This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 201320632599.1, filed on Oct. 14, 2013.
The invention relates to a capsule coffee machine, more particularly to a dispensing device of a capsule coffee machine that can receive a coffee capsule and that can dispense the coffee capsule after use.
Conventionally, to brew coffee, it is necessary to grind first the coffee beans into powder using a grinding machine, after which a coffee machine is used for brewing and filtering. To make the coffee simpler and to maintain its flavor, there exists in the market a capsule coffee machine which uses a coffee capsule. The coffee capsule mainly contains ground coffee with a stable flavor sealed in a capsule. During brewing, the coffee capsule is pierced by the capsule coffee machine, after which hot water is poured into the capsule. Hence, a coffee beverage having a stable flavor can be obtained. Because the amount of brewed coffee using the coffee capsule is limited, the coffee capsule must be frequently changed during use thereof. Further, during use of the coffee capsule, a high operating temperature is necessary, so that the temperature around the coffee capsule is always high, and the coffee capsule cannot just be removed from or placed on the machine using a bare hand. A special tool is required. Thus, operation of the existing capsule coffee machine is inconvenient, and removal/placement of the coffee capsule is also dangerous.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art.
According to this invention, a dispensing device of a capsule coffee machine comprises a carrier unit, a dispensing frame, and a pivot seat. The carrier unit includes a fixed seat defining an accommodation space, and a sliding seat mounted in the accommodation space and slidable relative to the fixed seat along a sliding direction. The dispensing frame is used for supporting and dispensing a coffee capsule. The dispensing frame is mounted pivotally on the sliding seat, and has a guide space. The pivot seat is connected pivotally to the fixed seat, and has at least one push-pull rod and at least one control member. When the dispensing device is disposed in a brewing position, the pivot seat covers the dispensing frame and the sliding seat. When the dispensing device is shifted from the brewing position to a dispensing position, the pivot seat pivots relative to the fixed seat, the dispensing frame is simultaneously driven to an inclined position relative to the sliding seat by the control member so that the coffee capsule supported on the dispensing frame can slide out of the dispensing frame, and the sliding seat is driven by the push-pull rod to slide out of the accommodation space along the sliding direction.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Referring to
The carrier unit 11 includes a fixed seat 2 and a sliding seat 3. The fixed seat 2 includes two parallel fixed sidewalls 21 spaced apart in a left-right direction, a fixed bottom wall 22 interconnecting bottom ends of the fixed sidewalls 21, a rear wall 23 interconnecting rear ends of the fixed sidewalls 21, and an accommodation space 24 defined by the fixed sidewalls 21, the fixed bottom wall 22 and the rear wall 23. The sliding seat 3 is mounted in the accommodation space 24 and is slidable relative to the fixed seat 2 along a sliding direction 30. The accommodation space 24 has an open end 241 opposite to the rear wall 23. Each fixed sidewall 21 has a limiting slot 211 extending along the sliding direction 30, and a pivot hole 212 disposed above the limiting slot 211 and proximate to the rear wall 23. The fixed bottom wall 22 has a first dropping hole 221, and a plurality of fixed guide rails 222 between the first dropping hole 221 and the open end 241.
The sliding seat 3 includes a rectangular main frame 31, and a carrier frame 32 disposed in the main frame 31. The main frame 31 has two sliding sidewalls 311 respectively proximate to the fixed sidewalls 21, a sliding bottom wall 312 interconnecting bottom ends of the sliding sidewalls 311, and a plurality of sliding guide rails 313 projecting downward from the sliding bottom wall 312 and respectively cooperating with the fixed guide rails 222. Each sliding sidewall 311 has a slide guide slot 314 extending in a top-bottom direction, an outer guide hole 315 proximate to a rear top side of the slide guide slot 314 and extending along the sliding direction 30, and a limiting pin 316 projecting outwardly therefrom and extending into a respective one of the limiting slots 211. The lengths of the limiting slots 211 limit a sliding path of the sliding seat 3. In this embodiment, the sliding path is about 25-30 mm.
The carrier frame 32 includes a front capsule-carrying portion 320, and a dropping portion 321 disposed at a rear side of the capsule-carrying portion 320. The capsule-carrying portion 320 has two side frames 323 spaced apart in the left-right direction and extending along the sliding direction 30, and a chamber 322 formed between the side frames 323 and extending in the top-bottom direction. Each side frame 323 has an elongated through hole 324 formed in a top face thereof and extending along the sliding direction 30. The capsule-carrying portion 320 further has an unlocking piece 326 projecting from the top face of one of the side frames 323 rearwardly of the through hole 324. The unlocking piece 326 has a first inclined face 329 extending upwardly, inclinedly and rearwardly from the top face of the one of the side frames 323. The dropping portion 321 has two parallel inner sidewalls 327 spaced apart in the left-right direction, and a bottom wall 3201 interconnecting bottom ends of the inner sidewalls 327. Each inner sidewall 327 has an inner guide hole 328 proximate to a rear end thereof and extending along the sliding direction 30. The inner guide hole 328 in each inner sidewall 327 corresponds in position to the outer guide hole 315 of a respective sliding sidewall 311.
The sliding seat 3 further includes a second dropping hole 33 (see
With reference to
The return spring 15 is used for returning the dispensing frame 4 to its original horizontal position on the sliding seat 3, and has two opposite ends respectively connected to the pivot pins 416 of the side rods 41, and an intermediate section 151 secured to retaining portions 3271 of the inner sidewalls 327. The pulled portion 412 has an inclined surface 417 extending downwardly and inclinedly from a top of the main body portion 411. The pivot pin 416 extends through one of the inner guide holes 328 and the corresponding outer guide hole 315.
After assembly, the dispensing frame 4 can pivot about the pivot pins 416 of the side rods 41, and can move forward through the biasing force of the return spring 15. The guide space 43 has a capsule-supporting region 431 defined by the connecting rod 42, and a capsule-dropping region 432 defined by the side rods 41 and having a width larger than an outer diameter of the annular flange 101 of the coffee capsule 10. The capsule-dropping region 432 is located above and communicates with the first and second dropping holes 221, 33. The coffee capsule 10 is supported on the connecting rod 42 and is disposed across the capsule-supporting region 431. When the dispensing frame 4 is moved from its original horizontal position to an inclined position relative to the sliding seat 3, the coffee capsule 10 will slide from the capsule-supporting region 431 to the capsule-dropping region 432 and fall out of the dispensing device 1 via the corresponding second and first dropping holes 33, 221 by gravity.
The pivot seat 5 includes a brewing-supporting frame 52 for supporting the brewing mechanism 14, and a cover frame 51 mounted on and covering the brewing-supporting frame 52. The cover frame 51 includes two push-pull rods 511 symmetrically spaced apart in the left-right direction and extending downwardly, forwardly, and arcuately from a rear end thereof, and two insert holes 512 proximate to a front end thereof and spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each push-pull rod 511 has a push-pull end 513. The push-pull end 513 has a hooking groove 514 and an inclined end face 515. The brewing-supporting frame 52 has a mounting portion 521 proximate to a front end thereof for mounting of the brewing mechanism 14, a pivot-connecting portion 522 located at a rear end thereof, and two control members 523 projecting downward between the mounting portion 521 and the pivot-connecting portion 522 and spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each control member 523 has a hook end with an inclined surface 524 that extends upwardly and inclinedly from a bottom thereof.
The main shaft 12 extends through the cover frame 51, the pivot-connecting portion 522 of the brewing-supporting frame 52, and the pivot holes 212 in the fixed seat 2 so as to pivotally connect the pivot seat 5 to the fixed seat 2. The torsion spring 13 is sleeved on the main shaft 12, and biases the pivot seat 5 to pivot along the opening direction 16. The pivot seat 5 further includes two sliding pins 50 each extending through a through hole in the push-pull end 513 of one of the push-pull rods 511 and the slide guide slot 314 of the corresponding sliding sidewall 311. When the pivot seat pivots, the sliding seat 3 is driven to move reciprocally along the sliding direction 30.
With reference to
The first locking member 62 is pivotally mounted on the brewing-supporting frame 52 by two first pivot pins 61, and includes two locking plates 621 spaced apart in the left-right direction and respectively extending into the through holes 324 of the side frames 323, and a connecting plate 622 connected between the locking plates 621. Each locking plate 621 includes a pivot-connecting portion 623 for extension of one of the first pivot pins therethrough, a first spring pulling portion 624 extending from the pivot-connecting portion 623 to connect with one end of the connecting plate 622, an engaging portion 625 extending from the pivot-connecting portion 623 toward one of the engaging pins 34, and a first retaining portion 626 protruding from the pivot-connecting portion 623 in a direction away from the engaging portion 625.
The second locking member 64 is pivotally mounted on the brewing-supporting frame 52 by a second pivot pin 63, and includes a pivot-connecting portion 641 for extension of the second pivot pin 63 therethrough, an unlocking portion 642 extending from the pivot-connecting portion 641 toward the unlocking piece 326, a second retaining portion 643 extending from the pivot-connecting portion 641 toward the first retaining portion 626 of one of the locking plates 621, and a second spring pulling portion 644 extending upward from the pivot-connecting portion 641. The second spring pulling portion 644 and the second retaining portion 643 are disposed on two opposite sides of the second pivot pin 63. The unlocking portion 642 has a second inclined face 645 cooperating with the first inclined face 329. Two opposite ends of the locking spring 65 are respectively hooked to the second spring pulling portion 644 and the first spring pulling portion 624 of the one of the locking plates 621 to urge the first and second locking members 62, 64 to move toward a locking position in which the first and second retaining portions 626, 643 are engaged.
In this embodiment, the handle 66 is used to control pivoting of the first locking member 62, and includes an operating plate 661 protruding forwardly from the pivot seat 5, and two spaced-apart clamping plates 662 projecting downward from the operating plate 661 into the insert slots 512 of the pivot seat 5, respectively. Each clamping plate 662 has a clamping groove 663 clampingly receiving the connecting plate 622.
When the dispensing device 1 is disposed in a brewing position, as shown in
With reference to
1) In following the upward movement of the pivot seat 5, the unlocking portion 642 of the second locking member 64 will move away from the side frame 323 of the carrier unit 11. At this moment, the locking spring 65 will pull the second spring pulling portion 644 of the second locking member 64 and the first spring pulling portion 624 of the primary locking plate 621 toward each other until the first and second retaining portions 626, 643 are engaged, thereby switching the first and second locking members 62, 64 from the unlocking position shown in
2) With reference to
3) During the forward movement of the sliding seat 3 and the dispensing frame 4, the control members 523 of the pivot seat 5 will hook onto the pulled portions 412 of the side rods 41 of the dispensing frame 4. During pivoting of the pivot seat 5, the control members 523 will gradually move to the notches 414 of the dispensing frame 4. In this embodiment, when the dispensing frame 4 is inclined at an angle of approximately 40-45 degrees, movement of the sliding seat 3 is stopped, and the control members 523 are slid out of the notches 414. The sliding seat 3 protrudes from the fixed seat 2 at a distance of approximately 25-30 mm. Because the control members 523 are disengaged from the pulled portions 412, the dispensing frame 4 can be biased by the return spring 15 to pivot back to its original horizontal position on the sliding seat 3.
The successive operation steps of the dispensing frame 4 are clearly illustrated in
During inclining of the dispensing frame 4, the push-pull end 513 of each push-pull rod 511 moves upward along with the respective sliding pin 50 until the inclined end face 515 thereof abuts against the respective pivot pin 416 and pushes the dispensing frame 4 to move rearward by overcoming the biasing force of the return spring 15. When each pivot pin 416 passes over the inclined end face 515 of the push-pull end 513 of the respective push-pull rod 511, each pivot pin 416 will move forward into the hooking groove 514 of the respective push-pull rod 511 due to the return force of the return spring 15 (see
Further, during inclining of the dispensing frame 4, the coffee capsule 10 will slide from the capsule-supporting region 431 toward the capsule-dropping region 432 of the guide space 43. Since the capsule-dropping region 432 is located above the first and second dropping holes 221, 33, and since the width of the capsule-dropping region 432 is larger than the outer diameter of the annular flange 101 of the coffee capsule 10, the coffee capsule 10 can automatically fall off the capsule-dropping region 432 until a bottom portion of the coffee capsule 10 touches a projection 3221 that projects from a rear side of a bottom wall of the chamber 322, then turns upside down, and falls out of the dispensing device 1 via the second and first dropping holes 33, 221. Hence, automatic dispensing of the coffee capsule 10 can be achieved.
Moreover, when the dispensing device 1 is in the dispensing position, the dispensing frame 4 is pivoted above the sliding seat 3, and front sides of the sliding seat 3 and the dispensing frame 4 protrude from the accommodation space 24. Thus, another coffee capsule 10 can be easily placed on the connecting rod 42 of the dispensing frame 4, after which the pivot seat 5 is pressed downward with a force that overcomes the biasing force of the torsion spring 13, so that the pivot seat 5 and the sliding seat 3 can be moved to their original positions, as shown in
With reference to
As the unlocking portion 642 of the second locking member 64 approaches the unlocking piece 223 of the sliding seat 3, through pushing of the first inclined face 329 of the unlocking piece 326, the second locking member 64 can overcome the resilient force of the locking spring 65 so that the second locking member 64 cannot be moved to engage with the first locking member 62. The handle 66 is then pressed down to drive the first locking member 62 to pivot about the first pivot pins 61 and engage the engaging portions 625 with the respective engaging pins 34.
Through the first inclined face 329 of the unlocking piece 326 and the second inclined face 645 of the unlocking portion 642 of the second locking member 64, the second locking member 64 can be guided to pivot smoothly. Since the first and second inclined faces 329, 645 are non-vertical, buffering and friction-reducing effects can be achieved. With reference to
The opening/closing mechanism 6 of this invention is designed to coordinate with the torsion spring 13 to facilitate opening of the dispensing device 1. However, in actual practice, the opening/closing mechanism 6 may be dispensed. In this case, the pivot seat 5 may be directly pulled opened. Similarly, by using the structural coordination between the dispensing frame 4 and the sliding seat 3, the purpose of convenient and safe dispensing of the coffee capsule 10 may be achieved. Furthermore, a different structure of the opening/closing mechanism 6 may be used in this invention to engage the pivot seat 5 and the sliding seat 3. That is, the main focus of this invention is on the pivot seat 5 being able to drive the sliding seat 3 to slide forward and to perform dispensing at the same time when the pivot seat 5 is open.
From the aforesaid description, it is apparent that the dispensing device 1 of this invention can automatically drive the brewed coffee capsule 10 to move rearward and fall off from the dispensing frame 4, and finally out of the dispensing device 1 through the second and first dropping holes 33, 221. When the dispensing device 1 is in the dispensing position, the dispensing frame 4 will pivot to its original horizontal position to facilitate placing of the coffee capsule 10. The aforesaid structure is not only novel, but also has the effect of achieving simple and safe operations of removing and placing the coffee capsule 10 from and to the dispensing device 1.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical embodiment, it is understood that this invention 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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201320632599.1 | Oct 2013 | CN | national |