Cold beverage device and control method therefor

Abstract

A cold beverage device and a control method therefor. The cold beverage device comprises a body, and a refrigeration mechanism, a stirring mechanism, a material feeding and discharging mechanism and a main control apparatus , which are arranged on the body, wherein the material feeding and discharging mechanism comprises an ingredient preparation barrel, a discharging mechanism arranged on one end of the ingredient preparation barrel, and a temperature sensor arranged on the ingredient preparation barrel; the refrigeration mechanism is used for providing cooling for the ingredient preparation barrel; the stirring mechanism comprises a variable-speed electric-motor apparatus and a stirring member, the variable-speed electric-motor apparatus being in transmission connection with the stirring member, and the stirring member being arranged in the ingredient preparation barrel; and the main control apparatus is electrically connected to the refrigeration mechanism, the temperature sensor and the variable-speed electric-motor apparatus, and is used for controlling the refrigeration mechanism to provide an ingredient preparation space of the ingredient preparation barrel with a refrigeration environment in a preset functional mode, and controlling the variable-speed electric-motor device to adjust in the preset functional mode the rotation speed and rotation direction of stirring blades, so as to perform ingredient preparation for different cold beverage products.

Description

A cold drink equipment and its control method Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cold drink machine technology, and in particular to a cold drink equipment and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Cold beverage equipment typically processes liquid ingredients into icy products (such as smoothies and ice cream). It generally includes a refrigeration system and a mixing system. The refrigeration system comprises a compressor, condenser, and evaporator, while the mixing system includes a motor-driven rotating mechanism and a rotating scraper. In operation, beverages, milk, or other ingredients are first poured into the feeding hood. Then, the ingredients are cooled and heated by an evaporator located inside or outside the mixing cylinder. As the freezing process continues, the ingredients gradually form a solid-liquid mixture. Simultaneously, the motor-driven rotating mechanism drives the rotating scraper to agitate this mixture within the feeding hood, preventing it from freezing and ensuring the formation of smoothies or ice cream.

[0003] However, some traditional cold drink equipment uses shaded-pole motors to stir solid-liquid mixtures. Due to the low speed regulation accuracy and response efficiency of shaded-pole motors, the stirring effect is greatly affected, making them unsuitable for scenarios with high and variable speed requirements. For example, they cannot dynamically adjust the stirring speed according to the production needs of different products (such as smoothies or ice cream), and can only produce a single type of frozen dessert. At the same time, when using a single motor stirring control logic to make smoothies or ice cream, uneven stirring and clumping often occur. When clumping occurs, the insufficiently stirred ice cream or smoothie contains less air, causing it to become thinner, thus affecting its hardness and consequently its taste. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a cold drink equipment and its control method, which can produce a variety of cold drink products, achieve multiple uses in one machine, and produce products with excellent firmness and taste.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a cold beverage device, including a body, a refrigeration mechanism, a stirring mechanism, a feeding and discharging mechanism and a main control device disposed on the body, wherein the feeding and discharging mechanism includes a feeding cylinder, a discharging mechanism disposed at one end of the feeding cylinder and a temperature sensor disposed in the feeding cylinder, and the refrigeration mechanism is used to supply cooling to the feeding cylinder.

[0006] The stirring mechanism includes a variable speed motor and a stirring element. The variable speed motor is connected to the stirring element, which is disposed in the mixing cylinder. The temperature sensor is connected to the main control device and is used to detect the temperature data in the mixing cylinder and send it to the main control device. The main control device is electrically connected to the refrigeration mechanism and the variable speed motor respectively. It is used to control the refrigeration mechanism to provide a preset function mode refrigeration environment for the mixing space of the mixing cylinder according to the temperature data and the input mixing function command, and to control the variable speed motor to adjust the speed and direction of the stirring blade according to the preset function mode to perform mixing work for different cold beverage products.

[0007] As an improvement to the above solution, the refrigeration mechanism includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. The evaporator is disposed in the feeding cylinder and is equipped with the temperature sensor. The stirring element surrounds the periphery of the evaporator. The two ends of the compressor are connected to the inlet end of the condenser and the outlet end of the evaporator respectively through pipes. The outlet end of the condenser is connected to the inlet end of the evaporator.

[0008] As an improvement to the above solution, the upper or upper-middle part of the cold drink equipment includes a stirring zone and a driving zone in sequence from front to back. The evaporator, the stirring component, and the material preparation cylinder are arranged in the stirring zone, and the variable speed motor device is arranged in the driving zone. The variable speed motor device includes a mounting frame, a variable speed motor, a reducer, a coupling, and a stirring shaft. The mounting frame is installed on the end of the material preparation cylinder away from the discharge mechanism.

[0009] As an improvement to the above solution, the variable speed motor device includes a mounting frame, a variable speed motor, a reducer, a coupling, and a stirring shaft. The mounting frame is installed on the end of the material preparation cylinder away from the discharge mechanism. The variable speed motor, reducer, and coupling are connected in sequence and all installed on the mounting frame. One end of the stirring shaft is connected to the coupling, and the other end of the stirring shaft passes through the evaporator and is connected to the transmission connection part of the stirring component.

[0010] As an improvement to the above solution, the upper or upper-middle part of the cold drink equipment also includes a driving heat dissipation area, which is located between the stirring area and the driving heat dissipation area.

[0011] As an improvement to the above solution, the main control device includes a main controller and a control panel. The control panel is connected to the main controller and is used to send the user-inputted function control commands to the main controller.

[0012] As an improvement to the above solution, the material preparation cylinder includes a flow guide, which is disposed at one end of the material preparation cylinder near the discharge mechanism. The flow guide gradually slopes from the upper part of the material preparation cylinder toward the discharge mechanism, and the inner wall of the flow guide forms a concave surface.

[0013] A transition connection is provided between the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder and the inlet of the material preparation cylinder, and the transition connection gradually extends from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder toward the inlet.

[0014] As an improvement to the above solution, the transition connection is an arc-shaped transition or an inclined transition, and the surface of the transition connection is a smooth curved surface.

[0015] As an improvement to the above solution, the width of the transition connection gradually increases from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder towards the feed inlet; or the width of the transition connection gradually decreases from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder towards the feed inlet.

[0016] As an improvement to the above solution, the material preparation cylinder has a side end face near the discharge mechanism. The discharge mechanism 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 to form a first phase connection. The upper side wall of the material preparation cylinder is connected to the upper part of the guide part to form two second phase connections. The two second phase connections are symmetrically inclined and bent from the top of the material preparation cylinder toward both sides of the guide part. One end of the two second phase connections intersects each other, and the other end bends and extends toward both sides of the guide part and connects to the two ends of the first phase connection respectively.

[0017] As an improvement to the above solution, the material preparation cylinder further includes a feeding section, the transition connection section protrudes upward from the surface of the material preparation cylinder and is located at one end of the material preparation cylinder away from the discharge mechanism, the feeding port is located on the feeding section, the feeding section is located on the transition connection section, the transition connection section is provided with a feeding cavity, the feeding cavity is connected to the storage space, and the longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of the feeding cavity are larger than the longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of the storage space.

[0018] As an improvement to the above solution, the discharge mechanism includes a discharge hopper, a handle, and a discharge valve. The discharge hopper is disposed on the side end face, and a discharge port is provided on the side end face. 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.

[0019] Accordingly, the present invention also provides a control method for a cold beverage device, applied to the aforementioned cold beverage device, comprising: acquiring in real time the current temperature data and the current mixing function command in the mixing cylinder, wherein the current mixing function command is any one of the mixing function commands for different cold beverage products; pairing the current mixing function command with a preset function hardness level control library to obtain a corresponding function hardness level control rule set, wherein the function hardness level control rule set includes a corresponding hardness level mixing command, a preset shape trigger rule, and a preset molding trigger rule; activating the refrigeration mechanism and controlling the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the corresponding hardness level according to the function mixing command; controlling the variable speed motor to perform shape adjustment at the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset shape trigger rule; and controlling the variable speed motor and the refrigeration mechanism to maintain the hardness at the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset molding trigger rule.

[0020] As an improvement to the above solution, the current material preparation function command includes a current function command and a current hardness level command. The step of matching the current material preparation function command with a preset function hardness level control library to obtain a corresponding function hardness level control rule group for the material preparation function includes: matching the current function command with the preset function hardness level control library to obtain a corresponding hardness level control library for the material preparation function; and matching the current hardness level command with the hardness level control library to obtain a corresponding function hardness level control rule group.

[0021] As an improvement to the above solution, the step of controlling the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the corresponding hardness level according to the functional ingredient preparation command includes: when the functional ingredient preparation command is an ice cream ingredient preparation command, controlling the variable speed motor to perform stirring at a first preset speed and a single stirring direction; when the functional ingredient preparation command is a smoothie ingredient preparation command, controlling the variable speed motor to perform stirring at a second preset speed and a single stirring direction.

[0022] As an improvement to the above scheme, the step of controlling the variable speed motor to perform shape adjustment work at the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset shape triggering rule includes: when the preset shape triggering rule is the ice cream preset shape triggering rule, determining whether the current temperature data is within the first preset temperature threshold range; if yes, it indicates that the ice cream preset shape triggering rule is met, and controlling the motor to stir at the third preset speed, and alternating between forward and reverse stirring directions at the first preset interval; when the preset shape triggering rule is the slushie preset shape triggering rule, determining whether the current temperature data is within the second preset temperature threshold range; if yes, it indicates that the slushie preset shape triggering rule is met, and controlling the motor to stir at the fourth preset speed, and alternating between forward and reverse stirring directions at the second preset interval.

[0023] As an improvement to the above scheme, the step of controlling the variable speed motor and the refrigeration mechanism to maintain the hardness of the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset forming trigger rule includes: when the preset forming trigger rule is an ice cream preset forming trigger rule, determining whether the current temperature data is within the range of a third preset temperature threshold; if the determination is yes, it indicates that the ice cream preset forming trigger rule is met, and ice cream hardness maintenance is performed; when the preset forming trigger rule is a shaved ice preset forming trigger rule, determining whether the current temperature data is within the range of a fourth preset temperature threshold; if the determination is yes, it indicates that the shaved ice preset forming trigger rule is met, and shaved ice hardness maintenance is performed.

[0024] As an improvement to the above solution, the steps for maintaining the ice cream hardness include: S1, controlling the refrigeration mechanism and the variable speed motor to stop working, and calculating the stop time; S2, when the stop time reaches a first preset time threshold, controlling the variable speed motor to stir at a fifth preset speed and in a single stirring direction; S3, determining whether the current temperature data is less than a first preset temperature adjustment threshold. If yes, initializing the stop time and returning to step S1; if no, controlling the refrigeration mechanism to work, and controlling the variable speed motor to stir at a sixth preset speed, and alternating between forward and reverse stirring directions at a third preset interval; S4, determining whether the current temperature data is less than a second preset temperature adjustment threshold. If yes, initializing the stop time and returning to step S1; if no, continuing to control the refrigeration mechanism to work, and controlling the variable speed motor to stir at a seventh preset speed, and alternating between forward and reverse stirring directions at a fourth preset interval, and then returning to step S4.

[0025] As an improvement to the above solution, the steps for maintaining the hardness of the slush include: S10, maintaining the temperature according to a third preset temperature adjustment threshold and timing the temperature maintenance; S20, when the temperature maintenance time exceeds a second preset time threshold, updating the third preset temperature adjustment threshold and maintaining the temperature; S30, determining whether the third preset temperature adjustment threshold is less than or equal to a preset temperature maintenance threshold for a specific gear. If the determination is yes, maintaining the temperature according to the temperature maintenance threshold for that gear is used to maintain the current hardness of the slush. If the determination is no, returning to step S20.

[0026] As an improvement to the above solution, the steps for maintaining the heat preservation operation include: S101, when the current temperature data is less than or equal to the temperature threshold, stopping the refrigeration mechanism; S102, when the current temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold and the refrigeration stop time is greater than the third preset time threshold of the current setting, starting the refrigeration mechanism; S103, when the current temperature data is less than or equal to the temperature threshold and the refrigeration start time is greater than the fourth preset time threshold of the current setting, stopping the refrigeration mechanism and returning to step S102; wherein, the temperature threshold is the third preset temperature adjustment threshold or the heat preservation threshold of the setting.

[0027] As an improvement to the above scheme, the step of updating the third preset temperature adjustment threshold includes: updating the third preset temperature adjustment threshold of the current gear according to the temperature update rule of the current gear, and updating the second preset time threshold according to the time update rule of the current gear.

[0028] As an improvement to the above scheme, the temperature update rule for the current gear includes: updating a new third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear according to the temperature update calculation formula T = T - T1, where T is the third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear and T1 is the temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear; the time update rule for the current gear includes: updating a new second preset time threshold according to the time update calculation formula t = t + t1, where t is the second preset time threshold for the current gear and t1 is the time adjustment threshold for the current gear.

[0029] As an improvement to the above solution, the step of maintaining the hardness of the slush also includes: acquiring the current speed of the motor in real time while in a heat preservation state; stopping the cooling operation when the current speed of the motor is greater than or equal to an eighth preset speed; and starting the cooling operation when the current speed of the motor is greater than or equal to a ninth preset speed and a temperature activation condition is triggered; wherein, the temperature activation condition is when the current temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold and the cooling stop time is greater than the fifth preset time threshold of the current gear, and the temperature threshold is the preset temperature threshold of the current gear or the heat preservation threshold of the gear.

[0030] Implementing this invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] The present invention can control the refrigeration mechanism to provide a preset functional mode of refrigeration environment for the material preparation space of the material preparation cylinder according to the temperature data and the input material preparation function command, and control the variable speed motor device to adjust the speed and rotation direction of the stirring blade according to the preset functional mode according to the material preparation function command, so as to carry out the material preparation work of different cold beverage products and meet the user's multi-purpose needs.

[0032] At the same time, different motor stirring control logics are used under different working conditions to avoid local lumps or large particles in the material during production, so as to maintain the overall shape and hardness of the material, thereby improving the taste of the finished product and meeting the actual needs of users.

[0033] Secondly, during the stirring process, the solid-liquid mixture moves to the front end of the mixing cylinder. In order to facilitate the smooth return of the solid-liquid mixture at the front end of the mixing cylinder, the mixing cylinder also includes a guide section. The guide section gradually tilts from the upper part of the mixing cylinder towards the discharge mechanism. In this way, the guide section can guide the solid-liquid mixture to move upward to the upper part of the mixing cylinder and tilt to move to the middle part of the mixing cylinder, thereby completing the return of the slush. Since the inner wall of the guide section forms a concave surface, the concave surface is not easy to form corners that are difficult to hide. Therefore, smaller particles such as ice cream are not easy to be retained in the guide section, which facilitates the return of the small particle solid-liquid mixture. This makes it suitable for the return of slush and ice cream and improves the stirring efficiency and stirring effect. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 is an exploded structural diagram of the cold drink equipment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the electrical control logic structure of the main control device of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional disassembly diagram of the feeding and discharging mechanism of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the material preparation cylinder of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the refrigeration component of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the control method of the cold drink equipment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the ice cream hardness maintenance operation of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 8 is a flowchart of the ice sand hardness maintenance operation of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the heat preservation operation of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a specific embodiment of the present invention provides a cold drink device, including a body 1, a refrigeration mechanism 2, a stirring mechanism 3, a feeding and discharging mechanism 4, and a main control device 5 disposed on the body 1. The feeding and discharging mechanism 4 includes a material preparation cylinder 41, a discharging mechanism 42 disposed at one end of the material preparation cylinder 41, and a temperature sensor 43 disposed in the material preparation cylinder 41. The material preparation cylinder 41 can contain raw materials for making cold drinks and solid-liquid mixtures after molding. The material preparation cylinder 41 is provided with a feeding port 441, through which raw materials are poured in. The discharging mechanism 42 is used to output the solid-liquid mixture after molding, such as shaved ice or ice cream.

[0045] The refrigeration mechanism 2 is used to cool the material preparation cylinder 41, so that the material is in a low-temperature forming environment. The stirring mechanism 3 includes a variable speed motor 31 and a stirring element 32. The variable speed motor 31 is connected to the stirring element 32. The stirring element 32 is disposed in the material preparation cylinder 41. The variable speed motor 31 can drive the stirring element 32 to rotate in the material preparation cylinder 41 to stir the material. The variable speed motor 31 can achieve stepless speed regulation, a wide speed range, and good smoothness. It can effectively realize speed regulation work for different functions or under different conditions, such as smoothies and ice cream with different speed regulation requirements. Ice cream has a higher stirring rate requirement than smoothies.

[0046] The temperature sensor 43 is connected to the main control device 5 and is used to detect the temperature data in the mixing cylinder 41 and send it to the main control device 5. The main control device 5 is electrically connected to the refrigeration mechanism 2 and the variable speed motor device 31 respectively. It is used to control the refrigeration mechanism 2 to provide a preset function mode refrigeration environment for the mixing space of the mixing cylinder 41 according to the temperature data and the input mixing function command, and to control the variable speed motor device 31 to adjust the speed and rotation direction of the stirring blade 32 according to the preset function mode to perform the mixing work of different cold beverage products. For example, when the input slush or ice cream function command is given, the refrigeration mechanism 2 can be controlled to perform the corresponding function temperature refrigeration work according to the detected temperature data, and the variable speed motor device 31 can be controlled to perform the corresponding function stirring work to ensure that the raw materials are cooled evenly and mixed with the air, improve the shape of the ice cream or slush and ensure its forming hardness, thereby realizing the making of slush or ice cream. Furthermore, by adjusting different working temperatures and stirring modes, the mixing function of different cold beverage products can be realized to meet the user's multi-purpose needs.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, the refrigeration mechanism 2 includes a compressor 21, a condenser 22, and an evaporator 23. The evaporator 23 is disposed in the material preparation cylinder 41, and a temperature sensor is installed on the evaporator. The stirring element 32 surrounds the evaporator 23. The two ends of the compressor 21 are connected to the inlet end of the condenser 22 and the outlet end of the evaporator 23 respectively via pipes. The outlet end of the condenser 22 is connected to the inlet end of the evaporator 23. When the compressor 21 is operating in refrigeration mode, it can supply cooling to the evaporator 23, thereby cooling the internal space and materials of the material preparation cylinder 41 through the evaporator 23. The stirring element 32 mounted on the evaporator 23 agitates the materials, ensuring the stable operation of the low-temperature material preparation process for smoothies or ice cream.

[0048] Further, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, the upper or upper-middle part of the cold drink equipment includes a stirring zone 6 and a driving zone 7 from front to back. The evaporator 23, the stirring element 32, and the material preparation cylinder 41 are arranged in the stirring zone 6, and the variable speed motor device is arranged in the driving zone 7. The variable speed motor device 31 includes a mounting frame 311, a variable speed motor 312, a reducer 313, a coupling 314, and a stirring shaft 315. The mounting frame 311 is installed on the end of the material preparation cylinder 41 away from the discharge mechanism 42. The variable speed motor 312, reducer 313, and coupling 314 are sequentially connected and mounted on the mounting bracket 311. One end of the stirring shaft 315 is connected to the coupling 314, and the other end of the stirring shaft 315 passes through the evaporator 23 and is connected to the transmission connection part 321 of the stirring element 32. The variable speed motor 312 can drive the stirring element 32 to stir the material in the material preparation cylinder 41, achieving stepless stirring speed regulation to meet the requirements of high speed regulation accuracy and various scenarios. The variable speed motor 312 is inclined inside the machine body 1 to reduce its volume and thus reduce the volume of the machine body 1.

[0049] The upper or upper-middle part of the cold drink equipment also includes a drive heat dissipation zone 8. The drive zone 7 is located between the stirring zone 6 and the drive heat dissipation zone 8. The drive heat dissipation zone 8 includes a drive cooling fan, which can extract the working heat in the drive zone to the outside of the machine body to reduce the working temperature of the drive zone.

[0050] The lower part of the cold drink equipment is provided with a refrigeration zone 9, which is equipped with a compressor 21, a condenser 22 and a cooling fan 91. The cooling fan 91 is located on one side of the condenser 22 and is used to extract the working heat in the refrigeration zone 9 to the outside of the machine body in order to reduce the working temperature of the refrigeration zone.

[0051] Among them, the variable speed motor 312 is preferably a variable speed DC motor, but is not limited to this.

[0052] Preferably, as shown in FIG2, the main control device 5 includes a main controller 51 and a control panel 52. The control panel 52 is connected to the main controller 51 and is used to send user-inputted function control commands to the main controller 51 to achieve different functions. In other embodiments, the main control device 5 may also include a wireless communication terminal. The main controller 51 can be connected to an external remote controller or mobile terminal through the wireless communication terminal to achieve wireless control functions.

[0053] To facilitate the flow of the formed product at the front end of the forming cylinder 41, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the forming cylinder 41 includes a guide section 411. The guide section 411 is located at one end of the forming cylinder 41 near the discharge mechanism 42, i.e., the front end of the forming cylinder 41. The guide section 411 gradually slopes from the upper part of the forming cylinder 41 toward the discharge mechanism 42. Under the guiding effect of the inclined guide section 411, the formed product can flow from the side of the discharge mechanism 42 toward the upper part of the forming cylinder 41 without affecting the product flowing from the middle of the forming cylinder 41 to the discharge mechanism 42. Under continuous extrusion pressure, the ice slush located in the guide section 411 can continuously flow back from the upper part of the forming cylinder 41 to the middle part, thus forming a cycle. Smaller ice cream particles tend to get stuck in smaller corners. However, because the inner wall of the guide section 411 forms a concave surface, the engagement between the concave surface and the mixing cylinder 41 is less likely to create a corner where ice cream particles can get stuck than the engagement between the flat surface and the mixing cylinder 41. Therefore, it is more conducive to the smooth flow of ice cream with smaller ice crystal particles. Thus, the cold drink equipment of the present invention can be used for products such as smoothies and ice cream. By recirculating the smoothies and ice cream, the stirring efficiency and stirring effect can be improved.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, a transition connection 412 is provided between the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder 41 and the inlet 441 of the material preparation cylinder 41. The transition connection 412 is used to form a transition connection between the inlet 441 and the material preparation cylinder 41. The transition connection 412 gradually extends from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder 41 towards the inlet 441. After the raw material freezes to form a solid-liquid mixture, the solid-liquid mixture can be contained in the transition connection 412 and gradually stirred and pushed from the transition connection 412 to the outlet 418. The transition connection 412 increases the containing volume and facilitates the return of the solid-liquid mixture from the upper part of the material preparation cylinder 41.

[0055] Specifically, the inner wall of the guide section 411 is a concave continuous curved surface. The use of a concave continuous curved surface allows the slush and ice cream to flow smoothly back towards the upper part of the mixing cylinder 41 at the position of the dispensing mechanism 42, which is beneficial for the reflux of the solid-liquid mixture and forms a circulation of the solid-liquid mixture in the mixing cylinder 411.

[0056] In some embodiments, the transition connection 412 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 441 to the middle of the feeding cylinder 411, and then gradually to the vicinity of the outlet 418. Furthermore, the surface of the transition connection 412 is a smooth curved surface. This smooth curved surface reduces the friction of the solid-liquid mixture in the transition connection 412, thereby facilitating the movement of the solid-liquid mixture in the transition connection 412 and simplifying stirring and feeding. It also reduces the likelihood of material accumulation or stagnation of the solid-liquid mixture in the transition connection 412.

[0057] In some embodiments, the width of the transition connection 412 gradually increases from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder 41 towards the feed inlet 441, and the transition connection 412 forms a gradually converging channel in the direction away from the feed inlet 441, so as to facilitate the concentrated movement of the solid-liquid mixture to the middle of the material preparation cylinder 41. In other embodiments, the width of the transition connection 412 gradually decreases from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder 41 towards the feed inlet 441, so that the position of the transition connection 412 can accommodate more solid-liquid mixture.

[0058] Preferably, the outer contour of the cross-section of the material preparation cylinder 41 is a circle, ellipse, or quasi-ellipse formed by a smooth curve. A quasi-ellipse refers to a closed curve shape with a major and minor axis, but differing from a standard ellipse in terms of curvature and symmetry at the edges. This cross-sectional outer contour increases the storage space of the material preparation cylinder 41. Simultaneously, the closed contour formed by the smooth curve reduces the frictional force of the solid-liquid mixture on the inner wall of the material preparation cylinder 41, thereby reducing material accumulation and stagnation, promoting uniform mixing, and improving the mixing effect.

[0059] As shown in Figure 4, the material preparation cylinder 41 has a side end face 413 near the discharge mechanism 42. The discharge mechanism 42 is disposed on the side end face 413. The compressed solid-liquid mixture will concentrate on the side end face 413, and the upper part of the side end face 413 is connected to the lower part of the guide part 411.

[0060] In this embodiment, the upper part of the side end face 413 is tangentially connected to the lower part of the guide part 411. Along the junction of the side end face 413 and the guide part 411, the solid-liquid mixture can smoothly transfer from the side end face 413 to the upper part of the material preparation cylinder 41. The connection line between the side end face 413 and the guide part 411 is a first connection line 414. The solid-liquid mixture undergoes a first turn in the first connection line 414, enabling the solid-liquid mixture to transfer from the side end face 413 to the upper part of the material preparation cylinder 411.

[0061] The side wall of the material preparation cylinder 41 is provided with a cylinder body surface 415, which is the main side wall of the material preparation cylinder 41. The cylinder body surface 415 is connected to the upper part of the guide part 411. In this embodiment, the cylinder body surface 415 is tangentially connected to the upper part of the guide part 411. The solid-liquid mixture flows along the guide part 411 and moves smoothly from the upper part of the guide part 411 to the junction of the cylinder body surface 415. The junction of the cylinder body surface 415 and the guide part 411 is a second junction 416. The solid-liquid mixture undergoes a second turn in the second junction 416, so that the solid-liquid mixture can flow back to the middle of the material preparation cylinder 411 to form a cycle.

[0062] In this embodiment of the invention, there are two second-phase wires 416, which are symmetrically inclined and bent from the top of the material preparation cylinder 41 towards both sides of the guide section 411. The two second-phase wires 416151 guide the movement of the solid-liquid mixture from both sides of the guide section 411. Simultaneously, the inclined and bent arrangement reduces the space where solid-liquid mixtures with small ice crystal particles, such as those found in ice cream, stagnate in the guide section 411, improving the smoothness of the solid-liquid mixture's return flow.

[0063] Furthermore, one end of each of the two second phase wires 416 intersects, and the other end bends and extends towards both sides of the guide section 411 and connects to both ends of the first phase wire 414. Along the reflux direction of the solid-liquid mixture, the two second phase wires 416 converge and intersect from both ends of the first phase wire 414 towards the upper part of the feeding cylinder 41, so that when the guide section 411 moves, the solid-liquid mixture can be concentrated and converged to the center of the upper part of the feeding cylinder 41 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 413, ensuring reflux efficiency and stirring effect.

[0064] As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the material preparation cylinder 41 also includes a feeding section 44, which is disposed on the transition connection section 412. The feeding port 441 is disposed on the feeding section 44. The transition connection section 412 protrudes upward from the cylinder body surface 415 of the material preparation cylinder 41 and is disposed at one end of the material preparation cylinder 41 away from the discharge mechanism 42, so as to expand the space for accommodating raw materials, making it easier to enter more raw materials, and allowing the raw materials to be fully frozen and stirred after entering.

[0065] The transition connection part 412 is provided with a feeding chamber 417, which is connected to the storage space of the material preparation cylinder 41. When the raw material is poured in, the raw material first enters the feeding chamber 417 and then enters the storage space. The diameter of the longitudinal section of the feeding chamber 417 is larger than the maximum diameter of the longitudinal section of the storage space, which increases the volume of raw material and solid-liquid mixture that the material preparation cylinder 411 can accommodate.

[0066] Furthermore, the discharge mechanism 42 includes a discharge hopper 421, a handle 422, and a discharge valve 423. The discharge hopper 421 is disposed on the side end face 413, and the side end face 413 is provided with a discharge port 418, which can communicate with the discharge hopper 421. One side of one end of the handle 422 is hinged to the discharge hopper 421, and the other side of one end of the handle 422 is hinged to the discharge valve 423. The handle 422 can swing relative to the discharge hopper 421. During the swinging process of the handle 422, the handle 422 can drive the discharge valve 423 to rise or fall to open or close the discharge hopper 421, thereby achieving the effect of discharging or closing the discharge hopper 421.

[0067] Accordingly, as shown in Figure 6, the present invention also provides a control method for a cold drink device, applied to the aforementioned cold drink device, comprising:

[0068] S101. Real-time acquisition of current temperature data and current material preparation function commands in the material preparation cylinder;

[0069] It should be noted that the temperature sensor installed on the mixing cylinder can detect the current temperature data in the mixing cylinder in real time. When the user inputs the mixing control signal, the corresponding current mixing function command can be obtained. The current mixing function command can be any of the mixing function commands for different cold beverage products, such as at least the ice cream function command or the smoothie function command, but this is not a limitation. The ice cream function command includes smoothie mixing commands with different ingredients, such as ice cream made with coffee ingredients, cola ingredients, milk ingredients, or mixed ingredients. The smoothie mixing commands with different ingredients and the ice cream mixing commands with different ingredients are matched with the corresponding hardness level control library in the preset function hardness level control library, as well as the function hardness level control rule group for different hardness levels. When the mixing commands for different ingredients of the same function (such as smoothie or ice cream function) are executed, different control mode parameters are applied.

[0070] S102. Pair the current material preparation function command with the preset function hardness level control library to obtain the corresponding material preparation function function hardness level control rule group, wherein the function hardness level control rule group includes the corresponding hardness level function material preparation command, preset form trigger rule and preset molding trigger rule.

[0071] Specifically, the current ingredient preparation function command includes a current function command and a current hardness level command. That is, both the ice cream function command and the smoothie function command include the corresponding current function command and current hardness level command. Each ice cream function or smoothie function corresponds to ingredient preparation commands at different hardness levels, i.e., different hardness level commands.

[0072] The step of matching the current material preparation function command with a preset function hardness level control library to obtain the corresponding material preparation function's function hardness level control rule group includes:

[0073] Step 1: Pair the current function command with the preset function hardness level control library to obtain the hardness level control library for the corresponding material making function.

[0074] Step 2: Pair the current hardness level command with the hardness level control library to obtain the corresponding functional hardness level control rule group.

[0075] It should be noted that the functional hardness level control library includes hardness level control libraries for different functions. When the current function command is successfully paired with the preset functional hardness level control library, the hardness level control library corresponding to the smoothie or ice cream function can be obtained. When the user's required current hardness level command is successfully paired with the preset functional hardness level control library, the functional hardness level control rule group corresponding to the hardness level of the smoothie or ice cream function can be obtained, thereby realizing the corresponding hardness production of smoothie or ice cream.

[0076] S103. Start the refrigeration mechanism and control the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the corresponding hardness level according to the function material preparation command.

[0077] Specifically, the step of controlling the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the corresponding hardness level according to the functional material preparation command includes:

[0078] Step 1: When the function ingredient preparation command is an ice cream ingredient preparation command, control the variable speed motor to perform stirring at a first preset speed and a single stirring direction;

[0079] Step 2: When the function material preparation command is a smoothie material preparation command, control the variable speed motor to perform stirring at a second preset speed and a single stirring direction.

[0080] It should be noted that when the function ingredient preparation command is an ice cream ingredient preparation command, ice cream making will be carried out. When the ingredient preparation begins, the compressor is turned on for rapid pre-cooling, and the motor is controlled to stir the material at a first preset speed and a single stirring direction. Under the stirring state, the material will be cooled fully and evenly, thereby effectively preventing local lumps or granules, and effectively improving the subsequent ice cream forming effect.

[0081] Preferably, the first preset speed is 130±5 rpm, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0082] Preferably, the single stirring direction is a positive rotational direction, i.e., a clockwise rotational direction, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0083] Accordingly, when the function ingredient preparation command is a slushie preparation command, slushie preparation is performed. At this time, the slushie preparation operation is similar to the ice cream preparation operation described above. The difference is that during slushie preparation, the control motor is used to stir the ingredients at different second preset speeds to achieve the stirring effect required for slushie preparation.

[0084] Preferably, the second preset speed is 80±5 rpm, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0085] S104. When the current temperature data meets the preset morphological triggering rules, control the variable speed motor to perform morphological adjustment work at the corresponding hardness level.

[0086] Specifically, the step of controlling the variable speed motor to perform shape adjustment at the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset shape triggering rules includes:

[0087] Step 1: When the preset form triggering rule is the ice cream preset form triggering rule, determine whether the current temperature data is within the first preset temperature threshold range. If it is, it means that the ice cream preset form triggering rule is met. Control the motor to stir at the third preset speed and alternately switch the forward and reverse stirring directions at the first preset interval.

[0088] Step 2: When the preset form triggering rule is the slushie preset form triggering rule, determine whether the current temperature data is within the second preset temperature threshold range. If it is, it means that the slushie preset form triggering rule is met. Control the motor to stir at the fourth preset speed and alternately switch the forward and reverse stirring directions at the second preset interval.

[0089] It should be noted that when the preset form triggering rule is the ice cream preset form triggering rule and the current temperature data is within the first preset temperature threshold range, it indicates that the ice cream preset form triggering rule is met, and the material begins to enter the ice cream form adjustment stage. The form and expansion rate of the ice cream during shaping need to be adjusted promptly to avoid reducing the texture. If a single stirring logic is maintained at this time, uneven stirring and clumping of the ice cream will occur. When clumping occurs, the insufficiently stirred ice cream, due to its low air content, will directly reduce the shape and expansion rate during shaping, resulting in a poorer texture. To address this, the present invention controls the motor to stir the material at a third preset speed, and alternates between clockwise and counterclockwise stirring directions at a first preset interval. During this time, the stirring paddle will push the material back and forth at the first preset interval, ensuring that the material remains evenly cooled and fully mixed with air, thereby improving the expansion rate and shape of the ice cream and thus improving the texture. Simultaneously, the second preset speed is lower than the first preset speed. Reducing the stirring speed at this stage can alleviate the thinning problem caused by stirring, further improving the shape of the ice cream during shaping. Otherwise, it means the requirements are not met, and the material preparation continues while waiting.

[0090] Preferably, the first preset temperature threshold range is 0±0.3 degrees, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0091] Preferably, the third preset speed is 80±5 rpm, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0092] Preferably, the first preset interval time is 60 seconds, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions. In the above stage of this embodiment, the motor speed is reduced to 80 RPM, and the material is stirred continuously and alternately at intervals of 60 seconds in the forward direction and 60 seconds in the reverse direction, which can improve the overrun of the ice cream and its shape during molding, thereby improving the taste of the ice cream.

[0093] Accordingly, when the preset form triggering rule is the slushie preset form triggering rule and the current temperature data is within the second preset temperature threshold range, it means that the slushie preset form triggering rule is met, the material begins to enter the slushie form adjustment stage and performs similar operations to those of ice cream to adjust the form of the slushie and increase its hardness. The difference is that when making slushie, the motor is controlled to stir at the fourth preset speed and the stirring direction is alternately switched at the second preset interval.

[0094] Preferably, the range of the second preset temperature threshold is 0±0.1 degrees, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0095] Preferably, the fourth preset speed is 40±5 rpm, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0096] Preferably, the second preset interval time is 40 seconds, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions. In the above stage of this embodiment, the motor speed is reduced to 40 RPM, and the material is stirred continuously and alternately at intervals of 40 seconds in the forward direction and 40 seconds in the reverse direction, which can improve the shape and hardness of the slush, thereby improving the taste of the slush.

[0097] S105. When the current temperature data meets the preset molding trigger rules, control the variable speed motor and the cooling mechanism to maintain the hardness at the corresponding hardness level.

[0098] Specifically, the step of controlling the variable speed motor and the cooling mechanism to maintain the hardness at the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset molding trigger rule includes:

[0099] Step 1: When the preset molding trigger rule is the ice cream preset molding trigger rule, determine whether the current temperature data is within the range of the third preset temperature threshold. If it is, it means that the ice cream preset molding trigger rule is met, and the ice cream hardness maintenance work is performed.

[0100] Step 2: When the preset molding trigger rule is the slushie preset molding trigger rule, determine whether the current temperature data is within the range of the fourth preset temperature threshold. If the determination is yes, it means that the slushie preset molding trigger rule is met, and the slushie hardness maintenance work is performed.

[0101] It should be noted that when the preset ice cream forming trigger rule or the preset shaved ice forming trigger rule is met, the ice cream or shaved ice forming maintenance operation is initiated to ensure that the overall hardness of the ice cream or shaved ice meets the required production requirements, thereby improving the taste.

[0102] As shown in Figure 7, the steps for maintaining the ice cream hardness include:

[0103] S201. Control the refrigeration mechanism and the variable speed motor to stop working, and calculate the stopping time;

[0104] It should be noted that when the ice cream is forming, the compressor and the motor are controlled to stop working and enter a heat preservation state to maintain the shape and texture of the ice cream, and the stopping time is calculated.

[0105] S202. When the stop time reaches the first preset time threshold, control the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the fifth preset speed and in a single stirring direction.

[0106] It should be noted that, in order to maintain the good taste and shape of the ice cream while it is kept warm, that is, the ice cream is neither too hard nor too soft, the present invention controls the motor to perform low-speed stirring of the ice cream at the fifth preset speed and in a single stirring direction, so as to maintain the good taste and shape of the ice cream.

[0107] Preferably, the fifth preset speed is 80±5 rpm, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0108] Preferably, the single stirring direction is a positive rotational direction, i.e., a clockwise rotational direction, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0109] S203. Determine whether the current temperature data is less than the first preset temperature adjustment threshold. If the determination is yes, initialize the stop time and return to step S201. If the determination is no, control the refrigeration mechanism to work and control the variable speed motor to perform stirring work at the sixth preset speed, and alternately switch the forward and reverse stirring directions at the third preset interval.

[0110] It should be noted that the ice cream temperature continues to be monitored. If the current temperature is lower than the first preset temperature adjustment threshold, it indicates that the temperature is starting to be too low, which will cause the ice cream to harden and affect the taste. In this case, the process should return to step S201 to stop the cooling and stirring, and gradually increase the ice cream temperature. If the current temperature is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature adjustment threshold, it indicates that the temperature is starting to be too high, which will cause the ice cream to soften. In this case, the compressor is controlled to continue cooling, and the motor is controlled to stir the ice cream at the sixth preset speed, alternating between forward and reverse stirring at the third preset interval. During this time, the stirring paddle will push the ice cream back and forth at the third preset interval, thereby maintaining a uniform cooling effect and optimal shape for the ice cream, ensuring that the overall hardness of the ice cream meets production and customer requirements.

[0111] Preferably, the first preset temperature adjustment threshold is -4±0.2°, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0112] Preferably, the sixth preset speed is 80±5 rpm, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0113] Preferably, the third preset interval time is 60s, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0114] S204. Determine whether the current temperature data is less than the second preset temperature adjustment threshold. If the determination is yes, initialize the stop time and return to step S1. If the determination is no, continue to control the refrigeration mechanism to work and control the variable speed motor to perform stirring work at the seventh preset speed, and alternately switch the forward and reverse stirring directions at the fourth preset interval time, and then return to step S204.

[0115] It should be noted that the ice cream temperature continues to be monitored. If the current temperature is lower than the second preset temperature adjustment threshold, it indicates that the temperature is too low, which will cause the ice cream to harden and affect the taste. In this case, the process should return to step S201 to stop refrigeration and stirring, and restart the hardness maintenance process. If the current temperature is greater than or equal to the second preset temperature adjustment threshold, it indicates that the temperature is too high, which will cause the ice cream to soften. In this case, the compressor is controlled to continue refrigeration, and the motor is controlled to stir the ice cream at the seventh preset speed, alternating between forward and reverse stirring at the fourth preset interval. The stirring paddle will push the ice cream back and forth at the fourth preset interval, thus maintaining a uniform cooling effect and maintaining the optimal shape. This ensures that the overall hardness of the ice cream meets production and customer requirements, thereby satisfying taste requirements.

[0116] Preferably, the second preset temperature adjustment threshold is -2±0.2°C, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0117] Preferably, the seventh preset speed is 80±5 rpm, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0118] Preferably, the fourth preset interval time is 60s, but this is not a limitation and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0119] As shown in Figure 8, the steps for maintaining the hardness of the ice slush include:

[0120] S301. Maintain the heat preservation operation according to the third preset temperature adjustment threshold, and start the heat preservation status timer;

[0121] It should be noted that when the current temperature data in the ice-making chamber reaches the third preset temperature adjustment threshold of the current setting, it enters the heat preservation state. The heat preservation work is carried out according to the third preset temperature adjustment threshold of the current setting to maintain the preset temperature threshold of the ice slush in the ice-making chamber, and the heat preservation state timer is started.

[0122] S302. When the heat preservation time exceeds the second preset time threshold, update the third preset temperature adjustment threshold and perform heat preservation maintenance.

[0123] It should be noted that when the timer for the heat preservation state exceeds the second preset time threshold, the temperature adjustment function is activated. This function adjusts the different heat preservation stages of the slush as the air inside the slush gradually becomes thinner, preventing the slush from becoming too thin or its hardness from decreasing. This effectively maintains the required hardness of the slush, thereby meeting the user's slush hardness requirements and improving the user's taste.

[0124] The step of updating the third preset temperature adjustment threshold includes: updating the third preset temperature adjustment threshold of the current gear according to the temperature update rule of the current gear, and updating the second preset time threshold according to the time update rule of the current gear.

[0125] Furthermore, the temperature update rule for the current gear includes: updating a new third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear according to the temperature update calculation formula T = T - T1, where T is the third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear and T1 is the temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear; the time update rule for the current gear includes: updating a new second preset time threshold according to the time update calculation formula t = t + t1, where t is the second preset time threshold for the current gear and t1 is the time adjustment threshold for the current gear.

[0126] It should be noted that each time the temperature is adjusted, a new third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current setting is calculated according to the above temperature update calculation formula, and a new second preset time threshold for the current setting is calculated according to the above time update calculation formula. Then, a new heat preservation operation is performed according to the third preset temperature adjustment threshold, and when the new heat preservation operation reaches the new second preset time threshold, the next temperature adjustment operation is performed, thereby achieving different heat preservation stages for the shaved ice.

[0127] S303. Determine whether the third preset temperature adjustment threshold is less than or equal to the preset temperature maintenance threshold. If the determination is yes, perform temperature maintenance work according to the temperature maintenance threshold to maintain the current hardness of the shaved ice. If the determination is no, return to step S302.

[0128] It should be noted that when the third preset temperature adjustment threshold of the current setting reaches the preset heat preservation threshold of the current setting, it means that the third preset temperature adjustment threshold has reached the temperature required to maintain the desired firmness of the smoothie. Maintaining the temperature at this level ensures that the smoothie's firmness remains at the required level and is not easily affected by other factors, effectively meeting the user's actual firmness and taste preferences. Otherwise, it means that the third preset temperature adjustment threshold of the current setting has not reached the preset heat preservation threshold. In this case, temperature adjustment continues until the third preset temperature adjustment threshold is lowered to the desired heat preservation threshold. If the initial third preset temperature adjustment threshold T is 2°, the temperature adjustment threshold T1 is 0.4°, the initial preset time threshold t is 20min, the time adjustment threshold t1 is 10min, and the temperature maintenance threshold is -2°, after 10 temperature adjustments, the current preset temperature threshold will be equal to the temperature maintenance threshold. At this point, the final temperature maintenance stage has been reached, and the desired hardness of the shaved ice can be stably produced.

[0129] The time adjustment threshold can be adjusted according to the actual situation. There is no need to increase the working time after each temperature adjustment. For example, when the preset time threshold reaches 40, 50 or 60 minutes, the subsequent preset time threshold remains unchanged or decreases to a certain level. No further restrictions are imposed here.

[0130] Further, as shown in Figure 9, the steps for maintaining the heat preservation operation include:

[0131] S401. When the current temperature data is less than or equal to the temperature threshold, the refrigeration mechanism stops working;

[0132] It should be noted that, under heat preservation conditions, when the detected current temperature data of the ice slush is less than or equal to the temperature threshold, it indicates that the temperature of the ice slush is already low during the current heat preservation stage. At this time, the refrigeration work is stopped, that is, the compressor is stopped, to prevent the material temperature from being too low, resulting in excessive freezing and wasting energy.

[0133] S402. When the current temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold and the cooling stop time is greater than the third preset time threshold of the current setting, the cooling mechanism is started.

[0134] It should be noted that during the cooling process, if the detected current temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold and the cooling stop time is greater than the third preset time threshold of the current setting, the cooling process will be restarted, that is, the compressor will start working, in order to effectively maintain the hardness of the shaved ice.

[0135] The temperature threshold is either a preset temperature threshold for the current gear or a gear heat preservation threshold, to perform heat preservation work at different temperature thresholds.

[0136] S403. When the current temperature data is less than or equal to the temperature threshold and the cooling start time is greater than the fourth preset time threshold of the current setting, stop the cooling operation and return to step S402.

[0137] It should be noted that when the current temperature data is less than or equal to the temperature threshold and the cooling start time is greater than the fourth preset time threshold of the current setting, it means that the temperature of the current slush has met the heat preservation requirements. At this time, the cooling work is stopped, and the above heat preservation work is repeated in a cycle during the heat preservation stage to ensure that the hardness of the slush at the current setting meets the production and customer needs.

[0138] Preferably, the second, third, and fourth preset time thresholds can be set and adjusted according to actual needs.

[0139] Preferably, in order to more accurately determine whether the hardness of the shaved ice meets the requirements, the step of maintaining the hardness of the shaved ice further includes:

[0140] Step 1: Under heat preservation conditions, obtain the current motor speed in real time;

[0141] Step 2: When the current speed of the motor is greater than or equal to the eighth preset speed, stop the cooling operation;

[0142] Step 3: When the current speed of the motor is greater than or equal to the ninth preset speed and the temperature activation condition is triggered, the cooling operation is started;

[0143] It should be noted that the temperature activation condition is when the current temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold and the cooling stop time is greater than the fifth preset time threshold of the current gear. The temperature threshold is the preset temperature threshold of the current gear or the gear heat preservation threshold.

[0144] When in heat preservation mode, the current speed of the variable speed motor is also monitored in real time. When the current motor speed is greater than or equal to the eighth preset speed, it indicates that the current hardness of the slush meets the requirements, and the cooling operation is stopped to avoid the slush becoming too hard and to save energy. When the current motor speed is greater than or equal to the ninth preset speed and the temperature activation condition is triggered, the cooling operation is activated to maintain the hardness of the slush. The ninth preset speed is the activation speed, which is greater than the eighth preset speed.

[0145] Preferably, the slush preparation commands for different raw materials have different discharge stirring speeds, so that the material can be discharged quickly for different raw material production scenarios, which can prevent material accumulation and improve discharge efficiency.

[0146] In summary, the present invention can control the refrigeration mechanism to provide a preset functional mode of refrigeration environment for the material preparation space of the material preparation cylinder according to the temperature data and the input material preparation function command, and control the variable speed motor device to adjust the speed and rotation direction of the stirring blade according to the preset functional mode according to the material preparation function command, so as to carry out the material preparation work of different cold beverage products and meet the user's multi-purpose needs.

[0147] At the same time, different motor stirring control logics are used under different working conditions to avoid local lumps or large particles in the material during production, so as to maintain the overall shape and hardness of the material, thereby improving the taste of the finished product and meeting the actual needs of users.

[0148] Secondly, during the stirring process, the solid-liquid mixture moves to the front end of the mixing cylinder. In order to facilitate the smooth return of the solid-liquid mixture at the front end of the mixing cylinder, the mixing cylinder also includes a guide section. The guide section gradually tilts from the upper part of the mixing cylinder towards the discharge mechanism. In this way, the guide section can guide the solid-liquid mixture to move upward to the upper part of the mixing cylinder and tilt to move to the middle part of the mixing cylinder, thereby completing the return of the slush. Since the inner wall of the guide section forms a concave surface, the concave surface is not easy to form corners that are difficult to hide. Therefore, smaller particles such as ice cream are not easy to be retained in the guide section, which facilitates the return of the small particle solid-liquid mixture. This makes it suitable for the return of slush and ice cream and improves the stirring efficiency and stirring effect.

[0149] Finally, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely specific implementations of the present invention, used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit it. The scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that any person skilled in the art can still modify or easily conceive of changes to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications, changes, or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cold drink equipment, characterized in that, It includes a machine body, a refrigeration mechanism, a stirring mechanism, a feeding and discharging mechanism and a main control device installed on the machine body. The feeding and discharging mechanism includes a feeding cylinder, a discharging mechanism installed at one end of the feeding cylinder and a temperature sensor installed in the feeding cylinder. The refrigeration mechanism is used to cool the feeding cylinder. The stirring mechanism includes a variable speed motor and a stirring component. The variable speed motor is connected to the stirring component in a transmission manner. The stirring component is disposed in the material preparation cylinder. The temperature sensor is connected to the main control device and is used to detect the temperature data in the material preparation cylinder and send it to the main control device. The main control device is electrically connected to the refrigeration mechanism and the variable speed motor device respectively. It is used to control the refrigeration mechanism to provide a refrigeration environment with a preset function mode for the material preparation space of the material preparation cylinder according to the temperature data and the input material preparation function command, and to control the variable speed motor device to adjust the speed and rotation direction of the stirring blade with a preset function mode according to the material preparation function command, so as to carry out the material preparation work of different cold beverage products.

2. The cold drink equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The refrigeration mechanism includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. The evaporator is disposed in the feeding cylinder, and the temperature sensor is provided on the evaporator. The stirring element surrounds the periphery of the evaporator. The compressor is connected at both ends to the inlet of the condenser and the outlet of the evaporator via pipes, and the outlet of the condenser is connected to the inlet of the evaporator.

3. The cold drink equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper or upper-middle part of the cold drink equipment includes a stirring zone and a driving zone in sequence from front to back. The evaporator, the stirring component, and the material preparation cylinder are arranged in the stirring zone, and the variable speed motor device is arranged in the driving zone. The variable speed motor device includes a mounting frame, a variable speed motor, a reducer, a coupling, and a stirring shaft. The mounting frame is installed on the end of the material preparation cylinder away from the discharge mechanism.

4. The cold drink equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The variable speed motor device includes a mounting frame, a variable speed motor, a reducer, a coupling, and a stirring shaft. The mounting frame is installed on the end of the material preparation cylinder away from the discharge mechanism. The variable speed motor, reducer, and coupling are connected in sequence and all mounted on the mounting frame. One end of the stirring shaft is connected to the coupling, and the other end of the stirring shaft passes through the evaporator and is connected to the transmission connection part of the stirring element.

5. The cold drink equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The upper or upper-middle part of the cold drink equipment also includes a drive heat dissipation area, which is located between the stirring area and the drive heat dissipation area.

6. The cold drink equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The main control device includes a main controller and a control panel. The control panel is connected to the main controller and is used to send user-inputted function control commands to the main controller.

7. The cold drink equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material preparation cylinder includes a flow guide, which is disposed at one end of the material preparation cylinder near the discharge mechanism. The flow guide gradually slopes from the upper part of the material preparation cylinder toward the discharge mechanism, and the inner wall of the flow guide forms a concave surface. A transition connection is provided between the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder and the inlet of the material preparation cylinder, and the transition connection gradually extends from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder toward the inlet.

8. The cold drink equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The transition connection is an arc-shaped transition or an inclined transition, and the surface of the transition connection is a smooth curved surface.

9. The cold drink equipment according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that, The width of the transition connection gradually increases from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder towards the feed inlet; or the width of the transition connection gradually decreases from the outer wall of the material preparation cylinder towards the feed inlet.

10. The cold drink equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material preparation cylinder has a side end face near the discharge mechanism. The discharge mechanism 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 to form a first phase connection. The upper side wall of the material preparation cylinder is connected to the upper part of the guide part to form two second phase connections. The two second phase connections are symmetrically inclined and bent from the top of the material preparation cylinder toward both sides of the guide part. One end of the two second phase connections intersects each other, and the other end bends and extends toward both sides of the guide part and connects to the two ends of the first phase connection respectively.

11. The cold drink equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The material preparation cylinder also includes a feeding section. The transition connection section protrudes upward from the surface of the material preparation cylinder and is located at one end of the material preparation cylinder away from the discharge mechanism. The feeding port is located on the feeding section. The feeding section is located on the transition connection section. The transition connection section has a feeding cavity, which is connected to the storage space. The longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of the feeding cavity are larger than those of the longitudinal cross-sectional dimensions of the storage space.

12. The cold drink equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that, The discharge mechanism includes a discharge hopper, a handle, and a discharge valve. The discharge hopper is located on the side end face, and a discharge port is provided on the side end face. 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.

13. A control method for a cold drink equipment, characterized in that, The beverage apparatus used in any one of claims 1 to 12 comprises: The current temperature data and current feeding function command in the feeding cylinder are obtained in real time. The current feeding function command can be any one of the feeding function commands for different cold beverage products. The current material preparation function command is paired with the preset function hardness level control library to obtain the corresponding material preparation function function hardness level control rule group, wherein the function hardness level control rule group includes the corresponding hardness level function material preparation command, preset form trigger rule and preset molding trigger rule. The refrigeration mechanism is activated, and the variable speed motor is controlled to perform stirring at the corresponding hardness level according to the functional material preparation command. When the current temperature data meets the preset morphological triggering rules, the variable speed motor is controlled to perform morphological adjustment work at the corresponding hardness level. When the current temperature data meets the preset molding trigger rules, the variable speed motor and the cooling mechanism are controlled to maintain the hardness at the corresponding hardness level.

14. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 13, characterized in that, The current material preparation function command includes a current function command and a current hardness level command. The step of matching the current material preparation function command with a preset function hardness level control library to obtain the corresponding function hardness level control rule group for the material preparation function includes: The current function command is paired with the preset function hardness level control library to obtain the hardness level control library for the corresponding material preparation function. The current hardness level command is paired with the hardness level control library to obtain the corresponding functional hardness level control rule group.

15. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 13, characterized in that, The step of controlling the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the corresponding hardness level according to the functional material preparation command includes: When the function ingredient preparation command is an ice cream ingredient preparation command, the variable speed motor is controlled to perform stirring at a first preset speed and a single stirring direction. When the function material preparation command is a smoothie preparation command, the variable speed motor is controlled to perform stirring at a second preset speed and a single stirring direction.

16. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 13, characterized in that, The step of controlling the variable speed motor to perform shape adjustment at the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset shape triggering rules includes: When the preset form triggering rule is the ice cream preset form triggering rule, it is determined whether the current temperature data is within the first preset temperature threshold range. If it is determined to be yes, it means that the ice cream preset form triggering rule is met, and the motor is controlled to stir at the third preset speed, and the forward and reverse stirring directions are alternately switched at the first preset interval time. When the preset form triggering rule is the slushie preset form triggering rule, it is determined whether the current temperature data is within the second preset temperature threshold range. If it is determined to be yes, it means that the slushie preset form triggering rule is met, and the motor is controlled to perform stirring at the fourth preset speed, and the stirring direction is alternately switched between forward and reverse at the second preset interval.

17. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 13, characterized in that, The step of controlling the variable speed motor and the cooling mechanism to maintain the hardness at the corresponding hardness level when the current temperature data meets the preset molding trigger rule includes: When the preset molding trigger rule is the ice cream preset molding trigger rule, it is determined whether the current temperature data is within the range of the third preset temperature threshold. If it is determined to be yes, it means that the ice cream preset molding trigger rule is met, and the ice cream hardness maintenance work is performed. When the preset molding trigger rule is the slushie preset molding trigger rule, it is determined whether the current temperature data is within the range of the fourth preset temperature threshold. If it is determined to be yes, it means that the slushie preset molding trigger rule is met, and the slushie hardness maintenance work is performed.

18. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 17, characterized in that, The steps for maintaining the firmness of the ice cream include: S1. Control the refrigeration mechanism and the variable speed motor to stop working, and calculate the stopping time; S2. When the stop time reaches the first preset time threshold, control the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the fifth preset speed and in a single stirring direction; S3. Determine whether the current temperature data is less than the first preset temperature adjustment threshold. If the determination is yes, initialize the stop time and return to step S1. If the determination is negative, control the refrigeration mechanism to work, and control the variable speed motor to perform stirring at the sixth preset speed, and alternately switch the forward and reverse stirring directions at the third preset interval. S4. Determine whether the current temperature data is less than the second preset temperature adjustment threshold. If the determination is yes, initialize the stop time and return to step S1. If the determination is no, continue to control the refrigeration mechanism to work and control the variable speed motor to perform stirring work at the seventh preset speed, and alternately switch the forward and reverse stirring directions at the fourth preset interval time, and then return to step S4.

19. The control method for a cold drink equipment according to claim 17, characterized in that, The steps for maintaining the hardness of the slush include: S10. Maintain the heat preservation operation according to the third preset temperature adjustment threshold, and start the heat preservation status timer. S20. When the heat preservation time exceeds the second preset time threshold, update the third preset temperature adjustment threshold and perform heat preservation maintenance. S30. Determine whether the third preset temperature adjustment threshold is less than or equal to the preset temperature maintenance threshold. If the determination is yes, perform temperature maintenance work according to the temperature maintenance threshold to maintain the current hardness of the shaved ice. If the determination is no, return to step S20.

20. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 19, characterized in that, The steps for maintaining the heat preservation function include: S101. When the current temperature data is less than or equal to the temperature threshold, the refrigeration mechanism stops working; S102. When the current temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold and the cooling stop time is greater than the third preset time threshold of the current setting, the cooling mechanism is started. S103. When the current temperature data is less than or equal to the temperature threshold and the cooling start time is greater than the fourth preset time threshold of the current setting, stop the cooling mechanism and return to step S102. The temperature threshold is a third preset temperature adjustment threshold or a temperature maintenance threshold for a specific gear.

21. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 19, characterized in that, The step of updating the third preset temperature adjustment threshold includes: The third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear is updated according to the temperature update rule for the current gear, and the second preset time threshold is updated according to the time update rule for the current gear.

22. The control method for the cold drink equipment according to claim 21, characterized in that, The temperature update rules for the current gear level include: According to the temperature update calculation formula T=T-T1, the new third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear is updated, where T is the third preset temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear and T1 is the temperature adjustment threshold for the current gear. The time update rules for the current gear position include: Based on the time update calculation formula t=t+t1, a new second preset time threshold is updated, where t is the second preset time threshold for the current gear and t1 is the time adjustment threshold for the current gear.

23. The control method for a cold drink equipment according to any one of claims 19 to 22, characterized in that, The steps for maintaining the hardness of the ice slush also include: Under heat preservation conditions, the current motor speed is acquired in real time; When the current speed of the motor is greater than or equal to the eighth preset speed, the cooling operation is stopped; When the current speed of the motor is greater than or equal to the ninth preset speed and the temperature activation condition is triggered, the cooling operation is activated. The temperature activation condition is when the current temperature data is greater than the temperature threshold and the cooling stop time is greater than the fifth preset time threshold of the current gear. The temperature threshold is the preset temperature threshold of the current gear or the gear heat preservation threshold.

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