This application claims priority of Chinese Application No. 201510219224.6, filed on May 4, 2015.
The disclosure relates to a coffee machine, and more particularly to an improvement of a brewing mechanism of the coffee machine.
In use, the filter cup 10 is firstly disposed under the guiding wall 112, and the first and second solenoid valves 134, 137 and the motor 121 are then controlled by the control circuit 14, such that water stored in the tank 131 flows into the heater 132 to be heated, and then flows to the dispensing tube 135 through the second water tube 136. At the same time, the linear sliding unit 122 is driven by the motor 121 to drive the dispensing tube 135 to move along the spiral guiding groove 113, thereby eventually brewing coffee.
However, the conventional coffee machine 1 has a relatively complicated structure and a high manufacturing cost. In addition, one end of the second water tube 136 is connected to the dispensing tube 135, such that the second water tube 136 maybe tangled during movement of the dispensing tube 135 along the spiral guiding groove 113, and be interfered or scratched by surrounding elements of the conventional coffee machine 1 during operation, thereby causing leakage of hot water.
Therefore, the object of the disclosure is to provide a coffee machine that has a simple structure, can be smoothly operated, and can increase safety in use.
According to the disclosure, the coffee machine includes a base, a driving unit, and a water supply unit. The base has a guiding wall, and a spiral guiding groove formed in the guiding wall and winding around a rotational axis. The driving unit includes a transmission gear rotatable about the rotational axis, and formed with a guiding hole that extends radially and outwardly from a center of the transmission gear and that is disposed above the spiral guiding groove. The water supply unit includes a water tube having a guiding section that extends through the guiding hole and the spiral guiding groove, and that is movable along the spiral guiding groove with the guidance of the guiding hole during rotation of the transmission gear about the rotational axis.
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
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The driving unit 4 includes a transmission gear 41 rotatable about the rotational axis 320 and mounted to the base 3, a power unit 42 mounted to the base 3, and a control switch 43 mounted on the guiding wall 321 of the base 3 and adjacent to the tail end 332 of the spiral guiding groove 33. The transmission gear 41 has a main gear wall 411, and a side wall 412 extending from a periphery of the main gear wall 411 and surrounding the surrounding wall 322 of the frame 32. The main gear wall 411 is formed with a guiding hole 413 extending radially and outwardly from a center of the transmission gear 41 and disposed above the spiral guiding groove 33. The side wall 412 is formed with a plurality of equi-angularly spaced-apart teeth 414. In this embodiment, the power unit 42 includes a power gear 421 received in the gear-receiving space 324 of the base 3, a cover plate 422 disposed over and covering the gear-receiving space 324, and a power 423 mounted on the cover plate 422 for driving rotation of the power gear 421. The power gear 421 meshes with the teeth 414 of the side wall 412 of the transmission gear 41, and is rotatable to drive a rotation of the transmission gear 41 about the rotational axis 320. It should be noted that, in other embodiments, the method of driving the rotation of the transmission gear 41 may vary. For example, a driving belt may be provided to be trained on the transmission gear 41 and the power unit 42.
The water supply unit 5 includes a tank 51 connected to the base 3, a heater 52 disposed below and connected to the tank 51, and a water tube 53. The water tube 53 has a connecting section 531 connected to the heater 52 and extending through the limiting hole 327 of the frame 32, and a guiding section 532 connected to the connecting section 531, extending through the guiding hole 413 of the transmission gear 41 and the spiral guiding groove 33 of the frame 32, and being movable along the spiral guiding groove 33 under guidance of the guiding hole 413 during the rotation of the transmission gear 41 about the rotational axis 320. The guiding section 532 of the water tube 53 has a tube wall 534 defining an outlet channel 533, a first flange 535 extending outwardly from the tube wall 534 and located above the main gear wall 411 of the transmission gear 41, and a second flange 536 extending outwardly from the tube wall 534, spaced apart from the first flange 535, and located below the guiding wall 321 of the frame 32. With the design that the transmission gear 41 and the guiding wall 321 of the base 3 are disposed between the first and second flanges 535, 536, the transmission gear 41 and the guiding section 532 of the water tube 53 can be firmly mounted to the base 3, and the guiding section 532 of the water tube 53 can be smoothly movable along the spiral guiding groove 33.
Referring to
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In conclusion, the coffee machine according to the disclosure has a simple structure, and most of the water tube 53 is received inside the base 3 with only a bottom portion of the guiding section 532 of the water tube 53 left under the guiding wall 321, so that the water tube 53 will not be interfered or scratched by surrounding elements of the coffee machine during operation. Moreover, since the connecting section 531 of the water tube 53 extends through and is restricted by the limiting hole 327, when the guiding section 532 moves along the spiral guiding groove 33, the connecting section 531 of the water tube 53 will not be tangled.
In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments maybe practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects.
While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201510219224.6 | May 2015 | CN | national |