JP7227488B2 - beverage extraction equipment - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage brewing device such as a coffee maker, and more specifically, to a beverage brewing device capable of properly pouring out an extract into a server or a cup after extracting the liquid in a beverage brewing container. is.

2. Description of the Related Art Beverage brewing apparatuses such as so-called coffee makers for extracting coffee from ground coffee and so-called tea makers for extracting tea from tea leaves are known. For example, the present applicant has already applied for a coffee maker in Patent Document 1.

The above coffee maker performs a "steaming process of steaming the coffee grounds", an "extraction process of extracting coffee from the steamed coffee grounds", and an "extrusion process of applying steam pressure to the extracted coffee" in the beverage extraction container. Furthermore, after the extrusion process, a new extrusion process is repeated several times, and even if it is a large coffee maker that puts in a large amount of coffee powder and a large amount of hot water, the extracted coffee can be properly poured out. is possible.

By the way, steam for applying pressure is generated by sending a small amount of water to the heater with a water pump. Therefore, the conventional coffee maker, which performs a new extrusion process after the extrusion process, sends more steam into the beverage extraction container with high internal pressure, making it difficult to predict how the pressure will rise more than necessary. There was a risk of high pressure. When the internal pressure of the beverage brewing container becomes high, steam cannot be newly sent into the beverage brewing container, and as a result, the coffee cannot be sufficiently pushed out.

Moreover, when the internal pressure of the beverage brewing container becomes high, there is a possibility that proper pouring will not be performed.

In order to eliminate such an adverse effect, for example, it is conceivable to provide a predetermined waiting time between the first extrusion process and the second extrusion process. does not drop sufficiently, and a long waiting time creates a new problem that it takes a long time to complete all pours.

By the way, even in a coffee maker that repeats the new extrusion process as described above, the lid is opened after the final extrusion process. In addition, some conventional coffee makers perform the extrusion process only once, and such a machine also opens the lid after the extrusion process.

However, in the beverage extraction container having the extrusion process as described above, if there is no means for releasing the pressure after the extrusion process, the pressure is still applied immediately after the extrusion process (i.e., the lid from the inside In such a state (that is, immediately after the end of the extrusion process), if you try to unlock the lid and open the lid, the lid will inevitably It becomes difficult to unlock. Further, even if the locked state of the lid can be released, if the lid is opened immediately after the extrusion process is completed, the steam in the beverage brewing container may blow out.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-201659

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems, and more specifically, by opening the inside of the beverage extraction container to the atmosphere after the extrusion process, a new extrusion process can be properly performed, or the lid body To provide a beverage extraction device capable of facilitating the opening of a container or eliminating blowout of steam from the beverage extraction container when a lid is opened.

In order to solve the above problems, the beverage brewing apparatus of the present invention is configured with the following problem solving means.

The invention according to claim 1 comprises a water supply tank, a water pump for sending water from the water supply tank, heating means for heating the water sent from the water supply pump, and hot water and steam heated by the heating means are supplied. a beverage extraction container for extracting an extract liquid from an extraction raw material; a hot water supply pipe communicating between the heating means and the beverage extraction container; a first electromagnetic valve capable of opening the interior of the beverage extraction container to the atmosphere; and the control device comprises a steaming step of steaming the extraction raw material, an extraction step of extracting an extract from the extraction raw material steamed in the steaming step, and a liquid extract extracted in the extraction step. and an extrusion step of pushing out, and after the extrusion step, the first electromagnetic valve is opened to open the inside of the beverage extraction container to the atmosphere.

With the above configuration, the first electromagnetic valve can be opened after the extrusion process to make the inside of the beverage extraction container almost atmospheric. The pressure in the beverage extraction container can be maintained at the same level as the first time, and the pressure in the beverage extraction container does not become higher than necessary. In addition, since the inside of the beverage brewing container is once returned to the atmospheric state, it is possible to properly supply the necessary amount of steam.

In particular, in the case where no means for releasing pressure after the extrusion process is provided, the lid body can be easily opened immediately after the extrusion process, and steam blowing out from the beverage extraction container 25 is eliminated when the lid body is opened. . The present invention is effective both in the case where the extrusion process is performed only once and in the case where the extrusion process is performed a plurality of times.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the control device opens the first solenoid valve to open the inside of the beverage extraction container to the atmosphere after the extrusion step and the extrusion step. A configuration that repeats and repeats multiple times.

With the above configuration, the first electromagnetic valve can be opened after each extrusion process to make the inside of the beverage extraction container almost atmospheric, so that the second and subsequent extrusion processes can be performed at the same pressure as the first time. Therefore, the pressure in the beverage brewing container does not become higher than necessary. In addition, since the inside of the beverage brewing container is once returned to the atmospheric state, it is possible to properly supply the necessary amount of steam.

Further, when the lid is opened immediately after the last extrusion step, the lid can be easily opened, and steam is not blown out from the beverage extraction container 25 when the lid is opened.

The invention according to claim 3 is, in addition to the configuration of claim 1 or 2, the hot water supply pipe has a branched portion, one end of another pipe communicates with the branched portion, and the other pipe is , the other end of which opens into the water supply tank, and has the first solenoid valve in the middle thereof. The branching portion may be, for example, a T-shaped pipe joint member having three openings as shown in FIG. Then, the hot water supply pipe on the beverage brewing container side is connected to the second opening, and another pipe is connected to the third opening.

The above arrangement allows other pipes to be easily incorporated into the beverage brewing device without their other ends interfering with other components. Also, the steam will be discharged through another pipe, but it is in the water tank and is safe. In addition, since the water supply tank contains water, there is little possibility that the water supply tank will heat up.

The invention according to claim 4 is, in addition to the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the hot water supply pipe has a second solenoid valve, and the second solenoid valve Configuration that opens and closes when power is off. The second electromagnetic valve is closed when not energized and opened when energized.

With the above configuration, even if the lid is accidentally opened while the coffee maker is in use, the second electromagnetic valve is closed by de-energization by the switch means described later, so that the end of the hot water supply pipe (see FIG. 4) is closed. No more steam coming out of the

As a result, according to the present invention, the second and subsequent extrusion processes can be performed at the same pressure as the first time, and the pressure inside the beverage extraction container can be prevented from becoming higher than necessary. The necessary amount of steam can be properly fed into the beverage brewing container. Furthermore, the lid can be easily opened immediately after the extrusion process, and steam can be prevented from blowing out when the lid is opened.

1 is a front view of a beverage brewing device (coffee maker) according to an embodiment of the present invention; The perspective view which looked at the beverage extraction apparatus from diagonally upper direction Cross-sectional view of the AA line in FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the beverage brewing device with the lid opened, viewed obliquely from above; Enlarged schematic diagram showing a state in which hot water and steam from the hot water supply pipe flow into the cylinder body through the supply pipe in the lid body. Cross-sectional view of a beverage brewing container Exploded perspective view of each part of the beverage extraction container Control system diagram of beverage extractor Flowchart showing beverage extraction control in FIG. Time chart corresponding to beverage extraction control in the flowchart of FIG.

Hereinafter, the beverage brewing device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. As a beverage extraction device, a so-called coffee maker that extracts coffee from coffee grounds, which is an extraction raw material, a so-called tea maker that extracts tea from tea leaves, etc. are known. do.

In recent years, coffee makers generally use a funnel-shaped paper filter or mesh filter to pass hot water through coffee grounds to extract components. , a heater 18 as a heating means and a beverage extraction container 25, and by performing a steaming process, an extraction process, an extrusion process, etc. in the beverage extraction container 25, components are stably extracted from the coffee grounds C, and It is possible to provide coffee with little variation in taste.

1 shows a front view of the coffee maker 10, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view thereof, FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view with the lid opened. indicates In FIG. 1, the front side is the front, the back side is the rear, the upper side is the upper side, the lower side is the lower side, the right side is the right side, and the left side is the left side.

First, the schematic flow of hot water, steam, etc. will be described with reference to FIG.

The coffee maker 10 includes, from the upstream side, a water tank 15 that stores water W, and a water pump 17 that feeds the water W supplied from the water tank 15 to a heater 18 as heating means through a water supply pipe 20. When the water pump 17 is turned on and driven, the water W in the water supply pipe 20 is sent to the heater 18. - 特許庁

The heater 18 heats the sent water W to generate hot water HW and steam S. The hot water HW and steam S generated by the heater 18 are sent to the beverage extraction container 25 through the hot water supply pipe 19 . The beverage extraction container 25 is preliminarily filled with a necessary amount of coffee grounds C as an extraction raw material. is performed and the coffee is extracted.

The brewed coffee is then pushed out through the outlet hole 68 on the bottom surface of the beverage brewing container 25 and poured out to the server 14 during the pushing process.

By the way, in order to apply steam pressure inside the beverage brewing container 25, the beverage brewing container 25 must be properly attached to the coffee maker 10 and the lid 30 must be properly closed. Therefore, a switch means 41 is provided to detect whether the beverage brewing container 25 and the lid 30 are correctly attached.

The switch means 41 permits energization of the water pump 17, the heater 18, etc., when these are in the correct mounting state, and cuts off the energization when the mounting state is incorrect.

A water supply pipe 20 between the water supply tank 15 and the water pump 17 is provided with a flow meter 16 that detects the amount of water supplied and sends the detected signal to the controller 22 .

The hot water supply pipe 19 between the heating heater 18 and the beverage extraction container 25 is provided with a hot water temperature detection sensor 21a, and the heating heater 18 is provided with a heater temperature detection sensor 21b. The temperature of the hot water and the temperature of the heater 18 are detected and each detected signal is sent to the control device 22 .

A branch portion 27 is provided in the hot water supply pipe 19 between the heating heater 18 and the beverage extraction container 25 . The branch portion 27 is a pipe joint member having a plurality of openings and communicating internally, for example, a T-shaped pipe joint member having three openings as shown in FIG. The hot water supply pipe 19 on the heater 18 side is connected to the second opening, the hot water supply pipe 19 on the beverage extraction container 25 side is connected to the second opening, and the branch pipe 27a, which is another pipe, is connected to the third opening. become.

A branch pipe 27 a , which is another pipe, is provided with a first electromagnetic valve 28 in the middle thereof, and the other end opens into the water supply tank 15 .

The first electromagnetic valve 28 is open when not energized, and closed when energized. Specifically, the first electromagnetic valve 28 is controlled to be turned on and off following the water pump 17 (see FIG. 10). Even when the coffee maker 10 is on and in use, the first electromagnetic valve 28 is opened when not energized, and the beverage extraction container 25 and the water supply tank 15 are communicated to remove the air in the beverage extraction container 25. Send to the water supply tank 15 side. That is, the pressure inside the beverage extraction container 25 is brought to the atmospheric pressure state.

Then, when the first electromagnetic valve 28 is energized, it is closed, and the communication between the beverage extraction container 25 and the water supply tank 15 is cut off. This form of control makes it possible to properly control the pressure in the beverage extraction container 25 and facilitates the opening of the lid immediately after the extrusion process.

The water supply tank 15 has, for example, an external opening through which air can flow into the top thereof in order to improve the water supply operation. Therefore, as soon as the first electromagnetic valve 28 opens, the air in the beverage extraction container 25 is sent to the water supply tank 15 side.

A second electromagnetic valve 29 is provided on the hot water supply pipe 19 that communicates the heater 18 and the beverage extraction container 25 . In the case of FIG. 8, it is between the heater 18 and the branch portion 27 .

The second electromagnetic valve 29 is closed when not energized, and is opened when energized. Specifically, the second electromagnetic valve 29 is interlocked with the on/off of the energization. That is, it is in the closed state when the power is not supplied (when the coffee maker 10 is not in use), and is in the open state when the power is supplied (when the coffee maker 10 is in use).

As described above, when the cover of the second solenoid valve 29 is accidentally opened while the coffee maker is in use, the switch means 41 moves upward to turn off the power switch, and the second solenoid valve is closed. do. As a result, the steam does not blow out from the tip of the hot water supply pipe 19 (more precisely, the tip of the packing member 35 as shown in FIG. 4). That is, the switch means 41 has the same function as the power switch on the operation section 11 .

The beverage extraction container 25 is a container that is kept substantially airtight by the lid 30. The coffee grounds C are steamed with the supplied hot water HW or steam S, extracted, and after extraction, steam pressure is further applied to extract the coffee. The brewed coffee is extruded through the bottom outlet hole 68 and injected into the server 14 placed below the outlet hole 68 .

The coffee maker 10 is controlled by the control device 22 by operating the operation section 11 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 4). The control device 22 is mainly composed of a CPU, and various control programs, setting values, etc. of the coffee maker 10 are stored in storage means such as a memory.

The control device 22 includes a flow meter 16, a water pump 17, a heater 18, a hot water temperature detection sensor 21a, a heater temperature detection sensor 21b, a switch means 41, a first electromagnetic valve 28, a second electromagnetic valve 29, and the like. Based on the operation from the operation unit 11, water supply, hot water supply, and steam supply are performed, and the brewing process, extraction process, extrusion process, etc. are performed in the beverage extraction container 25, and coffee suitable for the task is produced. is generated.

Next, details will be described. The coffee maker 10 has a back box 10A on the rear side, a bottom box 10B on the lower side, and a top box 10C on the upper side. 15 has a U-shape when it is not attached.

The back box body 10A is a cylindrical body having a substantially rectangular cross section as a whole and rising from the rear end side of the bottom box body 10B to the rear end side of the upper box body 10C with a predetermined front-rear width and a predetermined left-right width. The internal space 10AA includes a water pump 17, a flow meter 16 (see FIG. 8), a heater 18 for boiling water, a hot water temperature detection sensor 21a (see FIG. 8), a heater temperature detection sensor 21b (see FIG. 8), a control A device 22 (see FIG. 8) and the like are installed.

The bottom box body 10B is a box-shaped member with high strength, and has a plurality of legs 10BB as separate members on the front, rear, left, and right lower sides to support the coffee maker 10 as a whole in a stable state. The back box 10A is attached to the upper surface of the rear in an upright state, and the server 14 (which may be a cup) is placed on the upper surface on the front side of the back box 10A. .

The upper box 10C has a rectangular shape in a plan view, is vertically thick, and is an eave-like member that is connected to the upper end of the back box 10A and extends horizontally forward. A cover 30 is provided on the left side of the upper portion, and an operating portion 11 is provided on the right side of the upper portion.

In addition, an accommodation space 12 for accommodating the beverage extraction container 25 is formed inside the upper box body 10</b>C below the lid body 30 . The housing space 12 has an insertion cylindrical body 13 with upper and lower openings for inserting the beverage brewing container 25, and a hot water supply pipe 19 made of rubber is drawn into the upper box body 10C.

The insertion cylinder 13 is a cylindrical member that is circular in plan view and has top and bottom openings. The distal end portion is formed as a large diameter portion 13a (see FIG. 3). It is grounded on the portion 13a.

The hot water supply pipe 19 is made of rubber and extends from the heater 18 of the back box 10A, and is fitted to the upper end of a supply pipe 40 integrally formed with the inner plate 31 of the lid 30 (see FIG. 5). ), hot water HW and steam S are supplied to the beverage extraction container 25 through the supply pipe 40 .

The hot water supply pipe 19 is routed from the heater 18 of the back box 10A to the lid 30 of the upper box 10C, and has a branch 27 in the middle. One end of a branch pipe 27a is connected to the branch portion 27, and the other end of the branch pipe 27a is connected to the upper portion of the water supply tank 15 (see FIG. 8).

A first electromagnetic valve 28 is arranged in the middle of the branch pipe 27a, and a second electromagnetic valve 29 is arranged in the hot water supply pipe 19 between the branch portion 27 and the heater 18. (see Figure 8). The first solenoid valve 28 and the second solenoid valve 29 are arranged in the internal space of either the back box 10A or the upper box 10C.

The space on the left side between the upper box body 10C, the back box body 10A and the bottom box body 10B is a server mounting space 10D. As such, a server 14 (which may be a cup) is placed. When the server 14 is placed in the server placement space 10D, the coffee extracted in the beverage extraction container 25 is pushed out from the ejection hole 68 into the server 14 during the extrusion process.

The space on the right side between the upper box 10C, the back box 10A and the bottom box 10B is a water tank installation space 10E, as shown in FIGS. A water supply tank 15 is arranged at 10E.

The water supply tank 15 is attached by pushing it backward from the front side, and is pulled forward from the rear side to supply water. When the water supply tank 15 is pushed backward from the front side to be mounted, a short first pipe portion (not shown) provided below the rear end of the water supply tank 15 is connected to the tip of the water supply pipe 20 (not shown). The water supply pipe 20 is connected to the lower part of the water supply tank 15 by fitting the packing to the water supply pipe 20 .

A short second pipe portion (not shown) is provided above the rear end of the water supply tank 15, and when the water supply tank 15 is pushed in, the second pipe portion extends into a branch pipe 27a (see FIG. 8). ) is fitted to a packing (not shown) connected to the tip of the water supply tank 15 to communicate the upper inside of the water supply tank 15 with the branch pipe 27a. As a result, when the first electromagnetic valve 28 is opened after the extrusion process, the air in the water supply tank 15 is sent to the beverage brewing container 25 and the inside of the beverage brewing container 25 is immediately brought to the atmospheric pressure state. At that time, steam or the like from the beverage extraction container 25 is sent to the water tank 15, but it is safe because it returns to water in the water tank 15.

When the water tank 15 is attached, the water W in the water tank 15 is sent through the first pipe portion and the water supply pipe 20 to the water pump 17 provided below in the back box 10A.

The heater 18 is provided above the water pump 17 inside the back box 10A and is connected to the water pump 17 via the water supply pipe 20 . Therefore, the water W sent by the water supply pump 17 is sent to the heating heater 18 to become hot water HW and steam S, and is sent to the beverage extraction container 25 via the hot water supply pipe 19 .

The heater 18 is configured, for example, by surrounding a water tube with a heater tube, so that the water flowing in the water tube can be rapidly heated by the heater of the heater tube.

The lid 30 is, for example, an elliptical member when viewed from above, and is vertically movable with a hinge portion 33 as a fulcrum. Located on top of 25.

The lid body 30 has a substantially horizontal inner plate 31 and an outer plate 32 with a substantially hat-shaped cross section, forming an internal space 30a therebetween. The internal space 30 a has a lock mechanism for opening and closing the lid 30 .

The lock mechanism has a lock release lever 34 , a moving spring 36 that pushes the lock release lever 34 upward, a lever member 37 , a locking claw 38 and a locking piece 39 .

The lock release lever 34 is a rectangular thin plate provided on the upper surface of the lid 30 (see FIG. 2). are in contact with each other.

When the rear side of the lock release lever 34 is pushed down, the rear side of the lock release lever 34 moves downward against the force of the upward moving spring 36 . When the rear side of the lock release lever 34 moves downward, the projection 34a provided on the lower surface of the lock release lever 34 pushes the rear end of the lever member 37 downward.

When the rear end of the lever member 37 is pushed downward, the lever member 37 rotates clockwise in FIG. When the lever member 37 rotates clockwise, the locking claw 38 formed on the front end of the lever member 37 releases the engagement with the locking piece 39 formed on the upper box body 10C side. .

Therefore, when the lid 30 is pushed upward by putting a finger on the front end of the lock release lever 34, the lid 30 is moved rearward with the hinge portion 33 on the rear side as a fulcrum to lift the beverage. The upper surface of the brewing container 25 is opened to allow the beverage brewing container 25 to be taken out upward (see FIG. 4).

Closing of the lid body 30 is performed by tilting the lid body 30 forward and applying force from above. That is, when the lid 30 is tilted forward and a force is applied from above, the locking claw 38 of the lever member 37 is forcibly engaged with the locking piece 39 on the upper box 10C side to close the lid 30. It is done by

Further, at the center of the inner plate 31 of the lid 30, as shown in FIG. good). The end of the hot water supply pipe 19 is fitted to the upper end of the supply pipe 40, and the cylindrical packing member 35 is fitted to the lower end of the supply pipe 40 (see also FIG. 4).

The lowermost end of the supply pipe 40 is closed, and slightly above the lowermost end has two pipe holes 40a, 40a that open in the left-right direction (there may be more than two).

When the lid body 30 is closed, the packing member 35 is pressed from above and below by the inner plate 31 and the cylinder cap 50 of the beverage extraction container 25, and the lower end of the packing member 35 is formed on the upper surface of the cylinder cap 50. It is press-contacted so as to surround the cap opening 51, and as shown in FIG. 5, forms a bun-shaped packing space 35a in which the lowest end is inward and the central portion is outwardly expanding.

When the extraction operation is started in this state, the hot water HW and the steam S are sent to the supply pipe 40 linearly at a faster speed than the hot water supply pipe 19 as indicated by the arrow 1 . The hot water HW and the steam S sent to the supply pipe 40 collide with the lowermost closing portion of the supply pipe 40 and the speed thereof is reduced. The hot water HW and the steam S whose speed has decreased change direction and flow into the packing space 35a in a state of spreading left and right through the two pipe holes 40a, 40a as indicated by the arrow 2. As shown in FIG.

The hot water HW and steam S that have flowed into the packing space 35a are stirred in the packing space 35a as indicated by arrows 3, and are further reduced in speed. After that, the hot water HW and the steam S flow into the beverage brewing container 25 through the cap opening 51 in a spread state, as indicated by the arrow 4 .

Conventionally, a water sprinkling unit is provided in this portion to spread hot water HW and steam S and supply them in a state of being slowed down. In this case, the structure becomes complicated and the cost rises due to the provision of the water sprinkling part.

By the way, the upper box 10C is provided with a switch means 41 capable of simultaneously detecting whether the beverage brewing container 25 is properly attached to the coffee maker 10 and whether the lid 30 is properly closed.

The switch means 41 is attached to the front side of the upper box body 10C (see FIG. 3). Its mounting form is a form in which it stands upright and its upper end protrudes upward from the upper surface of the upper box 10C. It is below the handle 53 provided on the cylinder cap 50 . The switch means 41 is vertically movable by a spring (not shown).

Therefore, when the beverage extraction container 25 to which the cylinder cap 50 is attached is accommodated in the insertion cylinder 13, the handle 53 provided on the cylinder cap 50 is tilted forward, and the lid 30 is pushed from above to be closed. , the lower surface of the inner plate 31 of the lid 30 pushes the upper surface of the handle 53 of the cylinder cap 50 downward.

Then, the lower surface of the handle 53 pushes the switch means 41 downward. As a result, the lid body 30 is completely closed, and the switch means 41 is turned on (that is, energized) to start energizing the water pump 17, the heater 18, and the like.

The beverage extraction container 25 will be described. The beverage brewing container 25 is shown in cross section in FIG. 6 and in exploded perspective view in FIG.

The beverage extraction container 25 includes a central cylindrical cylinder body 45, a cylinder cap 50 fitted and fixed to the upper end opening 46a of the cylinder body 45, a filter member 55 attached to the lower inside of the cylinder body 45, and a liquid reservoir 65 attached to the outer peripheral portion of the lower end of the cylinder body 45 .

The cylinder main body 45 is a tubular resin member with upper and lower openings. has a small diameter portion 48 located at the bottom of the .

The upper flange portion 47 is a ring-shaped portion that horizontally protrudes outward from the upper end opening portion 46a of the main body portion 46, and has two cutout portions 47a, 47a at locations facing each other in the radial direction. Engagement projections 47b, 47b protruding outward are provided at the central portions of the two notches 47a, 47a, respectively.

The small-diameter portion 48 is a cylindrical portion having a diameter smaller than that of the body portion 46 and having a short vertical length. Between the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 46 and the inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion 48, there is provided a horizontal ring-shaped stepped portion 49 (see FIG. 6).

The small-diameter portion 48 has a male thread 48b on its outer periphery and three helicoid engagement pieces 48a, 48a, 48a on its inner periphery at intervals of 120 degrees (only one is shown in FIG. 6). . The three helicoid engagement pieces 48a, 48a, 48a engage with three helicoid engagement grooves 60, 60, 60 on the outer periphery of the filter member 55, respectively.

The cylinder cap 50 is a disk-shaped member made of stainless steel, and has a central portion that swells like a mountain, and has a circular cap opening 51 penetrating vertically at the top horizontal portion. Further, lock support members 52A, 52A are attached to the upper surface of the cylinder cap 50 at locations facing each other in the radial direction.

The lock support member 52A is a U-shaped resin member having cutouts 52Aa, 52Aa whose center portions are cut outward. The base portions 52c, 52c of the locking members 52, 52 are fitted.

When the base portions 52c, 52c of the locking members 52, 52 described below are fitted into the notches 52Aa, 52Aa, the shafts 52b, 52b are attached across the notches 52Aa, 52Aa. Then, the respective lock members 52, 52 are pivotally supported such that the root portions 52c, 52c are fitted into the cutout portions 52Aa, 52Aa.

The locking members 52, 52 are substantially rectangular resin members, and have rod-shaped base portions 52c, 52c integrally formed on one side portion on the long side, and a rectangular portion at the center thereof. It has shaped locking grooves 52a, 52a. The rod-shaped base portion 52c has an insertion hole (not shown) in the center thereof, through which the shaft 52b can be inserted.

As described above, the base portions 52c, 52c of the lock members 52, 52 are fitted into the cutout portions 52Aa, 52Aa of the lock support members 52A, 52A, respectively, and supported by the horizontal shafts 52b, 52b.

When the base portions 52c, 52c of the locking members 52, 52 are pivotally supported, the locking members 52, 52 can be rotated up and down around their respective shafts 52b, 52b. Then, by rotating the lock members 52 downward, the lock grooves 52a, 52a are engaged with the engagement projections 47b, 47b of the cylinder body 45, respectively, and by rotating upward, the lock groove 52a is closed. , 52a from the engaging projections 47b, 47b of the cylinder body 45, respectively, and the cylinder cap 50 is removed.

A semicircular resin handle 53 is attached between the lock support member 52A on the upper surface of the cylinder cap 50 and the cap opening 51 . The handle 53 has shafts (not shown) protruding outward from its ends 53b, 53b. (see the top diagram of FIG. 7).

The handle 53 has a U-shaped gripping portion 53a protruding outward from its central portion. It is to be taken out from the insertion cylinder 13 .

When the handle 53 is tilted forward, the switch means 41 is positioned below the grip portion 53a. When the cover 30 is completely closed, the lower surface of the grip portion 53a pushes the switch means 41 downward.

An annular packing 54 made of silicon is fitted to the lower surface of the cylinder cap 50 . When the cylinder cap 50 is fitted into the upper end opening 46 a of the cylinder body 45 , the annular packing 54 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the upper end opening 46 a and the upper surface of the upper flange portion 47 to contact the cylinder body 45 . Seal inside.

The filter member 55 is a resin tubular member having a tubular portion 56 and an upper flange 57, and is inserted into the cylinder body 45 and detachably supported. Therefore, the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 56 is made smaller than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 48 of the cylinder body 45, and the outer diameter of the upper flange 57 is smaller than the inner diameter of the main body portion 46 of the cylinder body 45, but is smaller than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 48. When the filter member 55 is inserted into the cylinder body 45, the lower surface of the upper flange 57 rests on the upper surface of the stepped portion 49 in the cylinder body 45 (see FIG. 6).

The cylindrical portion 56 has a horizontal and cross-shaped filter frame 58 inside. The filter frame 58 has an upper and lower two-layer structure, and is integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 56 in such a manner that a mesh member 59 made of stainless steel is sandwiched between the layers.

In addition, three helicoid engagement grooves 60, 60, 60 are provided on the outer circumference of the tubular portion 56 at intervals of 120 degrees. Three helicoid engaging pieces 48a, 48a, 48a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion 48 of the cylinder body 45 are engaged with the three helicoid engaging grooves 60, 60, 60, respectively. match.

The liquid reservoir 65 is a resin member having a bottomed main body 66 and a funnel-shaped bottom plate 67, and has a female screw 70 on the inner periphery thereof.

The funnel-shaped bottom plate 67 is a funnel-shaped bottom member that is integrally formed slightly below the central portion of the inner peripheral surface of the bottomed main body portion 66, and has a discharge hole 68 that opens vertically at its lowest end. Furthermore, an air introduction pipe 69 projecting vertically is provided at a position a little radially away from the discharge hole 68 . The air introduction pipe 69 introduces air from the outside during the extrusion process so that the inside of the liquid reservoir 65 does not become a vacuum, so that the coffee can be well discharged from the discharge hole 68 .

Assembly of the beverage extraction container 25 is performed as follows. First, the filter member 55 is inserted into the cylinder body 45 from above the cylinder body 45, and the filter member 55 is rotated around the central axis to engage the three helicoid engaging grooves 60, 60, 60 are engaged with three helicoid engaging pieces 48a, 48a, 48a on the inner peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 48 of the cylinder body 45, respectively.

Then, the filter member 55 is fixed with the lower surface of the upper flange 57 resting on the upper surface of the stepped portion 49 inside the cylinder body 45 . When removing, the filter member 55 is rotated in the opposite direction to release the engagement with the cylinder body 45 . Then, the filter member 55 is pulled upward and removed from the upper end opening 46 a of the cylinder body 45 .

Next, a required amount of ground coffee is put into the upper portion of the filter member 55 through the upper end opening 46a. Then, the cylinder cap 50 is placed on the upper end opening 46a of the cylinder body 45, and the cylinder cap 50 is pushed downward. Then, the annular packing 54 on the lower surface of the cylinder cap 50 enters the upper end opening 46a and adheres tightly to the upper surface and the inner peripheral surface of the upper end opening 46a, so that the inside of the cylinder body 45 is sealed.

After that, the left and right locking members 52, 52 are rotated downward about the shafts 52b, 52b, and the locking grooves 52a, 52a of the respective locking members 52, 52 are engaged with the left and right engaging projections 47b of the cylinder body 45, 47 b to fix the cylinder cap 50 to the cylinder body 45 . As a result, the beverage extraction container 25 is completed. When the handle 53 is laid down as shown in FIG. 6, the handle 53a is positioned on the front side of the coffee maker 10, and the switch means 41 is positioned below it.

After that, the lid 30 of the coffee maker 10 is opened, and the beverage extraction container 25 is inserted into the insertion cylinder 13 inside the upper box 10C (see FIG. 4). When the beverage extraction container 25 is inserted into the insertion cylinder 13, the gripping portion 53a is slightly pushed upward by the switch means 41 to be in an inclined state.

After that, when the cover 30 is pushed from above, the gripping portion 53a in the inclined state is pushed downward to push the switch means 41 downward. Then, the locking claws 38 of the lid body 30 are engaged with the locking pieces 39 of the upper box body 10C, and the lid body 30 is completely closed. As a result, the water pump 17, the heater 18, and the like can be energized.

That is, when the beverage extraction container 25 is not inserted into the insertion cylinder 13 or when the lid 30 is not completely closed, the water pump 17 and heater 18 are not driven. The switch means 41 is also a power switch and a safety device of the coffee maker 10 .

The operation of the coffee maker 10 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG. 8 is a control system diagram of the beverage brewing apparatus, FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the beverage extraction control of FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a time chart corresponding to the beverage extraction control of the flowchart of FIG. be.

After the beverage brewing container 25 containing the required amount of coffee grounds C is stored in a predetermined place and the outlet is inserted, when the start button is pressed while the switch means 41 is turned on, the control operation is started (step S1). . Then, the preheating process is started first, and the controller 22 drives, ie, turns on the heater 18 to execute preheating control (step S2). The heater 18 is provided with a heater temperature detection sensor 21b (thermistor), and the temperature of the heater 18 is detected by the heater temperature detection sensor 21b.

At the same time, the second solenoid valve 29 is turned on, and the hot water supply pipe 19 is brought into communication. The second electromagnetic valve 29 maintains its state until the control of the control device 22 is terminated, or until the lid 30 is released during control or the power is turned off.

After the heater 18 is turned on, when the heater temperature detection sensor 21b detects that the temperature of the heater 18 has risen to, for example, about 110° C., the preheating step (step S2) is performed while the heater 18 is turned on. While finishing, the water pump 17 is turned on to perform the steaming step (step S3). At the same time when the water pump 17 is turned on, the first electromagnetic valve 28 is turned on to close the branch pipe 27a.

In the steaming step (step S3), the control device 22 turns on the water pump 17 for, for example, about 3 seconds while the heater 18 is turned on, so that the water W in the water supply tank 15 can be heated by the water pump 17. A small amount is supplied to the heating heater 18 and heated to a boiling state. As a result, the boiling hot water HW and steam S are supplied to the supply pipe 40 in the lid 30 through the hot water supply pipe 19 .

The hot water HW and steam S supplied to the supply pipe 40 are diffused in the packing space 35 a formed by the packing member 35 , slowed down, and supplied through the cap opening 51 into the beverage extraction container 25 , and then into the cylinder body 45 . It sufficiently permeates the whole from the upper layer part to the lower layer part of the coffee grounds C. In this case, the amount of ground coffee C put into the beverage brewing container 25 is an amount corresponding to a cup to be brewed, for example, an amount corresponding to four cups when brewing four cups.

The controller 22 turns off the water pump 17 and the heater 18 at the same time when the ON time, which is the driving time of the water pump 17, has passed, and maintains the same state for a predetermined set time, for example, 12 seconds ( That is, the standby process is executed).

When the water pump 17 and the heater 18 are turned off, the first electromagnetic valve 28 is also turned off at the same time to open the branch pipe 27a. By the way, the opening operation of the first electromagnetic valve 28 is not necessarily required and may be omitted.

When the water supply pump 17 and the heater 18 are turned off for a predetermined set time, the coffee grounds C in the beverage extraction container 25 are uniformly steamed in the sealed space, and the weight increases due to hot water and steam. It will swell to some extent. Then, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, an extraction step is executed (step S4).

The extraction process is a hot water supply process in which hot water HW is continuously supplied to the beverage extraction container 25 through the hot water supply pipe 19, and the time in the hot water supply process depends on the amount of hot water supplied. For example, when four cups of coffee are to be extracted, the amount of hot water to be supplied is an amount capable of extracting four cups of coffee, and the entire amount of hot water is supplied in this extraction step.

In the extraction process, the controller 22 turns on the heater 18, the water pump 17, and the first electromagnetic valve 28 to supply hot water HW of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined amount to the beverage extraction container 25. . Then, the first solenoid valve 28 is closed to close the branch pipe 27a.

The coffee grounds C are sufficiently steamed in the steaming process and contain hot water HW and steam S to increase the weight. Therefore, in the extraction process, the coffee grounds C do not float in the hot water HW but tend to sink. Therefore, when the hot water HW is poured, convection occurs efficiently up and down in the beverage brewing container 25, and the lower layer and the upper layer are effectively mixed and agitated.

Moreover, since the coffee grounds C are steamed in the steaming process and swelled by containing the hot water HW and the steam S, the hot water HW is easily sucked, and the coffee grounds C are uniformly and effectively extracted. be able to.

In the extraction process, part of the coffee stays in the cylinder main body 45 and part of the coffee drips from the liquid reservoir 65 through the discharge hole 68 into the server.

Also, in the extraction step, the heater 18 is turned off immediately before the end (however, the water pump 17 remains on). By doing so, the amount of hot water and steam sent into the beverage extraction container 25 immediately after the extraction process is finished is reduced, and the adverse effect on the subsequent processes is reduced.

After the extraction process ends, the control device 22 executes a standby process (step S5). The standby process is a process in which the heating heater 18 and the water pump 17 are not turned on, and the extraction time in the extraction process is lengthened so that all the ground coffee C is soaked with the hot water HW more effectively. Richness and bitterness components that are difficult to dissolve out from the powder C can be more easily extracted. As a result, coffee with little variation in taste can be extracted.

Also, in the standby process, the first electromagnetic valve 28 is also turned off at the same time, and the branch pipe 27a is communicated. By the way, the opening operation of the first electromagnetic valve 28 is not necessarily required, so it may be omitted.

When the standby process ends, the control device 22 executes the first extrusion process 1 (step S6).

In the first extrusion process 1, the controller 22 first turns on the heater 18 for a predetermined time (for example, 9 seconds) and turns off the first electromagnetic valve 28 for preheating. That is, the heating process of FIG. 10 is performed. While the first solenoid valve 28 is off, the branch pipe 27a is opened. By the way, the opening operation of the first electromagnetic valve 28 is not necessarily required and may be omitted.

Next, the water pump 17 and the first electromagnetic valve 28 are turned on to send a small amount of water to the heater 18 . This turns the water into steam and fills the beverage brewing container 25 with steam. That is, the steam process of FIG. 10 is performed. When the first solenoid valve 28 is turned on, the branch pipe 27a is closed.

Then, the upper surface of the coffee, which is the liquid extracted in the extraction process, is pushed by the pressure of the steam. As a result, impurities are removed from the pressed coffee by the mesh member 59 , reaches the liquid reservoir 65 , and is discharged into the server 14 through the discharge hole 68 at the lowest end of the liquid reservoir 65 . Note that the coffee that is extruded in this case is a portion of the brewed coffee.

The operation of the water pump 17 at this time is performed by, for example, repeating on and off a plurality of times (for example, three times for a total time of 11 seconds). When such a driving method is adopted, the amount of water supplied to the heater 18 per unit time becomes smaller than in the case of continuous driving, and the degree of heating of the heater 18 increases relatively, so the amount of steam generated increases. , the pressure in the beverage brewing container 25 is increased to improve the coffee pushing function.

When the steam process is completed, a standby process is performed in which the heating heater 18, the water pump 17, and the first solenoid valve 28 are all turned off. The predetermined time in the standby process may be set in advance according to the amount and type of coffee grounds, the amount of hot water, and the like.

By turning off the first electromagnetic valve 28, the pressure inside the beverage extraction container 25 is set to atmospheric pressure (step S7), and this state continues until the heating step of the second extrusion step 2. By the way, the "atmospheric release step" in step S7 of FIG. 9 corresponds to the "standby step" of the first extrusion step 1 in FIG. The "standby process" of the second extrusion process 2 corresponds.

After the first extrusion process 1 ends, the control device 22 executes the second extrusion process 2 (step S8). The second extrusion process 2 is the same as the first process, the heating process in which only the heater 18 is turned on, and the steam process in which the water pump 17 and the first electromagnetic valve 28 are turned on to send steam to the beverage extraction container 25. and a standby step of turning off the heater 18, the water pump 17, and the first solenoid valve 28.

In the second extrusion process 2, the controller 22 turns on the heater 18 for a predetermined time (for example, 9 seconds) and turns off the water pump 17 and the first electromagnetic valve 28 at the same time, so that the heater 18 Generate steam. That is, the heating process of FIG. 10 is performed. While the first electromagnetic valve 28 is off, the branch pipe 27a is communicated.

Next, by turning off the heater 18 and turning on the water pump 17 and the first electromagnetic valve 28 , the steam generated by the heater 18 is supplied to the beverage extraction container 25 . That is, the steam process of FIG. 10 is performed. When the first electromagnetic valve 28 is turned on, the branch pipe 27a is closed.

As a result, the upper surface of the coffee that has not been extruded in the first extrusion process 1 is pushed by the pressure of the steam. As a result, impurities are removed from the pressed coffee by the mesh member 59 , reaches the liquid reservoir 65 , and is discharged into the server 14 through the discharge hole 68 at the lowest end of the liquid reservoir 65 .

Also, the water pump 17 is turned on and off a plurality of times (for example, three times for a total time of 11 seconds), for example, in the same manner as the first time. As described above, when such a driving method is employed, the amount of water supplied to the heater 18 portion per unit time is smaller than in the case of continuous driving, and the degree of heating of the heater 18 is relatively increased. Therefore, the amount of steam generated is increased, the pressure inside the beverage extraction container 25 is increased, and the function of pushing out the coffee is improved.

When the steam process is completed, a standby process is performed in which the heating heater 18, the water pump 17, and the first solenoid valve 28 are all turned off. The predetermined time in the standby process should be set in advance according to the amount and type of coffee grounds, the amount of hot water, and the like.

By turning off the first electromagnetic valve 28, the pressure inside the beverage extraction container 25 is set to atmospheric pressure (step S9), and this state is continued until the heating step of the third extrusion step 3. The number of repetitions of the extrusion process is set in advance according to the number of cups, and the control ends when the set number of times is completed.

When the second extrusion process 2 is finished, the controller 22 will execute the third extrusion process 3 (and subsequent extrusion processes if necessary) shown in FIG. However, since those extrusion steps are the same as the first extrusion step 1 and the second extrusion step 2, they are omitted. In addition, when the second extrusion process 2 ends, the standby process of the second extrusion process 2 becomes the atmosphere opening process, and the opening of the lid immediately after the completion of the extrusion process 2 is facilitated by this atmosphere opening process. Furthermore, the steam does not blow out when the lid is opened.

As a result, when the extrusion process is repeated, the pressure in the beverage brewing container can be brought to near atmospheric pressure after each extrusion process, so that all the coffee can be dispensed accurately and reliably from the coffee maker.

In the above embodiment, the case of applying the present invention to a coffee maker has been described as an example of a beverage brewing apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Coffee maker 15... Water supply tank 17... Water supply pump 18... Heater 19... Hot water supply pipe 20... Water supply pipe 22... Control device 25... Beverage extraction container 27 Branch portion 28 First solenoid valve 29 Second solenoid valve 22 Branch pipe 30 Lid body 45 Cylinder body 50 Cylinder cap 55・Filter member 65... liquid reservoir

Claims (4)

A water supply tank, a water supply pump for sending water in the water supply tank, a heating means for heating the water sent from the water supply pump, and hot water and steam heated by the heating means are supplied to extract an extract from the raw material for extraction. a hot water supply pipe communicating between the heating means and the beverage extraction container; a first electromagnetic valve capable of opening the inside of the beverage extraction container to the atmosphere; and a control device,
The control device performs a steaming step of steaming the extraction raw material, an extraction step of extracting an extract from the extraction raw material steamed in the steaming step, and an extrusion step of extruding the extract extracted in the extraction step. and opening the first solenoid valve to open the interior of the beverage extraction container to the atmosphere after the extrusion step. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device repeats the extrusion step and, after the extrusion step, opening the first electromagnetic valve to open the inside of the beverage extraction container to the atmosphere a plurality of times. Beverage brewing device as described. The hot water supply pipe has a branched portion,
One end of another pipe communicates with the branched portion,
3. The beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other pipe opens into the water supply tank at the other end thereof and has the first solenoid valve in the middle thereof. The hot water supply pipe has a second solenoid valve,
4. The beverage brewing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second electromagnetic valve is opened when power is turned on and closed when power is turned off.

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