JP2003054697A - Cup type drink supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cup type drink supply apparatus that keeps sanitary, thereby enabling a user to use the apparatus without anxiety, even though the drink supply apparatus is operated by users. SOLUTION: The cup type drink supply apparatus 1 for supplying drink to a cup set by a user comprises an apparatus main body 2, and a cup carrying device 14 that carries a cup C between a cup setting position where the user sets the cup C and a drink supply position in the apparatus main body 2 to which the user is not allowed to access. The drink supply apparatus 1 also comprises a drink nozzle 13 that is disposed within the apparatus main body 2 and used for supplying the drink to the cup C carried to the drink supply position. The apparatus 1 further comprises a control device 15 that controls the cup carrying device 14 such that when the cup C is set in the cup setting position, the cup C is carried to the drink supply position, and when the supply of the drink to the cup C from the drink nozzle 13 is finished, the cup C is carried to the cup setting position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup-type beverage supply device which is installed, for example, in a restaurant which supplies beverages to cups by self-service and which supplies beverages to cups set by the user himself. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a cup-type beverage supply device installed in a restaurant or the like, for example, a dispenser for soft drink, coffee, beer, etc. is often operated by a clerk, and the clerk operates the dispenser to place an order. The drinks are poured into cups and served to customers. This type of beverage supply device is a device main body filled with a beverage inside, a beverage supply unit provided in the device main body in an externally exposed state, provided below the beverage supply unit, a cup It has a cup stage that is set in a mounted state. The beverage supply unit has a beverage nozzle at the lower end,
The beverage is discharged downward through the beverage nozzle.

In a restaurant equipped with such a beverage supply device, when a drink is ordered, the clerk sets the cup on the cup stage or holds the cup by hand and brings it close to the beverage nozzle. Operate the specified buttons and levers. Some beverage supply units continue to supply beverages while buttons and levers are being operated, and in a beverage supply device having such a beverage supply unit, a clerk confirms the amount of beverages in the cup. , I'm pouring the best amount of beverage into the cup for the size of the cup. In addition, some beverage supply units can supply a predetermined amount of beverage by pressing the button once,
In this case, by pressing the button once, a predetermined amount of beverage is poured into the cup. The beverage thus poured into the cup is provided to the customer.

Further, in recent years, the number of self-service restaurants where customers themselves supply beverages to cups by operating the beverage supply device has increased. In such a restaurant, a large number of cups are prepared in advance near the beverage supply device,
The customer himself takes the cup and sets the cup on the cup stage of the beverage supply device and operates the buttons and levers to pour the beverage into the cup, like the above-mentioned store clerk.

[0005]

However, when the customer himself operates the beverage supply device to pour the beverage into the cup, there are the following problems. That is, in the conventional beverage supply device, since the beverage supply unit is exposed to the outside, a customer who is unfamiliar with the operation may directly touch the beverage nozzle of the beverage supply unit with his / her fingertip or the like. In such a case, a customer who intends to use the beverage supply device thereafter becomes uncomfortable and the beverage supply device itself becomes unsanitary. Further, when the customer himself pours the beverage into the cup, the amount may exceed the amount suitable for the cup, and the beverage may overflow from the cup.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and it is possible to maintain hygiene even when the customer himself / herself operates it, and a cup type that the customer can use with peace of mind. An object is to provide a beverage supply device.

[0007]

A cup-type beverage supply device according to the present invention is a cup-type beverage supply device for supplying a beverage to a cup set by a user, wherein the device main body and the user Between the cup setting position where the user can set the cup and the beverage supply position in the device body that is inaccessible to the user, and a cup conveying means that conveys the cup, and is provided in the device body and conveyed to the beverage supply position. A beverage nozzle for supplying a beverage to the cup, and when the cup is set at the cup setting position, the cup is conveyed to the beverage supply position, and when the beverage supply from the beverage nozzle to the cup is completed, the cup And a control means for controlling the cup carrying means so as to carry the cup to the cup setting position.

According to this structure, when the user sets the cup at the cup setting position, the cup is conveyed to the beverage supply position in the apparatus main body by the cup conveying means controlled by the control means. The beverage is then dispensed into the cup via the beverage nozzle. Then, after the supply of the beverage to the cup is completed, the cup is conveyed to the cup setting position by the cup conveying means and provided to the user. In this way, the cup set by the user in the cup setting position is conveyed to the beverage supply position in the device body which is inaccessible to the user, and the beverage is supplied at that position through the beverage nozzle in the device body. Since the user does not touch the beverage nozzle, therefore, even if the customer of the restaurant that installed the cup-type beverage supply device operates it and pours the beverage into the cup, The device can be kept hygienic, and customers can use it with peace of mind.

In this case, it is preferable that the cup transfer means has a cup tray that is movable in the front-rear direction and that transfers the placed cup between the cup setting position and the beverage supply position. .

According to this structure, when the cup is set at the cup setting position, it is only necessary to place the cup on the cup tray, and when the cup to which the beverage has been supplied is taken out, the beverage is supplied. Since it is only necessary to grasp and pick up the cup conveyed to the cup setting position after completion, it is possible to easily set and take out the cup at the cup setting position. Further, since the cup tray only needs to be movable in the front-rear direction, the cup carrying means can be realized with a simple configuration.

In this case, the main body of the apparatus has an opening on its outer surface for allowing the passage of the cup as the cup tray moves, a door for opening and closing the opening, and a cup tray for closing the opening during standby. It is preferable to further include door control means for controlling the door so as to open the opening when moving.

According to this structure, the opening controlled by the door controlled by the door control means is closed at the time of standby, and the cup placed on the cup tray when the cup tray is moved, that is, when the cup tray is moved, is set at the cup setting position and the beverage. Open the opening when transporting to and from the supply position. That is, the door opens the opening for a very short time when the cup tray moves, and therefore the opening is almost closed so that dust and dirt in the atmosphere can be exposed to the outside through the opening. From entering into the main body of the device, and as a result, the cup-type beverage supply device can be kept more hygienic. Further, by setting the cup setting position to a position in front of the opening, it is possible to more easily set and remove the cup at the cup setting position without the edge of the opening becoming an obstacle. Becomes

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show a cup-type beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The cup-type beverage supply device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "beverage supply device") is installed in, for example, a self-service corner of a restaurant, and is a user himself / herself pouring a beverage into a cup.

As shown in both figures, this beverage supply device 1
Includes a vertically long box-shaped device body 2 having a certain depth dimension, and an opening / closing door 3 (door) provided on the front surface of the device body 2 so as to be openable and closable. The device body 2 is
A vertically long box-shaped case 11 having an opening 11a of a predetermined shape is provided on the front surface. Inside the case 11, a drink tank 12 filled with a predetermined drink and a drink tank 12 connected to the drink tank 12 are provided. A beverage nozzle 13 for discharging a beverage, a cup carrier 14 (cup carrier) for carrying the cup C between a cup setting position and a beverage supply position, which will be described later, and the cup carrier 14 and the opening / closing door 3 are controlled. Control device 15 (control means, door control means)
Etc. are provided.

A partition plate 16 extending horizontally in the front-rear direction is provided in the case 11 at a substantially central height in the vertical direction, and a beverage tank 12 is arranged above the partition plate 16.
The cup transfer device 14 is arranged on the lower side. Further, the beverage nozzle 13 is attached downward at a position near the front of the partition plate 16 in a state where the beverage nozzle 13 penetrates.

The cup carrier 14 is mounted in the front-back direction (see FIG. 1).
(B) has a cup tray 21 configured to be movable in the left-right direction, and a motor 22 that drives the cup tray 21 via a tray drive mechanism (not shown). The cup tray 21 is composed of a tray main body 21a extending horizontally in the front-rear direction, and a projecting plate 21b provided at a position near the front of the tray main body 21a and projecting to near the lower surface of the partition plate 16. In addition, the tray body 21
A cup receiver 21c for setting the cup C in a mounted state is provided in front of the protruding plate 21b on the upper surface of a.

The cup tray 21 thus constructed
2 is a cup setting position where the cup C set in the cup receiver 21c is located in front of the opening 11a of the case 11 (the position indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG.
(The position shown in (b)) and its cup C is the beverage nozzle 13
It can be slid to and from a beverage supply position (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1B) located below the.
Further, when the cup tray 21 slides to the cup setting position, the protruding plate 21b is moved to the case 1 accordingly.
It moves to the vicinity of the opening 11a of No. 1 and becomes a state in which most of the opening 11a is closed from the rear side. This will open and close the door 3
Even when it is opened, it is possible to prevent hands and fingers from being inserted into the apparatus main body 2 through the opening 11a due to mischief.

The cup tray 21 is provided with the cup C on the cup tray 21, and the cup C is
A sensor (not shown) is provided to detect that the is taken out. Based on the detection signal from this sensor, the control device 15 detects the setting and removal of the cup C and controls the cup tray 21.

Further, on the front surface of the case 11, including the opening / closing door 3, there is provided a customer service portion 31 which is formed in a forward convex shape and whose front shape is formed into a vertically elongated elliptical shape. Customer service department 31
In the upper half part, a plurality of product selection buttons 32 which are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction at a predetermined interval from each other, and a beverage supply lamp 33 which is provided below them and which lights up or blinks at the time of beverage supply are provided. Has been. On the other hand, in the lower half of the customer service section 31, the opening 11a having substantially the same shape as the opening / closing door 3 is formed. The opening 11a is formed in the cup tray 2
It is formed in a size that allows the passage of the cup C when the cup C is set to 1. The opening 11a is opened and closed by the opening / closing door 3.

The opening / closing door 3 has a front shape formed like a lower half when a vertically elongated ellipse is vertically divided into two parts, and has a pivot shaft 3a extending in the left / right direction provided at the lower end as a center.
A closed position that closes the opening 11a (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1B) and an open position that opens the opening 11a and rotates to a substantially horizontal position (the position shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 1B). )
Rotate between and. The opening / closing door 3 is controlled by the control device 15 via a drive mechanism and a motor (not shown). The upper and lower ends of the open / close door 3 in the closed position are in contact with the stopper 11b at the upper edge of the opening 11a from the front and are flush with the upper half of the customer service section 31.

Next, the beverage supply to the cup C by the beverage supply device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A shows the beverage supply device 1 in the standby state. In this case, the cup tray 21 is located at the beverage supply position in the device body 2 and the opening / closing door 3 is closed. In this state, the customer selects the product selection button 32 for the desired beverage.
When is pressed, the opening / closing door 3 rotates forward toward the open position and the cup tray 21 slides forward toward the cup setting position. Then, the opening 11a is opened, and the cup tray 21 is opened in front of the opening 11a.
The cup receiver 21c is positioned.

In this state, the customer receives the cup receiver 21c.
When the cup C is set (see (b) of the same figure), that is detected by the above-mentioned sensor (not shown). Then, the cup tray 21 at the cup setting position slides backward toward the beverage supply position, and the open / close door 3 at the open position rotates toward the closed position. Then, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the cup C reaches the beverage supply position and the opening / closing door 3 is closed, the predetermined amount of the selected beverage is supplied to the cup C via the beverage nozzle 13. . In this case, while the beverage is being supplied to the cup C, the beverage supply lamp 33 is turned on to inform the customer of that fact.

After the completion of the beverage supply to the cup C,
The beverage supply lamp 33 is turned off, and the open / close door 3 is opened again and the cup tray 21 slides forward, and the cup C containing the beverage is conveyed to the cup setting position, as shown in FIG. It As a result, the beverage contained in the cup C is provided to the customer, and when the customer takes out the cup C, the fact is detected by a sensor (not shown). Then, as shown in FIG. 3A, the cup tray 21 at the cup setting position returns to the beverage supply position as the standby position, and the opening / closing door 3 closes. As a result, a series of beverage supply to the cup C is completed, and the beverage supply device 1 enters the standby state.

As described in detail above, according to the cup type beverage supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the cup C set at the cup setting position is conveyed to the beverage supply position in the main body 2 of the device, and at that position. Since the beverage is supplied through the beverage nozzle 13, the customer cannot touch the beverage nozzle 13 from the outside. Therefore, as described above, even when the customer himself / herself operates the beverage supply device 1 to pour the beverage into the cup C, the beverage nozzle 13 is not touched by the customer,
This beverage supply device 1 can be kept hygienic, and customers can use it with peace of mind. Further, in this case, the customer only needs to press the product selection button 32 of the desired beverage and set the cup C on the cup tray 21 slid to the cup setting position. Even if the customer is unfamiliar with the operation, the beverage supply device 1 can be operated easily. Further, in the beverage supply device 1, the opening / closing door 3 is opened only for a short time when the cup tray 21 appears and disappears through the opening 11a, and the opening / closing door 3 is closed during other standbys and during beverage supply. It is possible to prevent dust and dirt from entering the inside of the device body 2 from the outside through the opening 11a, and as a result, the beverage supply device 1 can be kept more hygienic.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various modes. For example, in the embodiment, the opening / closing door 3 is driven by the motor, but when the opening / closing door 3 is biased to the closed position by a spring or the like and the cup tray 21 slides forward toward the cup setting position. Alternatively, the opening / closing door 3 may be opened by pressing it from the rear. In this case, a drive mechanism and a motor for driving the opening / closing door 3 can be omitted. In addition, in the embodiment, the case where the customer himself / herself operates the beverage supply device 1 has been described, but a clerk of a restaurant in which the beverage supply device 1 is installed can also be used. Further, the beverage supply device of the present invention can be applied to a cup type beverage vending machine. Furthermore, the detailed configuration of the beverage supply device 1 shown in the embodiment is merely an example, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

[0026]

As described in detail above, the cup-type beverage supply device of the present invention can be kept hygienic even when the customer operates it, and the customer can use it with peace of mind. Have.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a cup-type beverage supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view and (b) is a side sectional view.

2A and 2B are perspective views showing the cup-type beverage supply device of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A shows a state in which an opening / closing door is closed, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which the opening / closing door is opened.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for sequentially explaining a series of operations for supplying a beverage to a cup by the cup-type beverage supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 cup type beverage supply device 2 device body 3 open / close door (door) 11 cases 11a opening 13 Beverage nozzle 14 Cup transfer device (cup transfer means) 15 Control device (control means, door control means) 21 cup tray C cup

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cup type beverage supply device for supplying a beverage to a cup set by a user, the device main body, a cup setting position at which the user can set the cup, and an inaccessible state for the user. Between the beverage supply position in the apparatus main body, a cup conveying means for conveying the cup, a beverage nozzle provided in the apparatus main body for supplying a beverage to the cup conveyed to the beverage supply position, , When the cup is set in the cup setting position,
A control for controlling the cup transporting unit to transport the cup to the beverage supply position and transport the cup to the cup setting position when the beverage supply from the beverage nozzle to the cup is completed. A cup-type beverage supply device comprising: 2. The cup transfer means is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction, and has a cup tray for transferring a placed cup between the cup setting position and the beverage supply position. The cup-type beverage supply device according to claim 1. 3. The apparatus main body has an opening on its outer surface that allows passage of the cup as the cup tray moves, a door that opens and closes the opening, and closes the opening during standby. The cup-type beverage supply device according to claim 2, further comprising door control means for controlling the door so that the opening is opened when the cup tray is moved.