CN107802178B

CN107802178B - Beverage making device

Info

Publication number: CN107802178B
Application number: CN201710790614.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 福岛直人; 卷岛多惠子; 神基; 金子绫乃
Original assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-09-09
Filing date: 2017-09-05
Publication date: 2020-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 2037-09-05
Also published as: CN107802178A; JP2018038755A; JP6775142B2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a beverage production apparatus having a milk frother to which components can be suitably attached. In a beverage production device (1), a motor-side magnet (252) is formed in a cylindrical shape and has: a hole (252h1) (a first hole) for passing a rotating shaft along the center axis of the cylinder, and a hole (252h2) (a second hole) opened at the outer peripheral side surface of the cylinder, the rotating shaft (251) has a hole (251h) (a third hole), and the motor-side magnet (252) is mounted on the rotating shaft by a spring pin (253) (a pin member) passing through the hole (252h2) and the hole (251h) at the same time.

Description

Beverage making device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a beverage producing apparatus using milk.

Background

In the past, beverage production devices that produce and/or supply, for example, coffee beverages or soft drink water have become popular. In such beverage production devices, for example, there are devices for producing a coffee beverage by mixing frothed or steamed milk with coffee. In addition, foamed milk refers to milk after frothing the milk. The steamed milk refers to milk heated by steam, and is milk in a state in which milk froth is mixed with a liquid.

As a beverage production apparatus provided with an apparatus (milk foamer) capable of producing foamed milk or steamed milk, for example, there is a technique disclosed in patent document 1. Patent document 1 discloses the following milk foamer. That is, the milk delivered from the milk container is mixed with air in the first mixing chamber to generate a foamed mixture of milk and air (i.e., foamed milk). The foamed milk generated in the first mixing chamber is heated by high-temperature steam in the second mixing chamber as needed after being compressed by the milk pump. The frothed milk flowing out of the second mixing chamber flows into the conditioner. The conditioner homogenizes the foamed milk. This makes the bubbles in the foamed milk fine and more uniformly distributed in the milk.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2014-213209

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In such a beverage production apparatus, in order to normally operate the milk frother, it is necessary to appropriately mount components constituting the milk frother.

The invention aims to provide a beverage production device with a milk frother capable of being properly installed with components.

Means for solving the problems

The invention comprises the following steps: a first gear and a second gear; a housing that houses the first gear and the second gear in an internal space; a pump-side magnet that is internally disposed in the first gear; a motor-side magnet magnetically coupled to the pump-side magnet; and a motor having a motor-side magnet mounted on a rotating shaft thereof, the motor-side magnet being formed in a cylindrical shape and having: the motor-side magnet is attached to the rotating shaft by a pin member that passes through the second hole and the third hole at the same time.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beverage producing apparatus having a milk foamer in which components can be appropriately mounted.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage production device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the coffee extracting unit.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the structures of the steam supply unit, the milk supply unit, and the air supply unit.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the nozzle unit.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the nozzle unit.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a vertical cross section of the milk foamer taken along line V-V' of fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the gear pump and its peripheral structure.

Fig. 8 is a view showing the dimensions of the large-diameter gear, the small-diameter gear, and the internal space of the housing.

Fig. 9 is a left side view of the milk foamer, partially perspective view of the inside thereof.

Fig. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the branch portion, the valve, and the motor-side gear as viewed from the left side, and shows switching between the first outlet and the second outlet.

Fig. 11 is a bottom view of the nozzle unit and the valve motor.

Fig. 12A is a diagram illustrating an example of the shape of the motor-side magnet for attaching the motor-side magnet to the rotary shaft.

Fig. 12B is an exploded perspective view for explaining a method of attaching the motor-side magnet in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13A is a perspective view for explaining a method of determining the position of the hole of the motor-side magnet.

Fig. 13B is a side view for explaining a method of determining the position of the hole of the motor-side magnet. Fig. 13C is a perspective view for explaining a method of determining the position of the hole of the motor-side magnet. Fig. 13D is a side view for explaining a method of determining the position of the hole of the motor-side magnet. Description of the reference numerals

1 beverage producing device

2 main body

3 door

4 button group

5 storage tank

6 milk refrigerator

7 nozzle unit

8 water pan

9 milk box

10 container

21 coffee extraction part

211 hot water tank

212 hot water pump

213 Filter

214 hot water supply valve

215 coffee side hot water supply pipe

216 lifting device

217 cylinder unit

218 end cap

219 cylinder

2210 piston

2211 extraction hole

2212 coffee liquid piping

2213 grinding machine

22 steam supply part

221 electromagnetic pump

222 milk side hot water supply pipe

223 steam generator

224 steam pipe

225 three-way valve

23 milk supply

231 milk supply pipe

24 air supply part

241 air pump

242 air supply pipe

243 air valve

Motor for 25-gear pump

251 rotation axis

251h hole

252 Motor side magnet

252h1 hole

252h2 hole

253 spring pin

26-valve motor

261 rotating shaft

262 side gear of motor

Example of 300 Motor side magnet

300h hole

302 projection

303 pin

71 cover

72 coffee nozzle

73 milk frother

74 Gear pump

741 casing

742 large-diameter gear

743 small diameter gear

744 cover

745 pump side magnet

746 Inlet for milk

747 air inlet

748 milk outlet

75 branch part

751 inlet

752 first outlet

753 second outlet

754 opening

76 valve

761 rotating body

762 first annular groove

763 second annular groove

764 first O-ring

765 second O-ring

766 valve side gear

77 nozzle for cold milk

78 quenching and tempering device

79 milk flow path

710 nozzle for hot milk

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary detailed description, for example, detailed description of already known matters, repeated description of substantially the same configuration, and the like may be omitted.

The following description and the referenced drawings are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present invention and are not intended to limit the claims of the present invention.

<1-1. definition of orientation >

First, the direction in the present embodiment is defined. In the present embodiment, a direction along an axis from left to right or from right to left when the front surface of the beverage production apparatus 1 faces the user is defined as a left-right direction. In addition, a direction from the front surface to the back surface or from the back surface to the front surface of the beverage production apparatus 1 when the front surface of the beverage production apparatus 1 faces the user is defined as a front-rear direction. In addition, a direction from the bottom surface to the upper surface of the beverage production apparatus 1 or from the upper surface to the bottom surface when the front surface of the beverage production apparatus 1 faces the user is defined as a vertical direction. Hereinafter, axes along the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction are sometimes referred to as an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, respectively.

<1-2. schematic Structure of beverage production apparatus 1 >

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage production device 1. The beverage production apparatus 1 is installed in a shop or the like for business use, for example. The beverage production device 1 includes: a main body 2, a door 3, a button group 4 (see a portion surrounded by dotted lines), a storage tank 5, a milk refrigerator 6, a nozzle unit 7, and a water receiving tray 8.

The door 3 is openably and closably attached to the front surface of the main body 2. The button group 4 is disposed on the front surface of the door 3. The plurality of buttons included in the button group 4 are respectively associated with the types of beverages (espresso coffee, drip coffee (hot/ice), latte coffee (hot/ice), cappuccino (hot/ice), and the like) that can be provided by the beverage production apparatus 1. When a user operates a button corresponding to a desired beverage, the beverage producing apparatus 1 produces and provides a beverage corresponding to the operated button. The beverage production apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is an apparatus for producing a beverage using coffee.

The storage tank 5 is installed on the upper surface of the main body 2 to store coffee beans. The milk cooler 6 stores at least one milk box 9 (see fig. 3 described later) and stores the milk at a low temperature.

The nozzle unit 7 is provided on the front surface of the main body 2, and discharges the beverage produced inside the main body 2 downward. The nozzle unit 7 generates foamed milk (hot and cold), steamed milk (hot), cold milk, and the like using the milk supplied from the milk cooling box 6, and discharges the milk downward. These milk and the beverage produced inside the main body 2 are each separately ejected from the nozzle unit 7 and mixed in the container 10, thereby producing various beverages.

The water receiving tray 8 projects forward from the lower end portion of the main body 2, and a container 10 for beverage is placed. The beverage ejected from the nozzle unit 7 is supplied into a container 10 placed on the drip tray 8. In addition, the drip tray 8 collects and stores the beverage dropped from the nozzle unit 7 or overflowed from the container 10.

As shown in fig. 2 described later, a coffee extracting unit 21 for producing coffee using coffee beans stored in the storage tank 5 is provided inside the main body 2. As shown in fig. 3, the main body 2 further includes: a steam supply part 22, a milk supply part 23, an air supply part 24. Further, regarding the coffee extracting portion, the steam supplying portion, the milk supplying portion, and the air supplying portion, the applicant of the present application discloses japanese patent application laid-open No. 2013-165814 and the like.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the coffee extracting section 21. As shown in fig. 2, the coffee extracting portion 21 includes: a hot water tank 211, a hot water pump 212, a filter 213, a hot water supply valve 214, a coffee side hot water supply pipe 215, an elevating device 216, a cylinder unit 217, an end cover 218, a coffee liquid pipe 2212, and a grinder 2213.

The hot water tank 211 is an open-air type tank, and stores a predetermined amount of drink water in a state heated to a predetermined temperature by a built-in heater (not shown).

The hot water pump 212 is a pump for pressurizing and discharging hot water in the hot water tank 211. The outlet of the hot water pump 212 is connected to the upstream end of the coffee-side hot water supply pipe 215. A filter 213 and a hot water supply valve 214 composed of an electromagnetic valve and the like are provided in this order from the upstream side in the coffee-side hot water supply pipe 215. The downstream end of the coffee-side hot water supply pipe 215 is connected to a hot water supply port of a cylinder 219, which will be described later, in a removable manner.

The cylinder unit 217 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and includes: cylinder 219, and piston 2210. The upper surface of the cylinder 219 is open. On the other hand, a hot water supply port is formed in a side surface near the lower end of the cylinder 219. Piston 2210 has water permeability and is movable in the internal space of cylinder 219.

The end cap 218 is provided above the cylinder unit 217, and is fitted into the raised cylinder 219 to close the opening thereof. A space defined by the lower surface of end cap 218 that closes cylinder 219, the inner circumferential surface of cylinder 219, and the upper surface of piston 2210 forms a coffee liquid extracting chamber.

The end cap 218 is formed with a drawing hole 2211 penetrating from the lower surface to the upper surface of the end cap 218. The coffee liquid obtained in the extraction chamber passes through the extraction hole 2211. The upper end of the extraction hole 2211 is connected to the coffee nozzle 72 so as to be in fluid communication with the coffee nozzle 72 via a coffee solution pipe 2212.

A grinder 2213 is provided above the inside of the main body 2. The grinder 2213 grinds coffee beans stored in the storage tank 5 to produce bean powder.

Next, the operation of the coffee extracting unit 21 will be described. When a specific button of the button group 4 (see fig. 1) is operated, the grinder 2213 generates bean flour. The produced soybean powder is charged into the extraction chamber.

Subsequently, the cylinder unit 217 is lifted by the lifting device 216, and the end cap 218 is pushed into the opening of the cylinder 219. Thereby, the bean powder in the extraction chamber is compressed between piston 2210 and end cap 218.

Next, the hot water pump 212 is operated, the hot water supply valve 214 is opened, and a predetermined amount of hot water is pressurized and supplied from the hot water tank 211 into the cylinder 219. As a result, a high-concentration coffee solution was obtained. Here, a flow meter, not shown, is provided between the filter 213 and the hot water supply valve 214, and measures the supply amount of hot water to the cylinder 219. The obtained coffee liquid is sent out from the end cap 218 and discharged from the coffee nozzle 72 through the coffee liquid pipe 2212. Thereafter, the coffee liquid is poured into a container 10 placed on the water receiving tray 8 (see fig. 1).

Next, the structures of the steam supply unit 22, the milk supply unit 23, and the air supply unit 24 provided in the main body 2 will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the structures of the steam supply unit 22, the milk supply unit 23, and the air supply unit 24. As shown in fig. 3, the steam supply portion 22 has: an electromagnetic pump 221, a milk side hot water supply pipe 222, a steam generator 223, a steam pipe 224, and a three-way valve 225. The steam supply unit 22 and the coffee extraction unit 21 share a hot water tank 211.

By the operation of the solenoid pump 221, the hot water in the hot water tank 211 is supplied to the steam generator 223 via the milk-side hot water supply pipe 222. The steam generator 223 is controlled to be constantly at a constant temperature by a built-in electric heater (not shown), and generates steam using hot water supplied by the operation of the electromagnetic pump 221. The generated steam is supplied to the hot milk nozzle 710 via the steam pipe 224 and the three-way valve 225.

As shown in fig. 3, the milk supply unit 23 includes a milk supply pipe 231 in addition to the milk cooling box 6.

The upstream end of the milk supply pipe 231 is inserted into the milk box 9 housed in the milk cooling box 6. A downstream end of the milk supply pipe 231 is connected to a milk inlet 746 of the gear pump 74 (see fig. 4 and the like) so as to be in fluid communication therewith.

As shown in fig. 3, the air supply unit 24 includes: an air pump 241, an air supply pipe 242, and an air valve 243.

The air pump 241 is driven by a motor, not shown, and sucks in outside air and sends the air to the air supply pipe 242. The downstream end of the air supply pipe 242 is connected to an air inlet 747 of the gear pump 74 so as to be in fluid communication therewith. An air valve 243 formed of an electromagnetic valve or the like is provided in the air supply pipe 242. When the air valve 243 is opened, the air sent from the air pump 241 is supplied to the air inlet 747 through the air supply pipe 242.

<1-3. nozzle Unit and related Structure >

Next, the detailed structure of the nozzle unit 7 will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 4 to 11. As shown in fig. 1 and 4, the nozzle unit 7 is provided on the front surface of the main body 2, and includes: a cover 71, a coffee nozzle 72, and a milk foamer 73. Further, the cover 71 is not shown in fig. 4. As shown in fig. 4 to 11, the milk foamer 73 has: a gear pump 74, a branching portion 75, a valve 76, a cold milk nozzle 77, a conditioner 78, a milk passage 79 in a milk foamer, and a hot milk nozzle 710.

The gear pump 74 is a transfer pump that transfers milk. As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the gear pump 74 includes: housing 741, large diameter gear 742, small diameter gear 743, and cover 744.

The large diameter gear 742 and the small diameter gear 743 are examples of the first gear and the second gear. The large-diameter gear 742 and the small-diameter gear 743 are housed in the housing 741 in a state of meshing with each other. The large-diameter gear 742 incorporates a pump-side magnet 745.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the dimensions of the large-diameter gear 742 and the small-diameter gear 743, and the dimensions of the internal space of the housing. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 8, the tip circle diameters of the large-diameter gear 742 and the small-diameter gear 743 are OD1 and OD2, and the root circle diameters of the

gears

742 and 743 are RD1 and RD 2. The widths (widths in the y-axis direction) of the

gears

742 and 743 are substantially the same, and W (not shown) is used. The large-diameter gear 742 rotates clockwise (see arrow a) when viewed from the front of the beverage producing apparatus 1, and the small-diameter gear 743 rotates counterclockwise (see arrow b) when viewed from the same direction. In the present embodiment, the small-diameter gear 743 follows the large-diameter gear 742 to rotate.

The housing 741 is made of a nonmagnetic material such as resin, for example. An internal space IS1 IS formed in the housing 741 to accommodate the

gears

742, 743. As shown in fig. 8, the internal space IS1 IS defined by the large-diameter side arc surface S1, the small-diameter side arc surface S2, the bottom surface S3, the upper surface S4, and the front surface S5.

The arc surfaces S1 and S2 are arc surfaces including sides forming an arc when viewed from the front in the y-axis direction, and the radii of the arcs are approximately OD1/2 and OD 2/2.

The bottom surface S3 is a surface including two lower tangents (line segments perpendicular to the paper surface in fig. 8) that are tangent to the addendum circles of the two arc surfaces S1 and S2 when viewed from the front. On the other hand, the upper surface S4 is a surface including two upper tangents (line segments perpendicular to the paper surface in fig. 8). Front surface S5 IS a surface that closes space IS1 surrounded by surfaces S1 to S4 on the front surface side (the near side in fig. 8) of main body 2.

Further, the internal space IS1 may have a difference in the degree of tolerance with respect to the above-described dimension. In addition, at the stage of designing the gear pump 74, it is also possible to design with some margin with respect to the above-mentioned dimensions.

As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the housing 741 has: a milk inlet 746, an air inlet 747, and a milk outlet 748. The milk inlet 746 is an example of an inlet, and is a cylindrical or tubular member that can be in fluid communication with the suction side of the gear pump 74 through a through hole formed in the upper surface S4 of the housing 741. The downstream end of the milk supply pipe 231 is connected to the milk inlet 746 in a fluid communication manner.

The air inlet 747 IS a cylindrical or tubular member that can be in fluid communication with the internal space IS1 of the gear pump 74 through a through hole formed in the housing 741. The downstream end of the air supply pipe 242 is connected to the air inlet 747 in a fluid-communicating manner.

In the present embodiment, the air inlet 747 is configured to be in fluid communication with the suction side of the gear pump 74, similarly to the milk inlet 746. Preferably, the milk inlet 746 and the air inlet 747 are formed at or near the center of the upper surface S4.

The milk outlet 748 is an example of an outlet, and is a through hole formed in the bottom surface S3 of the housing 741. The milk outlet 748 is capable of being in fluid communication with the branch portion 75. Preferably, the milk outlet 748 is formed at or near the center of the bottom surface S3.

As shown in fig. 6 and the like, the above housing 741 IS attached to the front surface of the main body 2 such that the bottom surface S3 of the internal space IS1 IS parallel to the xy plane. The cover 744 closes an opening of a housing 741 accommodating the

gears

742 and 743.

In order to rotate the large-diameter gear 742, as shown in fig. 5 and 7, a gear pump motor 25 is incorporated in the main body 2. The gear pump motor 25 is an example of a motor, and includes: a rotating shaft 251 and a motor-side magnet 252. The motor-side magnet 252 is magnetically coupled to a pump-side magnet 745 (see fig. 6) incorporated in the large-diameter gear 742, and transmits the drive torque generated by the gear pump motor 25 to the pump-side magnet 745. Details about the motor-side magnet 252 will be described later.

As shown in fig. 9, the branch portion 75 is a cylindrical or tubular member extending in the front-rear direction. A cylindrical inner space IS2 IS formed in the branch portion 75. An inlet 751, which is in fluid communication with a milk outlet 748, is formed near the front of the upper portion of the branch portion 75. A first outlet 752 that is in fluid communication with the cold milk nozzle 77 is formed at a lower rear end side of the branch portion 75. A second outlet 753 is formed at the tip of the branch portion 75 so as to be in fluid communication with the milk flow path 79 described later. An opening 754 into which a valve 76 described later is inserted is formed at the rear end of the branch portion 75.

The valve 76 IS inserted into the opening 754 of the internal space IS2 of the branch portion 75, and has a rotating body 761 having a substantially cylindrical shape. A first annular groove 762 and a second annular groove 763 are formed in an outer peripheral surface (in other words, a side surface) of the rotating body 761. The axial center of the first annular groove 762 is parallel to the y-axis, and the axial center of the annular groove 763 is not parallel to the y-axis and is inclined with respect to the y-axis when viewed from the x-axis direction. As shown in fig. 10, first and second O-

rings

764 and 765 are installed in the first and second

annular grooves

762 and 763. Further, in fig. 9, the O-

rings

764, 765 are not shown for ease of understanding, and in fig. 10, the

annular grooves

762, 763 are not shown for ease of understanding.

Here, as shown in fig. 10, a spatial distance (hereinafter, referred to as an inter-ring distance) d in the y-axis direction between the O-

rings

764 and 765 differs depending on a position on the circumferential surface of the valve 76 (in other words, an orientation from the central axis of the valve 76). Therefore, by the rotation of the rotating body 761, as shown in the upper half of fig. 10, when the portion where the inter-ring distance d is shortest is directed upward, the inlet port 751 and the second outlet port 753 are in fluid communication (see an arrow of an alternate long and short dashed line), and as shown in the lower half of fig. 10, when the shortest portion is directed downward, the inlet port 751 and the first outlet port 752 are in fluid communication (see an arrow of an alternate long and short dashed line).

As shown in fig. 10, a valve-side gear 766 is attached to the rear end of the valve 76 for rotation of the valve 76. More specifically, the valve-side gear 766 is mounted in a state of aligning its own rotation axis with the central axis of the valve 76. Here, in order to easily attach the milk foamer 73 to the main body 2, it is preferable that the valve side gear 766 be removably attached to the main body 2.

For rotation of the valve 76, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, the valve motor 26 is built in the main body 2. As shown in fig. 11, the valve motor 26 includes: a rotating shaft 261 and a motor-side gear 262. As shown in fig. 11, the motor-side gear 262 is fixed to the tip of the rotary shaft 261 and meshes with the valve-side gear 766.

The cold milk nozzle 77 is integrally attached to the housing 741 via the branch portion 75. As shown in fig. 9, the cold milk nozzle 77 is a cylindrical or tubular member extending in the vertical direction. A cylindrical inner space IS3 IS formed in the nozzle 77 for cold milk. An inlet IS formed at the upper end of the nozzle 77 for cold milk to fluidly communicate the first outlet 752 with the interior space IS 3. The lower end of the nozzle 77 for cold milk opens in fluid communication with the internal space IS3, and the conditioner 78 IS inserted into the internal space IS3 through the opening.

The upstream end of the milk passage 79 is connected to the second outlet 753 in a fluid-communicating manner, and the downstream end thereof is connected to the hot milk nozzle 710 in a fluid-communicating manner. As shown in fig. 5, the nozzle 710 for hot milk is connected to the downstream end of the steam pipe 224 in a fluid-communicating manner.

<1-4. operation of milk frother (when steamed milk is produced) >

Next, an operation example of the milk foamer 73 configured as described above will be described. First, when a specific button of the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using steamed milk, a microcomputer, not shown, provided inside the main body 2 controls each part of the above configuration as follows.

The microcomputer drives the valve motor 26. Thereby, the rotation shaft 261 rotates. The force generated on the rotary shaft 261 is transmitted to the valve 76 through the motor-side gear 262 and the valve-side gear 766 at the tip end. When the steamed milk is produced, the microcomputer controls the valve motor 26 to rotate the valve 76 so that the shortest portion of the inter-ring distance d is directed upward, and stops the valve 76. Thereby, a flow path leading from the inlet 751 to the second outlet 753 IS formed in the internal space IS2 of the branch portion 75 (see an arrow of the one-dot chain line in the upper half of fig. 10).

The microcomputer also operates the solenoid pump 221 to energize the three-way valve 225. Thereby, the hot water of the hot water tank 211 starts to flow into the steam generator 223 via the milk-side hot water supply pipe 222. The hot water flowing in is converted into steam by the steam generator 223, and is supplied to the hot milk nozzle 710 through the steam pipe 224.

The microcomputer also drives the gear pump motor 25. As a result, the rotational force generated in the rotary shaft 251 is transmitted to the large-diameter gear 742 via the magnetic coupling between the motor-side magnet 252 and the pump-side magnet 745. As a result, the large diameter gear 742 starts rotating, and the small diameter gear 743 follows the large diameter gear 742 to rotate. At this time, the

gears

742 and 743 rotate in the deployment direction (see arrows a and b in fig. 8) toward the suction side of the internal space IS 1. By such rotation, a negative pressure IS generated on the suction side of the internal space IS1, and the milk in the milk box 9 starts to be supplied to the internal space IS1 (more specifically, the suction side) of the gear pump 74 via the milk supply pipe 231 and the milk inlet 746. The milk on the suction side is sent to the discharge side by bypassing the outer sides of the

gears

742 and 743 by the rotation of the

gears

742 and 743, and is discharged from the milk outlet 748 by the meshing of the

gears

742 and 743.

Further, when the steamed milk is produced, the air pump 241 is stopped and the air valve 243 is closed. That is, the gear pump 74 is not supplied with air from the air supply portion 24.

The milk discharged from the milk outlet 748 is supplied to the inlet 751 of the branch portion 75. The milk flowing into the internal space IS2 from the inlet 751 IS ejected from the second outlet 753 through the internal space IS2, and then flows into the hot milk nozzle 710 through the milk passage 79. As described above, the steam is supplied from the steam pipe 224 to the hot milk nozzle 710. The milk is heated by the steam inside the hot milk nozzle 710, thereby generating steamed milk. The generated steamed milk is ejected from the hot milk nozzle 710 into the container 10.

<1-5. operation of milk frother (in the production of Cold milk) >

When a specific button of the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using chilled milk, a microcomputer, not shown, provided inside the main body 2 controls each part of the above configuration as described below.

First, the microcomputer controls the valve motor 26 to rotate the valve 76 so that the shortest portion of the inter-ring distance d is directed downward, and stops the valve 76. Thereby, a flow path leading from the inlet 751 to the first outlet 752 IS formed in the internal space IS2 of the branch portion 75 (see the arrow of the one-dot chain line in the lower half of fig. 10).

The microcomputer also drives the gear pump motor 25. Thus, as described in columns 1 to 4, the milk in the milk box 9 starts to be supplied to the internal space IS1 (more specifically, the suction side) of the gear pump 74. The cold milk on the suction side is ejected from the milk outlet 748 by the rotation of the

gears

742 and 743.

The gear pump 74 is not supplied with air from the air supply portion 24 at the time of the production of the cold milk.

The milk from the milk outlet 748 is supplied to the inlet 751 of the branch portion 75. The milk flowing into the internal space IS2 from the inlet 751 IS ejected from the first outlet 752 through the internal space IS2, and flows into the internal space IS3 from the upper end of the cold milk nozzle 77. The inflowing milk is kept cold and is discharged from the lower end of the cold milk nozzle 77 toward the container 10.

<1-6. operation of milk frother (when cold frothed milk is produced) >

When a specific button in the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using cold milk foam, a microcomputer, not shown, provided inside the main body 2 controls each part of the above configuration in the following manner.

Next, the microcomputer opens the air valve 243 to drive the air pump 241 when the cold foamed milk is produced. As a result, the outside air IS introduced into the air pump 241 and IS supplied to the internal space IS1 of the gear pump 74 through the air supply pipe 242 and the air inlet 747 of the gear pump 74.

The microcomputer also drives the gear pump motor 25. Thus, as described in columns 1 to 4, the milk in the milk box 9 starts to be supplied to the internal space IS1 (more specifically, the suction side) of the gear pump 74.

In the gear pump 74, the milk and air on the suction side are mixed by the rotation of the

gears

742, 743, thereby generating cold foamed milk. The generated cold foamed milk passes around the outside of the rotating

gears

742, 743, and is discharged from the milk outlet 748.

The cold foamed milk discharged from the milk outlet 748 IS supplied to the inlet 751 of the branch portion 75, IS discharged from the first outlet 752 through the internal space IS2, and flows into the internal space IS3 from the upper end of the cold milk nozzle 77. As described above, the conditioner 78 IS provided in the internal space IS 3. The milk conditioner 78 homogenizes the characteristics of the cold foamed milk flowing in, and discharges the homogenized milk to the container 10 from the lower end of the cold milk nozzle 77.

<1-7. operation of milk frother (when hot frothed milk is produced) >

When a specific button in the button group 4 is operated and the operated button is a beverage using hot foamed milk, a microcomputer, not shown, provided inside the main body 2 controls each part of the above-described configuration in the following manner.

First, the microcomputer controls the valve motor 26 to rotate the valve 76 so that the shortest portion of the inter-ring distance d faces upward, and stops the valve 76. Thereby, a flow path leading from the inlet 751 to the second outlet 753 IS formed in the internal space IS2 of the branch portion 75 (see the arrow of the one-dot chain line in the upper half of fig. 10).

Further, as described in columns 1 to 4, the steam is supplied to the hot milk nozzle 710 via the steam pipe 224.

Further, as described in columns 1 to 6, cold foamed milk is generated in the gear pump 74 and discharged from the milk outlet 748.

The cold foamed milk discharged from the milk outlet 748 flows into the inlet 751 of the branch portion 75 and is discharged from the second outlet 753, and then flows into the hot milk nozzle 710 through the milk flow path 79. As described above, the steam is supplied from the steam pipe 224 to the hot milk nozzle 710. The foamed milk is heated by the steam inside the hot milk nozzle 710, thereby generating hot foamed milk. The generated hot foamed milk is ejected from the hot milk nozzle 710 toward the container 10.

<1-8. detailed description of Motor-side magnet 252 >

Next, the motor-side magnet 252 of the gear pump motor 25 that transmits the driving force to the gear pump 74 will be described in detail.

<1-8-1. passage of invention >

As described above, the driving force of the gear pump motor 25 is transmitted to the large-diameter gear 742 by magnetically coupling the motor-side magnet 252 and the pump-side magnet 745 incorporated in the large-diameter gear 742 of the gear pump 74. The motor-side magnet 252 is attached to the rotary shaft 251 of the gear pump motor 25, and the following requirements are made for the attachment.

First, since the motor-side magnet 252 is magnetically coupled to the pump-side magnet 745, the motor-side magnet 252 receives an attractive force in the insertion direction (axial direction). For the installation of the motor-side magnet 252, a structure that withstands the attraction force is required.

Second, when the distance between the motor-side magnet 252 and the pump-side magnet 745 changes, the transmission torque transmitted between these magnets changes. This is not preferable because a torque which is expected in design may not be transmitted to the gear pump 74. Therefore, the motor-side magnet 252 needs to be firmly fixed so as not to move in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 251.

Third, in order to transmit the driving torque of the gear pump motor 25 to the large-diameter gear 742 of the gear pump 74, it is necessary to prevent the motor-side magnet 252 from slipping with respect to the rotation direction of the rotary shaft 251 when the gear pump motor 25 is rotated.

As a method of attaching the motor-side magnet that satisfies the above-described requirements, for example, the following method is available.

Fig. 12A is a diagram for explaining an example of the shape of the motor-side magnet. Fig. 12A is a front view of a motor-side magnet 300 as an example of the motor-side magnet, and a side sectional view of the motor-side magnet 300 on the left side.

As shown in fig. 12A, the motor-side magnet 300 has, for example, a hole 300h in the front center portion thereof for passing the rotary shaft 251. In addition, as shown in the side sectional view of fig. 12A, the motor side magnet 300 has a projection 302. The near side in the front view of fig. 12A corresponds to the left side in the side cross-sectional view of fig. 12A, and is a side farther from the gear pump motor 25 when attached to the rotary shaft 251 of the gear pump motor 25, that is, a side closer to the gear pump 74. That is, in the side sectional view of fig. 12A, the right side of the figure is the side farther from the gear pump 74.

The motor-side magnet 300 is mounted on the shaft 251 through a boss 302 as a mounting member having a back yoke function. Therefore, as shown in the side sectional view of fig. 12A, a hole for passing the rotary shaft 251 is provided in the center of the boss 302, for example, in the same manner as the hole 300 h. A pin 303 for fixing the motor-side magnet 300 to the rotary shaft 251 is provided on the boss 302. Although not shown, a hole is opened in the rotary shaft 251, and the motor-side magnet 300 is attached to the rotary shaft 251 by fitting the tip end portion of the pin 303 into the hole of the rotary shaft 251.

In the mounting method using the motor-side magnet 300 illustrated in fig. 12A, there are the following problems: the motor side magnet 300 has a large overall size due to the protrusion 302. That is, since the motor-side magnet 300 is large, the thickness of the main body 2 in the front-rear direction is large, and as a result, the size of the entire beverage production apparatus 1 is large.

The motor-side magnet 252 in the beverage producing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can solve the problem of the above-described mounting method. Hereinafter, the motor-side magnet 252 and the method of mounting the same in the beverage producing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

<1-8-2 > method for mounting Motor-side magnet 252 >

Fig. 12B is an exploded perspective view for explaining the motor-side magnet 252 in the embodiment of the present invention. The motor-side magnet 252 has a hole 252h1 for passing the rotation shaft 251 along the center axis of the cylindrical shape. In addition, as shown in fig. 12B, the motor-side magnet 252 has a hole 252h2 in a part of its side surface. Hole 252h1 exemplifies a first hole, and hole 252h2 exemplifies a second hole. The hole 252h2 is formed, for example, so as to penetrate from one outer peripheral side surface of the motor-side magnet 252 to the opposite outer peripheral side surface in a direction perpendicular to the center axis of the motor magnet 252.

Further, a hole 251h having substantially the same diameter as that of the hole 252h2 of the motor-side magnet 252 is provided in the rotary shaft 251 of the pump motor 25. The hole 251h is an example of a third hole. The hole 251h is, for example, a hole penetrating the rotary shaft 251 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center of the cylindrical rotary shaft 251.

The spring pin 253 is provided in such a manner as to pass through both the hole 252h2 of the motor-side magnet 252 and the hole 251h of the rotation shaft 251. The motor-side magnet 252 is attached to the rotary shaft 251 by the spring pin 253. The spring pin 253 is an example of a pin member, and the diameter of the spring pin 253 is formed to be almost the same as the diameter of the hole 252h2 of the motor-side magnet 252 and the hole 251h of the rotary shaft 251.

The length of the spring pin 253 is set to be sufficiently longer than the diameter of the rotary shaft 251 and equal to or less than the diameter of the motor-side magnet 252, for example. From the viewpoint of fixing the motor-side magnet 252 to the rotary shaft 251 relatively firmly, the length of the spring pin 253 is preferably substantially the same as or slightly shorter than the diameter of the motor-side magnet 252.

The motor-side magnet 252 is a bonded magnet obtained by finely pulverizing a ferrite magnet, a neodymium magnet, or the like and kneading the pulverized magnet into a resin or the like. The reason why the bonded magnet is used for the motor-side magnet 252 is that if a sintered magnet produced by sintering magnetic powder is used, the magnet is broken at the time of punching or the like, and therefore, it is difficult to process the magnet, and it is necessary to mold the magnet at the time of sintering, and therefore, a new mold or the like is necessary, which increases the cost. By using the bonded magnet for the motor-side magnet 252, the hole 252h1 and the hole 252h2 for passing the rotating shaft 251 can be made by easy molding and machining.

<1-9. Effect and Effect >

As described above, in the beverage production apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the motor-side magnet 252 is formed in a cylindrical shape and includes: a hole 252h1 (first hole) for passing the rotation shaft along the center axis of the cylinder, and a hole 252h2 (second hole) opened at the outer peripheral side face of the cylinder, the rotation shaft 251 having a hole 251h (third hole), the motor side magnet 252 being mounted on the rotation shaft by a spring pin 253 (pin member) passing through both the hole 252h2 and the hole 251 h.

With such a configuration, according to the beverage production apparatus 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, the motor-side magnet 252 can be appropriately mounted on the rotary shaft 251 of the pump motor 25 without using a mounting member such as a boss. Specifically, the motor-side magnet 252 can be firmly fixed so as not to move in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 251 while receiving the attractive force in the insertion direction (axial direction), and the motor-side magnet 252 can be attached to the rotary shaft 251 so as not to slide in the rotational direction of the rotary shaft 251 when the pump motor 25 is rotated.

In addition, according to the above configuration, the size of the motor-side magnet 252 (the thickness of the beverage production device 1 in the front-rear direction) can be reduced, and the space of the entire beverage production device 1 can be saved. In addition, since no mounting member is required, the manufacturing cost of the beverage manufacturing apparatus 1 can be reduced.

In the beverage production device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the motor-side magnet 252 is formed of a bonded magnet. With such a configuration, according to the beverage production device 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, it is not necessary to prepare a mold or the like for molding in order to form the holes 252h1 and 252h2 in the sintered magnet, and the production cost can be reduced. In addition, since the bonded magnet contains resin or the like as a main component, the hole 252h1 and the hole 252h2 can be easily punched out using a conventional technique.

<1-10. modified example >

In the above-described embodiment, the hole 251h of the rotation shaft 251 is formed to penetrate the rotation shaft 251, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the hole 251h may be formed halfway through the rotary shaft 251. In this case, the hole 251h may have a depth such that the spring pin 253 is sufficiently fixed to the rotary shaft 251 when the spring pin 253 is inserted into the hole 251 h.

The position of the punched hole 252h2 in the motor-side magnet 252 may be determined, for example, as follows. Fig. 13A to 13D are diagrams for explaining a method of determining the position of the hole 252h2 of the motor-side magnet 252.

The motor-side magnet 252 illustrated in fig. 13A and 13B has two poles, i.e., one N pole and one S pole, on a surface on the side coupled to the pump-side magnet 745 (a surface on the right side in fig. 13A and 13B). Here, the motor-side magnet 252 illustrated in fig. 13A and 13B is configured such that only magnetic lines of force protrude from the coupling surface in order to be firmly coupled to the pump-side magnet 745. Specifically, when the poles different from each other are arranged in the vertical direction of the coupling surface as shown in fig. 13A, the magnetic lines of force draw a U-shape in cross section as shown in fig. 13B. The dotted line of fig. 13B is a line illustrating magnetic lines. In this case, since the magnetic lines of force do not protrude from the surface opposite to the surface coupled to the motor-side magnet 252 (the left surface in fig. 13A and 13B), they do not function as magnets.

When the motor-side magnet 252 has such magnetic lines of force, it is preferable to provide the hole 252h2 at a position where the magnetic lines of force do not pass as much as possible, as shown in fig. 13B, so as not to reduce the magnetic force of the motor-side magnet 252. In other words, the hole 252h2 is preferably provided at a position along the boundary surface of the magnetic pole, for example, in fig. 13B.

Note that, although the hole 252h2 is provided at a position where magnetic lines of force do not pass through in fig. 13B, when the hole 252h2 can be provided only at a position where magnetic lines of force are interrupted, it is preferable to provide the hole 252h2 as close as possible to the side surface of the motor-side magnet 252 on the side closer to the coupling surface. This is because, as shown in fig. 13B, the magnetic lines of force (magnetic lines of force a) closer to the coupling surface are shorter than the magnetic lines of force (magnetic lines of force B) closer to the opposite surface, and the magnetic force drop when the magnetic lines of force are interrupted by the holes 252h2 is small.

On the other hand, the motor-side magnet 252 illustrated in fig. 13C and 13D has four poles, i.e., two N poles and two S poles, on a surface on the side coupled to the pump-side magnet 745 (a surface on the right side in fig. 13C and 13D). As shown in fig. 13C, when poles different from each other are provided in the vertical and horizontal directions of the coupling surface, the magnetic lines of force draw a substantially fan shape centered on the corner of the coupling surface in cross section as shown in fig. 13D. The dotted line of fig. 13D is a line illustrating magnetic lines. In this case, as in fig. 13A and 13B, since the magnetic lines of force do not protrude from the surface opposite to the surface coupled to the motor-side magnet 252, they do not function as magnets.

When the motor-side magnet 252 has such magnetic lines of force, the hole 252h2 can be provided as close as possible to the side surface of the motor-side magnet 252 on the side closer to the coupling surface, as in the case of the two poles shown in fig. 13A and 13B. In order to further suppress the decrease in magnetic force, as shown in fig. 13D, the hole 252h2 may be provided in the vicinity of the surface opposite to the coupling surface through which magnetic force lines do not pass.

That is, in the present invention, the hole 252h2 of the motor-side magnet 252 is preferably provided in a portion where the magnetic lines of force do not pass through the center axis of the columnar motor-side magnet 252.

In fig. 13B and 13D, the magnetic lines illustrated by dotted lines are conceptual, and the magnetic lines that the motor-side magnet 252 should have cannot be accurately depicted. In the present invention, the position and shape of the magnetic lines of force of the motor-side magnet 252 are not limited to the examples shown in fig. 13B and 13D. Also, the position of the hole 252h2 is not limited to the position illustrated in fig. 13A to 13D. The hole 252h2 is preferably provided at a position where the magnetic lines of force of the motor-side magnet 252 do not pass, and if it is difficult to provide at a position where the magnetic lines of force do not pass, it is sufficient to make the magnetic lines of force blocked by the hole 252h2 as short as possible.

In fig. 13C and 13D, the hole 252h2 is provided in the side surface portion of the motor-side magnet 252 corresponding to the S pole on the coupling surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the hole 252h2 may be provided in a side surface portion of the motor-side magnet 252 corresponding to the N pole on the coupling surface.

Industrial applicability

The present invention is useful for a beverage making apparatus having a milk foamer.

Claims

1. A beverage making apparatus, comprising:

a first gear and a second gear;

a housing that houses the first gear and the second gear in an internal space;

a pump-side magnet that is internally disposed in the first gear;

a motor-side magnet magnetically coupled to the pump-side magnet; and

a motor, the motor-side magnet being mounted on a rotating shaft of the motor,

the first gear is a large-diameter gear, the second gear is a small-diameter gear, the large-diameter gear and the small-diameter gear are accommodated in the housing in a state of being engaged with each other,

the motor-side magnet is formed in a cylindrical shape and has: a first hole for passing the rotary shaft along the central axis of the motor side magnet and a second hole opened at the outer peripheral side surface of the motor side magnet,

the rotary shaft has a third hole formed therein,

the motor-side magnet is mounted on the rotary shaft with a pin member passing through the second hole and the third hole simultaneously.

2. The beverage making apparatus of claim 1,

the motor-side magnet is formed of a bonded magnet.

3. The beverage making apparatus of claim 1 or 2,

the pin member is a spring pin.

4. The beverage making apparatus of claim 1,

the pin member has a length longer than a diameter of the rotary shaft and shorter than a diameter of the motor-side magnet.

5. The beverage making apparatus of claim 1,

the second hole is opened so as to pass through a portion where the magnetic force lines of the motor-side magnet do not pass.

6. The beverage making apparatus of claim 1,

the second hole is opened at a portion where the magnetic line of force of the motor-side magnet cut by the second hole is as short as possible.