JP2008142438A - Beverage extraction device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user-friendly beverage extraction device having a simplified operation procedure. <P>SOLUTION: This beverage extraction device is provided with a vessel 2 storing drinking water and having a hot water outlet 15 at its base, a heating device 3 disposed at the base of the vessel 2 and heating the drinking water, a lid 5 covering the upper opening part of the vessel 2, a pack storage part 10 having a nozzle 7 forming a fixing flange 6 and storing and fixing a beverage pack 8 tightly sealingly storing powdered beverage in its inside, a pack door 12 openably/closably covering a front face opening part 10a of the pack storage part 10 by an external operation, an opening device 14 having an injector 13 for discharging the drinking water in the vessel 2 to a beverage pack 8 and opening the beverage pack 8, and an extractor 17 sending the drinking water in the vessel 2 via an extraction route 16 for communicating the hot water outlet 15 with the injector 13, wherein the beverage pack 8 can be opened by a single closing operation of the pack door 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage extractor that can easily drink a fresh and delicious beverage at any time by a beverage pack in which beverages such as coffee, tea, and cocoa are sealed one by one.

Conventionally, this type of beverage extractor opens a beverage fixing part that can be opened and closed by pushing down an operation lever, sets a beverage pack in an opened beverage fixing part, closes the beverage fixing part, and pushes down the operation lever to It is the structure which opens a pack (for example, refer patent document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-070165

  However, in the configuration of the conventional beverage extractor, since the operation for closing the beverage fixing portion and the operation for opening the beverage pack are performed by pushing the operation lever down, two-step operations are required, and there are many operation procedures and ease of use. Had the problem of being bad.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and it aims at providing the drink extractor which simplifies an operation procedure and is easy to use.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a beverage extractor of the present invention includes a container containing drinking water and having a tap at the bottom, a heating device arranged at the bottom of the container and heating the drinking water, A lid that covers the upper open portion of the container, a pack storage portion that has a nozzle that forms a fixing flange, and stores and fixes a beverage pack in which a powdered beverage or the like is sealed and stored inside, and the front opening of the pack storage portion by external operation A pack door that opens and closes the container; an injector that discharges the drinking water in the container into the beverage pack; and an unsealing device that opens the beverage pack; and an extraction path that communicates the tap and the injector An extraction device for delivering the drinking water in the container through, and opening the beverage pack by the opening device in conjunction with the closing operation of the pack door. The only times of the closing operation, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use beverage extraction machine to simplify the operation procedure it is possible to open the nozzle of the beverage pack.

  Since the beverage extractor of the present invention can open the nozzle of the beverage pack only by closing the pack door, the operation procedure can be simplified and an easy-to-use beverage extractor can be provided.

  A first invention includes a container that contains drinking water and has a tap at the bottom, a heating device that is disposed at the bottom of the container and heats the drinking water, a lid that covers the upper open portion of the container, and a fixing device A pack housing part for housing and fixing a beverage pack having a nozzle forming a flange and hermetically storing a powdered beverage, and the like; a pack door for opening and closing the front open part of the pack housing part by an external operation; and the container An extraction device that has an injector that discharges the drinking water in the beverage pack and that opens the beverage pack, and that extracts the drinking water in the container via an extraction path that communicates the hot water outlet and the injector. The beverage pack is opened by the opening device in conjunction with the closing operation of the pack door, and the beverage pack nozzle is opened only by one closing operation of the pack door. It is possible to seal capable of providing a simplified operating procedure easy-to-use beverage extraction machine.

  In particular, the second invention relates to a path switching device disposed between the extraction device of the first invention and the injector, a second injector that discharges drinking water in a container to a cup or the like, and the path switching device. A second extraction path communicating with the second injector, and a switching device for switching the second extraction path and the extraction path from the path switching device to the injector by an external operation. Compared to a switch using a switching valve or the like, it can be constructed at a low cost.

  In the third invention, in particular, the opening device of the first or second invention has a cam mechanism. For example, when the injector is biased upward by a spring or the like, when the pack door is closed, Even if the injector is pushed down, the state is held by the cam mechanism, so that no additional holding mechanism is required, and the structure can be simplified.

  In particular, the fourth invention is a menu selection for selecting an extraction method according to the type of beverage pack of the second or third invention, and an external operation unit of the switching device integrated into one switching knob. The number of points can be reduced, and it is easy to operate and understand.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a beverage extractor according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 (a) is a second link and operation of an injector when the pack door of the beverage extractor is opened. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the operation of the second link and the injector in a state where the pack door of the beverage extractor is closed.

  1, 2 (a) and 2 (b), the beverage extractor in the present embodiment is arranged on the main body 1, the container 2 stored in the main body 1, and the bottom surface of the container 2, and the beverage in the container 2 A heating device 3 for heating and keeping water, a lid 5 having a vapor passage 4 covering the upper open portion of the container 2 in a liquid-tight manner, a beverage pack 8 having a nozzle 7 having a fixing flange 6, and a front portion being opened. A pack storage portion 10 having a fixing portion 9 for fixing the fixing flange 6 of the beverage pack 8 and a rotating shaft 11 in the horizontal direction below so as to openably open and close the front opening portion 10a of the pack storage portion 10. A pack door 12 pivotally supported on the main body 1 and opened and closed by an external operation; an injector 13 for discharging hot water in the container 2 into the beverage pack 8; and an unsealing device 14 for opening the beverage pack 8; Outlet 1 provided on the bottom of the container 2 An extraction path 16 that communicates with the injector 13 of the unsealing device 14, an extraction apparatus 17 that is arranged in the middle of the extraction path 16 and sends hot water in the container 2 to the beverage pack 8, and an extraction path between the extraction apparatus 17 and the injector 13 16, an air passage 18 branched from the middle of the air passage 16, an air pump 19 provided at one end of the air passage 18, an opening / closing operation of the pack door 12, and an operation of the opening device 14 for opening the beverage pack 8. 20, a display operation unit 21 disposed on the front surface of the upper portion of the main body 1, a temperature sensor 22 disposed in the center of the heating device 3 at the bottom of the container 2, a beverage pack presence / absence detection device (not shown), a door A heating device 3, an air pump 19, and an extraction device 1 based on signals from a closing detection device (not shown), a display operation unit 21, a beverage pack presence detection device, a door closing detection device, a temperature sensor 22, and the like. 7, a cup stand 25 for placing a cup 24 for receiving an extracted beverage, and a tray 26 detachably attached to the main body 1 for receiving a spilled beverage.

  A first link arm 27 is integrally formed around the rotary shaft 11 of the pack door 12.

  The unsealing device 14 includes a first link 28 integrally formed with the injector 13, and a cam mechanism 31 that is pivotally supported by the main body 1 and integrally formed with a cam 30 and a second link arm 29. A roller 32 is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the first link 28 at the contact portion between the link 28 and the cam 30, and the first link 28 is vertically moved in a state of being biased upward by a spring (not shown). The rotary shaft 27a at the tip of the first link arm 27 and the rotary shaft 29a at the tip of the second link arm 29 of the cam mechanism 31 are supported by the main body 1 so as to be slidable in the direction. It is configured to be connected by a link 33.

  The operation and action of the beverage extractor in the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  Drinking water is placed in the container 2 and heated by the heating device 3, and the drinking water is kept at a predetermined temperature by the control device 23 while detecting the temperature by the temperature sensor 22.

  The pack door 12 is opened to the front by an external operation, and the beverage pack 8 is set and fixed at a predetermined position of the pack storage unit 10.

  When the pack door 12 is closed, the second link of the cam mechanism 31 is linked to the operation from the first link arm 27 formed on the pack door 12 through the second link 33 of the opening interlock device 20. Conducted from the arm 29 through the cam 30 to the first link 28 from the roller 32 of the first link 28, the injector 13 moves downward, and its tip pierces the nozzle 7 of the beverage pack 8 and opens it. When the pack door 12 is closed, it can be easily closed with one hand and one finger.

  Thereafter, the extraction device 17 is driven, hot water is sent to the beverage pack 8 according to a predetermined program, and the lower side of the four sides of the beverage pack 8 is opened with hot water, and further beverages such as coffee and tea inside are extracted. Then, the air pump 19 is driven to discharge the remaining beverage in the beverage pack 8 to the cup 24 with air so that the beverage pack 8 can be taken out without worrying about burns.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the beverage pack 8 can be opened only in conjunction with the closing operation of the pack door 12, it is possible to provide a beverage extractor that simplifies the operation procedure and is easy to use. Is.

  Further, when the unsealing device 14 is constituted only by a link mechanism without adopting the cam mechanism 31, the first link 28 biased upward by the spring by the second link 33 by the closing operation of the pack door 12 is moved. Even if it is pushed down once, the pack door 12 is opened by the urging force of this spring, so an additional holding mechanism for holding the pushed down state is required. In this embodiment, the cam mechanism 31 is adopted. Therefore, when the pack door 12 is closed, the first link 28 is pushed downward, that is, the pack door 12 is closed even though the first link 28 is biased upward by the spring. Therefore, the structure of the opening device 14 can be simplified and can be configured at low cost.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of the beverage extractor according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4A is a portion after the extraction of the cream beverage at the time of the action of the extraction path of the path switching device of the beverage extractor. FIG. 5B is a combination diagram of whipped cream and coffee during the operation of the extraction path of the path switching device of the beverage extractor, and FIG. 5 is the operation of the second extraction path of the path switching device of the beverage extractor. FIG. 4 is a partial view of the cream beverage after whipping. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same component as the drink extractor in the said 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Differences from the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

  3-5, the drink extractor in this Embodiment is the junction 34 of the extraction path | route 16 which connects the injector 13 of the unsealing apparatus 14, the tap 15 of the container 2, and the air path 18 of the extraction path | route 16. As shown in FIG. A path switching device 35 that switches between two paths, and a second extraction path that communicates the second injector 36 that directly discharges drinking water to the cup 24 and the path switching device 35. 37 and a switching device 38 for switching the route of the route switching device 35 by an external operation. The route switching device 35 is in communication with the extraction route 16 on the normal injector 13 side, and is operated by pushing down the valve shaft 39. The communication is switched to the communication with the second extraction path 37.

  The pressing operation of the valve shaft 39 is performed by a switching device 38 that can be operated from the outside. The switching device 38 includes a switching knob 40 to be externally operated and a switching cam 41 connected thereto, and is supported by the main body 1 so as to be rotatable.

  About the drink extractor in this Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  Differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

  There are many types of beverage packs 8. For example, in the case of ordinary coffee or tea, the beverage pack 8 is extracted with the route switching device 35 kept in a normal state, that is, in a state where it is communicated with the extraction route 16 side.

  On the other hand, when a powdered cream is foamed and placed on a coffee or the like, the beverage is extracted using two types of beverage packs, that is, a cream pack and a coffee pack.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), hot water is first sent to the injector 13 with a cream pack, the beverage pack 8 is opened, and hot water and cream powder are mixed to make a cream solution.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the switching knob 40 is operated, the valve shaft 39 is pushed down by the switching cam 41, the path is switched to the second injector 36 side where the opening area of the tip is smaller than the injector 13, Hot water is vigorously discharged into a cream solution in which the cream powder in the cup 24 is melted with hot water and foamed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the switching knob 40 is operated to switch to the injector 13 side, the pack door 12 is opened, the next coffee pack is set, and extraction by the injector 13 is performed. It is set as the structure which can make the coffee which put the whipping cream like 4 (b).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the path is switched by an external operation of the path switching device 35, the switching valve is compared with that configured by an electric drive system such as a solenoid valve switching valve. In addition, the cost of the control circuit can be suppressed and the configuration can be made inexpensively. It also gives the user enjoyment of operating the machine.

(Embodiment 3)
6 (a) is a perspective view of a display operation unit of a beverage extractor according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, (b) a perspective view of a switching device of the beverage extractor, and (c) a display operation of the beverage extractor. It is a top view of a part. In addition, about the same component as the drink extractor in the said embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted. The contents different from those of the second embodiment will be described below.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the switching device 38 can switch between “creamy pack”, “whipping”, and “coffee / tea”. “Creamy Pack”, “Bubbling”, and “Coffee / Tea” are displayed on the screen. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the beverage extractor in the second embodiment, description of that part is omitted.

  The switching device 38 is formed with a switching cam 41 that is linked to the switching knob 40, and includes a first protrusion 43 that acts on the valve shaft 39, and “creamy pack”, “foaming”, “ It comprises a second projection 47 acting on three switches 44, 45, 46 arranged corresponding to each of "coffee / tea".

  The operation and action of the beverage extractor in the present embodiment configured as described above are as follows.

  When the powdered cream is whipped and drinked on coffee or the like, the switching knob 40 is set to “Creamy Pack”, and the second protrusion 47 of the switching cam 41 acts on the switch 44 corresponding to “Creamy Pack”. To extract the powdered cream.

  Next, the switching knob 40 is turned to the “foaming” position, the second projection 47 acts on the switch 45 corresponding to “foaming”, and the first projection 43 acts on the valve shaft 39 of the path switching device 35. Then, switching to the second extraction path 37, the powdered cream extract is bubbled with hot water.

  Further, when the switch is replaced with a coffee pack and the switching knob 40 is turned to the “coffee / tea” position, the second protrusion 47 acts on the switch 46 corresponding to “coffee / tea”, and coffee can be extracted.

  As described above, according to the beverage extractor of the present embodiment, in addition to the effects of the second embodiment, the menu selection and the switching of the route switching device 35 are integrated into one switching knob 40. The menu selection and the switching operation of the route switching device 35 can be performed with one switching knob 40, and a beverage extractor that is easy to operate and easy to understand can be provided. In addition, the user can enjoy operating the machine.

  As described above, the beverage extractor according to the present invention can open the nozzle of the beverage pack with only one closing operation of the pack door, and the operation procedure is simplified and easy to use. Widely applicable to commercial beverage extractors.

Overall configuration diagram of a beverage extractor according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention (A) The operation | movement of the 2nd link and injector in the state which opened the pack door of the drink extractor (b) The second link and injector of the drink extractor in the closed state Diagram showing operation (opened beverage pack) The whole block diagram of the beverage extractor in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention (A) The partial figure after cream drink extraction at the time of the action | operation of the extraction path | route of the path | route switching apparatus of the same beverage extractor (b) The combination figure of whipped cream and coffee at the time of the action | operation of the extraction path | route of the path | route switching apparatus of the same beverage extractor Partial view after whipping cream drink at the time of the action of the second extraction path of the path switching device of the beverage extractor (A) Perspective view of display operation unit of beverage extractor in Embodiment 3 of the present invention (b) Perspective view of switching device of beverage extractor (c) Plan view of display operation unit of beverage extractor

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Container 3 Heating device 5 Lid 6 Flange 7 Nozzle 8 Beverage pack 10 Pack storage part 10a Front opening part 12 Pack door 13 Injector 14 Unsealing apparatus 15 Hot water outlet 16 Extraction path 17 Extraction apparatus 20 Unsealing interlock apparatus 31 Cam mechanism 35 path Switching device 36 Second injector 37 Second extraction path 38 Switching device 40 Switching knob

Claims (4)

A container containing drinking water and having a tap at the bottom; a heating device disposed at the bottom of the container for heating the drinking water; a lid for covering the upper open portion of the container; and a nozzle for forming a fixing flange. A pack storage unit for storing and fixing a beverage pack in which a powdered beverage or the like is sealed and stored inside, a pack door that covers an open front portion of the pack storage unit by an external operation, and a potable water in the container. An opening device that has an injector for discharging into the beverage pack and that opens the beverage pack; and an extraction device that delivers the drinking water in the container through an extraction path that communicates the tap and the injector, A beverage extractor that opens the beverage pack by the opening device in conjunction with a closing operation of the pack door. A path switching device disposed between the extraction device and the injector; a second injector that discharges drinking water in the container to a cup; and a second extraction path that communicates the path switching device and the second injector. The beverage extractor according to claim 1, further comprising: a switching device that switches the second extraction route and the extraction route from the route switching device to the injector by an external operation. The beverage extractor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening device has a cam mechanism. The beverage extractor according to claim 2 or 3, wherein menu selection for selecting an extraction method according to a type of beverage pack and an external operation unit of the switching device are integrated into one switching knob.

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