JPH0446706Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The invention is based on an extraction cartridge in which the material to be extracted, such as coffee powder or tea leaves, is sealed in a bag-like filter, which is installed in the upper and lower intermediate positions of the extraction chamber. the extraction chamber is divided into an upper extraction chamber and a lower extraction chamber, and the liquid supplied to the upper extraction chamber passes through the cartridge to the lower extraction chamber to extract a beverage;
The present invention relates to a beverage brewing device that discharges a beverage from a discharge passage provided in a lower brewing chamber.

[Conventional technology]

The above-mentioned beverage brewing device has the advantage of being able to easily replace coffee powder, tea leaves, etc. One example is a system in which hot water is supplied to the upper brewing chamber, and this hot water passes through a cartridge containing coffee powder. There is a system in which the coffee liquid obtained by flowing down into the lower extraction chamber is immediately supplied to a storage container (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-41772).

[The problem that the idea aims to solve]

According to the conventional beverage brewing device, the coffee liquid obtained by passing through the cartridge is immediately supplied to the storage container, so that the coffee powder is still present immediately after the supply of hot water to the upper extraction chamber is started. In the early stage when the hot water is not sufficiently absorbed, a thin coffee liquid without enough coffee extract leached out is supplied to the storage container, and it is difficult to extract a predetermined amount of coffee liquid and supply it to the storage container. However, there is a drawback that a highly concentrated coffee liquid cannot be efficiently supplied from the start of supply, and a weak coffee liquid is supplied as a whole.

As a means to solve this drawback, for example, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-29696,
The coffee powder is not extracted using a cartridge containing coffee powder as in the present invention, but the coffee powder and hot water are supplied onto a filter attached to the bottom of the extraction chamber. Immediately after coffee powder and hot water are supplied to the brewing chamber, the coffee powder and hot water are mixed freely by preventing the thin coffee liquid from passing through the filter and being supplied to the storage container. The coffee powder is held for a predetermined period of time to allow the coffee powder to sufficiently absorb hot water, so that a highly concentrated coffee liquid can be supplied from the beginning of supply to the storage container.

However, this device prevents hot water from flowing out from the filter for a certain period of time from the start of hot water supply to the extraction chamber, so as in the present invention, the extraction chamber is connected to the upper extraction chamber with the cartridge in between. When applied to a beverage brewing device that is divided into a lower extraction chamber and a liquid such as hot water supplied to the upper extraction chamber passes through a cartridge and flows down to the lower extraction chamber, the liquid may reach the bottom of the cartridge. There is a problem that it is difficult to penetrate in a short time and takes time to extract.

In other words, when the liquid begins to be supplied to the upper extraction chamber, the discharge flow path connected to the lower extraction chamber is closed, so the air contained in the cartridge is pushed out to the lower extraction chamber. It is difficult for the liquid to penetrate into the cartridge, the passage resistance of the liquid is large, and it is difficult for the liquid to replace the air in the cartridge, so it is difficult for the liquid to penetrate into the cartridge in a short period of time.

The present invention was developed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and although it is a beverage brewing device that allows easy exchange of coffee powder, tea leaves, etc., it is capable of producing high-concentration beverages from the beginning of supply to the storage container in a short period of time. An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage extraction device that can efficiently supply beverages.

[Means to solve the problem]

The characteristic structure of this invention to achieve the above purpose is as follows:
In the above-mentioned beverage brewing device, an on-off valve is provided in the discharge path, and the on-off valve is held open when starting supply of liquid to the upper extraction chamber, and the liquid supplied to the upper extraction chamber is kept in the open state. The valve body is provided with a valve opening/closing mechanism that holds the cartridge in a closed state for a predetermined period of time after the cartridge has penetrated into the entire or almost the entire cartridge, and holds the valve body in an open state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.
This configuration provides the following effects.

[Effect]

When the supply of liquid to the upper extraction chamber starts, the on-off valve provided in the discharge path for the liquid that has flowed down to the lower extraction chamber is held open, so that the liquid pushes out the air in the cartridge to the lower extraction chamber. The liquid easily permeates into the cartridge in such a state that it is discharged from the opening/closing valve, and the liquid supplied to the upper extraction chamber permeates into the cartridge in a short period of time with little passage resistance.

Next, after the liquid cartridge has completely or almost completely penetrated, the on-off valve is held closed for a predetermined period of time, during which time the material to be extracted in the cartridge has sufficiently absorbed the liquid and the extract has become liquid. leaches out sufficiently.

Then, by switching the on-off valve to the open state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, a highly concentrated extract from which the extract has been sufficiently leached is supplied from the start of supply to the storage container.

[Effect of idea]

Therefore, although the beverage brewing device allows for easy exchange of coffee powder, tea leaves, etc., it is possible to efficiently supply a highly concentrated beverage from the start of supply to the storage container within a short time.

〔Example〕

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a coffee brewing device as an example of a beverage brewing device, in which a water storage tank 1, a hot water supply tank 2, and a bag-shaped filter _A1 formed of a nonwoven fabric made of polypropylene are filled with coffee powder _AZ. The cabinet 6 is equipped with an extractor B for extracting coffee liquid from a brewing cartridge A in which coffee is enclosed, and a dropping/discharging device 5 for dropping and discharging the extracted cartridge A into a collection container 4.

The water storage tank 1 is connected to the bottom side of a hot water supply tank 2 via a supply pipe 1a, and the hot water supply pipe 2a is connected to the hot water supply tank 2 via a first electromagnetic on-off valve 7a.

The water in the water storage tank 1 is supplied to the hot water tank 2 via the supply pipe 1a, and the amount of water in the hot water tank 2 is maintained at an approximately constant level by a well-known float valve 1b provided in the supply pipe 1a. Based on the result of water temperature detection by a temperature sensor 2b attached near the bottom of the hot water tank 2, the heater 2c is energized and heated to a set temperature.

The extractor B has a cylindrical upper extraction chamber 3a that is supported so as to be slidable up and down along a guide rail 8a, and a lower side that is supported so as to be swingable toward the collection container 4 of the cartridge A. An extraction chamber 3 consisting of an extraction chamber 3b, a piston 3c that pressurizes the inside of the upper extraction chamber 3a, and an upper extraction chamber 3a and the piston 3c.
and a cartridge holder 9 that guides the cartridge A to a position above the lower extraction chamber 3b.

A funnel 3d into which the outlet side of the hot water supply pipe 2a enters is connected to the upper extraction chamber 3a, so that hot water supplied from the hot water supply pipe 2a can be guided downward to the upper extraction chamber 3a regardless of the vertical movement of the upper extraction chamber 3a. It is configured.

The cam mechanism 8 is fixed to a hexagonal shaft member 8b that is driven and rotated by a geared motor (not shown).
cam plates 8c, 8d, these cam plates 8c,
The structure includes cam followers 8e and 8f that move up and down along the guide rail 8a in accordance with the rotation of the first cam follower 8d, and the first cam follower 8e is interlocked with the upper extraction chamber 3a via a compression spring 8g. As the cam follower 8e descends, the upper extraction chamber 3a is pushed down against the biasing force of the compression spring 8h. Also, the second cam follower 8f
is urged upward by a tension spring 8i and connected to the rod 3d of the piston 3c.

The cartridge holder 9 is located in the upper extraction chamber 3a.
The upper extraction chamber 3a is slidably attached to the inside and outside of the cabinet 6 while the upper extraction chamber 3b is moved upward and separated from the lower extraction chamber 3b, and as the upper extraction chamber 3a is lowered as shown in FIG. An elastically deformable strip member 9b is attached in a cantilevered manner along the periphery of the through hole 9a, which is formed so as to be inserted therethrough.

Then, by placing and supporting the peripheral edge of the cartridge A on the strip material 9b of the cartridge holder 9 pulled out to the outside of the cabinet 6, and pushing it into the inside of the cabinet 6 along the guide 9c, as shown in FIG. Cartridge A is guided to a position above lower extraction chamber 3b.

When the upper extraction chamber 3a is lowered by the cam mechanism 8 in this state, the peripheral edge of the cartridge A is pressed by the lower end surface of the upper extraction chamber 3a, and the strip material 9b is elastically deformed to allow its downward movement. As shown in Fig. 5, the cartridge A is installed in such a manner that its peripheral edge is sandwiched between the upper extraction chamber 3a and the lower extraction chamber 3b over the entire circumference, and the lower end surface of the upper extraction chamber 3a The annular protrusion 3e formed in the cartridge A is pressed against the silicone rubber 3f embedded in the upper end surface of the lower extraction chamber 3b via the peripheral edge of the cartridge A to maintain a watertight state.

A discharge pipe 3g for discharging coffee liquid is connected to the lower extraction chamber 3b, and a second electromagnetic on-off valve 7b is interposed in the discharge pipe 3g.

Further, a plate member 3h having a cross shape in plan view is fitted and fixed in the lower extraction chamber 3b, and a plate spring 3i is connected to the plate member 3h to urge the cartridge A upwardly from the lower side thereof. A close contact releasing means is constituted that can forcibly release the close contact between the cartridge A and the lower brewing chamber 3b due to the extraction of coffee liquid by the biasing force of the leaf spring 3i, and the cartridge A is removed from the lower brewing chamber 3b when the cartridge A is ejected. It is configured so that it can be reliably discharged into the collection container 4 at a distance from the container 3b.

The dropping/ejecting device 5 for the cartridge A has a rotary arm 5b with a pin 5a driven by a geared motor (not shown), and a groove 5c in which the pin 5a is engaged and disengaged as the rotary arm 5b rotates. It is configured by providing a swinging arm 5d and a link mechanism 5e that links the swinging arm 5d and the lower extraction chamber 3b.

Then, in a state where the upper extraction chamber 3a and the lower extraction chamber 3b are separated from each other, the swinging arm 5d is activated by the return tension spring 5j due to the engagement of the pin 5a into the groove 5c as the rotation arm 5b rotates. The lower extraction chamber 3b is swung toward the recovery container 4 side via the link mechanism 5e, and the extracted cartridge supported in the lower extraction chamber 3b is swung forward against the biasing force of . A falls into the collection container 4 and is discharged, and as the pin 5a disengages from the groove 5c, the swinging arm 5d is swung back by the biasing force of the tension spring 5j, and the lower extraction chamber 3b is It is returned to the standby position with its upper surface facing the upper extraction chamber 3a side.

Note that FIG. 5f shows a leaf spring that biases the swinging arm 5d in the return swinging direction, and prevents the lower extraction chamber 3b from becoming unable to return and swing due to the linkage mechanism 5e being twisted. .

When the rotating arm 5b comes into contact with the limit switch 5g, a signal is input to the control unit 10,
A control signal is output from the control unit 10 to stop the geared motor (not shown) driving the rotary arm 5b, the rotation of the rotary arm 5b is stopped, and the system waits until the next dropping and discharging operation is started.

5h in the figure indicates that the cartridge A, which has been dropped and discharged from the lower extraction chamber 3b, is in the middle of falling when the sensing lever 5
This is a limit switch that detects that the cartridge A has actually been ejected by swinging i and outputs a signal.If the limit switch 5h does not output a signal regardless of whether the drop ejecting device 5 has completed the drop ejecting operation, , a lamp 6b provided on the display panel 6a lights up to warn that the cartridge A is not being ejected normally.

A disc 8 with a protrusion 8k that rotates together with the cam plates 8c and 8d is attached to the rotating shaft member 8b of the cam plates 8c and 8d.
j is fixed, and as the disc 8j rotates, the four protrusions 8k sequentially contact the limit switch 11, and a signal is input to the control unit 10. Based on the input of this signal, the control unit 10 outputs a predetermined control signal. is output to the first and second on-off valves 7a, 7b and a geared motor (not shown) for driving the falling discharge device 5.

The coffee extraction operation is started when the cam plates 8c, 8d and the disc 8j start rotating, and one rotation of the cam plates 8c, 8d and the disk 8j completes one coffee extraction operation.

Before the start of the coffee extraction operation, the upper extraction chamber 3a and the piston 3c are retracted upward, and the cartridge holder 9 can be used to guide a new cartridge A to a position above the lower extraction chamber 3b.

Next, the coffee extraction operation will be explained.

When the start switch 6c is operated, a geared motor (not shown) that operates the cam mechanism 8 is driven, and the first and second cam plates 8c and 8d and the disk 8j start rotating.

First, the upper extraction chamber 3a starts to descend due to the action of the first cam plate 8c, and the cartridge A placed on the strip material 9b of the cartridge holder 9 is pushed down against the urging force. The peripheral edge portion thereof is held in a watertight state between the upper extraction chamber 3a and the lower extraction chamber 3b.

The bag-shaped filter _a1 constituting the cartridge A is hard enough to be dented when pressed with a finger, and when the cartridge A is held under pressure, a plate provided in the lower extraction chamber 3b The spring 3i is elastically bent downward at the bottom surface of the cartridge A.

Next, the limit switch 11 comes into contact with the first protrusion 8k, a control signal is output from the control section 10, and the first and second on-off valves 7a and 7b are held open.

Then, hot water is poured from the hot water tank 2 into the upper extraction chamber 3.
The hot water permeates the entire or almost the entire cartridge A in such a way as to push out the air inside the cartridge A toward the lower extraction chamber 3b, and at this time, the bag _a1 of the cartridge A is A step portion 3 formed in an annular shape on the inner peripheral surface of the lower extraction chamber 3b
In close contact with each other along the direction j, hot water is prevented from flowing down from between the cartridge A and the inner circumferential surface of the lower extraction chamber 3b.

Incidentally, instead of the stepped portion 3j, an annular protrusion may be formed and the bag _a1 may be closely attached along the annular protrusion.

When the time set by the timer has elapsed, both the on-off valves 7a and 7b are switched to the closed state by a control signal from the control unit 10, and the cartridge A is held immersed in hot water for a predetermined period of time, and the coffee extract is poured into the cartridge A. extraction into boiling water is promoted.

Next, after a predetermined period of time has passed, the limit switch 11
comes into contact with the second protrusion 8k, a control signal is output from the control unit 10, the second on-off valve 7b is switched to the open state, and the piston 3c is pushed down by the action of the second cam plate 8d, causing the hot water to flow out. passes through cartridge A under pressure, and the extracted coffee liquid is supplied to cup C via discharge pipe 3g.

Next, the limit switch 11 contacts the third protrusion 8k, a control signal is output from the control section 10, the second on-off valve 7b is switched to the closed state, and the first and second cam plates 8c, 8d Due to this action, the upper extraction chamber 3a and the piston 3c are moved upward.

At this time, the cartridge A is lifted by the biasing force of the leaf spring 3i, and the close contact between the cartridge A and the lower extraction chamber 3b is released.

Next, the limit switch 11 comes into contact with the fourth protrusion 8k, a control signal is output from the control section 10, and the geared motor (not shown) of the drop ejection device 5 is driven to place the drop ejection device 5 in the lower extraction chamber 3b. The operation of dropping and discharging the used cartridge A starts.

Next, the origin detection limit switch 12 contacts the pawl block 8l screwed to the disc 8j, and the signal is input to the control unit 10, and the first and second
When it is detected that the cam plates 8c, 8d and the disk 8j have returned to the standby position (origin), the control unit 10
A control signal is output from the cam mechanism 8, the geared motor (not shown) driving the cam mechanism 8 is stopped, and the extraction operation is completed with the upper extraction chamber 3a and the piston 3c retracted upward.

As is clear from the above description, the valve body opening/closing mechanism according to the present invention includes a rotating disk 8j, a limit switch 11 that outputs a signal by contacting the rotating disk 8j, and a signal from the limit switch 11. and a control section 10 that outputs a control signal based on.

[Another example]

B The beverage extraction device according to the present invention may be used to extract green tea or black tea.

(b) The valve opening/closing mechanism for opening and closing the opening/closing valve 7b provided in the discharge pipe 3g is not limited to one that opens and closes the valve body by electrical control, but may include, for example, an operating member that is linked to the movement of the cam mechanism 8. The valve body may be opened and closed by mechanical control, such as opening and closing the valve body by the movement of this operating member.

Note that although reference numerals are written in the claims section of the utility model registration for convenience of comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure of the attached drawings by such entry.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the beverage brewing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a side view showing the inside, FIG. 2 is a front view showing the inside, FIG. 3 is a plan view of main parts, and FIGS.
The figure is a sectional view of the main part. 3...Extraction chamber, 3a...Upper extraction chamber, 3b...
Lower extraction chamber, 3g...discharge path, 7b...open/close valve,
A...Cartridge, _a1 ...filter, _a2 ...material to be extracted.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An extraction cartridge A in which the material to be extracted A ₂ is enclosed in a bag-shaped filter A ₁ is installed at an intermediate position between the upper and lower sides of the extraction chamber 3, so that the extraction chamber 3 becomes the upper extraction chamber 3a.
and a lower extraction chamber 3b, the liquid supplied to the upper extraction chamber 3a passes through the cartridge A to the lower extraction chamber 3b, and a beverage is extracted,
In a beverage extraction device that discharges liquid from a discharge passage 3g provided in a lower extraction chamber 3b, an on-off valve 7b is provided in the discharge passage 3g, and the on-off valve 7b is operated when the liquid starts to be supplied to the upper extraction chamber 3a. After the liquid supplied to the upper extraction chamber 3a permeates the entire or almost the entire cartridge A, the cartridge A is held in the open state for a predetermined period of time, and after the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the cartridge A is held in the open state. A beverage brewing device characterized by being provided with a valve body opening/closing mechanism.