JP7368026B2 - coffee maker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coffee maker that extracts coffee from ground coffee beans.

A coffee maker is known that has a dripper that accommodates ground coffee beans (hereinafter referred to as coffee powder) and a holder that holds the dripper above the server, and that pours hot water into the dripper to brew coffee. There is. Patent Document 1 below discloses a device that holds a dripper (3) above a server (coffee pot 6) by setting the dripper (filter holder 3) in a holder (filter holder support bracket 7). The dripper (3) is set in the holder (7) from above. Patent Document 2 listed below shows a coffee maker that holds a dripper (21) above a server (bottle 3) by setting the dripper (basket 21) in a holder (basket holder 20). Note that the member names and codes in parentheses are the member names and codes used in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below, and are not related to the codes used in the description of the embodiments of the present application.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-194491 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-174651

In many coffee makers, not limited to Patent Documents 1 and 2, the dripper is often set in a holder from above.

An object of the present invention is to hold a dripper so that it does not come off the holder in a coffee maker in which the dripper is set from the horizontal direction rather than from above in order to increase the degree of freedom in design.

A coffee maker according to the present invention includes a dripper and a holder that holds the dripper above a server. The dripper includes a funnel part, a plate part provided at the bottom of the funnel part, and a bulge part connected to the bottom part of the funnel part and bulging downward from the plate part. The holder is provided on the main body of the apparatus, and holds the dripper above the server by placing the plate part of the dripper on the upper surface which is a horizontal surface. The holder also has a concave shape extending radially inward from one location on the periphery, and the concave shape defines a receiving area for receiving the bulge of the dripper. A guide mechanism is provided on the upper surface of the holder and the lower surface of the plate portion, which face each other. The guide mechanism includes a guide element provided on the upper surface of the holder and a follower element provided on the lower surface of the plate part and engaged with the guide element. By rotating the dripper received from the open end of the receiving area at the periphery of the holder around the vertical axis, the guide element guides the follower element and brings the dripper to the set position for coffee extraction, in which position the dripper hold.

The guide mechanism may define a preset position where the dripper that has entered the receiving area is temporarily stopped, and may send the dripper from the preset position to the set position by rotation of the dripper. The set position may be located further back than the preset position in the direction in which the dripper enters the receiving area.

The guide mechanism may be configured to send the dripper to the set position regardless of whether the dripper is rotated left or right.

The guide element may be a guide protrusion projecting from the upper surface of the holder, and the follower element may be a follower groove cut into the lower surface of the plate portion.

The follower groove gradually approaches the bulge from the position where it engages with the guide protrusion when the dripper is near the preset position to the position where it engages with the guide protrusion when it is in the set position. can be provided.

The coffee maker may have a vertical restraint structure that restrains the relative movement of the dripper and the holder in the vertical direction.

The vertical restraint structure may include a groove provided on one side of the bulging portion of the dripper and an inner wall surface defining the receiving area of the holder, and a protrusion provided on the other side and engaged with the groove. can.

The receiving area defined by the holder may be open toward the front of the device body. Further, the dripper may have a handle provided on the side surface of the funnel portion. The handle may extend in the front of the device body in the preset position, and may extend in a direction orthogonal to the front in the set position.

The dripper sent to the set position by the guide mechanism is held within the receiving area of the holder.

It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the coffee maker of this embodiment, and is a diagram showing a state before setting a dripper. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the coffee maker of this embodiment, and is a diagram showing a state in which a dripper is set. FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the dripper. FIG. 3 is a downward perspective view of the dripper. It is a bottom view of a dripper. It is a perspective view of a holder. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holder. It is a figure showing the state where the dripper was seen from the side opposite to a handle. FIG. 3 is a front view of the holder. It is a figure explaining the setting process of a dripper.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the appearance of a coffee maker 10 of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which the dripper 12 is separated from the apparatus main body 14, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the dripper 12 is set in the apparatus main body 14. The apparatus main body 14 includes a mounting table 18 on which the server 16 is mounted, and a columnar section 20 erected on the mounting table 18. The direction from the columnar part 20 toward the mounted server 16 is referred to as the front of the device body, or simply the front. In the figure, the forward direction is indicated by an arrow FR. Further, the upward direction in the vertical direction is indicated by an arrow UP, and the left side facing forward is indicated by an arrow LH.

The columnar part 20 of the device main body 14 includes a tank 13 for storing water and a heating part (not shown) for heating the water, and a nozzle 22 for supplying heated water to the dripper 12 is provided at the top. The nozzle 22 extends forward from the columnar portion 20. A holder 24 that holds the dripper 12 above the server 16 placed on the mounting table 18 is provided on the front surface of the device main body 14 . The holder 24 is fixed to the device main body 14.

The server 16 includes a truncated conical server body 26 with an open top, a lid 28 attached to the opening at the top of the server body 26, and a server handle 30 fixed to a side surface of the server body 26. The lid 28 is provided with several through holes, allowing the Kobe received on the top surface to flow into the interior of the server body 26.

3 to 5 are views showing the dripper 12, with FIG. 3 being a perspective view looking down from diagonally above, FIG. 4 being a perspective view looking up diagonally from below, and FIG. 5 being a bottom view. The dripper 12 has a funnel part 32 that accommodates coffee powder, a plate part 34 provided at the bottom of the funnel part 32, and a bulge part 36 that bulges downward from the plate part 34. The funnel portion 32 has a generally conical shape that narrows downward, and defines a concave-shaped storage space that opens upward and accommodates coffee powder. A filter made of paper or the like is arranged along the inner wall surface of the funnel portion 32, and coffee powder is further accommodated inside the filter. The plate part 34 is arranged in a horizontal plane at the lower end of the funnel part 32. The plate portion 34 may have a substantially disk shape.

The bulge 36 of the dripper 12 includes a cylindrical bulge main body 37 fixed to the plate 34 and a cylindrical bulge main body 37 that is provided at the lower end of the bulge main body 37 and is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the bulge main body 37. A valve body 38 is provided. The internal space of the bulging part 36 communicates with the accommodation space of the funnel part 32, and the coffee filtered by the filter flows into the bulging part 36. The valve body 38 is normally closed, and opens when pushed up from below. When the dripper 12 is held in the holder 24 with the server 16 placed on the mounting table 18, the valve body 38 of the bulge 36 is pushed up by the top surface of the lid 28 of the server 16, and the valve is opened. By opening the valve, extracted coffee flows out of the bulge 36 and flows into the server body 26 through the through hole of the lid 28. When the server 16 is not placed, the valve will not open and the coffee will remain in the dripper.

A dripper handle 40 is provided on the side surface of the funnel portion 32. The central axis of the bulging portion 36 extends in the vertical direction when the dripper 12 is in use. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the plate portion 34 may have a substantially disk shape having a central axis common to the bulging portion. A line that is perpendicular to the central axis and passes through the handle 40 within a plane defined by the lower surface 34a of the plate portion is referred to as a dripper center line M. Regarding the dripper 12, in the direction along the dripper center line M, the dripper handle 40 side is referred to as a proximal side PR, and the opposite side is referred to as a distal side DI. Further, the intersection of the plane defined by the lower surface 34a of the plate portion and the central axis of the bulge portion is designated as center O.

6 is a perspective view showing the holder 24, and FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the holder 24. The holder 24 is fixedly supported by a bracket 42 fixed to the columnar part 20. The holder 24 is arranged so that the upper surface 24a is horizontal, and has a concave shape extending radially inward from the periphery. This concave shape defines a receiving area 44 that receives the bulge 36 of the dripper 12. As shown in FIG. 7, the inner wall surface 24b of the holder 24, which defines the receiving area 44, has a substantially U-shape that opens toward the front of the device main body 14 when viewed from above. The center line of this substantially U-shape extends in the front-rear direction. This center line is referred to as a holder center line N.

The outer edge of the holder 24 has a substantially arcuate shape when viewed from above, and a peripheral wall 46 is erected upward from the upper surface 24a of the holder at the rear portion of the outer edge of the holder 24. When the dripper 12 is set, the peripheral edge of the plate portion 34 of the dripper comes into contact with the peripheral wall 46. The peripheral wall 46 has a semicircular or sub-arc shape, and when viewed from above, the center line of the peripheral wall 46 coincides with the U-shaped holder center line N of the inner wall surface 24b of the holder.

An arc-shaped sliding protrusion 48 is provided on the upper surface 24a of the holder so as to partially surround the receiving area 44. When the dripper 12 is placed on the holder 24, the upper surface of the sliding protrusion 48 is in contact with the lower surface 34a of the plate part 34, and the lower surface 34a of the plate part is prevented from directly contacting the upper surface 24a of the holder. This reduces friction when rotating the dripper 12 relative to the holder 24.

The dripper 12 enters from the front of the device main body 14 and is placed on the holder 24. In this coffee maker 10, by further rotating the dripper 12 around the vertical axis, the dripper 12 is guided to the set position, which is the position when coffee is extracted. For this guidance, the coffee maker 10 is equipped with a guide mechanism.

The guide mechanism includes a guide protrusion 50 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) which is a guide element provided on the upper surface 24a of the holder 24, and a follower groove 52 (which is a follower element) formed on the lower surface 34a of the plate portion 34 of the dripper 12. (see Figures 4 and 5). The guide protrusion 50 is a cylindrical protrusion that protrudes upward from the upper surface 24a of the holder, and its height is higher than the sliding protrusion 48. Further, the guide protrusion 50 is provided on the holder center line N (see FIG. 7).

The follower groove 52 is carved into the lower surface 34a of the plate portion 34, and when the dripper 12 is inserted from the front of the device main body 14 toward the holder 24 with the dripper handle 40 facing forward, the holder 24 guide protrusions 50 enter into follower grooves 52 formed in a concave manner. The follower groove 52 includes a receiving part 54 that opens toward the distal side DI, and follower parts 56A and 56B that extend from the receiving part 54 in opposite directions. The shape of the follower groove 52 is symmetrical with respect to the dripper centerline M. The width of the opening of the receiving portion 54 (the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the dripper center line M) is considerably larger than the diameter of the guide protrusion 50, for example, five times or more. Although the follower parts 56A and 56B are curved, they do not lie on the circumference C centered on the center O of the dripper 12, but go inside the circumference C as they move away from the dripper center line M, and gradually curve into the bulging part 36. approaches. In other words, the distance from the center O of the dripper 12 becomes smaller as the follower parts 56A, 56B move away from the dripper center line M. The operation of the guide mechanism will be explained in detail later.

The coffee maker 10 has a vertical restraint structure that restrains the vertical movement of the dripper 12 with respect to the holder 24. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the dripper 12 viewed horizontally from the distal side DI, that is, the side opposite to the dripper handle 40, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the holder 24 viewed from the front. The vertical restraint structure includes a restraint groove 58 extending in the circumferential direction on the side surface of the bulging portion 36 of the dripper 12, and a restraint protrusion 60 provided on the inner wall surface 24b of the holder 24. The restraint groove 58 is provided all around the bulge 36 . Further, the restraining protrusion 60 extends within the horizontal plane and is provided over almost the entire U-shape of the inner wall surface 24b of the holder. The restraint groove 58 and the restraint protrusion 60 engage with each other to restrain vertical movement of the dripper 12. Contrary to this example, a protrusion may be provided on the dripper side and a groove may be provided on the holder side. Alternatively, an inward flange may be provided on the upper edge of the peripheral wall 46 of the holder 24, and the outer edge of the plate portion 34 may be sandwiched between this flange and the upper surface 24a of the holder to restrain the dripper 12 in the vertical direction. . Furthermore, the guide protrusion and the follower groove may be a dovetail groove and a dovetail groove, or a T-shaped protrusion and a T-shaped groove, and the vertical movement of the dripper 12 may be restrained by this guide mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the process of setting the dripper 12. The upper row shows the state before setting the dripper 12, the middle row shows the setting process, and the lower row shows the state after the setting is completed. Further, the middle and lower right figures show the dripper 12 and the guide protrusion 50 on the holder 24 as seen from below.

When the user sets the dripper 12 , the dripper 12 is inserted from the front of the device main body 14 toward the holder 24 with the dripper handle 40 facing forward, and at this time, the bulging portion 36 is inserted into the holder 24 from the front of the receiving area 44 . Enter from the open end. In this process, the restraining groove 58 of the bulging portion 36 and the restraining protrusion 60 of the inner wall surface 24b of the holder engage with each other, thereby restraining vertical movement of the dripper 12 with respect to the holder 24.

As the dripper 12 advances, the guide protrusion 50 is received in the receiving part 54 of the follower groove 52, as shown in the middle right figure. The receiving part 54 has a wide frontage and can receive the guide protrusion 50 even if the orientation of the dripper 12 is slightly deviated, that is, even if the dripper handle 40 is slightly deviated from the front. As the dripper 12 advances, the guide protrusion 50 comes into contact with the contact wall 54a at the back of the receiving portion 54, and the dripper 12 stops there. This position is referred to as a "preset position." At the preset position, there is a gap between the plate portion 34 of the dripper 12 and the peripheral wall 46 of the holder 24.

Next, the user rotates the dripper 12 counterclockwise from the preset position when viewed from above. At this time, the user can rotate the dripper 12 by pushing the dripper handle 40 while holding it. As the dripper 12 rotates, the follower portion 56A of the follower groove 52 engages with the guide protrusion. Furthermore, when the dripper 12 rotates, the follower part 56A gradually approaches the bulge part 36 as described above, so that the entire dripper 12 is moved inwardly, that is, backwardly, guided by the guide protrusion 50. That is, the rotational axis of the dripper 12 moves backward in parallel as the dripper 12 rotates.

When the dripper 12 is rotated 90 degrees from the preset position, the guide protrusion 50 engages with the end of the follower part 56A as shown in the lower stage, and it cannot be rotated any further. This position is the "set position". Further, at this time, the plate portion 34 comes into contact with the peripheral wall 46. At the set position, the dripper 12 is located further back than the preset position by a distance d. Coffee is extracted at the set position.

In the set position, the guide protrusion 50 and the follower portion 56A are engaged, so the dripper 12 is held in the holder 24 so as not to be pulled out forward. When the dripper 12 is in the set position, when the server 16 is attempted to be pulled out forward, a forward force is applied to the bulge 36 in contact with the lid 28 of the server 16. However, the dripper 12 is maintained in the state held by the holder 24 due to the engagement between the guide protrusion 50 and the follower portion 56A.

When the dripper 12 is sent from the preset position to the set position, the dripper 12 rotates and moves toward the rear of the apparatus main body. The user holds the dripper handle 40 and rotates the dripper 12. At this time, the user applies a force backward to the dripper handle 40, so that the backward movement of the dripper 12 is felt as a result of the applied force, giving a natural impression.

When rotated clockwise from the preset position, guide protrusion 50 engages follower portion 56B. The follower part 56B is symmetrical to the follower part 56A with respect to the dripper center line M, and the set position remains the same whether the dripper 12 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. This allows for rotation depending on the dominant arm. Note that only one of the follower sections 56A and 56B may be provided.

The opening direction of the receiving area 44 may not be toward the front of the device main body but may be toward the side.

In the above-described embodiment, a protrusion is provided on the upper surface 24a of the holder and a groove is provided on the lower surface 34a of the plate portion.However, conversely, a groove serving as a guide element is provided on the upper surface of the holder, and a groove is provided on the lower surface of the plate portion. A protrusion serving as a follower element may also be provided. In this case, the groove can be shaped such that as it moves away from the center line N, the distance from the center of the bulge at the preset position increases.

Reference Signs List 10 coffee maker, 12 dripper, 14 device main body, 16 server, 24 holder, 24a (of the holder) top surface, 24b (of the holder) inner wall surface, 32 funnel portion, 34 plate portion, 36 bulging portion, 40 dripper handle, 44 Receiving area, 46 peripheral wall, 50 guide protrusion, 52 follower groove, 54 receiving part, 56A, 56B follower part, 58 restraint groove, 60 restraint protrusion, M dripper center line, N holder center line.

Claims (9)

A dripper having a funnel part, a plate part provided at a lower part of the funnel part, and a bulging part connected to the lower part of the funnel part and bulging downward from the plate part;
The holder is provided on the device main body and holds the dripper above the server by placing the plate portion on the upper surface which is a horizontal surface, the holder having a concave shape radially inward from one location on the periphery, defines a receiving area for receiving the bulge of the dripper;
A guide mechanism including a guide element provided on the upper surface of the holder and a follower element provided on the lower surface of the plate portion and engaged with the guide element, the guide element guiding the follower element. a guide mechanism that sends the dripper to a set position where coffee is extracted and holds it at the set position;
including ;
The guide mechanism defines a preset position where the dripper that has entered the receiving area is temporarily stopped, and sends the dripper from the preset position to the set position by rotation of the dripper.
coffee maker. The coffee maker according to claim 1 , wherein the set position is located further back than the preset position in a direction in which the dripper enters the receiving area. A dripper having a funnel part, a plate part provided at a lower part of the funnel part, and a bulging part connected to the lower part of the funnel part and bulging downward from the plate part;
The holder is provided on the device main body and holds the dripper above the server by placing the plate portion on the upper surface which is a horizontal surface, the holder having a concave shape radially inward from one location on the periphery, defines a receiving area for receiving the bulge of the dripper;
A guide mechanism including a guide element provided on the upper surface of the holder and a follower element provided on the lower surface of the plate portion and engaged with the guide element, the guide element guiding the follower element. a guide mechanism that sends the dripper to a set position where coffee is extracted and holds it at the set position;
including ;
The guide mechanism sends the dripper to the set position regardless of whether the dripper is rotated left or right.
coffee maker. The coffee maker according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the guide mechanism sends the dripper to the set position regardless of whether the dripper is rotated left or right. 5. The coffee maker according to claim 1 , wherein the guide element is a guide protrusion provided on the upper surface of the holder, and the follower element is a guide protrusion provided on the lower surface of the plate portion. A follower groove carved into the coffee maker. 6. The coffee maker according to claim 5 , wherein the follower groove changes from a position where the follower groove engages with the guide protrusion when the dripper is in the preset position to a position where the follower groove engages with the guide protrusion when the dripper is in the set position. The coffee maker gradually approaches the bulge toward the position where the coffee maker is placed. The coffee maker according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , comprising a vertical restraint structure that restrains relative movement of the dripper and the holder in the vertical direction. 8. The coffee maker according to claim 7 , wherein the vertical restraint structure is provided in a groove provided on one side of the bulging portion and an inner wall surface defining the receiving area of the holder, and on the other side. A coffee maker comprising a protrusion that engages the groove. The coffee maker according to claim 5 or 6 ,
the receiving area of the holder is open toward the front of the device body;
The dripper has a handle provided on a side surface of the funnel part,
The handle extends forward in the preset position and extends in a direction perpendicular to the front in the set position.
coffee maker.

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