Feed and discharge chamber and cold beverage device
By designing an inclined concave flow guide and a spiral stirring component in the smoothie making equipment, the problem of ice cream product backflow was solved, enabling smooth backflow and preparation of smoothies and ice cream, and improving the product taste.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- GUANGDONG WELLY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing smoothie making equipment cannot produce ice cream products with smaller ice crystal particles and a delicate texture because it lacks a flow guiding structure, which makes it difficult for the ice cream products to flow back at the front of the container, making them prone to clogging.
Design an inlet/outlet hopper, including a cylinder, an inlet section, a storage chamber, and a guide section. The guide section is inclined from the upper part of the cylinder towards the outlet component, and the inner wall is concave. Combined with the spiral structure of the stirring component, it ensures that smoothies and ice cream can flow back smoothly.
It enables smooth reflux of smoothies and ice cream products, avoiding blockages, and can be used for the preparation of both smoothies and ice cream, improving the texture.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025079293_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
A feeding and discharging tank and a cold drink equipment Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of cold beverage equipment technology, and in particular to an inlet / outlet container and a cold beverage equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Smoothie making equipment, as a common type of cold drink processing equipment, is widely used in cold drink shops, restaurants, and home kitchens. Existing smoothie making equipment is generally only suitable for making smoothies, a type of cold drink with relatively large ice crystals and a coarse texture. Current equipment typically uses a container to hold and store the raw materials and smoothies. After the raw materials are poured into the container, a refrigeration unit freezes them, and a stirring unit agitates the freezing materials to form smoothies with larger ice crystals. During the stirring process, the smoothies continuously move within the container; the smoothies at the front are compressed and, driven by pressure, flow back towards the rear. However, existing smoothie making equipment cannot produce ice cream products with smaller ice crystals and a smoother texture. One reason is that the front of the container lacks a corresponding flow-guiding structure. Ice cream products with smaller ice crystals are difficult to flow back at the front of the container, causing blockages and affecting subsequent stirring. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an inlet and outlet container that facilitates the return of the prepared iced drinks and is applicable to both smoothie products and ice cream products.
[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a feeding and discharging barrel, including a cylindrical body and a discharging component disposed on the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body is provided with a feeding part and a storage cavity. The feeding part is connected to the storage cavity. The side wall of the storage cavity is provided with a discharging port. The discharging component can be connected to the storage cavity through the discharging port.
[0005] The cylinder also includes a flow guide, which is disposed at one end of the cylinder near the discharge assembly. The flow guide gradually slopes from the upper part of the cylinder toward the discharge assembly, and the inner wall of the flow guide forms a concave surface.
[0006] As an improvement to the above solution, the inner wall of the guide portion is a concave continuous curved surface.
[0007] As an improvement to the above solution, the feeding section is located at one end of the cylinder away from the discharging component and at the upper part of the cylinder. The feeding section includes a feeding port, the cross-section of which gradually decreases from top to bottom.
[0008] As an improvement to the above solution, a transition connection is provided between the outer wall of the cylinder and the feeding section, and the transition connection gradually extends from the outer wall of the cylinder toward the feeding section.
[0009] As an improvement to the above solution, the transition connection is an arc-shaped transition, an inclined transition, or a smooth curved surface.
[0010] As an improvement to the above solution, the width of the transition connection gradually increases from the outer wall of the cylinder towards the feed section.
[0011] As an improvement to the above scheme, the outer contour of the cross-section of the cylinder is at least partially elliptical or quasi-elliptical.
[0012] As an improvement to the above solution, a side end face is provided at one end of the cylinder near the discharge component, the discharge component is disposed on the side end face, the discharge port is disposed on the side end face, the upper part of the side end face is connected to the lower part of the guide part, and the connection line between the side end face and the guide part is the first connection line.
[0013] As an improvement to the above solution, the side wall of the cylinder is provided with a cylinder body surface, which is connected to the upper part of the guide section. The connection line between the cylinder body surface and the guide section is a second phase connection line. There are two second phase connection lines, which are symmetrically inclined and bent from the top of the cylinder towards both sides of the guide section.
[0014] As an improvement to the above solution, one end of each of the two second phase wires intersects with the other end, which bends and extends toward both sides of the guide portion and connects to the two ends of the first phase wire respectively.
[0015] As an improvement to the above solution, the feeding section further includes a guide plate, which is located below the feeding port. One side of the guide plate is connected to the inner wall of the feeding port, and the other side extends obliquely toward the storage cavity.
[0016] As an improvement to the above solution, a stirring component is provided in the storage chamber, and an extrusion end is provided at one end of the stirring component near the discharge component. The minimum distance between the extrusion end and the side end face is between 3mm and 10mm.
[0017] As an improvement to the above solution, the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element and the inner wall of the upper part of the cylinder is between 2mm and 38mm.
[0018] As an improvement to the above solution, the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element and the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder is between 1.5mm and 4mm.
[0019] The maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element and the inner walls on the left and right sides of the cylinder ranges from 1.5mm to 6mm.
[0020] As an improvement to the above solution, the transition connection protrudes upward from the surface of the cylinder, the feeding part is provided on the transition connection, the transition connection has a feeding chamber, the feeding chamber is connected to the storage chamber, and the longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of the feeding chamber are larger than those of the storage chamber.
[0021] As an improvement to the above solution, the discharge assembly includes a discharge hopper, a handle, and a discharge valve. The discharge hopper is disposed on the side end face, and the discharge port can communicate with the discharge hopper. One side of one end of the handle is hinged to the discharge hopper, and the other side of one end of the handle is hinged to the discharge valve. The handle can drive the discharge valve to rise or fall to open or close the discharge hopper.
[0022] The present invention also provides a cold beverage device, including the inlet and outlet tanks as described above.
[0023] Implementing this invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0024] This invention relates to a feeding and discharging hopper comprising a cylindrical body and a discharging assembly mounted on the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body has a feeding section and a storage chamber. Raw materials such as beverages and milk enter the storage chamber through the feeding section, and are then frozen and stirred. During the stirring process, the cylindrical body also includes a guide section located at one end of the cylindrical body near the discharging assembly. Because the guide section gradually slopes from the upper part of the cylindrical body towards the discharging assembly, and its inner wall forms a concave surface, the slush or ice cream formed during stirring moves to the end of the cylindrical body near the discharging assembly. The inclined guide section then guides the slush or ice cream back towards the center of the cylindrical body. Furthermore, the concave inner wall of the guide section facilitates the flow of ice cream with smaller ice crystals along the wall surface, thus allowing both slush and ice cream to flow smoothly back, making it suitable for both slush and ice cream products. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the feed hopper of the present invention;
[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cylindrical body of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 3 is a magnified view of part A in Figure 1;
[0028] Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the cylinder and stirring element of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the distance between the cylinder and the stirring element of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is hereby declared that the directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, inside, and outside used in this text are based solely on the accompanying drawings and are not intended to specifically limit the invention.
[0031] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, this embodiment of the invention discloses a feeding and discharging tank, including a cylinder 1 and a discharging assembly 2 disposed on the cylinder 1. The cylinder 1 is used to store raw materials and provide space for freezing and stirring the raw materials. The resulting smoothies, ice cream, and other products can be stored in the cylinder 1. Undischarged products will circulate within the cylinder 1 under the action of the stirring assembly. The cylinder 1 is provided with a feeding section 11 and a storage chamber 12. The feeding section 11 communicates with the storage chamber 12, allowing beverages, milk, and other liquids to enter the storage chamber 12 from the feeding section 11 and undergo freezing and stirring within the storage chamber 12. The side wall of the storage chamber 12 is provided with a discharging port 121. The discharging assembly 2 communicates with the storage chamber 12 through the discharging port 121, allowing the formed smoothies, ice cream, and other products to be discharged from the discharging assembly 2 through the discharging port 121. The discharging assembly 2 controls the opening and closing of the discharging channel. To facilitate the flow of the formed product at the front end of the cylinder 1, the cylinder 1 further includes a guide section 13. The guide section 13 is disposed at one end of the cylinder 1 near the discharge assembly 2, i.e., the front end of the cylinder 1. The guide section 13 gradually slopes from the upper part of the cylinder 1 toward the discharge assembly 2. Under the guiding effect of the inclined guide section 13, the formed product can flow from the side of the discharge assembly 2 toward the upper part of the cylinder 1 without affecting the product flowing from the middle of the cylinder 1 to the discharge assembly 2. Under continuous extrusion pressure, the product located in the guide section 13 can continuously flow back from the upper part of the cylinder 1 to the middle part, thereby forming a cycle. Ice cream with smaller ice crystals tends to get stuck in smaller corners. However, because the inner wall of the guide section 13 forms a concave surface, the engagement between the concave surface and the cylinder 1 is less likely to create a corner where ice crystals can get stuck than the engagement between the flat surface and the cylinder 1. Therefore, it is more conducive to the smooth flow of ice cream with smaller ice crystals. Thus, the feed hopper of the present invention can be used for products such as smoothies and ice cream.
[0032] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:
[0033] In this embodiment of the invention, the feeding and discharging barrel is provided with a cylinder 1 and a discharging component 2 provided on the cylinder 1. The cylinder 1 is provided with a feeding part 11 and a storage chamber 12. Raw materials such as beverages and milk enter the storage chamber 12 from the feeding part 11 and are then frozen and stirred. During the stirring process, the cylinder 1 also includes a guide section 13, which is located at one end of the cylinder 1 near the discharge component 2. Since the guide section 13 gradually slopes from the upper part of the cylinder 1 toward the discharge component 2, the inner wall of the guide section 13 forms a concave surface. The slush or ice cream formed during stirring moves to the end of the cylinder 1 near the discharge component 2, and then the inclined guide section 13 guides the slush or ice cream to flow back to the middle of the cylinder 1. Moreover, since the inner wall of the guide section 13 is concave, it is more conducive to the flow of ice cream with smaller ice crystal particles on the wall. Therefore, both slush and ice cream can flow back smoothly, making it suitable for both slush and ice cream products.
[0034] Specifically, the inner wall of the guide section 13 is a concave continuous curved surface. The use of a concave continuous curved surface allows the smoothies and ice cream to flow smoothly back towards the upper part of the cylinder 1 at the position of the discharge component 2, which is beneficial for the backflow of the solid-liquid mixture and forms a circulation of the solid-liquid mixture in the cylinder 1.
[0035] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the feeding section 11 is located at the end of the cylinder 1 away from the discharge component 2 and at the upper part of the cylinder 1, so that the raw material can be fully frozen and stirred after entering. The feeding section 11 includes a feeding port 111, the cross-section of which gradually narrows from top to bottom. The larger feeding port 111 facilitates the pouring of raw material, while the narrowed feeding port 111 also facilitates the collection of raw material.
[0036] A transition connection 16 is provided between the outer wall of the cylinder 1 and the feed section 11. The transition connection 16 forms a transition connection between the feed inlet 111 and the cylinder 1. The transition connection 16 gradually extends from the outer wall of the cylinder 1 towards the feed section 11. After the raw material freezes to form a solid-liquid mixture, the solid-liquid mixture can be contained in the transition connection 16 and gradually stirred and propelled from the transition connection 16 to the discharge port 121. The transition connection 16 increases the containing volume and facilitates the return of the solid-liquid mixture from the top of the cylinder 1.
[0037] In some embodiments, the transition connection 16 is an arc-shaped transition or an inclined transition. The arc-shaped or inclined transition shape allows the solid-liquid mixture to smoothly move gradually from the inlet 111 to the middle of the cylinder 1, and then gradually to the vicinity of the outlet 121. Furthermore, the surface of the transition connection 16 can be a smooth curved surface. A smooth curved surface reduces the friction of the solid-liquid mixture in the transition connection 16, thereby facilitating the movement of the solid-liquid mixture in the transition connection 16 and simplifying stirring and pushing. It also reduces the likelihood of material accumulation or stagnation of the solid-liquid mixture in the transition connection 16.
[0038] In some embodiments, the width of the transition connection 16 gradually increases from the outer wall of the cylinder 1 toward the feed section 11, and the transition connection 16 forms a gradually converging channel in the direction away from the feed section 11, so as to facilitate the concentrated movement of the solid-liquid mixture to the middle of the cylinder 1.
[0039] In this embodiment of the invention, the outer contour of the cross-section of the cylinder 1 is a closed contour composed of regular or irregular smooth curves. This closed contour reduces the frictional force of the solid-liquid mixture on the inner wall of the cylinder 1, thereby reducing material accumulation and stagnation, promoting uniform mixing, and improving the mixing effect. Preferably, the outer contour of the cross-section of the cylinder 1 is at least partially circular, elliptical, or quasi-elliptical. Quasi-elliptical refers to a closed curved shape with a major and minor axis, but differing from a standard ellipse in terms of curvature and symmetry at the edges.
[0040] Referring to Figure 2, a side end face 14 is provided at one end of the cylinder 1 near the discharge component 2. The discharge component 2 is disposed on the side end face 14, and the discharge port 121 is disposed on the side end face 14. The compressed solid-liquid mixture will concentrate on the side end face 14, and the upper part of the side end face 14 is connected to the lower part of the guide part 13. In this embodiment, the upper part of the side end face 14 is tangentially connected to the lower part of the guide part 13. Along the junction of the side end face 14 and the guide part 13, the solid-liquid mixture can smoothly transfer from the side end face 14 to the upper part of the cylinder 1. The connection line between the side end face 14 and the guide part 13 is the first connection line 141. The solid-liquid mixture undergoes its first turn in the first connection line 141, enabling the solid-liquid mixture to transfer from the side end face 14 to the upper part of the cylinder 1.
[0041] The side wall of the cylinder 1 is provided with a cylinder body surface 15, which is the main side wall of the cylinder 1. The cylinder body surface 15 is connected to the upper part of the guide section 13. In this embodiment, the cylinder body surface 15 is tangentially connected to the upper part of the guide section 13. The solid-liquid mixture flows along the guide section 13 and moves smoothly from the upper part of the guide section 13 to the junction of the cylinder body surface 15. The junction of the cylinder body surface 15 and the guide section 13 is a second junction 151. The solid-liquid mixture undergoes a second turn in the second junction 151, so that the solid-liquid mixture can flow back to the middle of the cylinder 1 to form a cycle.
[0042] Referring to Figure 2, in this embodiment of the invention, there are two second-phase wires 151, which are symmetrically inclined and bent from the top of the cylinder 1 toward both sides of the guide section 13. The two second-phase wires 151 guide the movement of the solid-liquid mixture from both sides of the guide section 13, and the inclined and bent arrangement reduces the space where solid-liquid mixtures with small ice crystals (such as those from ice cream) stagnate in the guide section 13, improving the smoothness of the solid-liquid mixture's return flow.
[0043] Furthermore, one end of each of the two second phase wires 151 intersects, and the other end bends and extends towards both sides of the guide section 13 and connects to both ends of the first phase wire 141. Along the reflux direction of the solid-liquid mixture, the two second phase wires 151 converge and intersect from both ends of the first phase wire 141 towards the upper part of the cylinder 1, so that when the guide section 13 moves, the solid-liquid mixture can be concentrated and converged to the center of the upper part of the cylinder 1 to form a more concentrated reflux path. In this way, the overall cross-section of the refluxed solid-liquid mixture is smaller, and under a certain flow rate, the reflux velocity of the solid-liquid mixture is increased, which can accelerate the reflux speed and also allow the solid-liquid mixture in the stirring state to move smoothly to the side end face 14, ensuring reflux efficiency and stirring effect.
[0044] Further, referring to Figure 3, in order to guide the raw material into the storage chamber 12, the feeding part 11 also includes a guide plate 112. The guide plate 112 is located below the feeding port 111. One side of the guide plate 112 is connected to the inner wall of the feeding port 111, and the other side extends obliquely towards the storage chamber 12. When the raw material is poured in, the obliquely arranged guide plate 112 can guide the raw material to flow quickly into one end of the storage chamber 12. The guide plate 112 extends obliquely away from the discharge component 2 to ensure that the distance between the raw material and the discharge component 2 is maximized, thereby freeing up sufficient freezing and stirring space.
[0045] Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the storage chamber 12 is equipped with a stirring element 3. The stirring element 3 is spiral-shaped and can agitate the solid-liquid mixture by rotation. It is a direct driving component for the movement of the solid-liquid mixture. The stirring element 3 has an extrusion end 31 at the end near the discharge component 2. The extrusion end 31 is the part of the stirring element 3 closest to the discharge component 2. At the extrusion end 31, the stirring element 3 separates from the solid-liquid mixture. At this time, the driving force for the solid-liquid mixture is converted into the extrusion force for the subsequent solid-liquid mixture to move forward. The minimum distance H1 between the extrusion end 31 and the side end face 14 is between 3mm and 10mm. Exemplarily, the minimum distance H1 between the extrusion end 31 and the side end face 14 includes 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, 7.5mm, 8mm, 8.5mm, 9mm, 9.5mm, or 10mm, but is not limited to these. When the minimum distance between the extrusion end 31 and the side end face 14 is less than 3mm, the solid-liquid mixture will have difficulty obtaining sufficient space for reflux due to the insufficient distance between the extrusion end 31 and the side end face 14, thus affecting the reflux effect. When the minimum distance between the extrusion end 31 and the side end face 14 is greater than 10mm, the solid-liquid mixture will reflux more slowly due to the excessive distance between the extrusion end 31 and the side end face 14, and the volume of the cylinder 1 will also increase.
[0046] Referring to Figure 5, the spiral portion of the stirring element 3 is the part that agitates the solid-liquid mixture. It is spiral-shaped overall and can agitate and propel the solid-liquid mixture through rotation. In some embodiments, the maximum distance H2 between the outer edge of the spiral portion of the stirring element 3 and the inner wall of the upper part of the cylinder 1 ranges from 2mm to 38mm. Specifically, the maximum distance H2 between the outer edge of the spiral portion of the stirring element 3 and the inner wall of the upper part of the cylinder 1 includes 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, 7.5mm, 8mm, 8.5mm, 9mm, 9.5mm, 10mm, 10.5mm, 11mm, 11.5mm, 12mm, 12.5mm, 13mm, 13.5mm, 14mm, 14.5mm, 15mm, 15.5mm, 16mm, 16.5mm, 17mm, 17.5mm, 18mm, 18.5mm, and 19mm. The thicknesses are 19.5mm, 20mm, 20.5mm, 21mm, 21.5mm, 22mm, 22.5mm, 23mm, 23.5mm, 24mm, 24.5mm, 25mm, 25.5mm, 26mm, 26.5mm, 27mm, 27.5mm, 28mm, 28.5mm, 29mm, 29.5mm, 30mm, 30.5mm, 31mm, 31.5mm, 32mm, 32.5mm, 33mm, 33.5mm, 34mm, 34.5mm, 35mm, 35.5mm, 36mm, 36.5mm, 37mm, or 37.5mm, but are not limited to these. When the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the agitator 3 and the inner wall of the upper part of the cylinder 1 is less than 2 mm, the volume is small. The outer edge of the spiral part of the agitator 3 needs to maintain a certain distance from the inner wall of the upper part of the cylinder 1 to retain as much space as possible and to allow space for the reflux of the solid-liquid mixture. When the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the agitator 3 and the inner wall of the upper part of the cylinder 1 is greater than 38 mm, the volume is too large. The agitator 3 cannot thoroughly agitate the solid-liquid mixture, and it is easy to cause problems such as material accumulation and retention.
[0047] In some embodiments, the maximum distance H3 between the outer edge of the spiral portion of the agitator 3 and the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder 1 ranges from 1.5mm to 4mm. Exemplarily, the maximum distance H3 between the outer edge of the spiral portion of the agitator 3 and the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder 1 includes 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, or 4mm, but is not limited thereto. Since the outer edge of the spiral portion of the agitator 3 is close to the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder 1, due to gravity, the lower part of the cylinder 1 easily retains solid-liquid mixtures. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the distance between the inner wall of the cylinder 1 and the outer edge of the spiral portion of the agitator 3 so that the agitator 3 can scrape away as much of the solid-liquid mixture as possible from the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder 1, preventing material retention. When the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element 3 and the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder 1 is greater than 4 mm, the stirring element 3 cannot thoroughly stir the solid-liquid mixture in the lower part of the cylinder 1. When the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element 3 and the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder 1 is less than 1.5 mm, the distance between the stirring element 3 and the inner wall of the cylinder 1 is too small, which will affect the movement of the solid-liquid mixture and hinder the rotation of the stirring element 3.
[0048] In some embodiments, the maximum distance H4 between the outer edge of the spiral portion of the stirring element 3 and the inner walls of the left and right sides of the cylinder 1 ranges from 1.5mm to 6mm. Exemplarily, the maximum distance H4 between the outer edge of the spiral portion of the stirring element 3 and the inner walls of the left and right sides of the cylinder 1 includes 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 5mm, 5.5mm, or 6mm, but is not limited thereto. Since the solid-liquid mixture on the left and right sides of the cylinder 1 moves downwards under gravity, the distance between the outer edge of the spiral portion of the stirring element 3 and the inner walls of the left and right sides of the cylinder 1 can remain suitable to accommodate a larger amount of solid-liquid mixture. When the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element 3 and the inner walls on the left and right sides of the cylinder 1 is less than 1.5 mm, the distance between the stirring element 3 and the inner wall of the cylinder 1 is too small, which will affect the movement of the solid-liquid mixture and hinder the rotation of the stirring element 3; when the maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element 3 and the inner walls on the left and right sides of the cylinder 1 is greater than 6 mm, the volume is too large, the stirring element 3 cannot thoroughly stir the solid-liquid mixture, and it is easy to cause problems such as material accumulation and retention.
[0049] Furthermore, the transition connection 16 protrudes upward from the surface of the cylinder 1, and the feed section 11 is disposed on the transition connection 16. Because the transition connection 16 protrudes upward, the position of the feed section 11 is raised, making it easier to pour in raw materials and also expanding the space for accommodating raw materials. The transition connection 16 has a feed chamber 161, which communicates with the storage chamber 12. When raw materials are poured in, they first enter the feed chamber 161 and then the storage chamber 12. The longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of the feed chamber 161 are larger than those of the storage chamber 12, thus increasing the volume of raw materials and solid-liquid mixtures that the cylinder 1 can accommodate.
[0050] Referring to Figure 1, the discharge assembly 2 includes a discharge hopper 21, a handle 22, and a discharge valve 23. The discharge hopper 21 is disposed on the side end face 14, and the discharge port 121 can communicate with the discharge hopper 21. One side of one end of the handle 22 is hinged to the discharge hopper 21, and the other side of one end of the handle 22 is hinged to the discharge valve 23. The handle 22 can swing relative to the discharge hopper 21. During the swinging process of the handle 22, the handle 22 can drive the discharge valve 23 to rise or fall to open or close the discharge hopper 21, thereby achieving the effect of discharging or closing the discharge hopper 21.
[0051] This invention also discloses a cold drink device (not shown in the accompanying drawings). In this embodiment of the cold drink device, the cold drink device includes an inlet / outlet tank and a stirring assembly as described above. The inlet / outlet tank includes a cylinder 1 and an outlet assembly 2. The stirring assembly includes a stirring element 3, which is disposed inside the cylinder 1 and is capable of stirring the solid-liquid mixture formed inside the cylinder 1. The cylinder 1 also includes a flow guide 13, which gradually slopes from the upper part of the cylinder 1 toward the discharge assembly 2. The inner wall of the flow guide 13 forms a concave surface. During the stirring process, the slush or ice cream formed during stirring moves to one end of the cylinder 1 near the discharge assembly 2. Then, the inclined flow guide 13 guides the slush or ice cream to flow back to the middle of the cylinder 1. Moreover, since the inner wall of the flow guide 13 is concave, it is more conducive to the flow of ice cream with smaller ice crystal particles on the wall. Therefore, both slush and ice cream can flow back smoothly, making it suitable for both slush and ice cream products.
[0052] The above are preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A feeding / discharging hopper, characterized in that, The device includes a cylindrical body and a discharge assembly disposed on the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body is provided with a feeding part and a storage cavity. The feeding part is connected to the storage cavity. The side wall of the storage cavity is provided with a discharge port. The discharge assembly can communicate with the storage cavity through the discharge port. The cylinder also includes a flow guide, which is disposed at one end of the cylinder near the discharge assembly. The flow guide gradually slopes from the upper part of the cylinder toward the discharge assembly, and the inner wall of the flow guide forms a concave surface.
2. The feed hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the guide section is a concave continuous curved surface.
3. The feed hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding section is located at one end of the cylinder away from the discharge assembly and at the upper part of the cylinder. The feeding section includes a feed inlet, the cross-section of which gradually decreases from top to bottom.
4. The feed hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, A transition connection is provided between the outer wall of the cylinder and the feeding section, and the transition connection gradually extends from the outer wall of the cylinder toward the feeding section.
5. The feed hopper according to claim 4, characterized in that, The transition connection is an arc-shaped transition, an inclined transition, or a smooth curved surface.
6. The feed / discharge hopper according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The width of the transition connection gradually increases from the outer wall of the cylinder towards the feed section.
7. The feed hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer contour of the cross-section of the cylinder is at least partially elliptical or quasi-elliptical.
8. The feed hopper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder has a side end face near the discharge assembly, the discharge assembly is disposed on the side end face, the discharge port is disposed on the side end face, the upper part of the side end face is connected to the lower part of the guide part, and the connection line between the side end face and the guide part is the first connection line.
9. The feed hopper according to claim 8, characterized in that, The side wall of the cylinder is provided with a cylinder body surface, which is connected to the upper part of the flow guide. The connection line between the cylinder body surface and the flow guide is a second phase connection line. There are two second phase connection lines, which are symmetrically inclined and bent from the top of the cylinder body toward both sides of the flow guide.
10. The feed hopper according to claim 9, characterized in that, One end of each of the two second phase wires intersects with the other end, which bends and extends toward both sides of the guide portion and connects to the two ends of the first phase wire respectively.
11. The feed hopper according to claim 3, characterized in that, The feeding section also includes a guide plate, which is located below the feeding port. One side of the guide plate is connected to the inner wall of the feeding port, and the other side extends obliquely toward the storage cavity.
12. The feed hopper according to claim 8, characterized in that, The storage chamber is equipped with a stirring element, and the end of the stirring element near the discharge component is provided with a material extrusion end. The minimum distance between the material extrusion end and the side end face is between 3mm and 10mm.
13. The feed hopper according to claim 12, characterized in that, The maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element and the inner wall of the upper part of the cylinder ranges from 2mm to 38mm.
14. The feed hopper according to claim 12, characterized in that, The maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the agitator and the inner wall of the lower part of the cylinder is between 1.5mm and 4mm.
15. The feed hopper according to claim 12, characterized in that, The maximum distance between the outer edge of the spiral part of the stirring element and the inner walls on the left and right sides of the cylinder ranges from 1.5mm to 6mm.
16. The feed hopper according to claim 4, characterized in that, The transition connection protrudes upward from the surface of the cylinder. The feeding part is provided on the transition connection. The transition connection has a feeding chamber that communicates with the storage chamber. The longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of the feeding chamber are larger than those of the storage chamber.
17. The feed hopper according to claim 8, characterized in that, The discharge assembly includes a discharge hopper, a handle, and a discharge valve. The discharge hopper is located on the side end face, and the discharge port can communicate with the discharge hopper. One side of one end of the handle is hinged to the discharge hopper, and the other side of one end of the handle is hinged to the discharge valve. The handle can drive the discharge valve to rise or fall to open or close the discharge hopper.
18. A cold drink equipment, characterized in that, Includes the feed hopper as described in any one of claims 1-17.