JP3155530B2 - coffee maker - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an espresso type,
It relates to a coffee maker that can make coffee by either drip method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a coffee extracting device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-120434 as a coffee extracting device which can produce both espresso coffee and regular coffee by switching the pressure of the coffee extracting section with the same device. Have been. This conventional coffee extraction device is for a vending machine, and uses pressurized air to extract both regular coffee and espresso coffee because it is necessary to extract it in a short time. In this case, steam is blown to the coffee powder before extraction.

[0003]

However, such a conventional dual-purpose coffee extracting apparatus is a large-scale apparatus because it employs an extraction system using pressurized air as described above.
There is a problem that cannot be applied to a home coffee maker.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and can be reduced in size by using a steam pressure system so that it can be used at home. In addition, either espresso coffee or regular coffee can be used. However, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coffee maker that can switch and extract according to a user's preference.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coffee maker having a sealable water tank formed in an apparatus main body, and a water tank in the apparatus main body for heating and boiling water in the water tank. A built-in heater, a dripper detachably mounted on a dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body, a bottle for storing a coffee extract extracted by the dripper, and a bottle near the bottom of the water tank in the apparatus main body. The dripper is provided with a pumping pipe provided in a portion reaching the inside of the dripper, and pressure adjusting means for switching the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open state to the atmosphere.

In the coffee maker according to the first aspect of the present invention,
A water tank is filled with a required amount of water and hermetically sealed, a dripper containing coffee powder is mounted on a dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body, and the water in the water tank is heated and boiled by a heater. Also, depending on the user's preference, the inside of the dripper is switched to a substantially closed state by the pressure adjusting means when making espresso coffee, and the inside of the dripper is kept open to the atmosphere by the pressure adjusting means when making regular coffee. When the water in the water tank boils, the water tank is sealed and the vapor pressure inside the tank rises to pressurize the liquid level of the hot water, and the hot water is ejected into the dripper through the pumping pipe to make coffee. The liquid can be extracted and the coffee extract can be dropped and stored in the bottle.

At this time, if the inside of the dripper is kept closed by the pressure adjusting means, the extraction pressure of the coffee liquid increases as the vapor pressure increases, and espresso coffee can be produced. If the inside of the dripper is kept open to the atmosphere, the coffee liquid can be extracted (drip extraction) by the weight of the hot water spouted into the dripper, and regular coffee can be produced. In other words, by switching the pressure in the dripper by the pressure adjusting means, both espresso coffee and regular coffee can be produced by the same coffee maker.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the first aspect, the pressure adjusting means makes the inside of the dripper substantially closed by bringing the upper edge of the opening of the dripper into close contact with the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion. The inside of the dripper is opened to the atmosphere by leaving a gap between the dripper and the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion. Espresso coffee can be made by extracting coffee with the edges in close contact, and extracting coffee with a gap between the lower surface of the dripper mounting part and the upper edge of the dripper opening Can make regular coffee.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the second aspect, the pressure adjusting means enables horizontal rotation of the dripper in a state where the upper edge of the opening of the dripper is mounted on the apparatus main body. According to the magnitude of the rotation angle, the upper edge of the opening of the dripper adjusts the pressure contact force of pressing the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion to switch the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open-to-atmosphere state.

[0010] In the coffee maker according to the third aspect of the present invention,
Either espresso coffee or regular coffee can be extracted as desired by mounting the dripper on the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus body and adjusting the angle of horizontal rotation.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the first aspect, means for supporting the pressure adjusting means so that an upper edge of the opening of the dripper is brought into close contact with the apparatus main body, and A vent provided to an upper edge of the opening of the dripper; an on-off valve for opening and closing the vent; and operating means for opening and closing the on-off valve.

[0012] In the coffee maker according to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
The dripper is mounted on the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body in a state where the upper edge of the opening is in close contact. The espresso coffee and the regular coffee can be extracted as desired by operating the opening / closing valve by operating means to close or open the air hole. In the coffee maker, the water tank portion is provided on one of the left and right sides of the apparatus main body, and a mill portion is provided on the other of the left and right sides. A dripper mounting part for mounting the upper edge of the opening of the dripper is provided at a position corresponding to the remaining one vertex, and a bottle supporting part for supporting the bottle is provided below the dripper mounting part. Since the water tank and the mill section are located on the left and right of the apparatus, the weight of the entire apparatus can be balanced, and the apparatus becomes mechanically stable.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the first to fifth aspects, an extraction port adjusting means for adjusting the opening area of the extraction port of the coffee extract of the dripper is provided. By adjusting the means, the opening area of the extraction opening can be adjusted to be large and small, and the extraction concentration of the coffee liquid can be adjusted.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the first to sixth aspects, a stainless steel belt is wound around an outer periphery of the dripper, and the dripper portion is reinforced by a stainless steel belt and has a heat retaining function. it can.

[0015] The coffee maker of the invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that a sealable water tank formed in the apparatus main body, a heater incorporated in the apparatus main body for boiling water in the water tank, Water is drawn out from the bottom of the water tank to the heater section, and a circulating pipe for discharging hot water heated by the heater into the upper air in the water tank, and can be attached to and detached from the dripper mounting section of the apparatus main body. A dripper attached to the dripper, a bottle for storing the coffee extract extracted by the dripper, a pumping pipe provided in a portion extending from near the bottom of the water tank in the apparatus body to the inside of the dripper; Pressure adjusting means for switching between a closed state and an open-to-atmosphere state, and a portion of the pumping pipe exposed in the upper air of the water tank. It is obtained by forming a pressure adjusting hole at a position higher than the outlet of the hot water in the circulation pipe.

In the coffee maker according to the invention of claim 8,
After injecting the required amount of water into the water tank, it is sealed, heated and boiled by a heater, and the steam pressure in the water tank is increased to send out the hot water in the water tank into the dripper by a pumping pipe. By providing a pressure adjusting hole at the position of the gas phase above the water tank, the vapor pressure of the gas phase only becomes sufficiently high, that is, the liquid level of the hot water is pushed down by the vapor pressure only when it is sufficiently boiled. In addition, hot water is extruded from the pumping pipe into the dripper, and low-temperature water with insufficient heating is not extruded to the dripper side. Moreover, by providing the pressure adjusting hole at a position higher than the discharge port of the circulation pipe in the water tank, even if the user mistakenly injects excessive water into the water tank by a certain amount, the discharge pipe of the circulation pipe can be used. Since the outlet is visible to the user from the outside, the water is not injected until the water level is higher than the height, so that the coffee can always be extracted by sufficiently boiling hot water.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the first to eighth aspects, a handle is provided on the dripper, and the dripper is provided with an apparatus for extracting coffee using high-temperature water and then discarding the coffee powder. It is easy to handle when detached from the main unit and carried.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the first to ninth aspects, a siphon tube is provided at an inner bottom portion of the dripper, and a coffee extract is dropped from the siphon tube to the bottle. If the liquid level falls below the suction port, the coffee extract will not be sucked up, so the drainage of the coffee extract of the dripper will be better and the potapota and coffee liquid will continue to drip on the bottle support forever after removing the bottle Can be prevented from being soiled.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the coffee maker of the first to tenth aspects, the edge which can cover a side periphery of an opening upper edge portion of the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body in a state where the dripper is mounted. A cover is provided, and even if the hot water sent out from the water tank to the dripper by the pumping pipe by steam pressurization blows out from the upper edge of the dripper opening for any reason, its side circumference The rim cover surrounding the can prevent splashing of hot water to the outside, which increases safety.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, a coffee maker
A sealable water tank with an open / close lid formed on one of the left and right sides of the apparatus body, a mill provided on the other of the left and right sides of the apparatus body, and for boiling the water in the water tank. A heater incorporated in the inside of the bottle support at the bottom front of the apparatus main body, and water is drawn out from the water bottom of the water tank to the heater, and the hot water heated by the heater is supplied to the inside of the water tank. A circulating pipe for discharging into the upper air, a triangular paper filter extraction system detachably mounted on a dripper mounting section in the upper front of the apparatus main body, and a dripper with a handle, and mounted on the bottle support section. A bottle for storing the coffee extract extracted by the dripper and keeping the temperature by the residual heat of the heater; and a dripper from near the bottom of the water tank in the apparatus body. The dripper is horizontally rotated with the pumping pipe provided in a part extending into the inside of the dripper, and depending on the magnitude of the rotation angle, the pressing contact force at which the upper edge of the opening of the dripper presses against the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion is adjusted. A pressure adjusting means for switching the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open-to-atmosphere state, and a first notation for an espresso indicating a rotational position at which the dripper is in a closed state on a front surface of the dripper mounting portion; A second notation for a drip indicating a rotational position where the dripper is open to the atmosphere and stably locked to the dripper mounting portion, and a set for indicating a position at which the dripper is attached to and detached from the dripper mounting portion. The third notation is provided.

In the coffee maker according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, a required amount of water is filled in a water tank, which is sealed, and a triangular paper filter containing coffee powder is attached to a dripper.
The dripper is mounted on a dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body, and the water in the water tank is circulated and heated by a heater to be boiled. Also, depending on the user's preference, when making espresso coffee, hold the handle and rotate the dripper to the first notation position for espresso to make the inside of the dripper hermetically sealed. By holding the dripper and rotating it to the second position for drip, the inside of the dripper is kept open to the atmosphere. When the water in the water tank boils, the water tank is sealed, so the vapor pressure inside the tank rises and pressurizes the liquid surface of the hot water, and the hot water is ejected into the dripper through the pumping pipe, and the The coffee liquid is extracted by the paper filter, and the coffee extract can be dropped and stored in the bottle.

If the inside of the dripper is kept closed by rotating the dripper to the first position for espresso by the pressure adjusting means, the extraction pressure of the coffee liquid increases as the vapor pressure increases, and the espresso increases. You can make coffee. If the inside of the dripper is opened to the atmosphere by rotating the dripper to the position of the second notation for drip, the coffee liquid is extracted by the weight of the hot water spouted into the dripper,
You can make regular coffee. That is, the pressure in the dripper is switched by mounting the dripper on the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus body and rotating it to the second notation position for drip or rotating it to the first notation position for espresso. One coffee maker can make both espresso coffee and regular coffee.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show the configuration of a coffee maker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the coffee maker of this embodiment, a water tank 2 is provided on one of the left and right sides of the apparatus main body 1, and a coffee mill 3 is provided on the other of the left and right sides.
The water tank 2 and the coffee mill 3 in the apparatus main body 1
The dripper mounting part 4 is provided so as to protrude forward from the upper part of the intermediate position of the dripper, and a bottle supporting part 5 is provided so as to face below the dripper mounting part 4. Attach the edge,
The bottle support 5 has a structure in which a bottle 7 for storing the coffee liquid extracted by the dripper 6 is placed. 3a is a mill switch, and 8 is a base for supporting the entire apparatus body 1.

The internal structure of the coffee maker will be described with reference to FIG. The water tank 2 is provided with a lid 11. By screwing the lid 11, the water tank 2 can be maintained in an airtight state up to a predetermined pressure (here, the internal pressure is about 3 atm). A heat insulating plate 12 for receiving the bottle 7 is mounted above the bottle supporting portion 5 of the apparatus main body 1, and a horseshoe-shaped heater 13 is arranged on the back side of the heat insulating plate 12. 12
It is supported so that it can be hung from it. The heat of the heater 13 transfers heat to the heat insulating plate 12, and the heat insulating plate 12
The bottom of the bottle 7 placed above is heated to keep the coffee liquid warm.

A circulation pipe 15 is arranged below the horseshoe-shaped heater 13 so as to be attached to the heater. One end of the circulation pipe 15 is connected to a water outlet pipe 16 communicating with the bottom of the water tank 2, and the other end of the circulation pipe 15 is
Discharge port 1 at a position higher than the maximum water level of water tank 2
7a is connected to a discharge pipe 17 having a length where the discharge pipe 7a is located. A check valve 18 is provided at a portion of the water outlet pipe 16 connected to the water tank 2, and the direction in which water is led out from the water tank 2 to the water outlet pipe 16 is set to the forward direction, and the water is supplied in the opposite direction. Flow is blocked. Thereby, when water is supplied to the water tank 2 and then the heater 13 is energized, the water 19 in the water tank 2 is led out to the circulation pipe 15 through the water outlet pipe 16 and is heated by the heater 13.
The heated water is returned from the circulation pipe 15 to the water tank 2 through the discharge pipe 17, and circulates in a path of being discharged from the discharge port 17a at a position higher than the surface of the water in the water tank 2, while being boiled and heated. You.

As shown in FIG. 3, an annular rib 21 which also serves as a splash scattering prevention cover is formed on the lower surface side of the dripper mounting portion 4 of the apparatus main body 1. Tapered portions 22 are provided at a plurality of locations (here, three locations separated by 120 degrees) on the inner peripheral surface of the rib 21 at equal rotation angles so as to rotate clockwise as viewed from the user. . A flexible sealing material 23 is attached to the entire inside of the rib 21 on the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion 4. On the side surface at the front end of the dripper mounting portion 4, the setting position of the dripper 6 described later, the rotation position of the dripper 6 for extracting regular (drip) coffee, and the rotation position of the dripper 6 for extracting espresso coffee are shown. "Set" (third notation), "Regular" (second notation), "Espresso" (first notation)
24A, 24B, and 24C are provided (see FIG. 1).
reference).

On the other hand, the dripper 6 is provided with a handle 25, has an internal shape in which a triangular paper filter 26 can be mounted, and has a tapered portion 22 of the dripper mounting portion 4 on the upper edge 27 of the opening. Locking projections 28 are provided in the same arrangement. Therefore, the dripper 4 is pressed from below into the annular rib 21 in a state where the locking projection 28 is aligned with the cut between the tapered portions 22 (the state in which the handle 25 is aligned with the position of the "set" notation 24A). By rotating the locking protruding piece 28 to the upper side of the tapered portion 22 by rotating to the right to lock on the tapered portion 22,
The entire dripper 6 is mounted on the dripper mounting section 4,
It will not fall even if you release your hand.
5 is the position of “regular” notation 24B. FIG.
(B)). When making regular coffee, heating is performed by the heater in this state, but when the grip 25 is further rotated to the right with the handle 25, the locking projection 28 further rises up the tapered portion 22, and the opening upper edge 26 The whole is in close contact with the sealing material 23, and the dripper 6 is in a sealed state (see FIG. 2A. In this state, the handle 25 is at the position of "espresso" 24C). When making espresso coffee, rotate the dripper 6 to this state,
Heat with a heater.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pumping pipe 31 is provided so as to extend from the water tank 2 to the dripper mounting section 4.
The water inlet 31a at one end is located near the bottom in the water tank 2, and the jet port 31b at the other end is located at the center of the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion 4 so as to jet hot water into the dripper 6. In a portion of the pumping pipe 31 passing through the water tank 2, a discharge port 17 of the discharge pipe 17 is provided.
A pressure adjustment hole 32 is formed at a position higher than a.

The pressure adjusting hole 32 allows the pumping pipe 3
Before the hot water starts to pass through the inside 1, the gas phase portion in the water tank 2 and the dripper 6 side are in communication with each other, and the air pressures match. Therefore, the vapor pressure of the gas phase portion increases until the water in the water tank 2 is heated and boiled, and during that time, the air pressure in the water tank 2 and the dripper 6 increases almost uniformly, The dripper 6 does not have a negative pressure with respect to the inside of the water tank 2. As a result, the lukewarm water before being sufficiently heated is supplied from the water tank 2 to the dripper 6 by the pumping pipe 31.
Water is sufficiently boiled, and the vapor pressure in the water tank 2 is about 2 to 3 atm.
Only around 3 ℃)
You will be able to extract delicious coffee.

It should be noted that coffee can be sufficiently extracted even if the vapor pressure is about 1.03 to 1.1 atm.

The reason why the pressure adjusting hole 32 is provided at a position higher than the discharge port 17a of the discharge pipe 17 is as follows.
The maximum water level is set lower than the position of the discharge port 17a. A proper water injection procedure is that the user first uses the bottle 7 to fill the required amount of water with reference to the scale written thereon, and then water is injected from the bottle 7 into the water tank 2. However, it is also conceivable that the user takes off the lid 11 of the water tank 2 and injects water in the unit of an amount. In such a case, since the inside of the water tank 2 is dark, the water level is not known, and it is expected that water is injected using the position of the discharge port 17a seen from the outside as a guide. Therefore, this discharge port 17
The height of a is set to the maximum allowable water level, and even if water is injected to this position, consideration is given so that the pressure adjusting hole 32 can exert the above-described function.

A switch (not shown) for energizing / stopping the heater 13 is provided at a suitable position of the apparatus main body 1.

Next, the operation of the coffee maker having the above configuration will be described.

<Espresso Coffee Extraction> The espresso method is a method in which water heated by pressure such as steam is penetrated into coffee powder to forcibly extract a coffee liquid.

With reference to FIG. 4, the operation and operation required for extracting espresso coffee will be described. Put the appropriate triangular paper filter 26 in the dripper 6, put the required amount of coffee powder 41, place the handle 25 on the notation "set" 24A provided on the front of the dripper mounting part 4, and put the dripper 6 from below. It is fitted into the rib 21 of the mounting part 4 and rotated to the right, and is largely rotated to the right until the handle 25 reaches the position of the notation "espresso" 24C.

Thus, the upper edge 2 of the opening of the dripper 6
7 are pushed up by sliding on the respective tapered portions 22 provided in the ribs 21 on the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion 4, and the entire upper surface of the opening upper edge portion 27 is in close contact with the sealant 23. Then, the dripper 6 is fixed in a sealed state. On the other hand, before and after the attachment of the dripper 6, the lid 11 is removed, a required amount of water 19 is poured into the water tank 2, and the lid 11 is securely closed. Thus, the inside of the water tank 2 is also closed. At this time, the gas phase portion of the water tank 2 and the inside of the dripper 6 are communicated with each other by the pumping pipe 31 and the pressure adjusting hole 32 provided therein, and have the same pressure.

Thus, the dripper 6 is mounted on the dripper mounting section 4 and the bottle 7 is placed on the bottle supporting section 5.
With the water 19 put in the water tank 2 and the lid 11 closed, a switch (not shown) is turned on to start energizing the heater 13.

When the heater 13 generates heat, the water 19 in the water tank 2 is heated and boiled while circulating through the outlet pipe 16, the circulation pipe 15, the discharge pipe 17 and the water tank 2. When the water 19 continues to boil, the vapor pressure in the gas phase in the water tank 2 increases, and a force to push down the liquid level WL acts, whereby the hot water 19 in the water tank 2 is removed from the pumping pipe 31. , And is pushed upward to squirt into the dripper 6.

When a certain amount of hot water accumulates in the dripper 6, the water tank 2 and the inside of the dripper 6 are almost completely sealed (however, they are not completely airtight because they communicate with the atmosphere via the extraction port 6a). Becomes substantially closed due to the presence of the coffee powder), so that the inside of the dripper 6 has a high vapor pressure (here, about 1.03 to 1.1 atm).
The hot water passes through the coffee powder 41 by the pressure and is extracted into the bottle 7 from the extraction port 6a.

In this way, hot water 19 is passed through the dripper 6 through the coffee powder 41 at a high vapor pressure to extract coffee, so that espresso coffee is produced.

<Regular Coffee Extraction> With reference to FIG. 5, the operation and operation required for extracting regular (drip extraction type) coffee will be described. Put the appropriate triangular paper filter 26 in the dripper 6, put the required amount of coffee powder 41, place the handle 25 on the notation "set" 24A provided on the front of the dripper mounting part 4, and put the dripper 6 from below. Rib 21 of mounting part 4
The handle 25 is turned slightly to the right to bring the handle 25 into the position of the notation "regular" 24B.

Thus, the upper edge 2 of the opening of the dripper 6
The respective locking projections 28 are locked while being slightly pushed up by sliding on the respective tapered portions 22 provided in the ribs 21 on the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion 4. In this state, there is a gap between the upper surface of the upper edge portion 27 of the opening of the dripper 6 and the sealing material 23 on the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion 4. Therefore, the dripper 6 is attached to the dripper mounting part 4 in an open-to-atmosphere state. Before and after the mounting operation of the dripper 6, the lid 11 is removed, and a required amount of water 19 is poured into the water tank 2, and the lid 11 is securely closed. As a result, the inside of the water tank 2 is closed.

Thus, the dripper 6 is mounted on the dripper mounting section 4 and the bottle 7 is placed on the bottle supporting section 5.
With the water 19 put in the water tank 2 and the lid 11 closed, a switch (not shown) is turned on to start energizing the heater 13.

When the heater 13 generates heat, the water 19 in the water tank 2 is heated and boiled while circulating through the outlet pipe 16, the circulation pipe 15, the discharge pipe 17, and the water tank 2. When the water 19 continues to boil, the vapor pressure in the gas phase in the water tank 2 increases, and a force to push down the liquid level WL acts, whereby the hot water 19 in the water tank 2 is removed from the pumping pipe 31. , And is pushed upward to squirt into the dripper 6.

Unlike the case of espresso coffee extraction, since the inside of the dripper 6 is open to the atmosphere, no pressure is applied to the inside of the dripper 6 and the dripper 6 is fed into the dripper 6 in the same manner as a normal drip coffee maker. The hot water 19 passes through the portion of the coffee powder 41 by its own weight, becomes a coffee extract, and drops into the bottle 7 from the extraction port 6a.

As described above, in the coffee maker of the first embodiment, both the espresso coffee and the regular coffee can be extracted by simply changing the mounting angle of the dripper 6 using the same device.

Next, a second embodiment of the coffee maker according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The feature of the second embodiment resides in the structure of the dripper 6, and other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

The dripper 6 wraps the stainless steel belt 51 around the body 52, overlaps both ends 53 and 54 of the stainless steel belt 51, inserts the stopper plate 55 from the back, and grips with the set screw 56 inserted into the handle 25. 25, the ends 53 and 54 and the stopper plate 55 are integrally fastened, and the stainless belt 51 is attached to the dripper body 52.
The structure is tightened around.

As a result, the handle 25 is integrated with the dripper 5, and the periphery of the body 52 of the dripper 5 has a two-layer structure by the stainless steel belt 51, so that the strength and the heat retention can be improved.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The third embodiment is characterized in that another configuration is adopted for the pressure adjusting means for switching the inside of the dripper 6 between the closed state and the open-to-atmosphere state, and the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. is there.

The structure of the pressure adjusting means is as follows. At an appropriate position corresponding to the inside of the rib 21 of the dripper mounting section 4 of the apparatus main body 1, a ventilation hole 4a vertically penetrating the dripper mounting section 4 is formed. An opening / closing valve 61 is provided in the ventilation hole 4a, and is connected to an operation knob 63 exposed to the outside by a lever 62.

In the case of the third embodiment, "regular" as in the first embodiment is provided on the dripper mounting portion 4 side.
It is not necessary to provide the rotational position of the dripper 6 and therefore the notation 24B of “regular”.
After being mounted at the position of the "set" notation 24A, the "espresso" notation 24C in the first embodiment (in this third embodiment, the "fixed" notation is used instead of this notation) Rotate it to the position and fix it.

As a result, both espresso coffee and regular coffee are extracted by the same apparatus as described below.

<Espresso coffee extraction> In this case,
With the above-described method, the dripper 6 is moved to the position corresponding to the notation of “espresso” described in the first embodiment by the handle 25.
Rotate and fix until comes. Then, the knob 63 is operated to bring the on-off valve 61 into the state shown in FIG. 9B, that is, the state in which the vent hole 4a is closed. As a result, the inside of the dripper 6 is closed.

Accordingly, in this state, the water 13 in the water tank 2 is heated and boiled by the heater 13 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, so that espresso coffee can be extracted.

<Regular coffee extraction> Dripper 6
Is mounted on the dripper mounting portion 4 in the same state as in the case of espresso coffee extraction. Then, the knob 63 is operated to set the on-off valve 61 to the state shown in FIG.
a is released. Thereby, the inside of the dripper 6 is opened to the atmosphere. Therefore, in this state, the water 13 in the water tank 2 is heated and boiled by the heater 13 as in the first embodiment, whereby regular coffee can be extracted.

In the third embodiment, as in the first and second embodiments, espresso coffee and regular coffee can be selected and extracted by the same device only by the switching operation by the pressure adjusting means. . In addition, the installation state of the dripper 6, which is frequently detached and attached, is the same in the case of espresso coffee extraction and in the case of regular coffee extraction, and is further rotated until it is firmly fixed, and the selection of coffee is made by turning the knob 63. Therefore, the mounting state of the dripper 6 is stable and the operation is less troublesome.

The structure of the pressure adjusting means is not limited to that of the third embodiment, but may be any of various generally used valve structures that can open and close the vent 4a. Can be adopted.

Next, a coffee maker according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The feature of the fourth embodiment is that a means for adjusting the opening area is provided at the extraction port 6a of the dripper 6. The configuration of the portion other than the opening area adjusting means may employ any of the first to third embodiments.
The configuration of the means for adjusting the opening area of the extraction port 6a is as follows. A fixed-side semi-disc 70 is horizontally mounted in the extraction port 6a at the bottom of the dripper 6, and a movable-side semi-disc 71 is provided so as to be rotatable horizontally.
A lever 72 is attached to the movable semi-disc 71, and by rotating the lever 72, the movable semi-disc 71 is rotated.
Rotates with respect to the fixed-side semicircular plate 70, and adjusts the area of the opening 73 of the extraction port 6a as shown in FIGS.

The strength of the coffee depends on the length of time that the hot water 19 passes through the coffee powder 41.
Therefore, when the opening area of the extraction opening 6a is widened, the time during which the hot water 19 passes through the portion of the coffee powder 41 is shortened and thin coffee is extracted. When the opening area is narrow, the passing time is long and thick coffee is extracted. Is extracted. Therefore,
By adjusting the opening area of the extraction opening 6a by operating the lever 72 as described above, it is possible to extract coffee having a thickness that matches the user's preference.

Note that the mechanism for adjusting the opening area of the extraction port 6a is not limited to the above-described configuration. A sliding shutter is provided in the extraction port 6a to adjust the opening area, and two holes are provided in the extraction port 6a. Perforated plates may be stacked, and one may be configured to be rotatable with respect to the other, so as to change the overlapping area of the holes.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
It will be described based on. The fifth embodiment is characterized in the structure of the extraction port 6a of the dripper 6. The configuration of the other parts may adopt the configuration of any of the first to fourth embodiments.

In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12A, the extraction port 6a at the bottom of the dripper 6 is composed of a short pipe 81 and a cap 82 which covers it.
Since the short pipe 81 and the cap 82 have a siphon structure in which the short pipe 81 is covered with the cap 82, the inner circumference of the cap 82 is widened with respect to the short pipe 81, A certain gap is formed both above and above the upper end opening, and a gap is also formed between the lower end of the cap 82 and the bottom surface of the dripper 6.
In the embodiment, the bottom of the dripper 6 is inclined because the triangular paper filter 26 is employed, and the cap 82 is also formed in a triangular cylindrical shape to match this inclination. This is a problem, and any other shape may be used as long as the siphon tube can be configured.

As shown in FIG. 6B, when the coffee extract liquid level exceeds L1 (the height of the opening of the short pipe 81) as shown in FIG. As shown, the coffee extract is continuously sucked into the short pipe 81 and dropped into the bottle 7 by the siphon principle. However, when the amount of the coffee extract decreases and the liquid level falls below L1, suction into the short pipe 81 becomes impossible, and the dripping of the coffee liquid stops.

As a result, the drainage is improved, and the coffee liquid remaining in the coffee powder to the end does not continue to fall from the potapota and the extraction port 6a forever, so that cleaning can be easily performed.

In any of the above embodiments, the appearance of the coffee maker is made substantially symmetrical to the right and left as shown in FIG. 1 in consideration of weight balance and design effects. The present invention is not limited to this, and may have a structure in which the coffee mill function is omitted or a structure in which the coffee mill 3 is additionally provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body 1.

Although the dripper of the paper filter type has been described, it is also possible to use a dripper provided with filters of various other types adopted in a commercially available coffee maker.

Further, the present invention can also be applied to a device that changes the hermetically sealed state between the dripper and the apparatus main body by attaching and detaching another member between the dripper and the apparatus main body.

[0068]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
By switching the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open-to-atmosphere state by the pressure adjusting means, one coffee maker can produce both espresso coffee and regular coffee.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when the dripper is mounted on the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body, the espresso coffee is extracted by extracting the coffee with the upper edge of the opening of the dripper closely attached to the lower surface thereof. Regular coffee can be made by extracting coffee with a gap between the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion and the upper edge of the opening of the dripper.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the dripper is mounted on the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body, and the espresso coffee and the regular coffee can be selected according to preference by a simple operation of adjusting the angle of horizontal rotation. Can be extracted.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the dripper is mounted on the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus body in a state where the upper edge of the opening is in close contact with the dripper, and the opening / closing valve is operated by the operating means to close or open the ventilation hole. According to the invention of claim 5, both the espresso coffee and the regular coffee can be extracted according to the preference by the simple operation of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the inventions of claims 1 to 4, the left and right sides of the device main body can be extracted. A water tank part is provided on one side and a mill part is provided on the other side, and the dripper mounting part is located at a position corresponding to the remaining one vertex of an isosceles triangle with the water tank part and the mill part as vertices on both sides of the bottom when viewed from above And the bottle support section is provided below the dripper mounting section, so the water tank and mill section are located on the left and right sides of the drip with the drip inside, so that the weight of the entire device can be balanced and mechanically stable. The things.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first to fifth aspects, the extraction port adjusting means for adjusting the opening area of the extraction port of the coffee extract of the dripper is provided. By adjusting the mouth adjusting means, the opening area of the extraction opening can be adjusted to be wider or narrower, and the extraction concentration of the coffee liquid can be adjusted.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the first to sixth aspects, the stainless steel belt is wound around the outer periphery of the dripper, so that the dripper portion is reinforced by the stainless steel belt, and the heat retaining function is provided. Can be given.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a sealable water tank formed in the apparatus main body, a heater incorporated in the apparatus main body for boiling the water in the water tank, and a water tank in the water tank. A circulation pipe that draws water from the bottom to a heater portion and discharges hot water heated by the heater into an upper air in a water tank, and a dripper detachably mounted on a dripper mounting portion of the device main body, A bottle for storing the coffee extract extracted by the dripper, a pumping pipe provided from a portion near the bottom of the water tank in the apparatus main body to the inside of the dripper, and a pressure adjusting means for switching the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open state to the atmosphere In the coffee maker equipped with the above, the portion of the water pipe exposed in the upper part of the water tank is higher than the hot water outlet of the circulation pipe. Since the formation of the pressure adjusting hole in the location, the user can even when the excessively injected water accidentally in the water tank rule of thumb, to extract the coffee always by fully boiling hot water.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first to eighth aspects, a handle is provided on the dripper.
After extraction using high-temperature water, the dripper is detached from the apparatus main body to discard the coffee powder, and is easily handled when being carried.

According to the tenth aspect, the first to ninth aspects
In addition to the effects of the invention, a siphon tube is provided at the inner bottom of the dripper, and the coffee extract is dropped from the siphon tube to the bottle. If the liquid level falls below the suction port by the siphon tube, the coffee extract is sucked up. As a result, the drainage of the coffee extract in the dripper is improved, and it is possible to prevent the taper and the coffee liquid from continuously dropping on the bottle support portion even after the bottle is removed, thereby preventing the device from being soiled.

According to the eleventh aspect, the first to the first aspects
In addition to the effect of the invention of 0, even if a situation in which the hot water sent from the water tank to the dripper portion by the pumping pipe by steam pressurization blows out from the upper edge of the opening of the dripper for any reason occurs, the side The rim cover surrounding the perimeter prevents hot water splashes from splashing out, and is highly safe.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the dripper is mounted on the dripper mounting portion of the apparatus body and rotated to the second regular (drip) position or the first espresso position. The dripper switches the pressure inside the dripper depending on whether it is rotated or not, and one coffee maker can make both espresso coffee and regular coffee, and the notation can be used as a guide for selection operation, making selection operation easy. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coffee maker according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a state when espresso coffee is extracted and a state when regular coffee is extracted in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the dripper mounting portion and the dripper in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of extracting espresso coffee according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of extracting regular coffee according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partially broken front view showing a coffee maker according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the dripper according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a coffee maker according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a pressure adjusting unit according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a coffee maker according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of an opening area adjusting means of an extraction port in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a dripper extraction port according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus main body 2 Water tank 3 Coffee mill 4 Dripper mounting part 4a Vent hole 5 Bottle support part 6 Dripper 6a Extraction port 7 Bottle 11 Cover 13 Heater 15 Circulation pipe 16 Outgoing pipe 17 Discharge pipe 18 Check valve 19 Water 21 Rib 22 Taper Part 23 Sealing material 24A “Set” notation 24B “Regular” notation 24C “Espresso” notation 25 Handle 26 Paper filter 27 Opening upper edge 28 Locking projection 31 Pumping pipe 31a Water intake 31b Spout 32 Pressure adjusting hole 41 Coffee powder Reference Signs List 51 stainless steel belt 61 on-off valve 63 knob 70 fixed semi-disc 71 movable semi-disc 72 lever 73 opening 81 short pipe 82 cap

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tetsu Fukushima 1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside the head office of Toshiba Corporation (72) Inventor Etsuko Nishino 1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo In the head office of Toshiba Corporation (72) Inventor Ikuo Tsukiki 1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside the head office of Toshiba Corporation (72) Kazuo Kitamura 1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo (56) References JP-A-3-210215 (JP, A) JP-A-10-174652 (JP, A) JP-A-62-213711 (JP, A) (58) Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47J 31/057 A47J 31/30

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sealable water tank formed in an apparatus main body, a heater incorporated in the apparatus main body for heating and boiling water in the water tank, and a dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body. A dripper detachably mounted, a bottle for storing the coffee extract extracted by the dripper, a pumping pipe provided in a portion extending from near the bottom of the water tank in the apparatus body to the inside of the dripper, A pressure adjusting means for switching the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open state to the atmosphere. 2. The pressure adjusting means closes the inside of the dripper by bringing an upper edge of the opening of the dripper into close contact with a lower surface of the dripper mounting portion, thereby forming a gap between the dripper and the lower surface of the dripper mounting portion. The coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the dripper is opened to the atmosphere by opening. 3. The pressure adjusting means enables horizontal rotation of the dripper in a state where the upper part of the dripper is mounted on the apparatus main body, and the upper edge of the dripper according to the magnitude of the rotation angle. 3. The coffee maker according to claim 2, wherein a pressure contact force for pressing against a lower surface of the dripper mounting portion is adjusted so as to switch the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open-to-atmosphere state. 4. The pressure adjusting means includes means for supporting the upper edge of the dripper in close contact with the apparatus main body, and a ventilation hole provided in the apparatus main body and reaching the upper part of the opening of the dripper. 2. The coffee maker according to claim 1, further comprising an on-off valve for opening and closing the vent hole, and operating means for opening and closing the on-off valve. 5. An isosceles triangle formed by providing the water tank portion on one of the left and right sides of the device body and the mill portion on the other of the left and right sides, and making the water tank portion and the mill portion have vertices on both sides of a bottom side when viewed from above. A dripper mounting portion for mounting the upper edge of the opening of the dripper is provided at a position corresponding to the remaining one vertex, and a bottle supporting portion for supporting the bottle is provided below the dripper mounting portion. Item 5. The coffee maker according to any one of Items 1 to 4. 6. The coffee maker according to claim 1, further comprising extraction port adjusting means for adjusting the opening area of the coffee extraction liquid extraction port of the dripper. 7. The coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein a stainless steel belt is wound around the outer periphery of the dripper. 8. A sealable water tank formed in the apparatus main body, a heater incorporated in the apparatus main body for boiling water in the water tank, and the heater from near a bottom of the water tank. A circulation pipe for discharging hot water heated by the heater into the upper air in the water tank; a dripper detachably mounted to a dripper mounting portion of the apparatus main body; A bottle for storing the coffee extract extracted by the dripper, a pumping pipe provided from a portion near the bottom of the water tank in the device main body to the inside of the dripper, and the inside of the dripper in a sealed state or open to the atmosphere. A pressure adjusting means for switching, and discharging hot water of the circulation pipe at a portion of the pumping pipe exposed in the upper air of the water tank. Coffee maker, characterized in that the formation of the pressure adjusting hole at a position higher than the mouth. 9. The coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein a handle is provided on the dripper. 10. The coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein a siphon tube is provided at an inner bottom portion of the dripper, and a coffee extract is dropped from the siphon tube to the bottle. 11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said dripper mounting section of said apparatus main body is provided with an edge cover capable of covering a side circumference of an upper edge of said opening when said dripper is mounted. A coffee maker according to any of the above. 12. A sealable water tank with an openable / closable lid formed on one of the left and right sides of the apparatus main body, a mill provided on the other of the left and right sides of the apparatus main body, and water in the water tank. In order to boil, a heater incorporated inside the bottle support in front of the bottom of the device body, water is led out from the water bottom of the water tank to the heater, and hot water heated by the heater is heated. A circulation pipe for discharging into the upper air in the water tank; a triangular paper filter extraction type and a dripper with a handle detachably mounted on a dripper mounting portion in the upper front of the device main body; and the bottle support portion. A bottle that is placed on the top, stores the coffee extract extracted by the dripper, and keeps warm by the residual heat of the heater; and a bottle near the bottom of the water tank in the apparatus body. By rotating the dripper horizontally, the upper edge of the opening of the dripper comes into pressure contact with the lower surface of the dripper mounting part according to the rotation angle of the dripper. Pressure adjusting means for adjusting a pressure contact force to switch the inside of the dripper to a closed state or an open-to-atmosphere state; Notation, a second notation for a drip indicating a rotational position where the dripper is open to the atmosphere and stably locked to the dripper mounting portion, and a position at which the dripper is attached to and detached from the dripper mounting portion. A coffee maker provided with a third notation for the set shown.