BEVERAGE EXTRACTOR

Abstract

The invention provides a beverage extractor permitting extraction of a beverage of high quality irrespective of its type. The extractor is provided with a first extraction channel for letting the beverage extracted in a cylinder flow into the extraction pipe via beverage outlet holes of a second piston having a prescribed first bore and a second extraction channel via a communication hole having a prescribed second bore, which is smaller in bore than the outlet holes, for letting the beverage extracted in the cylinder flow into the extraction pipe, and the first and second extraction channels are switched over between each other by the movement of the second piston. This makes it possible to select an extraction channel suitable for the type of beverage, whether regular coffee or espresso coffee, and accordingly to extract a beverage of high quality irrespective of the type of beverage.

Description

Claims

1. A beverage extractor comprising: a cylinder for accommodating a raw material;a piston disposed to be movable within the cylinder;an electric motor for moving the piston relative to the cylinder;a hot water feed pipe for supplying hot water into the cylinder;an extraction pipe for causing a beverage extracted in the cylinder to flow out;a first extraction channel for causing the beverage extracted in the cylinder to flow into the extraction pipe via a hole of a prescribed first bore;a second extraction channel for causing the beverage extracted in the cylinder to flow into the extraction pipe via a hole of a prescribed second bore, which is smaller than the first bore; anda channel switching mechanism for switching over the first extraction channel and the second extraction channel between each other by the motor.

2. The beverage extractor according to claim 1, wherein: said channel switching mechanism is linked to the piston.

3. The beverage extractor according to claim 2, wherein: said piston has a piston rod which is inserted into the extraction pipe to be movable within the extraction pipe and has the extraction channels inside, andsaid channel switching mechanism includes the piston rod having a beverage outlet hole of the first bore in the circumferential face thereof, a pair of seal rings disposed with a space in-between in the direction of the center axis of the extraction pipe to seal the gap between the inner circumferential face of the extraction pipe and the outer circumferential face of the piston rod, and a communication channel provided with a channel of the second bore for letting the beverage flowing out of the beverage outlet hole flow from between the pair of seal rings to the extraction pipe on the downstream side between the seal rings.

4. The beverage extractor according to claim 2, wherein: said piston has a piston rod which is inserted into the extraction pipe to be movable within the extraction pipe and has the extraction channels inside, andsaid channel switching mechanism includes the piston rod having a beverage outlet hole of the first bore in the circumferential face thereof, a cylindrical channel switching member disposed within the extraction pipe and having a gap from the inner circumferential face of the extraction pipe, a first seal ring for sealing the gap between the inner circumferential face of the extraction pipe and the outer circumferential face of the channel switching member, a pair of second seal rings arranged at the two ends of the inner circumferential face of the channel switching member in the direction of its center of axis to seal the gap between the inner circumferential face of the channel switching member and the outer circumferential face of the piston rod, and a communication channel disposed in the channel switching member to let the beverage flowing out of the beverage outlet hole flow from between the pair of second seal rings toward the inner circumferential face of the channel switching member to the downstream side of the first seal rings toward the outer circumferential face of the channel switching member.

5. The beverage extractor according to claim 2, further comprising: a raw material compressing piston arranged opposite said piston to compress the raw material within the cylinder in conjunction with said piston;a frame to which said piston is fixed and the raw material compressing piston is linked to be movable relative to said piston in the direction of the center axis of the cylinder;a piston urging member for urging the raw material compressing piston away from said piston;a drive shaft disposed to be screwed onto the frame to move the frame in the direction of the center axis of the cylinder by turning relative to the frame; anda raw material compressing mechanism for compressing the raw material in the cylinder by moving the raw material compressing piston toward said piston relative to the frame against the urging force of the piston urging member by the movement of the frame toward the raw material compressing piston.

6. The beverage extractor according to claim 5, wherein: said drive shaft is connected to a rotating shaft of the motor, the extractor comprising:an amperage detector for detecting the amperage of the current flowing to the motor.

7. The beverage extractor according to claim 5, wherein: the raw material compressing mechanism includes a raw material compressing member disposed to be movable in the direction of the center axis of the cylinder and with which the raw material compressing piston moving together with the frame comes into contact, and a raw material compression urging member which gives the raw material compressing piston an urging force toward said piston relative to said piston via the raw material compressing member.

8. The beverage extractor according to claim 1, further comprising: an opening disposed at the end of said cylinder toward said piston, through which said piston can be inserted or withdrawn; anda used raw material discharge plate disposed to be turnable together with the drive shaft to sweep off the used raw material after beverage extraction, exposed from the opening in the cylinder by withdrawing said piston through the opening in the cylinder.

9. The beverage extractor according to claim 5, wherein: said cylinder is arranged to orient the center axis thereof horizontally, and a raw material inlet through which the raw material is to be put into the cylinder is formed in the upper part of the circumferential face thereof.

10. The beverage extractor according to claim 9, wherein: the opening of the raw material inlet of said cylinder is made variable in shape and size to enable raw materials differing in external shape, size and other attributes to be put into the cylinder.

11. The beverage extractor according to claim 9, further comprising: a piston moving mechanism for adjusting the distance between said piston and the material compressing piston according to the volume of the raw material to be put into the cylinder.

12. The beverage extractor according to claim 11, wherein: said piston moving mechanism moves said piston relative to the raw material compressing piston in the cylinder by using a piston urging member whose urging force is smaller than the frictional force working between the raw material compressing piston and the inner face of the cylinder.

13. The beverage extractor according to claim 5, wherein: said cylinder has an opening disposed toward the end of said piston, through which said piston can be inserted or withdrawn, the extractor comprising:a piston moving mechanism for adjusting the distance between the raw material compressing piston and the opening in the cylinder according to the volume of the raw material to be put into the cylinder via the opening.

14. The beverage extractor according to claim 1, wherein: the compressive force working on the raw material when said first extraction channel is set is smaller than that working on the raw material when the second extraction channel is set.

15. The beverage extractor according to claim 2, further comprising: a compressive force control device for compressing the raw material put into said cylinder with a prescribed first compressive force and, when a prescribed length of time has passed after hot water for steaming the raw material is supplied into the cylinder, compressing the raw material with a prescribed second compressive force greater than the first compressive force.

16. The beverage extractor according to claim 1, wherein: said piston has a filter for filtering the extract; andthe filter has beverage outlet holes to let the beverage pass all over except the vicinities of the end of the extraction channel.

17. The beverage extractor according to claim 1, further comprising: a boiler for generating hot water to be supplied into said cylinder, wherein:the boiler is arranged underneath the cylinder.