CN101128142A - Apparatus for preparing beverages - Google Patents

Abstract

Various forms of apparatus for preparing and dispensing beverages, preferably based on coffee, can receive instructions from a customer and deliver the beverage automatically. The apparatus is preferably capable of fully automatic cleaning in a cleaning cycle in which a cleaning agent is flushed through the lines, and the apparatus is preferably arranged to ensure that not only are the lines cleaned properly but that no cleaning agent can be dispensed. The apparatus includes a brewer assembly having a chamber in which freshly ground coffee can be introduced and either espresso or filter coffee can be automatically prepared by passing hot water through the chamber and removing the spent coffee grounds . The coffee may be stored as coffee beans in sealed containers that can automatically be pierced to release the beans which are ground immediately before preparation of the beverage . The apparatus also includes a cup-size detector for ensuring that the customer offers a cup to the apparatus that is of a size appropriate to the beverage selected.

Description

Be used to prepare the equipment of beverage

Technical field

The present invention relates to be used for preparing and allotting the equipment of beverage according to consumer wants.The present invention be more particularly directed to be used to prepare and allot the equipment of coffee beverage, yet but at least some aspects of the present invention can be applicable to Other Drinks.

Background technology

Coffee beverage is sold equipment automatically and is used for many years.Yet a lot of this equipment only can provide the not good enough beverage of quality in the limited range, for example, and by the beverage that instant coffee particle or other batch mixes are formed with hot water.In contrast, the invention is intended to provide a kind of equipment for preparing coffee beverage, it uses fresh batching, for example, and Fresh Ground Coffee, new sweet milk etc.It would also be desirable to provide the equipment that to produce espresso and also can select to produce the Other Drinks (for example dripping coffee and hot breast and hot chocolates etc. such as filter coffee, caffe american, latte, Cappuccino coffee, heat milk coffee) that are main component or adding coffee with coffee.

Further concern is, provides the coffee of implementing with minimum hand labor to sell equipment automatically.Described equipment need be handled for example batching of fresh milk, thereby importantly, guarantees periodically suitably to clean all parts of this equipment that contact with described batching, and this is because even a small amount of stale breast remains in this equipment, also can constitute dangers to health.Yet, if the cleaning of equipment and attended operation are correctly fulfiled, can spend the plenty of time, and, if the amount of labour that is included in these processes can reduce, will be desirable.Except can allotting beverage automatically, it is desirable to, wish that described equipment can automatically cleaning, or at least can cleaning and beverage or especially newborn contacted those parts of batching, make required hand labor focus on to supply once in a while the simple clean operation that batching is stored and for example carried out wipe surfaces at that time etc., the clean operation of main timing then carries out automatically.

Summary of the invention

According to an aspect, the invention provides the equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, it is suitable for operating under mode of operation, and under described mode of operation, described equipment can receive the instruction from the user, with preparation and allocation beverage; Described equipment also is suitable for operating under cleaning mode, and under described cleaning mode, its parts are by automated cleaning, and this equipment can not be allotted beverage; Wherein, described equipment can be operated to automatically switch to described cleaning mode in response to scheduled event from described mode of operation.

Described scheduled event can be any in the multiple incident, for example, when sensor detects deleterious material and runs up to given level, perhaps detects when not having the potential consumer when it.Yet described equipment is carried out the operation that switches to cleaning mode from mode of operation usually at the fixed time, and the described scheduled time for example is with the predetermined number of days or the scheduled time after last once clean operation.

According on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare beverage, this equipment comprise be used to store or prepare the drink liquid composition and with described composition along the device of a pipeline transmission to a beverage dispenser; Described equipment comprises: the storage unit that is used to store one or more cleaning agents that are used to clean described pipeline, be used for described cleaning agent or each described cleaning agent of scheduled volume are incorporated into described pipeline, and be used for after introducing described cleaning agent a certain amount of water is incorporated into the device of described pipeline with the pipeline that washes described cleaning agent; Described equipment comprises control device, is used for preventing from described cleaning agent is incorporated into described pipeline when preparation and allocation beverage, and is used for preventing preparation and allotting beverage when the described pipeline of cleaning.

What be necessary to guarantee in the wideest limit of consideration is that on the one hand, latex dust road (and other any pipelines) are thoroughly cleaned, and on the other hand, do not have cleaning agent to be present in the beverage of allocation, no matter when cleaning agent is introduced in the pipeline, that is, no matter its whether in cleaning cycle.Described equipment preferably can be guaranteed above-mentioned situation, even any parts in the equipment break down.Thus, according to further aspect, the present invention can provide a kind of equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, and described beverage comprises perishable composition, and especially for milk-contained drink, described equipment comprises:

(1) be used for the pipeline of described perishable composition, it need use cleaning agent to clean;

(2) perishable composition meter is used for determining being dispensed into the amount of the perishable composition of beverage;

(3) be used for a certain amount of cleaning agent being incorporated in the described pipeline, described cleaning agent is transmitted by described pipeline in the clean operation process, and the device that described cleaning agent is removed from described pipeline; With

(4) cleaning agent meter is used to determine to be incorporated into the amount of described ducted cleaning agent;

Wherein, the amount that is incorporated into described ducted cleaning agent also determines by described perishable composition meter, and described equipment can operate with in described clean operation process by producing alarm and/or prevent to allot beverage under the situation that occurs difference between definite result of described perishable composition meter and the definite result by described cleaning agent meter.

Therefore, the amount of the cleaning agent that transmits by pipeline in the clean operation process is determined this fact by two kinds of meters, can guarantee not only to have used the cleaning agent of correct amount, but also can be checked through that two meters are all correctly worked and when clean operation finishes all cleaning agents cleared out of described pipeline.It is also important that, guarantee to allot in the operating process, can not break down and introduce cleaning agent owing to the parts of for example detergent pump at beverage.This can be avoided by this equipment is comprised along a plurality of parts of described pipeline series connection, and all these parts must be operated correctly just can introduce cleaning agent.For example, can be provided for cleaning agent is incorporated into pump in the described cleaning agent meter, can be provided for cleaning agent pumping from described cleaning agent meter and can be provided at described second pump and the described perishable valve that becomes between the subtube to second pump of described perishable one-tenth subtube.In such structure, in beverage was allotted operating process, all three parts Shi Caihui that breaks down introduced cleaning agent in the described pipeline.

Described equipment can be set to, make cleaning agent from refrigerator or be introduced into other the point by described pipeline one-way transmission to dispenser, perhaps, it can be configured to the loop that comprises from dispenser to described pipeline, is used for making cleaning agent being dumped or be back to storage in order to recycling at closed circuit before the use next time.In the equipment of this kind form, beverage dispenser can move between allocation position and cleaning position, and in described allocation position, this equipment can be allotted beverage; And at described cleaning position, this equipment can make ducted cleaning agent recirculation, and/or the outer surface of beverage dispenser is cleaned by cleaning agent.Therefore, described equipment can comprise container, for example, the liquid sprinkling disc of the common form below dispenser, it collects the spatters of beverage in the operate as normal of described equipment, but in the clean operation process, it will keep a certain amount of cleaning fluid, make dispenser reduce when marching to its cleaning position and enter in the cleaning fluid.Dispenser moves to the position directly over the liquid sprinkling disc in cleaning course, its advantage is, the consumer can not be with the cup placed in position in the clean operation process, thereby will avoid the consumer to receive cleaning agent unintentionally and the possibility of non-required beverage.

No matter cleaning agent is unidirectional or transmits by pipeline with egr mode, preferably utilize aforesaid two meters to check the amount of the cleaning agent that transmits by pipeline, exhausting all cleaning agents, and guarantee after clean operation finishes, do not have cleaning agent to stay in the pipeline.Therefore, if cleaning agent circulates a period of time continuously, then clean operation should finish to measure and finish along with cleaning agent, makes that all cleaning agents are depleted when clean operation finishes.

Therefore, described equipment can be cleaned by the full-automatic clean operation that is controlled by controller and regularly carry out, and for example, once extremely waits once a day in several hours, and does not need personnel to get involved.Clean operation can be controlled, makes it carry out in the period that equipment seldom uses.Additionally or alternately, described equipment may comprise nearly sensing type sensor, with existing of potential consumer in the zone of detecting described equipment, for example be used for when detecting the potential consumer, stoping starting clean operation.

Because such beverage contains the breast of needs refrigeration usually, therefore the present invention also provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare and allot milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: the refrigerating chamber that is used to store at least one newborn container, be used for making breast to take out and to be sent to the newborn loop of allocation device and to be used for cleaning the device of described newborn loop from described container along at least a portion of the non-refrigeration of described equipment; Wherein said newborn loop comprises: every tool, in this part that can clean in tool with can not be separated from each other by the part of cleaning device cleaning, to allow the described newborn loop of cleaning, allow breast to be retained in the described container simultaneously.

In described equipment, the described part every tool that is adjacent in newborn loop preferably includes and makes cleaning fluid can introduce wherein device.Therefore, might make the cleaning fluid can be automatically and periodically be incorporated in the described newborn loop in an easy manner, to clean this breast loop.

If desired, the newborn container that is arranged in the refrigeration compartment might be cleaned and re-use, and this depends on the type and the operating environment of equipment.Yet, for full automatic working, advantageously, newborn loop can not be by all parts of cleaning device cleaning, with described container be can be disposable.By this way, newborn loop can not automated cleaning each parts can when replenishing the breast supply, be changed simply with newborn container.

Except the device of the breast that is used for handling beverage and the described equipment of cleaning, described equipment preferably can prepare good quality beverages, for example espresso and drip filter coffee.This will need to dash makes the device assembly, dashes at this and makes in the device assembly, and Fresh Ground Coffee is introduced into and suppresses, and simultaneously with common 6-12bar, the high pressure that is desirably about 9bar injects coffee with hot water.Water was desirably about 12 seconds-45 seconds by the time that coffee spent, and this solution can directly be allotted.According to consumer's selection, may common the dripping of preparation filter the substitute of coffee as espresso.This has the significantly more water yield in beverage, and usually hot water is added simply in the espresso as dripping the supply of filter coffee.Yet such beverage is caffe american rather than drips filter coffee.Proposed to adopt identical dashing to make the device assembly and be used to prepare espresso and drip filter coffee, but difficulty is that these two kinds of beverages need the significantly different water yields, quantity of coffee and dash and make pressure.

According on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of can dash make distillation and drip dashing of filter coffee beverage make the device assembly, described assembly has: the cavity that is limited by cavity and removable at least one piston with the volume that changes described chamber in described cavity, this piston dashes wine position between removable with the coffee that allows water is injected through grinding with the distillation of preparation distilled beverage in the position of allow introducing the coffee through grinding and discharging spent coffee, described piston also is movable to a filter coffee and is used for a preparation filter coffee beverage towards making the position, chamber volume when described filter coffee dash to be made the position dashes chamber volume when making the position greater than being in described distillation, described assembly comprises that the process that is used at described filter of preparation coffee beverage introduces device in the described chamber with a certain amount of water, and it makes that the beverage in described chamber is allotted.Described assembly also preferably includes and be used for moving the device of described piston with the volume that reduces described chamber when described filter coffee dash have been made, to allot dripping the filter coffee beverage and/or remaining coffee grounds being compressed to for example cake of surplus, to be easy to discharge spent coffee.

Though might adopt piston type to dash the wine device in theory is used for filtering coffee towards making espresso and dripping, dash in the wine device at this piston type, all be included in to dash in all amounts of one glass that in the wine process, are used for dripping filter coffee liquid and make the chamber, but if increase towards the length of making the device cylinder body and the stroke of piston, then its shortcoming is, the size of described assembly significantly increases, thereby described assembly becomes excessive at once and can't be assemblied in the apparatus casing.According to the present invention, distillation dash to be made device and be can be used for dashing making and drip filter coffee, and wherein, the volume of allotting for every portion of beverage that drips filter coffee is hard-core basically, perhaps only is subject to the volume that can be incorporated into the coffee through grinding in the cylinder body.

Described assembly can be set to introduce the water of discrete magnitude, for example, introduces the coffee that grinds that first water yield is used to do, and finishes to dash in coffee and first water yield and introduce second water yield after making.In this case, piston is movable to the position of the maximum volume that roughly limits described chamber, and after coffee liquid is finished towards wine, second water yield can be introduced to replace coffee liquid and it is allotted.At last, piston is removable with the volume that reduces described chamber and thereby allot second (or last) coffee liquid scale of construction.Alternately, can introduce continuous current.For example, in a kind of assembly of form, provide a device be metered into dash to make in the chamber through grinding the amount of coffee, drip filter coffee and dash and make the position and can provide to dash to make and be used for dashing the volume of making coffee in the chamber and be slightly larger than the volume of not suppressing coffee and piston is movable to, for example big 5-50%, preferred big 7-20%.Then, water continuously pump take out by dash making the chamber, for example up to the water of having supplied with the aequum that is used for a cup of Java, perhaps up to the water of almost having supplied with all aequums.For the coffee that grinds of cup capacity and the 15-30g of 340ml, the wine time of dashing of 30-90 second and especially 40-60 scope second is typical.Finish water pump taken out by dash make the chamber after, piston can move discharging remaining water towards coffee, and used coffee cake can be discharged as previously mentioned.

Therefore, be not simply hot water to be added in the espresso, but dash making the chamber can be repeatedly or use continuously to dash to make and drip filter coffee, and all water is used for the described coffee of submergence.

Make the device assembly according to dashing in this respect and can correspondingly be used to prepare coffee beverage, its process comprises:

(1) grinds a certain amount of coffee, and the coffee through grinding is incorporated into by dashing in the wine chamber that cavity and at least one piston limit;

(2) piston is moved towards the coffee through grinding, be encapsulated in the volume of chamber, the volume of the coffee of this chamber volumetric ratio greatly at least 5% through grinding up to coffee;

(3) heat-exchanger pump is drawn in the described chamber allowing injecting coffee, and formed coffee liquid pump is extracted out outside the described chamber;

(4) after stopping pump and taking out described water and coffee liquid, make piston compacting coffee; With

(5) coffee after the discharge compacting from described chamber.

If desired, piston is movable to the position of the air discharge that allows in the described chamber, described air is used to dash the water replacement of the introducing of making step, piston is movable to the position in the described chamber of sealing before further introducing water then, perhaps piston can seal described chamber in whole process, and air can be controlled discharge by other modes when needed, for example, makes air dash the pipeline discharge that for example beverage of making liquid level top, chamber is allotted pipeline by being arranged in.Dash the wine device and can only comprise single piston, maybe can have two pistons, each piston can move between different positions at different time in the cycle towards wine.Like this, a piston, it is upper piston, as be arranged on the vertical axis, then be movable to be positioned at fully and dash the position of making outside the chamber, and allow the coffee introducing is wherein reached permission from wherein removing used coffee, piston also is movable to be in to dash makes the position that preparation is used to prepare espresso in the chamber.Lower piston can be removable between upper/lower positions and uppermost position in fig-ure, at described upper/lower positions, allow described chamber to keep being introduced into wherein the coffee that grinds, in described uppermost position in fig-ure, the upper surface of piston roughly flushes in the top surface of cavity, so that lower piston effect and used coffee is removed.Described assembly can comprise an element, and this element is configured to cross the surface of lower piston and moves, thereby removes used coffee from it.

Dash wine device assembly and can comprise the drive unit that is used for piston, this device is configured to move each piston pushing up most in the cycle towards wine between position and the position, the end, and can make the mobile hysteresis that presents to a certain degree of piston, make towards wine in the cycle, for example when coffee is introduced in the described chamber, and in dash making the process of espresso, be pressed when injecting water when coffee, the interval between the piston the different time with different.

Piston can be connected to a plurality of rods, and described rod can move up and down in the cycle towards wine so that piston is mobile between diverse location, and described rod all can drive by single motor.Described rod can for example have screw thread on the major part of its length and preferably on its whole basically length, and can be installed on the cavity by the bearing with described rod engagement, makes the rotation of bearing will cause described rod to move axially.Described piston, or the axis of the piston of piston is installed on it, can link to each other with described rod by mounting bar.If one of them mounting bar is fixed to described rod, then the piston that is associated with it will be followed the motion of described rod, if and another mounting bar can be along the described rod limited extent that endwisely slips, then relevant with described mounting bar piston will only be followed the motion of described rod in the part in described cycle, thereby will allow the interval between the piston to change.

Can adopt any suitable structure that water is introduced in the described chamber and with coffee liquid and therefrom remove, described structure optimization has the entrance and exit at the opposite side in described chamber, and making can flow at water in the wine process passes described chamber.Described entrance and exit can be arranged in chamber wall or piston.

When adopting two pistons, can hot water be introduced in the cylinder body by a piston, and can coffee liquid be discharged from described cylinder body by another piston, make water axially pass the roughly thickness of the coffee of plate-like volume.Be set up around a vertical axis if dash the wine apparatus, then when the preparation espresso, can water be introduced by upper piston or lower piston.When filter coffee is dripped in preparation, though also preferably inessential, introduce water by lower piston.Reason to this is that being present in the air that dashes in the wine chamber before being full of hot water can discharge by upper piston.And thin dripping filtered the exit that is arranged on coffee liquid usually, and a thicker relatively filter will be arranged on the water inlet place usually.If coffee liquid leaves described chamber by lower piston, then thin filter on it can be blocked owing to thin coffee solid.On the other hand, dash to make the chamber if coffee liquid leaves by upper piston, then coffee solid will drip and get back in the described chamber and can not block and drip filter.The further advantage of introducing water by end piston is, when filter coffee is dripped in preparation, the current that make progress by cylinder body will stop the coffee through grinding to fall and make it keep suspension.

Breast can be supplied with by replaceable newborn feed unit, for example, has the pipe of extension so that breast can be by the newborn feed unit of wherein allotting, and, can provide the device of peristaltic pump for example cooperate with newborn feed unit to allow and to stop newborn mobile.Preferably, breast is supplied with so-called " bag in the box ", and wherein Mi Feng soft plastic bag is contained in the harder relatively box that is formed by for example hardboard, and described bag can be provided with one section flexible pipe from its extension.Described pipe can seal before use, and its end can be cut open when bag is installed in the described equipment in box.The replaceable part that is connected to newborn container in latex dust road can be flexible, described equipment can comprise and is used for clamping described pipeline breast is remained on described container and its folder on described pipeline is unclamped so that breast can for example press from both sides valve from the device of described refrigeration compartment transmission.Thereby make control device that it can be by described equipment by long-range driving but be used for the device of clamping pipe or the preferred electric control operation of folder valve.The folder valve of this form can be used for making breast to be allotted to beverage from a container, stops breast to be allotted from another container simultaneously, and its reason has for example been used up for one of them container, because it has surpassed its operating period, or in order in the refrigeration compartment, to rotate the breast deposit.The electrical clip valve itself is novel, therefore, according on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: the refrigeration compartment that is used to hold one or more newborn containers, described container or each described container have breast is supplied with in permission from described compartment flexible duct, described equipment comprises the device that is associated with each flexible duct, be used for clamping described pipeline breast being remained on described compartment and to be used for its folder on described pipeline is unclamped allowing from described compartment transmission breast, thereby described device or each described device are made it can be by long-range driving by electric control operation.

Such container can be relatively large, for example has the volume that 5-25 rises magnitude, and its typical standard size is 13.6 liters.And, for the equipment that is used for busy place reduces the frequency that newborn container need be changed, then need to change simultaneously a plurality of containers if desired, in this case, the gross weight of breast is very important.

Therefore, according on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises the refrigeration compartment with removable panel, described panel has the structure that is used to keep the structure of one or more newborn containers and is used to engage a device, described device can make described panel and newborn container be removed and be transferred at a distance from described compartment, thereby but also can make described panel and newborn container move to described compartment from afar and be connected thereto and make described container or make each described container be arranged in described compartment.Therefore, will be when additional when breast, described panel can be connected to described device, for example with the form of go-cart, is transferred to the place that old container removed and be replaced by new container, retracts described equipment and is reinstalled in the refrigeration compartment.If the refrigeration compartment is in the bottom of described equipment, then might and it is desirable for moving and reconnecting and under the situation that does not change container height, to realize of described panel, thereby do not need its rise.

Described equipment can comprise: be used for device and controller that whether definite described container or arbitrary container empty, this controller starts described clamping device or the folder valve (that is to say so that clamp the pipeline that is associated with it lastingly when described container empties, be replaced up to described relevant container), thus the possibility of the old breast of any allocation prevented.

Described equipment can for example comprise: proportioner, this proportioner are associated with described latex dust road and will give the breast of scheduled volume when allotting beverage.Therefore, according on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: the latex dust road that extends to the allocation position of allotting breast from the stored position of breast, and the proportioner that is associated with described latex dust road, this proportioner can be operated with the weight or volume of detection from the breast of described stored position reception, and allows to allot a certain amount of breast according to the amount of the breast that receives from described stored position.

This proportioner can be used for determining whether any newborn container empties, thus determine whether need be wherein one allot closedown of pipeline and another container is used for supplying with breast.Described proportioner preferably includes for the storage from the breast of described pipeline, be used for device of determining newborn volume or described storage and wherein holding newborn weight and the valve of when the newborn weight of measuring and be generally described storage and breast surpasses predetermined value, closing described storage upstream line.In this case, described storage can separate with the latex dust road in its upstream and/or downstream, and can vertically move to certain limit to allow to determine the wherein weight of breast, for example determine that described device is for example for detecting the arm of wherein strain by the spring or any other device that are used for definite load.By newborn storage and latex dust road are separated, can significantly simplify the cleaning of storage, and, only have the described storage that is easier to clean than measurement mechanism to contact with breast by storage and measurement mechanism are separated.

When described compartment holds a plurality of container, proportioner or be used for determines that other devices that whether container empty are with the folder valve, when one of them newborn container empties or can be rapidly when the breast in the container surpasses the operating period and change newborn container simply, and described conversion can even be carried out in the allocation operating process of beverage.Therefore, described device preferably includes the valve that is associated with each container, the pipeline that is used for the described container of opening and closing, described valve is set to open described pipeline and is allotted to beverage and is set to cut out described pipeline to stop the allocation of breast to allow a certain amount of breast, described sensor monitoring is allotted to the amount of the breast in each beverage, in allotting operating process, described sensor does not have breast can operate when described pipeline is supplied with so that described valve cuts out described pipeline (, up to changing described container) lastingly when detecting.Be allotted to the amount of the breast in each beverage rather than allot total amount or the surplus in container by monitoring, and by changing container where necessary, might guarantee that the consumer can not obtain breast in shortage, and reduce remaining untapped breast amount in container simultaneously.In addition, retail clerk can be by described device traces back residue breast amount.

According on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, this equipment comprises: be used to make the consumer can select the device of beverage; Allot head, be used for beverage be dispensed on the cup support member that is placed on this allocations head below glass; Come the vertical structure that moves described allocation head and/or cup support member with being used for according to selected beverage, thereby make described head is suitable for the cup of selected beverage with respect to the position of described glass of support member the size of allotting.The advantage that the ability that dispenser or allocation head erect move has is that it might regulate its position according to being placed on the size of allotting the cup in the position.

The advantage that such equipment has is, the maximum sized cup that can be used in the beverage selection course might be set, thereby prevent the consumer select many glasss low amounts for example espressos beverage and they are dispensed in the mug, thereby be not intended to or have a mind to and avoid payment according to selected Payment Methods.The further advantage that described equipment has is, owing to allot the surface that head can be positioned to be close to relatively beverage in the cup, therefore reduces in the gap of allotting between head and the described surface, thereby can significantly reduce the situation that spills the described equipment of making dirty owing to beverage.

This form of allotting head can preferably combine with one or more sensors, be used to detect be placed on described allot the head below glass existence and be used to detect described glass size alternatively; And combine with controller, if it is incorrect to be placed on the size of the described cup of allotting the head below, then described controller will stop the allocation beverage.Therefore, might prevent to select too small cup to be used for selected beverage, too small cup will cause beverage to overflow with equipment making dirty.According to this on the one hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, wherein said beverage is selected and is dispensed in the scope of the beverage of difference amount the cup that is provided by the consumer, and described equipment comprises: detector is used to survey the size of the cup that is provided by the consumer; Memory, it comprises the multiple information that will be shown; Controller is used for according to described detector and is selected operation and/or the selection information or the alarm of described equipment by the selected beverage of consumer; And display, be used for being presented at the information of described memory.

In some cases, controller can be operated and make described equipment also show information except allotting beverage, and in other cases, for example show alarm or during the incorrect selection made, the operation that this controller can be operated to stop described equipment is excluded up to the alarm reason when described equipment.

The input unit that information display and being used for receives user's instruction preferably can be combined in single device, for example adopts the form of touch-screen.Therefore, according on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, this equipment comprises: one or more sensors are used to detect the physical state of described equipment; Touch-screen is used for demonstration information and is used to receive indication from the user; Memory is used to store the data relevant with the operation of beverage and/or described equipment; And controller, be used to control the operation of described touch-screen or equipment, only make that this equipment just can be allotted beverage when the instruction by described equipment reception is matched with physical state by detected this equipment of described sensor.According to this on the one hand, under inconsistent situation between described instruction and the described physical state, described controller can be operated so that the information relevant with described physical state shows by described touch-screen.

Described physical state can be relevant to: whether batching exists, and whether whether the correspondence of the beverage scope that is provided by described equipment changes and exist, or existed by the type of the selected beverage of consumer.Perhaps, the size of the cup that is provided by the user can be provided described physical state, makes described equipment with the cup of misdirection size and prevent to allot beverage.And described physical state might be the following fact, that is, described equipment has entered cleaning cycle, thereby can not allot beverage.

In order to prepare the beverage that contains the foam breast, described breast need with vapor mixing being heated, and mix to give the body of foam breast to be fit to air.This is being accomplished in several ways traditionally, for example, and by utilizing short cane to introduce steam in the newborn container and allow air to enter the Ruzhong, or by making steam pass Venturi tube and allowing breast to be drawn into venturi throat.Yet the shortcoming that such method has is, and is uncontrollable for the foamed breast of making.

According on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare the foamed milk beverage, this equipment comprises: by breast, air and steam are introduced the structure of coming the foamed breast in the mixing chamber, described equipment has the device of the relative velocity that is used for independent change described breast, air and steam.According to this on the one hand, under breast, air and every kind of adjustable situation of flow rate of fluid, or under two kinds of flow rate of fluid can be with respect to the adjustable situation of the third fluid, air, breast and steam are all supplied with under normal pressure, for example, supply with, to guarantee required product by pump.For example, carry out when described adjusting can be worked as the trial run of described equipment, carry out motorized adjustment when perhaps no matter when needing different beverages.

The advantage that this has on the one hand of the present invention is that equipment can reliably use to form the foamed milk product of desired concn, because the amount of any batching does not depend on the amount of any other batching of being supplied with.For example, steam flow rate can be set to constant and by the design of input of the power of steam burner and described equipment is determined, and air and newborn flow velocity can be controlled by pump, and changes by control device according to selected product.

What also wish is, a kind of full automatic storage of coffee beans is provided and it is allotted to the method for beans grinding tool, its mode makes to be opened the coffee bean container and is using the coffee oxidation between the described coffee to reduce, and simultaneously, operate described system and make to have the relatively long period for example replenishing between the such operation that needs personnel to get involved of coffee deposit.Like this, according on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used to prepare and allot coffee beverage, this equipment comprises: coffee dashes the coffee bean reservoir of making device, coffee bean grinding tool and being positioned at described coffee bean grinding tool top, described equipment is set to hold in a plurality of therein positions a plurality of coffee bean containers, described coffee bean reservoir comprises the piercing device that is positioned at least one below, wherein said position, described piercing device is set to move to pierce through in the described container straight up, makes coffee bean be poured into from described container in the described beans grinding tool.

Described equipment preferably includes sensor, is used for detecting the amount at the coffee bean of described beans grinding tool; And controller, be used for starting described piercing device when following when the amount at the coffee of described grinding tool is lower than scheduled volume, make described piercing device can continue to open other container.

The coffee bean container might be static, and described piercing device moves to each different coffee bean container, and perhaps, described container moves to the position of piercing device.Under latter event, be easily, described container is positioned at movably on the retainer, and this retainer is set to be pierced in the time of maybe will being pierced and advance described container when one in the described container, makes complete container be positioned at described piercing device top.Therefore, a plurality of containers can be arranged on the rotary conveyer of stepping rotation, so that container and piercing device are aligned.Piercing device can for example comprise cutter roughly cylindraceous, and its upper end forms one or more sharp cutting edges, and described cutting edge can pierce through and cut the metal foil seal of beans container.In case pierce through, then beans can be poured into beans grinding tool funnel under being arranged in by cutter.Such structure can keep 2-10 container, is generally 4 containers, makes that the coffee bean container only needs to replenish once in a while, and is for example weekly, wants much shorter but coffee bean is exposed to the time of air, to reduce oxidation.

Like this, according to a further aspect in the invention, provide a kind of equipment that is used for automatically preparation and allots coffee beverage, this equipment comprises: the coffee bean reservoir that is used to hold the coffee bean container of a plurality of sealings; Be used for opening automatically the device of described container; Be used to hold from the coffee bean of container and with its coffee bean grinding tool that grinds; Be used for dashing the coffee of making through grinding coffee and dash the wine device; With the refrigeration compartment that is used for storing one or more newborn containers that will be allotted to coffee beverage, wherein, the coffee bean reservoir can keep a plurality of coffee bean containers, make at needs according to before replenishing corresponding to the period in the available time limit that refrigerates the breast in the compartment, coffee can be kept in the coffee bean reservoir that is sealed in atmosphere, but its time that will be exposed to atmosphere only is the sub-fraction of described period.

Coffee will depend on multiple factor with respect to the usage rate of breast, the consumption ways of particularly dissimilar beverages, for example, the consumption of milk-contained drinks such as for example white coffee, latte is different from for example such consumption that does not contain newborn coffee of espresso, but it has been determined that, the approximately breast of 8-20 liter and the particularly breast of 10-15 liter are consumed corresponding to the consumption of every kilogram of coffee bean, make that holding 50-60 rises the coffee bean container that newborn equipment should be suitable for four 1kg.In addition, the amount that is stored in the coffee bean in each container will depend on the depletion rate of coffee usually, and that container selection makes that coffee bean can not be exposed to atmosphere always after opening container is of a specified duration excessively, that is to say, the speed that the speed that makes coffee consume is rotted greater than coffee.Coffee container is being opened the back to its contents use, preferably keeps somewhere to be no more than 7 days, more preferably is no more than 4 days, especially is no more than 3 days.

Coffee container self is novel, therefore, according on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of container, its comprise 0.7 to 1.5kg through baking and the coffee bean that do not grind, and the coffee bean that more preferably comprises 0.8-1.2kg, and especially comprise the coffee bean of about 1kg, described container has the air-tightness lining and holds inert gas to prevent the coffee bean oxidation.The volume that described container has is generally the 2.5-4 liter, (it will transmit about 3 liters amount to be preferably the 3.0-3.5 liter, and have vacant amount or a capacitance loss of about 10%), and can have for example metal forming lining of aluminium foil, it will prevent that air from entering and can be pierced to allow to open container.What described container held also will hold inert gas usually to stop the coffee oxidation except coffee bean.Therefore, described container can be filled from the nitrogen of source of the gas or carbon dioxide, and perhaps it can hold described beans formed carbon dioxide after being introduced into container.

Described container preferably is roughly cylindrical shape, and the one end is by the end cap sealing of the metal of for example steel, and its other end has the circumference ring edge by the paper tinsel sealing.Though it is cylindric that described container is roughly, it is preferably not along its axis symmetry, and this container has and prevents its structure in being positioned at described equipment with mistake.

Equipment according to the present invention thereby can prepare multiple coffee beverage, and its hand labor significantly reduces, its preparation method comprises:

1) supplies with a certain amount of coffee bean;

2) select to be introduced into breast in the described beverage based on operating period of breast;

3) regulate the relative quantity of coffee, breast and air to form coffee beverage;

4) according to the operation of controlling described process by the size of the selected cup of consumer.

Like this, according on the other hand, the invention provides a kind of equipment that is used for preparing automatically multiple coffee beverage, this equipment comprises:

1) beans reservoir is to hold the beans of the capacity that is used for many cups of coffees;

2) refrigerate newborn reservoir, be used for the many glasss of breasts that contain the capacity of newborn coffee to hold;

3) be used to receive the device that the consumer requires about single coffee beverage;

4) be used to detect device by the size of the selected cup of consumer;

5) be used to grind the beans of capacity to be used for the device of described single coffee beverage;

6) be used to use a certain amount of described coffee bean to dash the device of making coffee beverage through grinding;

7) be used for selecting to be used for the device of the breast amount of described coffee beverage, make the selected breast that is used for beverage be within this newborn operating period at described newborn reservoir from described newborn reservoir;

8) regulate the described device that dashes the amount of making coffee and breast according to the prescription that is used for coffee beverage that is kept in the described equipment;

9) be used to allot the device of described coffee beverage; With

10) controller is used for based on the allocation of being controlled described coffee beverage by the size of the selected cup of consumer, and the amount of the feasible described coffee beverage of allotting is suitable for the size of described cup.

Described equipment thereby can prepare and allot coffee beverage by a kind of method of using coffee machine, described coffee machine can be done in order to preparation in response to user's input command and allot many cups of coffees, and described method comprises:

A) provide a plurality of airtight containers in described coffee machine, each described container comprises the coffee bean of the capacity that is used to prepare many cups of coffees, and the described coffee bean in each container is being opened to have behind each container and is being no more than two days fresh-keeping life-span;

B) make described coffee machine open described container successively, make only has a described container to open at every turn;

C) make described coffee machine prepare and allot many cups of coffees being no more than within the period in described fresh-keeping life-span to adopt in response to the input of a plurality of described orders, make that the nearly all coffee bean in the described container of opening is used up in the described fresh-keeping life-span from the coffee bean in the described coffee container of opening;

D) make described coffee machine after this open other described coffee container automatically, and prepare and allot many cups of other coffees being no more than within the other period in described fresh-keeping life-span to adopt in response to the input of other a plurality of described orders, make that the nearly all coffee bean in described other coffee container is used up in the described fresh-keeping life-span from the coffee bean in the other described coffee container; With

E) the described coffee container of at every turn wherein said coffee bean having been used up manually is replaced by new described airtight container.

Preferably, described coffee machine comprises at least four described containers, and the step of described manual replacing was carried out once at most in per two days.Alternately or additionally, described coffee machine in response to be opened or wherein the described coffee container used up of coffee predetermined number and send the coffee supplementary signal, need carry out described manual replacing coffee container with expression.In addition, described method can comprise: a plurality of newborn containers are provided in described coffee machine, wherein each described newborn container all has the operating period, and makes described coffee machine only select breast when many glasss of preparations need the coffee of breast from be in the described newborn container within its operating period.Described coffee machine can in response to that used up or that selected and/or reached the described breast that wherein holds operating period described newborn container predetermined number and send newborn supplementary signal.And, but described coffee machine is at least once carried out cleaning cycle every day, to clean the newborn residue in the described coffee machine.

Description of drawings

A kind of form according to beverage equipment of the present invention is described now with reference to each accompanying drawing and by example, wherein:

Fig. 1 is the schematic diagram that shows the environment that can adopt described equipment;

Fig. 2 is the floor map that shows the described equipment of its main element;

Fig. 3 is the perspective schematic view that shows coffee equipment;

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are the described schematic sectional view of making device of dashing two diverse location interceptings;

Fig. 6-the 9th is presented at towards the perspective view that dashes the main element of making device described in the wine cycle;

Figure 10 and Figure 11 are the perspective views of coffee bean container reservoir and piercing device;

Figure 12 and Figure 13 are the side views of the refrigeration compartment that adopts in described equipment;

Figure 14 is the schematic side elevation that is used to measure newborn load units;

Figure 15 is the illustrative arrangement figure of the fluid system of described equipment;

Figure 16 is the sectional view by steam, air and newborn mixed cell;

Figure 17 is the schematic sectional view of passing filling head and drip tray in allotting the beverage process;

Figure 18 is the schematic sectional view of passing filling head and drip tray in the clean operation process;

Figure 19 is the schematic diagram of main electronic component;

Figure 20 is the schematic diagram that shows the data storage of main element among Figure 19 and master controller;

Figure 21 is the state transition diagram of the operation of described master controller;

Figure 22 is the schematic diagram of the main element of operation logic database; With

Figure 23 is the flow chart that shows the key step of low layer software.

The specific embodiment

Referring to each accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 has shown the environment that can adopt described equipment.The retail that equipment 1 is usually located at by third party retailer's control exports in 2.Described equipment is used for beverage 6 is allotted to the consumer, and described consumer uses the cash collection facility of retail outlet to export 2 places in retail and pays the bill as beverage.If desired, can adopt other mode of payment.For example, described equipment can be set to make the consumer for example to make in cash or debit card and be the beverage payment at the machine place, as other or alternative other modes of payment.

According to the concrete operations plan, can provide and the equipment 1 common member card 10 that uses to the consumer, member card 10 for example can be determined the price of beverage, permission equipment is allotted free drinks or is returned profit for the consumer provides some other interests as shopping.The part that this member card can be used as member's plan manages, and this member's plan can be by owner, retailer or some other organizational operation of described equipment.Usually, the computer 12 that links to each other with described equipment by the network 4 that utilizes internet for example of member plan manages.

Equipment 1 can be provided with the device that links to each other with the computer 14 that is arranged in owner's facility, is used to receive and send messages.Such information for example can comprise: be used for determining which kind of income for beverage sales come from who every portion of beverage the sale details and for example be used for by directly or by network 4 informing supplier's order management computer system automatically and order the beverage sales details of batching and other consumer goods again.Described information also can link to each other with the computer 13 that is arranged in the retailer guard station, is used to draw a bill and receives payment from respective party.Information or instruction can be sent to short message service (SMS) server 17, be used for being sent to the employee who is in the retail exit by pager or radio telephone 18, and/or be sent to the technical staff by pager 16 under situation about being fit to.If desired, helpline platform 20 can be set, carry out desired any task to assist retail outlet employee.

In addition, described information can comprise and relevant data 22 such as the customary service of equipment, refrigerated storage temperature daily record.Described information can comprise can be downloaded to data or the software that is used for changing its operation in the described equipment after download.Such data can comprise change, the advertising message of drink formula or be presented at information on the arbitrary screen of this equipment.

The described equipment that is used for preparing coffee and Other Drinks is schematically illustrated in Fig. 2, and its mechanical device is presented among Fig. 3.Described equipment comprises chassis and capsule, is provided with a plurality of module 21-26 in this capsule, is respectively applied for preparation coffee beverage, milk-contained drink, ice drink and chocolate.Pipeline or other devices of batchings such as water, breast, coffee link to each other each module with for example supplying with, and link to each other with pipeline 28-36, be used for the beverage supplying that will prepare to filling head 38 specific beverage is allotted to cup 6.The operation of described equipment is controlled by master controller 42, and master controller 42 for example adopts the form of personal computer, and its control is used to operate newborn module, dash the switch of making module etc., the low layer electronic module 44 of valve etc.Master controller 42 utilizes the upper language of the employing applied logic of Windows (RTM) for example or HTML (HTML) to programme usually, and electronic module 44 is write with the low layer language of for example C language usually.Master controller also links to each other with communication module 46, is used for allowing it for example to utilize landline, internet, private wireless communication system or other any ways and the computer 14 that is positioned at the owner guard station to communicate.Data circuit 48,50 is set to be transmitted from different input units with the permission data with 52, described input unit for example is: make the consumer can select the button or the touch-screen 54 of beverage, the credit card that can be used for paying the bill from the consumer or from the card reader of member card sense data, or be used to every portion of beverage to print the receipt printer 58 of receipt.Master controller 42 also can provide the MDB interface of the change of necessary change feeder 60 to communicate with being connected to, and is used for realizing when by the cash purchase beverage transaction.

Except being used for that batching supplied to the device of disparate modules and being used for beverage is allotted to the pipeline of filling head 38, breast module 23 and dash to make module 30 and can be provided for using clean solution to wash the pipeline 62 of described module, and dash the wine module discharge tube 64 can be set, be used for used coffee grounds is disposed to discharge tube or container.Water is supplied with and adjusting device 66 can be provided with the supply of processing from the water of main suit, and other supply and adjusting device 68 can be set be used to supply and have the main electric power that is generally 13,16 or 30 amperes of rated power.

Fig. 3 is the perspective view that shows described equipment critical piece physical layout.In this structure, coffee bean reservoir and piercing device 200 are positioned at the topmost of described equipment, make coffee bean to shift out from the container on being arranged in rotary conveyer 208, and are sent in the coffee bean grinding tool 930 under the gravity effect.This grinding tool 930 has the buccal funnel of going into of the coffee bean that can hold the amount that is equivalent to a container, and is set to grind and is used for the required quantity of coffee of single beverage.Described grinding tool is traditional grinding tool, and it has a pair of nog plate that is positioned at a place, and one of them nog plate rotates.What be positioned at the grinding tool below is to dash to make device assembly 78, thereby makes the coffee through grinding can still utilize chute 130 to supply to the funnel that dashes the wine device under the gravity effect from grinding tool.By after dash making device assembly 78 preparation coffees, coffee liquid is sent to allots 38, to be dispensed into by the pipeline (not shown) in the cup 6.

For example the so required breast of particular beverage of heat milk coffee is stored in container 502 or so-called " the box bag " of the refrigeration compartment 500 that is arranged in described equipment floor, thereby will not rise to replenish the breast deposit by newborn container.In the embodiment shown, refrigeration compartment 500 can hold four such containers, and the breast in the container be sent to a pair of refrigerator funnel 512 and and then be sent to the load units 700 that adopts other funnel form so that can allot the breast amount that metering draws for every portion of beverage.

Half eminence in the front of described structure is provided with user interface screen 54, so that the consumer can select beverage and make other any selections.And, being provided with " sundries cabinet " in the front of described equipment at a side place that allots head, it comprises a plurality of alcoves 160 in order to storing for example running stores of sugar, spoon etc., and is provided for disposing the case 162 of the running stores of using.In addition, the reservoir 932 of coin exchange device 60, receipt printer 58 and cup and lid also is positioned at the front of described equipment.In the back of described structure, be provided for the capsule of master controller 42, low layer soft copy 44, water boiling device 400 and other devices.The cup reservoir can adopt the form of can, (towards the user) locates to be provided with the ring-type flexible seals at its front end, be preferably elastic sealing element, the seal that forms by elastomer for example, it makes reservoir can hold a folded cup that is nested, make the inside of cup at end place towards the inside of can, and will prevent that dust from entering in the cup.Cup can be taken out separately, and this need be with the annular seal bending, and seal will seal remaining cup then.

Described equipment also holds miscellaneous part, for example, water boiling device 400, steam burner 600, be used for storing cleaning fluid container 402, be used for allowing the discharge-channel 404 of flushing liquid at cleaning course.The chocolate reservoir 874 of receiving fluids chocolate can be arranged in described equipment, is preferably located in its top, thereby can makes chocolate be sent to the allocation head by pipeline 872 under the effect of peristaltic pump 878.Chocolate reservoir can be installed in the substrate that is provided with spring so that the container that empties can access detection.

Dash and make module:

Dashing wine module 21 comprises: coffee dashes makes device assembly 78, coffee container reservoir and piercing device 200, one or more Coffee grinder, water boiling device 400 and pump.

Dash and make device:

Dashing the wine device is shown in more detail among Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.Described device comprises hollow body 80 roughly cylindraceous, and it is vertical that this hollow body is set to axis, and is formed for dashing the chamber 81 of making espresso and dripping filter coffee.Described chamber is limited by hollow body and pair of pistons 82 and 84, and this can slide along its vertical axis in main body 80 to piston 82 and 84.Described main body has the hole on its top, this hole is enough big so that the top piston slidably passes wherein and pass described chamber, and the hole that has in its lower end is too small lower piston can't be shifted out, make the moving downward of lower piston along with this piston is run into the foot of described main body and stopped.Each piston 82 and 84 is supported on respectively on the axle 86 and 88, and each self is supported on in the mounting bar 90 and 92 of a pair of horizontal positioned one.Mounting bar 90 and 92 utilizes elongated threaded bar or guiding screw 94 and 96 and join to together of pair of parallel in each end, lengthwise threaded bar or guiding screw 94 and 96 have formed the assembly 100 of essentially rectangular with mounting bar 90 and 92.Each guiding screw 94,96 extends through the hole that dashes in the substrate 98 of making module, so that it can vertically move through described substrate, and thereby causes rectangular module 100 to move up or down.

Each guiding screw 94,96 is along with it engages with the bearing 102,104 that is positioned in the bear box 106,108 by substrate 98.Each bearing has the internal thread that is formed by nut in this example, makes the rotation of bearing will cause guiding screw to move axially by substrate 98 with vertical direction.Bearing 102,104 is driven by dc motor 110 and driving-belt 112, and this driving-belt makes each nut rotate in the same manner, thereby makes described rectangular module do as a whole will moving up or down according to the electricity supply polarity of described motor.

Mounting bar 92 at guiding screw 94 and 96 top ends is rigidly connected to the guiding screw, makes mounting bar and top piston will follow the motion of guiding screw.Yet following mounting bar 90 can endwisely slip along the guiding screw, and utilizes a pair of pneumatic pillar 114 and 116 and biased downward be installed in the described substrate and be connected to down mounting bar.Each guiding screw 94 and 96 is provided with head 118 and 120 in its lower end, this head can engage with mounting bar 90, make mounting bar 90 and lower piston 82 down along with the guiding screw moves up and remains on fixed position with respect to main body 80 from lower position, head 118 and 120 up to the guiding screw engages with following mounting bar 90, so cause lower piston 82 to move up.

Substrate 98 has lower extension 122, and this lower extension has three position sensor (not shown), and Hall element for example is used to detect 118 and 120 one of them positions in guiding screw bottom.

Grind coffee chute 130 and coffee cake sweeper 132 structure combining also are installed on the described assembly, and can between advanced position and extended position, be displaced sideways, described advanced position is shown in Fig. 6 A, 6B, 8A and 8B, wherein manifest the hole in main body 80 tops, so that the described main body of top piston 84 removable turnover; Described extended position is shown in Fig. 7 A and Fig. 7 B, and wherein the bottom of coffee chute 130 is positioned at top, described hole, so that the coffee through grinding can be introduced in the described chamber.Described coffee chute and cake sweeper structure utilize dc motor (not shown) and counter-rotating slider crank mechanism (or Whitworth thread fast return mechanism) 136 to move.A pair of micro switch is set with the described motor in location and coffee chute and cake sweeper structure in its cycle, and makes it stop at correct position.

As shown in Figure 4, dash the described chamber of making module and comprise cylindric aluminium main body, this main body has flange 152 and is centered on by stainless steel sheath 154 on its top.Dash the wine module and in described aluminium main body, have stainless steel lining to form the inner surface in described chamber, and the resistance heater that adopts the endless belt form is configured to around described aluminium main body, and module bodies remains on correct temperature and anti-sealing turns cold when injecting described main body towards making thereby make.The thermistor (not shown) can be set to provide the temperature feedback for dashing the wine chamber.

Top piston 84 is provided with and extends through axle 88 water inlet pipe 150 and the crin net 151 on its lower surface, and lower piston has lip-deep filamentary webs thereon and be used to make and dash the pipe 153 that the coffee liquid made can be extracted and allot.Perhaps, thick drip filter and can be arranged in lower piston 82, and carefully drip filter and can be arranged in upper piston 84, and can current be set so that its from manage 153 and lower piston 82 upwards flow to upper piston 84, thereby allot through managing 150.

In described stand, the top piston is usually located to dash and makes in the chamber, to guarantee that dashing the temperature of making device is suitable for making beverage.In order to prepare the steam beverage, the guiding screw is risen to its uppermost position in fig-ure, shown in Fig. 5,9A and 9B, wherein guide the head 118 contiguous upper position sensor of screw 94, and coffee chute 130 is arranged in the top that dashes the hole of making device main body top.Motor 110 is activated to drive guiding screw 94 and 96 downward, make top piston 84 move down by itself and being rigidly connected of screw of guiding, and allow lower piston under the biasing of pneumatic pillar 114 and 116, to move down, confirm that up to position sensor lower piston is in the coffee " loaded " position.In this position, shown in Fig. 7 A and Fig. 7 B, lower piston 82 can be in its upper/lower positions in described chamber according to its design, and the top piston still is positioned at several centimeters of the over top of described main body.In this, the coffee bean grinding tool that is described hereinafter is activated grinding coffee, and the coffee list amount through grinding that will be typically about 11g is allotted to dash by chute 130 and makes in the chamber, shown in Fig. 7 B.Make coffee chute and cake sweeper mechanism be laterally to its complete advanced position then, and motor 110 starts so that top piston 84 moves down and enters in the described chamber, confirm to guide the head 118 or 120 of screw up to the sensor of upper/lower positions, described structure is shown among Fig. 8 A and Fig. 8 B, wherein the interval volume between described piston reduces, and makes coffee grounds compacted.If desired, upper piston can be set to smash the pressure coffee grounds.Alternately, motor 110 can continuous firing be moved further by the prevention of the coffee grounds in the described chamber up to top piston 84.

For example approximately a spot of hot water of 5ml is pressed in the chamber between the described piston, with wetting coffee grounds in advance, preferably after this staying for some time, be generally 1 to 5 second, will be in 5-15bar then and be preferably and for example pour into coffee grounds under the pressure of 9bar for the relatively large water of 30-100ml.Water filling needs at least 10 seconds usually, and is generally 12-25 second, comes by coffee grounds to another with one from piston 82 and 84, yet may take a long time sometimes, for example reaches one minute, and this depends on grinding and filling a prescription of beans.The coffee liquid of Xing Chenging sends to filling head 38 through pipeline 30 then and allots like this.

After allotting coffee liquid, the power supply polarity inversion of motor 110 makes motor move in the opposite direction, cause guiding screw 94 and 96 and piston 84 rise.Along with piston 84 rises, it will shift out described chamber through the hole in the described hollow body top.Meanwhile, the head 118 at guiding screw bottom place and 120 will engage and make it to rise against the biasing of pneumatic pillar 114 and 116 with following mounting bar 90.Along with following mounting bar 90 rises, lower piston 82 also rises, detects the approaching of the head 118 that guides screw 94 up to the sensor 124 of uppermost position in fig-ure.On this point in this cycle, the upper surface 140 of lower piston will roughly flush in the top surface that limits described hollow body, and will protrude in the surface with the coffee grounds with crossing of cake form.In this case, motor 134 starts and rotates about 180 °, one in micro switch 137 and 138 stops the rotation it, make cake sweeper 132 that cake is rushed open to the storage shown in Fig. 9 A and 9B, and make coffee chute 130 be parked in the top in the hole in the described cavity.Usually, dash wine device assembly and will continue its cycle then, make chute and cake sweeper mechanism bounce back, and make upper piston be parked in towards making in the chamber to keep its temperature.Dash and make module thereby prepare the beginning next cycle.Though it is not preferred, but fully possiblely be, dash to make the device assembly its finished dash make and allot coffee after in its cycle, remain on different positions, for example be in and make the position of lower piston 90 between Qi Ding position and position, the end, make described hollow body can receive the other quantity of coffee that grinds.

One of them piston is generally the piston that is provided with from the pipe of wherein allotting coffee liquid, can be provided with second pipe 160, and preferably it directly guides to discharge-channel.In such structure, this system can be provided with valve, and magnetic valve is for example made being communicated with and the isolation in described Guan Yuchong wine chamber between the chamber with dashing to allow pipe 160.Also the pump (not shown) can be set, be membrane pump in this case, so that dash to make any remaining liq in the chamber from wherein emptying, (no matter is being used to prepare dripping that espresso still hereinafter will describe and filtering coffee) in the wine process, and described valve cuts out.In the latter stage towards the wine cycle, after beverage is allotted but before not removing used coffee cake as yet, described valve can be opened, and described pump can start to draw water from dash the wine chamber before removing cake.This operation spends the short period usually, for example several seconds.The benefit that this operation has is that any residue coffee liquid all will be drawn out of discharging, and can not sucked in the cake again with separately the causing reducing of piston owing to dashing the pressure of making in the chamber.If described coffee liquid is not removed from used coffee grounds, then described cake may be moistening and moist, and along with it moves down and stay the tail of wet coffee along chute.In addition, will cause liquid to reflux with the removing fluid pipeline from dashing to make to extract out the chamber coffee liquid, and thereby guarantee after beverage is allotted, not have coffee droplet to flow out and allot nozzle along coffee pipeline 30.

Dash to make the device assembly and can also dash to make and drip filter coffee, that is to say, under atmospheric pressure, dash the water yield making and adopt the water yield basically greater than espresso.If the consumer selects to drip filter coffee beverage rather than espresso, then motor 110 starts so that lower piston 82 is reduced to aforesaid its extreme lower position in described chamber.In this operation, master controller 42 and low layer electronic module 44 are operated and are ground and utilize chute 130 to be allotted in the described chamber for example relatively large coffee in the 10-30g scope.Make coffee chute and cake sweeper device retraction then, and motor 110 starts subsequently to reduce top piston 84, away from dashing the top of making chamber 81.For example when water is pumped to the top piston from lower piston, the top piston can suitably seal to dash makes chamber 81, makes to be pumped to dashing when making in the chamber when water, dash in the wine chamber air can by manage 150 and pipeline 30 discharge.If water is pumped to lower piston 82 from top piston 84, just enter when then the top piston should not begin to dash and make the chamber, and should be parked in a position, make and between the top of piston and cylindrical body, stay next little gap, discharge from dashing the top of making the chamber to allow air.Then, according to the volume in described chamber for example be a certain amount of hot water of 50-100ml, be injected in the described chamber by waterpipe and one of them piston, and the air of being discharged by water in described chamber can leave described chamber.Allow to dash according to taste and coffee and with coffee make a period of time after, for example, dash and make 10-30 second or 30-60 after second, use its inner surface to form sealing thereby the top piston reduces several millimeters when needed.Then, other hot water amount injects described chamber by waterpipe and upper piston or lower piston, makes to dash that the coffee liquid of making is discharged from the described chamber and allot by coffee pipeline 30 and filling head 38.This can or preferably realize by the high-pressure pump that is used for espresso beverage by tap water pressure (approximately 3bar), thus the flow velocity of increase coffee liquid.If the employing high-pressure pump, then preferably, short stay a period of time after the water yield is injected described chamber for the second time, for example stop 5-10 second, start high-pressure pump then, thereby coffee at first is allotted in the empty cup to prevent foam with low pressure.The accurate amount of injecting the water in described chamber can change as required, but will be about 150-250ml usually.After several seconds, motor 110 starts the top piston is reduced to its extreme lower position (the perhaps extreme lower position that amount was allowed of the coffee grounds in described chamber), is allotted and make the coffee grounds in described chamber to be compressed to cake thereby make at remaining coffee liquid in the wine chamber.

After allotting coffee liquid, upper piston and lower piston rise to its tip position, and are removed by the cake sweeper as described above with the coffee grounds cake of crossing.

In dashing the alternative structure of making the chamber, if select to drip filter coffee, thereby then the volumetric ratio coffee volume that is surrounded by described piston in the described cylinder body is had more after about 10% when be metered into cylinder body through the coffee that grinds, described piston may be set to move together, and preferably from lower piston 82 water is injected described chamber.Coffee liquid preferably shifts out through upper piston according to this structure, allow to dash makes coffee simultaneously, and described structure can regulate, and is approximately 30-60 second thereby make towards the wine time.After coffee was dashed wine, upper piston 84 was lowered with the compression coffee grounds, and the coffee grounds cake is eliminated as described above.

If desired, cake sweeper 132 can be shifted to its extended position (shown in Fig. 7 A and 7B) and can be downwards make chamber 81 biasings (Fig. 4) towards dashing from its advanced position (shown in Fig. 6 A and 6B) along with it, and along with it returns its advanced position and do not setover or to upper offset from its extended position.Such biasing can help to prevent or reduce when cleaning during with the coffee cake crossed any dropping into the coffee grounds of crossing dash the possibility of making in the chamber, and reduce or prevent from when the cake sweeper returns its advanced position, to be bonded to cake sweeper 132 the bottom any with coffee grounds be pulled back in the wine chamber.This can realize easily, promptly, by providing the sheet spring (not shown) of level dash making on the either side in chamber, and on the cake sweeper on the lower surface that is supported in described spring, provide a pair of projection, thereby make sweeper along with it shifts to its extended position and by biased downward from advanced position.If described projection exceeds the end of sheet spring in the full extended position of cake sweeper, then described projection is returned its advanced position along with the cake sweeper and will be supported on the upper surface of sheet spring, thereby makes it make the chamber and rise slightly from dashing.

From Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 as seen, dash the size of making chamber 80 and only be sub-fraction towards the overall size of making the device assembly, this be because, the length that height that dash to make the device assembly must be adapted to guide screw 94 and 96 with and the length that moves, and described length depends on the length of the axis of the piston 86 and 88 and the stroke of piston.Therefore, dash to make the magnitude of the height that the device assembly can have for dashing ten times that make device cylinder body height.Increase simply to be adapted to drip the cup volume of filter coffee if dash the height of making the device cylinder body, then dash the overall size of making the device assembly and for apparatus casing, horse back is become excessive.

Although wish to remain on its stand towards making the device assembly, upper piston 84 is arranged in when not using towards making the chamber in this stand, and this can mean that chien shih dashes wine device assembly and moves to the position that it can begin to dash wine coffee when needing some.In a preferred embodiment, described equipment can comprise detector, be used for detecting whether the people is arranged around it, and be set to, if detected the people, top piston 84 is bounced back to dash to make the position of top, chamber, and mobile chute 130 to as Fig. 7 B as shown in its in the position that dashes above the wine chamber, in this position, dash wine device preparation reception and grind coffee.Such structure can will selected beverage and allot the time decreased 6-7 second that spends between the beverage.No longer include the people if detect, or selected not need to dash the beverage of making device, or passed through the scheduled time, then described assembly can be retracted its stand.If wish, then described assembly might be set, make it not retract its stand but keep its position, if detect the people is arranged always at this position detector, then described assembly is prepared to receive and is ground coffee, thereby makes that allotting beverage institute's time spent continuously reduces, and for example reduces about 10 seconds.

The coffee container piercing device:

Coffee is preferably supplied with the container that adopts the cylindrical drum form, holds the 500-2000g coffee bean in the described container, especially holds about 1kg beans, makes all contents of container be consumed before coffee bean becomes corruption.Described container can be for example when when cylindrical along its length symmetry, perhaps can be asymmetric along its length so that its can be only with correct in being placed on described equipment.Described container is formed by the cardboard tube in the aluminum foil lining usually, and is sealed by tinsel at each end.Described paper tinsel has one-way valve structures, so that the carbon dioxide that is discharged by the new beans that dash wine can be detached.

Described container is loaded on the piercing device, as shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11, has wherein shown the structure that has single coffee container therein.Described structure comprises the framework 200 that supports rotary conveyer 202, rotary conveyer 202 has a plurality of recesses 204 and is used for of holding said container, each recess has hole 206, makes when in a single day described container is pierced beans to be dropped in the funnel of beans grinding tool.Described rotary conveyer is configured to receive four beans containers 208, but also can hold the container of other quantity.Described rotary conveyer is provided with column 210, and column 210 has cross device 212 at its top end, is used for container 208 is remained on the appropriate location.This cross device has the arm 214 of four elastically deformables, and arm 214 can be bent upwards slightly, so that coffee container 208 can be positioned in the recess 204 of rotary conveyer.

Under rotary conveyer 202, paper tinsel cutter 220 roughly cylindraceous is arranged in the guiding case, thereby makes the paper tinsel cutter can be vertically make its advanced position below rotary conveyer 202 and make it enter beans container 208 so that slide between the extended position that beans can discharge fully.Paper tinsel cutter 220 utilizes the motor 224 that drives a gear 226 to move between two position.Gear 226 has groove 228, and it forms cam, to mesh the cam follower pin that links to each other with paper tinsel cutter lower end.The paper tinsel cutter can be provided with and make it have single pinnacle 232 in its cutting edge, is used to pierce through the paper tinsel of beans container, and perhaps the paper tinsel cutter can have a plurality of pinnacles along its circumference, thereby can increase the gradient of cutting edge.

Rotary conveyer 202 is by Motor Drive, this Motor Drive one is fixed to the gear of rotary conveyer lower surface, rotary conveyer 202 also is provided with position sensor, Hall element for example, whether be in correct position with definite its, thereby the contents in the container 208 can be allotted.

It is strong 216 that the framework 200 of described structure has that two positions of crossing coffee bean container location extend, and one of described position is corresponding to the position of paper tinsel cutter 220.Strong 216 purpose is to provide reaction force, to stop moving upward of coffee bean container 208 when paper tinsel cutter 220 pierces through.Described container can be positioned in the recess 204 of rotary conveyer because the arm 214 of cross device is flexible, so they are from will not providing enough power to stop the motion of described container when described container is pierced.

In operation, beans container 208 by artificial loading to rotary conveyer, thereby make its metal forming that container is sealed down, and be positioned in the recess 204 in the rotary conveyer.When master controller 22 receives the signal that the funnel of beans grinding tool empties, motor 224 starts and the paper tinsel cutter is moved up and pierces through described paper tinsel, thereby makes contents in the described container can fall to passing to be arranged in the paper tinsel cutter 220 in one of hole 206 and enter the funnel of beans grinding tool.The paper tinsel cutter bounces back to its stand below rotary conveyer then, makes rotary conveyer half-twist then, and the beans container of one of them full capacity is moved to the position of paper tinsel cutter top.The driving mechanism that is used for the paper tinsel cutter comprises the position sensor (not shown), withdraws before rotary conveyer moves in order to guarantee the paper tinsel cutter.In addition, rotary conveyer is provided with position sensor, for example adopts the sensor of Hall element and magnet form, has turned to correct position in order to determine it, is positioned at the top of paper tinsel cutter to guarantee coffee container.Other position sensor can need be supplied with new coffee container to indicate described equipment along 360 ° of rotations that detect rotary conveyer.If container can not be opened, then can transmission information come the call technology personnel.

Rotary conveyer 202 is arranged in flat board 201 tops of the framework 200 of piercing device, its gap is not enough to make coffee bean to place therebetween, consequently, along with the rotation of rotary conveyer, any coffee bean that falls to passing the paper tinsel cutter will be cleaned to hole 206 by the rotation of rotary conveyer.At a position of rotation of rotary conveyer, the hole is formed in the described flat board, and is provided with dish 230 below described flat board, is used to collect any coffee bean.

Utilize the coffee container piercing device, described equipment can be provided with the coffee bean that is arranged in a plurality of airtight containers that can open automatically, thereby permission increases the time period between the manual operations and can not impair coffee.If desired, then might pass through the time that software records grinding tool funnel is filled, and might work as and send service alert when inner funnel is not filled once more at the fixed time.

Though described structure is described according to single paper tinsel cutter, also might adopt a plurality of paper tinsel cutters that are in diverse location place, rotary conveyer below, make dissimilar coffee to be loaded into simultaneously on the rotary conveyer.

Water boiling device:

Water boiling device 400 comprises and roughly is case cylindraceous that this case has mounting bar, is used for linking to each other with the framework of described equipment.Water boiling device has: one group three separate 800W heating element heaters, from water inlet, electrical isolation valve and the water treatment facilities of the water source water intaking that is provided with check-valves.The device of heating up water has three outlets: be used for hot water supply to primary outlet that dash to make device, be used for for example supplying with second hot water outlet of other hot water when the preparation caffe american when needed and be used for providing outlet to steam chest with water.Perhaps, cold water might be introduced steam chest.In addition, water boiling device is provided with the high pressure relief valve that is arranged on about 1MPa, to allow for security purpose release pressure; Be used to control the hot melt deenergizing switch and the temperature control feedback probe of heating element heater.Water boiling device also comprises level sensor, to guarantee to have the water of minimum flow in water boiling device.

Water boiling device almost is filled to its heap(ed) capacity usually, and making does not have the air gap above water.The rotary vane pump is set so that hydraulic pressure is increased to desirable value, for example in the 500kPa-2MPa scope, is in particular 900kPa (9bar), and flowmeter is set to measure the water yield that consumes in the water boiling device downstream, for example, the water yield that is used for single espresso is 45ml.Flowmeter is positioned at and is adjacent to water inlet, thereby it can will not supplied to as heat sink dash the water cooling of making device, and be used for supplying to towards any water tube hose of making device usually relatively less from water boiling device water, has the diameter that is no more than 5mm and preferably is no more than 2mm, thereby can and not dash the water cooling of making between the device with water boiling device, this is because any ducted water that is between the different beverage makers all will turn cold.

Expansion valve is arranged in the water inlet pipeline, and its stress level is set to a little more than the hydraulic pressure that will raise by rotary pumps.The purpose of expansion valve is, allow in the water boiling device since the water that the temperature rising is expanded expand and discharge.

Water boiling device has the maximum rated power of 2.4kW by three 800W elements.The quantity of the element that adopts in preset time depends on the power budget of described equipment according to the maximum power gained of its 13A, 16A or 30A, and depends on according to the quantity of the miscellaneous part in the work and the available horsepower at that time of power consumption gained.For example, for the circuit of low rated power, when described equipment initial start, described three elements can be used for water by cold heating, but when described equipment was in use, priority may give other devices, for example pump or beans grinding tool.

The breast module:

The breast module comprises: refrigeration accumulation compartment 500 as Figure 12 and shown in Figure 13, wherein maintains and adopts a plurality of newborn container 502 that is called as " bag in the box " form; And ingredient sector, be used for the breast of scheduled volume is supplied to mixing chamber, in described mixing chamber, breast can with vapor mixing to be heated, be used for white filter coffee or the latte of dripping of preparation; Perhaps alternatively, breast can mix with steam and air to produce the breast of foamed, is used to prepare heat milk coffee; Perhaps alternately, breast can keep unmixed state before being transferred to filling head 38, was used for for example for allotting cold breast such as the white filter coffee that drips.

The refrigeration compartment:

Breast is supplied with in bag 502 mode in the base box of about 13.6 liters of capacity, and bag 502 has comprised in rectangle hardboard box and filling with newborn polybag in the box, and has the one section flexible plastic pipe 504 that is sealed in the hardboard far-end that extends from the one side.Accumulation compartment 500 is roughly rectangle, and can keep a plurality of containers 502, is four containers in this case, but can keeps more or less container in described compartment, and this depends on the depletion rate of breast.The form of removable plate 506 is adopted on a surface of described compartment, and it has shelf 508 in order to support newborn container when described compartment uses.Described plate can be designed so that its when when the remainder of compartment 500 is removed, can being supported in the wheeled go-cart, thereby make all newborn containers can handle and move to coffee equipment together and leave from coffee equipment, and needn't rise container.Four electrically operated folder valves 510 are arranged on the below of the shelf 508 of described plate, and each folder valve 510 clamps wherein that one section plastic tube 504 goes out to prevent the milk flow in the container, and can by electricity drive and unclamp its on plastic tube folder so that breast can flow out.Bottom at compartment 500, two funnels 512 that are referred to herein as " refrigerator funnel " are provided, in the time of on described plate is positioned at described compartment, described funnel 512 be positioned at described one section plastic tube under, make breast under the gravity effect, to flow into from container in the refrigerator funnel.Container 502 is set in the described compartment, makes when 510 startups of folder valve, from a pair of plastics pipeline section 504 of two containers wherein breast is discharged in two refrigerator funnels 512 each.When the newborn container that is associated of folder valve 510 when emptying, or breast has been when having surpassed its operating period, or breast is in and surpasses the scheduled time outside the refrigeration compartment during length, and each presss from both sides valve 510 and can start stoping milk flow to go out enduringly, and/or can excite service alert.

Each refrigerator funnel 512 has inlet to be introduced wherein automatically to allow cleaning fluid, as hereinafter will illustrating, thereby each parts of described funnel downstream line can regularly be cleaned and does not need anyone that this is operated spended time.By this way, but extend to the latex dust road automated cleaning of refrigeration outside the compartment, and relevant with each newborn container and be the plastic tube of breast formation path in the refrigeration compartment, no matter when will be replaced during when the new newborn container of loading, and thereby need not clean.

In order to change the breast in described compartment, described plate links to each other with go-cart and pulls down from described compartment by promoting wheel, described plate is replaced after having loaded four new containers then, described plastics pipeline section is inserted in the folder valve, and block the sealed end of described pipe.

No matter whether the refrigeration compartment of described equipment is designed to adopt aforesaid go-cart to operate, the advantage of using how newborn container to have is, how one or more containers can in officely be removed and change when an opportunity arises, thereby for example change the container that empty or replacing breast have wherein surpassed its operating period, even described compartment may still comprise available breast.According to this structure, described equipment can comprise the device with memory and controller, and this installs the relevant data of newborn operating period of storing with in any container, and stops allocation newborn when in a single day surpassing the operating period.Any breast that surpasses the operating period can be stayed in the container or be poured onto exhaust stack.Which container is described structure also can indicate is empty, to assist its replacing.When operating personnel replenished newborn in the refrigeration compartment, he can read simply needed to change for which container, it is changed, and the operating period of new container is input in the described equipment, for example by being used to select the button of beverage or touch-screen to import.Described equipment is preferably just allotted new breast after the input operating period.Described equipment also can be indicated the limited range of breast operating period, for example maximum 7 days, imports with reduced data.Close in case data are transfused to and refrigerate compartment, then described equipment can select at first which container to obtain breast from automatically, preferably selects apart from nearest container of operating period.Therefore, except importing the operating period on the newborn container in the described equipment, operating personnel need not carry out any intellectual work.To this even might automatically perform when needed, for example, undertaken by RF identification (RFID) label or bar code and scanner.

For described compartment, be necessary to hold four newborn containers; Can consume according to the expectation breast of described equipment and adopt more or less container.And, a pair of newborn container is disposed in each refrigerator funnel 510.In alternative structure, can adopt single container tube for each funnel, perhaps,, then can make more than two containers to link to each other with a funnel if free space or geometry allow.

The steam burner:

Steam burner 600 has roughly the same structure with the device of heating up water, and is used for dashing making module, and comprises that case roughly cylindraceous, this case have mounting bar in order to be connected to the framework of described equipment.The steam burner also has one group of separate when being used for steam burner heating element heater, obtains the water inlet of hot water from water boiling device, and pressure relief valve, and thermal cutoff device.Yet the steam burner only has single steam inlet, is used for steam is supplied to hereinafter with the mixing chamber of describing.The steam burner is provided with two level sensors, about half eminence that one of them is positioned at another top and is in burner, and always the water yield is half-full thereby guarantee burner.If water level is brought down below described water level, the power supply that then descends level sensor 610 will cut off burner exposes described element to prevent the water potential drop when low, and is elevated to when being higher than described water level when water level, and last level sensor will prevent further water inlet.

The load units assembly:

The load units assembly metering supply for receptacles from the refrigeration compartment is to the predetermined breast amount of mixing module, is used for it is mixed with vapor mixing or with steam and air and is used for every glass of beverage.Described assembly has comprised funnel assemblies 700, and as being schematically shown among Figure 14, funnel assemblies 700 comprises: funnel 702, the groove 704 that has general toroidal at the upper area place of this funnel; With support 706 or other erecting devices, be used to be connected to and be used for the device (not shown) of weighing to funnel assemblies, for example, spring scale, strain gauge or be used to measure device on erecting device by strain due to the weight of funnel assemblies.Breast inlet duct 708 and 710 is discharged into the funnel 702 under the gravity effect to allow breast from 512 extensions of refrigerator funnel, and allows funnel to be filled when valve 712 cuts out.Along with funnel is filled with breast, its gravity will increase, and introduce correct breast amount up to the weighing device indication, and 510 blocking-up of folder valve are further newborn to be supplied with so weighing device makes.After the breast supply was blocked, valve 712 was opened, and made breast can be disposed to the mixed cell in its downstream from funnel, and breast mixes with vapor mixing or with steam and air as the consumer is required at this.To will depend on the type of selected beverage by the breast amount of load units assembly metering, and before it is allotted, whether breast be mixed with air, but the load units assembly can transmit the breast of 100-300ml usually.Described equipment might be set to, and makes the funnel 702 of load units assembly fill more than once for every part of breast amount allotting.And, remain in the weight of the breast in the funnel 700 by measurement, might monitor amount by described equipment through the breast of piping, and, also can determine the moving point that finishes of milk flow.This structure makes system can check the fault of ducted obstruction of any breast or newborn pump.

Groove 704 is configured to clean funnel assemblies, owing to the load units assembly does not refrigerate, thereby is necessary regularly to clean.In cleaning course, valve 712 is opened, and clean solution is introduced in the funnel 702 by latex dust road 708 and 710, spills in the groove 704 up to fluid, is cleaned to guarantee whole funnel 702.Overflowing pipeline 718 drains into any unnecessary clean solution in the storage 720 and handles.Groove discharge tube 722 has the valve 724 that is arranged on wherein, and is connected to the latex dust road in valve 712 downstreams, thereby groove can be discharged.After the load units assembly was cleaned and washes, valve 724 cut out to guarantee not have residual cleaning contaminated aqueous solution latex dust road.

Splash-back 726 is configured to be limited in the breast amount that is splashed in the allocation process in the groove 704, but also protects breast in case foreign particle falls into.In addition, the edge of funnel 702 extends several millimeters above groove 704 bottoms, thereby between the surface that will always keep health of funnel 702 and groove 704, provide clear and definite boundary, wherein groove 704 will be necessary to comprise and can not guarantee clean Surface, and for example groove is positioned at the part of overflowing pipeline 718 tops.

Fluid line:

Figure 15 is the illustrative arrangement figure of the fluid line of described equipment.Cold water pipes 801 66 is fetched water to water boiling device 400 from the water source, and arrives cold water by artificial isolating valve 804, double check valve (DCV) 806, automatic isolating valve 808, water treatment storehouse 810, rotary vane pump 812 and flowmeter 814 and allot nozzles 802.If cold water is allotted, then it directly is sent to from flowmeter 814 by other valve 816 and is allotted nozzle 802.The water that is sent to water boiling device 400 is after being heated, if selection caffe american, then can allot nozzle 818 along pipeline 820 through the hot water that valve 822 is sent to filling head 38 from exporting 410, perhaps, described water can be sent to dash by other valve 828 along pipeline 826 and makes device assembly 824 from exporting 408.After operating as previously mentioned, dash the coffee liquid of making and be sent out and be allotted to towards wine nozzle 830 along pipeline 30 towards wine device assembly.In addition, the hot water that provides from the outlet 412 of water boiling device is sent to steam chest 600 along pipeline 832 through steam filling-valve 834.But other pipeline 836 is set so that water boiling device 400 manual emissions.

The steam that produces in steam burner 600 is sent to mixed cell 840 along jet chimney 838 when needed, and in mixed cell 840, steam can mix with the air drip filter 860 filtrations from the utilization of air duct 859 after.Steam is supplied with constant flow velocity in the described equipment course of work usually, but for example in test running or maintenance process, steam flow rate can be changed by the technical staff.Compressor 864 is provided at the air of fixed flow rate under the normal pressure, is used for and vapor mixing, and described air can send through pressure reducer, and can control automatically by software controller according to selected beverage.Mixed cell is shown in more detail among Figure 16, it comprises: steam current limiter 842, be used to steam/air T shape part 844, steam check valve 846, air check valve 848 and newborn T shape part 850 that steam can be mixed with air, at newborn T shape part 850 places, steam and optional air are with 852 breasts of supplying with mix from the latex dust road, and wherein latex dust road 852 utilizes gear pump 866 pumps to take out the breast that receives from load units device 700.The end in latex dust road 852 extends in the hole of steam and air duct 854, and at this some place, each fluid mixes to form necessary turbulent flow in fluid mixture makes newborn foamed.Breast with vapor mixing after, be sent to newborn nozzle 870 in the filling head along pipeline 868.According to consumer's selection, mixed cell can be supplied the heat breast with breast with vapor mixing, breast is mixed with steam and air and the heat breast of supplying foamization, perhaps only supplies cold breast.Also possible is to change the temperature of breast by the flow velocity of regulating breast and steam.It is desirable to, according to 50 ℃-80 ℃ of type acquisitions and especially 60 ℃-70 ℃ the temperature of required beverage.Usually, the foamed breast will have the air of 30%-50% ratio and 55 ℃-65 ℃ temperature, and the steam breast will have the air of 10%-30% ratio and 65 ℃-75 ℃ temperature usually.Therefore, though the absolute flow velocity of steam is fixed, might change the relative velocity of all three kinds of compositions with respect to the flow velocity of steam by change air and breast.The speed that flow velocity can be by the pressure of steam regulation burner, newborn pump and the speed of air pump and/or change by changing any current limiter (the two all can influence flow velocity).The advantage that this system has is that all fluids (air, breast and steam) promptly are introduced into greater than under the atmospheric pressure in normal pressure.Therefore, be different from the foam generation system that utilizes Venturi tube that a kind of composition is discharged or sucked, but might regulate each components in proportions, but not ratio is set by the geometry and the physical characteristic of system with optimization foamed breast.In addition, might change the air capacity in foamed Ruzhong by the time that changes the air valve unlatching.For example, if air valve was opened in the whole newborn allocation stage, then might obtain the foamed breast of the part of equivalent roughly and the mixture of non-foam heat-transmission breast, simultaneously, if air valve was opened in the breast allocation stage of half, then can obtain the mixture of the foamed breast of about 75% non-foam heat-transmission breast and 25%.

Described equipment further is provided with chocolate pipeline 872, and this chocolate pipeline utilizes peristaltic pump 878 that liquid chocolate bag 874 from box is supplied to the chocolate nozzle 876 of allotting.Like this, described equipment can be supplied with hot water or cold water, hot breast or cold breast, foamed breast, espresso as required or drip filter coffee and their combination, for example latte, heat milk coffee, caffe american etc.

Except allotting different beverages, wish the corresponding fluid line of timing automatic cleaning, especially those take up the pipeline of breast.To achieve these goals, provide the container 880 and 882 of Clean-chemicals, they adopt concentric form usually, can be stored in the described equipment.Usually, will adopt two kinds of different chemicals, for example a kind of scale remover that comprises is in order to remove pipe scale, and another kind comprises the base abluent that contains antimicrobial, bactericide etc., in order to pipeline is carried out cleaning-sterilizing.Certainly, can according to circumstances adopt the different chemicals and the chemicals of varying number, for example can adopt different chemicals in order to cleaning latex dust road and coffee pipeline.Peristaltic pump 890 and 892 can be used for engaging the dip-tube of the container that is inserted into Clean-chemicals, from described container, to fetch described chemicals, and described chemicals is extracted into chemicals blending bin 888 along pipeline 884 and 886 pumps, in the chemicals blending bin, described chemicals mixes with water from pipeline 894 together or respectively.The design of this chemicals blending bin is roughly the same with the design of the funnel assemblies 700 that is used for load units, though in this case, will use four inlet tubes, wherein two are used for chemicals, a water that is used for from pipeline 894, one is used to recycle this cleaning fluid.Clean operation utilizes Clock enable usually, thereby it is carried out during low utilization rate.In cleaning cycle, the water of limited amount, for example the water that is recorded by flowmeter mixes with the cleaning concentrating agents of the limited amount that records by blending bin 888.Perhaps, the amount of the cleaning fluid that forms like this can be determined by the weight of measuring the cleaning fluid in chemicals blending bin 888.The cleaning chemistry product are being weighed and with after water mixes, utilize pump 896 with it along guiding to refrigerator funnel 512 respectively or dashing in the pipeline 898 or 900 of making device 824 one and carry out pump and take out.The valve 902 and 904 that lays respectively in pipeline 900 and 898 starts automatically, makes device or latex dust road an amount of cleaning fluid is guided to dash.

The cleaning fluid that is used to clean the latex dust road is fed into refrigerator funnel 512, and flows to the funnel assemblies 700 of load units thus along pipeline 708 and 710.Cleaning fluid can be filled with funnel assemblies and groove 704, preferably is higher than the liquid level of allotting breast in the beverage process up to liquid level, and the liquid level of particularly overflowing pipeline 718 is cleaned and sterilizes to guarantee all surface that contacts with breast.In this operating process, the amount of the cleaning fluid by funnel 700 utilizes load units to carry out accurately determining, and, be directed to and utilize chemicals blending bin 888 and associated weight sensor thereof and the amount of definite cleaning agent (or cleaning concentrating agents and water), the value that is obtained is checked.If, between the amount (or gross weight of water and concentrating agents) of the cleaning fluid of determining by blending bin 888 and amount, there is significant difference by the definite cleaning fluid of load units, then this expression wherein pipe leakage or expression blending bin 888 or load units break down, thereby described equipment stops service.If desired, even it is and not preferred, but might be only when the amount of determining by blending bin 888 during greater than the amount determined by funnel 700, or only when the amount of determining by funnel 700 greater than by the definite amount of blending bin 888 time, described equipment sounds the alarm or stops any beverage of further allocation.Because described system cleaning every day, thereby the load units of blending bin 888 is relative to each other checked with identical frequency with funnel 700.Cleaning fluid is evacuated to mixed cell 840 by pump 866 pumps then, and after breast in along latex dust road 868 to filling head allot nozzle 870.Cleaning fluid can not flow and go upward to jet chimney or air duct, because its flowing in mixed cell is stoped by check valve 846.In this clean cycle, the total amount of cleaning fluid utilizes blending bin and load units to calculate, to guarantee not having cleaning agent in the beverage of allotting subsequently.

Possiblely be that cleaning fluid along the pipe flushing pipeline, and leaves described system to be collected in the refuse storage allotting the nozzle place according to single path.Yet cleaning fluid can recycle, thereby makes its repeatedly flushing pipe.To achieve these goals, the nozzle in the filling head unit 38 can be arranged in the removable nozzle unit 906, as being schematically shown among Figure 15 and as shown in more detail Figure 19.Figure 19 has schematically shown the filling head that is in its normal operation position, and wherein cup 6 is placed on the platform with holes 907.Before cleaning, filling head can be reduced in the container 908 automatically.Described container can also provide the function of liquid sprinkling disc easily, is used for admitting when allotting beverage the spatters of beverage.Nozzle unit 906 has: seal 910, and when nozzle unit was reduced in the container 908, seal 910 blocked the effuser 912 of described container in cleaning course, shown in Figure 19 c, thereby prevented that cleaning fluid runs off; With second effuser 914, it makes cleaning fluid form the constant fluid of the degree of depth before being recycled to chemicals blending bin 888 along pipeline 916 in container 908.When cleaning finished, container 908 can rise to the position shown in Figure 19 b, so that cleaning fluid can be discharged by pipe 912.Aforesaid operations can adopt different cleaning fluids and water to repeat, in order to flushing pipe.The advantage that the nozzle unit of this form and container have is that each nozzle is immersed in the cleaning fluid, makes when allotting beverage because splash and the outer surface of the nozzle that the newborn residue of quilt that may cause stains also can be cleaned.

If cleaning fluid recycles by pipeline, then it might recycle constantly, but clean operation should finish according to the cleaning fluid amount of being determined by blending bin 888 and load units, thereby guarantees that all cleaning fluids are removed from described system when clean cycle finishes.

In order to clean the coffee pipeline, valve 904 cuts out, and opens from chemicals blending bin to the valve 902 that dashes the pipeline 900 of making device, and clean operation adopts different cleaning chemistry product to repeat as required.Can adopt diverse ways to determine that cleaning fluid has cleaned all associated conduit in fact.For example, flowmeter or positive plunger displacement pump can be used for guaranteeing the removal from container 880 and 882 of chemicals clean liquid, and flowmeter can be used for guaranteeing that water has been introduced in the case 888.Load units can be arranged in the chemicals blending bin 888 to confirm that described chemicals is pumped to blending bin 888 from described container.Alternately or additionally, can be used for confirming or check that clean liquid has been fed into pipeline at the ducted load units device 700 of breast.Comprise that valve, the pump that links to each other with one of them piston and independent pipeline 160 are to discharge unnecessary coffee liquid after allotting coffee as previously mentioned if dash wine device assembly, preferred opening of valves in cleaning course then, and a bit of time of pump startup accumulates in described pump, valve and pipeline to prevent the coffee residue.In the end with after the water flushing, filling head rises to its normal position automatically, and described equipment prepares to allot other beverage.

Except the use cleaning fluid cleaned described system, described equipment can also be with clean water flushing latex dust road, to prevent any newborn exsiccation and to be bonded on the surface after inactive a period of time.Filling head 906 is reduced to flush position as shown in figure 18, by opening clean water folder valve 895 water is introduced in the chemicals blending bin 888.Described water is pumped to refrigerator funnel 512 by clean pump, and at funnel 512 places, water is discharged into funnel assemblies 700, and is evacuated to filling head, container 908 and discharge-channel by newborn pump 866 pumps thus.

In alternative structure, it or not the exhaust outlet that the seal of employing on nozzle unit 906 blocks container 908, but can being provided with motor-driven valve at its exhaust outlet place, described container blocks the unit, this unit makes the liquid in the described container can be by a discharging in two outlets, one of them outlet directly guides to the refuse storage, and another outlet links to each other so that cleaning fluid can be recycled to blending bin 888 with pipeline 916.In this structure, the outlet pathway that links to each other with pipeline 916 may be raised a bit of distance, for example raises 1 centimetre or 2 centimetres, thereby guarantees the correct depth of cleaning fluid in container described in the cleaning course.Also can adopt other structures.For example, liquid sprinkling disc or container 908 can have two outlets, and the higher outlet that allows normal low outlet of discharging and guarantee cleaning fluid correct depth in described dish in the process of cleaning filling head is somebody's turn to do low outlet and was closed by the motor-driven valve that for example presss from both sides valve.The degree of depth of cleaning fluid can be by last exhaust outlet height and/or the amount by employed cleaning fluid be provided with.

Filling head:

Described filling head is shown in more detail among Figure 17 and Figure 18.Described assembly has opening, is used to receive the goblet 6 of consumer's placed in position before receiving beverage, and described opening is limited by nozzle unit 906; With cup mounting table (it also provides liquid sprinkling disc or container 908, is used to receive beverage spatters and cleaning fluid).Nozzle assembly 906 is supported by the axle 926 of hollow, and this makes different fluid lines may extend into its nozzle 818,838 etc., and utilizes pillar 930 to support himself.Nozzle unit 906 can utilize low-tension motor to raise and reduce, described motor have with pillar on the pinion 934 of tooth bar 936 engagements, its power that has makes user's finger can not come to harm when being in errors present.Described structure can comprise tensioning spring, is used for weight at the filling head power that affords redress.Motor can be provided with shaft encoder, understands the current height of nozzle unit 906 to guarantee described system total energy.Can provide micro switch when to be in its extreme lower position, and can provide other sensor when to be in its extreme higher position with the indication nozzle unit with the indication nozzle unit.

Nozzle unit 906 can vertical motion, thereby make its can be reduced to be used in the container 908 foregoing cleaning purpose, and make it can move to the last general plan high position of oriented cup, herein, nozzle unit can prevent that in the allocation process beverage from spilling from cup.For example, different beverages require the cup of different sizes, its scope from the cuvette that is used for espresso to being used for mug heat milk coffee or dripping the mug of filtering coffee.Master controller 42 will know which kind of beverage the consumer has ordered, and the cup that can make nozzle unit be reduced to the suitable size of permission is positioned at the position in the opening.In addition, when cup is placed when in place, vertically arrangement mode be positioned at a plurality of light in the recess on cup next door or infrared transmitter or detector 921 (as shown in Figure 3) can determine to insert shown in the size of cup in the opening, and when described cup is too small, stop beverage to be allotted, thereby avoid any because size of cup overflowing due to incorrect.If desired, described software can return the choice menus on user interface screen 54 when the size of the cup of selecting is incorrect, and/or can show alarm.

In one embodiment, the coffee pipeline 30 (as shown in Fig. 3 and Figure 15) that ends at nozzle 818 can be in mentioned nozzle area with for example about 2-3 of diameter increase doubly, thereby for any given flow velocity, the flow velocity of the coffee by pipeline reduced at the nozzle place, and reduced coffee beverage forms bubble when allotting tendency.

Electronic device:

Figure 19 has shown the roughly layout drawing of electronic device.These devices comprise master controller 1000, and this master controller adopts the form of standard personal computer and moves for example operating system of Windows (trade mark); With low layer controller 1002, the operation of its control mechanical device 1003 is for example dashed and is made device assembly, rotary conveyer, switch, valve etc.Main power source 1004 is supplied to master controller 1000, low layer controller 1002 and for example needs other any devices of power supply like this towards wine device, water heater, but also is supplied to 24 volts of DC power source units 1006 that are used for to 1002 power supplies of low layer controller.The low layer controller has processor printed circuit board (PCB) 1008, and this printed circuit board (PCB) is provided to for example device of actuator and fractional motor with 24 volts of direct current powers, and the 5V direct current power is provided to for example parts of sensor and any processor.The low layer controller also has power supply printed circuit board (PCB) 1010, and it can be to the main power supply beyond each device provides 24V and 5V power supply.Master controller 1000 and low layer controller 1002 can utilize RS232 series cable 1012 and contact each other.Make it provide interlocking thereby all parts are all packed for different parts.

High layer software:

Figure 20 has shown the layout drawing of master controller 1000.Master controller comprises: CPU 1200, with CPU and memory 1204 and comprise internal data bus 1202, touch-screen 54, card reader 56, the receipt printer 58 that the interface of communication interface 1206 links to each other and the interface 1214 of the RS232 circuit 1012 that is used for master controller is linked to each other with low layer controller 1002.

The software of operation master controller is based on master/slave structure.Master controller 1000 is carried out all logic high levels and is coordinated the activity of all devices, for example makes and allots the specific operation of beverage and then leave low layer controller 1002 for.High layer software is divided into three layers of design and has clear and definite interface at interlayer, as shown in figure 20.User interface layer 1020 comprises the interaction of all personnel and described equipment, and no matter it is consumer, retail clerk or technical staff.Most of user interfaces will link to each other with master controller by touch-screen 54.

User interface with the application program 1221 of standard dedicated form as main program, this application program is by built-in Flash player controller rendering content on touch-screen, Macromedia Flash (RTM) content for example, described Flash player controller is with the canonical form master control, and the screen mode toggle operation of operation when being set to start.In described perhaps " Flash film " be a series of interaction multimedia images, it can be play on standard personal computer that uses Windows (RTM) operating system and the Flash player by touch-screen.

" Flash " can form vision the interaction dynamic and online user and experience, and makes file keep very for a short time of quick-downloading simultaneously.This can upgrade described equipment by the internet.

Described software can for example adopt common " .NET " form, and this form can be presented in the form in the Windows of Microsoft (RTM) operating system Flash content.According to the pattern of described equipment and the different user interface of needs.Every kind of operator scheme all has its own Flash film and its own custom plug-in form.

When described equipment operate as normal, sell operation, can be consumer's service or wait for that the consumer is near this equipment.Under " stopping service " pattern, the information of display device fault on independent screen.When being described stock of equipment running stores, retail clerk is used supplement mode, and when described equipment is safeguarded, when tracing trouble or repairing, well-trained technical staff uses service mode.When starting the automated cleaning circulation time, enter cleaning mode, in this process, it is invalid that touch-screen shows the information that is fit to and the user is imported.

Following one deck is an operation logic layer 1022, this layer comprises the software that rule that described equipment is observed is encoded, and described rule for example is: the definition of beverage supply and prescription, contact retail clerk and technical staff's function, software upgrading, sales data management, member's plan, payment, the monitoring of batching freshness and determine when described equipment carries out the automated cleaning operation.

Described operation logic layer has following specific procedure:

(1) beverage is allotted.This is to determine when described equipment prepares to allot beverage, and for example, when it finishes initialization, and feasible have sufficient batching available, and enough heat of water and described equipment do not carry out clean cycle.

(2) automated cleaning.This will import based on the time usually, for example, and the time input when estimating seldom to use.

(3) personnel to the retail exit send the retail alarm to carry out any operation, for example replenish any proportion container.

(4) record sales situation.Sell daily record and will regularly be sent to operating personnel general headquarters.

(5) equipment turn-offs when breaking down.

Selling Application Program Interface (selling API) is to limit to adopt which order and data structure to come to carry out interactional interface with the software library that comprises system's operation.It makes low layer software and high layer software development﹠ testing independently of each other.

Figure 21 is the state transition diagram of the operation of described master controller.All concrete operations are carried out by the low layer controller.When starting, described equipment marches to initialization step S10, and after this, described system marches to S20 and waits for that at this consumer occurs.When the indication of receiving from the consumer, described equipment is allotted the beverage that is fit in S30, be back to standby mode then.Described system will periodically move to step S40, to carry out the automatically cleaning operation before being back to standby mode.This operates in the detector that is positioned on the described equipment and exists consumer Shi Ke to be stopped near detecting equipment, so that this equipment can be served for the consumer.Under the situation of serving the consumer or breaking down during in initialization, described system will move to step S50, so that described system demonstrates the information of " stopping service ", and will get in touch retail assistant (S60) or technical staff (S70).

Be extract layer 1024 below the operation logic layer, this extract layer presents General Purpose Interface to higher level, needn't revise affairs logic OR user interface to change.This make database engine or for example other devices of receipt printer when going out of use, can change.The main region of extract layer is: make data extract portion 1026 that storage engines can change afterwards, make configuration extraction portion 1028 that the mode of data storage can change, make the hardware extraction portion 1030 that peripheral selection can change and make the different communication strategy can adopted communication extraction unit 1032.

To the remote access of all devices in the zone, the standard special-purpose software bag by for example Windows Desktop (trade mark) provides, and its upgrading can use remote access feature to launch and carry out.The handling facility of described software can be used for safeguarding automatically the database that is configured on every equipment.Work can be planned for regularly carrying out, with the record deletion of no longer to need guaranteeing.

Database summary and main relation are presented among Figure 22.All had peculiar primary key (PK) field by each entity of other entity references, and can have of the reference of one or more foreign keys (FK) field as another entity primary key.

Log sheet 1100 is the daily record of major issue in the system scope, and it obtains from misarrangement information to hardware fault and the software event of unexpected software anomaly, and indication time of origin (TS).Described daily record is timed and copies to HQ14.

Product table 1102 is read-only product supply schedule, and in this table, every kind of beverage is represented by a record.For example the variant of the beverage of " one cup of special espresso " etc. is not divided into independently product entity, but can be included to as option.

All beverage sales of finishing of trading statement 1104 record, and sales data is timed and copies to HQ.The sale of every portion of independent a kind of beverage of record representative.

The all possible option for all serving beverages has been enumerated in pick list, every part of option that the record expression can be used for the consumer.

Product option table 1108 is described the available selection of every kind of option in detail based on every kind of beverage.For example, described table can write down following details: espresso only can be according to the cuvette supply, only can be according to standard drink or mug supply and drip filter coffee.

Which kind of option sale option table 1110 has selected for the each sales figure consumer who finishes.Can carry out data mining to sales data like this.

Low layer software:

The same with high layer software, low layer software also has extract layer, and its main purpose is, detaches the details of the such hardware of for example sensor and actuator, makes hardware to change and to upgrade and to the software impact minimum.In addition, low layer software has the control logic layer, and this control logic layer provides low layer control for for example such hardware of valve, pump and motor.

The hardware extraction layer is handled all contacts to hardware, different ancillary equipment on the microprocessor that described hardware is directly with sensor or actuator link to each other, for example, numeral I/O controller, A/D converter, be used for driving for example PWM controller of the actuator of motor with friction speed, and the counter/timer that for example is used for shaft encoder.

Key-course is responsible for the operation of execution cycle property, for example PID of heating element heater (proportional integral, difference quotient) control, and the calculating of institute's derived parameter (for example based on the position of encoder to count with previous information).These manipulate the information by the value of the current sensor/actuators of hardware extraction layer acquisition/setting, with the output of value/setting of obtaining being used for other devices.Other operations comprise: the value of filtering analog sensor with the electronic interferences noise that reduces between sensor and microprocessor, to produce and with oblique in the PWM output or declivity so that the power swing in the system minimize.Each process will be provided with required PWM level as the set-point, and actual PWM will change under closed circuit control.Operation in addition is to derive the parameter with direct physical significance, for example, dashes and makes the ready fact of module, and this fact is in the tram for different device or is in the combination of correct temperature.Although for example other physical parameters of speed can't directly be read, can calculate.The parameter of some derivation will be used to upgrade the value of actuator, especially (for example, detect the also incorrect setting of correction actuator) under the situation of reasonableness check.

Ordering is the execution about the ordering of disparate modules in equipment.Described ordering is incited somebody to action usually but is optionally carried out by the finite state machine (FSM) that directly is associated with mechanical module.FSM will control the machinery and the electronic component of each module under the control of sorting unit, described sorting unit is responsible for guaranteeing: each incident is transferred into suitable FSM, and the order that each FSM regularly handles and high layer software is received and dispatched is transferred into suitable module.

The flow process of low layer software is presented among Figure 23.Major loop from " wait actuator " to " writing actuator " is with interval (the being called as frame) operation of 10ms.This provides the speed that is used to read, upgrade the 100Hz that sensor and executing state machine change.

Necessary initialization is carried out in step S1, comprising: stop to supervise timer (just resetting up to ready); Microprocessor, system clock are set, etc.; Communication port is set; External equipment is set, for example the plug in I/O, more equipment, init state machine and start the supervision timer.

Described software is waited for (step S2) information from high layer software then, and at this moment, according to the content of information, it is incited somebody to action: wait for more order, the described equipment that brings into operation perhaps entered the code update program before being written into new software.This makes high layer software can " check " low layer effectively, wait-for-response and make its operation receiving that response the time can be supplied with to be provided with under regular heartbeat signal and the situation about wanting of what is the need in office.Once you begin operation should be received regular information from master controller, and do not received under the situation of information, but low layer software will be waited for predetermined downtime before actuator is set to sensing location, and enters wait state.

Major loop carries out along following steps,, reads the information of all the sensors that is, and checks its uniformity (step S4 and S5).Then, before handling FSM, can carry out periodical operation to sensor.Then, described state machine is sorted (step S8), that is, assess all states and carry out any transformation.This may be the result of high-rise order or sensor values.Renewal to output valve is written in the copy of current effective setting.At next step, if allow to continue, then be arranged on it and be copied to current actuator setting and be written to actuator self (step S12) before from the actuator of FSM ordering, be examined its uniformity (step S10).This process guarantees that all I/O determine, allows simultaneously all discrepancy values are carried out uniformity/reasonableness check.

Idle condition (S14) is identical with initialized location, wherein equipment work such as heater, but each mechanical part does not move.This guarantees that described equipment is in correct state, thereby begins fill order when needs.

Carry out code update (S16) if desired, then software can require refresh routine.Described software begins renewal process then with himself copying among the RAM.This comprises: from master controller down loading updating code, confirm its integrality, it is moved to flash memories, and reaffirm its integrality.In flash memories, under the situation of corrupted data, when maybe after making, not having code, can use the built-in self-service program of microprocessor.For normal code update, do not need operating personnel to get involved the operation of machine.For the repairing due to the memory damage or in manufacture process, can code be written in the flash memories by serial line interface.

Claims (71)

1. equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, this equipment is suitable for operating in mode of operation, and in this mode of operation, this equipment can receive the indication from the user, with preparation with allot beverage; Described equipment also is suitable for operating in cleaning mode, and in this cleaning mode, the parts of this equipment are by automated cleaning, and this equipment can not be allotted beverage; Wherein said equipment can be operated to automatically switch to described cleaning mode in response to scheduled event from described mode of operation.

2. equipment according to claim 1, this equipment can be operated to switch to described cleaning mode at predetermined instant from described mode of operation.

3. equipment that is used to prepare beverage, this equipment comprise be used to store or prepare the liquid component of beverage and with described composition along the device of a pipeline transmission to a beverage dispenser, described equipment comprises: the storage unit that is used to store one or more cleaning agents that clean described pipeline, be used for described cleaning agent or each described cleaning agent of scheduled volume are incorporated into described pipeline, and after introducing described cleaning agent, a certain amount of water be incorporated into the device that the pipeline of described cleaning agent is arranged with flushed zone in the described pipeline; Described equipment comprises controlling organization, is used for preventing from described cleaning agent is incorporated into described pipeline when preparation and allocation beverage, and prevents preparation and allot beverage when the described pipeline of cleaning.

4. one kind is used to prepare and allots the equipment of the beverage that comprises perishable composition from dispenser, and described equipment comprises:

1) be used for the pipeline of described perishable composition, this pipeline need use cleaning agent to clean;

2) perishable composition meter is used for determining being dispensed into the amount of the perishable composition of beverage;

3) be used for a certain amount of cleaning agent being incorporated in the described pipeline, and described cleaning agent is transmitted by described pipeline in the clean operation process, and the device that described cleaning agent is removed from described pipeline; With

4) cleaning agent meter is used to determine to be incorporated into the amount of described ducted cleaning agent;

Wherein, the amount that is incorporated into described ducted cleaning agent is also determined by described perishable composition meter, described equipment can be operated with in described clean operation process, produces alarm and/or prevents to allot beverage under the situation that occurs contradiction between definite result of definite result of described perishable composition meter and described cleaning agent meter.

5. equipment according to claim 4, this equipment comprises: the pump that is used for cleaning agent is incorporated into described cleaning agent meter, be used for cleaning agent from the pumping of described cleaning agent meter to ducted second pump of described perishable composition, at described cleaning agent meter and the described perishable valve that becomes between the subtube, with the controller that is used for described pump and described valve, this controller makes cleaning agent only be sent in the clean operation process in the perishable one-tenth subtube.

6. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 3-5, this equipment can be operated to guarantee that all cleaning agents removed from described pipeline before beverage is subsequently allotted operation.

7. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 3-6, this equipment can be operated to determine the one-tenth component of described beverage and the amount of described cleaning agent by weight.

8. equipment according to claim 4, wherein said perishable composition meter and described cleaning agent meter comprise separately: be used for the storage of receiving fluids, with the sensor that separates with described storage.

9. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 3-8, this equipment comprises the return path from described dispenser to described pipeline, is used to make described cleaning agent to recycle.

10. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 3-9, this equipment comprises beverage dispenser and/or is allotting between position and the cleaning position movably cup support member that wherein, in described allocation position, described equipment can be operated and can allot beverage; At described cleaning position, the relative position of described dispenser and described cup support member prevents from cup is offered described equipment.

11. equipment according to claim 10, wherein said beverage dispenser and/or described cup support member can move between allocation position and cleaning position, and wherein, in described allocation position, described equipment can be operated and can allot beverage; And at described cleaning position, described equipment makes at described ducted cleaning agent and can recycle.

12. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 3-11, wherein said beverage dispenser can move between allocation position and cleaning position, wherein, in described allocation position, described equipment can be operated and can allot beverage; At described cleaning position, the outer surface of described dispenser can use described cleaning agent to clean.

13. equipment that is used to prepare and allot milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: the refrigerating chamber that is used to store at least one newborn container, be used for making breast can take out and be transferred into the latex dust road of allocation device from described container, with the device that is used for cleaning described newborn loop along at least a portion of the non-refrigeration of described equipment, wherein said latex dust road comprises: the refrigeration pipeline that is arranged in described refrigerating chamber, with second pipeline that cleans that is positioned at outside the described refrigerating chamber, described refrigeration pipeline and described second pipeline are separated from each other, to allow the described newborn loop of cleaning, allow breast to retain in the described container simultaneously.

14. equipment according to claim 13, the part that is adjacent to described refrigerating chamber of wherein said second pipeline comprises: allow cleaning fluid introducing structure wherein.

15. according to claim 13 or 14 described equipment, this equipment comprises and is used for cleaning fluid automatically and periodically is incorporated into the ducted structure of described breast.

16. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 13-15, wherein said refrigeration pipeline and described container are can be disposable.

17. equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: refrigerating chamber, at least one the newborn container in described refrigerating chamber, at described container and allot the latex dust road that extends between the zone, and the device that is used for cleaning along at least a portion of the non-refrigeration in described latex dust road described latex dust road, but all parts except cleaning part in wherein said latex dust road and described container are can be disposable.

18. according to claim 16 or 17 described equipment, wherein said latex dust road can disposable parts be compliant member, described equipment comprises and is used for clamping described pipeline breast being remained on described container and its folder on described pipeline to be unclamped so that the device that breast can discharge from described compartment, but described device or each described device make it can be by long-range driving with the electricity mode of operation.

19. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 16-18, wherein said chamber is suitable for storing a plurality of containers.

20. one kind can be dashed to make espresso or drip dashing of filter coffee beverage and make the device assembly, this assembly has: the cavity that is limited by cavity and removable at least one piston with the volume that changes described chamber in described cavity, described piston can the position of allow introducing coffee and discharging spent coffee through grinding with allow with water inject through grinding coffee with the espresso of preparation espresso beverage dash make between the position mobile, described piston also is movable to a filter coffee and is used for a preparation filter coffee beverage towards making the position, chamber volume when described filter coffee dash to be made the position dashes chamber volume when making the position greater than being in described espresso, described assembly comprises that the process that is used at described filter of preparation coffee beverage introduces device in the described chamber with a certain amount of water, the amount of described water is greater than the volume in described chamber, make that the beverage in described chamber is allotted, described assembly also comprises be used for moving the device of described piston with the volume that reduces described chamber when described filter coffee dash have been made.

21. according to claim 20 dashing made the device assembly, this assembly comprises a plurality of rods, is used for described piston is moved between diverse location, and described rod drives by single motor.

22. make the device assembly according to claim 20 or 21 described dashing, this assembly comprises two pistons, so that water can be introduced by a piston, coffee liquid can be discharged by another piston.

23. the device assembly of dash making according to claim 22, one of them piston is positioned at the top of another piston, and the described device that is used for introducing water can be operated with the piston by described below water is incorporated into described chamber.

24. according to claim 23 dashing made the device assembly, one of them described piston be movable to make its surface and roughly concordant position, the end of described cavity, be used to discharge spent coffee, described assembly comprises and is set to cross the element that move on its surface, is used for from wherein removing spent coffee.

25. make the device assembly according to claim 23 or 24 described dashing, this assembly comprises: the driving mechanism that is used for described piston, this mechanism is set to moving each piston towards wine in the cycle between uppermost position in fig-ure and upper/lower positions, the motion of described piston presents hysteresis to a certain degree, makes the volume in described chamber different in the different moment in the cycle towards wine.

26. make the device assembly according to described the dashing of arbitrary claim among the claim 22-25, wherein water is introduced into cylinder body via a piston, and coffee liquid is discharged from described cylinder body via another piston.

27. according to the described device assembly of dash making of arbitrary claim among the claim 20-26, wherein, dash when making the device assembly and not using when described, the piston of described piston or described top is parked in the described cylinder body.

28. equipment that is used to prepare and allot coffee beverage, this equipment comprises: dashing described in the claim 20 made the device assembly, and be used to survey the detector whether people is arranged near described equipment, when detecting near described equipment man-hour is arranged, this equipment can be operated to move described piston to permission and introduce the position of the coffee through grinding, and keeps a period of time at least.

29. equipment according to claim 28, described dash to make EO after through the scheduled time after, described equipment can be operated with the piston that moves described piston or described top to its stand.

30. equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises the refrigeration compartment with removable panel, described panel has the structure and the structure that is used for engaging with a device that is used to support one or more newborn containers, described device can make described panel and newborn container be removed and be transported at a distance from described compartment, but also can make described panel and newborn container be transported to described compartment from afar and be connected on this compartment so that described container or each described container are arranged in described compartment.

31. it is described to equipment according to claim 30, this equipment comprises can make described panel and newborn container be removed and be transported to device at a distance, this device can be removed described panel and is connected, and need not change the height of described container or each described container basically.

32. equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: the refrigeration compartment that is used to hold one or more newborn containers, described container or each described container are provided with the flexible duct that is used to allow to supply with from described compartment breast, described equipment comprises the device that is associated with each flexible duct, be used for clamping described pipeline breast being remained on described compartment and its folder on described pipeline is unclamped allowing discharging breast from described compartment, but described device or each described device make it can be by long-range driving with the electricity mode of operation.

33. equipment according to claim 32, this equipment comprises: be used for the device whether definite described or arbitrary container empties, and controller, this controller startup is described to be used to clamp the device of described pipeline so that this device lasting pipeline that is associated with it that clamps when the container related with it is confirmed as emptying.

34. equipment according to claim 33, wherein saidly be used for determining that the device whether described or arbitrary container empties comprises: proportioner, this device is associated with described latex dust road, and can operate when batching breast to beverage to detect from the amount of the breast of described storage unit reception.

35. equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: the latex dust road that extends to the allocation unit of allotting breast from the storage unit of breast, and the proportioner that is associated with described latex dust road, this proportioner can be operated with the amount of detection from the breast of described storage unit reception, and allows to allot a certain amount of breast according to the amount of the breast that receives from described storage unit.

36. equipment according to claim 35, this equipment comprises: be used to receive the storage from the breast of described pipeline, be used for device of determining described storage and wherein holding newborn weight and the valve of when the weight of described storage and breast surpasses predetermined value, closing described storage upstream line.

37. equipment according to claim 36, the latex dust road of wherein said storage and its upstream is separated, and can vertically move limited degree to allow to determine the wherein weight of breast.

38. equipment that is used to prepare milk-contained drink, this equipment comprises: the refrigeration compartment that is used to hold a plurality of newborn containers, each described container is provided with the pipeline of permission from described supply for receptacles breast, described equipment comprises the result that is used to monitor the sensor supplied with from the breast of described compartment and supplies with in response to the monitoring breast and the valve of the arbitrary pipeline of opening and closing.

39. according to the described equipment of claim 38, this equipment comprises: the valve that is associated with each container, be used for the pipeline that opening and closing are associated with corresponding container, described valve is set to open described pipeline and is allotted to beverage to allow a certain amount of breast, described valve is set to cut out described pipeline to stop to allot breast, described sensor is set to monitor the amount that is allotted to the breast in each beverage, in allotting operating process, described sensor does not have breast can operate so that described valve cuts out described pipeline lastingly when described pipeline is supplied with when detecting.

40. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 35-39, this equipment comprises: steam generator and being used for steam and the newborn device that mixes; Described equipment comprises controller, and when described proportioner allowed to allot breast, this controller can be operated with along described latex dust road eruption steam, and can operate to stop to supply with steam when allotting the basic end of breast.

41. an equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, this equipment comprises: be used to make the consumer can select the device of beverage; Allot head, be used for beverage be dispensed on the cup support member that is placed on this allocations head below glass; Vertically move the described structure of allotting head or described support member with being used for according to selected beverage, thereby make described head is adapted to the cup of selected beverage with respect to the position of described support member the size of allotting.

42. according to the described equipment of claim 41, this equipment comprises: one or more sensors are used to detect and have been placed on the described size of allotting the cup of head below; And controller, if it is incorrect to be placed on the size of the described cup of allotting the head below, then described controller will stop the allocation beverage.

43. equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, described beverage is selected and is dispensed in a series of beverages of difference amount by the consumer and provides to the cup of described equipment, described equipment comprises: detector is used to survey the size that provides to the cup of described equipment; Memory, it comprises many information that will be shown; Controller is used for size and operation and/or selection information or the alarm of being selected described equipment by combining of the selected beverage of consumer according to the cup that is detected by described detector; And display, be used for being presented at the information of described memory.

44. according to the described equipment of claim 43, this equipment comprises: touch-screen is used to show that described information also receives the instruction from the user.

45. an equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, this equipment comprises: one or more sensors are used to detect the physical state of described equipment; Touch-screen is used for demonstration information and the reception instruction from the user; Memory is used to store the data relevant with the operation of beverage and/or described equipment; And controller, be used to control the operation of described touch-screen, only make that described equipment just can be allotted beverage when adapting when the instruction that is received by described touch-screen and by the physical state of the detected described equipment of described sensor.

46. according to the described equipment of claim 45, wherein under situation incompatible between described instruction and the described physical state, described controller can be operated so that the information relevant with described physical state shows by described touch-screen.

47. according to claim 45 or 46 described equipment, wherein said physical state is relevant to: whether any composition of described beverage exists, the cup that the user provides for described beverage whether exist or the size of the cup that the user provides for selected beverage whether suitable, or whether described equipment is in the cleaning mode that can not allot beverage.

48. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 45-47, wherein said controller can be operated so that the information relevant with beverage that is provided by described equipment is provided described touch-screen.

49. an equipment that is used to prepare the foamed milk beverage, this equipment comprises: by breast, air and steam are introduced the structure that makes newborn foamed in the mixing chamber, described equipment has the device of the relative velocity that is used for independent change described breast, air and steam.

50. according to the described equipment of claim 49, this equipment is provided so that the flow velocity of described steam keeps constant in any foamed operation, and the flow velocity of described breast and air is regulated with respect to the flow velocity of described steam.

51. according to claim 49 or 50 described equipment, this equipment can be operated the flow velocity that breast is set with the flow velocity with respect to steam, makes the temperature of described foamed breast in 60 ℃ to 80 ℃ scope.

52. according to the described equipment of arbitrary claim among the claim 49-51, this equipment comprises: under greater than atmospheric pressure, described air, breast and steam is incorporated into separately the device in the described chamber.

53. equipment that is used to prepare and allot coffee beverage, this equipment comprises: coffee dashes the coffee bean reservoir of making device, coffee bean grinding tool and being positioned at described coffee bean grinding tool top, described equipment is set to hold in a plurality of therein positions a plurality of coffee bean containers, described coffee bean reservoir comprises piercing device, described equipment is provided so that described piercing device and described coffee bean reservoir move towards each other piercing through one of them described container, thereby coffee bean is injected into from described container in the described beans grinding tool.

54. according to the described equipment of claim 53, this equipment comprises: sensor is used for detecting the amount at described beans grinding tool coffee bean; And controller, the amount when the coffee of described grinding tool of being used for is lower than scheduled volume and starts described piercing device when following.

55. according to claim 53 or 54 described equipment, wherein said container is positioned at movably on the retainer, this retainer is set to advance described container when one of them described container has been pierced, and makes complete container be positioned at described piercing device top.

56. an equipment that is used for preparation automatically and allots coffee beverage, this equipment comprises: the coffee bean reservoir that is used to hold a plurality of coffee bean containers; Be used for opening automatically the device of described container; Be used to receive from the coffee bean of container and with its coffee bean grinding tool that grinds; Be used for dashing the coffee of making coffee and dash the wine device through grinding; With the control device of the operation that is used to control described equipment, make that the beans from described container are sequentially ground and dash wine.

57. according to the described equipment of claim 56, wherein said coffee bean reservoir can hold at least four coffee bean containers, makes the time of replenishing between the coffee bean deposit be four times in the time that described coffee bean container is opened.

58. a container, this container comprise 0.7 kilogram to 1.5 kilograms through baking and without the coffee bean that grinds, described container has the air-tightness lining and holds inert gas.

59. according to the described container of claim 58, this container is roughly cylindrical shape, but has not the external structure along its axis symmetry.

60. according to claim 58 or 59 described containers, this container comprises a sealing one terminal seal dissepiment that pierces through.

61. a method that is used to prepare coffee beverage, this method comprises:

1) supplies with a certain amount of coffee bean;

2) select to be introduced into breast in the described beverage based on operating period of breast;

3) regulate the relative quantity of coffee, breast and air to form coffee beverage;

4) according to the operation of controlling described method by the size of the selected cup of consumer.

62. an equipment that is used for preparing automatically multiple coffee beverage, this equipment comprises:

1) beans reservoir is used to hold the beans of the capacity that is used for many cups of coffees;

2) through refrigerating the reservoir of breast, be used to hold the many glasss of breasts that contain the capacity of newborn coffee;

3) be used to receive device about the requirement of single coffee beverage from the consumer;

4) be used to detect device by the size of the selected cup of consumer;

5) be used to grind the beans of capacity to be used for the device of described single coffee beverage;

6) be used to use described a certain amount of beans to dash the device of making coffee beverage through grinding;

7) be used for selecting to be used for the device of amount of the breast of coffee beverage, make to be within the operating period of the breast in the described newborn reservoir for the selected breast of described beverage from described newborn reservoir;

8) regulate the described device that dashes the amount of making coffee and breast according to the prescription that is used for selected coffee beverage that is kept in the described equipment;

9) be used to allot the device of coffee beverage; With

10) controller is used for based on the allocation of being controlled described coffee beverage by the size of the selected cup of consumer, and the amount of the feasible described coffee beverage of allotting is suitable for the size of described cup.

63. the method using coffee machine to prepare and allot many cups of coffees, described coffee machine can be in response to working with preparation by the order of user's input and allotting many cups of coffees, and described method comprises:

A) a plurality of airtight containers are set in described coffee machine, each described container comprises the coffee bean of the capacity that is used to prepare many cups of coffees, and the described coffee bean in each container has the predetermined fresh-keeping life-span after opening cell therefor;

B) make described coffee machine open described container successively, make only has a described container to open at every turn;

C) make described coffee machine prepare and allot many cups of coffees being no more than within the period in described fresh-keeping life-span to adopt in response to the input of a plurality of described orders, make that the nearly all coffee bean in the described container of opening is used up in the described fresh-keeping life-span from the coffee bean in the described coffee container of opening;

D) make described coffee machine after this open other described coffee container automatically, and prepare and allot many cups of other coffees being no more than within other period of two days to adopt in response to the input of other a plurality of described orders, make that the nearly all coffee bean in described other coffee container is used up in the described fresh-keeping life-span from the coffee of described other container from the coffee bean in the other described coffee container; With

E) the described coffee container of at every turn wherein said coffee bean having been used up manually is replaced by new described airtight container.

64. the method using coffee machine to prepare and allot many cups of coffees, described coffee machine can be in response to working with preparation by the order of user's input and allotting many cups of coffees, and described method comprises:

A) be provided with a plurality of airtight containers in described coffee machine, each described container comprises the coffee bean of the capacity that is used to prepare many cups of coffees;

B) make described coffee machine open described container successively, make only has a described container to open at every turn;

C) described coffee machine is adopted from the coffee bean in the described coffee container of opening within period of two days only in response to the input of a plurality of described orders and prepare and allot many cups of coffees, make that the nearly all coffee bean in the described container of opening is only being used up within two days;

D) make described coffee machine after this open other described coffee container automatically, and in the input that is no more than within other period of two days in response to other a plurality of described orders, employing prepares from the coffee bean in the described other coffee container and allots many cups of other coffees, makes nearly all coffee bean in described other coffee container be no more than within two days and uses up; With

E) the described coffee container of at every turn wherein said coffee bean having been used up manually is replaced by new described airtight container.

65. according to the described method of claim 64, this method makes within just for one day only from each container preparation and allot described many cups of coffees.

66. according to the described method of arbitrary claim among the claim 63-65, wherein said coffee machine comprises at least four described coffee containers, and the step of described manual replacing was carried out once at most in per two days.

67. according to the described method of arbitrary claim among the claim 63-66, this method comprises: make described coffee machine in response to be opened or wherein the described coffee container used up of coffee predetermined number and send the coffee supplementary signal, the step that need carry out described manual replacing with expression.

68. according to the described method of arbitrary claim among the claim 63-67, this method comprises: be provided with a plurality of newborn containers in described coffee machine, wherein each container all has the operating period, makes described coffee machine only select breast when many glasss of preparations need the coffee of breast from be in the described newborn container within its operating period.

69. according to the described method of claim 68, this method comprises: make described coffee machine in response to that used up or that selected and/or reached the described breast that wherein holds operating period described newborn container predetermined number and send newborn supplementary signal.

70. according to the described method of arbitrary claim among the claim 63-69, this method comprises: make described coffee machine at least once automatically perform clean cycle every day, be used for from the newborn residue of described coffee machine cleaning.

71. equipment that is used to prepare and allot beverage, described beverage comprises perishable composition, described equipment comprises: the refrigeration compartment that is suitable for preserving a plurality of perishable one-tenth capacitance dividers, described equipment is suitable for being stored in the operating period of the described perishable composition in each described container, and described equipment also comprises in case the stock in the described container surpasses described storage is used for preventing allotting the stock of any container during the operating period device.

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