JPH0425595B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a coffee extraction device for use in vending machines, etc. Unlike instant coffee, the invention does not involve pouring hot water into powdered coffee beans or tea. This invention relates to a cylinder mechanism in such an extraction device, which performs the extraction operation fully automatically.

[Conventional technology]

One such device is described in US Pat. No. 3,349,690.

This known device attaches a coffee container to a moving frame that moves from side to side, fills the container with coffee powder, moves it to the bottom of the cylinder, and then brings the lower end of the descending cylinder into close contact with the upper end of the coffee container. , hot water is poured into the container, then the piston inside the cylinder descends to pressurize the mixture of hot water and powder in the container to extract coffee liquid, and then the piston and cylinder rise to remove the squeezed scum. Perform an operation to move the container to the side.

Further, as in the invention described in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-36483, the upper and lower cylinders may be brought into liquid-tight contact with each other through paper that moves intermittently between the upper and lower cylinders each having a piston inside. A certain amount of hot water and ground coffee are placed in the upper cylinder, which is preheated by a heater, and the action of the piston in the upper cylinder forces the coffee extract through the paper to the lower cylinder. The coffee extract is taken out from the lower cylinder by drawing the extract into the lower cylinder with a piston, and the extracted coffee powder is discharged out of the upper cylinder along with the paper that moves as the upper and lower cylinders separate. It is something.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In all of the above-mentioned known devices, liquid is extracted by raising and lowering a piston inside the cylinder, so solids such as coffee bean powder may get caught between the piston and the cylinder, resulting in poor sealing. There is a risk of causing damage or scratches on the inner surface of the cylinder.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional devices as described above and to provide a cylinder mechanism in which hot water in the cylinder is pushed out by the pressure of compressed air without using a piston.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, this invention has developed a lower part of a cylinder having a mechanism for discharging hot water from a lower valve opening using compressed air pressure, a lower part of a powder supply pipe on the side of the cylinder, and a squeezed waste discharge chute on the side of the cylinder. A movable frame that moves between the upper parts of the cylinder is provided with a chamber that can be raised and lowered and a filter block below the chamber, and the movable frame moves to the lower part of the cylinder and stops together with the chamber that is supplied with powder at the lower part of the powder supply pipe. Then, the chamber is raised and connected to the cylinder, and hot water is supplied into the chamber by compressed air pressure applied to the cylinder, and the powder components in the chamber are discharged to a predetermined portion through the filter block. In the constructed extraction device, the cylinder is of an elevating type with an open top pressed down by a spring, the inner surface of the upper part of the cylinder is a tapered surface with an enlarged upper end, and the cylinder head is fitted into the upper part of the cylinder via a sealing device. The cylinder head is provided with an air vent hole and a hot water supply port, and a valve that closes the air vent hole and the supply port when the cylinder connected to the chamber is raised, A projecting edge is provided at the upper part, an elastic annular packing having an inverted V-shaped cross section is fitted to the lower part of this projecting edge, and a back-up spring is fitted to the inside of the lower part of the annular packing, which contacts the inner wall and the inner surface of the outer wall of the annular packing. To provide a cylinder mechanism in an extraction device having a structure in which the back-up spring is supported by a receiving plate protruding from the outer periphery of the lower surface of the head.

[Effect]

Since the present invention has the above-described structure, the chamber to which the powder is supplied, which is located below the powder supply pipe, moves together with the filter block to the bottom of the cylinder and stops there.

At this time, an appropriate amount of hot water is injected into the cylinder from the hot water supply port of the cylinder head.

Then, when the filter block is raised together with the chamber, the chamber is crimped and connected to the lower part of the cylinder, and the cylinder is pushed up slightly against the spring.

When the cylinder rises slightly as described above, the valve inside the cylinder also rises, closing the air vent hole provided in the cylinder head and the hot water supply port.

After that, compressed air is supplied into the cylinder from the compressed air port provided in the cylinder head and pressurizes the hot water level in the cylinder, so the valve that closes the valve port at the bottom of the cylinder is opened and hot water flows into the valve port. The liquid passes through the powder in the chamber and extracts the powder components, and the liquid passes through the filter of the filter block and is discharged to a desired portion.

Thereafter, the filter block is lowered, and at the same time the chamber and cylinder are also lowered, and the filter block and chamber return to their original positions.

Furthermore, when compressed air is supplied into the cylinder, the annular packing of the sealing device provided on the cylinder head expands inward and outward directions due to air pressure, thereby enhancing the sealing effect. Further, when the pressure inside the cylinder is normal, there is almost no resistance from the annular packing, so the cylinder can be easily moved up and down.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a case surrounding an extraction device embodying the present invention, the upper end of which is open, and a discharge port 3 located in the center of a shallow funnel-shaped bottom plate 2 at the bottom.
There is.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a pair of guide rods having both ends fixed to both end walls 5 of the case 1, and a vertically open movable frame 6 is slidably attached to the guide rods 4. A pair of guide rods 7 are also arranged in parallel below both guide rods 4, and both ends of the guide rods 7 are loosely fitted into vertical holes provided in the end wall 5 so as to be movable up and down. A filter block 10 attached to the guide rod 7 is funnel-shaped as shown in FIG. 2, and has an extraction port 11 at the bottom and a mesh filter 12 at the top.

Inside the moving frame 6 is a cylindrical chamber 1 that is open at the top and bottom.
A gasket is attached to the outer periphery of the upper end of the filter block 10 to tightly contact the lower edge of the chamber 14, and the chamber 14 is pulled downward by a tension spring.

A downward spring piece 9 is fixed to the front end of the moving frame 6 as shown in FIG. A tension spring 13 is stretched between the ends, and a scraper 15 for sliding on the filter 12 is provided at the rear of the movable frame 6.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a pair of support frames fixed on both sides of the upper part of the case 1, and a cylinder 18 is provided between the vertical guide rods 17 fixed to the frame 16. The piece 19 is slidably engaged with the guide rod 17, and the cylinder 1
A lower valve element 22 which closes the valve opening 21 at the center of the bottom plate 8 from below always keeps the valve opening 21 closed by a spring 24 inserted into a horizontal hole of a valve rod 20 projecting upward.

A gasket is provided at the lower end of the annular wall 25 on the lower surface of the bottom plate of the cylinder 18 to tightly contact the upper end of the chamber 14, and the guide rod 17 is provided with a spring 8 for pressing down the outward facing piece 19.

30 is fixed to the support frame 16 and the cylinder 1
The cylinder head is slidably fitted into the upper opening of No. 8, and a sealing device A is provided on the outer periphery of the cylinder head. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this device A includes an annular packing 26 made of a soft elastic material such as rubber and having an inverted V-shaped cross section, and a rectangular packing 26 made of a soft elastic material such as rubber. It consists of 27 back springs.

That is, the outer periphery of a metal receiving plate 29 is provided with a projecting edge 28 extending over the entire circumference at the upper part of the outer periphery of the head 30, and the upper side of the gasket 26 is applied to the lower surface of the ridge 28, and is fixed to the lower side of the head 30 by means of screws or the like. A back-up spring 27 is placed on top, and this ring 27 is fitted inside the packing 26. Further, the inner periphery of the upper surface of the cylinder 18 is formed into a tapered surface 23 whose upper portion is enlarged.

A hot water supply port 31 and an air vent hole 32 are provided at the upper center of the head 30, and an upper valve body 33 that opens and closes the hot water supply port 31 and the air vent hole 32 is provided at the lower center of the head 30.
is provided so that when the cylinder 18 rises with respect to the head 30, the upper valve body 33 closes the hot water supply port 31 and the air vent hole 32.

Reference numeral 34 in FIG. 1 denotes a compressed air port provided in the head 30, which communicates with an air compression source via a pressure-resistant hose, a solenoid valve, and a pressure regulating valve (not shown).

35 in Figure 1 is a powder supply pipe for coffee beans, etc.
Reference numeral 6 is a powder supply device such as a coffee bean or canister at the upper part, and 37 is a drawing waste discharge chute, the lower part of which penetrates the bottom plate 2 and protrudes downward, and its lower end is open.

Lifting levers 39 for lifting the protruding shafts 38 on both sides of the upper end of the chamber 14 are swingably attached to both side walls of the case 1 by shafts 41, and a spring 40 is provided to hold the levers 39 diagonally downward.

Reference numeral 43 in FIG. 1 is a push-up plate of the filter block 10, which is swingably attached to the support piece on the outside of the side wall of the case 1 by a shaft 42, and enters the case 1 through the opening in the side wall, as shown in FIG. It is located directly below the cylinder 18.

A push-up lever 44 at the lower part of the push-up plate 43 is swingably mounted in the case 1 by a shaft 45, and a roller 46 that faces the bottom surface of the push-up plate 43 is attached to the front end of this lever 44.

Reference numeral 47 in FIG. 2 denotes an elevating member which is attached to a vertical guide hole provided in the side wall of the case 1 so as to be able to rise and fall freely.
It is engaged with a pin 49 at the rear end of.

A machine box 50 is provided on the outside of the side wall of the case 1 to which the elevating member 47 is attached, and a drive device B consisting of a sprocket, a chain, etc. is provided inside this machine box 50.

In the above configuration, FIG. 1 shows a position where a fixed amount of coffee bean powder is supplied from the supply pipe 35 into the chamber 14, the moving frame 6 is stopped, and the lifting member 4
7 is in the raised position.

At this time, the valve port 21 at the bottom of the cylinder 18 is closed by the lower valve body 22 as shown in FIG.
is connected to the inside of the cylinder 18, so the hot water supply port 31
A fixed amount of hot water is supplied into the cylinder 18 from the above.

In this state, under the condition that a fixed amount of powder is put into the chamber 14, the drive device B is started, and the movable frame 6 is moved to the second position along with the chamber 14 and the filter block 10.
As shown in the figure, it moves directly below the cylinder 18 and stops.

Then, the elevating member 47 is lowered and the notch 48 is opened.
pushes down the pin 49 of the lever 44.

Therefore, the roller 46 of the lever 44
3, this plate 43 pushes up the filter block 10 together with the chamber 14 and presses its upper end to the packing at the lower part of the cylinder 18, thereby also pushing the cylinder 18 upward.

When the cylinder 18 rises, the valve body 33 also rises, closing the hot water supply port 31 and the air vent hole 32.

Under the above conditions, a solenoid valve of a compressed air supply device (not shown) opens, and compressed air is supplied into the cylinder 18 from the compressed air port 34. Therefore, air pressure is applied to the hot water level in the cylinder 18, and this pressure pushes the lower valve body 22 open, and hot water is injected into the chamber 14 from the valve port 21, passing through the powder in the chamber 14, The liquid from which components such as coffee have been extracted passes through the filter 12 and is sent out from the extraction port 11 of the filter block 10 via the supply pipe.

When compressed air is supplied into the cylinder 18 as described above, the pressure causes the annular packing 26 of the sealing device A to open in the outward and outward directions, coming into close contact with the inner surface of the cylinder 18 and exhibiting a sealing effect.

After a certain period of time has elapsed, the compressed air port 3
Under the conditions that the pressure from 4 has stopped and the extraction has finished,
The drive device B is activated again and the elevating member 47 begins to rise.

Therefore, the pin 49 engaged with the notch 48 of the elevating member 47 is pushed up, the lever 44 is rotated, the roller 46 is lowered, and the push-up plate 43 is also lowered, so that the cylinder 18, chamber 14, and filter block 10 are Return to the original position shown in Figure 2.

Then, the moving frame 6 begins to return to its original position, and when it reaches the position shown in FIG. 1, the filter block 10 is stopped by the stopper 7'. However, the moving frame 6 moves further to the right in FIG. 1 together with the chamber 14, but at this time the spring 13 is stretched.

When the movable frame 6 moves as described above, the scraper 15 at its end scrapes off the aperture residue on the filter 12 and drops it into the chute 37. Further, the protruding shafts 38 on both sides of the chamber 14 that move together with the moving frame 6 are placed on a lifting lever 39 and rise, and when they pass this lever 39, they fall from the end of the lever 39 due to the tension spring and their own weight. The remaining debris adhering to the inner surface of the chamber 14 is dropped into the chute 37 by the shot.

Next, the moving frame 6 begins to move toward the filter block 10, but at this time the protruding shaft 38 is moved toward the lever 39.
When the protruding shaft 38 passes the lever 39, the lever 39 is returned to its original position by the spring 40, and the chamber 14 is moved to the block 1.
0 and stops.

Note that the conditions for each of the above actions are set using a position detector such as a limit switch, a timer, or the like.

〔effect〕

As mentioned above, the extraction device implementing this invention applies compressed air pressure inside the cylinder and uses that pressure to push out hot water, allowing powder such as coffee to permeate and its components to pass through, so it is different from the conventional piston type. There are some models that do not require a piston drive mechanism compared to the previous model, but in the case of this invention in particular, the cylinder is of an elevating type with an open top that is pressed down by a spring, and a cylinder that cannot be raised or lowered is installed in the upper part of the cylinder. A cylinder head is fitted through a sealing device, and the cylinder head is provided with an air vent hole and a hot water supply port, and a valve is provided to close the air vent hole and the hot water supply port when the cylinder connected to the chamber is raised. Therefore, the valves for opening and closing the air vent hole and the hot water supply port can be operated by raising and lowering the cylinder. A separate drive mechanism is therefore not required.

In addition, the sealing device is provided with a ridge on the upper part of the outer periphery of the cylinder head, and the lower part of the ridge has an inverted V cross section.
The elastic annular packing shown in the figure is fitted, and a back-up spring in contact with the inner and outer walls of the annular packing is fitted to the inside of the lower part of the annular packing. Since it has a supporting structure, when the pressure is normal and no compressed air is flowing into the cylinder, there is almost no pressing force on the outside of the cylinder and the inner surface of the cylinder, so there is almost no resistance to the cylinder's movement up and down. When compressed air is blown into the cylinder and the pressure inside the cylinder increases, the pressure causes the inner and outer walls of the gasket to expand inward and outward, strongly pressing against the inner surface of the cylinder and the outer circumferential surface of the head, and a downward force is applied to the cylinder. Enhances sealing effect. Furthermore, since the upper inner surface of the cylinder is a tapered surface with an enlarged upper surface, and the cylinder head is fitted into this part, the packing of the sealing device fits smoothly into the cylinder, and the outer periphery of the cylinder head does not come into contact with the inner surface of the cylinder. Therefore, there is an advantage that there is no risk of scratches on the inner surface of the cylinder.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a partially longitudinal front view of an extraction device implementing the cylinder mechanism of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional side view of the same, and Figs. 3 and 4 are partially cutaways showing various states of the sealing device. It is an enlarged longitudinal side view. 6...Moving frame, 8...Spring, 10...Filter block, 14...Chamber, 18...Cylinder, 21...Valve port, 23...Tapered surface, 25...
Annular wall, 26... Annular packing, 27... Backup spring, 28... Projection, 29... Metal receiving plate, 30... Cylinder head, 31... Hot water inlet,
32... Air vent hole, 33... Upper valve body, 34...
... Compressed air port, 35 ... Powder supply pipe, 37 ... Squeezed waste discharge chute, A ... Sealing device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A movable frame that moves between the lower part of the cylinder, which has a mechanism for discharging hot water from the valve opening at the lower part by compressed air pressure, the lower part of the powder supply pipe on the side thereof, and the upper part of the squeezed waste discharge chute on the side thereof, is equipped with an elevator. Equipped with a freely adjustable chamber and a filter block at the bottom,
The movable frame together with the chamber supplied with powder at the lower part of the powder supply pipe moves to the lower part of the cylinder and stops, and the chamber rises and connects to the cylinder, and the compressed air pressure applied inside the cylinder causes the chamber to move. In the extraction device configured to supply hot water into the chamber and discharge the powder components in the chamber to a predetermined part through the filter block, the cylinder is an elevating type with an open top pressed down by a spring, and the cylinder The upper inner surface of the cylinder is made into a tapered surface with an enlarged upper end, and a cylinder head is fitted into the upper part of the cylinder via a sealing device,
The cylinder head is provided with an air vent hole and a hot water supply port, and is also provided with a valve that closes the air vent hole and the hot water supply port when the cylinder connected to the chamber is raised, and the sealing device is protruded from the upper part of the outer periphery of the cylinder head. A rim is provided, an elastic annular packing having an inverted V-shaped cross section is fitted to the lower part of the ridge, and a back-up spring is fitted inside the lower part of the annular packing to be in contact with the inner surfaces of the inner and outer walls of the annular packing; The cylinder mechanism in the extractor has a structure in which this back-up spring is supported by a receiving plate protruding from the outer periphery of the lower surface of the head.