WO2011111287A1

WO2011111287A1 - Coffee maker

Info

Publication number: WO2011111287A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/000321
Authority: WO
Inventors: 良行岡部; 了田中; 隆彦白井
Original assignee: パナソニック株式会社
Priority date: 2010-03-08
Filing date: 2011-01-21
Publication date: 2011-09-15
Also published as: JP5756927B2; CN102711569B; JPWO2011111287A1; CN102711569A

Abstract

In order to minimize a variation in the concentration of brewed coffee, a coffee maker comprises: a holder for holding a filter on which a coffee pod is placed; an adapter capable of pressing on the coffee pod; and a piston having a liquid flow path formed therein, and the coffee maker is configured so that, when the piston moves from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the piston engages with the adapter and moves the adapter to a non-contact position at which the adapter is not in contact with the coffee pod, and so that, when the piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the adapter which is located at the non-contact position moves to a contact position at which the adapter is in contact with the coffee pod, then the engagement between the piston and the adapter is disengaged, and after that the adapter which is located at the contact position presses on the coffee pod by means of the pressure of liquid supplied through the liquid flow path.

Description

coffee maker

The present invention relates to a coffee maker capable of generating a coffee beverage such as espresso using a coffee pod (also called a cafe pod).

Conventionally, as this type of coffee maker, ones having various structures are known (for example, see Patent Document 1: Japanese Translation of PCT International Publication No. 2008-538954). FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a structure in the vicinity of a coffee extraction portion of a conventional coffee maker. In FIG. 16, the conventional coffee maker includes a bell-shaped member 101, a ring-shaped member 102, and a filter holder 103.

The bell-shaped member 101 is connected to a coffee maker main body (not shown). A hollow protrusion 112 is formed on the base 111 of the bell-shaped member 101. A hot water pipe 104 through which hot water boiled in the coffee maker main body passes is attached to the hollow projecting portion 112. A valve member 105 is disposed in the hollow protrusion 112 and below the hot water piping 104. The valve member 105 is urged upward by the coil spring 106 so as to close the through hole 112a of the hollow protrusion 112.

The ring-shaped member 102 is attached to the bell-shaped member 101 so as to surround the outer periphery of the bell-shaped member 101. A lower guide portion 102 a having an inner peripheral portion formed in a spiral shape is provided at the lower end portion of the ring-shaped member 102.

The filter holder 103 includes a cup-shaped holder main body 131 and an adapter 132 that is rotatably mounted inside the holder main body 131 and holds the coffee pod 107. A protrusion 131 a is provided on the outer periphery of the upper end portion of the holder main body 131. The protrusion 131a is rotated counterclockwise on the lower guide portion 102a, whereby the filter holder 103 is connected to the ring-shaped member 102. When the filter holder 103 is connected to the ring-shaped member 102, the coffee pod 107 accommodated in the adapter 132 is pushed and compressed by the lower part of the bell-shaped member 101. When hot water is supplied to the hot water pipe 104 in this state, the valve member 105 pushed by the hot water moves downward against the elastic force of the coil spring 106, and the through hole 112a of the hollow protrusion 112 is opened. It is. Thereby, hot water is supplied to the coffee pod 107 and coffee is extracted.

In the conventional coffee maker having the above-described configuration, the gap between the bell-shaped member 101 and the adapter 132 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount by which the protrusion 131a of the holder body 131 is rotated on the lower guide portion 102a. . Thereby, the pressure applied to the coffee pod 107 can be adjusted, and the extraction concentration of coffee can be adjusted.

Special table 2008-538954 gazette

However, the conventional coffee maker having the above-described configuration has a problem that the extraction concentration of coffee varies even when the rotation amount of the holder body 131 is fixed. For example, even if the amount of rotation of the holder body 131 is intended to be adjusted so that the coffee extraction concentration is thin, the actual coffee extraction concentration may be high.

An object of the present invention is to provide a coffee maker that solves the above-described conventional problems and can suppress variations in the extraction concentration of coffee.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
According to the present invention, a holder for holding a filter on which a coffee pod is placed;
An adapter disposed above the holder and capable of pressing the coffee pod;
A liquid flow path formed therein, and a piston engageable with the adapter;
A piston drive section for moving the piston up and down;
A coffee maker comprising:
When the piston moves from bottom dead center to top dead center by driving the piston drive unit, the piston is moved to a non-contact position where the piston engages with the adapter and does not contact the coffee pod,
When the piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center by driving the piston driving unit, the adapter located at the non-contact position moves to a contact position where the adapter contacts the coffee pod, and then the piston and the adapter. Engagement with
The adapter located at the contact position presses the coffee pod by the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path of the piston.
Provided a coffee maker configured as follows.

According to the present invention, since the adapter positioned at the contact position presses the coffee pod by the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path of the piston, the variation in the coffee extraction concentration is reduced. Can be suppressed.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coffee maker according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state before a holder is attached, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the coffee maker according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state after the attachment of the holder is completed, FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state where the piston is located at the top dead center, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state where the piston is located at the bottom dead center, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where the piston is located slightly above the bottom dead center. Figure FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state where the piston is located at the top dead center, FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a structure near the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a view showing a state where the piston is located at the bottom dead center, FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where the piston is positioned slightly above the bottom dead center. Figure FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing the structure of the holder of the coffee maker according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a state where the holder of the coffee maker according to the third embodiment of the present invention is attached to the coffee maker body, FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a coffee maker according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction section of the coffee maker shown in FIG. 11, and shows a state where the piston is located at the top dead center, FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker shown in FIG. 11, and is a view showing a state where the piston is positioned slightly above the bottom dead center, FIG. 14 is an exploded cross-sectional view schematically showing a structure in the vicinity of a coffee extraction unit according to a modification of the coffee maker shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which a filter for preventing water stain is attached to the upper opening of the piston guide of the coffee maker shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the coffee extraction part vicinity of the conventional coffee maker.

The inventors of the present invention have obtained the following knowledge as a result of intensive studies to solve the problems of the prior art.

The coffee pod has a structure in which coffee powder is sandwiched between two filter papers and sealed. Unified standards such as ESE (Easy Serving Espresso (registered trademark)) standards have been established so that coffee pods can be used in various coffee makers. For example, a coffee pod for espresso has a diameter of 44 mm and is configured to accommodate a cup of coffee powder (about 7 g).

On the other hand, the inventors of the present invention have found that the thickness of the coffee pod is usually 10 mm, there is a variation in the range of about ± 1 mm, and the variation has a great influence on the coffee extraction concentration. I found out. That is, in the conventional coffee maker, the clearance between the bell-shaped member 101 and the adapter 132 is adjusted by adjusting the rotation amount of the holder body 131. When the thickness of the coffee pod 107 is constant, the pressure applied to the coffee pod 107 becomes constant by making the gap the same every time. As a result, the coffee extraction concentration is constant. However, when the thickness of the coffee pod 107 varies, the pressure applied to the coffee pod 107 changes. As a result, the coffee extraction concentration varies.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention, as a result of intensive studies, made the adapter that presses the coffee pod movable according to the thickness of the coffee pod, and uses the discharge pressure of the liquid supplied from the coffee maker body. It has been found that variations in the extraction concentration of coffee can be suppressed by pressing the coffee pod with an adapter, and the following invention has been conceived.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a holder for holding a filter on which a coffee pod is placed;
An adapter disposed above the holder and capable of pressing the coffee pod;
A liquid flow path formed therein, and a piston engageable with the adapter;
A piston drive section for moving the piston up and down;
A coffee maker comprising:
When the piston moves from bottom dead center to top dead center by driving the piston drive unit, the piston is moved to a non-contact position where the piston engages with the adapter and does not contact the coffee pod,
When the piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center by driving the piston driving unit, the adapter located at the non-contact position moves to a contact position where the adapter contacts the coffee pod, and then the piston and the adapter. Engagement with
The adapter located at the contact position presses the coffee pod by the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path of the piston.
Provided a coffee maker configured as follows.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the adapter is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape,
An inward projection that protrudes inward is provided on the top of the adapter,
The lower part of the piston is provided with an outer protrusion that slides along the inner peripheral surface of the adapter between the bottom wall of the adapter and the inner protrusion.
When the piston moves from bottom dead center to top dead center, the outer protrusion of the piston engages with the inner protrusion of the adapter to move the adapter to the non-contact position,
When the piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the adapter located at the non-contact position moves to the contact position, and then the outer protrusion of the piston and the inner protrusion of the adapter Disengagement,
A coffee maker according to the first aspect is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the coffee maker according to the second aspect, comprising a seal member that liquid-tightly seals between the inner peripheral surface of the adapter and the tip of the outer protrusion of the piston. provide.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the bottom wall of the adapter is provided with a liquid discharge hole for discharging the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path to the coffee pod, and supplied through the liquid flow path. A check valve is attached to flow the liquid from the liquid discharge hole to the coffee pod when the pressure of the liquid is greater than a predetermined pressure.
A coffee maker according to any one of the first to third aspects is provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the check valve includes a closing member that can close the liquid discharge hole, and an elastic member that urges the closing member toward the liquid discharge hole, through the liquid flow path. The coffee maker according to any one of the fourth aspects, wherein the liquid is caused to flow from the liquid discharge hole to the coffee pod when the pressure of the supplied liquid becomes larger than the urging force of the elastic member. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the coffee maker according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, comprising an elastic member that biases the piston and the adapter away from each other in the height direction. To do.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the piston drive unit is a lever that can rotate from the first position to the third position through the second position around the rotation axis orthogonal to the moving direction of the piston. With
When the lever is in the first position, the piston is at top dead center;
When the lever is in the second position, the piston is at bottom dead center;
The coffee maker according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the piston is located between the bottom dead center and the top dead center when the lever is located at the third position.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a heating vessel;
A heating element for heating the liquid supplied into the heating container;
A cylindrical piston guide for guiding the vertical movement of the piston;
Further comprising
The piston guide is disposed in the heating container,
The piston slides liquid-tightly in the piston guide.
A coffee maker according to any one of the first to seventh aspects is provided.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the coffee maker according to the eighth aspect, wherein a plurality of sealing members for liquid-tightly sealing between the piston guide and the piston are attached to the upper portion of the piston. I will provide a.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the coffee maker according to the eighth or ninth aspect, wherein a filter for preventing invasion of scale is attached to the upper opening of the piston guide.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a guide for guiding the holder to a mounting position below the adapter;
A flap that is pivotally attached to the holder and capable of opening and closing a coffee outlet provided at the bottom of the holder;
Further comprising
When the holder is guided to the mounting position by the guide, a part of the flap comes into contact with the guide, the flap rotates, and the coffee outlet is opened.
A coffee maker according to any one of the first to tenth aspects is provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

<< First Embodiment >>
1 and 2 are perspective views of a coffee maker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 3 to 5 are longitudinal sectional views schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The coffee extraction unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the coffee extraction unit shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 do not necessarily coincide with each other in detail, but the general arrangement relationship of each part is identical. .

1 and 2, the coffee maker according to the first embodiment includes a coffee maker body 1 having a coffee extraction portion 1a, and a holder 3 that is detachably attached to a guide 2 provided in the coffee maker body 1. I have.

The holder 3 is formed in a funnel shape as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and holds the filter 5 on which the coffee pod 4 is placed. The coffee pod 4 has a structure in which coffee powder is sandwiched between two filter papers and sealed. When liquid such as hot water passes through the coffee pod 4, coffee is extracted. The filter 5 is provided with a plurality of coffee passage holes 5a through which the coffee extracted by the coffee pod 3 passes. A coffee outlet 3a for discharging the coffee that has passed through the coffee passage hole 5a to the cup 50 shown in FIG. Above the holder 3, a substantially bottomed cylindrical adapter 6 capable of pressing the coffee pod 4 is disposed.

The adapter 6 is configured to be movable along the inner peripheral surface of the guide 2. As shown in FIG. 2 or 3, a ring-shaped seal member 7 that can be elastically contacted with the filter 1 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the adapter 6. On the bottom wall of the adapter 6, a protruding portion 6 a that protrudes away from the holder 3 is formed. A liquid discharge hole 6b is provided at the tip of the protrusion 6a. A check valve 8 is fitted inside the protrusion 6a.

The check valve 8 includes a closing member 9 that can close the liquid discharge hole 6b, a bottomed cylindrical liquid discharge member 10 that houses the closing member 9, and an elastic member that biases the closing member 9 toward the liquid discharge hole 6b. And a coil spring 11 as an example. A plurality of through holes 10 a are provided on the side wall of the liquid ejection member 10.

The liquid diffusion plate 12 provided with a plurality of liquid passage holes 12a is attached to the bottom wall of the adapter 6. The check valve 8 is disposed in a space surrounded by the protrusion 6 a and the liquid diffusion plate 12. An inward protruding portion 6 c that protrudes inward is provided on the upper portion of the adapter 6.

A substantially hollow cylindrical piston 13 is disposed above the adapter 6. An outer protrusion 13 a that slides along the inner peripheral surface 6 d of the adapter 6 is provided at the lower portion of the piston 13 between the bottom wall of the adapter 6 and the inner protrusion 6 c. The piston 13 is engaged with the adapter 6 by the engagement of the outer protrusion 13a and the inner protrusion 6c. A seal member 14 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the outer protrusion 13 a of the piston 13 to seal the space between the inner peripheral surface 6 d of the adapter 6 and the outer protrusion 13 a of the piston 13 in a liquid-tight manner.

Inside the piston 13, a liquid flow path 13 b is formed in which a liquid supplied from a heating container (not shown) of the coffee maker main body 1 flows. In addition, a piston drive unit 15 that moves the piston 13 up and down is provided on the top of the piston 13. The vertical movement of the piston 13 is guided by a guide piece 21 provided on the guide 2.

The piston drive unit 15 includes first and

second link members

16 and 17 which are examples of levers. One end of the first link member 16 is rotatably attached to the upper part of the piston 13. The other end portion of the first link member 16 is rotatably attached to one end portion of the second link member 17 by a connecting pin 18. The other end of the second link member 17 is rotatably attached to a shaft 19 that extends in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the piston 13. The shaft 19 penetrates the coffee maker main body 1 and is fixed to a U-shaped handle 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

When the handle 20 is moved from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 with the shaft 19 as the rotation axis, the first and

second link members

16 and 17 are moved from the first position shown in FIG. Is moved to the third position shown in FIG.

When the first and

second link members

16 and 17 are located at the first position shown in FIG. 3, the piston 14 is located at the top dead center. At this time, the outward projection 13a of the piston 13 and the inward projection 6c of the adapter 6 are engaged, and the adapter 6 is located at the non-contact position A1 that does not contact the coffee pod 4.

When the first and

second link members

16 and 17 are located at the second position shown in FIG. 4, the piston 14 is located at the bottom dead center. At this time, the engagement between the outward projection 13 a of the piston 13 and the inward projection 6 c of the adapter 6 is released, and the adapter 6 is located at the contact position A <b> 2 where it contacts the coffee pod 4. At this time, the outward projection 13a of the piston 13 and the bottom wall of the adapter 6 come into contact with each other.

When the first and

second link members

16 and 17 are located at the third position shown in FIG. 5, the piston 13 is between the top dead center and the bottom dead center, specifically, slightly above the bottom dead center. To position. At this time, the engagement between the outward projection 13 a of the piston 13 and the inward projection 6 c of the adapter 6 is released, and the adapter 6 is located at the contact position A <b> 2 where it contacts the coffee pod 4. At this time, the outward projection 13a of the piston 13 does not contact the bottom wall of the adapter 6.

Next, the operation of the coffee maker according to the first embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, the filter 5 on which the coffee pod 4 is placed is held in the holder 3.
Next, the holder 3 is inserted into the guide 2 with the handle 20 positioned at the position shown in FIG. Thereby, each component is arranged as shown in FIG. At this time, the first and

second link members

16 and 17 are located at the first position, the piston 13 is located at the top dead center, and the adapter 6 is located at the non-contact position A1.

Next, when the handle 20 is rotated about the shaft 19, the first and

second link members

16, 17 move to the second position shown in FIG. 4, and the piston 13 moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center. To do. In this process, the adapter 6 moves to the contact position A2, and the engagement between the outward projection 13a of the piston 13 and the inward projection 6c of the adapter 6 is released.

When the handle 20 is further rotated about the shaft 19 as the rotation axis, the first and

second link members

16 and 17 move to the third position shown in FIG. 5, and the piston 13 moves slightly above the bottom dead center. To do. At this time, a gap is formed between the outward projection 13 a of the piston 13 and the bottom wall of the adapter 6.

Next, a liquid such as hot water is supplied to the liquid flow path 13 b of the piston 13. The liquid that has passed through the liquid flow path 13 b is discharged toward the adapter 6, and pressure is applied to the adapter 6 so that the adapter 6 presses the coffee pod 4. Further, when the pressure becomes larger than the biasing force of the coil spring 11 (for example, about 4 atmospheres), the liquid that has passed through the liquid flow path 13b pushes down the closing member 9 through the liquid discharge hole 6b. As a result, the closing member 9 moves away from the liquid discharge hole 6 b against the urging force of the coil spring 11, and the liquid is supplied into the liquid discharge member 10. The liquid supplied into the liquid discharge member 10 is discharged to the coffee pod 4 through the plurality of through holes 10 a of the liquid discharge member 10 and the plurality of liquid passage holes 12 a of the liquid diffusion plate 12. Coffee is extracted by the coffee pod 4. The extracted coffee is discharged to the cup 50 at a high pressure (about 9 atm) through the coffee passage hole 5a of the filter 5 and the coffee discharge hole 3a of the holder 3.

According to the first embodiment, when the adapter 6 is located at the contact position A2, the adapter 6 and the piston 13 are disengaged from each other, so even if the thickness of the coffee pod 4 is different, The pressure applied to the coffee pod 4 is only the weight of the adapter 6 and the pressure of the liquid. That is, the pressure applied to the coffee pod 4 depends not on the thickness of the coffee pod 4 but on the pressure of the liquid. Therefore, by making the pressure of the liquid constant, it is possible to suppress variations in the coffee extraction concentration. Moreover, the extraction density | concentration of coffee can be made into a desired density | concentration by adjusting the pressure of a liquid.

Further, according to the first embodiment, since the seal member 14 is provided between the inner peripheral surface 6 d of the adapter 6 and the outer protrusion 13 a of the piston 13, the supply is provided between the adapter 6 and the piston 13. No liquid leaks outside of them. Accordingly, the liquid flowing through the liquid flow path 13b can apply pressure to the adapter 6 efficiently and uniformly, and variation in the coffee extraction concentration can be further suppressed.

Further, according to the first embodiment, when the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path 13b becomes larger than the urging force of the coil spring 10, the check is made to flow the liquid from the liquid discharge hole 6b to the coffee pod 4. A valve 8 is provided. As a result, the liquid is supplied to the coffee pod 4 only when a certain pressure or more is applied to the coffee pod 4. For example, the liquid wraps around the peripheral portion of the coffee pod 5 and the extracted concentration of the coffee is reduced. It can be prevented that it becomes low. Therefore, variations in the coffee extraction concentration can be further suppressed.

Further, according to the first embodiment, since the plurality of through holes 10 a are provided in the side wall of the hot water discharge member 10, the liquid can be supplied to the entire liquid diffusion plate 12.

Further, according to the first embodiment, when the handle 20 is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2, the piston 13 passes through the bottom dead center from the top dead center and is lower than the bottom dead center. It is configured to move slightly upward (position shown in FIG. 5). Further, coffee is extracted in a state where the piston 13 is positioned slightly above the bottom dead center. For this reason, even if a force for inadvertently pushing up the piston 13 to the top dead center is applied during coffee extraction, the piston 13 may move to the top dead center once the bottom dead center is not passed. Can not. Thereby, at the time of coffee extraction, it can prevent that the coffee pod 4 and the adapter 6 become non-contact carelessly, and can suppress further the variation in the extraction density | concentration of coffee. Moreover, since the adapter 6 presses the coffee pod 4 so that the holder 3 is difficult to be removed from the guide 2, it is possible to prevent the liquid from being scattered by accidentally removing the holder 3 from the guide 2 during coffee extraction.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the first embodiment, and can be implemented in various other modes. For example, in the above description, the check valve 8 is configured to include the closing member 9 and the coil spring 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. The check valve 8 is configured to allow the liquid to flow from the liquid discharge hole 6b to the coffee pod 4 when the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path 13b becomes larger than a predetermined pressure. Just do it.

In the above description, the piston 13 and the adapter 6 are engaged with each other by engaging the outer protrusion 13a and the inner protrusion 6c. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and variously. It can be deformed.

<< Second Embodiment >>
6 to 8 are longitudinal sectional views schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The coffee maker according to the second embodiment is different from the coffee maker according to the first embodiment in that the piston drive unit 15 includes a cam 31 instead of the first and

second link members

16 and 17 as an example of a lever. A coil spring 32 is provided between the adapter 6 and the piston 13 as an example of an elastic member.

The cam 31 is rotatably attached to the shaft 19. The cam 31 is provided with a groove 31 a that engages with a roller 13 c provided on the upper portion of the piston 13. As the cam 31 rotates and the roller 13c slides along the groove 31a, the piston 13 moves up and down. Even with such a configuration, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

The coil spring 32 is provided so as to urge the adapter 6 and the piston 13 so as to be separated from each other in the height direction. As the piston 13 moves from the top dead center shown in FIG. 6 to the bottom dead center shown in FIG. 7, the coil spring 32 is compressed, so that the biasing force by the coil spring 32 increases. As a result, the force applied to the handle 20 necessary to move the piston 13 from the top dead center to the bottom dead center is increased. On the other hand, as the piston 13 moves from the bottom dead center shown in FIG. 7 to a position slightly above the bottom dead center shown in FIG. 8, the coil spring 32 expands, so that the urging force by the coil spring 32 becomes small. As a result, the force applied to the handle 20 necessary to move the piston 13 from the bottom dead center to a position slightly above the bottom dead center is reduced. The user can recognize where the piston 13 is located by the difference in force required to move the handle 20 from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG.

<< Third Embodiment >>
FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing the structure of the holder of the coffee maker according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing a state in which the holder shown in FIG. 9 is attached to the coffee maker main body. The coffee maker according to the third embodiment is different from the coffee maker according to the first embodiment in that a flap 41 and a coil spring 42 which is an example of an elastic member are attached to the holder 3.

In the third embodiment, the holder 3 is provided with a handle 3b and a protrusion 3c. The guide 2 is formed so as to guide the holder 3 to a mounting position below the adapter 6. The holder 3 has a handle portion 3b, and is inserted in the guide 2 from the protruding portion 3c side, so that the holder 3 is set at the mounting position as shown in FIG. The guide 2 is preferably formed so as to extend in the horizontal direction. In this case, since the holder 3 can be inserted while being visually observed along the guide 2, the holder 3 can be attached more easily than a conventional coffee maker in which the protruding portion 131a is screwed into the lower guide portion 102a from below.

The coffee maker main body 1 is provided with a holder detection unit 1b that comes into contact with the protrusion 3c when the holder 3 is set at the mounting position. When the holder detection unit 1b is not in contact with the protrusion 3c, the supply of liquid to the liquid channel 13b is restricted. On the other hand, when the holder detector 1b comes into contact with the protrusion 3c, the restriction on the supply of the liquid to the liquid channel 13b is released.

The flap 41 is a substantially U-shaped member that can open and close the coffee outlet 3 a of the holder 3. The flap 41 is attached to the mutually opposing side walls of the holder 3 so as to be rotatable about a fulcrum 41a. Further, the flap 41 is formed to have a surface 41b that faces the coffee outlet 3a. For example, when the coffee discharge port 3a is formed with an inclination of about 45 degrees with respect to the height direction as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the flap 41 has a surface 41b with an inclination of about 45 degrees with respect to the height direction. Is formed. The coil spring 42 urges the flap 41 so that the flap 41 closes the coffee outlet 3 a of the holder 3.

Further, the flap 41 is provided with a contact portion 41c that can contact the guide 2. When the holder 3 is guided to the mounting position by the guide 2, the contact portion 41c contacts the guide 2, the flap 41 rotates against the urging force of the coil spring 42, and the coffee discharge port 3a is opened. .

According to the third embodiment, when the holder detection unit 1b is not in contact with the projection 3c, the supply of the liquid to the liquid flow path 13b is restricted, so that the holder 3 is not set at the mounting position. Burns due to the discharge of the liquid can be prevented.

Further, according to the third embodiment, when the holder 3 is not set at the mounting position, the coffee discharge port 3a is closed by the flap 41, so that, for example, when the coffee pod 4 is replaced, the coffee discharge port 3a It is possible to prevent dripping.

<< 4th Embodiment >>
FIG. 11: is a schematic block diagram of the coffee maker concerning 4th Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker shown in FIG. 11, and is a view showing a state where the piston is located at the top dead center. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion of the coffee maker shown in FIG. 11, and shows a state where the piston is positioned slightly above the bottom dead center. The coffee maker according to the fourth embodiment is different from the coffee maker according to the first embodiment in that instead of the guide 2, the piston 13, and the guide piece 21, a guide 2A, a piston 13A, and a piston holder 21A are provided. The upper part of 13 </ b> A is arranged in the heating container 61.

The guide 2A is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape so as to cover each part in the vicinity of the coffee extraction portion such as the piston 13A together with the holder 3. The upper end portion of the guide 2A is fixed to the coffee maker main body 1. A holder 3 is detachably attached to the lower part of the guide 2A.

The piston holder 21A is attached to the piston 13A. Further, although not shown, the piston holder 21A is fixed to the handle 20 via a lever. When the handle 20 is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2, the piston holder 21A is lowered. As a result, the piston 13A moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, and the adapter 6 moves from the non-contact position A1 shown in FIG. 12 to the contact position A2 shown in FIG.

The adapter 6 may be composed of two

parts

6A and 6B as shown in FIGS. In this case, manufacture of the adapter 6 (especially formation of the inward protrusion 6a) is facilitated.

The piston 13A is different from the piston 13 in that the upper part is disposed in the heating container 61 and the liquid flow path 13Ab communicates with the heating container 61. A cylindrical piston guide 62 that guides the vertical movement of the piston 13 </ b> A is provided in the heating container 61. A plurality of ring-shaped seal members 63 for sealing the space between the piston 13A and the piston guide 62 are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion of the piston 13A. As a result, the piston 13A slides liquid-tightly within the piston guide 62.

In the heating container 61, a heating element 64 for heating the liquid supplied in the heating container 61 is provided around the piston guide 62. The liquid heated by the heating element 64 passes through the piston guide 62 and is supplied to the liquid flow path 13Aa.

The heating container 61 includes a temperature detection unit 65 that detects the temperature of the liquid in the heating container 61, a vapor discharge unit 66 that discharges the vapor generated in the heating container 61, and a liquid that introduces the liquid into the heating container 61. An introduction part 67 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 11, the coffee maker main body 1 includes a control device 68 that controls the heating operation of the heating element 64 based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 65, a tank 69 that contains a beverage liquid, A pump 70 for supplying the liquid in the tank 69 to the liquid introduction part 67 is provided.

According to the fourth embodiment, since the piston 13A is disposed in the heating container 61, when the liquid in the heating container 61 is heated by the heating element 64, the piston 13A is heated via the piston guide 62. be able to. Thereby, the temperature of the liquid which exists in liquid flow path 13Ab can be raised before the heating by the heat generating body 64. FIG. Thereby, the temperature of the coffee poured into the cup 50 can be raised. On the other hand, when the piston 13A is not disposed in the heating container 61, the low temperature liquid existing in the liquid flow path 13Ab is supplied to the coffee pod 4 before the heating by the heating element 64, and then the heating container 61 is heated. The liquid heated inside is supplied to the coffee pod 4. As a result, the temperature of the coffee poured into the cup 50 becomes lower than that in the fourth embodiment.

The piston 13A is preferably made of a material having high thermal conductivity such as stainless steel or a material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum die cast. Thereby, the heat of the heat generating body 64 can be efficiently transmitted to the piston 13A, and the temperature of the liquid existing in the liquid flow path 13Ab can be increased more quickly before heating by the heat generating body 64. As a result, the temperature of the coffee poured into the cup 50 can be increased.

The adapter 6 is preferably made of a resin having low thermal conductivity and high hot water resistance such as PPS resin. Thereby, it can suppress that the temperature of the liquid supplied to the adapter 6 from liquid flow path 13Ab falls. As a result, the temperature of the coffee poured into the cup 50 can be increased.

Further, according to the fourth embodiment, since the piston 13A is configured to slide in the piston guide 62, the distance between the heating container 61 and the coffee pod 4 can be reduced. Thereby, the temperature of the coffee poured into the cup 50 can be made higher.

Further, according to the fourth embodiment, since the plurality of seal members 63 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion of the piston 10, for example, a function of removing the water scale adhered to one seal member 63 in the piston guide 62. Therefore, the other sealing member 63 can have the original sealing function. Thereby, the coffee maker which has high reliability with respect to a water leak etc. can be provided.

The piston 13A and the piston holder 21A are preferably configured to be detachable from each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the hook 13Ac is provided on the piston 13A, the hook 21Aa is provided on the piston holder 21A, and the hook 13Ac and the hook 21Aa are engaged (fitted) with each other, whereby the piston 13A and the piston holder 21A May be connected. As a result, even if the scales adhere to the piston 13A or the like, the piston 13A can be removed and easily cleaned.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, a filter 71 for preventing water invasion such as a metal mesh made of stainless steel may be attached to the upper opening 62 a of the piston guide 62. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the water scale generated in the heating container 61 from flowing into the piston guide 62, and it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of problems due to water scale.

It should be noted that, by appropriately combining arbitrary embodiments of the various embodiments described above, the effects possessed by them can be produced.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included therein, so long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention according to the appended claims.

Since the coffee maker according to the present invention can suppress variations in the extraction concentration of coffee, it is useful as a coffee maker that can produce a coffee drink such as espresso using a coffee pod.

Claims

A detachable holder that holds the filter on which the coffee pod is placed,
An adapter disposed above the holder and capable of pressing the coffee pod;
A liquid flow path formed therein, and a piston engageable with the adapter;
A piston drive section for moving the piston up and down;
A coffee maker comprising:
When the piston moves from bottom dead center to top dead center by driving the piston drive unit, the piston is moved to a non-contact position where the piston engages with the adapter and does not contact the coffee pod,
When the piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center by driving the piston driving unit, the adapter located at the non-contact position moves to a contact position where the adapter contacts the coffee pod, and then the piston and the adapter. Engagement with
The adapter located at the contact position presses the coffee pod by the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path of the piston.
A coffee maker configured to
The adapter is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape,
An inward projection that protrudes inward is provided on the top of the adapter,
The lower part of the piston is provided with an outer protrusion that slides along the inner peripheral surface of the adapter between the bottom wall of the adapter and the inner protrusion.
When the piston moves from bottom dead center to top dead center, the outer protrusion of the piston engages with the inner protrusion of the adapter to move the adapter to the non-contact position,
When the piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the adapter located at the non-contact position moves to the contact position, and then the outer protrusion of the piston and the inner protrusion of the adapter Disengagement,
The coffee maker according to claim 1.
[Claim 3] The coffee maker according to claim 2, further comprising a sealing member for liquid-tightly sealing between an inner peripheral surface of the adapter and a tip portion of an outward projection of the piston.
The bottom wall of the adapter is provided with a liquid discharge hole for discharging the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path to the coffee pod, and the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid flow path is determined from a predetermined pressure. A check valve is attached to flow the liquid from the liquid discharge hole to the coffee pod.
The coffee maker according to claim 1.
The check valve includes a closing member that can close the liquid discharge hole, and an elastic member that urges the closing member toward the liquid discharge hole, and the pressure of the liquid supplied through the liquid channel is the elastic member. The coffee maker according to claim 4, wherein the liquid is caused to flow from the liquid discharge hole to the coffee pod when the urging force becomes larger than the urging force.
The coffee maker according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member that urges the piston and the adapter away from each other in a height direction.
The piston drive unit includes a lever that can rotate from a first position to a third position through a second position around a rotation axis that is orthogonal to the moving direction of the piston,
When the lever is in the first position, the piston is at top dead center;
When the lever is in the second position, the piston is at bottom dead center;
The coffee maker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when the lever is located at the third position, the piston is located between the bottom dead center and the top dead center.
A heating vessel;
A heating element for heating the liquid supplied into the heating container;
A cylindrical piston guide for guiding the vertical movement of the piston;
Further comprising
The piston guide is disposed in the heating container,
The piston slides liquid-tightly in the piston guide.
The coffee maker according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The coffee maker according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of sealing members for liquid-tight sealing between the piston guide and the piston are attached to an upper portion of the piston.
The coffee maker according to claim 8, wherein a filter for preventing invasion of scale is attached to an upper opening of the piston guide.
A guide for guiding the holder to a mounting position below the adapter;
A flap that is pivotally attached to the holder and capable of opening and closing a coffee outlet provided at the bottom of the holder;
Further comprising
When the holder is guided to the mounting position by the guide, a part of the flap comes into contact with the guide, the flap rotates, and the coffee outlet is opened.
The coffee maker according to any one of claims 1 to 6.