TWM628441U - Integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus having a plurality of tea ingredient dispensers. The plurality of tea ingredient dispensers is adapted to store at least one tea ingredient and dispense the at least one tea ingredient into at least one receptacle. The ingredient tea brewing and dispensing apparatus further includes a water dispenser having a plurality of taps such at least one of the plurality of taps is adapted to dispense water into the at least one receptacle. Further, at least one of the plurality of tea ingredient dispensers is movable in order to align with at least one the plurality of taps.

Description

Integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device

The present invention generally relates to a tea brewing device; more particularly, an integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device that can brew and dispense multiple cups of tea at the same time.

Beverage preparation and dispensing devices are quite common in the art. The traditional device is usually a single-cup dispensing device, where only one drink can be dispensed at a time. Such devices cannot dispense multiple beverages at the same time. This limitation results in a considerable amount of time when the beverage is served in large quantities. In addition, such devices are often placed in places such as cafes and corporate offices. When traditional installations are placed in cafes or offices, queues often occur as the equipment takes a long time to prepare drinks for everyone.

In addition, existing devices accomplish beverage dispensing in a manual or semi-automatic manner. For example, even a fully automatic device requires manual placement and removal of tea material from a Porta filter. In addition to putting the tea leaves into the Porta filter, the unit requires human intervention to dispose of the used tea leaves in the filter. In addition, the current tea making devices on the market do not consider how to keep the tea leaves fresh.

Therefore, according to the above discussion, there is a need to develop an integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device that can simultaneously brew and dispense multiple cups of tea without human intervention.

One aspect of the present invention relates to an integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device is suitable for preparing multiple cups of tea at the same time. In addition, the integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device does not require any human intervention when brewing tea. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device is also suitable for installation in confined spaces, saving space and associated costs.

Based on this aspect, the present invention discloses an exemplary integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device includes a plurality of tea material dispensers, which can store at least one tea material and dispense at least one tea material into at least one container. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device also includes a water dispenser with a plurality of taps, wherein at least one tap can dispense water into at least one container. Furthermore, the at least one tea material dispenser can be aligned with the at least one faucet by movement.

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser includes a first container assembly, wherein the first container is used to store the tea material. The first container assembly also includes a plunger for compressing the tea material within the first container. The tea material dispenser also includes a second container assembly coupled to the first container assembly. The second container assembly includes a second container for receiving the tea material from the first container, the second container having a conveyor therein for conveying the tea material from the first container to an outlet of the second container The tea ingredients received in the container. The second container assembly also includes a revolving door that can be moved between an open position and a closed position; in the closed position, the revolving door covers the outlet of the second container; in the open position, the revolving door rotates away from the second container The outlet of the container, at which point the tea material can be dispensed through the outlet of the second container.

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser includes an intermediate container assembly disposed between the first container assembly and the second container assembly. The intermediate container assembly includes an intermediate container for receiving tea material from the first container.

In one embodiment, the first container assembly further includes a vent valve for releasing pressure build up in the first container.

In one embodiment, the first container assembly further includes a vent valve. The vent valve is a one-way valve that prevents air from entering the first container while releasing the gas generated in the first container.

In one embodiment, the conveyor is a screw conveyor. The conveyor can deliver the tea material to the outlet of the second container.

In one embodiment, the turnstile includes a weight sensor for measuring the weight of tea material received through the conveyor. The weight sensor is used to measure the weight of the tea material supplied by the conveyor.

In one embodiment, the revolving door can be rotated to the open position when the weight of the tea material reaches a predetermined weight. Predetermined weights of tea ingredients based on different types of tea ingredients are pre-stored in the device. After the rotation, when the weight of the tea material reaches the predetermined weight, the device can ensure the stable quality of the tea every time.

In one embodiment, the second container assembly includes a guide for accommodating the conveyor and guiding the movement of the tea material towards the outlet of the second container. The second container assembly also includes a motor for driving the conveyor.

In one embodiment, the second container assembly includes a screen for separating the tea material from the tea powder. The second container assembly also includes a tea dust collector for collecting tea dust. The sieve filters the tea ingredients to ensure the good quality of the tea.

In one embodiment, the capacity of the intermediate container corresponds to 25% of the first container. The intermediate container acts as a reserve container for the tea material, and the first container can be refilled without stopping the operation of the unit.

In one embodiment, the tea material in the first container is placed in a tea bag, and the tea material dispenser includes a piercing assembly disposed between the first container assembly and the intermediate container assembly for piercing the tea bag . The piercing component can facilitate the piercing of the tea bag.

In one embodiment, the piercing assembly includes a base with an opening. The piercing assembly also includes a hollow circular body disposed at the opening, and the hollow circular body is provided with a plurality of blades on the periphery. The piercing assembly further includes a rotating member in contact with the hollow circular body for rotating the hollow circular body and piercing the tea bag in the first container.

In an embodiment, the axis of the second container outlet is offset from the axis of the second container inlet. This arrangement enables the conveyor to deliver the desired amount of tea material from the inlet to the outlet.

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser further includes at least one scanner for scanning an identification code on the tea bag to track the expiration date and purity of the tea material used to brew the tea. By tracking the expiry date and purity of tea ingredients, you can ensure that quality tea is provided to customers.

In one embodiment, the tea brewing and tea dispensing device further includes a turntable assembly for moving the plurality of tea material dispensers. The turntable assembly moves multiple tea material dispensers into alignment with the containers.

In one embodiment, the turntable assembly includes a housing with gears around the inside of the housing. The turntable assembly also includes at least one motor located within the housing and coupled to the gear. The at least one motor is used to drive a gear to rotate the housing.

In one embodiment, the turntable assembly further includes an air compressor to supply pressurized air to the first container to drive movement of the plunger within the first container. The pressurized air provided by the air compressor enables the plunger to compress the tea material, thus insuring the tea material.

In one embodiment, the turret assembly further includes a solenoid valve to allow pressurized air to flow from the air compressor to the first container.

In one embodiment, the dispenser assembly further includes a dispenser for dispensing the filter. A filter is dispensed when using the tea material to prevent the tea material from falling into the tea water.

In one embodiment, the faucet further includes a lid, the raised portion of which is used to support the rim of the container.

In one embodiment, the faucet includes two arms movable to closed and open positions. In the closed position, the two arms can connect and secure the container; in the open position, the two arms can move away and lower the container.

In one embodiment, the water dispenser further includes a gear system for controlling the movement of the two arms. A gear system controls the movement of the two arms to the closed and open positions.

In one embodiment, the water dispenser further includes a base with a plurality of drains. The water dispenser also includes a series of revolving doors for opening and closing the plurality of drains. Such an arrangement allows the device to dispense the container for the brewing material so that it can be handled without human intervention.

It is to be noted that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure to be protected.

In order to provide a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the manner in which the above-mentioned characteristics of the present invention can be understood, a more detailed description of the present invention, briefly summarized above, may have been referenced by way of examples, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Notably, the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the present invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

Example embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, positions, etc. of components, features, elements, etc. and any distances between them are not necessarily to scale and may be shown off-scale and/or in greater magnification for clarity, unless otherwise specified on the drawings illustrate.

The terminology used herein is used to describe the exemplary embodiments only, and not to limit them. As used herein, the singular shall also include the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should be appreciated that the term "comprising" as used in this specification designates the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, Steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups.

Unless otherwise indicated, the listing of a series of values includes the upper and lower limits of the range and any subrange therebetween. Unless stated otherwise, the terms "first", "second" and the like are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, one element may be referred to as "element one" and, likewise, another element may be referred to as "element two," and vice versa. Section headings used here are for organizational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

Unless stated otherwise, the terms "about", "approximately", "substantially" and the like mean that quantities, sizes, compositions, parameters and other quantities and characteristics are not necessarily exact and may be approximate and/or greater or lesser values , or as required to reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, etc., and other elements known to those skilled in the art.

Space-relative terms such as "right", "left", "bottom", "below", "lower", "above" and "upper" may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element or property shown on the drawing and another element or property Relationship. It should be noted that spatially relative terms will encompass different directions as well as those depicted in the figures. For example, if an object in the figures is turned over, it would be described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features; alternatively, the features would be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the word "below" can encompass both the directions above and below. Objects may be positioned in other ways (eg, rotated 90 degrees or oriented in other directions), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all connections and all operational connections may be direct or indirect connections. Likewise, all connections and operative connections can be rigid or non-rigid unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Homologous numbers refer to all similar elements. Thus, the same or similar numerals may be described with reference to other drawings even if they are not mentioned in the other drawings nor described in the corresponding drawings. In addition, even if the elements indicated by the reference numbers are not cited, the description may be made with reference to other drawings.

Numerous forms and embodiments are possible without departing from the principles and principles of the present invention, and therefore the present invention should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will convey the scope of the novelty to those skilled in the art.

Reference in this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular characteristic, structure, or characteristic associated with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Appearances of the expression "in one embodiment" in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are they separate or alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

Turning now to FIG. 1, it is a perspective view of an integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing apparatus 100 according to the novel exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "device") is used to brew and dispense multiple cups of tea at the same time. In addition, the device 100 can also automatically brew and dispense tea. The device 100 includes a dispenser assembly 102 equipped with a plurality of tea material dispensers 104 (eg, four tea material dispensers 104). Although four tea material dispensers 104 are shown arranged around a central axis, in practice, the dispenser assembly 102 may include any number of tea material dispensers 104 . In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser 104 may be further divided into smaller tea material dispenser 104 units. As shown in Figure 1, the tea material dispenser 104 is divided into two tea material dispenser 104 units. For ease of description, the patent specification uses the term "tea material dispenser" to refer to the tea material dispenser 104 and its smaller units. In addition, the tea material dispenser 104 may also be arranged vertically. The tea material dispenser 104 is used to store at least one tea ingredient (not shown) and dispense tea material for brewing tea. It should be noted that the dispenser assembly 102, along with the plurality of tea material dispensers 104, can be moved (preferably rotationally), as will be described later in the patent specification.

To ensure a clear and concise description, the structure of one of the tea material dispensers 104 is described below. It should be noted that the structures of other tea material dispensers 104 are basically the same. The tea material dispenser 104 includes a first container assembly 106 , an intermediate container assembly 108 , a piercing assembly 110 and a second container assembly 112 . Turning now to FIG. 2, it is an exploded view of the first container assembly 106 in accordance with the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The first container assembly 106 includes a first container 114 for storing a tea material (eg, tea leaves). Although tea leaves are also considered as a type of tea material, the tea material described herein may also include other types of tea materials (including but not limited to tea powder, etc.), and may include semi-cylindrical materials. Those skilled in the art can easily understand that the first container 114 can have various shapes, and is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 . Additionally, in one embodiment the tea ingredients may be stored directly in the first container 114 . In another embodiment, the tea ingredients may be stored in tea bags within the first container 114 . In another embodiment, the tea ingredients may be stored in tea bags within the first container 114 . In one embodiment, the first container 114 of the plurality of tea material dispensers 104 may hold different types of tea materials. Based on the various choices of tea ingredients, the user can choose different types of tea, or choose a type of tea that is mixed with different tea ingredients.

The first container assembly 106 also includes a plunger 116 mounted within the first container 114 that is movable within the first container 114 . Specifically, the plunger 116 can move linearly within the first container 114, like a piston in a cylinder. The plunger 116 is used to compress the tea material stored in the first container 114 . In addition, when the first container 114 dispenses the tea material, the plunger 116 moves toward the bottom of the first container 114, thereby achieving compression of the tea material. Compression of the tea material minimizes the contact of the tea material with the outside air, helping to maintain the freshness of the tea material.

The first container assembly 106 may also include a vent valve 120 for releasing the pressure built up within the first container 114 . In one embodiment, the vent valve 120 may also be a plug that can close or open the vent port 122 provided in the first container 114 . The first container assembly 106 may also include a vent valve 124 provided on the plunger 116, see FIG. 2 in particular. The exhaust valve 124 may be a one-way valve that allows the gas generated by the tea material in the first container 114 to flow out of the first container 114 . For example, the carbon dioxide produced by the tea material in the first container 114 may flow out through the exhaust valve 124 . Because the vent valve 124 is a one-way valve, it prevents gas from outside the first container 114 from entering the first container 114 . On the side of the exhaust valve 124, the plunger 116 also has a handle 11 that can stand up and lie down. The handle 11 lies within the top cavity of the plunger 116 when the first container assembly 106 operates as usual. When it is time to clean or carry the first container assembly 106, the worker can rotate and erect the handle 11 to lift the first container assembly 106 or the first container 114, even from the first container 114 The plunger 116 is pulled out. The first container assembly 106 also includes a bottom cover 126 for closing the bottom end of the first container 114 . The bottom cover 126 can be provided with an outlet (not shown in the figure) to facilitate the removal of tea ingredients from the first container 114 .

The tea material dispenser 104 may also include an intermediate container assembly 108 . Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4 , which are exploded and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the intermediate container assembly 108 according to the novel exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The intermediate container assembly 108 may be connected to the first container assembly 106 . Specifically, the intermediate container assembly 108 may be attached to the bottom end of the first container assembly 106 . The intermediate container assembly 108 may include an intermediate container 128 having an inlet 130 at the top end and an outlet 132 at the bottom end. The intermediate container 128 may receive tea material from the first container 114 through the outlet of the bottom cover 126 of the first container 114 and the inlet 130 of the intermediate container 128 . In one embodiment, the capacity of the intermediate container 128 is equivalent to 25% of the capacity of the first container 114 . The intermediate container 128 may also define a window 134 for viewing the interior of the intermediate container 128 . In some embodiments, the window 134 can also cover a transparent surface 136 for clearly viewing the inside of the intermediate container 128 , while preventing the tea ingredients from falling from the intermediate container 128 . Intermediate container 128 dispenses tea material from outlet 132 at the bottom end. In certain embodiments, an inner side wall 138 of the bottom intermediate container 128 may be tapered to facilitate the discharge of the tea material through the outlet 132 .

In one embodiment, the tea material dispenser 104 may also include at least one scanner 140 . The scanner 140 may be disposed in the bottom cover 126 of the first container 114 and/or on top of the piercing assembly 110 . The at least one scanner 140 is used to scan an identification code (eg, a Quick Response (QR) code or barcode provided or printed on the bottom of the tea bag) to track the expiration date and/or the memory of the tea in the first container 114 or purity. The device will generate a warning message indicating that the tea material has expired according to the state of the tea material. This ensures that the quality of the tea ingredients is always up to standard.

The first container assembly 106 and the intermediate container assembly 108 can be separated by the piercing assembly 110 . Turning now to FIG. 5, it is an exploded view of the piercing assembly 110 according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The piercing assembly 110 is used to pierce the tea bag placed in the first container 114 . The piercing assembly 110 may facilitate the discharge of the tea material from the first container 114 into the intermediate container 128 by piercing the tea bag. The piercing assembly 110 can include a base 142 that defines at least one opening 144 aligned with the outlet of the first container 114 . The piercing assembly 110 may further include a hollow circular body 146 , and a plurality of blades 148 are provided on the periphery of the hollow circular body 146 . The plurality of leaves 148 are substantially triangular in shape and can be used to cut a tea bag placed in the first container 114 . In one embodiment, gears may be provided outside the hollow circular body 146 . In another embodiment, the hollow circular body 146 may be surrounded by a ring 150 with gears on the outside. The hollow body 146 and the ring 150 may be held in place by a gear retaining ring 152 . Turning now to FIG. 6, it is a cross-sectional view of the hollow circular body 146 with the circular ring 150 in accordance with the novel exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Piercing assembly 110 may also include an internally geared rotating member 154. The internal gear of the rotating member 154 may mesh with the gear of the annular ring 150 . Therefore, when the rotating member 154 moves outward, the rotating member 154 can drive the ring 150 to rotate, which in turn drives the hollow circular body 146 to rotate and pierce the tea bags in the first container 114 . For ease of operation, the rotating member 154 may be provided with a rotary vane 156 . The rotating blade 156 can make it easier for the user to hold the rotating member 154 to facilitate the rotating operation of the rotating member 154 . Piercing assembly 110 may also include a cover 158 with opening 160 aligned with the opening of base 142. In certain embodiments, the scanner 140 for scanning the tea bag identification code in the first container 114 may be disposed on the lid 158 of the piercing assembly 110 .

The tea material dispenser 104 also includes a second container assembly 112 . Turning now to Figures 7 and 8, which are exploded and cross-sectional views, respectively, of the second container assembly 112 in accordance with the novel exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The second container assembly 112 shown in FIG. 7 includes a common assembly having a partition 164 separating the first container 114 and the intermediate container 128 into two parts. In some embodiments, the second container assembly 112 may also be divided into two parts. For ease of illustration, a portion of the second container assembly 112 will be described herein. The second container assembly 112 may be connected to the intermediate container assembly 108 ; in particular, the second container assembly 112 may be connected to the bottom end of the intermediate container assembly 108 . The second container assembly 112 includes a second container 166 for receiving the tea material from the intermediate container 128 . The second container 166 also includes a lid 168 at the top with an access port 170 thereon. When connected to the intermediate container assembly 108, the inlet 170 of the second container 166 is aligned with the outlet 132 of the intermediate container 128. The second container 166 also includes an outlet 172 at the bottom end.

The second container assembly 112 also includes a conveyor 174 for conveying the tea material from the outlet 132 of the intermediate container 128. In one embodiment, the conveyor 174 may be a screw conveyor, but those skilled in the art will understand that the conveyor 174 is not limited to a screw conveyor, and other conveyors known in the art may also be used. The conveyor 174 is arranged horizontally in the second container 166 to convey the tea material to the revolving door 176 provided on the outlet 172 of the second container 166 . Note that one axis of the inlet 170 of the second vessel 166 is offset from one axis of the outlet 172 of the second vessel 166 . The conveyor 174 may also be provided with a guide 180 to guide the tea material to the revolving door 176 . In one embodiment, guide 180 may be a U-shaped structure for receiving conveyor 174 . In addition, the conveyor 174 is also in electrical communication with a motor 182 that drives the operation of the conveyor 174.

The second container assembly 112 also includes a screen 184 disposed within the guide 180 . Specifically, the screen 184 is located below the conveyor 174 for filtering the tea material. For example, if the tea material is tea leaves, the screen 184 will filter the tea leaves and then separate the tea dust from the tea leaves. A tea dust collector 186 may be provided below the screen 184 to collect tea dust. For ease of illustration, the tea dust collector 186 can be inserted into the second container 166 through a window 178 provided in the second container 166 . This arrangement allows the dust collector 186 to be inserted into or removed from the second container 166 without disassembling the second container assembly 112 . Additionally, the dust collector 186 may include a swivel 188 to facilitate gripping and pulling the dust collector 186 from the second container 166 .

Turning now to FIG. 9, it is a perspective view of the revolving door 176 according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A revolving door 176 is placed at the outlet 172 of the second container 166 and can be moved between closed and open positions. For convenience of description, the revolving door 176 can cover the outlet 172 in the closed position, and can be away from the outlet 172 in the open position, so as to realize the dispensing of the tea material from the second container 166 . By default, the revolving door 176 can remain in the closed position with the top cover 190, bottom cover 192 and weight sensor 194 provided. The top cover 190 and the bottom cover 192 are assembled to form a housing. A weight sensor 194 is located within the housing and is used to detect the weight of tea material received on the revolving door 176 through the conveyor 174 . The revolving door 176 can be moved to the open position when the weight of the tea ingredients reaches a predetermined weight. The predetermined weight of each tea may be stored in the device 100 in advance.

From the above description, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that the first container assembly 106, the intermediate container assembly 108 and the second container assembly 112 are all arranged vertically. Additionally, the first container assembly 106, the intermediate container assembly 108, the piercing assembly 110, and the second container assembly 112, when arranged, constitute the tea material dispenser 104. The tea material dispenser 104 is used to dispense tea material into the container. In one embodiment, the container may be a tea cup. In another embodiment, the container may be a teacup filter. For example, when the tea material is contained in a tea bag, the tea material dispenser 104 dispenses the tea bag into the tea cup; if the tea material is tea leaves, the tea leaves can be dispensed into the tea cup filter.

1, the dispenser assembly 102 may also include at least one filter dispenser 198 for dispensing a teacup filter. The teacup filter may include a teacup provided with a base provided with at least one hole, and a filter plate with a plurality of holes arranged inside the teacup on the base. The filter dispenser 198 may also be arranged in a circumferential arrangement with the tea material dispenser 104, and may be arranged vertically. In one embodiment, the filter dispenser 198 may include a set of tubular containers 200 that may hold a plurality of teacup filters, one at a time. In another embodiment, the filter dispenser 198 can carry a series of filters, one filter at a time can be dispensed in the container.

The tea brewing and dispensing device 100 may also include a turntable assembly 202 . Turning now to FIG. 10, it is an exploded view of the turntable assembly 202 in accordance with the novel exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The turntable assembly 202 drives the dispenser assembly 102 to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. The turntable assembly 202 is mounted on top of the dispenser assembly 102 and includes a top cover 204 and a bottom cover 206 . The top cover 204 and the bottom cover 206 form a housing. Bottom cover 206 includes gears 208 disposed in the inner peripheral area. The turntable assembly 202 also includes at least one motor 210 that is connected to the gear 208 on the bottom cover 206 through a pinion 212 . Therefore, the motor 210 can drive the housing. The turntable assembly 202 also includes at least one air compressor 214 for supplying pressurized air to the first container 114 to drive movement of the plunger 116 within the first container 114 . The turntable assembly 202 also includes a solenoid valve 216 for controlling the flow of pressurized air from the air compressor 214 to the first container 114 .

The device 100 also includes a water dispenser 300 for dispensing water for brewing tea. Turning now to FIG. 11, it is an exploded view of the water distributor 300 according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The water dispenser 300 may include a base 302 having a plurality of drains 304 . The water dispenser 300 also includes a plurality of faucets 306 , such as six faucets 306 extending vertically from the base 302 . Although the figures show six faucets 306 arranged in a circle around the central axis of the device 100 , it should be noted that the water dispenser 300 may also include multiple faucets 306 . For the convenience of description, a plurality of taps 306 may be arranged below the tea material dispenser 104 . The faucets 306 are identical in structure, structure and function, but to ensure a clear and concise description, only one structure, one structure and one function of one of the faucets will be described in detail. Those skilled in the art will understand that faucet 306 may be connected to a water source (not shown). Additionally, the faucet 306 may be connected to a heat source (not shown) for dispensing hot water for brewing tea.

Turning now to Figures 12, 13, 14a, and 14b, which are exploded, top, front, and side views, respectively, of a faucet 306 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Faucet 306 includes two arms 308 extending vertically from base 302 . The two arms 308 each have a semicircle at the top. The semicircle allows the two arms 308 to form a loop when connected. In addition, the top of the arm 308 is also provided with a water distribution nozzle 322 . The two arms 308 are mounted on the base 302 by a bearing 310 on which the arms 308 rotate. The bottom ends of the two arms 308 are connected to a gear system 312 which is arranged in a gear box 314 below the base 302 and can be supported by a gear bracket 316 . Gear bracket 316 is attached to base 302 by end plate 318 on top of base 302 .

The two arms 308 are movable between closed and open positions. For example, in the closed position, the two arms 308 are moved toward each other and connected to each other, thereby forming a ring structure at the top. Additionally, in the open position, the two arms 308 move opposite each other. The two arms 308 are covered by a cover 320 . In one embodiment, the cover 320 may be a silicone cover. The cap 320 can be shaped like the arm 308 and can cover the arm 308 (except for the nozzle 322). The lid 320 also includes a plurality of raised portions 324 located near the nozzle 322 for supporting the container. For ease of illustration, the ring formed by the two arms 308 may support one side of the container. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the two arms 308 together with the lid 320 secure the container when the arms 308 are in the closed position and lower the container when the arms 308 are in the open position.

The gear system 312 includes a bevel gear 326 that is connected to a first arm gear 328 to which one of the arms 308 (two in total) is attached. The first arm gear 328 meshes with the second arm gear 330 attached to the other arm 3-8 (of two). Gear system 312 also includes a motor 332 coupled to bevel gear 326 for driving bevel gear 326 . Bevel gear 326 transmits motion to first arm gear 328 for rotating associated arm 308 . Because the first arm gear 328 meshes with the second arm gear 330, the other arm 308 also rotates. Thus, the two arms 308 can move between the closed and open positions. In some embodiments, the motor 332 may be provided with a motor housing 334 .

The base 302 of the water dispenser 300 also includes a plurality of revolving doors 336 . Turning now to FIG. 15, it is an exploded view of the revolving door 336 according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Each revolving door 336 is disposed at the associated drain 304 of the base 302 for opening and closing the associated drain 304 . The revolving door 336 can be moved between an open position and a closed position. When the revolving door 336 is in the open position, the water outlet 304 on the base 302 is opened; when the revolving door 336 is in the closed position, the water outlet 304 is closed. The revolving door 336 can be opened for processing by the cup filter held by the two arms 308 of the faucet 306 . The revolving door 336 may include a screen 338 . Screen 338 may be supported by a mesh ring 340 . The revolving door can be driven to rotate by a motor 342 . In some embodiments, the motor 342 may be disposed within a motor housing 344 .

Referring again to FIG. 1, the device 100 also includes a user interface 400 to facilitate selection from a variety of tea leaves. Additionally, the user interface 400 may also be used to select the number of copies to be dispensed by the device 100 . In one embodiment, the user interface 400 may be mounted on a panel, and may also include a display 402 and a keyboard 404 to facilitate selection of the amount of tea and the type of tea leaves. In one embodiment, keyboard 404 may be an alphanumeric keyboard or a touchpad. In some instances, as shown in FIG. 1, the user interface 400 may be a web-based application accessible through a computing device including, but not limited to, a cell phone, desktop, laptop, tablet, or Any other similar device that facilitates customer access to web-based application and select the tea type and tea fraction. The user interface 400 communicates with the controller 406 (see FIG. 1 ) to receive input corresponding to the tea variety, while controlling the tea material dispenser 104, filter dispenser 198, turntable assembly 202 and water dispenser 300 to prepare the selected tea and provide it to customer.

Controller 406 may be a remote controller or a controller mounted on device 100 and communicates with user interface 400 , tea material dispenser 104 , filter dispenser 198 , turntable assembly 202 and water dispenser 300 . In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the controller 406 may include a processor 408 for executing specified instructions that may control and monitor various functions associated with the apparatus 100 . The processor 408 may be operatively connected to the memory 410 for storing instructions related to the control of the device 100 and its components.

The memory 410 is shown integrated into the controller 406 . As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, memory 410 may be located separately from controller 406 and located on device 100, and/or remote from controller 406 and device 100, while being associated with and accessed by controller 406, During the operation of the apparatus 100, information is stored in the memory 410 and information is retrieved from the memory as required. Memory 410 may contain a test script for running the device.

Initially, the processor 408 is configured to detect the cup placed on the base 302 and whether the cup is aligned with at least one of the faucets 306 . The teacup may be detected by a sensor (not shown) in communication with the processor 408 . After a cup is detected on the base 302, the processor 408 drives the dispenser assembly 102 to rotate, aligning at least one filter dispenser 198 with at least one faucet 306. It will be appreciated that the two arms 308 of each faucet are now in the closed position. After the at least one filter dispenser 198 is aligned with the at least one faucet 306 , the processor 408 can be configured to control the filter dispenser 198 to dispense a teacup filter into the arms 308 of the at least one faucet 306 . The teacup strainer may be secured to the raised portion 324 of the faucet 306 . The processor 408 is further configured to drive the dispenser assembly 102 to rotate so that the at least one tea material dispenser 104 is aligned with the teacup filter held by the two arms 308 of the faucet 306, and then in the teacup filter Distribute tea leaves. For ease of illustration, the teacup filter can now be secured by the arm 308 of the faucet 306, and the teacup can be placed under the teacup filter. The processor 408 can be further configured to control the water dispenser 300 to dispense hot water in a teacup filter containing tea leaves. The brewed tea can flow into the cup below the cup filter. The processor 408 can be further configured to detect a teacup being removed from the base 302 . After the cup is removed, the processor 408 can control the arm 308 of the faucet 306 to move to the open position to place the cup filter into the waste collector through the drain port 304; by moving the associated pivot door 336 to the open position, the drain can be drained Port 304 is placed in base 302 . In some embodiments using a tea bag containing material, the operation of the filter dispenser 198 may be omitted. In this case, the tea material dispenser 104 may dispense the tea bags directly into the tea cups. After the tea bag is dispensed, the hot water from the faucet 306 is dispensed into the cup to make tea.

Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the description and drawings. The principles associated with the various embodiments described herein apply equally to other embodiments. Therefore, the purpose of this description is not to be limited to the embodiments shown in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but to provide the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel and inventive features disclosed or suggested herein. Accordingly, this disclosure is intended to cover all other such alternatives, modifications and variations within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.

100: Integrated tea brewing and tea distribution device

102: Dispenser Assembly

104: Tea Dispenser

106: The first container component

108: Intermediate container components

11: handle

110: Piercing components

112: Second container component

114: The first container

116: Plunger

120: vent valve

122: vent

124: Exhaust valve

126: Bottom cover

128: Intermediate container

130: Entrance

132:Export

134: Window

136: Transparent Surface

138: Inner Wall

140: Scanner

142: Base

144: Opening

146: Hollow Circular Body

148: Blade

150: Ring

152: Gear retaining ring

154: Rotary member

156: Rotary vane

158: Cover

160: Opening

164: Clapboard

166: Second container

168: Cover

170: Entrance

172:Export

174: Conveyor

176: Revolving Door

178: Window

180: Guiding device

182: Motor

184: Sieve

186: Tea Dust Collector

188: Rotary Vane

190: top cover

192: Bottom cover

194: Weight Sensor

198: Filter Dispenser

200: Tubular container

202: Turntable assembly

204: top cover 206: Bottom cover 208: Gear 210: Motor 212: Pinion 214: Air compressor 216: Solenoid valve 300: water distributor 302: Base 304: drain 306: Faucet 308: Arm 310: Bearings 312: Gear System 314: Gearbox 316: Gear bracket 318: End Plate 320: cover 322: Nozzle 324: Raised part 326: Bevel gear 328: First Arm Gear 330: Second arm gear 332: Motor 334: Motor housing 336: Revolving Door 338: Sieve 340: Mesh Ring 342: Motor 344: Motor housing 400: User Interface 402: Display 404: Keyboard 406: Controller 408: Processor 410: Memory

These and other features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be apparent by reference to the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like structures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 is an exploded view of the first container assembly of the tea material dispenser according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a perspective view of a tea material dispenser intermediate container assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view of an intermediate container assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the piercing assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a hollow circular body with a toothed ring according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the second container assembly of the tea material dispenser according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a cross-sectional view of the second container assembly of the tea material dispenser according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

9 is an exploded view of the revolving door of the second container assembly according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 is an exploded view of a turntable assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 is an exploded view of the water distributor according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 12 is an exploded view of the faucet and gear system according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a top view of the faucet and gear system according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14a is a front view of the container faucet according to the new exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14b is a side view of a faucet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 15 is an exploded view of the revolving door according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

100: Tea brewing and tea distribution device

102: Dispenser Assembly

104: Tea Dispenser

114: The first container

128: Intermediate container

166: Second container

198: Filter Dispenser

200: Tubular container

202: Turntable assembly

300: water distributor

302: Base

304: drain

306: Faucet

400: User Interface

402: Display

404: Keyboard

406: Controller

408: Processor

410: Memory

Claims (24)

An integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device, comprising: a plurality of tea material dispensers operable to store and dispense at least one tea material to at least one container; and a water dispenser having a plurality of faucets, wherein at least one of the faucets can be used to dispense water into at least one container; Wherein, at least one tea material dispenser can be aligned with at least one faucet by movement to dispense tea material into the at least one container. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tea material dispenser comprises: a first container assembly, which is provided with a first container that can be used to store the tea material, a plunger that compresses the tea material by movement in the first container; a second container assembly connected to the first container assembly, provided with a second container for receiving the tea ingredients from the first container; a conveyor provided in the second container to facilitate the delivery of tea material from the first container to an outlet of the second container; and A revolving door that can be moved between the open and closed positions; in the closed position, the revolving door covers the outlet of the second container; in the open position, the revolving door rotates away from the outlet of the second container, and the tea leaves It can be dispensed through the outlet of the second container. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tea material dispenser comprises an intermediate container assembly disposed between the first container assembly and the second container assembly, the intermediate container An intermediate container of the assembly is provided for receiving the tea material from this first container. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first container assembly further includes a vent valve for releasing the pressure accumulated in the first container. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first container assembly further comprises an exhaust valve. The integrated tea-brewing and tea-dividing device according to claim 2, wherein the conveyor is a screw conveyor. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device of claim 2, wherein the revolving door includes a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the tea material received through the conveyor. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the revolving door can be rotated to an open position when the weight of the tea material reaches a predetermined weight. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second container assembly comprises: a guiding device for accommodating the conveyor and guiding the movement of tea material towards the outlet of the second container; and A motor to drive the conveyor. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second container assembly comprises: a sieve that can be used to separate tea material from tea dust; and A tea dust collector that can be used to collect tea dust. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the capacity of the intermediate container is equivalent to 25% of the first container. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device of claim 3, wherein the tea material in the first container is placed in a tea bag, and the tea material dispenser comprises a component disposed on the first container and The piercing components between the intermediate container components are used to pierce the tea bags. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device according to claim 12, wherein the piercing assembly comprises: a base with an opening; a hollow circular body disposed at the opening, wherein the hollow circular body is provided with a plurality of and a rotating member in contact with the hollow circular body for rotating the hollow circular body and piercing the tea bag in the first container. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device of claim 2, wherein the axis of the outlet of the second container is offset from the axis of the inlet of the second container. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tea material dispenser further comprises at least one scanner for scanning the identification code on the tea bag to track the tea material used for brewing tea. Expiration date and purity. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a turntable assembly for moving a plurality of tea material dispensers. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the turntable assembly comprises: a casing with a plurality of gears on the inner periphery; and at least one motor installed in the casing and connected with the gears, wherein, The at least one motor is used to drive the gears to rotate the housing. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the turntable assembly further comprises an air compressor for supplying pressurized air to the first container to drive the air in the first container The plunger moves. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the turntable assembly further includes a solenoid valve to allow pressurized air to flow from the air compressor to the first container. The integrated tea brewing and dispensing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter dispenser for dispensing the filter. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the faucet includes two arms that can be moved to a closed position and an open position. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the faucet further comprises a cover, and the raised part of the cover is used to support one side of the container. The integrated tea brewing and tea dispensing device as claimed in claim 21, wherein the water dispenser further comprises a gear system for controlling the movement of the two arms. The integrated tea brewing and tea distributing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water distributor further comprises: a base having a plurality of water outlets; and a plurality of rotating members for opening and closing the plurality of water outlets.

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