JPH0412127B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for extracting coffee, etc., which obtains an extract liquid by injecting hot water under pressure into a material to be extracted, such as coffee powder.

Structure of conventional example and its problems Generally, it is preferable to extract coffee at high temperature for a short time and evenly from the entire coffee. For this reason, coffee brewing devices that pressurize with a pump or the like to extract coffee in a short period of time have conventionally been used.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A conventional coffee extraction device as described above will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional extraction device for coffee, etc. In FIG. 1, 1 is a heater block, the block body 2, an upper cover 3,
The lower cover 4 is made of a good thermal conductor such as aluminum. The block main body 2 has a spiral water channel groove 5 on its front surface, and a spiral heating element 6 embedded in its back surface. Further, a through hole 7 is provided in the center thereof in communication with the water channel groove 5. Reference numeral 8 denotes a seal ring provided on the outer periphery of the block body 2, and an upper cover 3 is provided in a watertight manner to close the upper surface of the groove 5 to form a water channel 5a. The lower cover 4 is provided with a recess 10 having an opening 10a that communicates with the through hole 7 in a watertight manner through an O-ring 9, and a valve 11 for closing the opening 10a and a valve 11 attached thereto. A valve spring 12 is provided by screwing onto a valve seat 13. 14 is a diffusion plate screwed onto the valve seat 13 with mounting screws 15.

16 is an electromagnetic pump;
A suction pipe 18 with one end opened at the bottom of the water dissolver 17 is connected to a connecting pipe 19 which communicates with the water passage 5a of the heater block formed by the groove 5 of the block body 2.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a hook plate with a central opening provided at the lower part of the lower cover 4, and around the central opening of the hook plate 20, a plurality of claws are provided around the upper end of the filter holder 22 equipped with a handle 21. 2
3 is loosely fitted into the plurality of notches 24, and the claw 23 is formed by rotating the filter holder 22 after the claw 23 is loosely fitted.
A plurality of engaging pieces 25 are respectively provided to engage with. 26 is a filter housed in the filter holder 22, and 27 is a seal packing that is engaged with the lower cover 4 and comes into airtight contact with the upper end of the filter 26. In addition, in the lower part of the filter holder 22, an outlet 28 is provided at the lower end of the tapered surface toward the center.

Reference numeral 29 is a receiving plate provided with a number of holes for placing a demitasse coffee cup 30 containing this type of coffee, and 31 is a receiving plate. Note that 32 is coffee powder stored in the filter 26, and 33 is an automatic temperature controller provided in the block body 2.

The operation of the extraction device configured as described above will be described below.

First, pour the required amount of water into the water dispenser 17. Next, when a power switch (not shown) is operated to start energizing the heating element 6, the temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature by the automatic temperature controller 33. Then, a predetermined amount of coffee powder 32 is put into the filter 26 housed in the filter holder 22, and the filter 26 is brought into rotational engagement with the hook plate 20. The preparation for coffee extraction is now complete.

Next, the demitasse coffee cup 30 is set on the receiving plate 29 which is almost directly below the outlet 28 of the filter holder 22, and the pump 16 is activated.
The water in the water dissolver 17 is pumped into the suction pipe 1 by the pump 16.
8. It is fed under pressure into the block body 2 via the connecting pipe 19. The water pumped into the block main body 2 is boiled by heat transfer from the heater block 1 while passing through the spiral water channel 5a, becomes hot water, passes through the through hole 7, presses the valve 11, and passes through the diffusion plate. It passes through the coffee powder 32 via the coffee powder 14 and extracts the coffee liquid, and flows out from the outlet 28 and is poured into the demitasse coffee cup 30 to make coffee.

However, with the above configuration, it is necessary to put a measured amount of coffee powder into the filter 26, and the filter 26 gets dirty after each extraction, so it is difficult to obtain delicious coffee unless it is washed every time it is extracted. It was not easy to use.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, it is an object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-use coffee extraction device.

Composition of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, the coffee extraction device of the present invention has a nozzle that spouts hot water guided through a water heating unit having a heating element into a capsule containing an object to be extracted such as coffee powder. , a guide ring that surrounds this nozzle and extends downward and houses the capsule when extracting coffee powder, etc., and a guide ring that is provided below this guide ring and moves up and down between the raised position and the lowered position. is possible, and includes a capsule stand positioned at a raised position when extracting coffee powder, etc., and an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers this capsule stand between the raised position and the lowered position, and a , a rim extending outward from the outer periphery of the capsule is provided, and the relative arrangement of the capsule base and the guide ring is such that the capsule base is housed in the guide ring when the capsule base is in the raised position. The rim of the capsule is pressed against the lower end surface of the guide ring to hold the capsule airtightly. According to this configuration, the capsule containing the substance to be extracted, such as coffee powder, is placed on the capsule stand, and the capsule stand is slid upward and inserted into the guide ring, and the extracted coffee, etc., is always delicious. is obtained, and its usability is extremely simple.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 to 7 show a coffee extraction device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIGS. 2 and 4, numeral 41 is a heater block which is a water heating unit;
The heater block main body 42 is made of a good thermal conductor such as aluminum die-casting, and is equipped with a water pipe 44 in which a substantially cylindrical heater 43 in which a heating wire 43a is loaded with insulating powder 43b is housed inside the good thermal conductor. This water pipe 44 is provided with a spiral groove 45 continuous from one end to the other end on the outer peripheral surface, and seal rings 46 are provided at both ends, and the heater block main body 42
A spiral water channel 47 is formed by airtightly inserting the pipe into the pipe. Reference numeral 48 denotes an outlet provided at the bottom of the heater block main body 42 located at the tip of the water channel 47. Note that 49 is a terminal plate of the heater 43, and 50 is a set screw for screwing the water tube 44 onto the heater block body 42.

In FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, reference numeral 51 denotes a ring plate having an opening 53 in the center that communicates airtightly with the outlet 48 through an O-ring 52, and a plurality of mounting screws 54 to connect the heater. It is screwed onto the lower surface of the block body 42.

Reference numeral 55 denotes a holder integrally formed of zinc die-casting or the like, with the ring plate 51 housed therein to form a substantially cylindrical shape, and a handle 56 for operation extending outward from the holder. It is engaged with the upper outer peripheral step portion 57 of the plate 51 and is rotatably provided.

Reference numeral 58 denotes a guide ring which is removably provided by a male threaded portion 60 that communicates with the opening 53 and is screwed into a female threaded portion of a stepped hole portion 59 provided in the ring plate 51. The nozzle 6 is made of stainless steel or the like and has an acute tapered tip.
The nozzle 61 is press-fitted into the nozzle 61, and is made of stainless steel or the like. Further, the nozzle 61 is provided with a nozzle hole 62 that is branched into two directions at the lower end and opened in the tapered surface. It communicates airtightly.

Reference numeral 64 denotes a valve formed of silicone rubber or the like and provided in the stepped portion of the stepped hole portion 59. This valve 64 is connected to the opening 53 by a valve spring 66 provided in the central opening 65 of the male threaded portion 60 of the guide ring 58. is biased in the direction of closing.

Reference numeral 67 denotes a support fitting provided on the base 68 by screwing it with a screw, etc. The support fitting 67 is formed of a steel plate or the like in a substantially U-shape that is open to the rear, and has a support fitting 67 provided at both ends on the front side. A lifting platform 70 made of a stainless steel plate or the like can be raised and lowered via a support rod 69.
It is equipped with The lifting platform 70 has a notch hole 70a in the center, and a guide groove 71a with a substantially U-shaped cross section opening at a slope 71b descending into the notch hole 70a. It is being expanded. Furthermore, a pair of left and right hook plates 72 are formed on the upper surface of the capsule base 71 by zinc die-casting or the like, with a gap narrower than the U-shaped groove width of the guide groove 71a. Further, at the lower center of the capsule base 71, there is provided a disk-shaped capsule seat 74 made of stainless steel or the like and having a discharge port 73 in the center and a concave periphery.

The pair of hook plates 72 are integrally provided with hook pieces 75 that project outward from each other, and the hook pieces 75 slide upward together with the lifting platform 70.
When reaching almost the upper end of the sliding range of the lifting platform 70,
It passes through a notch 76 provided around the central opening of the holder 55 and engages with an engaging portion 77 adjacent to the notch 76 as the holder 55 rotates.

In FIGS. 3 and 6, 78 is a second plate made of a steel plate or the like and on which the heater block 41 is placed.
A lever is provided on the side of the mounting bracket 79 shown in the figure so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the block body 42, and this lever 78 engages near the base of the handle 56 of the holder 55. It slides in conjunction with the rotation of the holder 55.

A link 80 is made of a steel plate or the like and has one end in contact with a recess 81 at the tip of the lever 78. The end engages with an engagement shaft 83 provided on the lifting table 70 to convert rotation of the holder 55 into vertical sliding movement of the lifting table 70. Reference numeral 84 denotes an abutting piece that forms the recess 81 of the lever 78. This abutting piece 84 is used when the lifting table 70 slides almost to the upper end and the hook piece 75 is attached to the holder 55 as described above.
While the link 8 engages with the engaging portion 77 due to the rotation of the
0 to keep the capsule stand 71 at approximately the upper end position. The contact piece 84 has a first
A square hole 84a and a second square hole 84b are provided, and the terminal portion 85 opposite thereto is provided with a projection 85a and a step projection 85b. Further, 78a is a protruding piece provided adjacent to the abutting piece 84 and protruding from the lever 78, and 80a is an engaging piece provided on the upper part of the link 80.

Reference numeral 86 denotes a water container provided at the rear of the heater block 41, and a first water container 86 at its bottom communicates with a suction pipe 88 of an electromagnetic pump 87 provided on a base 68 below the water container 86 through a communication bushing 89. The opening 90 of the support fitting 67 communicates with the drain port 93, the other of which is opened through a valve 91 provided on one side of the support fitting 67, and the other is opened in a front pull-out type saucer 92 provided below the capsule base 71. 2 openings 94 are provided. Note that the second opening 94 and the drain port 93
The space between them is normally closed by a valve 91. 95 is a float switch provided at the bottom of the water container 86, and detects the water level of the water stored in the water container 86. Further, 90a is a Tetron filter provided in the first opening 90.

96 is a side plate, and this side plate 96 houses the saucer 92 and the pump 87 together with the base 68 and a back plate 97 provided with rubber legs 97a. 98 is an operating knob for the valve 91; 99 is a lid for the water container 86; 100 is a receiving plate provided with a number of holes for placing demitasse cups 101 for this type of coffee; 102;
1 is a heat shield plate of the seater body 41, 103 is its cover, and 104 is an operation switch provided on the operation panel 105.

106 is a capsule in which coffee powder 107 is sealed; the capsule body 108 is made of a thin film of aluminum or the like and has a substantially conical shape with an obtuse angle at the tip; and a convex spherical weak line that expands under pressure and opens in the substantially central part of the capsule body 108. A bottom portion 109 having a portion 109a and formed of a thin film such as aluminum, and coffee powder 1 enclosed in the capsule body 108 with a gap between the bottom portion 109 and the bottom portion 109.
Filter 11 with an opening suitable for filtering 07
0 is constructed by stretching the capsule body 108 to form an outer rim 111 and pressing seams. Note that the end portion of the capsule body 108 is wrapped around and sealed under the outer peripheral rim 111.

The operation of the coffee extraction apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

First, a required amount of water is poured into the water container 86, and the operation switch 104 is operated to start energizing the heater 43. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the heater block 41 begins to be controlled to a predetermined temperature by the automatic temperature controller 41a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the handle 56 of the holder 55 is rotated forward (in the direction opposite to the water container 86) to lower the capsule stand 71, and the capsule 1
The capsule 1 is placed along the guide groove 71a of the capsule base 71, which is wider than the outer diameter of the outer rim 111 of the capsule 1.
Insert 06. At this time, the capsule 106 is guided in the left-right direction by the opposing sides of a pair of hook plates 72, which have a gap narrower than the outer diameter of the outer rim 111 and wider than the outer diameter of the approximately conical capsule body 108. At the same time, the back surfaces of the pair of hook plates 72 protruding inward from the guide groove 71a, which is wider than the outer diameter of the outer rim 111, and the guide groove 7
It is guided in the vertical direction by the bottom surface of 1a, and is inserted almost linearly. When the capsule 106 is inserted to the capsule seat 74 located directly below the guide ring 58, the capsule 106 is inserted into the concave capsule seat 74.
is positioned by engaging the convex spherical bottom portion 109 with the
The outer rim 111 is placed in contact with the capsule seat 74.

Then turn the handle 56 backwards (toward the water container 86).
The capsule table 71 is raised via the lever 78, the link 80, and the lifting table 70. The capsule 106 placed on the capsule stand 71 is guided by the housing part 58a of the guide ring 58, which has approximately the same shape as the capsule body 108, and the needle-shaped nozzle 61 pierces the tip of the guide ring 58 to make a nozzle hole 62 inside the capsule 106. Open it.

As the rotation of the handle 56 progresses and the recess 81 of the lever 78 comes into contact with the protrusion 84a of the end portion 84 of the link 80, the capsule platform 71 reaches almost the upper end of the lifting range in which it slides together with the lifting table 70, and the handle 56 is further rotated. Even if the lever 78 is rotated, the contact piece 84
The link 80 only slides into contact with the terminal part 84, but the link 80 does not rotate, and therefore the capsule stand 71 does not rise. At this time, the hook piece 7 provided on the capsule stand 71
5 enters from the notch 76 of the holder 55 as described above. When the holder 55 is further rotated via the handle 56, the capsule base 71 is further lifted up as it rotates while making contact with the inclined surfaces provided on the back surface of the hook piece 75 and the inner surface of the engaging portion 77 of the holder 55, respectively. . Capsule stand 7
When the capsule 106 is lifted up and the outer rim 111 of the capsule 106 in contact with the capsule seat 74 is pressed from above by the lower end of the guide ring 58 to hold the capsule 106 airtight, the setting of the capsule 106 is completed. On the other hand, in the lever 78 and the link 80, the lever 78 moves further rearward in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 56. At this time, the protrusion 85a provided on the end portion 85 of the link 80 passes through the first square hole 84a provided on the abutting piece 84 of the lever 78, and engages with the second square hole 84b. The step protrusion 85b of the portion 85 engages with the first square hole 84a, and each time the end face of the square hole 84a passes over each step portion of the step protrusion 85b, a sound is generated and the capsule seat 74 of the capsule 106 is engaged. The state in which the guide ring 58 is held is shown.

Next, the demitasse cup 101 is placed on the receiving plate 100 below the discharge port 73 of the capsule seat 74, and the operation switch 106 is operated to start the operation of the pump 87. The check valve 4 provided at the inlet 42a of the heater block main body 42 is then connected from the discharge pipe (not shown) of the pump 87 to the inlet 42a of the heater block body 42.
The water is fed under pressure to the water pipe 44 via a pipe 42c communicating with the water pipe 2b. The water sent to the water pipe 44 circulates near the outer periphery of the heater 43 through a spiral waterway 47.
The water is heated to become hot water and exits from the outlet 48. Furthermore, this hot water presses the valve 64 by the discharge pressure from the pump 87, and is sprayed and dispersed from the nozzle hole 62 of the nozzle 61 onto the coffee grounds 107 in the capsule 106. The hot water force-fed into the capsule 106 passes through the coffee powder 107 and is filtered by the filter 110, and then flows from the discharge port 73 into the demitasse cup 101.
The coffee is poured inside.

Next, the removal of the capsule 106 will be explained.
First, rotate the handle 56 toward the front to disengage the engagement portion 77 of the holder 55 and the hook piece 75, and at the same time disengage the abutment piece 85 of the lever 78 from the end portion 80 of the link 80. , capsule stand 71
falls due to its own weight.

However, at the time of extraction, the capsule 106 stored in the guide ring 58 is pressed against the lower end surface of the guide ring 58 and the upper surface of the capsule seat 74, and is also press-fitted into the approximately conical tapered side wall of the storage portion 58a of the guide ring 58. kept airtight. Therefore, the capsule 106 remains housed in the guide ring 58, and the capsule stand 71 that has descended independently catches the end of the hook plate 72 on the outer rim 111 of the capsule 106 and stops. When the handle 56 is further rotated toward the front in this state, the protruding piece 78 of the lever 78 is attached to the engaging piece 80a of the waiting link 80.
a is engaged, and lever 7 is moved by the turning force of handle 56.
8. Push down the capsule stand 71 via the link 80 and the lift table 70, bring the end of the hook plate 72 into contact with the outer rim 111 of the capsule 106, and remove the capsule 106 from the guide ring 58.

Furthermore, when brewing coffee continuously, the 8th
As shown in the figure, the new capsule 106 before extraction is inserted into the capsule seat 74 by engaging the outer rim 111 of the capsule 106 between the guide groove 71a of the capsule stand 71 and the pair of hook plates 72 in the same manner as described above. . At this time, the extracted capsule 106a is pressed by the new capsule 106 and moves to the descending slope 71b at the back of the guide groove 71a, and moves to the elevator platform 70 by its own weight.
It falls into the saucer 92 through the cutout hole 70a and is stored therein. After that, repeat the above procedure to extract coffee.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the holder 55
By rotating the handle 56 provided on the handle 56, a lever 78, a link 80,
Since the capsule 106 placed on the capsule stand 71 via the lifting table 70 is housed in the guide ring 58, coffee can be easily and reliably extracted.

In one embodiment of the present invention, manual mechanical means consisting of handles, levers, links, etc. provided on the holder were used as the lifting mechanism for the capsule platform and the means for holding the capsule, but a so-called electromagnetic plunger, An electric lifting mechanism and holding means such as an air cylinder or an electric motor may also be used. Furthermore, the design of the manual capsule platform elevating mechanism and capsule holding means is not limited to this embodiment, and may be modified as appropriate. It goes without saying that the extract to be encapsulated in the capsule is not limited to coffee powder.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a nozzle for spouting hot water introduced through a water heating unit having a heating element into a capsule containing a substance to be extracted such as coffee powder, and a device surrounding the nozzle. extended downward,
A guide ring that houses the capsule when extracting coffee powder, etc., and a guide ring that is provided below the guide ring and can be moved up and down between a raised position and a lowered position. a capsule stand located therein, and an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the capsule stand between the raised position and the lowered position, and near the lower end of the capsule,
A rim is provided extending outward from the outer periphery of the capsule, and the relative arrangement of the capsule base and the guide ring is such that the capsule base is housed in the guide ring when the capsule base is in the raised position. The rim of the capsule is pressed against the lower end surface of the guide ring to hold the capsule in an airtight manner. Therefore, all the user has to do is place the capsule containing the substance to be extracted, such as coffee powder, on the capsule stand, slide the capsule stand upward, and insert it into the guide ring, and the user will always be able to enjoy delicious coffee or other extracted liquid. is obtained, and its usability is extremely simple.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a left sectional view of a conventional coffee brewing device, FIG. 2 is a right sectional view of a coffee brewing device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a right sectional view of the same, and FIG. 4 is a heater block of the same. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the same essential parts, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the essential parts, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the same, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged side sectional view of the essential parts. be. 41... Heater block, 43... Heater, 58... Guide ring, 61... Nozzle, 7
0... Lifting platform, 71... Capsule platform, 72... Hook board, 78... Lever, 80... Link, 10
6...Capsule.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A nozzle for spouting hot water guided through a water heating unit having a heating element into a capsule containing a substance to be extracted such as coffee powder; A guide ring that houses the capsule when extracting coffee powder, etc., and a guide ring that is provided below the guide ring and can be moved up and down between a raised position and a lowered position. a rim extending outward from the outer periphery of the capsule near the lower end of the capsule; is provided, and the relative arrangement of the capsule base and the guide ring is
When the capsule base reaches the raised position, the capsule base presses the rim of the capsule housed in the guide ring against the lower end surface of the guide ring, thereby airtightly holding the capsule. Extraction equipment for coffee, etc. 2. The capsule platform, which is the movable side that can be raised and lowered, is equipped with a hook plate with multiple hook pieces, and the fixed side, which is equipped with a nozzle and guide ring, is rotatably operated by a handle that extends outward. a holder that engages with the handle and is slidable back and forth, and is provided with a link mechanism that rotates in conjunction with the lever and moves up and down the elevator platform provided with the capsule platform; , the capsule base is raised and lowered during a part of the rotation range of the handle, and the hook piece is engaged with a plurality of engaging portions provided around the central opening of the holder during the remaining rotation range. An apparatus for extracting coffee, etc. according to claim 1, characterized in that: