Patent Publication Number: US-2015059589-A1

Title: Automatic Puncture Mechanism of a Capsule Coffee Machine

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority to CN 201320537573.9, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People&#39;s Republic of China on Aug. 30, 2013, the entire specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a capsule coffee machine, especially to an automatic puncture mechanism of a capsule coffee machine. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     We use a coffee grinder to grind coffee beans into powder to make coffee drink, then use a coffee machine to brew and filter. To make the coffee drink easier and more stable in taste, there are capsule coffee machines, firstly mixing the coffee bean to coffee material with stable taste, and then sealing up the coffee material in a capsule; this kind of capsule with coffee material is called coffee capsule. When brewing coffee, the drink-making process involves using a pricker to puncture the coffee capsule so that hot water flows into the coffee capsule, then using another pricker to puncture the coffee capsule to make the brewed coffee drink flowing out. 
     In traditional capsule coffee machines, to make hot water enter into the coffee capsule to brew coffee material, and to guide the coffee drink out of the coffee capsule, the coffee machine is disposed with two prickers in different movement directions and assembly positions, one pricker is used to puncture a hot water entrance in the coffee capsule, the other one is used to puncture a guiding exit in the coffee capsule, as the movement directions and the assembly positions are different, the traditional coffee machine needs two driving mechanism to drive the prickers to move respectively. Because different operations are required to operate the machine, it is easy for a user to forget to perform one of the operations. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic puncture mechanism of a capsule coffee machine with improved operation convenience. 
     The automatic puncture mechanism of the present invention is used to perforate a side wall and a top wall of a coffee capsule, and comprises: a support unit, comprising a lower support, the lower support having a lower frame portion, an upper support pivotally connected to the lower support, the upper support comprising an upper frame portion, the upper frame portion matching to the lower frame portion when the upper support swings up and down; a linkage unit comprising a linkage handle with left and right arms, two pivot shaft components being configured to movably attach the linkage handle to the upper frame portion of the upper support, a linkage press block assembled on each of the left and right arms of the linkage handle, and at least one linkage component, each of the pivot shaft component being provided with a linkage shaft fixedly attached to the left and right arm of the linkage handle, the linkage component being provided with a gear affixed to the linkage shaft of one pivot shaft component and a moving element assembled on the upper support and engaged to the gear; a first puncture unit comprising a pricker base disposed between the left and right arms of the linkage handle, a first perforating element disposed on the pricker base to perforate the top wall of the coffee capsule; a carrying base attached to the lower frame portion of the lower support, the carrying base comparing a carry room for receiving the coffee capsule; a second puncture unit comprising a pricker frame slidably connected to the lower frame portion of the lower support and a second perforating element connected to the pricker frame, the pricker frame being driven by the moving element of the linkage component to drive the second perforating element to the carrying base in order to perforate the side wall of the coffee capsule. 
     The advantages of the present invention are that: with the linkage of the linkage unit, when pressing the linkage handle down, the first perforating element and the second perforating element are driven to respectively perforate the top wall and the side wall of the coffee capsule, thus simplifying and improving the operation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic diagram of a puncture mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention, when the puncture mechanism is in an open position. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates another schematic diagram of the embodiment, when the puncture mechanism is in a brewing position. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a partial sectional diagram of the embodiment, when the puncture mechanism is in the open position. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a partial exploded and schematic diagram of the embodiment to describe the relationship of an upper support and a first puncture unit of the puncture mechanism. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates another partial exploded and schematic diagram of the embodiment to describe the relationship of a lower support and a second puncture unit of the puncture mechanism. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a third partial exploded and schematic diagram of the embodiment to describe the relationship of a brake unit, a linkage unit and the upper support of the puncture mechanism. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a side view of the embodiment when the puncture mechanism is in open position. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a side view of the embodiment when the puncture mechanism is in standby position. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of the embodiment when the puncture mechanism is in brewing position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be further described with the drawings and the embodiment. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , an automatic puncture mechanism of the present invention can carry a coffee capsule  10  and then puncture it, the coffee capsule  10  has a round side wall  101  and a top wall  102 , the puncture mechanism comprises: a support unit  2 , a first puncture unit  3  configured to the support unit  2  to perforate the top wall  102  of the coffee capsule  10 , a carrying unit  4  configured to the support unit  2  to carry the coffee capsule  10 , a second puncture unit  5  configured to the support unit  2  to perforate the side wall  101  of the coffee capsule  10 , a linkage unit  6  linked to the first puncture unit  3  and the second puncture unit  5 , and left and right brake units  7  assembled to the support unit  2 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the support unit  2  comprises: a lower support  21 , an upper support  22  pivotably connected to the lower support  21  by a second pivot shaft  20 , and a torsion spring  23  to make the upper support  22  with an upward pivoting force. The lower support  21  has a lower frame portion  211  in the front, and a lower pivot portion  212  behind the lower frame portion  211  protruded upward; the lower frame portion  211  has a lower frame wall  214  defining a vertical accommodating room  213 , two protuberances  215  disposed left and right, and two hooks  216  at the opposite sides of the accommodating room  213 ; the hooks  216  are respectively disposed in the front of the left and right protuberances  215 . The upper support  22  has an upper frame portion  221 , which is in the above of the lower frame portion  211  of the lower support  21  when the upper support  22  swings, and an upper pivot portion  222  behind the upper frame portion  221  protruded up from front to back, the upper frame portion  221  has an upper frame wall  224  to define an accommodating hole  223 , two protrusions  225  protruded up from the upper frame wall  224  and adjacent to the upper pivot portion  222 , and a plurality of columns  226  surrounding the accommodating hole  223 , each of the protrusions  225  has a frame groove  227  with opening faced up, the accommodating hole  223  is corresponding to the accommodating room  213  when the upper support  22  swings up and down, the upper pivot portion  222  has left and right side flaps  228  and a connection piece  229  connecting the left and right side flaps  228 . 
     The upper support  22  is disposed with two assembly portions  24  of left and right symmetrical, the two assembly portions  24  cross the upper pivot portion  222  and the upper frame portion  221 , each of the assembly portions  24  has a thread column  241  protruding outward laterally, a platform  242  disposed behind the thread column  241  and is configured to extend backwards, and a limited block  243  disposed between the platform  242  and the thread column  241 . 
     The first puncture unit  3  comprises a lower fixation base  31  assembled at the lower of the upper frame wall  24  of the upper frame portion  221 , a press base  32  assembled at the center of the lower fixation base  31  and is configured to press abut against on the above of the top wall  102  of the coffee capsule  10 , an upper fixation base  33  fixed on the columns  226  of the upper support  22  by a plurality of screws, a pricker base  34  assembled to the interior of the upper fixation base  33  up-and-down, a first spring  35  disposed to press the pricker base  34  downwardly, a first perforating element  36  assembled to the pricker base  34  and lifted up and down along a first direction  11  elastically, and a water guiding base  37  assembled to the upper fixation base  33  to guide hot water into the first perforating element  36 , the press base  32  has a lateral first through hole  321 . 
     The upper fixation base  33  has a top side  331 , a round side  332  extend from the top side  331  downwardly, and a limit room  333  surrounded by the top side  331  and the round side  332 , the round side  332  has two limit grooves  334  connected to the limit room  333 , the pricker base  34  has a main portion  341  disposed in the inside of the limit room  333  up-and-down, and two driven portions  342  protrude from the main portion  341  to the limit grooves  334 , the main portion  341  has a second through hole  343  corresponding axially to the first through hole  321  of the press base  32 . The first perforating element  36  is threaded assembled to the second through hole  343  of the pricker base  34 , the top end of the first perforating element  36  is sleeved on the water guiding base  37 , the first perforating element  36  has a first needle  361  with a sharp bottom, and a guiding waterway  362  connected to the water guiding base  37 , the guiding waterway  362  has an outlet  363 . 
     The carrying base  4  is disposed at the lower frame portion  211  of the lower support  21  in pivoting way, as the pivoting of the carrying base  4  is not important to the improvement of the present invention, it will not be further described hereafter. In this embodiment, the carrying base  4  comprises a round wall  41  to define a carrying room  40 , the round wall  41  has a breach  411  in the front to connect to the carrying room  40 , the coffee capsule  10  is placed inside the carrying room  40 , the breach  411  of the carrying base  4  is corresponding to the side wall  101  of the coffee capsule  10 . 
     The second puncture unit  5  comprises a U-shape pricker frame  51  below the lower frame wall  214  of the lower support  21 , a bottom plate  52  fixed below the lower frame wall  214  by a plurality of screws to make the pricker frame  51  moved along a second direction  12 , a pricker set  53  assembled to the pricker frame  51 , a second perforating element  54  assembled to the pricker set  53 , and a second spring  55  is configured to push the pricker frame  51  to move in a third direction  13  opposite to the second direction  12 . The pricker frame  51  has left and right linkage control elements  511 , and a pricker set assembly portion  512  disposed to connect between the two linkage control elements  511 , the pricker set  53  is assembled to the pricker set assembly portion  512  of the pricker frame  51 , each of the linkage control elements  511  has a concaved linkage groove  513  near to the rear portion. And the second perforating element  54  is designed to assemble to the pricker frame  51  directly. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the linkage unit  6  comprises a linkage handle  61 , two linkage press blocks  62  connected to the linkage handle  61  and the pricker base  34 , two pivot shaft components  63  is configured to assemble the linkage handle  61  to the protrusions  225  of the upper support  2 , and two linkage components  64  disposed spaced left and right. The linkage handle  61  comprises two left and right handle arms  611 , and a handle connection portion  612  is disposed in the front of the handle arms  611  and connected to the left and right handle arms  611 , each of the handle arms  611  comprises a first linkage hole  613  near to the rear portion and a second linkage hole  614  in the front of the first linkage hole  613 , the cross sections of the first linkage hole  613  and the second linkage hole  614  are hexagon shaped. Each of the linkage press blocks  62  is respectively disposed with an anti-rotating insert portion  621  inserted in non-rotatable way to the second linkage hole  614  of the linkage handle  61 , and a clamp portion  622  protruded from the second linkage hole  614  to clamp one of the driven portions  642  of the pricker base  34 . 
     Each of the pivot shaft component  63  has a linkage sleeve  631 , a clamp block  632  disposed to rotatably attach to the linkage sleeve  631  to one of the protrusions  225  of the upper support  22 , and a linkage shaft  633  linked and sleeved to the linkage sleeve  631 ; the linkage sleeve  631  is disposed with a third hexagon linkage hole  630 , the cross section of the linkage shaft  633  is hexagon shaped, and crossing through one of the first linkage holes  613  of the linkage handle  61  laterally and the third linkage hole  630  of the linkage sleeve  631  at the same side. That is to say, when the linkage handle  61  is pressed down, it drives the linkage sleeve  631  and the linkage shaft  633  of the pivot shaft component  63  to rotate, but the linkage sleeve  631  of the pivot shaft component  63  is rotating inside the frame groove  227  of the upper support  22 . 
     Each of the linkage components  64  has a rail  641  assembled to the exterior of the thread column  241  of the upper support  22  by a screw, a moving element  642  movably sleeved on the rail  641 , and a gear  643  linked to and assembled to the linkage end of the linkage shaft  633  of the pivot shaft component  63 . The moving element  642  comprises a limit groove  644  extending along the second direction  12 , a teeth bar  645  disposed above the limit groove  644 , and a linkage hook  646  disposed below the limit groove  644  and is configured to insert into the linkage groove  513  of the pricker frame  51 , the gear  643  has a plurality of teeth  647  to engage to the teeth of the teeth bar  645  of the moving element  642 . When the gear  643  of the linkage component  64  is driven to rotate by the linkage shaft  633  of the pivot shaft component  63 , it drives the engaged moving element  642  to move fore-and-back along the second direction  12  and the third direction  13 . 
     Each of the brake units  7  of this embodiment comprises a brake frame  71 , a brake pivot shaft  72  to assemble the brake frame  71  to the exterior of one side flat  228  of the upper support  21  in pivoting way, a brake wheel  73  rotatably assembled to the front of the brake frame  71 , and a brake spring  74  abutting between the platform  242  of the upper support  22  and the brake frame  71 , the brake spring  74  and the brake wheel  73  are in opposite sides of the brake pivot shaft  72 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 , when the automatic puncture mechanism of this embodiment is in an open position as figured in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7 , under the work of the torsion spring  23 , the upper support  22  always swings upwards and backwards, the linkage handle  61  is assembled to the upper support  22 , putting the coffee capsule  10  into the carrying room  40  of the carrying base  4 , under the work of the second spring  55 , the second perforating element  54  is placed in the front of the breach of the  411  of the carrying base  4 . As the brake frame  71  of the brake unit  7  is acted upon the brake spring  74 , the front end of the brake frame  71  swings downward to make the brake wheel  73  in the front press on the bottom of the side edge of the gear  643  of the linkage unit  6 , in this position, the angle between the contact direction of the brake frame  71  and the contact point of the gear is 90 degrees, so that, when in the open position, the upper support  22  is braked by the brake unit  7 , and thus engaged and linked to the linkage handle  61  of the linkage unit  6  so as to fix the angle between the linkage handle  61  and the upper support  22 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , when the puncture mechanism of this embodiment is going to puncture a coffee capsule, handling the linkage handle  61  and pressing it down, as the brake wheels  73  of the brake unit  7  respectively abut against at the rear portion of the gear  643  of the linkage unit  6  vertically, so that, when the linkage handle  61  is pressed down, the linkage handle  61  and the upper support  22  move down in a fixed angle relationship, that is to say, at the beginning of pressing, the puncture mechanism changes to a standby position in  FIG. 8  from the open position in  FIG. 7 , the angle between the upper support  22  and the linkage handle  61  is retained fixed. When the bottom edge of the brake frame  71  of the brake unit  7  is contacted on the top of the protuberance  215 , continue pressing the linkage handle  61 , the brake frame  71  are pushed and then swinging, the fixation relationship of the upper support  22  and the linkage handle  61  is no longer static, that is to say, the linkage handle  61  rotates relative to the upper support. On the other hand, the linkage hook  646  of the moving element  642  of the linkage unit  6  moves downward to fasten the hook  216  of the lower support  21 , and the linkage hook  646  is inserted into the linkage groove  513  of the pricker frame  51  of the second puncture unit  5 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 9 , when the user keeps pressing the linkage handle  61  down, the linkage handle  61  then swings about the pivot shaft components  63  relative to the upper support  22 . Two linkage actions will happen during the swinging of the linkage handle  61 . one action is that, the linkage press blocks  62  of the linkage unit  6  drives the pricker base  34  of the first puncture unit  3  to move down, as the first perforating element  36  is assembled to the pricker base  34 , above action will drive the first perforating element  36  to move down, when the first perforating element  36  runs through the first through hole  321  of the press base  32 , it punctures the top wall  102  of the coffee capsule  10 , then hot water will enter into the guiding waterway  362  of the first perforating element  36  by the water guiding base  37 , and then flows into the coffee capsule  10  to brew coffee. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 9 , the second action is that, the linkage shaft  633  and the gear  643  of the linkage unit  6  rotate synchronously, as the gear  643  of the linkage component  64  is engaged to the teeth bar  645  of the moving element  642 , and the linkage hook  646  of the moving element  642  of the linkage component  64  is inserted into the linkage groove  513  of the pricker frame  51  of the second puncture unit  5 , during the linkage handle  61  swings, the pricker frame  51  is also driven by the linkage unit  6  to move to the breach  411  of the carrying base  4  along the second direction  12 , after the rear portion of the gear  645  of the moving element  642  of the linkage component  64  contacts the front of the limited block  243  of the assembly portion  24 , the puncture mechanism changes to a brewing position in  FIG. 9  from the standby position in  FIG. 8 . At this time, the linkage component  64  will drive the second perforating element  54  to perforate the side wall  101  of the coffee capsule  10 , a coffee drink made from hot water and coffee material will flow out from the hollow second perforating element  54 . 
     As can be seen from above, in the automatic puncture mechanism of the present invention, only if the linkage handle  61  is driven to swing, it can drive the first perforating element to perforate the top wall  102  of the coffee capsule  10  and drive the second perforating element  54  to perforate the side wall  101  of the coffee capsule, previous puncture operation only needs an action, so that it is easy to operate, and easy to remember, the present invention is definitely a new and practical automatic puncture mechanism of a capsule coffee machine.