JPH0236092B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a coffee brewer that can automatically extract delicious coffee liquid by dropping high-temperature hot water onto coffee grounds.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY This type of coffee boiler has recently been developed to be able to produce delicious coffee liquid with simple operation. The water stop valve is configured to open only when it is detected that the water in the water container has boiled, and to start supplying hot water into the filter case.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional configuration, boiling in the water container is automatically detected, and the hot water supply configuration automatically opens the valve in conjunction with this boiling detection. The problem with this is that the coffee extraction process cannot be fully confirmed from the outside, which reduces the visual enjoyment by half, and once the valve is opened, it cannot be closed unless the valve release knob is operated, but as mentioned above, the visual enjoyment is reduced by half. Partly because there is no means in place to check the extraction process,
If you accidentally pour water because you forgot to operate the valve release knob, water may drip, resulting in a failure in pouring cold water onto the coffee grounds, or a failure in which the cold water drips and causes the container or floor to leak. There are many.

The present invention solves these problems,
You can check the coffee extraction transition process, and
To provide a coffee boiler capable of preventing erroneous water pouring, solving problems of cold water being poured onto coffee grounds and leaking from the floor surface or the container body, and improving usability.

Means for Solving the Problem In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a filter case for storing coffee powder, a water brewer having a heating element and a hot water supply path at the bottom, and a water brewing device that opens and closes the hot water supply path. a water stop valve, a water heater that holds the water stop valve open when water in the water container reaches a predetermined temperature, and a knob that releases the water stop valve from the open state;
It is equipped with means for indicating whether the water stop valve is open or closed.

Function This configuration allows the user to check the timing of the opening and closing operations of the water stop valve from the outside, eliminating the inconvenience of having to forcefully check the state of hot water supply to the coffee grounds to understand the coffee brewing process, and making it easier. It is easy to understand the coffee extraction process and enjoy the visual atmosphere, and it also improves usability by preventing cold water from dripping due to incorrect water pouring, eliminating the inconvenience of leaking coffee powder or leaking the container or floor. Coffee liquid extraction is also said to be the secret to extracting a rich, aromatic coffee liquid by supplying hot water at a high temperature from the beginning in a short period of time. It is possible to extract a delicious coffee liquid by satisfying the conditions of ``complete the process''.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

First, a first embodiment will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 5. In the figure, 1 is a container body, and this container body 1 consists of a base 2, a container part 3 above it, and a support 4 that connects this container part 3 and the side surface of the base 2. 1, the right side is cut out to form a substantially square-shaped storage section 5 which is open. Reference numeral 6 denotes a water container attached above the container part 3, which has a heating element 7 at the bottom, a hot water supply path 10 that leads hot water to the filter case 9 via a water stop valve 8, and a water inlet at the top. A lid 12 is attached to this water inlet 11. 13 is a steam port provided on the side wall surface of the water container 6 above the specified water level. The water stop valve 8 is attached so that a valve body 15 attached to a valve stem 14 that can be raised and lowered is always closed by a valve spring 16, and is opened when the valve stem 14 rises against the force of the valve spring 16. The water in the water melter 6 is led to the hot water supply port 18 via the hot water pipe 17 that constitutes the hot water supply furnace. 19
is a removable hot water diffuser that is attached to the hot water inlet 18 together with the hot water inlet gasket 20, and the hot water introduced to the hot water inlet 18 is dispersed and poured into the filter case 9 below by this hot water diffuser 19. Reference numeral 21 denotes a cup that can be freely attached to the storage section 5, and its position is regulated by a cup mounting section 22 formed on the base 2, and is located below the hot water supply port 18. A filter case 9 and a case lid 23 are placed on this cup 21. The filter case 9 has an extraction port 24 formed on the bottom surface, and a filter 25 serving as a filtration member inside.
Contains. 26 and 27 are cup placement parts 22
A heater for keeping the coffee liquid warm and a thermostat for controlling the temperature are installed inside the coffee machine. 28
30 is a peg frame for the magnetic plug 29 provided on the base 2, and 30 is a substantially cylindrical steam detection tube that protrudes from the upper surface of the support 4 on the steam port 13 side of the water container 6 and is installed in parallel with the water container 6. , several opening holes 31 are formed on the upper side facing the steam port 13. A vapor detection element 32 is arranged in the vapor detection tube 30 inside the opening hole 31 . The vapor detection element 32 is easily deformed and brought into close contact with the spring force of the bias spring 33 located below at all times, and at a certain temperature below 100°C, the Ti- Ni-based or Cu-Al-
This is a shape memory alloy made by processing a Zn-based alloy into a coiled spring shape. The expansion motion of the vapor detection element 32 made of this shape memory alloy is transmitted to one piece of the valve lever 35 which is rotatable below by a sliding rod 34 that is guided so as to be able to rise and fall on the inner surface of the vapor detection tube 30. The other part of the valve lever 35 with the fulcrum 35a as a boundary is the valve stem 1 that protrudes through the diaphragm 36 of the water stop valve 8.
4, the valve lever 35 pushes up the valve stem 14 that rotates counterclockwise, and the water stop valve 8
Open the door. Also, when the valve lever 35 rotates counterclockwise, the protruding piece 37 on the lower side of the valve lever 35 opens the power supply switch 38 to the heating element 7, which is a normally closed contact, so that the power supply switch 38, which is a normally closed contact, to the heating element 7 is turned off. Heating of the water in the water container 6 is stopped. 39 is the valve lever 35
This is a spring-biased locking lever that locks in the raised position to maintain the valve open state when the valve is rotated. Here, the movement of the vapor detection element 32 is controlled by the sliding rod 34, the valve lever 35, and the locking lever 39.
The water stop valve 8 is automatically opened to supply hot water from the water in the water container 6. Reference numeral 40 denotes a display board that is attached to the upper front side of the support column 4 and has a transparent display window 41. Inside the display window 41 of this display board 40, a valve lever 3 is attached in conjunction with the movement of the valve lever 35.
A movable plate 42 whose position changes between the valve closed state and the valve open state of No. 5 is arranged, and a seal member 43 indicating the valve open state and the valve closed state is pasted on the surface of the movable plate 42 facing the display window 41, Or printing. In the case of this embodiment, the movable plate 42 is constructed integrally with the valve lever 35. Reference numerals 44 and 45 are provided on the upper part of the column 4, and are a self-resetting switch knob and a valve release knob for the water stop valve 8. When the switch knob 44 is pushed down, the locking plate 4 is biased by a spring.
It is locked and stopped at 6, and at the same time the lower end protrusion 47
Then, the power switch 48 is closed. The valve opening release knob 45 has a release piece 49 that, when pushed down, operates the locking plate 46 and the locking lever 39 to release the locked state between the switch knob 44 and the valve lever 35.

Figure 5 shows an electrical circuit diagram, 51 and 52 are
This is a power supply terminal connected to a 100V power supply, and corresponds to both contacts of the magnetic plug 29 in FIG. A power switch 48 is connected to the power terminal 51, and a series circuit of a heat insulating heater 26 and a thermostat 27, a heating element 7 via a power supply switch 38 which is a normally closed contact, a safety thermostat 53 for preventing dry firing, and temperature control are connected to the power supply terminal 51. A series circuit with fuse 54 is connected.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the steam configuration will be explained. First, the filter case 9 containing coffee powder and the filter 35 is placed on the cup 21, and then placed on the cup placement section 22. Next, water is poured into the water container 6 and the lid 12 is closed. Next, when the magnetic plug 29 is connected to the power stick 28 and the switch knob 44 is pushed in, the power switch 48 is closed and the heating element 7 and the heat-retaining heater 26 are energized. The water in the water container 6 is heated by the heating element 7 and its temperature rises to 100°C.
When the boiling point is reached, steam is continuously generated. Then, steam is ejected from the steam port 13 of the water container 6, and the steam detection element 3 is ejected from the opening hole 31 at the top of the steam detection tube 30.
It falls under 2. Then, the temperature of the vapor detection element 32 suddenly rises by 100 degrees Celsius compared to the atmospheric temperature, so that the compressed coil spring shape memory alloy has a restoring force to the memory-treated expanded state. It extends (Fig. 3 → Fig. 4). This movement overcomes the bias spring 33 to push down the slide rod 34 and rotate the valve lever 35 counterclockwise. Then, the other end of the valve lever 35 pushes up the valve stem 14 to open the water stop valve 8, and the hot water in the boiling water container 6 flows through the hot water supply path 10 to the coffee powder in the filter case 9 and the hot water diffuser 19. The molten metal is dispersed and poured evenly. At the same time, the protruding piece 37 of the valve lever 35 opens the power supply switch 38, and the valve lever 3
5 is locked in the depressed state by the locking lever 39, the subsequent electricity supply to the heating element 7 is stopped. Since the water stop valve 8 is also kept open, all of the hot water in the water container 6 is poured into the coffee grounds in 3 to 4 minutes, and the coffee liquid filtered by the filter 25 accumulates in the cup 21 to keep it warm. Heater 2
6 and thermostat 27 to keep the drink at a temperature suitable for drinking. Therefore, the hot water that is poured into the coffee powder can be supplied from the beginning with high-temperature boiling water and the extraction can be completed in a short period of time (3 to 4 minutes), making it possible to achieve delicious coffee extraction conditions. It is possible to satisfactorily obtain a rich, fragrant, and delicious coffee liquid that could not be obtained using conventional methods. or,
In the present invention, the user can easily understand the rotational movement of the valve lever 35 by checking the transparent display window 41 within the frame of the display board 40. That is, the water stop valve 8 switches from a closed state (e.g., closed/water pouring) to an open state (e.g., open/drip), so that the water stop valve 8 goes from boiling water in the water container 6 to open and supplying hot water to the coffee grounds. The condition can be easily determined without checking the pouring condition from the hot water supply port 18 or the like. This pouring state is sufficiently effective by solving the problem that the hot water supply port 18 is located in the center of the main body and is difficult to see visually, and that it is difficult to check when the amount of hot water poured before and after the hot water supply process is relatively small. Furthermore, since the timing of the start of hot water supply (the moment the valve is opened) can be immediately confirmed, the coffee extraction process can be understood and enjoyed in terms of time. Furthermore, there is a problem in that cold water drips when water is refilled if the valve is released from the open state. With this configuration, since the valve open and valve closed states are clearly displayed on the display window 40, this erroneous water injection can be prevented. Furthermore, if the font and color shown on the display window 41, the angle of the display window 41, and the lens configuration of the display window 41 are adopted, prevention of erroneous water injection will be promoted and the effect will be enhanced. On the other hand, the elongated steam detection element 32 stops ejecting steam from the steam port 13 due to power cut-off of the heating element 7, so when it is cooled by the atmosphere, it does not lose its restoring force and is pushed back by the bias spring 33 and returns to the close contact state. . After use, when the valve release knob 45 is operated, the switch knob 44 and the valve lever 35 are released from the locked state by the release piece 49, so they return to their original state, the power switch 48 opens, and the water stop valve 8 is released. is closed.

In this way, the coffee boiler of this embodiment includes a filter case 9 for storing coffee powder, and a heating element 7.
and a water supply path 10 at the bottom.
, a water stop valve 8 that opens and closes the hot water supply path 10, and a water heater [steam detection element 32] that holds the water stop valve 8 open when the water in the water container 6 reaches a predetermined temperature (boiling). , sliding rod 34, valve lever 35, locking lever 39], and the valve release knob 45 of the water stop valve 8.
and means for indicating the opening and closing of the water stop valve 8 [moving plate 4
2. Seal member 43, display board 40, display window 41]
This has the advantage that the user can easily understand the timing and status of the opening/closing operation of the water stop valve 8 through the display means, and therefore can immediately check the coffee extraction process. This allows the user to visually enjoy the temporal process of extracting coffee liquid, and eliminates the trouble of having to thoroughly check and judge the state of pouring water in the absence of this display means. In addition, since the open/closed state of the water stop valve 8 is clearly displayed by the display means,
The danger of erroneous water injection has been prevented, and the problems caused by cold water dripping have also been improved. Moreover, the coffee liquid to be extracted satisfies the conditions considered to be the secret to extracting delicious coffee liquid, and a rich and aromatic coffee liquid can be extracted.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the vapor detection element 32 of the first embodiment is arranged in the water stop valve 8 at the bottom of the water container 6, and expands when the water temperature reaches the boiling point. , the water stop valve 8 is opened by pushing down the valve stem 14 against the valve spring 16,
The rest of the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, and this structure also exhibits the same effects as the first embodiment. In addition, in this configuration, the timing for opening the valve is not necessarily limited to the boiling point, but may be appropriately set at a temperature lower than the boiling point, such as 90 to 100°C.

Incidentally, in the above two embodiments, the seal member was used as the display means, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a confirmation lamp or the like may be arranged, and the confirmation lamp may be lit in conjunction with the movement of the valve lever 35 to notify the user.
Other various methods may also be used.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to check the open/closed state of the water stop valve in a timely manner and at all times, so there is an advantage that the coffee extraction process can be visually checked in a timely manner and can be enjoyed, and it is possible to prevent erroneous water pouring. As a result, the ease of use can be improved. In addition, since the coffee liquid is supplied with high-temperature hot water to the coffee powder from the beginning and the extraction is completed in a short time, it is possible to extract a rich, aromatic and delicious coffee liquid, making it a coffee boiler with increased practical value. equipment can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, Fig. 2 is a cutaway side view of the main parts, Figs. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of main parts showing an example. 6...Water container, 7...Heating element, 8...Water stop valve,
9... Filter case, 10... Hot water supply path, 32
... Steam detection element, 34 ... Sliding rod, 35 ... Valve lever, 39 ... Locking lever, 40 ... Display plate,
41... Display window, 42... Moving plate, 43... Seal member, 45... Valve release knob.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A filter case for storing coffee powder, a water container having a heating element and a hot water supply path at the bottom,
A water stop valve that opens and closes the water supply path, a water heater that holds the water stop valve open when water in the water container reaches a predetermined temperature, and a knob that releases the water stop valve from an open state. A coffee boiler equipped with means for indicating whether a water stop valve is open or closed.