JPS6339813Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a fresh brew coffee extractor incorporated in a coffee vending machine, and particularly to its coffee grounds processing mechanism.

[Conventional technology]

With the diversification of products handled by vending machines, so-called fresh brew coffee vending machines that extract coffee using coffee powder made from ground coffee beans have become popular these days. There are various types of coffee vending machines, especially coffee extractors, and one type includes a vertically movable filter block below a cylinder assembly with a piston into which coffee powder and hot water for one cup are introduced. With the filter block in close contact with the open end of the cylinder assembly, coffee raw materials are fed into the cylinder to allow the coffee to ooze out, and then the piston is operated to forcibly filter the coffee through the filter surface. A coffee extractor is known in which the coffee grounds remaining on the filter surface are scraped off with a scraper after the filter block is finally separated from the cylinder assembly.

The structure of such a coffee extractor and the contents of its coffee extraction operation are described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1983-31894, which was filed by the same applicant as this invention. A conventional coffee extractor is constructed as shown in FIG. In the figure, 1 is a cylinder assembly, 2 is a filter block equipped with a filter for coffee filtration on its upper surface, 3 is a piston operating rod installed inside the cylinder assembly, and 4 is a rubber tip at the tip of its moving arm 41. 5 is a movement guide groove of the scraper mechanism, 6 is a drive motor for the scraper mechanism 4, and 7 is a lift motor for the piston and filter block 2 described above. On the other hand, a coffee grounds discharge path 8 is configured which faces the coffee grounds discharge side of the filter block 2 opposite to the scraper mechanism 4 and extends downward along the extractor body.
A waste collection container 9 is arranged below it.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the operation of discharging coffee grounds after coffee extraction will be explained as follows.
As a series of coffee extraction operations progresses and the coffee in the cylinder is sent out by filtering the filter by operating the piston, in the next stroke the piston is raised within the cylinder assembly 1 by the drive motor 7 and at the same time the filter block 2 is moved up. drops away from the cylinder assembly. The drive motor 6 is started in time with this operation, and the scraper mechanism 4 is reciprocated in the direction of arrow A along the guide groove 5. During this moving process, the scraper 42 scrapes the filter block 2.
Coffee grounds remaining on the filter surface of
scrape off toward the waste discharge path 8 as shown by arrow B. Therefore, the coffee grounds 10 fall through the discharge path 8 and are collected into the grounds collection container 9.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

By the way, 10 coffee grounds after coffee extraction
is not completely dehydrated and is in a very wet state containing hot water. For this reason, many of the scum adhere to the inner wall of the discharge channel 8 while falling, and if left as is for a long time, it will emit a foul odor. Furthermore, such a condition is not sanitary for vending machines that handle beverages. For this reason, in the past, it has been necessary to frequently dispose of the coffee grounds and clean the grounds discharge channel 8, which requires time and effort for maintenance work. For this reason, improvements in the treatment of coffee grounds are desired.

In consideration of the above points, this invention eliminates the shortcomings of conventional machines, eliminates the bad odor of coffee grounds, and is equipped with a coffee grounds processing device that is both hygienic and easy to handle, making it easy to dispose of the grounds. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fresh brew coffee extractor.

[Means for solving problems]

This invention comprises: a cylinder assembly to which coffee powder and hot water are supplied; a filter block equipped with a filter on its upper surface, which is positioned oppositely below the cylinder assembly and is moved up and down so as to come into close contact with the open end of the cylinder; A fresh brew coffee extractor comprising a scraper mechanism that is normally retracted to the side of a filter block and is operated to move to scrape off coffee grounds remaining on the filter surface after coffee is extracted. , a coffee grounds bag for collecting coffee grounds is hung and supported on the grounds discharge side of the filter block, and the mouth of the grounds bag is closed at all times, and only when scraping off grounds is carried out in conjunction with the operation of the scraper mechanism. A waste bag opening/closing support mechanism is provided which operates to open the mouth of the waste bag.

[Effect]

According to the fresh brew coffee extractor of this invention based on the above means, the filter block 2
A dregs bag 11 is hung and supported on the dregs discharge side.
The mouth is always closed in the standby state, and only when the scraper mechanism 4 operates to scrape off the residue on the filter surface of the filter block 2 during the extraction operation, the mouth opens in conjunction with this operation. Accept the scraps scraped off. Therefore, the waste can be sealed in a waste bag to eliminate bad odors, and the collected waste can be easily disposed of along with the bag.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, FIGS. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of this invention, and FIGS. 4 and 5 will describe the coffee grounds collection operation.

First, in FIGS. 2 and 3, a dregs bag opening/closing support mechanism 20 is installed on the dregs discharge end side of the filter block 2, which has a filter 12 on its upper surface. ing. The mechanism 20 includes a fixed side support member 21 made of cushion material attached to the side of the filter block 2, a movable side support member 22 as a bag holding plate facing the fixed side support member 21, and a movable side support member 22. a spring 23 that presses and urges the member 22 toward the stationary support member 21; an opening/closing operation rod 24 that is connected to the support member 22 and extends toward the scraper mechanism 4;
It is equipped with a support guide plate 25 attached to the filter block 2 and a rod guide 26, while an actuator piece 43 is installed on the movable arm 41 of the scraper mechanism 4 opposite the tip of the opening/closing operation rod 24. . Further, each half of the periphery of the waste bag 11 is latched and supported astride between the fixed side support member 21 and the movable side support member 22.

Next, the coffee grounds collection operation with the above configuration will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. First, in the state where the scraper mechanism 4 is waiting to retreat, the fourth
As shown in the figure, the movable support member 22 is driven in the direction of arrow P by the force of the spring 23, and is pressed against the fixed support member 21 to close the mouth of the waste bag 11. From this state, the coffee extraction operation proceeds, and the scraper mechanism 4 removes the coffee grounds remaining on the filter surface of the filter block 2.
When the actuator starts operating, the actuator piece 43 first hits the tip of the opening/closing operation rod 24 and pushes it to the right in the process of moving from the chain line position to the solid line position shown in FIG. Therefore, the movable support member 22 starts to move backward away from the fixed support member 21 as shown by arrow Q against the force of the spring 23, and the mouth of the waste bag 11 begins to open accordingly. At the same time, the scraper 42 scrapes the coffee grounds 10 into the grounds bag 11.
Start eliminating towards. As this operation progresses, when the mouth of the grounds bag 11 is sufficiently opened, the coffee grounds 10 are transferred from the edge of the filter block 2 to the grounds bag 11.
It will be scraped into the. Subsequently, when the scraper mechanism 4 returns to its original position, the waste bag 11 closes its mouth again due to the spring bias and returns to the position shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the coffee grounds 10 are sealed in the grounds bag 11 with a closed mouth.

Although the illustrated example shows a mechanism in which the waste bag opening/closing support mechanism is directly driven in the opening direction by an actuator provided in the scraper mechanism, it is also possible to provide a drive solenoid instead of the actuator and give a signal to the solenoid when the scraper mechanism is operated. It can also be carried out by leaving the mouth of the bag open.

[Effect of idea]

As is clear from the above explanation, this device supports a bag for collecting waste, keeps the opening of the waste bag closed at all times, and only uses a scraper when the scraper mechanism is used to scrape off waste. This device is equipped with a grounds bag opening/closing support mechanism that operates in conjunction with the operation of the mechanism to open the mouth of the grounds bag, so that the coffee grounds generated during the coffee extraction operation are directly transferred into the grounds bag. The coffee grounds can be dropped and contained, eliminating the bad odor that comes from coffee grounds, and the collected grounds can be easily disposed of along with the bag, improving hygiene and handling.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional fresh brew coffee extractor, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of this invention, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing the opened state of the grounds bag opening/closing support mechanism in Fig. 2. 4 and 5 are explanatory views of the operation of the waste bag opening/closing support mechanism showing different operating states, respectively. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Cylinder assembly, 2... Filter block, 4... Scraper mechanism, 42... Scraper, 43... Actuator, 10... Coffee grounds, 11... Grounds bag, 20... Grounds bag opening/closing support mechanism, 21... Fixed side support member, 22... Movable side support member, 23... Biasing spring, 24... Opening/closing operation rod, A... Movement direction of the scraper mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A cylinder assembly to which coffee powder and hot water are supplied, and a filter located on the upper surface of the cylinder assembly, which is located opposite to the lower part of the cylinder assembly and is moved up and down so as to come into close contact with the open end of the cylinder. A fresh filter comprising a filter block and a scraper mechanism that is normally retracted to the side of the filter block and is operated to scrape off coffee grounds remaining on the filter surface after coffee is extracted. In the brew coffee extractor, the filter block is located on the grounds discharge side to hang and support a grounds bag for collecting coffee grounds, and always closes the mouth of the grounds bag and is linked to the operation of the scraper mechanism. A fresh brew coffee extractor characterized by being provided with a dregs bag opening/closing support mechanism that operates to open the mouth of the dregs bag when scraping off the dregs. 2. In the coffee brewer according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim, the grounds bag opening/closing support mechanism includes a fixed-side latch member installed on the side of the filter block that fixes one side of the edge of the grounds bag, and the fixing member. A latch member on the movable side that stops the other side of the edge of the waste bag which is biased by a spring in the direction of closing the mouth of the waste bag facing the latch member on the side; A fresh brew coffee extractor comprising an opening/closing operation rod extending toward a scraper mechanism, and an actuator provided on the scraper mechanism opposite the tip of the opening/closing operation rod.