JP3059087B2 - Beverage extractor - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage extractor used for a drip coffee machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a drip-type beverage extractor, as shown in FIG. 11, a server 2 and a filter cup 3 are sequentially stacked on a heater 1 and water stored in a tank 4 is passed through a check valve 5. When the filter cup 3 is supplied to the heater 1 and heated, it flows in the discharge pipe 6 and
And extract the coffee extract into the server 2.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional drip-type coffee maker, the water level of the discharge pipe 6 rises to the level of the water contained in the tank 4.
Even if the heating is performed by the heater 1, there is a problem that the water in the lower region of the discharge pipe 6 only partially boil, and the hot water discharged to the filter cup 3 does not become a boiling state, but has a slightly lower temperature.

[0004] The principle of discharging hot water from the discharge pipe 6 is that steam generated by heating the heater 1 moves in the discharge pipe 6 so that the hot water flows at the same time. Therefore, as the inner diameter of the discharge pipe 6 becomes larger, it becomes more difficult to flow the hot water by the steam, and there is a problem that only the steam flows out of the discharge pipe 6 and the hot water cannot be supplied to the filter cup 3.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a drip-type beverage extractor capable of smoothly supplying boiling water to a filter cup with a simple structure.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, hot water is dropped from above onto coffee powder or the like housed in a filter cup via a filter, thereby disposing the hot water below the filter cup. In a beverage extractor configured to collect an extract such as coffee by a server, a sealed container containing water to be heated and heated, one end of which is opened near a bottom surface of the sealed container, and the other end is located above a filter cup. A discharge pipe that is open in the closed vessel, the discharge pipe includes a vertical portion located in the closed container, and the vertical portion is provided above the surface of the water contained in the closed container and increases the internal pressure of the closed container. Provide a pressure reducing means for suppressing, before the water in the closed container boils, so that the contained water hardly flows in the discharge pipe and is not supplied into the filter cup,
The water contained in the closed container is heated to generate steam, and receives the rising internal pressure to flow through the discharge pipe and be supplied to the filter cup. Thus, the water vapor does not blow out into the filter cup and does not adversely affect the surroundings (particularly, the human body).

[0007] It is preferable that the components such as the filter cup and the server are configured to be accommodated in a closed container, and the lid is locked to the container body. Accordingly, when the components are stored in a closed container when not in use, not only are they compact and convenient to carry and suitable for use outdoors, etc., but also the storage space can be reduced.

[0008]

[0009]

[0010]

[0011]

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view of a drip type coffee maker which is a beverage extractor according to the present invention. The coffee maker generally includes a closed container 11, a filter cup 12, and a server 13.

The closed container 11 is a container in which the upper opening of a bottomed cylindrical container body 14 made of heat-resistant glass or the like is closed with a lid 15. A water level line 16 is drawn on the outer peripheral surface of the container body 14, and a handle 17 is mounted near the water level line 16. The handle 17 has a substantially U-shape formed by bending a metal bar along the outer peripheral surface of the container body 14, and is bent in a direction in which both ends thereof are close to each other, and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the container body 14.
8 is rotatably locked to the locking portion 18a.

A recess 19 is formed at the center of the lid 15, and a knob 20 is screwed into a male screw 19a projecting from the center. The recess 19 allows the lid 15
The server 13 described below can be stably mounted on the lid 15 by preventing the knob 20 from protruding. A packing 21 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the lid 15 so that when the upper opening of the container body 14 is closed, the inside can be sealed. Further, a through-hole 15a is formed in the cover 15, and a discharge pipe 22 is detachably mounted therein.

The discharge pipe 22 is formed by connecting a lower end pipe 23, an intermediate pipe 24, an upper pipe 25, and an upper end horizontal pipe 26 by screwing. The lower end pipe 23 is screwed to the intermediate pipe 24 attached to the lid 15, and when the upper opening of the container body 14 is closed by the lid 15, the lower end opening is located near the bottom surface of the container body 14. It has become.

As shown in FIG. 2, a water amount adjusting nut 27 is screwed into the lower end opening of the lower end pipe 23 so as to adjust the opening area. The water amount adjusting nut 27 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom, a female screw portion 27a is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, and a water intake hole 27b is formed in the center of the bottom surface. On the other hand, the lower end opening of the lower end pipe 23 has a male screw portion 2 with which the female screw portion 27a of the water amount adjusting nut 27 is screwed to the outer peripheral portion.
3a is formed, and a tapered projection 23b is held at the center by a plurality of ribs extending from the opening edge. Accordingly, the gap formed between the water intake hole 27b and the projection 23b, that is, the opening area is adjusted by screwing the water amount adjusting nut 27 into the lower end opening of the lower end pipe 23 and changing the screwing position. Is available.

FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c) show, for example, the water amount adjusting nut 27 in order to prevent clogging due to foreign matter.
May be adopted. In FIG. 3A, a semi-cylindrical rib 2 is provided around a water intake hole 27b of the water amount adjusting nut 27.
7c is formed. In FIG. 3B, a notch 27d is formed at a diagonal position of a cylindrical rib 27c formed around the water intake hole 27b. Further, FIG.
In (c), a part of the water intake hole 27b is cut out toward the outer diameter side to form a keyhole shape. However, when the water amount adjusting nut 27 is not provided, the clogging prevention structure may be formed directly at the lower end opening of the lower end pipe 23.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower end pipe 23 is provided with a steam hole 28 communicating the outside and the upper space in the closed vessel 11 to constitute a pressure reducing means. . As shown in the graph of FIG. 4, the steam hole 28 can be discharged from the discharge pipe 22 to the filter cup 12 when the vapor pressure (internal pressure) rises immediately before the water in the closed container 11 boils. It is formed so that it becomes. As a result, as in the case where the steam hole 28 is not provided (shown by the upper graph in FIG. 4), it is possible to avoid exceeding the dischargeable vapor pressure before boiling.

A plurality of discharge ports 26a are formed in the lower surface of the upper horizontal pipe 26 so that boiling water rising through these discharge ports 26a can be evenly dropped into the filter cup 12. .

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a sound generating member 26b may be provided in the internal flow path of the upper horizontal pipe 26 as shown in FIG. This sound generating member 2
As a material that can be used for 6b, for example, a structure that emits sound when steam passes, such as a structure adopted in a whistle kettle, can be used. Since the sound generating member 26b is provided near the screw portion between the upper horizontal pipe 26 and the upper pipe 25, the sound generating member 26b can be easily replaced simply by detaching the upper horizontal pipe 26 from the upper pipe 25. .

The filter cup 12 is formed in a conical shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases as it goes downward. A through hole 12a is formed at the tip, and a pedestal portion 12b extends toward the outer periphery. ing. A substantially U-shaped handle 29 is rotatably connected to a diagonal position of an upper opening edge of the filter cup 12 so that the filter cup 12 can be hung at a predetermined position of the discharge pipe 22. . A locking hole 29a is formed at the center of the handle 29 of the filter cup 12, and the locking portion 22a protruding above the discharge pipe 22 is locked to allow the filter cup to be suspended in the suspended state. 12 is prevented from shifting. Further, the filter cup 1
A filter 30 is provided inside 2 so that coffee powder can be stored therein.

The server 13 has a bottomed cylindrical shape substantially similar to the container body 14 of the closed container 11 and has a handle 31. The server 13 can be placed on the lid 15 and has a size that can be accommodated in the closed container 11.

The coffee maker having the above configuration is used as follows. First, the water level line 1
A predetermined amount of water is stored based on No. 6 and set as shown in FIG. Then, the contained water is heated by heating means such as thermal power. When the water temperature rises and steam is generated, the internal pressure in the space above the closed container 11 increases. Although the water surface is pushed down by the increased steam pressure, a part of the steam is discharged to the outside through the steam holes 28 as described above.
Therefore, in the state before boiling, the contained water does not rise up the discharge pipe 22 and reach the inside of the filter cup 12. When the water in the closed container 11 boils, the internal pressure becomes sufficiently large and the boiling water is discharged into the filter cup 12 through the discharge pipe 22, so that the coffee extract can be obtained in the server 13. The coffee extract thus obtained is placed above the closed container 11 and the closed container 1
Heat is received from the heating means via 1 to keep the temperature.

When the coffee maker is not used, as shown in FIGS.
If the other components, that is, the filter cup 12, the server 13, and the discharge pipe 22, are housed therein, it is very compact and easy to carry and store. In this case, as shown in FIG.
It is preferable that an outer peripheral edge of the lid 15 be sandwiched between opening edges of the container body 14.

In the above embodiment, the pressure reducing means is constituted by the steam hole 28. However, as shown in FIG.
The through hole 15a formed in the lid 15 may be opened and closed by the plug 35. Further, the discharge pipe 22 is connected to the container body 1.
4 may be connected to another portion such as the lower side surface. The plug 35 is a cylindrical body 33 mounted inside the lid 15.
And is moved up and down by a spring 34 also housed in the cylindrical body 33. The cylindrical body 33
A plurality of ventilation holes 33a are formed in the upper side surface of the closed container 11 so that the inside and outside of the sealed container 11 communicate with each other through the ventilation holes 33a and the through holes 15a. The spring 34
Is formed of a shape memory alloy or the like, and contracts before the water contained in the closed container 11 boils, and returns to its shape and expands when boiling. Thereby, the through hole 15a and the ventilation section 33a can be opened by the plug 35 before boiling, and can be closed at the time of boiling.

In the above embodiment, the closed container 11
Above, the server 13 and the filter cup 12 are sequentially stacked. However, it is not always necessary to use the server 13 and the filter cup 12 in such a stacked state. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, after projecting the discharge pipe 22 from the closed container 11,
The server 13 and the filter cup 12 can be arranged on the side if they are extended to the side.
The arrangement can be freely changed according to the place of use or the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the steam holes 28 are provided in the discharge pipe 22. However, it is needless to say that the steam holes 28 may be provided in the lid 15 and, in some cases, in the container body 14. If the steam holes 28 are provided in the lid 15, the steam discharged through the steam holes 28 is blown to the server 13, so that the heat retaining state can be further improved.

In the above embodiment, the lower end pipe 2
The water amount adjusting nut 27 having the configuration shown in FIG.
Is provided, but the configuration shown in FIG. 9 may be used. That is, in the water amount adjusting nut 27, a water intake hole 27b extending in the circumferential direction is provided below the side surface, and is simply rotatably mounted on the lower end pipe 23 instead of being screwed as described above. On the other hand, the lower end pipe 23 has
A plurality of through holes 23a are formed in a side surface of a portion covered by the water amount adjusting nut 27. Then, the opening area is adjusted by changing the rotational position of the water amount adjusting nut 27 and increasing or decreasing the number of through holes 23a of the lower end pipe 23 that opens into the water intake hole 27b.

When the discharge pipe 22 is provided on the lower side surface of the container body 14 as shown in FIG. 7, the amount of water may be adjusted by the structure shown in FIG. That is, by changing the position of the plug member 37 inserted through the discharge pipe 22 via the packing 36, the discharge pipe 22 and the container
What is necessary is just to adjust the opening degree of the communication hole 14c formed in the connection part with this.

In the above embodiment, coffee extraction has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
2 may contain black tea, green tea, oolong tea, or the like, and extract the extract thereof.

The heat source may be any method other than thermal power, such as using an electric heater or performing electromagnetic induction heating using the container body 14 as a magnetic material. It may be built in.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view showing a drip-type coffee maker according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a water amount adjusting nut provided on a lower end pipe of FIG. 1;

3 (a) to 3 (c) are a partial sectional view and a plan view showing various clogging prevention structures in the closed container of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing a relationship between a water temperature in a closed container and an internal pressure.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a sound generating member provided on an upper horizontal pipe of FIG. 1;

6A and 6B are a perspective view and a front sectional view of a closed container showing a state in which the other components of FIG. 1 are housed.

FIG. 7 is an overall sectional view showing a coffee maker provided with another decompression means.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing another use mode of the coffee maker of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing another water amount adjusting nut.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing still another water amount adjusting nut.

FIG. 11 is an overall sectional view showing a drip-type coffee maker according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Closed container 12 Filter cup 13 Server 14 Container body 15 Lid 22 Discharge pipe 28 Steam hole (decompression means)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-227214 (JP, A) JP-A-55-101229 (JP, A) JP-A-4-367631 (JP, A) 124787 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 58-112231 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 40-10779 (JP, Y1) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47J 31/057 A47J 31 / 44

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A beverage in which hot water is dropped from above onto coffee powder or the like housed in a filter cup via a filter so that an extract such as coffee is collected by a server disposed below the filter cup. In the extractor, a closed vessel containing water and heated, and a discharge pipe having one end opened near the bottom surface of the closed vessel and the other end opened above the filter cup, wherein the discharge pipe is a closed vessel A vertical portion located in the vertical portion, provided in the upper portion of the water surface of the water contained in the closed container, provided with a pressure reducing means for suppressing an increase in the internal pressure of the closed container, water in the closed container is provided Before boiling, the stored water hardly flows in the discharge pipe so as not to be supplied to the filter cup, and the water stored in the closed container is heated to generate steam and rise. That pressure receiving and flowing in the discharge pipe, a beverage extractor, characterized in that the to be supplied into the filter cup. 2. The beverage extractor according to claim 1, wherein the components such as the filter cup and the server are configured to be accommodated in a closed container, and a lid is locked to the container body.