CN216020501U - Integrated tea making and separating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an integrated tea brewing and dispensing device equipped with a plurality of tea material dispensers. A plurality of tea material dispensers are provided for storing at least one tea material and dispensing at least one tea component to at least one container. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus further comprises a water dispenser having a plurality of taps, wherein at least one tap dispenses water into at least one container. Furthermore, the at least one tea dispenser may be aligned with the at least one spigot by movement.

Description

Integrated tea making and separating device

Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to a tea brewing apparatus; more particularly to an integrated tea brewing and dispensing device that can brew and dispense multiple cups of tea simultaneously.

Background

Beverage dispensing and dispensing devices are well known in the art. The conventional device is typically a single cup dispensing device that can only dispense one cup of beverage at a time. Such devices are not capable of dispensing multiple beverages simultaneously. This limitation results in a considerable time consuming supply of beverages in large quantities. In addition, such devices are often placed in cafes and corporate offices. When the conventional device is placed in a cafe or office, queuing is often the case because the equipment takes a long time to prepare a beverage for each person.

Furthermore, the existing devices accomplish the beverage preparation in a manual or semi-automatic manner. For example, even a fully automated device requires manual placement and removal of tea material from the wave tower filter. In addition to placing the tea leaves in the wave tower filter, the apparatus also requires manual intervention to dispose of the used tea leaves in the filter. In addition, the tea making device on the market does not consider how tea leaves are kept fresh.

Therefore, in light of the above discussion, there is a need to develop an integrated tea brewing and dispensing device that simultaneously brews and dispenses multiple cups of tea without manual intervention.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an integrated tea brewing and dispensing device. The integrated tea making and separating device is suitable for simultaneously preparing a plurality of cups of tea water. In addition, the integrated tea making and separating device does not need any human intervention when making tea. The integrated tea making and separating device is also suitable for being installed in a narrow space, so that the space and the related cost are saved.

Based on this aspect, the present disclosure discloses an example integrated tea brewing and dispensing device. The integrated tea making and distributing device comprises a plurality of tea material distributors, wherein the tea material distributors can store at least one tea material and at least distribute the at least one tea material into one container. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus further comprises a water dispenser having a plurality of taps, wherein at least one tap dispenses water into at least one container. Furthermore, the at least one tea dispenser may be movable into alignment with the at least one spigot.

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser comprises a first container assembly in which a first container is provided for holding tea material. The first container assembly further comprises a plunger for compressing the tea material within the first container. The tea material dispenser further includes a second container assembly connected to the first container assembly. The second container assembly comprises a second container for receiving tea material from the first container, the second container having a conveyor therein for conveying tea material received from the first container to an outlet of the second container. The second container assembly further comprises a rotatable door movable between an open position and a closed position; when the container is in the closed position, the revolving door covers the outlet of the second container; in the open position, the rotatable door is rotated away from the outlet of the second container, and tea material can be dispensed through the outlet of the second container.

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser comprises an intermediate container assembly disposed between the first container assembly and the second container assembly. The intermediate container assembly includes an intermediate container for receiving tea material from the first container.

In one embodiment, the first container assembly further comprises a vent valve for relieving pressure build-up in the first container.

In one embodiment, the first container assembly further comprises a vent valve. The vent valve is a one-way valve that prevents air from entering the first container when gas generated in the first container is released.

In one embodiment, the conveyor is a screw conveyor. The conveyor may convey tea material to the outlet of the second container.

In one embodiment, the revolving door includes a weight sensor for measuring the weight of tea material received by the conveyor. The weight sensor is used for weighing the weight of the tea material supplied by the conveyor.

In one embodiment, the revolving door can be rotated to an open position when the weight of the tea material reaches a predetermined weight. The predetermined weight of tea ingredient based on the different types of tea material has been previously stored in the device. After the rotation, when the weight of the tea material reaches the preset weight, the device can ensure the stable quality of the tea every time.

In one embodiment the second container assembly includes a guide means for receiving the conveyor and guiding tea material towards the outlet of the second container. The second container assembly further includes a motor for driving the conveyor.

In one embodiment, the second container assembly includes a screen for separating tea material from tea dust. The second container assembly further includes a tea dust collector for collecting tea dust. The sieve filters the tea material to ensure good quality of the tea water.

In one embodiment, the capacity of the intermediate container corresponds to 25% of the first container. The intermediate container serves as a storage container for tea material and the first container can be refilled without stopping the operation of the device.

In one embodiment, the tea material in the first container is contained within a tea bag and the tea material dispenser comprises a piercing assembly disposed between the first container assembly and the intermediate container assembly for piercing the tea bag. The puncture assembly can facilitate the puncture of the tea bag.

In one embodiment, the spike assembly includes a base with an opening. The puncture assembly also comprises a hollow round body arranged at the opening, and a plurality of blades are arranged on the periphery of the hollow round body. The puncture assembly also comprises a rotating component which is contacted with the hollow round body and is used for rotating the hollow round body and puncturing the tea bag in the first container.

In an embodiment, the axis of the second vessel outlet is offset from the axis of the second vessel inlet. This arrangement enables the conveyor to convey the required quantity of tea material from the inlet to the outlet.

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser further comprises at least one scanner for scanning an identification code on the tea bag to track the expiry date and purity of the tea material for making the tea. By tracking the expiration date and the purity of the tea material, it is possible to ensure that the customer is provided with good quality tea water.

In one embodiment, the tea making and dispensing apparatus further comprises a turret assembly for moving the plurality of tea material dispensers. The turret assembly may move a plurality of tea dispensers into alignment with the containers.

In one embodiment, the turntable assembly includes a housing having gears disposed around an inner side thereof. The turntable assembly also includes at least one motor located within the housing and coupled to the gear. The at least one motor is used for driving the gear to rotate the shell.

In one embodiment, the turret assembly further includes an air compressor for supplying pressurized air to the first container to drive movement of the plunger within the first container. The pressurized air provided by the air compressor enables the plunger to compress the tea material, thereby securing the tea material.

In one embodiment, the turntable assembly further includes a solenoid valve to allow pressurized air to flow from the air compressor to the first container.

In one embodiment, the dispenser assembly further comprises a dispenser for dispensing the filter. The tea material is dispensed when used to prevent the tea material from falling into the tea water.

In one embodiment, the faucet further includes a lid having a raised portion for supporting the rim of the container.

In one embodiment, the faucet includes two arms that are movable to an off position and an on position. In the closed position, the two arms can be connected and fix the container; in the open position, the two arms can be moved away from and lowered onto the container.

In one embodiment, the water distributor further comprises a gear system for controlling the movement of the two arms. A gear system controls the movement of the two arms to the off position and the on position.

In one embodiment, the water distributor further comprises a base having a plurality of water discharge openings. The water distributor further comprises a series of revolving doors for opening and closing the plurality of water discharge openings. This arrangement allows the device to dispense a container for brewing tea material such that it can be handled without manual intervention.

It is to be noted that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure, as claimed.

Drawings

These and other features, benefits and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent by reference to the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like structures, and wherein:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of an integrated tea brewing and dispensing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a first container assembly of the tea material dispenser according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tea material dispenser intermediate container assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate container assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the spike assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a hollow round body of a toothed ring according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a second container assembly of the tea dispenser according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a second container assembly of the tea material dispenser according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the swing door of the second container assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a turntable assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a water distributor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the faucet and gear system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a top view of the faucet and gear system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14a is a front view of a faucet with a container according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14b is a side view of a faucet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 15 is an exploded view of a swing door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

Example embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, positions, etc. of elements, features, elements, etc. and any distances between them are not necessarily shown to scale and may not be shown to scale and/or may be shown exaggerated in greater detail for clarity of presentation unless explicitly stated in the drawings.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Herein, the singular forms shall also include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise indicated, a range of values set forth includes the upper and lower limits of the range and any subranges therebetween. Unless stated otherwise, the terms "first," "second," and the like are used solely to distinguish one element from another. For example, one element may be referred to as "element one," another element may be referred to as "element two," and vice versa. The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

Unless otherwise specified, terms such as "about," "substantially," and the like, mean that quantities, sizes, compositions, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not necessarily exact, may be approximate and/or larger or smaller values, or reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, as desired, and other elements known to those of skill in the art.

Spatially relative terms, such as "right," "left," "lower," "below," "lower," "above," and "upper," may be used herein to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. It is noted that spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations as well as the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if an object in the figures is turned over, then it is described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features; alternatively, a feature may be "on" another element or feature. Thus, the term "below" may encompass both an orientation of above and below. Objects may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

All connections and all operational connections may be direct or indirect unless expressly stated otherwise. Likewise, all connections and operative connections may be rigid or non-rigid connections unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Like numbers refer to all similar elements. Therefore, even if not mentioned in other drawings, they are not described in the corresponding drawings, and the same or similar numerals may be described with reference to other drawings. In addition, even if elements expressed by reference numerals are not included, description may be made with reference to other drawings.

There may be many forms and embodiments without departing from the principles and principles of the present disclosure, and therefore the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the example embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments.

Referring now to fig. 1, a perspective view of an integrated tea brewing and dispensing device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. An integrated tea brewing and dispensing device 100 (hereinafter "device") is used to simultaneously brew and dispense multiple cups of tea. In addition, the device 100 may also automatically brew and dispense tea. The apparatus 100 includes a dispenser assembly 102 which is provided with a plurality of tea material dispensers 104 (e.g. four tea material dispensers 104). Although four tea material dispensers 104 are shown arranged about a central axis, in practice, the dispenser assembly 102 may include any number of tea material dispensers 104. In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser 104 may be further divided into smaller units of tea material dispensers 104. As shown in fig. 1, the tea material dispenser 104 is divided into two tea material dispenser 104 units. For convenience of description, the patent specification uses the term "tea material dispenser" to refer to the tea material dispenser 104 and its smaller units. Furthermore, the tea material dispenser 104 may also be arranged vertically. The tea material dispenser 104 is for storing at least one tea component (not shown) and dispensing tea material for making tea. It should be noted that the dispenser assembly 102 is movable (preferably in a rotational motion) in conjunction with a plurality of tea material dispensers 104 as will be described later in this patent specification.

To ensure a clear and concise description, the structure of one of the tea material dispensers 104 is described below. It should be noted that the other tea material dispensers 104 are substantially identical in construction. The tea material dispenser 104 includes a first container assembly 106, an intermediate container assembly 108, a spike assembly 110 and a second container assembly 112. Turning now to FIG. 2, an exploded view of the first container assembly 106 is shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The first container assembly 106 includes a first container 114 for holding tea material (e.g., tea leaves). Although tea is also considered a tea material, the tea material described herein may also include other types of tea materials (including but not limited to tea powder, etc.) and may include semi-cylindrical shaped materials. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the first container 114 may have a variety of different shapes and is not limited to the embodiment shown in fig. 2. Additionally, in one embodiment the tea material may be stored directly in the first container 114. In another embodiment, the tea material may be stored in a tea bag in the first container 114. In another embodiment, the tea material may be stored in a tea bag in the first container 114. In one embodiment, the first container 114 of the plurality of tea material dispensers 104 may hold different types of tea material. Based on various choices of tea materials, a user can select different types of tea and also can select a tea water mixed by different tea materials.

The first container assembly 106 also includes a plunger 116 mounted within the first container 114 and movable within the first container 114. Specifically, the plunger 116 may move linearly within the first container 114, as a piston within a cylinder. The plunger 116 serves to compress the tea material held in the first container 114. In addition, as the first container 114 dispenses tea material, the plunger 116 moves towards the bottom of the first container 114, thereby effecting compression of the tea material. The tea material compression can reduce the contact of the tea material and the outside air as much as possible, and the tea material compression is helpful for keeping the freshness of the tea material. In some embodiments, the plunger 116 may be provided with a handle 118 for holding the plunger 116. Handle 118 facilitates withdrawal of plunger 116 from first container 114.

The first container assembly 106 may also include a vent valve 120 for relieving pressure build-up in the first container 114. In one embodiment, the vent valve 120 may also be a plug that closes or opens a vent 122 provided in the first container 114. The first container assembly 106 may also include a vent valve 124 disposed on the plunger 116, see FIG. 2 in particular. The air release valve 124 may be a one-way valve to allow air generated by the tea material in the first container 114 to flow out of the first container 114. For example, carbon dioxide generated by tea material in the first container 114 can be vented through the vent valve 124. Because the vent valve 124 is a one-way valve, it prevents gas from outside the first container 114 from entering the first container 114. The first container assembly 106 may also include a bottom lid 126 for closing the bottom end of the first container 114. The bottom cap 126 may be provided with an outlet (not shown) to facilitate removal of tea material from the first container 114.

The tea material dispenser 104 may also include an intermediate container assembly 108. Reference is now made to fig. 3 and 4, which are exploded and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the intermediate container assembly 108 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Intermediate container assembly 108 may be coupled to first container assembly 106. Specifically, the intermediate container assembly 108 may be coupled to the bottom end of the first container assembly 106. The intermediate container assembly 108 may include an intermediate container 128 having an inlet 130 at a top end and an outlet 132 at a bottom end. The intermediate container 128 can receive tea material from the first container 114 through the outlet of the bottom cover 124 of the first container 114 and the inlet 130 of the intermediate container 128. In one embodiment, the intermediate container 128 has a capacity that is equivalent to 25% of the capacity of the first container 114. The intermediate container 128 may also define a window 134 for viewing the interior of the intermediate container 128. In some embodiments, the window 134 may also cover a transparent surface 136 to provide a clear view of the interior of the intermediate container 128, while preventing tea material from falling out of the intermediate container 128. The intermediate container 128 dispenses tea material from an outlet 132 at the bottom end. In some embodiments, an inner side wall 138 of the bottom intermediate container 128 may be tapered to facilitate the discharge of tea material through the outlet 132.

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser 104 may further include at least one scanner 140. The scanner 140 may be disposed in the bottom lid 126 of the first container 114 and/or on top of the spike assembly 110. The at least one scanner 140 is configured to scan an identification code (e.g., a Quick Response (QR) code or bar code provided or printed on the bottom of the tea pod) to track the expiration date and/or purity of the tea material stored in the first container 114. The device can generate warning information indicating the expiration of the tea material according to the state of the tea material. Thus, the quality of the tea material can be ensured to reach the standard all the time.

The first container assembly 106 and the intermediate container assembly 108 may be separated by a spike assembly 110. Turning now to fig. 5, an exploded view of the spike assembly 110 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The spike assembly 110 is adapted to puncture a tea pod disposed within the first container 114. The spike assembly 110 facilitates the draining of tea material from the first container 114 into the intermediate container 128 by puncturing the tea bag. The spike assembly 110 may include a base 142 having at least one opening 144 aligned with the outlet of the first container 114. The spike assembly 110 may further include a hollow cylinder 146, and a plurality of blades 148 may be disposed around the hollow cylinder 146. The plurality of blades 148 are substantially triangular in shape and are adapted to cut a tea bag placed in the first receptacle 114. In one embodiment, gears may be disposed outside the hollow round body 146. In another embodiment, the hollow cylinder 146 may be surrounded by a ring 150 with a gear on the outside. The hollow cylinder 146 and ring 150 may be held in place by a gear retaining ring 152. Turning now to FIG. 6, a cross-sectional view of a hollow cylinder 146 with a ring 150 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The spike assembly 110 may also include an internal geared rotating member 154. The internal gear of the rotary member 154 may be engaged with the gear of the ring 150. Thus, when the rotating member 154 is moved outwardly, the rotating member 154 drives the ring 150 to rotate, which in turn drives the hollow round body 146 to rotate and pierce the tea bag in the first container 114. For ease of operation, the rotating member 154 may be provided with a tab 156. The rotary piece 156 may allow a user to more easily grip the rotary member 154 to facilitate the rotary operation of the rotary member 154. The spike assembly 110 may also include a cover 158 with an opening 160 aligned with the opening of the base 142. In some embodiments, the scanner 140 for scanning the identification of the tea bag in the first receptacle 114 may be disposed on the lid 158 of the spike assembly 110.

The tea material dispenser 104 also includes a second container assembly 112. Reference is now made to fig. 7 and 8, which are an exploded view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a second container assembly 112 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The second reservoir assembly 112 shown in fig. 7 comprises a common assembly having a partition 164 dividing the first reservoir 114 and the intermediate reservoir 128 into two portions. In some embodiments, the second container assembly 112 may also be divided into two portions. For ease of illustration, one of the portions of the second container assembly 112 will be described herein. The second container assembly 112 may be connected to the intermediate container assembly 108; specifically, the second container assembly 112 may be coupled to the bottom end of the intermediate container assembly 108. The second container assembly 112 includes a second container 166 for receiving tea material from the intermediate container 128. The second container 166 also includes a top lid 168 having an inlet 170. When connected to the intermediate container assembly 108, the inlet 170 of the second container 166 is aligned with the outlet 132 of the intermediate container 128. The second container 166 also includes an outlet 172 at the bottom end.

The second container assembly 112 also includes a conveyor 174 for conveying tea material from the outlet 132 of the intermediate container 128. In one embodiment, conveyor 174 may be an auger, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that conveyor 174 is not limited to an auger, and that other conveyors known in the art may be used. A conveyor 174 is disposed horizontally within the second container 166 to convey tea material to a rotatable gate 176 disposed at an outlet 172 of the second container 166. It is noted that an axis of the inlet 170 of the second container 166 is offset from an axis of the outlet 172 of the second container 166. The conveyor 174 may also be provided with a guide 180 to direct tea material to the revolving door 176. In one embodiment, guide 180 may be a U-shaped structure for receiving conveyor 174. Conveyor 174 is also in electrical communication with a motor 182 for driving the operation of conveyor 174.

The second container assembly 112 also includes a screen 184 disposed within the guide 180. Specifically, a screen 184 is positioned below the conveyor 174 for filtering the tea material. For example, if the tea material is tea leaves, the screen 184 will filter the tea leaves and then separate the tea dust from the tea leaves. A dust collector 186 may be provided under the screen 184 to collect dust. For illustrative purposes, the dust collector 186 may be inserted into the second container 166 through the window 178 provided in the second container 166. This arrangement allows the dust collector 186 to be inserted into the second container 166 or the dust collector 186 to be removed from the second container 166 without removing the second container assembly 112. Additionally, the dust collector 186 may include a tab 188 to facilitate grasping the dust collector 186 and pulling it from the second container 166.

Turning now to FIG. 9, a perspective view of the swing door 176 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. A rotatable door 176 is disposed at the outlet 172 of the second container 166 and is movable between an off position and an on position. For convenience, the rotatable door 176 may cover the outlet 172 in the closed position and may be spaced from the outlet 172 in the open position to allow tea material to be dispensed from the second container 166. By default, the swing door 176 may remain in the closed position and provide the top cover 190, bottom cover 192, and weight sensor 194. The top cover 190 and the bottom cover 192 are assembled to form a housing. A weight sensor 194 is located within the housing for sensing the weight of tea material received on the revolving door 176 via the conveyor 174. The rotary door 176 is movable to an open position when the weight of the tea component reaches a predetermined weight. The predetermined weight of each tea may be pre-stored in the device 100.

From the above description, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the first container assembly 106, the intermediate container assembly 108, and the second container assembly 112 are all in a vertical arrangement. Further, the first container assembly 106, the intermediate container assembly 108, the spike assembly 110 and the second container assembly 112, when arranged, comprise the tea material dispenser 104. The tea material dispenser 104 is for dispensing tea material into the container. In one embodiment, the container may be a cup. In another embodiment, the container may be a cup filter. For example, when tea material is contained within a tea bag, the tea material dispenser 104 dispenses the tea bag into a cup; if the tea material is tea leaves, the tea leaves may be dispensed into a cup filter.

With respect to fig. 1, the dispenser assembly 102 may also include at least one filter dispenser 198 for dispensing a cup filter. The teacup filter may comprise a cup having a base with at least one hole and a plurality of filter panels arranged on the base and inside the cup. The filter distributor 198 may also be arranged circumferentially with the tea distributor 104 and may be arranged vertically. In one embodiment, the filter dispenser 198 may include a set of tubular containers 200 that may hold a plurality of teacup filters, one teacup filter at a time. In another embodiment, the filter dispenser 198 may carry a series of filters, one filter at a time being dispensable in the container.

The tea making and dispensing apparatus 100 may further include a turret assembly 202. Turning now to fig. 10, an exploded view of a turret assembly 202 according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure is shown. The turntable assembly 202 facilitates clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the dispenser assembly 102. Turntable assembly 202 is mounted on top of dispenser assembly 102 and includes a top cover 204 and a bottom cover 206. The top cover 204 and the bottom cover 206 form a housing. The bottom cover 206 includes a gear 208 disposed in an inner peripheral region. Turntable assembly 202 also includes at least one motor 210 that is coupled to gear 208 on bottom cover 206 via pinion gear 212. Thus, the motor 210 may drive the housing. The turret assembly 202 further includes at least one air compressor 214 for supplying pressurized air to the first container 114 to drive the movement of the plunger 116 within the first container 114. Turntable assembly 202 also includes a solenoid valve 216 for controlling the flow of pressurized air from air compressor 214 to first vessel 114.

The device 100 further comprises a water distributor 300 for distributing water for brewing tea. Referring now to FIG. 11, an exploded view of a water distributor 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The water distributor 300 may include a base 302 having a plurality of water discharge ports 304. The water distributor 300 further comprises a plurality of taps 306, for example: six taps 306 extend vertically from the base 302. Although six taps 306 are shown in a circular array about the central axis of the apparatus 100, it should be noted that the water distributor 300 may also include a plurality of taps 306. For convenience of illustration, a plurality of faucets 306 may be disposed below the tea material dispenser 104. The taps 306 are identical in construction, structure and function, but only one structure, one structure and one function of one of the taps will be described in detail to ensure a clear and concise description. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that faucet 306 may be connected to a water source (not shown). Furthermore, the tap 306 may be connected to a heat source (not shown) for dispensing hot water for brewing tea.

Reference is now made to fig. 12, 13, 14a and 14b, which are exploded, top, front and side views, respectively, of a faucet 306 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The faucet 306 includes two arms 308 that extend perpendicularly from the base 302. The two arms 308 each have a semi-circular shape at the top. The semi-circular shape allows the two arms 308 to form a loop when joined. In addition, a water dispensing nozzle 322 is provided at the top of the arm 308. Two arms 308 are mounted to the base 302 by a bearing 310 that facilitates rotation of the arms 308. The bottom ends of the arms 308 are connected to a gear system 312 which is disposed within a gear box 314 below the base 302 and may be supported by gear supports 316. The gear holder 316 is attached to the base 302 by an end plate 318 at the top of the base 302.

The two arms 308 are movable between an off position and an on position. For example, in the closed position, the two arms 308 move toward each other and connect to each other, forming a loop at the top. In addition, in the open position, the two arms 308 move in opposite directions to each other. The two arms 308 are covered by a cover 320. In one embodiment, the cover 320 may be a silicone cover. The cap 320 may be shaped similar to the arm 308 and may cover the arm 308 (except for the nozzle 322). The lid 320 also includes a plurality of ridges 324 located adjacent the nozzle 322 for supporting the container. For ease of illustration, the loop formed by the two arms 308 may support one side of the container. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the two arms 308, along with the lid 320, secure the container when the two arms 308 are in the closed position and lower the container when in the open position.

The gear system 312 includes a bevel gear 326 that is connected to a first arm gear 328 that attaches one (two in total) of the arms 308. The first arm gear 328 engages a second arm gear 330 attached to the other arm 3-8 (two in total). The gear system 312 further includes a motor 332 coupled to the bevel gear 326 for driving the bevel gear 326. Bevel gear 326 transmits motion to first arm gear 328 for rotating associated arm 308. Because the first arm gear 328 engages the second arm gear 330, the other arm 308 will also rotate. Thus, the two arms 308 are movable between an off position and an on position. In some embodiments, the motor 332 may be provided with a motor housing 334.

The base 302 of the water distributor 300 also includes a plurality of rotating doors 336. Turning now to FIG. 15, an exploded view of the swing door 336 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Each of the swing doors 336 is disposed at an associated discharge opening 304 of the base 302 for opening and closing the associated drain opening 304. The revolving door 336 is movable between an open position and a closed position. When the rotary door 336 is opened, the water outlet 304 on the base 302 is opened; when the rotary door 336 is in the closed position, the drain port 304 is closed. The revolving door 336 can be opened when the teacup filter held by the two arms 308 of the tap 306 is being processed. The rotating gate 336 may include a screen 338. The screen 338 may be supported by a mesh ring 340. The revolving door is rotated by a motor 342. In some embodiments, the motor 342 may be disposed within a motor housing 344.

Referring again to fig. 1, the apparatus 100 also includes a user interface 400 to facilitate selection from among the various tea leaves. In addition, the user interface 400 may also be used to select the number of copies to be dispensed by the apparatus 100. In one embodiment, the user interface 400 may be mounted on a panel and may further include a display 402 and a keyboard 404 to facilitate selection of the tea water portion and tea type. In one embodiment, the keyboard 404 may be an alphanumeric keyboard or a touch pad. In some instances, as shown in fig. 1, the user interface 400 may be a Web-based application accessible via a computing device, including but not limited to a mobile phone, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, or any other similar device that facilitates a customer to access the Web-based application and select a tea leaf type and tea water fraction. The user interface 400 communicates with a controller 406 (see fig. 1) to receive input corresponding to tea variety while controlling the tea dispenser 104, the filter dispenser 198, the turret assembly 202 and the water dispenser 300 to dispense and provide selected tea water to a customer.

The controller 406 may be a remote controller or a controller mounted on the apparatus 100 and in communication with the user interface 400, the tea material dispenser 104, the filter dispenser 198, the turret assembly 202 and the water distributor 300. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the controller 406 may include a processor 408 for executing specified instructions that may control and monitor various functions associated with the apparatus 100. Processor 408 may be operatively connected to memory 410 for storing instructions related to the control of device 100 and its components.

The memory 410 is shown integrated into the controller 406. It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the memory 410 may be separate from the controller 406 and located on the device 100 and/or remote from the controller 406 and the device 100 while associated with the controller 406 and accessed by the controller 406 to store information in and retrieve information from the memory 410 as needed during operation of the device 100. The memory 410 may include a test script for running the device.

Initially, the processor 408 is configured to detect a cup placed on the base 302 and whether the cup is aligned with at least one of the faucets 306. The cup may be detected by a sensor (not shown) that is in communication with the processor 408. Upon detection of a cup on the base 302, the processor 408 drives the dispenser assembly 102 to rotate to align at least one filter dispenser 198 with at least one faucet 306. It will be appreciated that the two arms 308 of each tap are now in the off position. After the at least one filter dispenser 198 is aligned with the at least one faucet 306, the processor 408 is configured to control the filter dispenser 198 to dispense a cup filter into the arm 308 of the at least one faucet 306. The teacup filter may be secured to the crown 324 of the faucet 306. The processor 408 is further configured to drive the dispenser assembly 102 to rotate so that the at least one tea dispenser 104 is aligned with the tea filter held by the two arms 308 of the faucet 306 and then dispense tea leaves in the tea filter. For ease of illustration, the cup filter may now be held by the arm 308 of the faucet 306 and the cup may be placed under the cup filter. The processor 408 is further configured to control the dispenser 300 to dispense hot water in a tea-leaf-containing cup filter. The brewed tea can flow into a teacup below the teacup filter. The processor 408 is further configured to detect a cup removed from the base 302. After removal of the cup, the processor 408 may control the arm 308 of the tap 306 to move to the open position, placing the cup filter into the waste collector through the discharge opening 304; by moving the associated turnstile 336 to an open position, the discharge opening 304 may be positioned within the base 302. In some embodiments where tea bags are used to hold tea material, the operation of the filter dispenser 198 may be omitted. In this case, the tea material dispenser 104 may dispense tea bags directly into the cup. After the tea bag is dispensed, hot water from the tap 306 is dispensed into the cup of tea.

Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and drawings. The principles associated with the various embodiments described herein are equally applicable to other embodiments. Thus, the purpose of the description is not to be limited to the embodiments shown in connection with the drawings, but is to provide the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel and inventive features disclosed or suggested herein. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all other such alternatives, modifications, and variations that are within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.

Claims (24)

1. An integrated tea brewing and dispensing device, comprising:

a plurality of tea material dispensers operable to store at least one tea material and dispense the at least one tea material to at least one container; and

a water distributor having a plurality of taps, wherein at least one tap is operable to distribute water to at least one container;

wherein the at least one tea ingredient dispenser is movable into alignment with the at least one spigot.

2. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tea dispenser includes:

a first container assembly having a first container for holding tea material, a plunger for compressing the tea material by movement within the first container;

a second container assembly connected to the first container assembly and provided with a second container for receiving tea ingredients from the first container;

a conveyor provided in the second container for facilitating the transfer of tea material from the first container to an outlet of the second container;

a revolving door movable between an open position and a closed position; when the container is in the closed position, the revolving door covers the outlet of the second container; in the open position, the rotary door is rotated away from the outlet of the second container, and tea leaves can be dispensed through the outlet of the second container.

3. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the tea material dispenser includes an intermediate container assembly disposed between the first container assembly and the second container assembly, the intermediate container assembly being disposed with the intermediate container for receiving tea material from the first container.

4. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the first container assembly further comprising a vent valve for relieving pressure build-up in the first container.

5. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the first container assembly further comprising an air release valve.

6. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the conveyor is a screw conveyor.

7. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the rotary gate includes a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the tea material received by the conveyor.

8. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device of claim 7, wherein the rotatable door is rotatable to an open position when the weight of the tea material reaches a predetermined weight.

9. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the second container assembly comprising:

a guide means for receiving the conveyor and guiding the tea material towards the outlet of the second container;

a motor for driving the conveyor.

10. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the second container assembly comprising:

a screen for separating the tea material from the tea dust;

a tea dust collector for collecting tea dust.

11. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device of claim 3, wherein the intermediate container has a capacity of 25% of the first container.

12. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the tea material in the first container is disposed in a tea bag, and the tea material dispenser includes a piercing assembly disposed between the first container assembly and the intermediate container assembly for piercing the tea bag.

13. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device of claim 12, the spike assembly comprising:

a base with an opening;

the hollow round body is arranged at the opening and is provided with a plurality of blades at the periphery;

a rotating member in contact with the hollow round body for rotating the hollow round body and piercing the tea bag in the first container.

14. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device of claim 2, wherein the outlet axis of the second container is offset from the inlet axis of the second container.

15. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus of claim 1, the tea material dispenser further comprising at least one scanner for scanning an identification code on the tea bag to track the expiration date and purity of the tea material used for brewing the tea.

16. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a turret assembly for moving the plurality of tea material dispensers.

17. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 16, the turret assembly including:

a housing having a plurality of gears at an inner periphery thereof;

at least one motor connected with the gear is arranged in the shell, and the at least one motor is used for driving the gear so as to rotate the shell.

18. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 17 wherein the turret assembly further includes an air compressor for supplying pressurized air to the first container for driving movement of the plunger within the first container.

19. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 18, wherein the turret assembly further includes a solenoid valve to allow pressurized air to flow from the air compressor to the first container.

20. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a dispenser for dispensing the filter.

21. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the faucet includes two arms that are movable to an off position and an on position.

22. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the faucet further comprises a lid, the raised portion of the lid being adapted to support a rim of the container.

23. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device of claim 21, wherein the water dispenser further comprises a gear system for controlling movement of the two arms.

24. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the water distributor further includes a base having a plurality of water discharge openings;

a plurality of rotating members for opening and closing the plurality of drain openings.

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