JP4962191B2 - Beverage extractor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a beverage extractor that can extract beverages such as coffee and tea.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a beverage extractor has been put on the market by boiling a liquid in a container with a commercial power source, discharging the liquid with an electric pump, and extracting a beverage pack content or beverage powder (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional beverage extractor described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional beverage extractor includes a container 1, a heating unit 2, a temperature detection unit 3, a water discharge path 4, an electric pump 5, a beverage fixing unit 6, and a pump driving unit 9. , Control means 11, notification means 13, extraction switch 14, and power cord 16 connected to a commercial power source. A beverage pack 12 is attached to the beverage fixing unit 6.
JP 2002-85258 A

  However, in the configuration of the conventional beverage extractor, since there is no backup power source, there is a problem that extraction cannot be performed in a place where there is no commercial power source even after trying to extract the beverage by moving the beverage extractor to a table or the like after boiling. Had.

  The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a beverage extractor that can extract a beverage such as coffee or tea even in a place without a commercial power source after boiling.

In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a beverage extractor according to the present invention includes a container that contains a liquid, a heating unit that heats the liquid in the container, and a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the liquid in the container. A water discharge path for discharging the liquid, an electric pump arranged in the middle of the water discharge path for discharging the liquid in the container, a pump driving means for driving the electric pump, and the electric pump A beverage fixing unit for installing a beverage pack or beverage powder extracted by liquid, a backup power source that supplies power to at least the electric pump when a commercial power source is not input, and a charging unit that charges the backup power source, Charging time measuring means for measuring a charging time required for a predetermined voltage range when charging the backup power supply, and a voltage for detecting the voltage of the backup power supply Comprising a knowledge unit, and a control means for controlling said pump driving means, said control means, when the commercial power is not input, is determined according to the measured time by the charging time measuring means said pump drive means When the voltage detection means detects the first predetermined voltage, it stops driving the electric pump and can supply power to the electric pump even when there is no commercial power supply. Even in this case, beverages such as coffee and tea can be extracted.

  The beverage extractor of the present invention can extract beverages such as coffee and tea even in places where there is no commercial power supply after boiling.

1st invention, the container which accommodates a liquid, the heating means which heats the liquid in the said container, the temperature detection means which detects the temperature of the liquid in the said container, the water flow path for discharging | emitting a liquid, An electric pump arranged in the middle of the water discharge path for discharging the liquid in the container, a pump driving means for driving the electric pump, and a beverage pack or beverage powder extracted by the liquid discharged by the electric pump A beverage fixing unit, a backup power source that supplies power to the electric pump when commercial power is not input, a charging unit that charges the backup power source, and a predetermined voltage range when charging the backup power source. Controlling the charging time measuring means for measuring the required charging time, the voltage detecting means for detecting the voltage of the backup power supply, and the pump driving means Comprising a control means, wherein the control means, when the commercial power is not input, the first voltage detecting means a predetermined voltage determined in accordance with the measured time by the charging time measuring means said pump drive means detecting Then, the drive of the electric pump is stopped, and it becomes possible to supply power to the electric pump even when there is no commercial power supply. After boiling, beverages such as coffee and tea even in places where there is no commercial power supply Can be extracted.

According to the first invention , the remaining energy amount at each voltage of the backup power supply can be predicted by the charging time, and the extraction can be stopped before the power supply voltage is rapidly lowered due to the aging deterioration of the backup. Thus, extraction failure due to a rapid decrease in the rotational speed of the electric pump can be prevented in advance, and it becomes easy to use.

A second invention is, in particular, in the middle extraction of the beverage extraction machine of the first aspect of the invention, in which the extraction operation does not stop the drive of the electric pump to complete, since the extracted middle operation does not stop, User dissatisfaction due to extraction stoppage can be resolved.

The third invention is provided with voltage boosting means for boosting the voltage of the backup power supply and supplying power to the electric pump, particularly when the commercial power supply of any one of the first to second inventions is not input. Even if the power supply voltage of the backup power supply decreases, the voltage can be boosted by the voltage boosting means, and it becomes possible to supply a stable power supply voltage to the electric pump, thereby preventing poor extraction due to a decrease in the rotational speed of the electric pump. Can do.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in particular, the control means of the third aspect of the invention stops the boosting operation when the voltage detection means detects a voltage equal to or lower than the first predetermined voltage when the commercial power supply is not inputted, and the backup power supply remains. It is possible to prevent an increase in circuit current of the boosting means due to boosting from a low energy state, and to provide a highly reliable beverage extractor without overloading the electronic components constituting the voltage boosting means. it can.

In the fifth aspect of the invention, in particular, during the extraction of the fourth aspect of the invention, the control means does not stop the boosting operation until the extraction operation is completed, and the power supply voltage to the electric pump decreases during the extraction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an extraction failure due to a decrease in the rotational speed of the electric pump.

In particular, the sixth invention is provided with a notifying means for visually or audibly notifying when the voltage detecting means of any one of the first to fifth inventions detects the second predetermined voltage or less. The user can be prompted to charge or replace the backup power supply before the backup power supply voltage drops and the extraction operation becomes impossible, so it can be extracted suddenly when the commercial power supply is not connected. Opportunities to disappear can be reduced.

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

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage extractor according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a control circuit unit of the beverage extractor. In addition, about the same part as the said conventional drink extractor (FIG. 3), the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In FIG. 1, the container 1 of the beverage extractor in the present embodiment contains a liquid such as water, and the heating means 2 boils the liquid in the container 1 and then keeps the temperature. The temperature detection means 3 includes a temperature detection element such as a thermistor and detects the temperature of the liquid in the container 1. The water discharge path 4 is a path for discharging the liquid in the container 1 to the outside, and the electric pump 5 is installed in the middle of the water discharge path 4 and discharges the liquid in the container 1.

  The beverage fixing part 6 is a place where the beverage pack 12 or the beverage powder is installed. A backup power source 7 supplies power to the electric pump 5 and each electric component described later when commercial power is not supplied through the power cord 16.

  The charging unit 21 charges the backup power source 7 when commercial power is supplied, and the charging time counting unit 25 calculates the charging time required for a predetermined voltage range when the backup power source 7 is charged. It is timed.

  The pump drive unit 9 drives the electric pump 5 by a signal input from the control unit 11. The voltage detection means 10 detects the voltage of the backup power supply 7. The notification means 13 is constituted by an LED, an LCD, a buzzer or the like, and notifies the user visually or audibly by a signal from the control means 11. The extraction switch 14 is operated to send a signal to the control means 11.

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

  First, when commercial power is input through the power cord 16, the controller 11 determines that the temperature of the liquid in the container 1 is lower than the second predetermined temperature by the temperature detector 3. A signal is sent to 2 to start heating.

  Thereafter, when the control means 11 detects a temperature equal to or higher than the third predetermined temperature or detects a predetermined temperature gradient, the control means 11 performs control so that the water heating operation is terminated and the heating means 2 performs the heat retaining operation. The charging means 21 charges the backup power source 7 with a predetermined current. The start and end of charging is controlled by the voltage detection means 10 when the control means 11 sends a signal to the charging means 21 when reaching a preset start and end voltage.

  The charging time counting means 25 measures the charging time required for a predetermined voltage range (for example, a period in which 2 to 5 V is detected by the voltage detection means 10) by the voltage detection means 10 when charging is performed, and controls the control means. Tell the result to 11. The control means 11 determines the first predetermined voltage from the time keeping time (for example, when the time keeping time is less than 2 minutes, the first predetermined voltage is 3V, and the time keeping time is 2 minutes 1 second to 2 minutes as a determining method. When it is 30, the first predetermined voltage is set to 2.5V, and the time keeping time is set to 2V for 2 minutes 31 seconds or more).

  Next, when the extraction switch 14 is operated when there is no outlet or the like and no commercial power is input, the signal is input to the control means 11. The control means 11 supplies the voltage of the backup power supply 7 to the electric pump 5 and outputs an operation signal to the pump drive means 9. When the electric pump 5 is driven, a predetermined amount of liquid in the container 1 is discharged and supplied to the beverage pack 12 or beverage powder in the beverage fixing unit 6 for extraction.

  The voltage detection means 10 detects the voltage of the backup power supply 7 at any time, and the control means 11 stops driving the electric pump 5 when the voltage becomes equal to or lower than the first predetermined voltage.

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 23 denotes a commercial power supply that is supplied to the control circuit through the power cord 16, and is input to the microcomputer 11 a in the control means 11 through the rectifier circuit 17, the transformer circuit 18, the backflow prevention diode 19, and the regulator 21. The output of the diode 19 (hereinafter referred to as Vu power supply) is also connected to the electric pump 5 and the control IC 8c.

  8a to 8j are components of the voltage boosting means 8 that boosts the backup power supply 7 and uses it as a Vu power supply. 8a is an input smoothing capacitor, 8f is an output smoothing capacitor, 8b is a choke coil, 8d is a switching transistor, and 8e is a diode. Reference numeral 8c denotes a control IC which inputs a reference voltage obtained from the resistors 8g and 8h to the Vu power source and determines and controls the switching duty of the switching transistor 8d or the boosting ratio of the voltage boosting means 8.

  The control means 11 is composed of a microcomputer 11a. The microcomputer 11a includes a central control room 11b, an AD converter 11c, and a power supply recognition device 11d, and that the commercial power supply 23 is supplied through the power cord 16 through the current limiting resistor 22. When recognized by the power source recognition device 11d configured in the computer 11a, the central control chamber 11b controls heating based on the voltage dividing signals of the thermistor 3a and the resistor 3b which are components of the temperature detecting means 3 (FIG. 2). The control circuit configuration of the heating means 2 is not shown in FIG. Upon receiving a signal input from the extraction switch 14, the central control chamber 11b drives the electric pump driving transistor 9a via the resistor 9b, operates the electric pump 5, and discharges the liquid in the container 1. Further, the central control room 11b monitors the value obtained by dividing the power supply voltage of the backup power supply 7 by the resistors 10a and 10b with the AD-converted value, and outputs a signal to the charging means 21 when a preset value is detected. Control charging. Further, the central control room 11d measures the charging time required for a predetermined voltage range by a signal from the voltage detecting means 10 during charging, and determines the first predetermined voltage based on the measured time.

  Next, when the power recognizing device 11d recognizes that the commercial power source 23 is not supplied, the microcomputer 11a enters a signal input waiting state from the extraction switch 14. At this time, the power of the microcomputer 11a is supplied from the backup power source 7 without being boosted. At this time, the switching operation by the control IC 8c (on / off control of the switching transistor 8d) is stopped by the central control chamber 11b outputting a control signal via the resistor 8j (hereinafter, this operation is referred to as backup mode). Called).

  When a signal is input from the extraction switch 14 when the beverage extractor is in the backup mode, an operation start signal is output from the central control room 11b to the control IC 8c via the resistor 8j, and the switching operation of the switching transistor 8d, that is, The voltage boosting operation of the backup power supply 7 by the voltage boosting means 8 is started. The output (Vu power supply) of the voltage boosting means 8 during the boosting operation is fed back to the control IC 8c in the form of the divided voltage of the resistor 8g and the resistor 8h, and the output is always a constant voltage regardless of the change of the input voltage. The control IC 8c controls the switching operation of the switching transistor 8d.

  Simultaneously with the above-described boosting operation, the central control chamber 11b drives the electric pump driving transistor 9a through the resistor 9b to discharge a predetermined amount of liquid in the container 1.

  In the backup mode, the voltage of the backup power supply 7 is boosted and supplied to the electric pump 5. However, the voltage boosting means 8 is not provided and the voltage of the backup power supply 7 can be supplied directly to the electric pump 5. Conceivable.

  Further, the microcomputer 11a recognizes the voltage of the backup power source 7 detected by the resistors 10a and 10b of the voltage detecting means 10 by the AD converter 11c in the microcomputer 11a, and determines a predetermined first predetermined voltage. When the following is detected, the central control chamber 11b stops driving the electric pump driving transistor 9a via the resistor 9b, and stops the operation of the electric pump 5.

  As described above, the beverage extractor according to the present embodiment has a backup power source 7 that supplies power to the main body, a charging unit 21 that charges the backup power source 7 with a predetermined current, and a backup when the commercial power source 23 is not input. By supplying the voltage of the power supply 7 to the electric pump 5 and driving the electric pump 5 to discharge a predetermined amount of liquid and performing an extraction operation, the beverage can be extracted even when there is no commercial power supply 23. It becomes possible, and the range of use of the user widens and becomes easy to use.

  Further, the charging time counting means 25 measures the charging time required for the predetermined voltage range by the voltage detection means 10 when charging is performed, and the control means 11 applies the voltage corresponding to the time counting to the first predetermined time. By setting the voltage, the remaining energy amount at each voltage of the backup power supply 7 can be predicted by the charging time, and the extraction can be stopped before the power supply voltage is rapidly lowered due to the aging deterioration of the backup. Extraction failure due to a rapid decrease in the number of rotations of 5 can be prevented in advance, and it becomes easy to use.

  Further, when the commercial power supply 23 is not input, the voltage booster 8 is provided to boost the voltage of the backup power supply 7 and supply the power to the electric pump 5. The voltage can be boosted by the means 8, and a stable power supply voltage can be supplied to the electric pump 5, and an extraction failure due to a decrease in the rotational speed of the electric pump 5 can be prevented.

  Further, when the commercial power supply 23 is not input, if the voltage detecting means 10 detects the first predetermined voltage or less, the voltage boosting means 8 stops the boosting operation, thereby boosting the backup power supply 7 from a state where the remaining energy is low. It is possible to prevent an increase in the circuit current of the voltage boosting means 8 due to the above, and the electronic components constituting the voltage boosting means 8 are highly reliable without being overloaded.

  In addition, if the control means 11 does not stop the electric pump 5 during the extraction, but delays the extraction until a predetermined amount of drainage is completed and the extraction operation is completed, the user due to a sudden stop during the extraction Can be prevented.

  If the control means 11 does not stop the boosting operation by the voltage boosting means 8 during the extraction, but delays the extraction operation until a predetermined amount of drainage is completed and the extraction operation is completed, the electric pump in the middle of the extraction Extraction failure due to a decrease in the number of rotations of 5 can be prevented, making it easy to use.

  Further, when a voltage higher than the first predetermined voltage is set in advance as the second predetermined voltage, and the second predetermined voltage is detected by the AD converter 11c, the central control room 11b causes the resistor 24 to be connected. Thus, if the notification means 13 (here, LED) is caused to blink, the user can be notified that the remaining energy of the backup power source 7 is low, and before the extraction operation becomes impossible, the user can be notified. The backup power supply 7 can be urged to charge or replace the backup power supply 7, so that the backup power supply 7 cannot be suddenly extracted when the power cord 16 is not connected to the commercial power supply 23. Can be reduced.

  The backup power source 7 in this embodiment can obtain the same effect as this embodiment regardless of whether it is a primary battery such as a manganese dry battery or an alkaline dry battery, or a secondary battery such as a nickel cadmium storage battery.

  As described above, the beverage extractor according to the present invention can extract a beverage even in a place where there is no commercial power source, and can provide a user-friendly beverage extractor with a wide range of use by the user.

The figure which shows schematic structure of the drink extractor in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Configuration diagram of the control circuit of the beverage extractor The figure which shows schematic structure of the conventional drink extractor.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 2 Heating means 3 Temperature detection means 4 Water discharge path 5 Electric pump 6 Drink fixing part 7 Backup power supply 8 Voltage boosting means 9 Pump drive means 10 Voltage detection means 11 Control means 12 Beverage pack 13 Notification means 21 Charging means 25 Charging time count means

Claims (6)

A container for storing the liquid, a heating means for heating the liquid in the container, a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the liquid in the container, a water discharge path for discharging the liquid, and the middle of the water discharge path An electric pump arranged to discharge the liquid in the container, pump driving means for driving the electric pump, a beverage fixing part for installing a beverage pack or beverage powder extracted by the liquid discharged by the electric pump, When commercial power is not input, at least a backup power source that supplies power to the electric pump, a charging unit that charges the backup power source, and a charging time required for a predetermined voltage range when charging the backup power source time counting means charging, and a voltage detecting means for detecting a voltage of said backup power supply, and a control means for controlling said pump driving means, For example,
The control means drives the electric pump when the voltage detection means detects the first predetermined voltage determined according to the time measured by the charging time counting means when the commercial power is not inputted. Beverage extractor characterized by stopping . The beverage extractor according to claim 1 , wherein the driving of the electric pump is not stopped during the extraction until the extraction operation is completed. The beverage extractor according to any one of claims 1 to 2 , further comprising voltage boosting means for boosting the voltage of the backup power supply and supplying the power to the electric pump when the commercial power is not input. The beverage extractor according to claim 3 , wherein when the commercial power is not input, the control means stops the voltage boosting operation when the voltage detection means detects the first predetermined voltage or less. 5. The beverage extractor according to claim 4 , wherein during the extraction, the control means does not stop the pressure increasing operation until the extraction operation is completed. The beverage extractor according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a notification means for visually or audibly notifying when the voltage detection means detects a second predetermined voltage or less.

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