, "a plurality of means two or more; and the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate an orientation or positional relationship only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must be of a particular orientation, be constructed and operated with a particular orientation, and therefore are not to be construed as limitations of the present disclosure. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. "Vertical" is not strictly vertical, but within the error allowed. "Parallel" is not strictly parallel, but within the error allowed.

[0039] Orientation words appearing in the following description are orientations shown in the drawings and are not intended to limit the specific structure of the present disclosure. In the description of the present disclosure, it is also to be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected" and "connecting" are to be understood in a broad sense, for example, it may be a fixed connection, or a removable connection, or an integral connection; or it may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present disclosure may be understood depending on the particular circumstances.

[0040] Reference herein to "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The phrase at various locations in the description does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, or an independent or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is to be expressly and implicitly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" is merely an association relationship describing associated objects, indicating thatthere may be three relationships, for example, A and / or B may indicate: there are three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the characteras used herein, generally indicates that the associated objects are of an "or" relationship.

[0042] The principle of the present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with FIG. 3 to FIG. 10. It is to be noted that, for the sake of description, the various drawings in the present disclosure are described with an example of a coffee machine as a beverage preparation apparatus. However, it can be understood that the structure and improvement point of the present disclosure are not only applicable to coffee machines, but can be applied to any beverage preparation apparatus that brews beverages with hot water, such as a tea infuser and a milk tea machine.

[0043] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are stereograms of a beverage preparation apparatus from different perspectives according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figures, the beverage preparation apparatus may include a water tank 214, a heater 204, a cold water pipe 202, a hot water pipe 206 and a beverage preparation chamber 216. The water tank 214 may be used to store water, and the cold water pipe 202 is used to transport water from the water tank 214 to an input end of the heater 204. It can be understood that the cold water pipe 202 may include one or more cold water branch pipes according to actual needs. Similarly, the heater 204 may also include one or more heating units according to actual needs, Hot water heated by the heater 204 flows into an input end of the hot water pipe 206 through an output end of the heater 204. The hot water pipe 206 may further include a low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and a high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. Output ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 are connected to the beverage preparation chamber 216. Specifically, the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 may be lower than the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 through the various designs described below, so as to achieve multiple water outlet temperatures to meet the needs of users.

[0044] In one example, different temperature differences may be achieved by providing hot water branch pipes of different lengths. That is, the low temperature hot water branch pipe208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may have different lengths. Because the length of each hot water branch pipe is not the same, and the heat dissipation of each hot water pipe is not the same, various water temperatures may be achieved by allowing water to flow through different hot water branch pipes. For example, the length of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 may be greater than the length of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210, such that the temperature difference reduced after the hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is greater than the temperature difference reduced after the hot water flows through the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. Specifically, when the heated water enters the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 of the hot water pipe 206 and is subjected to heat dissipation through the different branch pipes and finally flows into the beverage preparation chamber 216, the temperature of water flowing out of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is lower than that of water flowing out of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 because the low temperature hot water branch pipe is longer and has more heat loss. It can be understood that the temperature of the hot water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may be the same or different. In the case where the temperature of water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is lower than the temperature of water flowing into the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210, the temperature difference between the water outlet temperature of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may be further increased due to the hot water branch pipes of different lengths.

[0045] As mentioned above, considering that the length of each hot water branch pipe is inversely proportional to the temperature of water flowing therefrom, different water temperatures may be adjusted based on different pipe lengths, that is, the low temperature hot water branch pipe is longer than the high temperature hot water branch pipe. As a non- restrictive example, the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 may be at least 50 mm longer than the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210, such that the temperature difference of the heated hot water flowing into the beverage preparation chamber 216 via the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is at least 5°C lower than that of the hot waterflowing into the beverage preparation chamber 216 via the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. It can be understood that the specific length difference of the hot water branch pipes depends on various factors such as the structure of different beverage preparation apparatuses, heat dissipation performance, the material of the branch pipes and the water temperature difference desired to be achieved, so that different branch pipe lengths may be set according to the actual design needs of a product.

[0046] In another example, different temperature differences may be achieved by setting the hot water branch pipes to pass or not to pass through the water tank. For example, the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 may be set to pass through the water tank 214 so that the temperature difference reduced after hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is greater than the temperature difference reduced after the hot water flows through the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. In this way, hot water in the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 may be cooled through cold water in the water tank 214 to achieve the desired low water temperature. Moreover, with the design, the layout of devices in the beverage preparation apparatus is more compact, thus reducing the size of the entire beverage preparation apparatus. However, it can be understood that setting the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 to pass through the water tank 214 may also cover the situation where the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is provided against the water tank 214, which also allows the hot water in the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 to be cooled with the cold water in the water tank 214. In addition, whether the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 passes through the water tank 214 may be set according to actual needs. For example, when the water outlet temperature is only differentiated by this example, the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may be set not to pass through the water tank 214, and when combined with other designs, the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may also be set to pass through the water tank 214. However, the temperature difference between the water outlet temperatures of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may be further increased by optionally setting the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 not to pass through the water tank 214.

[0047] In another example, different temperature differences may be achieved byproviding different heating units. For example, the heater 204 may include a first heating unit 2042 and a second heating unit 2044. An output end of the first heating unit 2042 is connected to an input end of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208, and an output end of the second heating unit 2044 is connected to an input end of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. Specifically, different heating units may have different working power, heat cold water to different temperatures, and then output same to different hot water branch pipes, so as to obtain different water outlet temperatures.

[0048] Accordingly, the cold water pipe 202 may further include a first cold water branch pipe 2022 and a second cold water branch pipe 2024, an input end of the first heating unit 2042 is connected to an output end of the first cold water branch pipe 2022, and an input end of the second heating unit 2044 is connected to an output end of the second cold water branch pipe 2024. Thus, cold water from the water tank 214 flows into the first cold water branch pipe 2022 and the second cold water branch pipe 2024, the water flowing into the first cold water branch pipe 2022 is heated by the first heating unit 2042 and then flows into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208, while the water flowing into the second cold water branch pipe 2024 is heated by the second heating unit 2044 and then flows into the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. Since cold water is heated through different heating units, hot water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may have different temperatures.

[0049] Further, by providing different heating units, for example, the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044, to have different heating power, the temperature of hot water flowing out of the first heating unit 2042 may be lower than that of hot water flowing out of the second heating unit 2044. Thus, the water outlet temperature of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is lower than that of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210.

[0050] In addition, the amount of hot water heated by the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044 may be controlled in response to the user selection. Specifically, for example, in response to the user selection, water from the cold water pipe 202 may be controlled to flow only into the first heating unit 2042, or only into the second heating unit 2044, or into both the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044. In this way, thetwo heating units may be used for heating separately or simultaneously, thereby obtaining multiple water outlet temperatures. It can be understood that controlling the amount of hot water heated by the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044 also includes controlling different amounts of cold water to flow into the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044, so that different proportions of hot water heated by the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044 may be mixed to obtain more selectable water outlet temperatures.

[0051] It can be understood that the above three examples may be applied individually or in combination. For example, (1) different water outlet temperatures are obtained only by providing hot water branch pipes of different lengths; (2) different water outlet temperatures are obtained only by setting one hot water branch pipe (e.g., the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208) to pass through the water tank 214 and the other hot water branch pipe (e.g., the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210) not to pass through the water tank 214; (3) different water outlet temperatures are obtained only by heating cold water through different heating units; (4) different water outlet temperatures are obtained by setting one hot water branch pipe (for example, the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208) to pass through the water tank 214, and setting the length of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 to be greater than the length of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210; (5) different water outlet temperatures are obtained by providing different heating units and hot water branch pipes of different lengths; (6) different water outlet temperatures are obtained by setting one hot water branch pipe (for example, the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208) to pass through the water tank 214 and the other hot water branch pipe (e.g., the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210) not to pass through the water tank 214, and providing different heating units; and (7) different water outlet temperatures are obtained by providing different heating units and hot water branch pipes of different lengths, and setting one of the hot water branch pipes to pass through the water tank 214.

[0052] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show stereograms that combine the above three examples to apply, where the heater 204 (including the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044) is a heating tube, which may directly heat cold water flowing therethrough, so that thefunctions of water delivery and heating are combined, and the need for a heating device in addition to a water delivery component is avoided, which makes the layout of the devices in the beverage preparation apparatus more compact and accordingly saves the space. However, it can be understood that in addition to the design shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the heater 204 may also be designed into other structures, as long as the heater may heat water from the cold water pipe 202. For example, the heater may include heating devices such as heating disks, water pipes, etc., and water in a water pipe may be heated through the heating devices.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in the actual application scenario, a user may choose a beverage with different water outlet temperatures according to the demand, and the specific description is shown below.

[0054] (1) When water of a low temperature is needed, that is, when only the first heating unit 2042 needs to operate, cold water from the water tank 214 enters the first heating unit 2042 through the first cold water branch pipe 2022, hot water obtained after the cold water is heated through the first heating unit 2042 enters the beverage preparation chamber 216 through the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 for extraction and brewing with coffee or tea, etc. in the beverage preparation chamber 216, and then the mixture flows into a liquid container (that is, a cup body 220). The container may be a glass cup or a stainless steel cup, etc. As described above, the first heating unit 2042 may heat the water to a low temperature, then the hot water passes through the long low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 for heat dissipation, at the same time, the hot water passes through the water tank 214 for further cooling, and finally a low water outlet temperature may be obtained. It can be understood that at this time, the second heating unit 2044 does not operate and does not heat the cold water therein, and correspondingly, the cold water therein is stationary and does not flow from the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 to the beverage preparation chamber 216.

[0055] (2) When water of a high temperature is needed, that is, when only the second heating unit 2044 needs to operate, cold water from the water tank 214 enters the second heating unit 2044 through the second cold water branch pipe 2024, hot water obtained after the cold water is heated through the second heating unit 2044 enters the beverage preparation chamber 216 through the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 for extraction andbrewing with coffee or tea, etc. in the beverage preparation chamber 216, and then the mixture flows into a liquid container (that is, the cup body 220). As described above, the second heating unit 2044 may heat water to a high temperature, then hot water passes through the short high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 for heat dissipation, and finally a high water outlet temperature may be obtained. Similarly, at this time, the first heating unit 2042 does not operate and does not heat cold water therein, and correspondingly, the cold water therein is stationary and does not flow from the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 to the beverage preparation chamber 216. In addition, it can be understood that although the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 also passes through the water tank 214 (which may save the layout space of the devices in the beverage preparation apparatus), as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the high temperature hot water branch pipe may also be set not to pass through the water tank 214 according to actual application needs, and when the high temperature hot water branch pipe does not pass through the water tank 214, a relatively higher water outlet temperature may be obtained.

[0056] (3) When water of a medium temperature is needed, that is, when the first heating unit 2042 and the second heating unit 2044 need to operate at the same time, cold water flows out of the water tank 214 and enters the first cold water branch pipe 2022 and the second cold water branch pipe 2024, the water flowing into the first cold water branch pipe 2022 is heated by the first heating unit 2042 and then flows into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208, the water flowing into the second cold water branch pipe 2024 is heated by the second heating unit 2044 and then flows into the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210, and finally, the hot water from the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 enters the beverage preparation chamber 216 together. As described above, the hot water from the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may be mixed to obtain water with a relatively moderate temperature (higher than the low temperature and lower than the high temperature). It can be understood that water with more optional temperatures may also be obtained by adjusting the different proportions of water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210.

[0057] In order to distinguish the first heating unit 2042 from the second heating unit 2044, as a non-restrictive embodiment, cold water may, for example, be heated to be 65 degrees or above by the first heating unit 2042 and to 85 degrees or above by the second heating unit 2044, so as to finally obtain different water outlet temperatures. It can be understood that according to the different drinks brewed and the needs of users, other heating temperatures may also be set.

[0058] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show another stereograms that combine the above three examples for application, with the difference from the embodiments shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 that the cold water pipe 202 in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 further includes a main cold water pipe 2026. An input end of the main cold water pipe 2026 is connected to the water tank 214, and an output end of the main cold water pipe 2026 is connected to the input ends of the first cold water branch pipe 2022 and the second cold water branch pipe 2024. In this embodiment, cold water from the water tank 214 first flows into the main cold water pipe 2026 of the cold water pipe 202, and then is divided and enters into the first cold water branch pipe 2022 and the second cold water branch pipe 2024 separately. Other specific implementations are similar to the above case, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, where the water tank 214 has two outlets directly connected to the first cold water branch pipe 2022 and the second cold water branch pipe 2024, which will not be repeated.

[0059] Compared with the beverage preparation apparatus in the prior art as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the beverage preparation apparatus in the embodiments as shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 can solve the pain points of existing coffee machines that brew coffee at a single water temperature by adopting the design of additionally providing only one hot water pipe and one heating unit, and solve the problem of high cost of a coffee machine with optional water temperatures caused by the scheme of a water pump + NTC, so that the purpose of brewing coffee at a high temperature or a low temperature with low cost is achieved, which increases the selling point of the product and improves the competitiveness of the product in the market.

[0060] FIG. 7 to FIG. 10 are stereograms of a beverage preparation apparatus from different perspectives according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In thisembodiment, different water outlet temperatures are obtained by setting a hot water branch pipe (for example, the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208) to pass through the water tank 214 and setting the length of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 to be greater than the length of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. It can be understood that it is also possible to only set one hot water branch pipe (for example, the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208) to pass through the water tank 214, or only set the length of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 to be greater than the length of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 as needed.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, the beverage preparation apparatus further includes a control device 212. The control device 212 is configured to control the amount of water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 in response to a user selection.

[0062] Specifically, the control device 212 is arranged between the heater 204 and each hot water branch pipe (for example, 208 and 210), and the control device 212 is used to control heated water to flow only into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208, or only into the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210, or into both the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210.

[0063] As a non-restrictive example, the control device 212 may be a solenoid valve or a motor that controls the flowing direction of water, i.e., the amount of water flowing to each hot water branch pipe, through a solenoid valve scheme or a motor drive scheme. In the case where the control device 212 is a solenoid valve, the opening and closing of a waterway or the amount of water may be directly controlled through the solenoid valve principle. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, the solenoid valve may be three-way, with one water inlet channel and two water outlet channels. Through the opening and closing of the solenoid valve, water may be controlled to flow out from a first water outlet channel or a second water outlet channel, which achieves control over the flowing direction of water. In the case where the control device 212 is a motor, the flowing direction of water or the flow distribution of water may be controlled through motor drive, for example, a water outlet pipe is bent through the rotation of the motor so as to control the flowing direction of water.

[0064] Specifically, the control device 212 may perform the following operations in response to the user selection:

[0065] (1) controlling all hot water to flow through the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210: because the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 is shorter than other hot water branch pipes, hot water may enter the beverage preparation chamber 216 at a high temperature for brewing and extraction with coffee powder and tea therein, and then flow into the cup body 220 (for example, a coffee cup and a glass cup) below.

[0066] (2) controlling all hot water to flow through the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208: the hot water may flow through the long low temperature hot water branch pipe and / or through the water tank 214 and is subjected to heat dissipation and cooling at the same time, then enters the beverage preparation chamber 216 for brewing and extraction with coffee powder and tea therein, and then flows into the cup body 220 (for example, a coffee cup and a glass cup) below, so as to achieve the effect of brewing coffee or tea with hot water at a low temperature.

[0067] (3) controlling hot water to flow through the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 and the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208. Further, the amount or proportion of hot water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 may be controlled by the control device 212, and finally the hot water is gathered in the beverage preparation chamber 216, so that two or more temperature ranges may be selected through the two branch pipes. It can be understood that controlling hot water to flow into only one of the two hot water branch pipes is a special case of controlling the amount of water or proportion.

[0068] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, the hot water pipe 206 may also be provided with a main hot water pipe 218 before being divided into the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. Accordingly, the input end of the control device 212 is connected to the main hot water pipe 218, and the output end of the control device 212 is connected to the input ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. Specifically, hot water heated by the heater 204 may flow into the main hot water pipe 218 and then to the controldevice 212 between the main hot water pipe 218 and each hot water branch pipe (e.g., 208 and 210), the control device 212 controls the flowing direction of the hot water, and the hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and / or the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 and finally enters the beverage preparation chamber 216.

[0069] It can be understood that in addition to the embodiments shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, the hot water pipe 206 may also be realized to include only the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. In this example, the input end of the control device 212 may be directly connected to the output end of the heater 204, and the output end of the control device 212 is connected to the input ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. Specifically, hot water heated by the heater 204 flows directly into the control device 212, which controls the flowing direction of the hot water, and the hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and / or the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 and finally enters the beverage preparation chamber 216.

[0070] As a non-restrictive example, corresponding to the requirements for brewing temperatures of different types of coffee or tea in reality, by referring to the design in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, the temperature of hot water flowing out of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 is made to be lower than 85°C, and the temperature of hot water flowing out of the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 is made to be higher than 90°C, so as to realize the high and low temperature hot water branch pipes of different temperatures. It can be understood that different output water temperature ranges and water temperature differences may be set according to needs. For example, the average temperature of the high temperature hot water branch pipe may be set to be greater than 88°C, and the average temperature of the low temperature hot water branch pipe may be set to be 60°C-85°C.

[0071] Compared with the beverage preparation apparatus in the prior art as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the beverage preparation apparatus in the embodiments as shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10 can solve the pain points of existing coffee machines that brew coffee at a single water temperature by adopting the design of additionally providing only one water pipe and one control device, and solve the problem of high cost of a coffee machine with optional watertemperatures caused by the scheme of a water pump + NTC, so that the purpose of brewing coffee at a high temperature or a low temperature with low cost is achieved, which increases the selling point of the product and improves the competitiveness of the product in the market.

[0072] In addition, although only two hot water branch pipes (i.e., 208 and 210) are shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, two or more hot water branch pipes may also be provided based on actual needs (e.g., more temperature options). In order to facilitate the explanation, the following is to add a third hot water branch pipe as an example to explain. Similar to the example with two hot water branch pipes described above, the third hot water branch pipe may have different heat dissipation performance from the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe through the length of the hot water branch pipes and the routing arrangement of the branch pipes, so as to provide different water outlet temperatures.

[0073] In one example, the length of the third hot water branch pipe may be different from the lengths of the low temperature hot water branch pipe and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210, that is, the lengths of the three hot water branch pipes are different, so that the output water temperature of each hot water branch pipe is different. The three hot water branch pipes may be set to pass through or not to pass through the water tank 214 as needed.

[0074] In another example, it is assumed that the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 (that is, the low temperature hot water branch pipe) is set to pass through the water tank, while the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 (that is, the high temperature hot water branch pipe) does not pass through the water tank. The third hot water branch pipe may be set to pass through the water tank 214 and have a different length from the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208. In this case, the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the third hot water branch pipe both pass through the water tank 214, but have different lengths, while the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 does not pass through the water tank, so that the three hot water branch pipes may have different output water temperatures. Alternatively, the third hot water branch pipe may be set not to pass through the water tank 214 and have a different length from the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210. In this case, only the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 passes through the water tank 214, whilethe high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 and the third hot water branch pipe do not pass through the water tank, but the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 and the third hot water branch pipe are different in length, so that the three hot water branch pipes may also have different output water temperatures.

[0075] In addition, the control device 212 is configured to control the amount of water flowing into each of the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208, the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210 and at least one third hot water branch pipe in response to the user selection. Specifically, the control device 212 may, for example, be provided with an input end and a plurality of output ends, and the plurality of output ends are respectively connected to the hot water branch pipes, thereby controlling the amount of heated hot water flowing into different hot water branch pipes, and finally obtaining water that meets the temperature required by the user. The specific implementation scheme is similar to the case of the two hot water branch pipes as described above in FIG. 7 to FIG. 10, which will not be repeated.

[0076] Similarly, for embodiments of a plurality of heating units as described in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a third or more heating units may also be provided as needed and are connected to the third or more hot water branch pipes, so as to obtain more output water temperatures. The specific implementation scheme is similar to the case of the two heating units as described above in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, which will not be repeated.

[0077] In addition, FIG. 3 to FIG. 10 above show a drip coffee machine or a grinding coffee machine, and taking FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 as an example, the difference between the drip coffee machine and the grinding coffee machine is as follows. In addition to the various components of the drip coffee machine shown in FIG. 9 (for example, the water tank 214, the heater 204, the cold water pipe 202, the hot water pipe 206, the heater 204 and the beverage preparation chamber 216, where the hot water pipe 206 may include the low temperature hot water branch pipe 208 and the high temperature hot water branch pipe 210), the grinding coffee machine in FIG. 10 further includes a grinding component 226, such as a grinding knife set, etc., which may be used to grind coffee beans into coffee powder for supply to the beverage preparation chamber 216. Hot water flowing out through the hot water branch pipes mentioned above also flows into the beverage preparation chamber 216 to brew the coffee powder. It canbe understood that these styles of coffee machines are only examples, and the design schemes in the present disclosure are not limited to a particular coffee machine.

[0078] As a non-restrictive example, the beverage preparation apparatus in the present disclosure may be a coffee machine or a tea infuser, and correspondingly, the beverage preparation chamber 216 may be used for the preparation of coffee or tea. Further, the beverage preparation apparatus may include a distributor 224 (see FIG. 3 to FIG. 10), where hot water from each hot water branch pipe is gathered in the distributor 224 and then flows into the beverage preparation chamber 216. The beverage preparation chamber 216 may include a filter basket for containing coffee powder or tea, or a container for extracting coffee with hot water, etc. The filtered beverage may flow into the cup body 220 below. The cup body 220 below may be, for example, a glass cup, a ceramic cup, etc., for collecting beverages.

[0079] As another non-restrictive example, the beverage preparation apparatus may further include a beverage preparation instruction receiving device for receiving instructions from a user for preparing beverages at different beverage preparation temperatures. The beverage preparation apparatus may be provided with buttons, a touch screen, etc., which have options corresponding to different temperatures for the user to choose. In addition, the beverage preparation apparatus may also be provided with a signal receiving device which allows the user to select different temperatures remotely.

[0080] As described above, the beverage preparation apparatus of the present disclosure achieves the beverage preparation of multiple optional water temperatures by adding hot water pipes, which is simple and reliable, and can solve the problem of brewing at a single water temperature with low cost, so as to meet different needs of users.

[0081] What has been described above includes examples of various aspects of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, impossible to describe every conceivable combination of assemblies or methods for the purpose of depicting the claimed subject matter, but a person of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that many further combinations and arrangements of the claimed subject matter are possible. Therefore, the disclosed subject matter is intended to cover all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A beverage preparation apparatus, characterized by comprising: a water tank (214); a heater (204); a cold water pipe (202) for conveying water from the water tank (214) to an input end of the heater (204); a hot water pipe (206), hot water heated by the heater (204) flowing into an input end of the hot water pipe (206) through an output end of the heater (204), the hot water pipe (206) further comprising a low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) and a high temperature hot water branch pipe (210); and a beverage preparation chamber (216), output ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) and the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210) being connected to the beverage preparation chamber (216), and the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) being lower than the temperature of hot water flowing out of the output end of the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210).

2. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a length of the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) is greater than a length of the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210), such that a temperature difference reduced after hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) is greater than a temperature difference reduced after the hot water flows through the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210).

3. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) passes through the water tank (214), such that a temperature difference reduced after hot water flows through the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) is greater than a temperature difference reduced after the hot water flows through the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210).

4. The beverage preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the heater (204) comprises a first heating unit (2042) and a second heating unit (2044),an output end of the first heating unit (2042) is connected to an input end of the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208), and an output end of the second heating unit (2044) is connected to an input end of the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210).

5. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the cold water pipe (202) further comprises a first cold water branch pipe (2022) and a second cold water branch pipe (2024), an input end of the first heating unit (2042) is connected to an output end of the first cold water branch pipe (2022), and an input end of the second heating unit (2044) is connected to an output end of the second cold water branch pipe (2024).

6. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the temperature of hot water flowing out of the first heating unit (2042) is lower than the temperature of hot water flowing out of the second heating unit (2044).

7. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the amount of hot water heated by the first heating unit (2042) and the amount of hot water heated by the second heating unit (2044) are controlled respectively in response to a user selection.

8. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, in response to the user selection, water from the cold water pipe (202) is controlled to flow only into the first heating unit (2042), or only into the second heating unit (2044), or into both the first heating unit (2042) and the second heating unit (2044).

9. The beverage preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the beverage preparation apparatus further comprises a control device (212), and the control device (212) is configured to control the amount of water flowing into the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) and the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210) in response to the user selection.

10. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the control device (212) controls heated water to flow only into the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208), or only into the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210), or into both the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) and the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210).

11. The beverage preparation apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the hotwater pipe (206) further comprises a main hot water pipe (218), an output end of the main hot water pipe (218) is connected to an input end of the control device (212), and an output end of the control device (212) is connected to input ends of the low temperature hot water branch pipe (208) and the high temperature hot water branch pipe (210).

12. The beverage preparation apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the beverage preparation apparatus further comprises a beverage preparation instruction receiving device for receiving instructions from a user for preparing beverages with different beverage preparation temperatures.

13. The beverage preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the beverage preparation chamber (216) is used for the preparation of coffee or tea.

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